CHAPTER 6
"Good—Good!" Thor called out to Lina. He was teacher her more hand-to-hand combat since she had mastered techniques with her sword so well. These days that's all their meeting times consisted of: nothing more than fighting. It was fun, but Lina did miss having someone to really talk to.
Lina became distracted with her own thoughts and caught a quick blow to her right cheek. She stumbled backwards, landed on her back, and hit her head on the ground. She cringed, bringing her hands to her face.
"Lina!" Thor called out. He ran to her side and brought her hands away from her cheek. "I apologize. Are you alright?"
Her breaths steadied and her vision grew less blurry. "I'll live. Can we rest a bit?"
Thor nodded, picked her up, and carried her to the stands to get some water and eat some food they had brought from lunch.
"Your mind is awfully distracted lately," Thor commented, staring at the field they were just on. "I don't mean to pry, but is there anything you need to talk about?"
Lina laughed as she finished sipping her water. "It's nothing. I guess I'm so worried about what's to come that I'm losing more and more sleep over it." There was something else. Actually there was a lot else.
"You've grown to be like a young sibling to me, Lina. I think I know you better than that for you to say that it's only sleep that bothers you."
Her eyes met his. They were warm and encouraging. Lina looked down at her flask and fidgeted with her hands. "How mad can your brother stay at a person?"
Thor laughed heartily. "I knew it had something to do with him. Well, it depends on the person really. He usually likes to get even with them before his anger fades. Even if he does get even, I'm not entirely sure how long his anger can last."
Lina lied down the bench they were on, staring at the blue sky overhead. It had been many nights since Loki had left her room in a blaze of anger. She let out a scream of frustration and covered her face with her hands.
Thor laughed and teased her. "You miss my brother."
Lina shot up and glared at him.
"It's alright to admit. I find it very…cute. And amusing."
She grew bright red. "I don't miss him. I just..."
"Say no more," Thor interrupted. "We should head back to the castle for dinner."
Lina hit him on the shoulder as they walked back, causing Thor to retaliate and toss her over his shoulder to bring her to the dining hall.
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He watched them. She laughing, he smiling, and her body sprawled over his shoulder like she was a doll. As upset as she made him, he burned with jealousy over her. He barely knew anything about her yet there was a connection. A connection that he couldn't shake from her mind.
Loki ate his food in the usual silence, tending to his own thoughts.
"Brother!" Thor chimed in a while later, his breath hinted with the scent of alcohol.
"Yes?" Loki replied.
"I have a secret to tell you," he whispered.
Loki's eyes narrowed in interest. "And what makes you think I want to know this secret?"
Thor laughed as he said, "What secret do you not ever want to know? No matter." He pulled his brother closer. "Someone misses you."
Loki looked at him, half amused and half curious. "Oh? And who might this be?"
Thor smiled and turned to talk to some of the other warriors.
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The night was warmer than expected, Lina finishing her bath and walking around her quarters in a robe. She grabbed her nightgown off of her dresser and laid it on the bed. She also grabbed the book Loki left for her as well as her own notebook off of her desk and placed them on the side table to look into later. She changed her clothes and sat on her bed without any blankets. She had Loki's book open on her left and her notebook cradled in her lap.
In order to produce an effective power source, one must be in complete control of his or her emotions.
*Effective power source = control over emotions
Sadness, happiness, and especially anger must be kept in check in order for the user to use their power the right way
*Keep anger in check
"Such a good little student this evening, aren't we?" a familiar voice teased.
Lina looked up from her notebook to see Loki standing at the edge of her bed. Leaving her pen to mark her spot in Loki's book, she put both books on the nightstand and sighed.
"What brings you back this evening, my lord?"
"I heard from a certain drunken god that someone missed me," he said, a smirk growing on his face.
Lina laughed. "And did you believe him?" Of course he did. If he didn't, why would he be there?
"He piqued my curiosity, I must admit." Loki walked to the other side of Lina and sat next to her on his bed. "So do you?"
"Do I what?" Lina asked, distracting herself with the book she had been reading to Loki from before.
He placed his hand over the page she was looking at, forcing her to look at him. His eyes hungered for an answer.
"And what if I do?" Lina asked him.
He smiled coyly. "Then I will have to snicker slightly at the idea of you actually enjoying my company."
"Am I not allowed to?"
"It isn't the usual reaction that I get from most people."
Lina smiled at the banter. "Well that's how it is with me, my lord."
"I really wish you would stop calling me that," Loki groaned as he moved the book and rested his head on Lina's lap. "Continue where we left off."
Lina rolled her eyes and nearly started telling Loki about the giant whale that had consumed Pinocchio when there was a steady knock at the door. "Come in."
Thor opened the door smiling. "May I join you two?"
"Yes." "No."
Lina looked at Loki in surprise. "It's my room and I can allow whomever I want. Come in Thor, we can make room for you."
Loki snarled something under his breath as he abandoned his resting spot so Thor could join them on the bed. He was swaying a little due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed.
"I love stories," he stated, leaning back across the bed and placing his hands behind his head.
Lina laughed at his unusual demeanor and continued talking of the whale and the young puppet who eventually became a real boy.
"And they both lived happily ever after," she finished. She was greeted by the symphony of Thor's snoring. Even Loki had drifted off to sleep. Lina smiled at him, brushing back his dark hair from his face. She caught herself smiling and quickly moved off of the bed to walk towards the balcony.
The stars proved to be a most beautiful sight when they weren't competing with the full light of the moon. Constellations from their realm and others sparkled and danced across her eyes. Shooting stars passed through her vision as she inhaled and exhaled deeply.
"I don't know if you all can hear me," Lina began. "But I miss you all so much. Please don't let me lose track of what I need to accomplish. Let me gain strength, knowledge, and guidance. Lead me to the answers we seek so that we can live in peace." She looked down and closed her eyes, her hands leaning on the railing of her balcony. Each shooting star shone even brighter after that moment, the heavens hearing her cry.
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Loki felt a small hand brush back the hair that had fallen into his face when he dozed off. He didn't move. He wanted to find out what she would do next. She crawled off of the bed and he watched her go outside.
"What are you thinking, my little storyteller," he whispered to himself, only to be answered by a loud snort from his brother's slumber. He glanced at him in disgust for only a moment and soon returned his attention to Lina.
He listened to the little prayer she said. Something inside of him wanted to run over and soothe her, tell her she'd be okay and that she was all of the things she prayed for and more. But as quickly as that feeling arrived, it left and was replaced with a hint of anger. He was the Prince of Mischief and had no time to dabble in the likes of this princess. He settled down and dozed off once more.