The whole room was alive with people singing and dancing. Pretty girls were dancing everywhere, catching and craving the attention of men. The men would be drawn to one, and then another would catch their attention. Loki however, was only interested in one. She wasn't up dancing like everyone else; she was sitting in a darkened corner with only the light of a single candle to show her face. The candlelight had sharpened her cheekbones and made her look deathly pale and thin, but Loki knew this was only due to the trick of the light. The only other thing Loki could make out was her dark blue eyes. Her hair was covered by a rich looking cloak but the dress she was wearing wasn't so rich looking; after studying her for a while this had intrigued him. Loki had been watching her for a while now and he'd noticed she had a drink but not once had she touched it. He resisted the temptation to go over to her.
Little did Loki know, however that he had caught her eye too. She'd seen him looking at her and at first she'd wrote him off as just another drunken man looking for a good time; she expected him to lose interest and turn his gaze to one of the girls who were dancing nearby, but he didn't. She started to feel uneasy until she noticed that he wasn't like any of the other men; he was clean shaven, wore nicely cut clothes and wasn't pouring ale down his neck like everyone else, this is when she decided to pay more attention. Why was someone like him somewhere like this? For some reason this made her feel more uneasy. She took a little sip of her drink; the first sip.
Loki saw this. It felt like they were the only people in the room; no-one else mattered to him. A noise from the far side of the room broke Loki's gaze. He couldn't help but look; a couple of girls had been dancing on a table when a huge man had decided to join them, clearly drunk he had stumbled back, fell off the table and onto the lap of an unlucky small looking man. There was a lot of shouting and a fight broke out. Loki rolled his eyes and turned back to continue watching the girl, however, she was no longer there. She'd left the cup at the table and that was the only trace left of her. Loki looked back at the brawl that was unfolding, it was either stay here and wait for the fight to reach him or leave and find the girl; he gladly chose the girl.
He left through the back entrance where the girl had obviously left from. The fresh air pleasantly hit him and he breathed in deeply. The bar had been filled with stale, warm air and Loki had felt uncomfortable in there, he was glad to get outside where it was cooler and the air had an almost sweet smell to it. He looked around in the fading light trying to decide which way she'd gone. He felt frustrated; he couldn't have looked away for that long! He looked towards the forest, 'she wouldn't have, would she?' he thought. It was the only possible explanation; either that or she was really fast.
"Hands up and turn around slowly!" the voice sounded sweet and innocent and Loki recognised a hint of fear in her shaky words. He hesitated and she spoke up again but this time her words were less shaky and more confident, "I said hands up and turn around, or can you not hear properly?"
Loki chuckled.
"Do you think this is a laughing matter? I'll give you one more chance or I will shoot you."
Loki suddenly felt a sharp point in his back; he put his hands up and turned around to see the girl he had been watching. He tried to put all the pieces together; firstly she indeed had a rich cloak but her dress was not rich but neither was it poor, it was well made but it was made from poor material; Loki couldn't decide if it would be worn by a peasant or not. Secondly, the way she spoke was odd, her accent sounded common enough but she spoke well and her voice sounded soft. Her skin wasn't rough like a commoner's, it looked soft and delicate, although it was slightly dirty, but maybe that was due to a long journey. Finally Loki looked at the bow she was pointing at him; it was very well made and it had intricate patterns carved into it. It wasn't the sort of bow a commoner could afford.
"Who are you and what is your intent with me?" She demanded.
"My intent with you?" Loki laughed.
"What do you want with me? Why were you watching me? Have you been following me? Why would you follow me out here?"
"Now, now, one question at a time, please!" Loki couldn't help but laugh again. "Firstly, I have not been following you and I am not whoever you fear I am so you can put that thing down," he said motioning to the bow and arrow she pointed at him, "and as to why I was watching you, well I can understand why you felt uneasy under my gaze, I apologize, you intrigued me, I was just wondering why a girl like you was sat all alone in a place like that, such the opposite of everyone else in there-"
"I could say the same about you," she said, still pointing her bow at him.
