With an effort, she opened her eyes, looking up at Loki. Now that the danger was past, her heart was in her throat and her limbs felt weak. “I am not hurt, my lord.” Her knees gave out, and she sank to the grass, starting to shake. “Only frightened.”
Loki knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her. “Sigyn, I… that was… amazing! We’re alright now… bilgesnipe never travel in packs… there is no danger… your magic is… it’s beautiful… “
She leaned into his strength and desperately tried to stop trembling. “You do me far too much honour, my prince. I only tried to protect you. Please, do not praise me for something so simple.” His arms were warm and safe around her, and she wanted nothing more, right now, than to rest in their comfort forever.
Tipping her face up, she pressed her mouth to Loki’s softly, letting her eyes fall closed.
He kissed her, raising one hand to her cheek and tightening the other arm around her. A quiet moan came from deep in his throat and his mind became a muddle of thoughts. Thankfully, thoughts of their battle were quickly becoming replaced by thoughts of Sigyn and only Sigyn: the first time he saw her, nearly plowing over her, their escapades in his chambers, what he wished to do to her next and then the doubt came flooding over him.
He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes and ran his thumb gently near her eye. He smiled sadly and sighed almost soundlessly. “I fear you are not real, dear Sigyn. These two days have been… too much like a dream…” He smiled again and ran his hand through her hair.
“I don’t understand, my lord.” Sigyn frowned. “I am real, I am! I — how can I prove this to you? Surely your waking life is not so terrible that … that the presence of someone as unworthy as I seems a dream?” She bit her lip, looking at him with fear and pity and a whirling, confusing sense of a pit opening up at her feet.
Sigyn summoned and fired at speed, two and then three arrows in the air at once. She hadn’t practised since she left Alfheim, but panic brought her old skill back, and the arrows marched down the beast’s flank, heading for its heart.
Still it came on, though, apparently unfazed. Casting her bow aside, Sigyn clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and called out to the forest around her. Vines slid down from the trees, grasses entangled the bilgesnipe’s hooves, and finally, finally the beast slowed.
With a groan the bilgesnipe toppled over, unable to move its legs. Loki was breathing hard, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He turned and walked quickly to Sigyn. He put one hand on her arm and the other to her hair, looking at her with concern. “Are you… hurt? Are you alright?”
With an effort, she opened her eyes, looking up at Loki. Now that the danger was past, her heart was in her throat and her limbs felt weak. “I am not hurt, my lord.” Her knees gave out, and she sank to the grass, starting to shake. “Only frightened.”
Loki knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her. “Sigyn, I… that was… amazing! We’re alright now… bilgesnipe never travel in packs… there is no danger… your magic is… it’s beautiful… “
She leaned into his strength and desperately tried to stop trembling. “You do me far too much honour, my prince. I only tried to protect you. Please, do not praise me for something so simple.” His arms were warm and safe around her, and she wanted nothing more, right now, than to rest in their comfort forever.
Tipping her face up, she pressed her mouth to Loki’s softly, letting her eyes fall closed.
A hot flush of energy ran through Sigyn’s limbs. Instinctively, she snapped out a hand and called her bow, moon-bright with silver inlay and already strung taut. A swift glance told her that Loki had only daggers, with which he would have to approach far too close for safety.
“‘Ware, my lord!” she cried. She summoned an arrow and fired in one breath; the shot whirred past the bilgesnipe’s head.
Loki was shocked seeing the arrow fly at the animal’s head, he quickly recovered and threw both daggers. One pierced the beast’s eye and the other bounced off an antler. He cursed and summoned a ball of energy and whipped it with all his strength at the still advancing creature.
Sigyn summoned and fired at speed, two and then three arrows in the air at once. She hadn’t practised since she left Alfheim, but panic brought her old skill back, and the arrows marched down the beast’s flank, heading for its heart.
Still it came on, though, apparently unfazed. Casting her bow aside, Sigyn clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and called out to the forest around her. Vines slid down from the trees, grasses entangled the bilgesnipe’s hooves, and finally, finally the beast slowed.
With a groan the bilgesnipe toppled over, unable to move its legs. Loki was breathing hard, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He turned and walked quickly to Sigyn. He put one hand on her arm and the other to her hair, looking at her with concern. “Are you… hurt? Are you alright?”
With an effort, she opened her eyes, looking up at Loki. Now that the danger was past, her heart was in her throat and her limbs felt weak. “I am not hurt, my lord.” Her knees gave out, and she sank to the grass, starting to shake. “Only frightened. “
Her heartbeat sped up at the gentle brush of his hand. “T-they tell all who look upon me what magics I have in my mastery. Around my eyes for that my senses may be enhanced. The feathers of a bird for that my magic is that of the deep forest and the wild lands.” Sigyn tried to breathe, closing her eyes against his touch. “And the colour of dusk for that my magic is also that of the shadows and the soft night.”
