Chapter 6

Follow the Trickster

Alright, today I'll figure out Loki's plan once and for all! I've made breakfast, done my chores and now, Loki has finally walked out of the door. I've been planning for this for days now.

I am ready.

As quietly as I can, I sneak up to the door and open it a crack. Loki is only just visible through the trees ahead. Slipping on my trainers quickly, I walk through the door to follow him.

I walk through the trees I saw him entering, and continue going forwards. I'd lost sight of him while I was putting on my shoes, but I'm sure I'll be able to catch up with him. After all, how far can he walk in just a few seconds?

Apparently, the answer is quite far indeed...

I stumble my way over roots, scream as a few spiders attach themselves to me, but there is no Loki. What's really suspicious, though, is that I am anything but a master spy, (as all my screaming, swearing and my heavy footsteps would suggest), yet there's no Loki in sight.

Just how far away from the cabin am I? Does this mean that... I'm free to run away? That I'm too far away from him for him to be able to hear me? I quicken my steps. I know that the woods really aren't that big, so if I just keep walking straight, I'm bound to reach some form of civilisation.

I walk all of five steps, before suddenly the whole world disappears from beneath my feet.

"Waaah!" I scream, my feet straight in the air, and my head almost touching the ground. It's as if I got caught in one of those traps that leave people hanging with a rope tied around their ankle.

My body turns without my permission, leaving me staring face to face with my captor: Loki.

"Umm... Hi!" I say weakly, waving my hand at him slightly. Loki smirks in amusement with his hand stretched towards me, palm out. That's when I realise that I don't have any strings or ropes that are keeping me hanging like this. It must be Loki's magic doing it, then.

He turns his hand and my body moves until it's lying horizontally and facing the ground. His hands falls limply to his side.

"Aah!" I shriek shortly, my voice getting muffled by the ground as I get unceremoniously dropped a few feet. I hear chuckling coming from above me, I turn my head to the side to give the amused god a glare.

"I must say," he says, still sniggering a little. "I have been wondering when you might finally decide to escape."

Slowly, I get to my feet, rubbing my chest a little. I swear that when I landed on the floor just then, I think I felt each and every one of my ribs as they squished against their fleshy shield, leaving me a little breathless. I take in a huge breath, cringing at the sharp little twinge I feel.

"Yeah, well, this is all just part of the plan," I say, stopping to take another deep breath, though my chest seems to be getting better now. "You see, step one of my master plan was to gain your trust. Step two was to leave whilst your back was turned. Step three was... to..." erm... "get caught by you so you think that I'm harmless. Finally, step three... I mean four was to stab you in the back with a very large kitchen knife, and leg it out the door!"

"Quite the plan," he says, and I swear it looks like that smirk resembles more of a smile...

"Yep!" I say proudly. "Yes indeed, I've been plotting it for weeks!"

"Is that so?" He asks. "But you have hardly even been here for two weeks."

"Yeah, well, it's still weeks!" I argue.

"As amusing as that... plan may be, it is time for us to return, and for you to receive your punishment." Loki says, still smirking. I groan as we turn to walk back in what I assume is the direction of the cabin.

"And what part of my evil little plot was funny?" I ask as we trudge. Or, well, I stumble and trip over on occasion. He just glides gracefully.

"Because for one thing, you were not at all inconspicuous in your escape; as a matter of fact I'm pretty certain I could have heard you a mile away. Even without the screaming." I blush as I recall the one big, fat baby tarantula that landed on me that one time. I shudder at the memory. "As for the final step, a knife would hardly kill me. At worse, it would incapacitate me for an hour."

"Hmm, I suppose I'd have to come up with another scheme, then," I say thoughtfully.

"So it seems."

We arrive at the cabin. After taking our shoes off, I'm surprised to find a blanket appear around my shoulders.

"You were trembling," Loki explains, "and not with fear, I'd say." I frown in confusion, having not realised I was cold.

"Thanks," I say softly as he walks to the kitchen, preparing my apple polishing punishment.

"If I didn't know better," he says, placing the chair in the centre of the kitchen. "I would say that this punishment is completely ineffective with you."

"And how would you know better?" I ask him, walking apprehensively towards my torture.

"Mother used to punish me and Thor this way," he says softly, his hands curling around the back rest, and eyes staring into the distance. "Father would prefer punishments of a more... physical nature, but mother would have us polishing the apples, the plums and all other fruits of a similar nature until they gleamed and shone."

"What sort of things would she punish you for?" I ask him gently.

