Three small figures raced through a forest. Two boys and a young girl, all about the same age, thirteen. The girl had long, brown wavy hair that reached down to the middle of her back, dark blue eyes, and wore a silky red and gold laced dress streaked with dirt. The older of the two boys wore a navy blue and silver outfit, had short blonde hair and brown eyes. The other boy had slightly longer black hair that grew down past his ears, green eyes, pale skin, a slender but muscular frame, and wore the same outfit as his brother, for the exception of it's colors, which were green and gold.
The blonde boy skidded to a halt, stopping beside a tall willow tree. He leaned his hand up against it, pulled out an apple from the pocket of his coat and took a bite, wiping the juice that spattered out with his sleeve. The other two children stopped in front of him, hunched over and out of breath. They breathed hard, giggling softly, and glanced at each other in a friendly way. The blonde boy, obviously already having regained his breath, leaped atop a nearby boulder and pointed down at his younger sibling.
"Brother, Loki!" he exclaimed. "Close your eyes and count to fifty over by that tree!" He gestured to the willow tree they had stopped at with his palm. "We're playing hide-and-seek." Loki curled his lip in disapproval, narrowing his eyes and stood still, glaring up at the blonde boy.
The girl spoke up from her position next to Loki. "You always make Loki the seeker, Thor! Why don't you take a turn for once?" she crossed her arms and looked unimpressed up at him. She found it unfair that her cousin always made his younger brother do the dirty work, whether it had to do with games, chores, anything.
Thor stuck out his tongue at her. "Because I'm going to be king after my father, remember? He should get used to listening to me." Without waiting for an answer, he jumped down from the boulder and bounded off in the other direction towards a darker part of the woods. In a second, all was quiet.
The girl sighed, looking once more at Loki. "I'm sorry, I tried." she whispered to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and gazed into her cousin's green eyes for a moment and then ran off after Thor. Loki smiled briefly for a moment, a tear falling down his pale cheek after she had left. Thor was right, he always was. The throne would go to him one day, and he would be left behind- forgotten. Loki shook away the thought. He walked over to the tree and shut his eyes tight, beginning the counting ritual they always used in this game.
"One... two... three..."
Meanwhile, Thor climbed nimbly through the high branches of an oak with a grin stretched across his face. Loki would never find him up here, he was sure of it. The light of the sky shone up ahead. He used all the strength he could muster from his legs and arms to reach the top. A final push with a grunt of effort, sent him to the top of the canopy. Thor blinked his eyes once and looked out all around him. The city of Asgard sat in the near distance next the forest that served as their playground. He smiled happily as a soft breeze touched his face and streamed through his hair. Here he would wait in the v-shaped crook of a branch and hope that his brother would be unaware of his presence.
The girl took her spot next to a hazel bush. She held her arms out, closed her eyes, and mumbled a few silent words into the air. The fallen leaves on the ground spun around her. The cyclone enclosed around her body, pulling her close to the bush and shaping a camouflaged shield. Her feet were now the gray color of stone, and her skin was covered in vines and branches. A crisp frost covered the leaves of the bush. Icy coldness crawled under her skin, she shivered, wishing she had put on something warmer earlier.
"... forty-eight... forty-nine... fifty!" Loki turned around in a hurry. He swung his head from side to side and peered around. Nothing. The young boy shuffled his feet and ran forward, searching every bush and rock and not wasting a minute as he looked for Thor and his cousin. It seemed like hours, all he could see was the endless surrounding undergrowth. Everything looked the same. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, it would be dark soon. If they did not start heading home, Odin would surely send out a search party made up of his royal guards. Maybe he should give up now? And go home and ask for help. No! Thor would blame him, that Loki had gotten them lost in the woods. He would just have to keep trying.
The young boy cupped his hands around his mouth and called out loudly. "Thor! Tyra! Where are you? It's getting dark!" He could see his breath through the approaching dark. Winter would be closing in on Asgard sooner than later. He rubbed his hands together, breathing into them to create some warmth.
He brushed past a hazel bush, the end of his coat getting caught on a branch. Loki tugged on the branch in an attempt to get his coat uncaught. A small "ouch!" sound emitted from the bush. Loki fell backward, startled. His eyes widened. The girl, Tyra, crouched there, massaging her arm.
"That hurt!" she blurted out, half laughing, half crying through watery blue eyes. She leaned over to help him up. Loki lifted his arm to grab her hand, and she pulled him up. He towered slightly over her.
"Found you." he teased. Tyra elbowed him in the side. He fell over again, this time on purpose. Madeline placed her foot triumphantly on top of his chest, holding her chin high. She narrowed an eyebrow.
"Oh you did, did you?" her tone was light and playful. She smiled down at Loki with her hands placed on her hips. The leaves rustled nearby Loki and Tyra. Thor pushed through the undergrowth with a frown. His hair was bedraggled and dust covered his clothes. He stared grimly down at his brother.
"You were supposed to be seeking, brother. Not frolicking in the woods like a lovestruck deer. " He picked up Loki by the neck of his outfit and began to drag him towards the path home. Loki struggled in his grip, aiming punches at Thor as he bumped over tree roots. Tyra raced up behind Thor, and shoved him. Thor stumbled forward, dropping Loki, and fell into the dirt. Loki scrambled away. Thor whipped his head around, muttering curses under his breath. Tyra stomped forward.
"Loki's your brother, you shouldn't treat him like that!" she spat. She clenched her fists tightly. Thor got to his feet and charged towards her. He threw his fists out, Tyra held up her arms to block his blows, at the same time aiming punches to heed him away. She was much smaller than him in size and power, but had no fear in taking her cousin on in a fight.
Loki had crawled into the shadows of a bramble bush and watched with widened eyes as his cousin and Thor struggled against one another. He was afraid to interfere, but at the same time, wanted neither of them to be harmed. Thor pushed Tyra over onto the ground, strutting forward and looking down at her with his fist raised. He punched her in the stomach, and wiped sweat from his brow.
"I won't be having a girl, tell me what to do." He leaned in close, his breath touching her hair. Tyra convulsed on the ground, writhing under his grip. She threw a swift punch to his face, and knocked Thor hard in the nose. He squealed in pain, rearing backwards and off of her. He shakily got to his feet, with one hand over his nose. The fight was clearly over, yet no one had won.
"Let's go home." Thor grumbled through his mouth. The salty tang of his own blood tasted awful, but he made sure not to let it show. He didn't think about helping Tyra up, just started to make his own way towards the palace.
Loki came out from where he was, concern showing on his face. The pebbles shifted under his feet as he walked over to Tyra to give her assistance in standing up. She waved her arms at him.
"I'm alright, I'm alright." the girl insisted, getting slowly to her feet. "Just a couple scratches and bruises, is all." She collected the jewelry sprawled out around her that had fallen off during her brutal confrontation with Thor.
"Are you sure?" Loki asked, inspecting her with his green eyes. Her dress had been torn in different locations and mud was splattered here and there. She did look alright, but he just wanted to make sure.
"Fine." Tyra avoided eye contact and began to drag her feet towards home, she narrowed her eyes in frustration. Thor was stubborn and cruel, how would he make good king material? Loki was much more fit to rule. She continued to follow the path home, Loki padding silently behind her in his leather boots. They would be home... soon.