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Loki opened the door to his brother's room with hesitation.
"Thor... are you sleeping?"
The boy opened his eyes slowly, surprised by the noise and the light from the corridor. He saw his brother, standing there next to the door. Curious, he straightened a bit.
"I'm trying to... is everything all right...?"
"I can't sleep..."
That was not the first time it occurred, far from it even. Thor lifted up his covers.
"Come here," he invited him.
Without hesitating, Loki closed the door and went to join his brother. Thor observed him settling comfortably next to him.
"Did something happened? Did you have a nightmare?" He asked worriedly.
Loki shook his head. "No, I only couldn't sleep. I like to sleep with you. When I'm alone, it is not warm and comfy, and I don't sleep well."
"I see. Don't worry, I'm here with you."
Loki nuzzled his face into the covers, his eyes still on his brother, even if he couldn't see him well despite the low light of the night.
"Say... will you protect me if Asgard is attacked?"
"Of course! Why that question?"
Loki looked away, a bit embarrassed.
"I heard father talking with a counselor after the diner... they said the Jötunns have been very quiet for too long, and that it could be suspicious... the counselor even said they could be planning an attack to take revenge of father's great war! But I don't want Jötunns to attack us, they're so scary and mean...! That's also why I couldn't sleep..."
"Don't worry, I will protect you from those vile creatures! And father and mother will too, with the army, they will not even be able to cross the Bifrost and find you! I will keep you very close to me and kill every one that approachs!"
Loki made a wide smile, seemingly reassured.
"Thank you. And when mother will teach me how to properly use my magic, I'll protect you in return!"
"That's so nice of you."
"I'll be a great sorcerer, and you you'll be a very strong warrior."
"I hope so."
There was a silence, before Loki exclaimed, "Read me a story!"
"Now? Well... which one then?"
He was sleepy, but if that could make his brother think of something else, he would not refuse.
"One of the stories about Sigurd! The first hero of Asgard, mighty and brave like you are."
Thor laughed, flattered. "But you already know them by heart."
"I don't care! I want to hear them again."
Thor simply couldn't resist his brother's demands. Even if he was tired. He couldn't say no.
"All right."
He got out of the bed to take one of the thick books on a shelf, and came to settle back just after. He had also taken the time to light up a candle and put it on his nightstand.
He didn't even opened the book yet that Loki came to sit on his lap, between him and the book as he opened it, facing it as well.
"I want to see the pictures!" He told him.
Thor put an arm around him, keeping him close as his other hand turned the page to the summary. Loki was so happy. He loved these story and he loved when his brother was holding him like this. It was so warm and comfy.
"What story do you want to chose?"
Loki seemed to be thinking for a short moment.
"Hmm... the one with Brunnhilde!"
"Are you sure? Don't you want one with fights and adventures?"
"No, I want this one," he said, decided.
As a response, Thor only nodded, and got to the right page. He began to read, as he sensed it was all his brother was waiting for.
"After having slayed the dragon Fáfnir and taken its cursed golden treasure, Sigurd continued his way until he reached the midgardian realm of Frakkland. But he could have no rest upon his latest deed. For barely had he arrived in the realm, that he encountered a very untypical mountain. If it was of a common form, it was also very strange, for on its summit was the source of a great and glowing light."
"It's a magic mountain!"
"It could be, yes."
"I want to go on adventures, and see magical things like this too."
"You know what? When we'll be older, we'll go on adventures together."
"On Midgard, like Sigurd?"
"Exactly, and we'll kill dragons too!"
"That's so great! Continue the story!" he said excitingly, as if he didn't know what followed.
Thor resumed his reading. "Curiosity was among Sigurd's many qualities and defaults. He decided to go discover the source of that light. Upon arriving on the mount's summit, he was faced with a rampart of shields. Strong and fearful as he was, he sliced them easily with his powerful sword. He then came across a–"
"A sleeping Valkyrie!!"
"Exactly. She was plunged into a magical sleep, and she was beautiful, as all Valkyries are. Sigurd cut her ring armour, making her wake up. To thank him, the Valkyrie, whose name was Brunnhilde, taught him a lot. She taught him a lot of secrets about magic and Gods, about wisdom and the art of runes. And Sigurd being a handsome and brave young man, and Brunnhilde being a beautiful a strong maiden, they quickly fall in love. They made each other a sacred promise of marriage."
"That's right, she's very pretty," Loki confirmed while pointing the picture of the two people learning from each other.
"Will you fall in love with a pretty maiden like her too?"
"I don't know. I don't need it, I already have you! You'll stay by my side forever and I love you very much."
Amused, Thor quickly kissed his cheek before returning to the story.
"They separated, but encountered some time after at the home of Heimir, the husband of Brunnhilde's sister. They reiterated their marriage promise. But Brunnhilde is sad ; for she had a prediction that Sigurd will break his promise."
Loki made a saddened face.
"But Sigurd, sure that he will love her forever, gifted her a ring from the dragon's treasure he had stolen. Upon this, he left her again, and resumed his journey. After having walked days and nights, he arrived at the palace of the king Gjúki and the queen Grímhildr. The royal couple had four children : Gunnarr, Högni, Guþormr, and their daughter Gudrun. He had good time with them, and conscious of the brave hero Sigurd is, the royal family offered him great banquets full of meat and mead. Soon after, he had to go, but the queen Grímhildr didn't want him to. A rotten sentiment had grown into the queen's heart. She wanted to keep the hero for their kingdom's glory, and wanted him to marry her only daughter, the princess Gudrun. In secret, she prepared a forgetting potion that she gave him, and so Sigurd forgot all about his love for Brunnhilde and their promise."
