There was a shift. A change in the very energy within the Greenwood that the Elvenking could sense. The trees were in the utmost confusion. Nothing was silent. Buzzards wheeled over the tree canopy as storm clouds gathered and crackled.

Magic was in the air. Yet the Elvenking could not tell the nature of it. Unable to leave his forest and people in possible danger, Thranduil rode out himself; in all his glory to investigate such a matter. And if a threat arose he would end it.

As the king and his royal guards were riding out, there was a great thunderclap that caused even the immortal elven horses to spook. Yet the King rode on, unflinchingly atop his Great Elk. Not waiting for his entourage to regain themselves.

*******

He chuckled to himself. He was quite pleased and honestly surprised that he was able to convince the great fool—Odin— to allow him to search for the Tesseract himself. And because Arda was not among the nine realms, he was out of Hiemdall's all seeing eyes.

This was going to be far to easy.

*******

King Thranduil could not believe his eyes for out of the thunderclouds came a powerful streak of shifting color. He could feel the heaviness of the magic but could tell it was not comprised wholly so...

The figure laying on the ground gracefully stood up and brushed off his rather odd, but not entirely foreign clothing of rich green and black leather robes. The creature was rather tall and fair for a human (for human he must be on account of his rounded ears). His shoulder length obsidian hair was messy from his great fall, and his brilliant frosty green eyes flashed with intelligence and age that no mortal should posses.

"Who are you that you come into my kingdom so close to halls in such a way?" Thranduil asked the trespasser from atop his Elk. Both of whom were eyeing the possible threat.

"Your Majesty," the creature said in a soothing voice, with a regally small bow to him. Seeing as he is one who commands respect. "I am Prince Loki of Asgard, and I have come to this world in search of something that has long belonged to my realm but has been lost. I have been sent to recover it."

The royal guards filed in. Surrounding the trespasser in a wide circle with armor glinting in the fading orange light of evening.

"Perhaps it would be best to talk elsewhere in private. Come, allow me to escort you to my kingdom. But first I must know that you bear no ill will to it, nor my people."

"I bring only peace." Loki said with a disarming smile that only served as a warning to the King.

Hiding his discomfort, he lead this 'prince'- he scoffed inwardly. Did he truly believe that any king could be so easily taken in by such a person? Still, he had a certain air about him that was royal, he did have an other worldly and powerful aura that contained magical knowledge and skills so great that it could contend with his own.

And so the great Elvenking Thranduil Oropherion, however reluctantly (and unknowingly) welcomed Loki Laufeyson, Prince of Asgard and Jotenheim, God of Mischief and Lies, into the Woodland Realm.