Chapter Four

Over the next three days, Loki did not let Kalah out of his sight, closely and methodically watching every move she made. Even her bathroom time was monitored, as Loki called Astrid to attend her while she was behind the restroom door, no matter how embarrassing it was to Kalah.

She was still formulating her escape plan, although it was difficult when she had hardly seen any part of the palace, save for the prison and Loki's chambers. All the bits and pieces of information she heard from the mouths of the very few visitors to his chambers, she stored in her mind, hoping it would come in handy when the time came for her to leave. The hard part was going to be getting herself alone long enough to make her move.

The days had been the same… Each morning she awoke to Loki sitting in his chair, elbow propped on the leather arm of the seat, watching her intently. He would then have Astrid bathe and clothe her, and call for their breakfast. When she exited the bathroom, her breakfast would be laid out for her on the table by the fireplace, and even though she hated being held prisoner by Loki, she couldn't argue that the food was scrumptious. All fuel to her body for when she got the chance to run. Her lunch and dinner were also brought to her each day, and those meals was attended to by a watchful Loki. He never left her side, and it was becoming an utter nuisance. She just knew that one day he would give up and let her go… but he was tenacious. She wasn't going anywhere under his watch.

She had been spending most of her time in Asgard trying to remember where she came from… who she was… anything, really about her life preceding her capture. Very few pieces were slowly coming back to her— something she would never dare tell Loki. She could recall her wolf, Adlan, vividly. She had tamed him when she was a small girl, and she remembered exactly what he looked and smelled like as a pup. He was a sweet, tiny, white fuzzball, but he quickly grew into a strong, enormous, vicious wolf. His training had not been easy, but he soon became her partner. He hunted with her… he protected her… she trusted him more than the other Elves she was surrounded by… and now he was gone.

"What are you thinking about, Elf? Anything you'd care to share?" Loki startled her out of her thoughts. He could see the wetness beginning to build in her grey eyes, and he just knew she was remembering something.

"No, nothing…" She said as she moved the venison and vegetables around on her plate absent-mindedly.

"Oh… come, now. I am the God of Lies. Do you not think I can detect your deception?"

"I don't know, my King. Maybe you aren't as skilled as you'd like to believe."

His wicked grin turned to a scowl at hearing her words. "You'd better take care as to how you talk to me from now on, Elf. I am the King!"

"Yes… You haven't let me forget that fact." Kalah looked from her plate up to his emerald green eyes, and he was so angry that she could swear she saw smoke coming out of his ears. She laughed openly, as getting under his skin was becoming a favorite hobby of hers.

Loki stood from his chair, and quickly approached Kalah, placing his hands on the arms of her chair and bending until his nose was touching hers. He could picture himself breaking her frail body beneath his hands, he could easily turn her bones to dust… but he needed her.

"I ought to have you thrown back into the dungeon. Maybe a couple of days there would make you a little more compliant. Would you like that, Elf? Should I alert the guards to prepare for an eager, little visitor?"

"Do what you must." She knew he wouldn't send her back there. He may be cruel and difficult to deal with, but he did have a tiny bit of compassion.

With a huff, he stood straight up and called for his maid.

"Yes, milord?" She answered as she quickly came through the door. Kalah couldn't imagine being a maid and having to be at Loki's beck and call all the time… she would rather die.

"I must go tend to some duties. You will sit with Kalah until I return. She is not to leave this room, do you understand?"

"Yes, milord." She bowed as Loki passed her and strode through the door.

Astrid looked at Kalah. "My goodness, dear. What did you do? He certainly seems angry this morning."

Kalah shrugged. "He's angry all the time."

"No, dearie… you just get under his skin, that's all. Maybe you should rethink that little attitude of yours."

"Yes… maybe. Thank you, Astrid."

"Just watching out for your hide. You don't want to keep on with him, dear. He always wins."