"No!" Loki exclaimed. "That's so unfair...!"
"It is... but the prophecies are always right, just like Brunnhilde's one. One cannot escape its fate."
"Does that mean we too have a fate we can't escape?"
"Maybe. The Norns decide of it."
"Then I hope my fate is entwined with yours... I don't want to have the great destiny of a mighty sorcerer if it's without you."
"Don't worry," Thor reassured him, "I'm sure it's the case. And if it's not, I defy the Norns themselves to stay by your side!"
Loki smiled, snuggling up more to him. He giggled when Thor kissed his cheek again, before continuing.
"It took no time for Sigurd to marry the princess Gudrun, and have a son with her, that they named Sigmundr. The prince Grímhildr then suggested to his brother Gunnarr to ask Brunnhilde to marry him, as she was a wise and beautiful maiden."
"But she loves Sigurd!" Loki protested.
"Angry at that, Brunnhilde made a fire appear all around her house, and said that anyone who can pass by it get to marry her. With a little stratagem, the prince Gunnarr succeeded, and the Valkyrie had no choice but to marry him. At their wedding feast, Sigurd suddenly remembers their promise, but does nothing."
"But why...?"
"I don't know. Maybe he's feeling embarrassed, or maybe he is a coward. As a great hero, Sigurd has as many qualities as flaws."
"I see..."
"But soon after, a quarrel broke out between the princess Gudrun and Brunnhilde. The Valkyrie, angered by all of this, accused Sigurd of treason. The hero declared that now that the marriage is celebrated, nothing could be done. Mad with rage, Brunnhilde demands for the princes to kill Sigurd and his son Sigmundr."
Thor glanced down at Loki. The little boy was really into the story, and was fixing the drawing depicting the Valkyrie comploting with the princes in a golden hall.
Thor went to stroke his hair, without really paying attention.
"Two of the princes charged their brother Guþormr, the only one of them who hadn't made a fraternity oath with Sigurd - for these kind of oath are very sacred - to kill him. He tried two times, but failed, and when trying a third time when Sigurd was asleep, he succeeded, but only to be killed by the hero at the same time!"
Loki opened wide his eyes as Thor turned the page to reveal the hero, laid on his bed, pierce the prince with his unbreakable sword after being pierced himself.
"He's so strong to kill him in return!" He exclaimed. "He's an idiot, but he is a great warrior."
"Yes. And so," he continued, "before dying, Sigurd said to his wife Gudrun that he accepts his fate and that the cause of its death is the love he and Brunnhilde shared."
"So he still loved her after all? Even if he married another woman?"
"Maybe. It depends on interpretations. Plus, with that vicious forgetting potion, Sigurd was almost forced to marry the princess."
"But he also remembered his promise to Brunnhilde at her wedding... he should have said something..."
"Things are complicated. We will never now why it happened this way."
"And how it ended after that? What happened to Brunnhilde?" Loki asked as if he didn't already knew the answer.
"After that," Thor looked at the book and turned the page, "The corpses of Sigurd, his three-years old son Sigmundr and Guþormr were burnt on a pyre. Full of regrets, Brunnhilde threw herself in the fire and perished. The princess Gundrun, dead of sorrow, decided to get revenge on her husband's murderers. And so ends the great, brave and tragic life of Sigurd, Asgard's first and glorious hero."
"It's a sad story..." Loki said as Thor closed the book and put it aside.
"It is, but what is written is not necessarily the truth. Maybe Brunnhilde is somewhere, very safe, and maybe she's with Sigurd. Or maybe they're both in Valhalla, reliving their most glorious battles together."
"I would prefer..."
Thor pull his brother closer to him. "I'm sure they're happy now and that all of this is forgotten. Sigurd is a mighty hero, after all. Such a tragic end would never do him harm. He is a man that is stubborn and sometimes reckless but he learns of his mistakes. See how he acknowledged the ones he made on his death bed, and how he humbly accepted his fate and death. A true hero never feels sorry for himself."
"I understand," Loki said while getting off his lap and going to lay beside him. "Is it the same for sorcerers? There isn't any in Sigurd's stories, beside Hreidmar, but he's not really a powerful one..."
"I think it's the same," Thor said, imitating him and facing him with a smile. "Both sorcerers and warriors are very powerful and glorious. Maybe when we'll become ones we could slay dragons like Sigurd, and we could kill all the remaining Jötunns then you won't be scared of them!"
"That's a good idea," Loki smiled. "If we start father's wars again we'll be seen as glorious kings like him!"
"You're right," Thor laughed.
He drew his brother close to him, and Loki happily snuggled up against him. Thor's presence was so reassuring.
"Is it better? Are you not afraid of Jötunns anymore?"
Loki shook his head. "No! I know you will protect me, and that you know how to be brave like Sigurd."
Thor went to gently stroke his hair with a smile.
"And some time you'll be as powerful as him too."
"Hmm... thank you for reading me a story."
"You're welcome. I'll do it whenever you want. I love to see you smile and reassured. Now sleep well..."
And they both fell asleep peacefully.