“Fascinating…” he whispered gently under his breath. He put his hand under her chin and softly lifted her head until she was looking at him. “They are beautiful, Sigyn… I have never seen anything like it…” He gave a warm smile that crumpled into a concerned frown when he heard the crashing noise coming from behind them.
He pushed himself up, careful to set Sigyn on her feet, and drew out his daggers. He placed himself between the line of trees and Sigyn and every muscle tensed as the bilgesnipe came plowing through the underbrush.
A hot flush of energy ran through Sigyn’s limbs. Instinctively, she snapped out a hand and called her bow, moon-bright with silver inlay and already strung taut. A swift glance told her that Loki had only daggers, with which he would have to approach far too close for safety.
“‘Ware, my lord!” she cried. She summoned an arrow and fired in one breath; the shot whirred past the bilgesnipe’s head.
Loki was shocked seeing the arrow fly at the animal’s head, he quickly recovered and threw both daggers. One pierced the beast’s eye and the other bounced off an antler. He cursed and summoned a ball of energy and whipped it with all his strength at the still advancing creature.
Sigyn summoned and fired at speed, two and then three arrows in the air at once. She hadn’t practised since she left Alfheim, but panic brought her old skill back, and the arrows marched down the beast’s flank, heading for its heart.
Still it came on, though, apparently unfazed. Casting her bow aside, Sigyn clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and called out to the forest around her. Vines slid down from the trees, grasses entangled the bilgesnipe’s hooves, and finally, finally the beast slowed.
She lifted a hand to her face, brushing the edge of one of the tattoos. “These? They mark my magic.” As was becoming familiar, at Loki’s touch a slight shiver ran down her spine. “I am but a poor sorceress, my lord.”
“Mark your magic… how so? I am unfamiliar with this… I have no such markings.” Loki pushed himself up a little, propping his elbows behind him. He took his weight on his left side and raised his right hand to lightly trace the edge of the tattoos.
Her heartbeat sped up at the gentle brush of his hand. “T-they tell all who look upon me what magics I have in my mastery. Around my eyes for that my senses may be enhanced. The feathers of a bird for that my magic is that of the deep forest and the wild lands.” Sigyn tried to breathe, closing her eyes against his touch. “And the colour of dusk for that my magic is also that of the shadows and the soft night.”
“Fascinating…” he whispered gently under his breath. He put his hand under her chin and softly lifted her head until she was looking at him. “They are beautiful, Sigyn… I have never seen anything like it…” He gave a warm smile that crumpled into a concerned frown when he heard the crashing noise coming from behind them.
He pushed himself up, careful to set Sigyn on her feet, and drew out his daggers. He placed himself between the line of trees and Sigyn and every muscle tensed as the bilgesnipe came plowing through the underbrush.
A hot flush of energy ran through Sigyn’s limbs. Instinctively, she snapped out a hand and called her bow, moon-bright with silver inlay and already strung taut. A swift glance told her that Loki had only daggers, with which he would have to approach far too close for safety.
“‘Ware, my lord!” she cried. She summoned an arrow and fired in one breath; the shot whirred past the bilgesnipe’s head.
Sigyn’s giggles turned into delighted shrieks as Loki tackled her to the ground. He held her pinioned, and she wriggled, still giggling. “My lord!” She caught sight of his face, her hair falling over hers, and the laughter subsided a little. “Are you a mighty hunter? I fear I am caught.”
“The best in all the land, I’m afraid. Once I have my sights on something, it’s almost over before it starts.” He gave another laugh and gently pushed back some of the hair that had fallen into Sigyn’s face. He gently ran his hand near her eye and spoke quietly. “Tell me of these markings…”
She lifted a hand to her face, brushing the edge of one of the tattoos. “These? They mark my magic.” As was becoming familiar, at Loki’s touch a slight shiver ran down her spine. “I am but a poor sorceress, my lord.”
“Mark your magic… how so? I am unfamiliar with this… I have no such markings.” Loki pushed himself up a little, propping his elbows behind him. He took his weight on his left side and raised his right hand to lightly trace the edge of the tattoos.
Her heartbeat sped up at the gentle brush of his hand. “T-they tell all who look upon me what magics I have in my mastery. Around my eyes for that my senses may be enhanced. The feathers of a bird for that my magic is that of the deep forest and the wild lands.” Sigyn tried to breathe, closing her eyes against his touch. “And the colour of dusk for that my magic is also that of the shadows and the soft night.”