"I see… Astrid? I've been thinking… I would never tell him this, but I am very attracted to the King. I just can't resist him anymore. I would like to surprise him when he comes back. Do you think you could get a nice gown for me to wear? Maybe even some perfume?"

Astrid's eyes lit up. "Oh... Oh my… Yes. It would do my master good to have a beautiful young lady interested in him. Maybe you can soften his heart a bit." She winked at Kalah. "I will get you those things, but… you must stay in this room. I would certainly be put to death if I failed the King."

"You have my word. But, please, make sure the dress is perfect… green, yes, it must be green… and please find some perfume that smells of roses and cream. I think he would really like that."

"O-okay… I will try. I will be back soon. Stay put, hear? I am trusting you."

"Yes. I will stay right here in this chair."

Astrid smiled and left the room, leaving Kalah alone for the first time since she had been here. This was her chance. She pulled her long hair back and up around her head, figuring it would give her ruse away if someone spotted her long, pointed ears. An Elf walking around the Asgardian palace would certainly call unwanted attention to her. After waiting just a couple of minutes to give Astrid time to get out of sight, she crept to the door and peeked out. The hall was completely empty, so she set out in a fast sprint.

The long hallway leading from Loki's chambers seemed much more grand when he was carrying her down it just a few days ago. She could remember him cradling her in his arms, the warm feeling of safety as he slowly walked to his quarters… the sound of his heartbeat as she laid her head against his chest. She didn't know how magic smelled, but she figured it was quite like Loki… as he carried her, she recalled the thick air around him. He smelled crisp, like forest rain, and almost like he was charged with electricity. It was actually quite beautiful…

"Get your head right, Kalah." She said to herself, clearing her mind of Loki. She needed to concentrate. First, she had to find her bow and arrows. She wouldn't be able to survive in the wild without those. Loki had told her that he put them in the weapons vault. Where was that?

She noticed a guard up ahead. Maybe confidence was going to be her key. She approached the guard just like she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Good morning, Guard."

"Morning, milady. How can I help you?"

"I am a guest of the King… He requested for me to meet him at the weapons vault. Can you please direct me there?"

"You're a guest of the King?"

"Yes. I am staying in his chambers. I don't think he would be happy to hear that you prolonged our reuniting by your silly questions, do you?"

"No, milady. Please forgive me. You can access the weapons vault by taking those stairs over there." He pointed to a set of stairs that went underground, and as much as Kalah didn't want to go down there, she had to. She hoped none of the guards recognized her from her previous stay in the dungeon.

"Thank you, Guard."

He nodded as she turned her back on him and quickly made her way to the stairwell. The winding stone stairs led her directly to a rotunda, and on one side of the round room, was a double door that was guarded by two heavily armored men. With a sigh, she rounded the corner of the room. Both men saw her at the same time, and put their hands on the hilts of their swords.

"Stand down, gentlemen. I am here on business of the King." She said as she sauntered toward them.

"You are here on behalf of King Loki?" The smaller guard asked with a hint of arrogance in his voice.

"Yes, he has sent me to retrieve an item out of the vault. Now, please move aside."

The men gave each other a questioning glance. "I think we need to check with the King first."

Kalah huffed. "Fine, you do that. As soon as he gets here I will be sure and tell him that you are the ones that made him wait. I'm sure he will have your heads for that… You know how Loki is, he will not hesitate to throw you both in the dungeon."

The guards looked at each other one last time before the larger one spoke. "Well, if it's what the King has ordered… as long as I accompany you in the vault, I think it will be okay."

Kalah nodded. "Well, let's go!" She knew she was running out of time.

Each guard retrieved a key out of his pocket, and placed one on top of the other, making one larger key. The larger guard placed the key in the door, and turned, pushing the heavy vault door open with an eerie creak. She followed the guard into the large room, and she hastily looked around, wanting to spot her beloved bow. She cleared her throat. "The King was looking for a bow, and a quiver of arrows. Have you seen that?"

"Oh… Yes, milady. I think they are over here."

