Chapter Four: Svafari

The family left to do their daily duties. Loki went to the stables. He didn't need to, he loved the horses. His favorite was a jet-black mare in the very back of the stable. Sometimes he would ride her. It seemed no one else did. And sometimes Thor would come as well. Not this time, he wanted to be alone. Loki went to tack up 'his' horse Svafari. She whinnied a greeting as he approached. He cooed to her as he got her ready. Loki had a certain something when it came to animals. When she was ready, Loki led her outside, and climbed on. Svafari whinnied as he put his weight on her back. He's gained weight, and it's been a while since he rode her. He apologized, and got right back off.

They walked together through the forest. Loki didn't need to hold onto the reins, he just draped them over her shoulders. Svafari wouldn't run away. He was enjoying the sights and smells of the forest in the late afternoon. Svafari was helping herself to some still dewy grass. Loki leaned against a tree, pondering the rooms many mysteries. How did it come to be? Who opened it for him? What mystic powers did it contain? And where did Svafari go? He started to where she was before. He knelt to the ground, looking for tracks. The ground was slightly muddy, so they were easy to find. Loki followed the trail of the lost horse deeper and deeper into the forest. Odin warned him about straying from the beaten path. Now there was no path, no tracks, they just, stopped. Loki panicked. Somewhere out there she was lonely and scared.

A twig snapped not too far away. Loki silently crept towards it, wary of what it could be. He advanced carefully. There stood Svafari! But she was trapped in a cage, looked like out of ice. Two exceedingly big, ugly Ice Giants guarded it. What did they want with her? She was a great horse and everything, but she and no magical properties like father's horse.

He ran back to the castle to get help. No one would take on Ice Giants without reinforcements. Loki ran through the hallways searching for Odin He whipped around a corner at full-tilt, and ran right into Thor. "Oof! Loki, what's wrong?" He asked as he landed on the floor. "It's Svafari! She's been captured by Ice Giants. You have to help me save her!" Loki begged his big brother. Usually the thunder god would refuse, it's just a horse. But looking into Loki's pained eyes, nearly brought tears to his own. "Of course, brother, let me get Mjolner."

The brothers met on the front steps. Loki set off in a brisk, long legged strided pace towards the forest. Thor jogged to keep up. Loki suddenly stopped and thrust out his arm to stop Thor. "Wha-?" "Shh!" Loki snapped. They crept towards the clearing, and slowly and crouched behind a tree. The Giants still stood there. Thor growled deep in his throat, no one likes Ice Giants, especially two of them. "Patience." The younger god whispered to the older.


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