Chapter Two

The next day, Loki's mood does not improve. He still feels frustrated at being left on this realm. Though, he had expected it to be abandoned and uninhabited. He had stayed away from the woman with the healing powers of nature. Being in her presence unsettled him, so he assumed the further he was away from her, the better.

When the weather seems to take a turn for the worse and bringing down a steady rainfall, all hope of Loki's mood improving diminishes. Grumbling, he takes refuge under a large oak tree. He sees no possible end to the sudden downpour. Closing his eyes, he tries to pass the time by meditating, and silently brooding.

The next time he opens his eyes, he sees a figure in the distance. Could it be the woman? Or just a passing creature? Squinting into the rain, he sees that it is indeed the woman from the previous day. Loki watches in confused as she moves about in the rain. What in the heavens was she doing? Her body was moving rapidly about in the shower, her body quivering about strangely. It took him a while, but Loki finally managed to figure out that she was dancing. Dancing? In the rain? And there seemed to be a large grin on her lovely face. How could cavorting in the wet bring anyone pleasure? Though it baffled him, Loki could not turn his gaze.

Lilah was twirling, skipping, twisting, curling, jumping and swirling in the cool torrent of water from the sky above. It had been of her own doing this time, making the shower feed and heal her realm. She enjoyed the rain, ever since she was little. It had made her feel fresh and alive. As she pranced around, she could not stop the smile that spread across her face. It was truly a lovely experience.

But as she danced, she felt like she was being watched. A silly thought since she was the only one in the realm. A sudden image of dazzling green eyes pierced her memory. No, she was no longer alone. She came to a stop in her movements and looked around. She spotted the leather-clad man under a large oak tree, watching her intently. A warm heat crept into her cheeks. How long had he been watching her?

Shyly, she waves a friendly hand to him. Not surprised, the man ignored her gesture and turned away. Would he ever communicate with her? Surely he did not intend to spend the rest of his stay avoiding her, did he? She could not think of anything that could have possibly annoyed the stranger, but then she did not have much experience with men. Hoping that he would eventually seek her out, she continued about her days work.

When night comes once more, Lilah heads back to her makeshift home in the ruins. Yet when she returns, she is not alone. The man had found his way into her home. He stares at her when she enters, but does not speak.

"Good evening, my name is Lilah," she had hoped to sound welcoming, but her voice came out small and nervous. "You are welcome to stay here."

Still he does not answer her. Is he deaf? Or just rude? Sighing, Lilah decides that he means her no harm and heads over towards her bed. She is tired and does not intend to wait around for him to acknowledge her. Climbing into her bed, she can feel his eyes upon her and it makes her body heat in embarrassment.

Loki watched the woman climb into her bed and make herself comfortable. She was going to go to sleep in front of him? What a naïve woman. How could she know that she could trust him?

Lilah.

It was a beautiful name, and it suited her well. She must have known somehow that he would not harm her. For a while, he watched her drift off into slumber. Something was tugging deep inside him, willing him to reach out and touch this perfect specimen. Exasperated by these feelings, he turns away. He felt like he should feel hatred or anger towards this Lilah, but he did not. Instead he felt the complete opposite. It was mind boggling.

Loki let out a sigh. Spotting an armchair, he lowered himself down upon it. Father, for what reason have you banished me here? Where is my punishment among this woman? Frowning at his unanswered questions filling his mind, he closed his eyes and willed his mind to go blank. Sleep did not come easy.