Chapter Two

The strange animal's body gleamed again in the afternoon light as he bounded forward in a spurt of energy and rushed into the foliage.

The leaner of the two laughed as he patted his chest to regain a normal breathing rhythm. "No. Come on, Thor! Give your horse a break. She clearly wants a rest from the way she is heaving for air after running so hard." His dark hair curled at the nape of his neck, and the wind-blown strands fell over his bright green eyes.

Thor shook his head. "No! We were so close to having his head hung in the Great Hall. We'll take him down yet." His stocky, muscled physique dwarfed the other man, who appeared to be a trusted servant. The horse trainer, perhaps? Thor looked splendid in red and clenched his right fist three times. The Doctor recognized it as a muscle stretch as he witnessed the man tense an arm encased in greaves, he thought.
No. His arm was so long, it could have been protected by greaves, which were meant to prevent him from having his legs cut out from under him, instead of vambraces, which shielded arms in battle during close combat. Still, the first man's advice was correct; the horse did need a spell in which to rest. Sighing, Thor, who had lead the hunt, allowed his horse to wander. He rode a lazy circle to be beside his friend again, where the horse rested from the feverish pace she had maintained under the urge of her rider's insistent, yet infrequent, kicks.

Thor pushed his hair back from his forehead after a mere two minutes had passed. He tightened his grip on the reins. "Now can we finish the hunt, Brother? Mother needs us home before sunset, after all."

"That is my line, Thor. Are you finally showing a care for another's schedule?"

"No. Just a warning I received. Being late to home means no dinner other than the rations we brought. I cannot stand missing a good meal."

The other man smirked. "Perhaps you should not act so like a child, then."
The Doctor, who had been about to announce his presence, stopped. 'Brother?' The two men looked nothing alike. He stepped back, grabbed a sandwich and began chewing. Sometimes he would alternate hands holding the sandwich to stretch the other arm as he studied the two.

The wiry one laughed. "Do you truly remember not being dragged home to be in time for supper in the past? It happened often enough, I am surprised that you so quickly forgot."
"As though you could pull me home." rejoined Thor. " I am sure we will return to the palace in time, regardless."

The visitor to Asgard broke the trees' cover and headed toward the pair. "Hello. I'm…a tourist and found this to be a lovely place to take my wife River. I'm known as the Doctor."
Both young men dismounted. The blond man frowned in confusion, yet returned the greetings.

"Hello. I am Prince Thor Odinson, and this is my brother, Prince Loki Odinson. Forgive me, but why did you bring your wife to the river?"
"No! My wife's name is River. We are just admiring the scenery today as we have a picnic lunch."

"Ah." Thor's blue eyes lit up. "Lunch! That was what I ought to have brought with us, Loki! I can always do with a morsel to tide me over until supper."

Loki groaned. "Thor, in truth, the last thing you need to do is pick up dietary suggestions from Volstaag. He is giant-sized compared to me and has the appetite to match. You cannot even wait until supper, you oaf."
"Oh. We lost our prize in the forests and cannot eat a thing until we travel the way we came." Thor moaned, disheartedly.
Loki sighed, scuffing a boot on the ground. "Very well. I didn't want to mention this, but seeing as how I cannot have you fainting, I packed some fresh-baked cookies in my saddlebag from the kitchens just before we left."
"You did?" Thor and the Doctor perked up eagerly, though Thor clearly had more hope in his joy-coiled arms. They tensed while his eyes sparkled at the thought of a treat to munch.

Loki crossed to his roan's saddlebag and lifted the flap. Thor stuck his arm in, swept the bag and drew his hand out with five cookies. He crunched into two at once.
Loki cringed at his lack of manners. Shouldn't he be used to behavior like this from Thor by now? Perhaps. But rudeness before guests would be highly displeasing to the Queen.

"Ahem. Thor, may I remind you that we have visitors and perhaps the cookies are not all for your pleasure?"
"Oh." Thor mumbled around crumbs. Now he quickly tried to swallow and gesture the others forward to share in the snack being offered. "Please, Loki, take some, if you wish. You did bring them after all."
"Yes, I did. However, I am not hungry. I got them for you, mostly because you forget about food when you are so on task to depart, but later on, you wish you had grabbed something. I must admit, even I did not expect you to devour the treats like a boar amidst the truffles. I will eat once we are back home. You know a little food takes me a long way. Now, won't you offer our guests any treats? That is, if any remain?"
Thor had grabbed two more when he offered cookies to Loki. They had since joined the others in his hands for him to munch on. "Please, have some of the cookies, if you wish, my visitors." The Doctor kindly grabbed one. And River helped herself to two.

The princes looked respectfully at River's get-up. In varying shades of brown, she had a jacket, pants, dark brown boots and a gun beside her.
Thor cleared his throat. "Lady of the River, I must say, you look prepared for anything, much like my dear friend, the Lady Sif. I will be sure to introduce you upon our return."

"Thank you," she replied.

Thor continued, "Now, I suppose we must head back. The prized Bilgesnipe is likely far gone, returned to its herd at last."
The Doctor straightened his sleeves. "Is that a fact? I thought I heard a grunting sound just beyond this clearing."

Loki raised his eyebrows and followed the Doctor in silence. They pushed through the foliage and Thor's hand went to his sword handle, for the beast had jumped through, fallen, and lay there. His eyes widened in alarm to see himself surrounded. The creature struggled but couldn't rise. Thor frowned.

"He is here! You knew, didn't you, Loki?"
His brother sighed. "Yes. I had set that spell when he leapt into the branches."