"Causing mischief. Tricking the servants, lightly sedating some of the soldiers and Thor while they trained in an effort to humiliate them, small tricks such as that."

"Well, if I don't know any better, I'd say that this punishment was completely ineffective with you," I say, grinning at him. He glares at me for a moment, before the glare slips away, making way for a mischievous grin.

I settle down on the chair, with Loki also deciding to sit on the couch.

"Why didn't you kill me when I got here?" I ask him calmly as I pick up one of the apples to start rubbing it with the cloth. Loki is quiet for a moment, but by now I know he'll answer it eventually. So I wait patiently, distractedly rubbing at the apple.

"I chose not to kill you, because of how you came here," he says finally. His answer confuses me, though.

That makes no sense...

But he has more to say. "For the pathways to have changed the way they had, and for you to respond the way you did, it is incredibly unlikely. I must admit that it is the only reason why I allowed you to remain here."

"But what's so special about it?" I ask him, still confused.

"The pathways I had used are not recommended due to the possibility of the magic user being transported anywhere in the Universe. Anywhere with no clear path back, as once the route has been used, you cannot use it to return."

"Why not?" I ask him.

"Because each pathway has many smaller branches that lead to many different worlds. For me to return to the original location whilst travelling faster than the speed of light would be incredibly difficult, even for me. So for me to arrive on Midgard, of all the millions of other worlds and thousands of realities- for these pathways can stretch through realities as well- that is why it is so unlikely. For you to respond and be drawn to this location is even more remarkable." He explains, though what he's saying only confuses me more.

"So, what? Are you trying to tell me that this is... fate or something?" I ask him, surprised.

"Perhaps, but unlikely," he says, eyes fixed on his hands. I continue to absentmindedly rub circles into the apple, frowning at his wording.

"That sounds awfully like a 'maybe'" I say suspiciously.

"That would be because it is," he says, almost in a whisper. "The Norns work in mysterious ways, Shana."

He abruptly stands, walks towards the door and -once his boots are on- strolls out, leaving me confused and a little disoriented.

-BREAK-

While Loki is eating his dinner, I stand beside the window, looking up at the sky. I can't see any evidence of this 'pathway,' the moon is shining high, and I can even make out a few stars.

"Why did you try to escape?"

I turn to look at Loki, who stares at me intently, now finished with his food. I shrug.

"I guess I just missed my family, and especially my computer," I say with a slight smile.

Let's not mention that I was hoping I would run into you, catching you red handed...

Loki considers for a moment. "You grow weary of this place, do you not?" He asks softly.

"Oh, princess," I sigh, returning my gaze to the window. "You have no idea. I mean, I have nothing but three books I can read in my spare time. Even though I know I'm not even half way with reading just one of them, three books for the rest of my life is hardly anything to brag about..." I turn to look at him from the corner of my eye, he frowns thoughtfully at the floor, confusion evident on him face.

"You look confused," I comment absently. His eyes snap up, his face erasing all emotion. "What's there to be confused about, princess? I miss my friends and my family, and I especially miss my computer, and all the games I've got on it."

He remains quiet, his green eyes dim in the poor lighting of the candles.

"So," I say, suddenly quite uncomfortable. "Are you done? Because I'm quite hungry! Honestly, with an appetite like yours, I don't know why you only have breakfast and dinner. May I recommend a lunch or two during the day?"

And so I continue to babble, though he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he looks rather disturbed by our previous conversation, for some reason...

I eat my dinner happily, and prepare for the night.

-BREAK-

I'm in a dark, icy world. Sharp spikes of ice and rock jut out throughout the landscape, looking quite hostile and forbidding. I walk forward, though. I must find him. I must!

Who must I find? My Dad! He needs me for the Grammar Rays!

I rush onwards, hoping to get to him before something bad happens. I run through a field of apple trees, the red fruits whispering in urgent voices that I ought to hurry, before something happens. "Hurry, before he's lost! Hurry, before they take him from you!"

The world shifts, and suddenly I'm in a white canyon, but I hardly notice. I continue running forwards through the blank canvas of a world. Finally, I step out of the canyon, finding myself standing upon a white plane of snow. I see a fortress in the distance, barely visible in the darkness. I move forwards slowly, cautiously.

He's in there! He must be!

I hear a roar just behind me. I start to run, the roaring creature racing after me. I didn't see it, I don't need to. It catches me; a single giant clawed foot pressing down on my entire back. I whimper in fear as its large shadow shifts. It leans down... and whispers in a soft voice, as opposed to the harsh growl I would have expected.