The guard led her to the left side of the room, and the closer she got, the more she could feel it… the tingle in her belly made her realize that she was very close to her beloved bow. As the pair rounded the corner of a shelf of swords, she saw itand not only it, but her hunting knives too.

"There… is that it, milady?"

A broad, lively smile spread across her face as her fingers reached out and traced the longbow. "Yes, it certainly is." She picked it up, and felt the weight of it in her hands. It had been far too long since she and that bow had been separated. Her eyes inspected it from tip to tip, making sure that it hadn't been hurt when she had been apprehended. The dark Mallorn wood bow was perfect… even the elven hair string was still fully in place. She gripped it tightly in her right hand, and threw the leather, oiled quiver over her shoulder, still housing her arrows. She slid her very sharp knives into the band on her quiver, making sure they were secure, before turning to the Guard.

"Thank you, Guard. You have been a tremendous help today."

"You're welcome, milady. Please pass word to the dark King that we were helpful, will ya? We need all the good word we can get with him."

"Oh, I certainly will." She winked at the guard, and strolled out of the room. After she was safely heading back up the steps, she let out the breath she had been holding for far too long. She couldn't believe she pulled it off! She would have loved to have found her armor and cape as well, but she wasn't going to push her luck. Now, she had to find a way out of the palace. When she reached the top of the stairs, she went in the opposite way of Loki's chambers. She headed to the North, since that is where the woods were. She knew she would need the cover of thick, dark forest if she had any chance of escaping Loki.

She went as far North in the palace as she could, before finding a set of double doors that led outside. She crouched down, and crept through a large, fragrant flower garden before passing through a large golden gate into the open. She was free! Well, almost… she needed to get further away from the palace before she was in the clear. She couldn't believe how easy it was to get away… much easier than she believed it would be. She worried for Astrid, however… when Loki found that she had let Kalah get away so easily, he would surely have her head.

There was a large, clear expanse of grass before the forest began, and she would have to be very quick to make it across and into the cover of trees without being seen. She knew she wouldn't be able to run very quickly in the long dress she had been provided to wear, so she pulled her hunting knife from her quiver and buried it into the expensive fabric. She slid the sharp knife easily through the satin of her gown, cutting it off halfway up her thighs, and letting the excess fall to the grass. Much better.

She darted across the grassy expanse, hoping that the growing darkness outside would keep her from being seen. After she made it to the edge of woods, she knelt down for a moment, trying to catch her breath. She hadn't left the palace with any food or water, but she thought that she remembered the location of a beautiful, clear running stream not far into the woods where she could get water… and food would be easy to come by, since she had her bow and hunting knife, and animals were abundant in the Asgardian woods.

She stood and gathered her items, eager to put more distance in between her and the palace, when she heard shouts from the palace. She recognized that gravelly voice… Loki… Damn it, how had he found her gone so quickly? She peeked through the bough of a large hickory tree, and spotted him. He had barreled through the same door she had, had torn through the flower garden, and severed the gate from it's hinges in his anger.

"Elf! You will come back to me. I am the King, and I am ordering your return! You know you will never escape Asgard alive, I will find you… You are nothing without that mangy creature you so dearly loved, little one… Come back to me willingly, and this will be forgiven. If I have to hunt you down, however, you will be sorry. I will make you bleed like you never thought possible… if I even let you live, that is. Come to me, Elf. This is the only chance I will give you, before I track you down like a filthy bilgesnipe, and make you pay your penance."

She would never give herself back to Loki. Kalah knew that was her cue to run, and run she did. She set out through the woods, expertly ducking below branches, and hurtling over wild berry brambles as quickly as she could. She didn't know if he was after her or not, and she didn't want to know. She ran like he was right on her tail, and she wasn't planning on stopping until she reached the edge of Asgard.