Loki smiled and nodded. "Lastly, I didn't come out here to follow you. A fight broke out in there you see, I didn't fancy getting involved," he twisted the truth a little here.
She slowly lowered her bow and relaxed a little.
"Now it's my turn for questions."
She looked at him slightly alarmed.
"Why was a girl like you sat all alone in a place like that?"
"Give me one good reason why I should tell you!"
"Well you're clearly scared of something or someone; why else would you carry a weapon? What are you scared of?"
"Not you."
Loki smiled, "Ok just tell me one thing then, what is your name?"
She paused for a moment, "Joan…"
"Your real name."
She sighed, "Avellana, Ana for short."
Loki still wasn't sure if she was lying or telling the truth but he dropped the issue, "I'm Loki."
There was only one Loki she knew of and he was the prince of Asgard, 'it couldn't be, could it?' she thought. She extended her arm out for a handshake, "Nice to meet you Loki. Do except my apologies for being so rude, you can't be too careful around these parts," she smiled.
Loki smiled back and shook her hand, "Nice to meet you too Avellana," she smiled awkwardly at the mention of the name, "and I accept your apology, you are after all right, you can't be too careful around these parts."
"Are you Loki of Asgard?"
Loki looked at her oddly, "yes, yes I am."
"I guess I can trust you then. You may ask the questions you were going to ask before but not here; you never know who's around the corner and it is rather too cold to be standing idly around."
Loki hadn't noticed the cold before she'd mentioned it, but now she had he agreed, "We'll go back inside then," he smiled, holding out an arm for her. She smiled at him and ignored his arm, then led him back inside. The fight was at its peak and wasn't showing any signs of stopping so no-one had noticed them leaving or re-entering.
"I have a room upstairs where we can talk privately," she whispered.
"You don't seem to trust anyone do you?"
"No, I don't," she said flatly leading him up the stairs.
They got to the room and she locked the door behind them and took her cloak off, hanging it carefully on the corner of the bed. This was the first time Loki had seen her properly. She had long dark brown hair and pale skin, her dark blue eyes stood out against everything else.
She motioned for Loki to sit down on a chair by the table and she sat down opposite him on the other. "Ask away!" she smiled.
Loki thought of what was best to ask first, "what were you doing down there all alone? You don't seem the type to hang around places like this."
"Neither do you," she smiled, "I needed a place to stay for the night, you see I'm a… err… I'm sort of a wanderer."
"Sort of?" Loki asked.
"I have been for some time now, although it's been out of desperation. I'm looking for my friend; he's been missing for a while."
"He? I see, so you've been wandering around, place to place in search of your friend although you don't know if he's still alive. You must care for him a great deal…"
"Well yes… No! I see what you're doing here! He is a friend and nothing more!"
"If you say so," he smirked.
"Just because a man and a woman are friends does not mean that they are involved with each other!" she glared at him, "if you must know he's a childhood friend and I think of him more as a brother…" she paused, "much to his disappointment."
"Aha! So it is he who had feelings and not you, why do you not return these feelings?"
"Because- Hang on! Why should I answer this? When I invited you to ask me questions I did not mean like this!"
"But you did invite me to ask questions but only after learning that I am Prince, meaning you need my help!"
"No I- well not like you think… whatever you are thinking…" she sighed, "I don't know if you know but have there been any err… how can I put this? Has there been anyone unusual taken prisoner or anything at all?"
"Not that I know of, I'm sorry. Now tell me, you're scared of something, that's why you're armed, what is it that you're scared of?"
"Are you armed?"
"Well, yes but what's that got-"
"Are you scared of something then?"
"No, that's different!"
"No it's not. I'm not an idiot! Men around here think that they can take advantage of any woman they like because they can, so excuse me for wanting to protect myself. Secondly, the people who took my friend, well, they can't be very nice people and what idiot goes looking for kidnappers unarmed?"
"You've made your point and I'm sorry if I offended you."
"It's ok, you just needed to see… but I am scared…"
"You can tell me, it's ok."
