Forste sat on the forest floor, her sun tanned hand pressed against her side. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. She had stupidly let the bilge snipe pierce her armor. The whole herd was tearing apart Alfheim. Of course the Alfader would send his best warriors to help the elves! Forste could feel the cold creeping in. She shook her head to dispel the black spots trying to invade her sight. Figures were running to the clearing where the monsters were running loose. She breathed in again as the blood continued to flow through her fingers. She looked around for a healer, or at least some sign of comfort. The constant warrior Forste kept her bronze helm in place, her hair resolutely held up in a wrap. She caught sight of Thor and Volstagg rushed past to the battle. Forste called out for help, twisting at the waist her voice a frail squeak. Angrily she cleared her throat and called again.
Then, her savior! Her lover Forraeder! The warrior saw her and ran to her side, pulling of his helmet and letting his short blonde hair fly loose. He stared at the wound in shock and into Forste's eyes. She laughed humorlessly.
"Don't look at me like that! The tusk went under my armor and from the side. I was fighting a barbarian. You can't blame me." She said softly, justifying her pathetic injury. He glared at her and shook his head.
"I courted you because I knew you were a renowned warrior. How would I be seen as the consort of a failed woman rather than a mighty warrior?" He said cruelly. Forste had no clue what to say. This was the man she loved! The Aesir she would happily spend the remainder of her warrior life fighting side by side with, and here he was telling her she was nothing but a tool for his achievement. How could this be? Tears budded at her eyes and he rolled his own. "Oh don't be so shocked! Why would I ever Love you? You are not beautiful and not talented or brave."
What was he saying? True she wasn't the best fighter, but she could beat everyone in her rank and several others from other ranks. She had even beaten lady Sif once! And true she wasn't pretty, but that was why she was a warrior! Why cares what you look like as long you are saving people's lives? She mouthed wordlessly at him as tears poured down her sun exposed cheeks. She spent he whole life training and fighting, not bothering with lady like pass times. Sewing? Please. And Knitting? Dear Gods no!
"Why? How-What-"
"Don't gamble on like that, it isn't becoming!" He scoffed putting his helmet back on. "Die well Forste." He said mockingly. He began to run, but not before a spell flew through Forste's lips. Forever he would be honest and always speak his mind. Every thought to pass his mind would be spoken, no matter what, and beyond that, he would act on those words. If he said he was scared he would run for the hills, and if he said he would rather die than touch something he would die, there on the spot if confronted with the object. Forste's revenge would kill him, but not through her directly.
She closed her eyes and the traitor ran passed. Tears spilled down her face freely, ad her sobs shook her whole body as the blood continued to flow. No more footsteps passed her. All the warriors were gone. Only she had been wounded. Here at least. The sound of the battle were nonexistent, seeing as the fight was a good mile off. Then quiet footsteps in the grass. She opened her eyes and looked up. Pale warrior dressed in green and gold stood before her, his head uncovered and his black hair pushed back from his face. Oh good lord! Prince Loki. Forste tried to stand, in respect for his highness, but she slipped in the pool of her own blood and fell. Something snapped and she fought back a scream of pain. She gritted her teeth in a fight for control.
Then, two gentle hands peeled away her own and pressed against the wound. She looked at the prince who was kneeling at her side, glaring at the wound in her side.
"Don't worry soldier. I'll try and fix this. Be strong man!" He said comfortingly. Forste raised her eyebrows and glanced at her breast plate. Of course she grabbed a man's plate! She cleared her throat awkwardly. "No, don't worry, I'm sure I can save you. They won't need me up there anyway. I'm not one for melee combat anyway." Ha said jerking his head at the fight. "No let's…just…" he began, grunting trying to remove the breast plate.
"N-n-n-n-n-no! M-m-mm-milord-" But she was too late. The prince had removed her armor, exposing her undergarment. It was cloth wrappings around her bust, leaving her shoulders and neck open for movement. Loki froze as he saw her figure. His hand holding the breast plate gripping the metal tight. "I-I-I-I-I-"
"No, it's fine." He said quickly, casting the chest plate aside and turning his attention back to the wound. More blood was spilling out now, staining his white hands. A bilge snipe's horns are strangely shaped, with barbs on the ends that eject poisons into the body that force the blood to evacuate the system. Most of those injured in the field didn't make it. Loki thought it was a sword wound, so assumed he could help the, apparently, woman. But the blood loss was too extreme, and he could already see the will o' the wisp collecting around the girl. He sighed and glanced at her. She had her helmet on, hiding most of her face, but he could make out grey eyes in the darkness, shining with tears.
