Updated Jan 2nd 2013

Through Mystery & Madness: Chapter Three

Needs Must

"I see you have had a visitor." The Other positioned himself somewhere out of Loki's range of vision. "She was given explicit instructions regarding contact. She will be punished of course. He does not tolerate disobedience."

Loki strained, testing his body again but to no avail. "Why does Thanos not come himself? Is he afraid?"

The bolt of pain hit him in the ribs and caused his body to contract involuntarily; pulling on all the shattered bones that he could not move himself. He bit down hard on his tongue to keep himself from screaming until it subsided. Spitting out blood and gasping for air he said, "If you tell me what it is you want I am sure we can come to some arrangement."

The laugh was insidious but The Other spoke in a conversational manner, belying the cruelty underneath "In good time Asgardian, when you are ready. You still have a way to go."

"I will not last without water."

"Then I think we may find a use for the witch after all. It seems we can hardly keep her from wandering as it is so she may as well fetch and carry until Thanos requires her. Be warned, she is not to be touched or defiled in any way."

Defiled? Loki processed the choice of words for a moment then chuckled and gestured as much as his injuries would allow "I can assure you that Thanos will find her in exactly the same condition as Merlin sold her."

He knew it was coming and bit down hard on his tongue once more but, even prepared, he couldn't block it out. He was weak, his magic was non-existent and he had no defences. In the end he could hear himself scream, oblivious to all else.

The black depths of betrayal and desolation enveloped him as images of Thor and Odin muddied his mind. He had been king. He should still be king. Instead they'd let him fall in to this abyss of torment. The grief - the memories - felt too big for his head to contain and reality slipped from his grasp, as intangible as smoke.

He thought he could feel the weight of a cool palm on his brow and a hand holding his own. An image of Frigga, his mother, filled him with anguish - then he tried not to think of her at all and the soothing touch faded away. The world swam back in to focus, the barren landscape began to take shape and what he thought was a rock became Morgan. She was sitting a yard from his prone form, arms wrapped defensively around her knees.

"Do you need a drink?" She was trying to convey neutrality and calm and her expression gave nothing else away. He nodded in response to her question and she moved to sit behind him and cradled his head as before. He took in the swelling lip, blackened jaw and the blood that had run from her nose and smeared across one side of her face.

"Rinse your mouth." she commanded, "It's full of blood."

"I see The Other has used some gentle persuasion." He watched her face but it remained impassive. She gestured at him with the flask again.

"Are you officially my nanny now?" he managed after spitting a mouthful of gore in to the dust beside him.

"So it would seem. On the other hand I could be planning all kinds of mental torture to amuse myself so don't give me any trouble."

"That's an improvement from standing on me until I pass out.

She raised an eyebrow but didn't respond so he ventured his luck. "Merlin sold you to Thanos as a virgin didn't he?"

She sat back on her heels and gave him a dangerous look. "What did I just say about not giving me any trouble? And how would you know if I am a virgin or not?" He wasn't sure exactly what expression crossed his face but it caused her to stick out a thumb and dig him sharply in the side with it, making him gasp like a fish for several seconds.

"It appears there are only two states of being for a woman that count: virgin and whore."

"And you are neither?"

"And what are you Loki? Are you a virgin? That's an insult for a man isn't it, yet considered a virtue for a woman? What does any of it matter?"

He appraised her silently for a moment, "It matters only because Thanos believes you are a virgin. What happens to you when he finds out you are not?"

"How does it concern you? You promised to snap my neck remember? Perhaps in time I will be grateful for that as an alternative to whatever Thanos will do to me."

He couldn't answer her. Or wouldn't. It mattered because she kept his mind off the pain, on the occasions when she wasn't inflicting it. She focused his thoughts, distracted him from the endless passage of time – there were no days or nights in this place. He realised that he didn't want to drive her away so he changed the subject.

"Can you describe the geography of this place? I see nothing but dust and rock. What else is here?"

She had tipped some water on to the edge of her tunic and was wiping the blood from her face "There is nothing else. We seem to be in a crater. The sides are thousands of feet high and impossible to climb. I tried. There is nothing more than what you can see - dust and rock."

"Where does the water come from? Where do you go when you are not here?" He flexed his fingers again; he had more movement than earlier.

"There is a cave a little way off. It goes nowhere but is quite deep and there is an underground pool and waterfall."

"How far down does the pool go?" He said, testing how much of his arm he could move.

"It's waist high. It drains through a crevice in the rock, impossible for a human to get through. The waterfall likewise, it comes through a crevice, it's too narrow for me to even get a hand through."

"So how does The Other get here?" He found his arm had mobility almost up to the shoulder. He could move it a foot in either direction.

"I really don't know. He just appears."

"I've made you angry?"

"Since you first opened your mouth, Loki."

"You look tired and you're shivering."

She ignored him and drew patterns in the dust.

"Where do you sleep?" He persisted

"By the mouth of the cave usually. It's warmer up against the wall."

"You'll be no use to me exhausted and frozen. If we are to find a way to escape this place you should rest." She had dark hollows around her eyes. He wondered if he looked the same.

"You need warmth." He said opening his arm out in invitation. She gave him such a scathing look he laughed.

"I am really not in any position to abuse you in anyway. I merely offer you warmth to preserve your strength."

She snorted "How can you be warm, you've been immobile for days?

"I have quite a tolerance for low temperatures." He said shortly. She was trying his patience of which there had been very little to begin with. He gestured again, noticeably irritated.

She spent some time considering it in silence but the shivering seemed only to get worse and reluctantly she curled up against his side. It was awkward, she drew her knees up and let them rest against his hip and her fists balled defensively under her chin like a child. He covered her with his cloak and blew a few strands of hair away that had covered his nose, listening until her breathing became even and regular.