Morning could not come quick enough for me. I needed to see my brother again; I needed to see if yesterday's triumph of spirit over dejection had carried over into the new day. I left my chamber as soon as I was wakeful and garbed and hurried the short distance to the door of Loki's chamber.

Mother was just leaving his chamber as I approached. She had a length of dark green fabric in her hand, a skein of thread about her shoulders, and a smile upon her lips.

"Bring him to breakfast." She told me, brushing a kiss across my cheek as she passed.

Those words alone brought me more hope than I'd long had for my brother. In all these long weeks of his healing, he'd barely eaten anything, much less come to the family table for any meal. The fact that Mother seemed certain Loki would join us this morning was a cause for celebration.

I knocked once upon Loki's door and entered, expecting cheerfulness and activity. But Loki sat upon the back of his couch, feet upon the cushions. His hair was damp, so he had bathed this morning, and he was wearing fresh clothing. But he was staring forlornly at his bed.

He looked up at me and in his saddened countenance I could recall a hundred moments from our childhood of the heartbreak of lost toys, postponed amusements, and misplaced shoes.

"Brother – what is it?" I asked, ready to slay a thousand adversaries on his behalf if need be.

He drew a deep sigh.

"Mother has said that I am not allowed back in my bed until nightfall, and then only if I have spent three hours outside of my chambers, one hour at least of which must spent outside the palace proper."

I was going to laugh – at Mother's strategy, at Loki's pout – until he addressed me again.

"Do you think you might have an hour otherwise unclaimed in your day, Brother, that you might squander accompanying me?" He asked.

"My day is yours." I told him, and gladly. "And it could never be squandered."

He smiled gratefully, as though I had slain a thousand adversaries. Or found a misplaced shoe.

"Come, Brother." I beckoned him. "Let us to breakfast. We'll order our horses ready for when we've eaten. Mother will arrange a mid-day meal for us and then we can roam the countryside at will. It is too long since we have simply done nothing together."

Loki came off of his perch on the couch and to my side.

"Mother said she is going to craft Mr. Stark's chili cheese dogs from Asgardian ingredients. Perhaps I shoulder ask her to provide those for us." He said.

"And I shall tell Mother that you need her liver pudding to get your strength back." I answered.

Another smile played upon Loki's face.

"Neither?" He asked.

"Neither." I agreed.

Together we walked to share breakfast with Mother and Father.

##

A/N: I've had an original story published in the online journal Red Fez (!) It can be found at redfez dot net slash fiction slash 533 slash 0 The title is Dead Spot and it's under my real name Maureen. If you read it, let me know what you think of it.