"I've got the feeling that someone's following me. When I first started my journey everything was fine, but I got a tip from someone who said my friend was in a village. I reached the village and he was not there, and so I left. Ever since leaving that village I've had the weirdest feeling that someone's been following me…"
"There's something else, isn't there?" Loki leaned in eagerly.
"Whoever it is isn't friendly. They're not very competent either. When I arrived here there were a lot of people coming in and out and an arrow hit a barrel close to me. Now before you mention it, I know there was an archery competition earlier but an arrow doesn't go astray like that and I swear it was meant for me! I've just got this sick feeling that I'm not going to make it the night. That's why I was down there, I thought that it'd be safer with plenty of people around and when I saw you staring at me, so different, so apart from everyone else I thought you were my death..." She shuddered slightly and Loki took her hand from across the table and squeezed it.
"It's ok Ana, you're safe right now. I think that answers all my questions…"
She smiled at him awkwardly, "Loki, don't take me for a feeble, weak little girl who scares easily because I'm not."
"Of course you're not! If you were a feeble, weak little girl you wouldn't have even thought of making this journey in the first place, and I can tell you that not many men would have either."
"Helena…"
"What?"
"My real name is Helena."
"Well, I didn't think Avellana was your real name," he smirked.
Helena laughed, "It wasn't very believable, I have to admit… neither was Joan."
They both laughed. A loud knock on the door however silenced them both.
"Oh my God, no, I-I…" A look of pure terror flashed across her face.
Loki stood up calmly then stood her up, "you'll be ok, I promise," he whispered, "Do you trust me?"
Helena nodded as Loki told her to stand right next to the door, "when I tell you to run, run ok?"
The door knocked again and Loki took out his dagger then opened the door quickly about to attack whoever was on the other side, "Brother! It's me!"
"Thor! I could have killed you! What are you doing here!?" Loki shouted, taking a deep breath.
"I could ask you the same thing! You know you're not supposed to be here! And do I even want to know who you thought was on the other side of this door?"
"Just get in!" Loki said dragging Thor in and closing the door.
Helena by this time had slid down the wall in relief and was breathing heavily.
Loki helped her up, "are you ok?" she nodded and then Loki turned on Thor, "you nearly scared her half to death!"
Loki sat her down on the bed. "I'm fine" she breathed.
"WH-What is going on!?" Thor asked, completely confused, "Who is she?"
"This is Helena and we thought that you'd come to kill her," he said bluntly.
Thor was even more confused now, "how do you even know her?"
"Oh, I was staring at her downstairs and she thought I was the one who was going to kill her and then she threatened to kill me," he said, losing patience with his brother.
"Actually, I threatened to shoot him because he was being cocky."
"I was not!"
"You were laughing at me while I told you to turn around!"
Thor laughed, "She has a point, brother. But I still don't know who or why someone is trying to kill her, do I?"
"I'm searching for my friend; he was kidnapped several months ago so I went to search for him. On my journey I believe one of the kidnappers or someone working for them has started to follow me and they made an attempt on my life earlier today."
"I see, well you're quite safe for the moment, I assure you. Now, brother, may I ask why you were here, yet again?"
"Actually this time I was looking for you. I'd spent all day in the library and when I came out looking for you I was told that you'd gone out looking for me so I assumed this was the first place you'd look."
Thor nodded, "fair enough and I suppose it's a good job you stayed here. Now we had better get home, come on," Thor was already half way out of the room but Loki was still sitting next to Helena on the bed, "Brother come on!"
"We can't just leave her here all by herself Thor!"
Thor was torn, "She can't come with us either. You know father doesn't want anyone in tonight!"
"I'll be fine here," she piped up.
"No," Loki said looking at her, "you can't stay here, you're in danger."
"Well like your brother said, I can't come with you either. In any case, I'll be moving on soon, I need to find my friend."
Loki ignored her, "she's coming with us; I don't care what father says! He doesn't have to know anyway." He got up and took her cloak off the bed and wrapped it around her, "come on," he said helping her up.
