The First Whispers of Magic

It had been weeks since that first meeting, and after every lesson, without fail, the two Princes would plead and beg their father to grant them permission to travel to Álfheim. And, at the beginning of each session in that magical library, the promised conversation would occur.

As the days passed, the trust Loki held towards his teacher slowly grew, and the number of secrets shared became numerous. However, it was a day before the young Princeling's Name-Day when everything changed.

Entering the Library on a particularly sunny day, Faradei was, like always, stood next to a window with his jacket on, bow slung over his shoulder and a pile of books on the table, several of which were open. As the boys came ever closer, he puller at the collar of his coat.

"My, it is very hot indeed this day," he said, looking over at them before pulling his weapon from his back, "Loki, would you be able to hold onto this for me whilst I remove my coat? I fear I will burn if I do not do so soon."

Loki stared at the carved piece of wood. He was shocked. How could Master Faradei bear to hand his weapon over so freely? Was it not the Elven way for them to destroy their weapons before ever letting another touch it?

Looking up into his teacher's eyes, he could see the serious look he was being given, and he slowly pulled the bow into his grasp, holding it delicately and with a great reverence.

After having so many lessons on the history and law of the Light Elves, the Princes knew of what this seemingly ordinary action meant. Even as their teacher pulled his coat off, they could only stare at it in awe.

He was holding a part of him. A piece of the man he had come to know as a friend. It showed a tremendous amount of trust, and it was barely believable. Thor had once asked why it was that he would always bring his bow to their lessons, and when he had been told the answer – that the bow was as much a part of him as his own arm through the magic that had crafted it – it had been made clear that they would never be allowed to touch it.

"Thank you, my Prince," Faradei said, holding out his hand again so that the boy could return it.

Placing into the open hand, Loki smiled slightly as he thought about what had just occurred.

The Elf had just trusted him with his greatest secret. Was it not fair that he would share his own?

Sitting down at the table, the blonde haired man opened one of the books and started to flick through the pages. "Now, I had thought we would have a look at the forests that surround our capital city of-"

"I'm a Frost Giant."

Silence fell as Faradei froze, his fingers hovering over the parchment of the pages he had been scanning, though his eyes had become distant and unseeing.

Taking a step closer, Loki took a deep breath. "I found out a few months ago. I had been abandoned by my… by my family, and Father saved me."

The boy stared at his teacher, awaiting the reaction that he was sure was to come, only it didn't. He expected something a lot more… drastic, than what actually happened.

Eventually, the Light Elf turned his head up to face him, a smile on his face. "I know."

Loki's and Thor's eyes widened. "You do?" Thor asked, speaking up for his brother who had been struck speechless.

"Indeed," Faradei replied, closing the book, "Your Mother told me on the day of my arrival, as a way to show her complete trust in me. The fact that you have told me this tells me you are ready."

"Ready?" Loki questioned, though he could feel a grin growing on his face, "You mean…"

The Elf nodded. "Thor, I would suggest you find something to do for a few hours. This is likely to take a while."

"Now, I want you to concentrate on that feeling."

"The weightlessness?"

"Yes. Concentrate on it, and try to see where it is. Where it's coming from. What it's doing. Can you do that?"

"I don't know…"

"That's okay. Just try, and we'll work our way from there."

Nodding, Loki tried to focus.

He knew how to find where the weightlessness was, but it was always just a blob of strange energy that he could never define or understand, and that didn't change for this time. He could feel where it was, and he knew where it was coming from, but that was only because Faradei had told him what he was going to be doing, not because he could sense it or anything. And the whole 'seeing' thing didn't make any sense! How was he going to be able to 'see' energy?

Trying as hard as he could, he tried to reach out to that power his teacher was trying to show him, but, after several agonising minutes, he sighed.

"It's not working!" he cried, standing up from his seated position on the floor, "I can't see it."

Opening his eyes, the blonde haired man looked at him with kind and sympathetic look in his eyes. "Well, would like to tell me what you're trying to do, and then I might be able to help you."

For a moment, Loki just stood next to the book shelves, running a finger down the spine of one of them, letting its whispers enter his mind and comfort him, before turning back to his lesson.

Sitting back down, he looked down at the floor, tracing a line in the marble with his finger. "I can find the area of weightlessness very easily. It's obvious where it is really. But I can't see it. All I can find is that energy, but it doesn't look like anything. And I can't see how it's coming from you, but I know it is because you told me."

Nodding, the teacher seemed to think about his words carefully. "In my Realm, in Álfheim, it is rare for children to be blessed with the gift of magic, as it is usually through many years of study and practice that it is obtained, though we have enough experience to overcome this. Of course, I do not believe there has ever been a Jӧtunn with the abilities to manipulate the threads of Yggdrasil before, so it does not surprise me that this would be difficult for you."

