Here is the chapter! :D

SuperPsychoLove : I'm glad you caught up, and I'm SO GLAD you love their relationship! :D And as I said in the beginning of this story, it's pre-canon Thor1. ;)

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FANFICTION

THE RISE OF LOKI, GOD OF MISCHIEF

CHAPTER XVIII : Beware of the Iron Wood…

[Loki is sent spying on Jotunheim to find out the truth about the threat of war against the Mountain Giants. Teaming up with a seiðr user, Eisa, she tells him something is following him since his arrival in Jotunheim. After going through the Crossway and facing his worst fears, deepest wounds and memories. After infiltrating the fortress of Utgard, they find out that the Giants want war more than ever and after killing the Mountain Giants' Prince, they barely escape. Odin and Fornjótr both prepare themselves for the battle to come. The two advance to join the Asgardians, but find themselves in a dark forest until Eisa, away from Loki's view for just a short moment, disappears.]

Loki ignored the pain shooting through his left shoulder as he climbed up a tree. The trunk felt icy cold and humid from the storm, and the leaves that were still on the branches looked dead. He breathed heavily, struggling to climb up fast despite his entire body aching. After days of struggle, pain and various aches, he was starting to really feel the consequences of this mission. He was exhausted, mentally, physically and his body – even a strong and healthy Asgardian body – was starting to be unable to keep up. He gritted his teeth as he continued his climbing. The tree was about thirty meters high and he finally reached the top.

The wind was howling and cold, shaking his hair while he looked around. He could see the river behind him, the mountains in front of him and between the rocky mounts and the forest, vast plains. Loki turned around, trying to find anything that shouldn't be there and finally, something caught his eye. He squinted and stopped breathing. Further in the woods, he could see a trail of dark smoke rising in the sky.

Life. Someone.

Loki immediately moved to climb down, but his gaze remained on the plains, knowing that if he walked that way, he would meet the Asgardian troops within two or three days. He clenched his jaw, his hand diving into his pocket and pulling out Eisa's hair stick.

After a long moment of indecision, Loki finally sighed and put the hair stick back into his pocket. He climbed down the tree as carefully as he could and walked towards the direction of the smoke.

Loki walked for a long moment, forcing his thoughts to remain calm and his instinct attentive to his surroundings – he was more suspicious of this forest than ever. He still felt this terrible atmosphere of dark magic wrapping around his limbs and swirling in the air he breathed. He had the feeling someone was watching him, but there was nothing but the trees around him.

After several hours of complete silence except for his steps and haunting thoughts, Loki couldn't help but start glancing suspiciously at the trees.

Don't be an imbecile. Those are just trees… He told himself, shaking his head to keep it clear.

Suddenly, Loki froze. He held his breath, jumping behind a tree. Once he was safely behind the tree, Loki took a deep breath before turning just enough to glance at the house standing there. The walls were a dark grey, the roof even darker. There were wooden stairs leading to the entrance but the wood seemed wet and rotten. The windows were covered in dust and the roof was partially hidden from the leaves that had fallen on it. It looked like the small house was abandoned and about to fall to dust. Loki would have ignored it if it weren't for the smoke coming from the chimney.

Who the bloody hell can possibly live here…? He thought to himself, brows furrowed in apprehension.

Loki took a deep breath, taking his daggers and throwing knives in his hands. Whoever it might be, it was the person who had kidnapped Eisa and he was planning on getting his Völva back. He quietly and quickly analysed the situation: a creepy house in the middle of a dark magical forest where Eisa was probably being held prisoner – the person this miserable building belonged to was most likely some sort of seiðr user. With his injuries and exhausted body, Loki wasn't sure he could take anyone on a fight – especially not when he didn't know who this person was and what powers or strengths they possessed.

He would get closer and examine the house and its possible protection spells before—

Loki's thoughts were interrupted by a deep growl from behind him. He turned around slowly, his blood running cold for a moment upon seeing a wolf. A big one. The animal reached Loki's chest and his features were huge – otherwise, he looked like any other wolf: grey fur, shining and cold blue eyes, long and sharp teeth bared threateningly.

Loki hesitated only a moment, his body relaxing as he bent down in case the animal jumped at him. The Prince grinned and couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the thought of a giant wolf. It was new but not unexpected – everything had been surprising, and not necessarily in the best sense of the term, during this mission. His long fingers curled around his knives, ready for a fight against the beast if necessary.

