Hey all!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters or anything from the Marvel universe. I'm just a fan who fancied writing up what I'd like to happen after Thor: The Dark World, which is where my Fic starts. Right from the end of Movie 2. So I hope you enjoy what you read. #MatureContent...eventually...lol
((The song is not my own work it is NORSE LULLABY by Eugene Field (1850-1895) and all the credit goes to him, it just fit very well with what I was doing.))
The next day went by without anything interesting happening. No sign of raiders or the villages they passed through being pillaged. No sign of anything untoward at all in fact. It was quiet, much too quiet for Sif's liking. The way Odin had told it the entire realm was in an uproar but now they where here...it was as if nothing had happened at all.
They'd been ridding all day and had decided to stop at a stream to rest, allow the horses a drink and some food, along with a wash themselves. They'd built up a small campfire and where cooking strips of meat for their supper when Sif heard a loud splash and the other men chuckled.
"He's at it again" one said and she knew who they were talking about. Darri had been toying with them all day. The odd joke here and there, nothing untoward. He'd made the men laugh and brightened their spirits. Even causing her to laugh herself once or twice. She looked over towards the waterfall they had made camp beside and smiled slightly as she saw his dark haired head bobbing up and down on the surface of the water.
"What are you all waiting on? The water's warm lads!" He laughed calling out to them. It was all in his plans, getting them to like him. Trust him. Loki was good at that sort of thing when he wasn't himself. His reputation had a way of making people automatically take to distrusting him but now as Darri, they were all playing right into his hands.
Sif chuckled softly and shook her head as some of the men decided to join him, including Hogun and Fandral. None of them had any shame, nor any insecurities about her being there as they all stripped off their hot sweaty armour and each began diving into the crisp clear water. She didn't care either. She'd known these men centuries. Seen them at their worst, their best, drunk, falling out the taverns naked, she'd even once caught Fandral in the middle of a intimate moment with three very beautiful, young women in the back of an inn once. They didn't see her as anything else other than another warrior and she only saw them as friends.
All accept one. Her eyes fell to Darri as he swam to the waterfall and stood under it. The water barely reaching his waist and she found herself admiring his muscular body before she heard a cough come from beside her. Turning she caught eyes with Volstagg who raised a questioning brow of his own.
"If you have something on your mind old friend then let it grace your lips and be done with it" she spoke as she took the bread they had from the hampers and unwrapped it.
"I am not as blind as you think I am Sif, you've looked at him more times today than you have any other man I have ever seen you near. What happened when you went to train him, you never did say." He asked her softly and smiled. Volstagg always knew how to get her to open up to him. He was a father and he knew how to deal with people not wanting to be honest with him. Becoming a father had increased his patience and understanding when it came to people.
"Oh my dear friend, I do not think you blind. He...he was more skilled than I gave him credit for. I underestimated him and he bested me. It was a surprise" she told him honestly and it felt good to admit it to someone. "He bested me and yet he has not said a word of it to any off the men. He could have used it to curry favour with them. Show them the Lady Sif can in fact be beaten, yet he did not. In fact he apologised for it."
"I see, so he has honour about him" Volstagg mumbled to himself as he eyed the other Asgardian standing in the water, "He seems to be a good man Sif, just...be careful. I have never known you to think of anything but your duty and I...I don't wish to see you hurt. In any matter." He nodded to her and took a strip of the meat and took a big messy bite.
"I am a grown woman now Volstagg, I can kill a man with my bare hands. You do not have to worry about me being hurt."
"I know you can defend yourself physically Sif, I wasn't meaning in that manner" he said as he got up and nodded to her before making his way to the guard post for his shift.
Shaking her head Sif looked back to the water and frowned softly as she caught Darri watching her, a pained expression on his face before he masked it and moved back under the water. She couldn't quite understand why but she found herself absentmindedly lightly stroking the pendant around her neck.
It was dark as Sif made her way over to the water, her robe was loose and everyone else was either asleep or on guard duty. She needed a wash as badly as the men had earlier but unlike them she valued her privacy. She wasn't shy in the least but she enjoyed the peace and quiet. Enjoyed being alone.
Letting the robe slip off she stepped into the water and shuddered slightly, it was colder than she expected it to be but still welcoming. Sinking deeper into the water she smiled and leaned back, letting the water flow through her long dark hair.
Loki stood at the tree line, his eyes trained on her. He couldn't sleep, not since...not since he heard of his mothers death. So instead he had decided to walk in the forest whilst they all slept. He had himself concealed. Hidden by his magic. He'd been admiring the elder blossoms, the golden flowers that shimmered in the moonlight, they only grey in Nidavellir. His mother had been the only person who'd ever been able to grow then in another realm. In her garden. That was when he noticed her sinking into the shimmering pool, he wasn't the only one to notice however.
His eyes darkened as he saw the figure huddled by the tree, a sudden feeling of anger poured through him and suddenly he was behind this figure. His disguise back in place before he grabbed him and spun him back against the tree, a dagger pressed to the figures throat.
"Warnall" he spat the mans name at him, his face turning menacing as he realised he was one of the company. One of the men Sif respected. Warnall pushed against him but he held the dagger even closer, cutting him slightly. It took him a moment to realise what Warnall was actually trying to do was pull up his pants. This realisation only caused him more anger at the thought of what he was doing.
A growl leaving him as he glared at the soldier, "What would the Lady Sif think if she knew what you were doing? Watching her? Pleasuring yourself, whilst watching her bathe? I imagine she'd take great pleasure in cutting it off!" He growled out, removing the dagger from his throat and pressing it to a more intimate area.
"No don't!" He begged, trying to push Loki away but he held him back with his free hand and a little added magic, "I was...she's...look, don't just, don't!"
Loki found it hard not to follow through and gut the man where he stood but as he glanced over the mans shoulder and caught sight of Sif bathing happily he found the will to let him go. "If you so much as look at her again I will gut you, leave, now!"
He quickly fixed himself and hurried off. Loki heard him cursing but he didn't care. He didn't even understand why seeing such a thing angered him so much. For all the anger he felt towards Sif and her brethren, he respected her. Respected her enough not to allow someone to degrade her in such a manner.
Just as he was about to move off he heard her soft melodic voice as she began to sing. It halted him. Stopped him in his tracks. He knew the song she was singing. He'd heard it a thousand times before. His mother sang it to him when he was a child and couldn't sleep. When he had bad dreams.
Sinking down, he leaned against the tree, eyes closed and listened.
The sky is dark and the hills are white
As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night;
And this is the song the storm-king sings,
As over the world his cloak he flings:
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;"
He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:
"Sleep, little one, sleep."
On yonder mountain-side a vine
Clings at the foot of a mother pine;
The tree bends over the trembling thing,
And only the vine can hear her sing:
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
What shall you fear when I am here?
Sleep, little one, sleep."
The king may sing in his bitter flight,
The pine may croon to the vine to-night,
But the little snowflake at my breast
Liketh the song I sing the best, -
"Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;
Weary thou art, anext my heart;
Sleep, little one, sleep."
((The song is not my own work it is NORSE LULLABY by Eugene Field (1850-1895) and all the credit goes to him, it just fit very well with what I was doing.)) Well hope you're enjoying it so far. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Good or bad I don't mind either really. {Winks} Catch you on the next chapter