Loki nodded, still not looking up at the man. Why had he thought it would be any different?

Because it is.

Looking up suddenly, the youngest Prince of Asgard smiled as he saw his friend slithering towards them, his black scales shining in the sunlight.

"Jӧrmungand!" he cried, holding his hand out to the lizard, "What are you doing here?"

I came to help you, of course, the snake replied, wrapping himself around Loki's arm, Did you really think I would miss your first lesson in magic?

Loki grinned. "No, of course not."

"I was wondering when he was going to arrive," Faradei said, smiling at their guest, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Jӧrmungand."

The lizard nodded. And I you, Master Elf. It is good to see that Loki has begun his lessons.

Bowing his head slightly, the man returned his attention to his student. "Now, Loki, I want you to try again."

The Prince groaned. "But I can't-"

"Can't? Or won't?" the teacher asked, raising his eyebrow, "If you don't try, then you'll just be giving up, and who knows what would happen then."

Sighing, Loki nodded and held out his arm to the floor, allowing his childhood friend to make his way back onto the ground again. Taking a calming breath, he closed his eyes and tried to focus on the feeling again.

Once again, he could feel where the weightlessness was, and once again, he was confounded by where it was coming from and what it was doing. But he didn't stop looking.

He tried to picture the magic – to really see it for what Faradei had told him it was – and he tried to find the threads and the weave that he was creating, but every time he seemed to come close to that ever close goal, it would slip between his fingers and float away. It was infuriating!

Just as he was about to pull away, he felt Jӧr's scales on the skin of his arm again, and his familiar presence in his mind.

You're trying too hard, he said, You're attacking it, scaring it away.

But how am I supposed to do that? It doesn't listen if I don't, Loki replied, recalling what the Elf had told him.

Well then, maybe you should listen instead, came the retort, disappointment towards the teacher becoming obvious, though there was also a hint of understanding, Yggdrasil is granting you the power over Her threads of Her own free will. She has already acknowledged that you control it. You do not need to use force; just ask.

How?

The snake laughed. You'll know.

Before he could ask what that meant, Loki could feel Jӧrmungand shut himself off from his mind, and he was aware of the distance between them increasing as the reptile left.

Mental shaking himself, the young Prince returned his attention to the task at hand.

Ask? But how was he meant to do that?

Taking another breath, he focused on the weightlessness again, but this time, he didn't just focus on the cloud of magic his teacher was manipulating, he looked past it, at the magic in the air around them. It was faint, and he could barely sense it, but he knew it was there, and this magic didn't flee when he reached for it. It was almost as though it welcomed his touch.

Ask…

Yggdrasil? Do I hold your permission to see you? he asked, his mind wrapped in the tendrils of Her web.

Suddenly, he felt something warm and… motherly, he supposed, brushing up against his thoughts, and he could feel pride and acceptance seeping into his bones, his thoughts… his everything. And as soon as he felt that, he could see.

At first it was just ripples in the way the sun's rays travelled through the open window, but then it became thick lines, and finally thin chords which wove themselves around everything, so strong and yet so fragile, unable to be touched by any save those such as himself. He saw the clump of threads being held together by the Elf in front of him, and he could see how She was trying to pull away from his firm grasp.

It was painful to see.

"Stop," Loki said, staring at the taught threads, Yggdrasil's cries of pain seeping into his thoughts, "Please, stop it."

Opening his eyes, the Elf released the hold he had on the magic and smiled. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, the threads remaining slightly frayed and stretched, but then Faradei held onto them with his magic again, and they became as they had once been, whispers of apologies floating through the air.

"The only way I was going to be sure that the Great World Tree was to accept you, was for Her attention to be already near you," the Elf stated, his eyes full of regret and sorrow, "Unfortunately, the only way I know of to do this is to inflict pain. It is inexcusable, and horrid to even contemplate, but it was necessary for you, considering your own power, but you must never do so yourself. It goes against everything enchanters stand for. You need to learn how to feel Her pain, else you destroy your link with Her."

Wiping away a tear he had not realised had fallen, Loki nodded.

"Good," Faradei said, standing, "Now, let's see if we can convince the All-father to travel to my home Realm, shall we?"

AN - And here it is! Your next chapter!

Sorry it took so long, but I got a little distracted with Once Upon A Time for a while... and a new fic I've just started... Don't blame me! Blame the plot bunnies! They were too cute to ignore!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Creating my own kind of mythology behind magic is always fun, so this will most definitely not be the last lesson you'll be previewing!

I was mostly listening to Flawed Design by Stabilo while writing this chapter, along with Wide Awake by Katie Pery (again).

Thanks once again for all your lovely reviews, and I look forward to the next chapter... whenever it may be.