The wolf growled more threateningly and tried a slight jump towards the prince who reacted instantly. He jumped and scrambled away from the tree against his back, as it would only block him. Loki turned around to run but he stopped, almost falling over upon seeing several other wolves surrounding him in a circle, as well as many beyond that. There were at least a dozen of the giant animals, all showing their teeth and growling.

Loki's vivid green eyes stared at them carefully, ready to react at the slightest movement of muscle. The tension was turning him mad. Thankfully, one of the wolves jumped towards him once again and Loki reacted, throwing one of his knives towards it. The knife reached the animal, hitting it in the shoulder. The wolf growled and jumped away, roaring in rage and pain. Loki realized too late that the wolves had only been cornering and scaring him. After one of them was hurt, however, they immediately attacked.

The first wolf he had met jumped high above Loki, who bent down and throwing another knife at the animal, hitting it in the chest. The animal squealed in pain and fell, , but he wasn't dead – just injured like the first one. Loki would need more than just one little knife to strike down the beasts but he couldn't think about it any longer, another had attacked him.

The young man turned around, using his dagger to hit the animal's face; it growled and moved backwards, blood stinging its fur. The wolf lifted his paw, which was bigger than Loki's head. Loki bent down to avoid the animal, but another wolf had jumped towards him. Loki jumped backwards, the animal sliding on the leaves rather than him. Loki lifted up his weapons but the wolf with the injured cheek had jumped towards him, his paws hitting Loki's chest. The god fell backwards under the strength of the powerful animal.

Loki lifted up his dagger; it hit one of the animals' paws but now, he couldn't distinguish them all in the midst of those other huge grey furred beasts that kept growling and howling at him. The ones that weren't fighting were growling as much, if not more than the ones attacking him. Loki's eyes kept glancing from side to side, trying to take in all the animals but he couldn't. They were too big and numerous. He heard a deep threatening growl right when he looked up. He reacted as fast as possible and lifted up his right arm to protect his face from the fangs. His vambrace stopped most of the blow, , but some of the fangs still penetrated deeply into his wrist and inner elbow. Loki yelled in pain, his head jerking backwards as pain made his vision blur.

He didn't have to look to know that another wolf would probably rip his throat at this moment. Suddenly, he heard a sharp whistle. Loki took a deep, shaky breath as all at once the wolves stepped away. Loki growled in pain, holding his arm and rolling on his side. He tried to lift himself up, but his arm hurt too much. He couldn't feel his fingers anymore; the only sensation he had was the burning pain and the abundant flow of blood escaping the bite wound. He closed his eyes a moment, his vision unclear as he tried to breathe, his body shaking from suffering.

Loki heard the leaves cracking under footsteps before seeing anyone or anything, , but as he opened his eyes he saw feet advancing towards him slowly.

"Prince Loki…" A dark hissing voice started, "Have you not be warned…?"

The prince slowly looked up, taking in the Mountain Giant who was looking down at him. She had a long dress all in shades of grey and black. It looked torn apart, giving it a fuzzy appearance. Her hair was long and black, tangled and messy. Her skin was dark as well, but not the bright and warm chocolate skin of Heimdall – this Giantess' skin was dark grey, like an old parchment coming apart. She looked like death. Her lips and eyes were as black as her hair. Loki felt a cold shiver running down his spine looking into her eyes, as deep and frightening as a black hole…

She kneeled down next to the quivering and injured prince, looking at him with a pitying and heartless gaze.

"Beware of the Iron Wood…" She whispered with a cold voice.

Loki stopped breathing, partly in fear, partly in pain and partly because the weight of her words had just hit him.

TheIron Woods…

He knew the stories of those deep and dark woods in Jotunheim, haunted by a witch who made every soul entering her woods disappear…

Loki clenched his jaw, cursing his own foolishness. He hadn't felt anything right within these woods from the beginning; they should have gotten out as soon as possible. They shouldn't have stayed an entire night here, no matter how powerful the storm had been.

As if reading his thoughts, the sorceress looked straight into his eyes. The dark abyss that were her own didn't seem to see him, however, it looked right into his soul, the dark and twisted part of it. She could see and was ready to break everything that was within him and he could feel it…

"Did my storm impress you, young prince?" She asked slowly, "It was a good… opportunity for you and your lady, wasn't it?" She said, her voice icy on the word 'opportunity'.