"Remove your helmet. Give me your hair wrap, I might be able to stop some of the bleeding. She nodded and pulled of the helmet and pulled the grey fabric off her head. A thousand miles of flowing red hair exploded out of her cap. He stared for a moment at the sudden fire. He quickly grabbed the cloth and balled it up, pressing firmly onto her wound. She moaned slightly and pressed her head against the tree, her face up to the heavens. He looked at her face. He looked again.
"Tell me, why are you a warrior? You needn't be." She stared at blankly making him chuckle. "With a face as pretty as yours I don't see why you rush into death and battle." She scoffed and tears emerged in her eyes. He was surprised. Had he said something?
"Pray, milord," she said through gritted teeth, blocking out the pain again. "Do not mock me. Hel stands before me and he whispers fear into mine ears. I am about to enter the black gates and ride a horse to Valhalla or fall into hell. Do not patronize me! I have never warranted that form of ridicule." Loki's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. Patronize? "Oh aye, I see it on your face. Nay I'm not pretty, and I have no prospects so I fight and flee into Death's arms. Very well. SO it shall be. But pray milord, in my last moments do not treat me like one of your famous tricks." She was choking on tears. Then she coughed and blood splatted her legs. She sighed and closed her eyes. Loki pressed the fabric against her side.
"Look, I know I'm going to die. But beware of Forraeder. He is manipulative and cruel. My lover has no heart. That is why you sit at my side and not he." She said. Her skin beginning to pale. Loki sighed and curled a finger under her chin turning her face to him. She looked confused as he swiped his thumb across her lips, wiping away the blood on her soft pink lips.
"Then it his loss, not yours that he is gone. I shall deal with him. When we return to the castle-"
"No milord, I'm not leaving this forest. You know this, as do I."
"Please. I will deal with him, but you can't…you can't just…just leave me like this. I don't even know your name." she laughed a bit at this, her eyes already dead.
"My name is Forste you highness."
"Well, Forste, I am giving you an order as a prince. Don't you dare die and leave me alone."
"Oh pray my lord!" she moaned in pain. "Pray don't give me an order I will be forced to disobey!"
"Then don't disobey!"
"My lord-"
"Call me Loki."
"I can't. Death or not you are my Lord-"
"Loki." She sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes, making him smile. Even at the gates of hell she was still fighting to maintain code.
"Loki then. I'm scared. I'm not supposed to be, but I don't want to die. Will you stay until I'm gone? Please?" She was peaking faster and she suddenly grabbed his hands, pulling them into her own so the fabric fell away, letting the blood flow out of her body. Loki stared into her big eyes and nodded. He sat beside her, leaning against the tree. She sniffled quietly and he pulled her into his arms, so she was pressed into his side. She wiggled a bit, trying to move away to spare his clothing the blood but he wrapped his arm around her resolutely, pulling her into his arms.
The minutes ticked by and the two sat together. She was crying again, but silently. Suddenly a hush fell over the wood. Forste gasped and started to push at the forest floor with her boots. She was crying loudly and crying for mercy.
"No! No please! Lady Hel please let me be! Oh lord no! Please!" Loki pulled her onto his lap, so she was cradled on his lap with her feet on his left side, and her face buried in her chest her held her and rocked back and forth. He looked at the woman standing before him. She had ankle length black hair and flowed about as if underwater. A green mask covered her face except her black lips and grey chin. Her burning red eyes stared at him as her black cloak swirled around her shiny green armor. She nodded once and crossed her arms.
"Forste, Forste lille, listen. You have to go with her. I will ensure your seat in Valhalla, but you must go with the Lady. Lille, please." He whispered into her ear. She looked wearily at him. She nodded a bit. Then stopped, as if considering something. "What lille?" he said kindly.
"Don't…don't warriors get a dying wish?" she asked hesitantly. He nodded. "I…I…I have never…um…never been…that is…never been…kissed." She spoke haltingly as if fighting to get the words out. She blushed bright red and looked down. Loki hooked his finger under her chin again, smiling kindly as she looked at him. He leaned into her and slid his hand into her wild red hair. She froze at his contact, stiffening in shock. His smile pressed against her lips and she smiled back, her lips parting slightly. And he dove in. His tongue gently pulling her deepened into the kiss as his arm laced around her hips in a gentle embrace. Forste felt her arms creeping around his neck, pulling him closer to her, and she moaned into the kiss slightly. Her fingers trailed along his neck tracing his spine and creeping into his hairline. He moaned as well, and dug his fingers into her scalp. He pulled away slowly, pressing kisses onto her nose and the on the edge of her lips. She held still and let him shower her face with kisses. She was about to die and she was worrying about being kissed by the Prince. What was wrong with her?