"Loki I really am ok. I don't want you in trouble because of me."
"No, I insist! In fact, you can accompany me as my guest."
Thor rolled his eyes, "fine, just hurry up. I don't care as long as we get home before dinner."
Loki smirked, "he cares really, he's just grouchy because he's tired and hungry."
He wrapped his arm around her then whispered to her in a serious tone, "just trust me in everything I do ok?"
"I do trust you," She whispered back.
Loki noticed that her accent had dropped when she whispered to him, he found it odd, and why would she suddenly either drop or take on an accent? This wasn't the time or place to be asking trivial questions though, so he decided to forget about it until later.
They all got downstairs and the fight was beginning to calm down a little, but was still big enough for them to slip outside unnoticed. When they got outside Thor mounted his horse and Loki helped Helena onto his before getting on himself. They rode hard and fast without so much as looking back. Helena tried looking over Loki's shoulder to see where they were going but the wind in her face made her eyes water making it impossible for her to see. She lay her head on Loki's back and closed her eyes, it was the first time in months she'd felt even remotely safe, but the notion of fear kept clinging to her. She knew she was safe and she just had to shut out all the negatives. She thought about her friend; it was the first time she'd actually thought about him properly. 'What if he was dead?' she thought, and what was the actual probability of her seeing him again? 'No, he has to be alive. I'll see him again,' she told herself. She looked behind her and saw a figure in the moonlight coming closer and closer, "Loki!" she shouted, "something's following us!"
Loki looked behind him then caught up with Thor, "Thor, someone is following us! We need to start moving faster."
"You ride as fast as you can and get her into the safety of the main city and into the palace, I'll remain behind you and make sure whoever it is doesn't get past me. Now go!"
Loki nodded and started to speed up. "Hold on tight ok. You'll be fine."
She held on as tight as she could, but she always looked back. She saw Thor riding fast behind them and the unknown figure catching up with him, both of them were being left far behind by Loki.
"Wait, Loki stop!"
Loki slowed but didn't stop fully, "What is it?"
"Look, one of them - I can't make out which - has fallen!"
Loki turned his horse to face the scene. They both took a moment to look and saw that it was Thor who had fallen, but he had gotten up and took the unknown figure off his horse and they were fighting.
"Stay here, I'll be right back I promise," Loki told her. He created a mist that concealed him and the fight from her view; somehow he knew that she'd follow him and he had to try and stop her.
She decided that a simple mist wasn't going to stop her; she knew that Loki had created it in order to keep her away from whatever was going on. A strong wind came in fast, clearing the mist and Helena took her opportunity and ran to catch up with Loki.
"I told you to stay there!"
"I've never once listened to my mother, so I don't think you even have a slight chance."
Thor had the man, who had been following them pinned to the ground.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
Helena recognised him straight away. She backed away in pure terror.
"Helena, what is it? What's wrong?" Loki asked.
"It's him… he was one of the men who took my friend!" She suddenly forgot her fear and confronted him, "What have you done with him!? Where is my friend!?" she demanded, gripping him.
"Why should I tell you little lamb?" he laughed mockingly.
"I'm not going to ask you again!" She said hitting him so hard in the face that she broke his nose.
Loki grabbed her, "Helena this isn't going to solve anything."
"He took my friend, if anything it makes me feel better!"
"You have no hope," the man laughed. "The mortal is dead," he directed at Thor and Loki, "and the girl will be next!"
Helena stepped back at the news of her friend's death, "no…" she breathed shaking her head in disbelief.
"Brother, take her away from here," Thor commanded, "I'll catch up with you later."
Loki took her away. "Come on, it's ok, I'm here," he said leading her back to his horse. He helped her up onto his horse and they both rode to the palace. Helena didn't take anything in; she just stayed by Loki in disbelief. It was late when they got there and no-one but Loki and Thor were supposed to enter so Loki had to sneak her in. "Loki, I really don't want you to get into any trouble."
Loki laughed, "I don't need your help with that!" He grabbed her hand, "now come with me, quietly."