"You can't create such a powerful storm with magic!" Loki hissed, teeth clacking from pain.

She looked amused for a moment, her lips moving just enough to send chills down his spine.

"What of your… brother then?"

Her lips opened just enough to show her dark and damaged teeth, he was expecting a laugh to escape her mouth but instead, he heard a low hissing sound similar to the one of a snake.

"My brother is a god! The God of Thunder! Not a mere sorcerer hidden in a forest!" He exclaimed, his eyes throwing daggers at the witch, who didn't even blink.

Suddenly, her hand shot towards Loki's face. He gave a low hiss of fear and revulsion when her long black nails grabbed his jaw like claws, forcing his face up just enough for the two abysses that were her eyes to dive coldly into his watery green ones.

"Let it be clear, petty prince," she started in a low hissing voice sounding much like a snake, "You may be a seiðr user, but you have not mastered it yet. You don't know all of its secrets, its darkest ways and that, little prince, will be your downfall."

She let go of his face so suddenly that Loki fell forward, his arm hurting once again. He tried to get up, but her sudden movement had frozen him. He looked up warily as she straightened up.

"My children will take you inside, to join your lovely companion," she said, turning on her heel and walking towards the broken house.

At first, Loki was confused about her 'children' but then the wolves inched closer to him and he realized with dread that they were the 'children'. When one of them barked at him, trying to bite his shoulder, Loki jumped away, getting up as fast as possible despite his numb arm and aching body. He looked at the animals that approached him, teeth bared, a growl sounding much like a dark chuckle escaping their throats.

Loki looked over his shoulder, at the house where the witch had disappeared. Eisa was in there. He swallowed hard, slowly backing away from the wolves that made sure to make him feel threatened enough not try to escape as they drove him at the house.

Once inside, the first thing he smelled was the wrenched scent of rotting flesh, ashes, spices and many things he didn't want to know about. The place was as dark as he had imagined it to be, the little hall even darker than the room he entered. It had a wooden table covered in dead animals and in front, there was a big fireplace with something boiling in a cauldron. Considering the smell that emanated from it, Loki didn't want to even think about the ingredients that cursed witch had used. There were many herbs and dried animals hanging from the ceiling and the opposite wall covered in abundant Virginia creeper. Everywhere, there were bottles and flacons of all sizes and kinds containing many types of ingredients – from moving eyes to herbs, or scales, colourful (and quit disgusting) liquids or even insects (dead or alive).

Loki's eyes narrowed on a set of big sharp knives, his uninjured hand immediately trying to reach for one.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Loki turned sharply towards the dark figure of the witch who was at the other side of the room, back turned to him.

"Who are you?" He asked coldly.

She turned to him, giving him a little, amused smile he couldn't understand.

"Where are my manners? Please, Your Highness, be my guest and have a seat?" She said with a sweet voice, gesturing to the ground in the back of the room.

Loki snorted, , but then, he saw Eisa's silhouette lying on the ground.

"Eisa!" He breathed, jumping towards her and turning her over.

Eisa moaned when he moved her, but it only proved she was still alive. Her head was injured but other than that, she seemed fine. Loki turned back towards the witch, who was taking pleasure in ignoring him as much as possible, cutting some dried frog before pulling at some herbs, which she mixed in a mortar.

"What did you do to her?!" He hissed furiously, glaring at the dark creature.

"Nothing harmful, really. She's still in good shape for her… duty."

The witch smiled to herself as if proud and pleased by her choice of words. Loki's brows furrowed and he got up suddenly, trying to look more impressive despite his injuries and pale face.

"Who are you?!" He shouted.

The pestle ceased its movement and for a moment, there was complete silence. Then the Witch looked up at him and blinked, her black orbs colder than the ices of Niflheim. She remained still for such a long time that Loki started to feel uncomfortable, not understanding her lack of reaction. Loki pursed his lips, grabbed the first bottle he could find and threw it across the room. It exploded against the wall, the glass flying everywhere while a red and gummy thing started to drip very slowly down the wall.

"ANSWER ME!" He yelled, his voice trembling in rage and impatience.