She was light on her feet, and made hardly no noise as she glided across the fallen leaves and branches on the forest floor. It was the season in Asgard for the trees to drop their leaves, so the ground was covered in at least a foot of brown, dead foliage. A shallow ravine appeared in front of Kalah, and before she had time to react she had fallen into it, landing on her ankles. She heard her right ankle snap as she made impact with the cold, hard ground and bit her lip to stifle her scream. What was she going to do now?

It made more sense for her to find a spot and quietly hide. There was a good chance that Loki wouldn't see her if she was hidden well. If she chose to keep running, she wouldn't be able to make it very far hobbling on one foot, and he would definitely catch up with her. Quickly, she looked around and spotted a large tree with a hollow in the trunk. Hopping on her left foot, she pushed her bow and quiver underneath the leaves, and drug herself into the tree, backing up into the darkness of the large hollow spruce. She curled into a ball, and laid her head down on the bed of soft moss that covered the floor in the tree. She could have easily gone to sleep if her ankle hadn't been throbbing… and if an insane, dark, angry God wasn't hot on her heels.

She felt something furry rubbing on her arm, and looked down to find a large white owl nuzzling into her skin. She must be invading his home. She reached down to gently rub his soft head as it's large amber eyes took her in.

"Hello, beautiful creature. I promise, I will leave your home as soon as I can. I am hurt, and hiding… I will leave you soo-…"

"Oh, little Elf… I know you are around here somewhere… I can smell you. Did you know that Elves have a special scent? Mmmm… honeycomb… lily… violets… moss… and a little berry… Yes, it's beautiful, really. You are a bit different though, little one. You also smell a bit of leather, and campfire… Where are you?"

She held her breath as she listened to Loki, and heard the rustling of leaves just outside of the tree. He must be very close… too close for comfort. She mentally cursed herself for leaving her knives tucked into her quiver in the leaves. She honestly didn't think Loki would get this close to finding her.

Suddenly, another large owl came swooping into the hollow, and perched on her hip. It must be the first one's mate.

"Well, what a good hiding spot for an owl…" Loki teased.

She could see him now, as he was directly in front of the tree… and unfortunately for her, he was looking directly at the hollow. She watched as his fingertips began to glow a bright white light, and he slowly made his way to the tree.

He was beginning to frighten her a little bit. He was wearing his anger on his face, as it contorted into a monster-like scowl. His teeth bared as he spoke. "You know I am going to find you… aren't you scared? Aren't you trembling in that tree right now? Well, little one… you should be."

His large hands reached into the hollow, as both she and the owls backed up as far as they could… it wasn't far enough, because Loki's slender fingers clenched around her hurt ankle and pulled her roughly from the spruce. Kalah screamed in pain, and grabbed her ankle. She could immediately feel that it was broken.

"Well, hello little bird. Did you think that you could fly away from me? You really should know better…"

He knelt down beside her, producing two ropes from the inside of his long, leather coat. He placed one knee on each side of her, straddling her middle, as he painfully yanked her arms above her head, tying them expertly with one of the ropes.

"Please… Loki… Please let me go. I am no good to you. I can't stay in your room all the time like I did something wrong…"

"Do not worry, little bird. You won't be staying in my bedroom anymore. I have a special place picked out just for you…"

He stood and moved down her body, aiming to tie her ankles the same way he had her wrists.

"Tsk tsk… what did you do to your pretty dress? Although, I like this view much better, you will learn not to ruin the nice things I give you…"

Loki grabbed her ankles tightly, as she writhed in pain. "Please… I think my ankle is broken… I fell into that dry creek bed, and heard it snap. Please be careful."

He moved the rope up, and tied it around her thighs instead. He stood, and hoisted her over his shoulder, carrying her like a hunting trophy.

"Wait… please get my bow and quiver… they are buried in the leaves by the tree."

Loki huffed, but did as she asked, hoisting them over the opposite shoulder. "I still don't know how you got past my men and got these out of the vault… I'm obviously going to have to watch you closer than I thought, little bird… Now, let's get back to the palace, I can't wait to show you your new room…"