Mischief's Wings (Sequel to "By Name Only")

Chapter 6)

   "Pull me like a ripcord,
   Break me down and build me up..."

    (Loki's POV)

    The walk back into the palace is silent. Tenshi has her usual gentle grip on my elbow and lower bicep, which are very close to her head. With her standing right next to me, I am forcefully reminded, yet again, just how tiny she truly is. Her lovely face is pensive. I find myself wondering what she's thinking.

    My own thoughts begin to wander. She's met Odin and my mother, and of course she met Thor on Midgard. So that leaves... Sif and the Morons Three. Great.

    As we traverse the golden halls of the palace, I can hear raucous laughter from up ahead.

    Speak of the Devil...

    Tenshi seems to snap out of her thoughts at the sound. She turns silently to me, her head tilted as though to ask, "Friends of yours?"

    "Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. At least, that's their formal title. Lady Sif is alright, although a bit feisty. The men, though... they're fine if you are attracted to braggarts with just enough brains to keep themselves alive. I call them the Morons Three for that reason. Behind their backs, of course," I murmur to her. She lets out an adorable giggle at my nickname for Thor's friends.

    "Oh goodness," she says, laughing. "Are they really that bad?"

    I sigh. "Trust me, Darling. If you'd grown up with them as I have, you'd feel the same way."

    As we turn the corner, we come across a group of four people: Sif, a dark-haired woman who could have been a Valkyrie, Fandral, a slender, blonde man and Asgard's biggest playboy, Volstagg, a huge man a wild, red beard and a wilder appetite, and Hogun, a dark haired warrior from Vanaheim who never smiles. Sif and the Morons stop talking the moment Tenshi and I come around the corner. I immediately begin to back away as they start towards us to drag us into their lair. Sif pulls Tenshi from my arm as the men lift me into the air and carry me into the lounge. Tenshi looks a little uncomfortable with Sif's arm around her shoulders, but the moment Sif starts talking about weapons, she begins to relax.

    The Morons deposit me on a couch and press a mug of ale into my hands. Sif leads Tenshi to the couch and she sits beside me. Volstagg attempts to give her a drink as well, but she politely declines. Tenshi cuddles close to my side, and I wrap my right arm around her to pull her close. Her golden blonde head rests gently on my chest, and she sighs contentedly.

    "So..." Volstagg starts. I smirk at his awkward attempt at conversation. "I take it you're no longer being punished?" he asks. I nod.

    "That is correct," I reply formally.

    "And who is this lovely lady?" Fandral inquires. "Don't tell me you've fallen for a mortal! Aren't they "beneath you?" "Pathetic?'"

    I scowl at his words, about to knock his lights out, but Tenshi places her hand on my chest to stop me. She's been quiet this entire time and looks like she's about to burst. I smile knowingly down at her, giving her a subtle nod to do what she wants. Her eyes are blazing with offense, and she's about to let him know. I can't wait to see where this goes.

    She rises gracefully from the couch, Fandral's height dwarfing her frame.

    "You want to call mortals pathetic? When is the longest you've kept a girl? Three hours? Now that is pathetic. Tell me, when do you lose your charm? When you drop your pants or when you drop your façade? Or is it both? From what I hear, your personality is synonymous with your manhood, which would send anyone with half a brain running for the hills."

    Tenshi ends her tirade, her arms crossed over her chest, her right hip cocked to the side and a smirk on her face, knowing that she's won. My stomach aches with suppressed laughter as all four warriors go dead silent.

    Sif finally stands up and claps a hand on Tenshi's shoulder. "I like her, she's got fire."

    She smiles up at Sif before turning back to Fandral. "Oh, and for the record. I'm not mortal." She struts confidently back to the couch and cuddles up to me again. Chuckling affectionately, I pull her close again and she relaxes. Fandral keeps his mouth shut for the rest of our visit.

    Suffice it to say, Fandral will be minding his tongue around my Darling  from now on...