The Witch looked at the remains of the bottle, and then let go of the pestle, putting it delicately next to the mortar. Loki was about to shout again when she lifted her hand with a sharp gesture, as if grabbing something tightly. Immediately, the prince felt his throat being locked by a deadly invisible grip. He was lifted up off the ground and he kicked the air, trying to grasp whatever hand was holding him up. He couldn't breathe or see clearly; the only thing he could see was the deadly cold gaze of the witch as she strangled him from a distance, not even taking the care to touching him directly. Loki started to gasp for air after several minutes of struggle against the witch's magic; his own seemed to have disappeared.

Suddenly, she let go of him and he dropped to the ground. She wasn't done yet, however, because while Loki coughed and tried desperately to catch his breath, she made a slapping gesture. He was pushed away against the wall violently, his head hitting it while his arms were pinned by Virginia creeper. He tried to get free, but ceased any fight when he realized he couldn't breathe correctly, his chest heaving up and down heavily. While Loki was slowly trying to find his breath, he glared at the witch who took her pestle once again, quietly crushing her ingredients.

"I don't like shouting." She said.

Loki clenched his jaw and fists, his entire body shaking in rage and pain while she continued:

"If you've heard of the Iron Woods, I am surprised you don't know of my name?"

"No one cares about a damn witch hiding in the Iron Woods!" He hissed, trying once again to free himself from the creeper.

The Witch looked up at him, interrupting her work for a short moment.

"Indeed. Not that I would let anyone escape my woods to spread my name. It would give me a bad reputation."

Loki was considering spitting at her, but thought it would be useless so he looked around, shifting uncomfortably against the Virginia creeper tickling his skin. His eyes fell on Eisa and realized creeper wrapped her as well. She was slowly coming back to herself but she still was barely conscious.

Loki looked again at the witch, trying to remember anything he knew about the Iron Woods – but there was nothing said about those woods except that no one ever came back from them. With such a creature as its guardian, he could understand why.

"And what happens to those who… don't escape your woods?" He asked, his voice hard.

The Witch took a dead bird from her table and started to slowly pull the feathers away from it. Loki was wondering if she had heard (he was avoiding shouting now) when she finally answered, looking back up at him:

"Oh. I kill most of them." She answered. Her knife cut echoed sharply.

Loki swallowed hard, while Eisa moaned and started to straighten up a little. He glanced at her just for a moment while the witch started talking again:

"Sometimes, I eat them, sometimes I feed them to my sweet children, sometimes I make them useful and decorative."

She looked at Loki's confused face at her last words and her little smile appeared once again, her eyes looking at something above Loki's head. He frowned and looked up, seeing a skull mixed in the Virginia creeper. He jumped away, trying to get free when he finally saw all of the bones and skeletons being held by the creeper.

"Ah, and sometimes I send them away. My Mistress loves having guests – especially when they're important like you. Perhaps you will go there. It depends, really…" She murmured, cutting her bird in little squares.

"Your… Mistress…?" He hesitated, trying to calm his racing heart and ignore the skeletons that seemed way too obvious now that he had spotted them.

"Yes, surely even you've heard of her."

"Who is that?" He asked while Eisa was finally sitting up.

The brown-haired woman seemed a little confused and groggy but as soon as she was awake and sitting, she glared ferociously at the witch.

"My Mistress… She has many names. One of her name is Gullveig."

Loki's heart missed a beat while Eisa froze next to him.

"It's impossible! Gullveig is dead!" He exclaimed, remembering the stories he heard from his father of long, long ago.

"Gullveig is dead – but she is not gone. She died, many times. And many times she came back. Now, she is different, she is Heiðr."

"It's just a legend! A story! Gullveig is dead and Heiðr never existed!" Loki screamed, pulling at the creeper while the witch looked at him, her head to one side.

"Who told you this?"

"My Father, Odin All Father!" He exclaimed.

"Was he not the one who threw his spear at his host, Gullveig? Was it not in his hall that her death occurred three times? Did it not trigger the war between Aesir and Vanir? Would the All Father really want his people to recall the fact that he led them into the bloodiest of battles and wars?"

Loki fell silent, clenching his jaw. His eyes were wide in anger that she would accuse his father of such things – but she was right.

"You are knowledgeable, young prince, but you are still young and do not know the truth of the past – can you be sure that what your father told you is the exact truth? Or did he change facts to make it appear more glorious? More important? More necessary? More worthy?"

