An Eight-Legged What?!

Chapter Thirteen: Sneaking Out

The stars were shining brightly when Loki set out to the stables. He didn't carry a light, otherwise someone might notice him. Loki was used to hiding in the shadows and sneaking around the castle, so this was no different. He hurried down to the stables and slowly pushed the side door open. It creaked a little with the movement, causing a small commotion from the horses inside. Loki closed the door as quietly as he could and grabbed a horse brush from off the hooks.

"Sleipnir?" Loki whispered. The moonlight shown through the windows and cracks in the walls. Loki saw a silhouette of an eight-legged horse in the furthest stall. Loki smiled and crept closer to his son. "Sleipnir?" Loki said again. This time Sleipnir gave a quiet neigh and stamped his feet. Loki unlatched the stall door and let himself in. Sleipnir attempted to move forward, but was prevented since he was tied to a hook on the back wall.

Loki glanced over at the rest of the horses. They were all tethered, but Loki felt his anger rising. Odin had let this happen. Sleipnir was being treated like regular horse, but he was far from regular.

Loki untied the rope and patted Sleipnir's head. He had grown a bit since he last saw him. Loki started to brush Sleipnir's mane. It was tangled and obviously not taken care of. "Sleipnir, have you been behaving?" Loki questioned, untangling the brush from Sleipnir's mane.

Sleipnir neighed in response. "You kicked the stable boy?!" Loki exclaimed.

Sleipnir nodded and gave a small, horsey smile. Loki was suddenly irritated. "How could father do this?! Letting you suffer like this!" Loki threw the brush down in frustration and plopped down on the hay. He sat crossed legged and folded his arms across his chest. Sleipnir lay down next to him and laid his head in Loki's lap. Loki rested a hand on his head and twirled Sleipnir's mane through his fingers. Green mist flowed from his fingers, untangling Sleipnir's mane.

Suddenly a shout broke the silence of the night. Loki jumped to his feet and rushed to look out the window. A small group of guards were running toward the stable.

"Dammit," Loki cursed. He hugged Sleipnir and made to run out of the side door. The main stable door was opened and guards rushed through. Loki dived into a pile of hay, hoping that he wasn't seen.

"Check the horse," a guard ordered. Two guards filed toward Sleipnir's stall.

"Nobody's here except the horse," one guard called.

"Search the stable. Odin said he sensed magic. It must be the younger prince," the first guard commanded.

The guards spread out, searching for Loki.

"The concealment spell must have broken," Loki thought and looked for an escape path. He glanced through a hole in the hay pile. One guard was getting uncomfortably close to where he was hiding. The guard was moving hay bales a few feet away from where Loki sat. Loki held his breath as the guard turned and moved closer to Loki's hay pile. The guard was about to look behind the pile when a small portal opened up beside Loki. Not thinking clearly, Loki crawled through the portal in hopes to get away from the guard. The portal closed with Loki inside seconds before the guard glanced behind the hay pile.

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Loki felt like throwing up. The world was spinning. Loki was on the verge of passing out when he landed with a 'thud' on his bedroom floor. "OOF!" The shock rushed through his body as his head hit the floor, knocking him unconscious.

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Thor sensed something was wrong. Loki had not come to eat the morning-meal yet. Usually Loki was awake before Thor was. It was unusual that Thor made to the dining room before Loki did.