She laughed, putting her face against his knee. “Survival, yeah, I get that. Otherwise I suspect that smart mouth would’ve gotten you killed before now.” After a moment, she said, “You didn’t answer my questions.”
He let his fingers trail through her hair as he considered. “It won’t be the first place they look, but there are eyes everywhere. There is magic that can seek out a specific source and lock it’s position. Fortunately, I believe I am the only one in this realm who understands such magic.” He smiled smugly, and listened to the sounds of the trees, content to be outside of the reach of that which pained him.
Summer laughed again. “And you were saying you were no good! Anyway, even if you weren’t, that seems pretty easy to get around — just don’t use magic. If we stick to areas around small villages, away from the city, I could easily get food. That just leaves the question of shelter. It must rain here sometime, and I for one don’t want to be caught in it. Caves, maybe?”
A completely ridiculous idea came to her, and she grinned up at him impishly. “Or we could throw all that out, you take the shape of a horse, and I just ride you out of here.”
Loki made a surprised huff. “I am choosing to interpret that as a jest,” he said stiffly. “No one mounts a god.”
Not ever again, at least. That was one time.
His grimace gave way to a small laugh, but he bit his lip. “Moving forward. I believe if we keep moving north the forest stretches a considerable distance, and there will be caves for shelter.”
Her laughter at his offended dignity was overwhelming, and she fell back over with the force of it. “I hear a story there,” she got out between giggles. It took a minute or so, but she laughed herself out and sat back up. “Okay, okay. No mounting. Get off my blankets and we can start walking.”
It took a minute to process that in a not-entirely-awake brain. “Are they likely to know to look here? Here here, I mean, not here Asgard.” She lifted a hand and ran it along his leg, musing. “How big is Asgard, then? We could get pretty lost in these forests, I should think, though food and shelter might be a problem.” She cocked an eye up at him. “Are you capable of roughing it, my lord?” Summer teased.
“Roughing it?” he repeated, turning the plan over in his mind. Hiding in the forest right beneath the eyes of those looking for him. Both degrading and terribly ironic all at once. He liked it.
“You may be surprised to find I am quite skilled at survival,” he offered with a smile.
She laughed, putting her face against his knee. “Survival, yeah, I get that. Otherwise I suspect that smart mouth would’ve gotten you killed before now.” After a moment, she said, “You didn’t answer my questions.”
He let his fingers trail through her hair as he considered. “It won’t be the first place they look, but there are eyes everywhere. There is magic that can seek out a specific source and lock it’s position. Fortunately, I believe I am the only one in this realm who understands such magic.” He smiled smugly, and listened to the sounds of the trees, content to be outside of the reach of that which pained him.
Summer laughed again. “And you were saying you were no good! Anyway, even if you weren’t, that seems pretty easy to get around — just don’t use magic. If we stick to areas around small villages, away from the city, I could easily get food. That just leaves the question of shelter. It must rain here sometime, and I for one don’t want to be caught in it. Caves, maybe?”
A completely ridiculous idea came to her, and she grinned up at him impishly. “Or we could throw all that out, you take the shape of a horse, and I just ride you out of here.”
“I am not always unreliable,” he replied, his voice scratchy with sleep. He pushed himself upright and leaned his back against the trunk of the tree that had sheltered them.
“I’m not sure how much time I have left,” he commented as he watched the leaves flicker in the breeze.
It took a minute to process that in a not-entirely-awake brain. “Are they likely to know to look here? Here here, I mean, not here Asgard.” She lifted a hand and ran it along his leg, musing. “How big is Asgard, then? We could get pretty lost in these forests, I should think, though food and shelter might be a problem.” She cocked an eye up at him. “Are you capable of roughing it, my lord?” Summer teased.
“Roughing it?” he repeated, turning the plan over in his mind. Hiding in the forest right beneath the eyes of those looking for him. Both degrading and terribly ironic all at once. He liked it.
“You may be surprised to find I am quite skilled at survival,” he offered with a smile.
She laughed, putting her face against his knee. “Survival, yeah, I get that. Otherwise I suspect that smart mouth would’ve gotten you killed before now.” After a moment, she said, “You didn’t answer my questions.”
When he opened his eyes to the dim light of morning, Loki felt lighter than he had in—probably centuries. It wasn’t until he remembered that the Allfather’s watchful eyes would soon find him and throw him back into that prison with perhaps an extended sentence that the weight returned. He turned to steal a glance at the woman beside him. He was relieved to find Summer still asleep, her shoulder rising and falling just slightly as she breathed.
He always felt so exposed in the daylight.
Part of him wanted to reach out and curl himself around her, press her hips against his, hide his face in the warm cascade of her hair…but she stirred, and he stayed still.
Summer opened her eyes to sunlight-spattered leaves, closed them again, and rolled over, putting an arm over her eyes. She made an incoherent sound. “I’m on vacation, why am I awake?”
With a sigh, she flopped over onto her back and opened her eyes. She could see Loki’s shoulder, dark hair falling down it. “You’re still here,” she said softly, pleased.
“I am not always unreliable,” he replied, his voice scratchy with sleep. He pushed himself upright and leaned his back against the trunk of the tree that had sheltered them.
“I’m not sure how much time I have left,” he commented as he watched the leaves flicker in the breeze.
It took a minute to process that in a not-entirely-awake brain. “Are they likely to know to look here? Here here, I mean, not here Asgard.” She lifted a hand and ran it along his leg, musing. “How big is Asgard, then? We could get pretty lost in these forests, I should think, though food and shelter might be a problem.” She cocked an eye up at him. “Are you capable of roughing it, my lord?” Summer teased.
When he opened his eyes to the dim light of morning, Loki felt lighter than he had in—probably centuries. It wasn’t until he remembered that the Allfather’s watchful eyes would soon find him and throw him back into that prison with perhaps an extended sentence that the weight returned. He turned to steal a glance at the woman beside him. He was relieved to find Summer still asleep, her shoulder rising and falling just slightly as she breathed.
He always felt so exposed in the daylight.
Part of him wanted to reach out and curl himself around her, press her hips against his, hide his face in the warm cascade of her hair…but she stirred, and he stayed still.
Summer opened her eyes to sunlight-spattered leaves, closed them again, and rolled over, putting an arm over her eyes. She made an incoherent sound. “I’m on vacation, why am I awake?”
With a sigh, she flopped over onto her back and opened her eyes. She could see Loki’s shoulder, dark hair falling down it. “You’re still here,” she said softly, pleased.