Loki remained silent and still, sensing Eisa's intense gaze on him. She didn't say a thing, only listened to what was said, her green eyes burning Loki's neck as she kept on staring at him.

"If he hid some truth about the origins of this war, why would he not hide some truth about one of the enemies he could possibly face? One of the mightiest and most powerful Völva the Nine Worlds has ever known? The All Father attacks when he is threatened, then he takes what is necessary for peace, claiming it to be his own doing all along."

The witch stopped talking, observing Loki's expression closely. She then smiled that dark, unexplainable smile and turned back towards her bird, cutting it into tiny pieces. The sound of the blade against the wood resonated with Loki's hollow heartbeat.

"Heiðr wants her revenge for her three lives that have been taken away by the All Father. She is patient, she will have it."

After a long moment of silence, Loki opened his mouth, despite its trembling and talked, mastering his voice so well it surprised him:

"And who are you in this story? What gain could you possibly have in serving this woman?" Loki asked. He felt Eisa coming just a little closer to him, looking as scared as he was no matter how much he was trying to hide his true emotions.

"Me?" She asked, tilting her head on a side.

The witch dropped her knife and slowly walked towards them, kneeling and observing them closely in silence. Eisa shifted nervously, trying to get closer to Loki – without success, the Virginia creeper around her was too tight. The prince, on the other hand, stared coldly at the witch, trying to show that he wasn't scared.

"My time will come, Loki, dear, dear Loki…" She murmured before laughing.

The sound was dark and icy, like nails scratching a blackboard combined with the hissing of a snake. The witch looked back at the prince and leaned forward, her long black nails brushing his cheeks. Loki jerked backwards, trying to look defiant and proud, but she didn't seem impressed, grabbing his jaw between her claws.

"Little prince, you will remember one day, the day you entered Iron Woods and I told you this, because then you will fear."

"I'm not scared of you." He hissed.

"Aren't you?" She asked with her mad smile, "but it's not me you should fear… No, no, my little Loki, you will know in due time. That is… if you can survive all the struggles that await you…"

"Get your hands off of him! You can't touch him!" Eisa yelled, trying to surge forward and kick the witch without success.

The dark witch turned her head towards Eisa, smiling coldly. The young woman swallowed hard, glaring at her viciously.

"Jealous?"

Eisa's eyes only turned colder, rage pulsing through her entire body. The witch ignored her, turning towards Loki once more:

"Dear Loki, you are so precious, so, so precious…" She murmured, getting up and turning around, her dress flying like a deathly trap around her.

"What do you want from me?" He asked in a hiss.

She looked down at him, talking slowly.

"To remember. To remember me."

She then smirked, opening her palms and jerking her head backwards:

"My name is Hyrokkin! I am the Witch of Iron Woods!" She exclaimed loudly, "And I want you to remember me and spread the tales of the most frightening woods you've been into and the most dangerous witch you crossed!"

Loki stared at her, trying to pull at his creeper, but he froze when she looked down at him. Some wind stirred her hair and dresses around her, some dark mist – or smoke, rising all around her and in the room.

"That is, my dear Loki, if you can escape my woods… Let the hunt begin!" She shouted, throwing her arms in the air violently.

Thunder roared and lightning blinded Loki and Eisa, while the powerful wind shook them. They stopped breathing for a moment and when they opened their eyes again, a cold rain was falling around them and they were free. They looked around, getting up and seeing nothing, but the woods. The cold and dark trees that seemed so threateningly alive…

They thought they had dreamed it all, but when Loki stared at a thunderstruck Eisa, her head was still covered in blood and his arm was still burning from the pain.

"W-what happened…?" She asked hesitantly, looking around nervously.

Before he could answer, a wolf's howl resonated all around them, impossible to locate. They looked around, trying to find the origin of the sound, but they couldn't see any animal. It sounded awfully close and dreadfully dangerous.

Suddenly, they heard Hyrokkin's cold voice, resonating all around them, everywhere and nowhere in the same time. She gave her hissing laugh before whispering into the dark trees.

"Beware of the Iron Woods…"

I freaked out writing and re-reading this chapter. It's one of the crepiest thing I've EVER written, and a really messed-up character for Hyrokkin. But I'm proud of the result! :D

I hope you liked it. From now on, chapters will be posted every Saturday :)

NEXT CHAPTER : THE PRICE TO PAY

Yours Truly,

May