His laughter blended with the babbling of the stream as Sigyn pressed her nose into a pale cup-shaped blossom. She glanced over at him, unable to stop smiling. Impulsively, she bent over the little stream and plunged her hands into it, throwing a shower of droplets at Loki and calling a small breeze to help them along.
He threw up his arms to ward off the water and let out a huge guffaw as he threw himself to the stream to battle back. He scooped out some water and tossed it back at Sigyn and felt a sort of freedom and ease he hadn’t felt in a very long time. She was about to throw another handful when he pounced, wrapping his arms around her, falling to the ground making sure she landed on him to avoid injuring her. He held her arms tight with a wicked grin on his face and a naughty twinkle in his eye.
Sigyn’s giggles turned into delighted shrieks as Loki tackled her to the ground. He held her pinioned, and she wriggled, still giggling. “My lord!” She caught sight of his face, her hair falling over hers, and the laughter subsided a little. “Are you a mighty hunter? I fear I am caught.”
“The best in all the land, I’m afraid. Once I have my sights on something, it’s almost over before it starts.” He gave another laugh and gently pushed back some of the hair that had fallen into Sigyn’s face. He gently ran his hand near her eye and spoke quietly. “Tell me of these markings…”
She lifted a hand to her face, brushing the edge of one of the tattoos. “These? They mark my magic.” As was becoming familiar, at Loki’s touch a slight shiver ran down her spine. “I am but a poor sorceress, my lord.”
Turning back to him, her smile widened into blazing glory. “Thank you! Thank you, my lord!” Carelessly, she freed herself from his hold, and flung herself down on her knees beside some of the flowers, caressing them with fingertips, burying her face in the leaves of the glowing trees. Her eyes shone as she looked around yet again, laughing a little. Sigyn circled the hollow, laying her face to each tree trunk, touching each flower.
Loki laughed as he watched Sigyn, happy that he had pleased her. As she bounced around the grove, he grew curious at her actions, touching each flower and tree, almost as if she could speak to them. He walked over to his favourite log and sat down, elbows on knees and just watched in fascination.
His laughter blended with the babbling of the stream as Sigyn pressed her nose into a pale cup-shaped blossom. She glanced over at him, unable to stop smiling. Impulsively, she bent over the little stream and plunged her hands into it, throwing a shower of droplets at Loki and calling a small breeze to help them along.
He threw up his arms to ward off the water and let out a huge guffaw as he threw himself to the stream to battle back. He scooped out some water and tossed it back at Sigyn and felt a sort of freedom and ease he hadn’t felt in a very long time. She was about to throw another handful when he pounced, wrapping his arms around her, falling to the ground making sure she landed on him to avoid injuring her. He held her arms tight with a wicked grin on his face and a naughty twinkle in his eye.
Sigyn’s giggles turned into delighted shrieks as Loki tackled her to the ground. He held her pinioned, and she wriggled, still giggling. “My lord!” She caught sight of his face, her hair falling over hers, and the laughter subsided a little. “Are you a mighty hunter? I fear I am caught.”
She pulled away a little, still staring around. Yes, she could feel it, this hollow of glorious nature, breathing in pain and breathing out peace. A tender smile curved her lips and softened her eyes. This place called to a part of her heart she hadn’t even realised was being bruised by the brilliant wonders of Asgard’s city. “Why would you show this to me?” she murmured.
He dipped his head slightly, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable. “Oh… I… well… I had heard of the beauty of the wilds in Alfheim and… well… I thought, perhaps the cultivated symmetries of the palace gardens were… I mean…” He straightened himself to his full height. “I wished to share a piece of my own comfort with you since you are a visitor here and may not have much comfort of your own.”
Turning back to him, her smile widened into blazing glory. “Thank you! Thank you, my lord!” Carelessly, she freed herself from his hold, and flung herself down on her knees beside some of the flowers, caressing them with fingertips, burying her face in the leaves of the glowing trees. Her eyes shone as she looked around yet again, laughing a little. Sigyn circled the hollow, laying her face to each tree trunk, touching each flower.
Loki laughed as he watched Sigyn, happy that he had pleased her. As she bounced around the grove, he grew curious at her actions, touching each flower and tree, almost as if she could speak to them. He walked over to his favourite log and sat down, elbows on knees and just watched in fascination.
His laughter blended with the babbling of the stream as Sigyn pressed her nose into a pale cup-shaped blossom. She glanced over at him, unable to stop smiling. Impulsively, she bent over the little stream and plunged her hands into it, throwing a shower of droplets at Loki and calling a small breeze to help them along.