The kingdom, to Thor's surprise, quickly accustomed to the new situation concerning the werewolves.

No longer were they shunned and forced to live in the outskirts of cities in self-made shackles, hiding between the humans, supressing what they are. They were full-fledged members of society as the people realised that they are just as sentient creatures as they are and that the only difference was that humans got the better eyesight and they got to poof into four legged beings.

Not that everyone was happy with this progress. There were those who thought that even if the wolves were allowed to live, they should do so in cages. More radical groups still put their vote on total annihilation.

But as Loki informed him, the same was the case among his kind. They believed those who accepted the King's Decree were traitors to their kind and allowed themselves to be happily domesticated by the humans.

However, he was still amazed by the progress as for what had been done during his leave. The war then had just been won, the new laws just implemented – although some people were curiously quick about ensuring work possibilities for shifters, at which most old councillors looked at with distaste – and now he could barely recognise the kingdom he was the prince of.

The prince sighed as he ruffled the head of a little brown wolf, who turned into an equally brown frowning little girl.

"What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"What? No, of course not."

"Your father? He is a meanie!" That forced Thor to smile, as he pulled out a robe from the wardrobe.

So ferocious, this little one, all three foot five inches of her.

"Not this time. Put up your arms."

"Why?"

"Becase you shouldn't be running around naked."

"Why?"

"Because you will be a proper lady some day. Proper ladies wear either fur or clothing but they do not run around naked." Usually, he added in his thoughts. She didn't need to know about that yet.

"They don't? Why?"

"That's just... Not ladylike." Thor was starting to panic. He liked these kids dearly, but their questions kept coming endlessly and it was beyond his capabilities to answer all of them. One day, he shall ask how his mother dealt with it when it came to him and Loki.

"I don't want to be ladylike. I want to be like the Lady Sif!"

"Why, what's the Lady Sif is like?"

"Well, she is all tall, and beautiful, strong and... Oh," she said as the meaning of what she just said dawned on her, "But does that mean that if you're a lady and grown up you can still fight?"

"Yes. Wretched be the one who'll try to stop you."

"Even if somebody is like me?" she asked, tying the blue sash in a neat little ribbon around her waist.

That one question hit him in the gut.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean a... Freak," she whispered, her head downcast. Thor knelt down by her side and lifted her chin with his fingers.

"Agate, you're anything but a freak."

"But the others from the other ward said so."

"And that was cruel from them. But trust me, I have seen some freaks and you're nothing like them. You're a six year old pup with a special ability and the capability to be anything."

"Anything?" Thor laughed at the familiar sly look on her face, then ruffled her straw-like blonde hair.

"All right, so I might have exaggerated. A little. But you can be many things, just don't let what people like the children say from the other ward get to you."

"Can I be your bodyguard?" That forced him to chuckle.

"That's a question for another day, and it shall be answered, I promise. For now though, run along or the good Sister will be angry with us again. And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

"No," the girl grinned, shook her head in agreement, then darted off towards a big lanky elf woman who watched them with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face.

Despite all his happiness, however, for some reason he felt dark clouds forming over his head.

Father got more and more sullen over the last few months, as, mostly due to his age, councillors believed he was growing more stupid and fallible by the day. This was how the wizened crones and codgers explained that Odin didn't start a crusade against anything, that either spent their days on two legs or four, but instead, as they saw it embraced and placed them above his own people.

Oh, the horrors they must have been going through when they saw their grandchildren play with those „furry abominations".

Frigga also grew more silent, which seemed to be originating from the same sadness that plagued his own feelings.

Loki was once more drawing back, and disappearing for days at a time. And when he returned, they couldn't get a word out of him as for where he was, what was he doing, and why, in the name of all the sacred weapons in Asgard's vaults would he not tell them? Was he not happy? Did he think they couldn't be trusted?

It was not an all too far fetched idea, no matter how Thor thought about it. He had certainly proven that people might be wrong to place their hopes in him, but Frigga? Loki wasn't a saint either, wronged or not, and he couldn't have had anything against the Queen who did nothing else, but support him.

"Yes, of course, I understand," the softly spoken words hit his head. Thor quickly hid behind the pillar he was just walking past then peeked out.

Loki was standing in the Small Garden, with a man who was most certainly not employed in the palace. He seemed trying hard to appear apologetic as so not appear hopeful. Unfortunately, his eyes seemed not to be under his command as they always turned onto the small satchel at his brother's hip.

"Really, 'm Lord. I wish I could have served with better news."

"You have served with none, to be precise, friend."

"'m Lord," he bowed deeply, his eyes wander once again on the satchel. Loki smiled, but his eyes remained cold.

"You want your paymen, don't you?"

"The hardships I endured... For your sake..."

"Take it, then get out of my sight," Loki said with barely contained disgust as he threw the money at the man, "And don't breath a word of it to anyone."

"Certainly. You know you can trust me," the man said and quickly scurried away.

The shifter looked after him long, with calculation in his eyes, before turning.

"You can come out now."

"And here I was thinking myself a master at hiding."

"I could hear you breathing a mile away. You saw everything?"

"Depends on how long ago it started," Thor said, then asked half-jokingly, "Not planning another treachery, are you? People say third time is the charm, but it'd be quite hard for you to climb out again."

"Could be. You'd never realise until it's all over though."

"I'm not so immersed in marvelling at myself anymore..."

"That much."

"As to not see when something is going on with you," he finished is sentence, placing his hand on Loki's shoulders, "But now, speak truly, even if it has never been your forte. What's ailing you?"

"Mostly the weather. Way too sunny. I forgot how hot it can get during the summers."

"Loki," Thor said, trying to sound as brotherly as he could, "We worry about you. Even father, though he'd never say, and there's no surprise. We'd help you if you'd simply allow us to."

"You can't," he answered, smiling, "At least not yet."

"Listen..."

"I'll tell you when I feel like it's good for you to know. Possibly mother. If the two of you will still feel like aiding me. However others needn't know before it's time for them to. Will you be satisfied with this answer, or should I just transport myself out?"

Thor looked at his brother's face, still smiling, but with a hardness to it, then sighed.

"Very well. If it's really not about your teenager plans of overthrowing father."

"I never wanted to overthrow him!" Seeing the Thunderer's quizzical stare, Loki conceded, "Okay. Maybe the second time. But I did nothing he didn't do when he was the same age!"

"Yes. Except that he turned on his own father only twice."

"Woe me, if my blood sire planned on assassinating him."

"And poisoning him with Sleep of the Beauty was the best course of action, after having me exiled, you decided."

"I did save the country from being ran by a pack of vengeful ice giant shifters out for blood, didn't I?" Loki asked, stopping in front of his rooms' main door, "I admit, I was young, foolish, hating myself – a midget ice giant, and a shifter one at that, as if it was some cruel joke of Nature -, and the fact that you'd soon claim the throne, so I might have not seen clearly."

Thor chuckled at the choice of words.

"Calm yourself, brother. I believe your own exile did all inch of your midget shifter giant-ness of you good – you are a lot worse at hiding your emotions."

The door was slammed shut in his face.

"I meant that as a compliment!"

Loki answered something obscene which he couldn't hear due to the muffling charms on the entrance. It left him grinning like a madman, anyway.

My English was and is getting rusty, so why not oil it with some practice? And what's better practice than continuing my favourite fanfic I ever created after nearly two years, even if it doesn't have much to show quality or quantity wise?

(And continuing the one I badly wanted to write, but always forgot about it.)