Hey all, so here is a new chapter for It Is You. I have to say, I'm not happy with this chapter at all. It feels too much like a filler to me. I am looking for a beta for this one so if anyone is interested - let me know. Even though I'm not proud of this chapter - enjoy and let me know what you think.
Chapter Three
The forest that Loki and Vör had come to claim as their hunting grounds was well beyond where the regular grounds that Odin and his own used. They were close to the Álfheimr borders but had been granted the permission to be so close among the forest years ago when Loki had tried to talk their way out of iron shackles, it had been Vor however who had brokered the deal between them and the elf rangers. He was somewhat thankful that Vor was prettier than most common Aesir and he had taught her the language of the light elves for he knew it had been her beauty and eloquence of their tongue that had charmed the young ranger and his friends.
He felt like growling upon recollection of the memory. They saw the rangers every now and then when on hunts; sometimes they would even join them which grated on his nerves when he had to stand by and watch the poor attempts of the ranger captain try to talk Vor into his bed. Loki tossed one of his daggers carelessly towards the log that lay before their hiding place in a ditch that Vör had decided to settle in.
While Vör was a skilled hunter and Loki had trained her well in the arts of war, his hearing was twice that of Vör's making him her ears when it came to hunting for he could pick up the softest of sounds that Vör would normally miss.
She had reclaimed her bow from his shoulder not long after they had begun their trek into the outskirts and beyond. It was close to mid-morning by the time they had reached their hunting grounds.
Both of them were more than eager to take their minds off the night before and this morning's events.
Now she was crouched beside him, leaning on her hands over the log that he had his back against. He grinned at her obvious attempts to stretch herself out of their hiding place to try and hear anything. She had missed four opportunities already but Loki had not spoken up on the deer's location and how far they were from them.
"You truly should take Dagonet's place as the court's jester, Vor," he mused and saw her scowl at him from the corner of his eye.
"Oh aren't you funny," she muttered back sourly, hitting his shoulder absentmindedly as he glanced round to smirk up at her.
His grin fell however as he watched her. Loki had watched her countless times before today and always he had just been amused by his friend's antics but today was different. He settled back into his place again and merely stared at where his dagger was embedded into the log before him; only the hilt stuck out.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
She was still crouched beside him; gnawing on her lower lip and head tilted to the side ever so slightly in thought and he crossed his arms over his chest and recalled the blade to his hand from the log and absently began spinning it round with his magic.
Loki trained his eyes back onto Vor. She was too focused to even notice that he was studying her closely. Emerald eyes traced the curve of her slim nose, over those full and pouting lips, down across a very defined jaw and swept down her neck; it reminded him of a swan's as he allowed his eyes to dance over her shoulder and down to where her breasts were staining against the tunic, corset and thin coat she wore in the cool morning air.
He idly began to wonder whether she had let a man into her bed yet. Loki knew from her mother that Vor had a nice number of suitors lining up to court her. They wanted to tame the young she-wolf that was crouched beside him.
Inwardly he snorted.
They'd never succeed in taming her. Vor was too headstrong to entertain the idea of marriage. At least he hoped she was. If she were to marry then he would lose his friend to the life of a housewife.
His eyes outlined a flat stomach and slim waist before lowering to her pants where stretched tight against the strong muscles of her thighs.
He swallowed thickly as ideas of having those thighs wrapped around him in a manner like Sigyn's were last night popped into his head. He cursed aloud when his magic flattered as his thoughts deviated and the dagger he'd been holding up with magic fell into his lap, almost sticking himself in the thigh with it.
Vor glanced round at him and he quickly cleared his throat and tucked the dagger away before he got up and turned so he was crouched in a similar fashion to her.
"Everything alright?" she inquired.
He nodded and straightened his leathers out. She lifted one shoulder and then glanced ahead again, her attention off him immediately. He frowned and noticed her frowning.
Loki knew something was wrong with her; it wasn't hard to read Vor even when she was trying her hardest to hide it from him. He noticed that she was trying her hardest to not actually look at him. His pranks this morning had been harmless in his eyes; highly amusing but harmless nonetheless.
Was her dismissal of his presence caused by her nightmares?
He frowned and caught her wrist gently as she moved to pick up her bow, finally catching ear of the deer not far off to his left. He glanced at where he held her wrist and then up to her face. She wasn't looking at him.
"The nightmares you've been having. I want to know about them."
She wretched her wrist free of his grip and picked up her bow. "It's my business; I thought we agreed upon that?"