Eventually he stopped, pressing his forehead against hers, holding her tight and rocking her again as the crying came again. She clung onto his neck.
"I know. I know and I'm sorry elske. I am so, so sorry." She froze at his words. Elske? Love? Did he just..? HE did! He called her love! She stared into his Green eyes and her gazed into her grey ones. They held each other for a single moment that was an eternity. Then Forste felt the cold creeping her into her again. She sighed and placed a slow kiss into the tip of her prince's nose, making him freeze, his eyes growing wide with panic. She smiled sadly at him and laid her head on his shoulder whispering in his ear, "Thank you Loki." He felt the life slip out of her.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" He mumbled growing louder with each word as he held her close and tears spilled from his eyes. He looked to Hel who was extending her giant hand to a girl in fitted gold armor. Forste glanced at Loki and smiled at him. Her now winged helm hugged her face, letting him see her face. She was wearing the armor of a Valkyrie and had a broadsword strapped to her back, with daggers at her hips and a rapier on her left hip. She waved goodbye and bowed to him once more.
Forste want afraid anymore. She turned to Lady Hel and bowed respectfully, falling to one knee and offering her thin rapier to the Goddess.
"My lady, I have fought in life and died in battle. Pray, let me serve you in death as I served my lords in life." Hel laughed and nodded her head, taking the small sword in her large hand and swallowing it whole. She grabbed Forste's hand and led her to a black hole in the ground. Forste waved goodbye to Loki again and dove into the pit.
Hel looked at Loki who was still clutching the body like it would wake up at any moment and kiss him again. She sighed and jerked her chin at the dead body.
"Be careful with that. I will sell almost anything for the right price." And she disappeared.
Loki sat silently in the sunlit forest holding the girl's body in his hands. She looked so frail in death, whereas even as she was dying she had been full of life and fight. Now she was weak and empty. He held he still, until a great cheer rose up from the east, signaling the end of bilge snipe battle. Still Loki held his dead warrior in his arms. He didn't understand anything. This girl, this beautifully perfect and gorgeous girl had stolen his heart and then disappeared into hell and Hel's service with it. His first kiss and she was gone. His first love and she was lost. But no. For the right price he could buy her back.
Thor came charging up to him a smile on his face. But it faded as he saw his brother cradling the dead girl.
"Who was she?" Thor asked sadly, staring at her bloody and frail form. Loki rose slowly and looked a Thor, Forste still in his arms, her arms folded over her stomach, head lolling back, exposing her neck.
"The first. The first to fall, the first to strike, and the first to feel. My first." He said solemnly. Thor nodded and walked away. Loki laid Forste on the ground by a tree and concentrated. Her wound closed up and the blood disappeared. The armor of a Valkyrie shimmered onto her form, her hair untangling and spreading out over her shoulders. She looked like a glorious warrior. How she truly was. Not some girl who died before the fight began. He used magic to stand her up and wove a spell around her corpse. A tree grew around her, the trunk capturing her body inside it. She would be safe there, protected until he could save her. He stepped back, vowing to save her. Loki looked to the heavens and called out to Heimdal. A blast of light engulfed him carrying him away into Asgard.
As he disappeared a million will o' the wisp peeked out from the ground and formed a ring around the tree and began to dance. The lights span in a million intricate movements and a soft singing rang through the forest. The tree began to shake, then shimmer at the trunk changed. It turned clear, sunbeams bouncing off it making rainbows dance on the forest floor. Then they stopped and faded into mist. A diamond tree stood in the forest, bearing golden fruits and encasing a Valkyrie warrior for eternity. Nothing would age or damage the girl.
A million stars away, in a glorious kingdom, a golden guardian shed a tear, and a mighty king pushed away his tears. In a dark realm a mighty Lady covered her face with her hands as fires danced around her black throne and a new warrior maiden fought gladiators for the Lady's amusement. Clairvoyants everywhere stifled a cry of sorrow as their heart cried out in pain, and a million ghost cried out in sorrow. But alone in a bedchamber, sitting at a window staring at his home, a Jotun prince ling plotted revenge, and a rescue for his first love. He had just found Forste, and he was not ready to say good bye. He loved her, and he would drag her out of hell if it cost him his life.
Loki var forelsket, og han var ikke klar til å si farvel.
Loki was in love and he wasn't ready to say goodbye.