She followed him along the quiet corridors and up tall staircases until they reached a door. Loki looked around before opening it and he motioned her in first. She walked into a huge room, and she was immediately drawn to the two huge bookcases and the desk in between. The cases were filled with books but still the desk had piles of books on it. In the centre of the room lay a huge bed with the most beautiful sheets Helena had ever seen and on the bed littered, there were several notes and scraps of paper. Loki closed the door softly behind them. "Sorry about the mess," he said attempting to clear the sheets of paper off his bed.
"No, no, it's fine," she smiled, slightly mesmerised by the room and still drawn to the huge bookcases.
Loki watched her looking in amazement at the bookcases; he came up behind her, "you know you can take a look if you want."
"I can?" she beamed.
Loki nodded and watched her while she took a closer look and carefully ran her fingers across the spines of the books. She came across one that took her interest and pulled it out, she carefully flicked through the pages, looking at a few of the illustrations before Loki spoke up, "do you take an interest in Midgard?"
"What do you mean?" She said, carefully putting the book back.
"The book you just took out; it's about Midgard, I just thought-"
"Oh, no I didn't realise. I… err… I can't read…"
"Oh, I see…" Loki looked at her, trying to read her again; she didn't look like the type of person who couldn't read and she didn't act it either, then something crossed his mind, "your friend was a mortal?"
It took her slightly off guard, "well yes…" she sighed, thinking back to him.
"Why would someone want him dead? I want the truth," he said turning on her slightly, "you're very good at keeping secrets and lying but now I want the truth, you can tell me."
"No, I can't."
"Yes you can. I promise I will not utter a word of anything you say, to anyone."
She sat down in a chair before speaking, "no one would've wanted him dead, but he knew a secret… a terrible secret…"
"What is it?" he asked, pulling up a chair to sit next to her.
"I can read… just not what's in those books, you see, I'm from Midgard…"
Loki stood up, shaking his head in slight disbelief, "no, you can't be… of course! How could I not have seen it? But, how did you get here?"
"I followed the kidnappers here in an attempt to find my friend, I felt a bit uneasy after getting here, I fell ill and I fell behind the kidnappers… I wish now that I'd had the strength to carry on."
"What was the secret?"
She looked at him, unable to find the words to tell him. She stared at him and a light breeze swirled around the room, rustling the papers on the desk. Loki looked to the window but it was closed, he looked back at her in confusion, "how can a mortal possess such power?"
"I told you I'm from Midgard, but I'm not mortal…"
Loki stood, startled for a moment, "That would explain it then…"
"Explain what?"
"How you just did what you did."
"Oh," she mumbled. "I'm sorry I wasn't more open with you."
"It's ok; it was the right thing to do," Loki sat down again. "Thor should be back soon. I swear I will tell no one, but you must go back home."
She nodded, "well I suppose it's only right. After all, that's what I was going to do after I found my friend and now I know he's… I know what's happened to him there's nothing else to do here."
"You will be ok won't you?"
She just nodded. They both sat for a few moments in silence before Thor came in, "you'll be safe now; they will cause you no more trouble."
"Thank you, really I can't tell you how grateful I am, thank you!"
Thor bowed, "now, I daresay my brother will see to where you'll stay for the night. Goodnight," he said kissing her hand and smiling while Loki rolled his eyes slightly.
"Goodnight," she said, standing up to bow; blushing a bit, while Thor left.
Loki stood up, "you can sleep here for the night," he said motioning to his bed, "And then I will send you home in the morning."
"Thank you, but I can't, it's your bed. You've already helped me out so much; I can't take your bed."
"Don't be absurd, of course you can take my bed! I insist, I won't hear anything else of it."
"You really won't settle for anything less will you?"
"No I most certainly will not!" he smirked and went over to her, "you'll be ok won't you?"
"Of course I will."
"Good… goodnight then," he said smiling and leaving the room.
"Goodnight…"
The phone woke her up and she searched in the darkness for it, after a while she finally got it off her bedside table and answered it.
"Agent Smith we want you in; we've got a level 7."