He snorted with laughter. "That was some time ago and you said then it was only a nightmare, that it would go away," he pressed, watching as she drew an arrow from her quiver and notched it. Loki was rather amused by her attempt to ignore him. "Why won't you tell me about them?"
"I'm trying to hunt," she replied casually and he frowned before snatching the arrow from her bow. She spun to face him, scowling. "Give it back."
"Answer my question," he shot back.
She huffed and made to grab another arrow from her quiver only he summoned them to the ground on his other side. The little noises of frustration from her were hilarious. "Give it back! You're gonna make me lose my chance!"
"Good, you've lost five chances in the time since we found this ditch, one more will not hurt," he growled back and watched as Vor stilled, her eyes looking anywhere but at him. He had had enough of the constant mood shifts in her each time she had nightmares. They were merely bad dreams and he was tired of not knowing what it was that plagued her so he was able to find a way to help her. Why could she not see that he only wanted to help her? "Vor, tell me."
"Why? They are just nightmares," she mumbled back and he grinned a little at the pout of defiance on her face. Loki would not admit it to her but he did enjoy her defiance towards him. It was refreshing to have a defiant and headstrong woman speaking to him over Sigyn who was always fawning over him and fussing.
"Because I'm tired of your moods," he stated. She glowered causing his grin to widen into a wicked smirk. "I am not blind, Vor, I have noticed how you become sour, distant and angry towards me whenever these nightmares occur. If I have anything to do with them I would like to know so that I might be able to help you."
"I have tried, Loki," she growled back. Silence passed between them before he heard her sigh heavily, her shoulders slumping and she moved to lean her back against the log, knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped round them. "Nothing works. No herbs, no spells, nothing and I do not want your help with it; I am not a child who cannot look after herself."
He watched her for a moment. Shifting closer to her, he placed a hand on her shoulder only to have her pull away from him and he retracted his hand; subconsciously clenching his fist tightly by his side.
Loki felt useless. He only prayed to the Norns that she did not start crying. It was strange to think back on but it occurred to him then that he had never seen Vor cry and he did not wish to make today the day he did.
"Vor, nightmares and dreams – they happen for a reason whether they are good or bad. I only wish to do what any friend would in a situation such as this and aid you. I mean not to treat you as a child."
She glanced at him with a blank expression. "You may be the silver tongue but that doesn't mean you can trick me with long speeches and grandeur," she muttered and he chuckled, nodding his head in agreement as he returned to his original place on the ground and back against the log.
"I believe you may be right, but there was no harm in sharing my thoughts," he replied, spreading his hands out in front of him, lifting his shoulders in a small shrug.
She shook her head and lifted herself up onto her knees, picking her bow back up and made to reach for an arrow in her quiver only to stop and huff. Loki was a little taken back when Vor suddenly stretched herself across his lap. His heart had stopped beating within his chest as he held his breath, wondering what she was doing.
Vor didn't know what boldness had overcome her better judgement as she leaned across Loki's lap to retrieve an arrow from the pile that now lay on the ground. Things were becoming awkward with Loki. She didn't want them to but with her dreams constantly plaguing her mind and the possible meanings behind them meant whenever he was near her lately she didn't know how to react to what was once his playful teasing.
Now she had done the most ridiculous thing possible and leaned over his lap. She didn't look at him as she reached out for an arrow.
"Need my arrows Loki," she said as though she leaned over him all the time and came within such close proximity to him. Over the years they had become more proper towards one another, especially when in the village and before her parents to avoid any gossiping. It occurred regardless for Loki was a prince and she a commoner.
He hummed a reply and as she retrieved the arrow, she felt her fingers ghost across the small of her back and froze. Loki's hand flattened out as it ran across her back and then curled about her waist. She let out a small squeak of surprise when Loki tugged her down to the ground and placed a hand over her mouth without any warning.
Slightly taken back by the gesture, Vor stared with wide eyes up at her friend as he focused on something else. Then she heard it. A loud, bellowing laugh followed by more laughter.
Her heart beat faster against her ribcage.
Loki must have heard her heart because he glanced down at her after a moment and smiled wickedly. Vor felt that had she been standing at the time, her knees probably would've given out from the look. There was no denying it. Loki was attractive, beyond attractive. She had always known it but never really paid must notice. Now as she watched him, Vor felt like a fish caught in a net to him. How was she going to deal with this without completely ignoring him? Surely her slight attraction and those damn dreams would leave her in the long run, she would just have to keep her guard up when round him from here on out.