And Loki gives a little laugh, at that. "Fair enough," he says, "though when you have walked the Nine Realms, as I have, there is little you have never seen."

He listens, frowns, nods. He has tangled -- heh -- with enchantments of thorns before. A sort of enchantment he could have defeated, were he at full strength.

"Then it responds to attack," he says. "I believe a first step will be to see where the birds fly, and perhaps take wing myself to see what may be seen."

He glances to the King, inclines his head, as a slight gesture of respect, and turns to face the advisor. "What else has been tried?"