AN: Yaaayyy i'm back with chapter three. I'm also currently working on a new story that will be posted on New Year's Eve, possibly two chapters at once, so keep a look out for that. As for now, read on my lovelies, for this is where Thor the huntsman enters! and don't forget to review the story when you are done!I love the people that review!

Chapter Three

"Go! Now! Find him!" Helblindi yells at the soldiers, his eye is hurting, still bleeding but numb in the fit of his rage. He watches with fury as the soldiers thunder out of the castle off to find the prince. He storms back into the castle knowing the queen; his mother will not be pleased with the recent turn of events.

A dark haired head emerges from the frothy white caps of the waves rolling and crashing into the beach. The figure, a man is gasping for breath, coughing out seawater. Loki smiles, he's made it, his limbs feel like they are burning but he doesn't care because he's made it, he clung tight to the rocky outcrop in the middle of the beach and he sees those two sparrows again, they are flying to the shore. Loki struggles to swim the last stretch, standing, the water dripping off him in rivulets he follows the birds and the lead him to a great white horse, a beautiful, magnificent creature, sitting on the sands of the beach as though waiting.

"Here boy. Don't worry," he whispers approaching the horse slowly, his teeth are chattering from the cold strong wind.

Cautiously he reaches a hand out to the horse, it nudges it's face against his hand, softly whinnying. Loki goes around and mounts the horse, bareback riding, he likes the thought of it. Grabbing hold of the horses silvery mane, he tugs gently, the horse stands, falling into a brisk trot then a steady canter across the sand.

Soon he is being chased by, he pushes the horse to go faster, seeing the menacing black army stretch out behind on the beach. Ahead he sees the Dark Forest, he feels fear creeping into his skin. He's heard so many tales about monsters and demons living inside the forest. It's either that or face the shadow warriors and return to the castle again. This is his only chance and he guides the horse onwards still, into the forest.

The great white beast rears up, throwing him off, he tumbles into the mud, the horse stuck in it, lovely white coat becoming stained. He cannot bear to leave it but he must, Loki turns, mud now caking his clothes he flees into the forest. The soldiers however do not follow. They stop at the line he has crossed. Thank heavens. But where does he go now? He has never entered the Dark Forest before the only thing he can do is continue on forward and hope for the best.

Loki has been walking for awhile now when he stumbles, limbs tired from the swim, the riding and now the endless walking, all done on an empty stomach. A could of black smoke and pores erupts into his face and his vision blurs. He can hear the sound of wind rushing, bats screeching. No, don't think, don't listen!

He carries on, stumbling along. A large winged creature screeches, swooping low, he falls to the ground to avoid it but even on the ground he cannot escape the rising feeling of fear that is slowly enveloping him, for he sees bugs so vivid, so grotesque, feels their slimy little bodies writhing against his hands and he feels like vomiting, he tries hard to crawl on forward on his hands but he cannot go on any longer and the fear, the tiredness of his body claims him.

"You stupid foolish son! You will find me Loki! Get someone who knows the Dark Forest to hunt him down! I want his beating heart!" the queen roars at her imbecile of a son.

Helblindi flinches, "Y-yes ma'am."

He heads into town finding the man he is looking for brawling at the bar. He has the soldiers with him break up the fight then dunk the man into the trough of water right outside the bar.

Thor sputters, gasping for breath as he sits in the trough of water, glaring at the man who is dressed in fine clothes, an eye patch across his face, the soldiers that surround him are from the dark army he has heard of.

"The queen desires your presence at court, she has a job for you and you will come immediately," the man says.

"Can you not see I'm having a bath?" he growls, he wants nothing to do with these people or the queen. In one swift motion however the soldiers lift him and drag him out of the tub and Thor finds himself on the way to the castle to see the queen.

The soldiers drag him into the halls of the castle, then before the queen in the great hall.

"Get your hands off me," he growls, the guards leaving him before the queen.

Thor had been allowed to take a decent bath and a new set of his own clean clothes which he thinks the queen must have ordered for them to be taken from his house for him.

"Huntsman. You will find and bring one of my prisoners who has escaped into the Dark Forest back to me," she orders.

"He is either dying or already dead," Thor says. Was the queen daft? Surely she must know that anyone that entered the Dark Forest would die, with the exception of him that is..he had survived and lived to tell the tale.

"I want you to find him. He's not necessarily dead," the queen says, anxiousness blooming on her face as wrinkles set in.

Thor lifts a brow, "Why is this prisoner of yours so special?" He notices the look that passes between the queen and – Helblindi?- he catches the name that she calls him as they speak.

"Don't ask questions huntsman just do your job!"

"And if I refuse?" he asks, to which the guards immediately have their spears aimed at him, trapping him in the middle.

"To your knees, huntsman," the queen says menacingly low, he knows he has pushed his limits here. Thor watches as she leans forward to him in her throne, "If you find the man, my prisoner, I will give you what your heart desires. Your dead wife."

Her words curl around him at the mention of his wife. A woman he had not shown much affection to before her untimely death, he wanted to change that. "She is dead, long gone. You cannot bring her back."

The queen chuckles, "I have powers huntsman, powers beyond your imagination that can bring her back to you. A life for a life huntsman. You bring me the prisoner I give you your wife. Deal?"

"Deal," he whispers, yielding to her bargain.

AN: So once again i leave you all with another cliff-hangery end. The next chapter will be out soon, so stay tuned! And thanks to all those who have been supporting me in this story thus far! :)