"Do not fear. The ice will never harm you."

I wake up, a little disoriented. I forget most of the dream, besides the final bit. A monster who caught me in a snow-filled landscape, and says in a soft, deep voice that the ice will never hurt me.

Whatever that means...

-BREAK-

I wake up the next day, feeling surprisingly refreshed. Having a nice, long stretch, I gaze out the window... to see rain. It is literally pouring it down with rain.

At least I don't have to go out there; though Loki, on the other hand... I look around the cabin to see if I can find Loki, and see him resting on his bed, a book held in hand.

"Have you seen the rain?" I ask him. "It's fucking miserable!"

"And why else did you think I was in here rather than out there," he asks, glancing up at me with a rather exasperated look, before returning his eyes to his book and reading on.

"I still wouldn't mind learning how to read those books of yours," I say to him, eyeing the book that's currently in his hands greedily.

"Oh, that is a shame," he says in mock sympathy, clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth, and turning a page, like as if he were proving a point. "Besides, you can hardly speak in your own tongue, but the intricacies of Elvish?"

"Look," I say calmly. "I'm just saying, I'm getting a little bored with those books you have. I've never been big on Physics, I have already read a lot of the more interesting things in that religions book, and the last book-" Loki's head jerks in my direction at the mention of it. "Don't worry, I haven't touched it," I quickly reassure him with my hands raised in surrender. "Which is exactly why I would like to learn to read those books of yours. I hardly have anything to do!"

Loki remains silent for a while, until finally he says, "Prepare breakfast, and I might consider your request."

Grarr! I walk into the kitchen, vowing that this isn't over. There is hardly anything to do, and Loki is slowly running out of household tasks, and even the apple flow is starting to lessen...

I chop the salad, sprinkling in some mixed nuts- something which I discovered he likes... he seems to have a fondness for nuts...

I serve up the salad in one large bowl, along with the bowls full of fruits and berries for him to pick from. I sneak a grape as he puts his book away on the bookcase; chewing and swallowing it quickly before he turns back around, settling down to eat.

I think he's grown used to having my much simpler meals prepared for him. He doesn't complain anymore when I give him salads, and I'm starting to really get the hang of this cooking shit!

"So, what's it like on Asgard?" I ask, just to have something to say or do while I wait for him to finish eating.

"It is very different to Midgard," he says, after swallowing his food. "It is not spherical like this Realm, but instead is rather flat; ridged with great hills and mountains. It shines with the power and wealth of the Realm, and there are great waterfalls surrounding Asgard, which dissipates into the clouds that Asgard sits upon."

"But that's impossible," I whisper in awe.

"No, Shana," Loki says. "That's magic."

"You've done so much," I say as he returns to his eating. "I haven't done nearly enough. I didn't do much in school, and after Sixth Form- which is basically extended schooling- I took a couple of years off. Got a job, earned some money for college. The only thing is, is that I think I chose the wrong course. I'm not into all the things they teach us in this science course, and it's expensive as fuck! I would have gone through with it, though, if it weren't for you making everything go all dark and funny..."

"I do not see what was so funny," Loki says, confused.

"No, I don't mean funny as in joking around funny, I mean funny as in odd and peculiar kind of funny," I explain patiently. "Don't worry, you're not the only one who gets confused over all these words that have several meanings. Just think of it this way in terms if modern slang: if the word means that something is bad, it usually can translate to being good, also. The word queer doesn't just mean that something is weird anymore, but is also a word used to label someone who is homosexual. It's usually seen as offensive given that it tends to be followed with words like 'faggot"- which is both food and also an insulting word used for someone who is gay- which both means that you are happy or are attracted to men. Now that I think about it, there's a lot of words that have multiple meanings now..." I say thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you ought to write them down," Loki says, looking quite interested.

"Well, look at you showing interest in muggle culture like that!" I say in motherly pride. Loki's shifts in puzzlement.

"Muggle?" He asks in confusion.

"Yeah, well, just you wait; soon everyone would be using it, I'm sure. But for geeks like me, it's the word given to normal, ordinary, boring and perfectly mundane people like myself."

"I will need to learn these words," Loki explains to me. "If I ever manage to take rule of Midgard, or find myself interacting with Midgardians regularly, I will need to be able to communicate with them without seeming like a fool." It's a good reason, I suppose, though I don't personally agree with the first part- on him taking control over Earth...

However, this does mean one little slice of irony.

"Does this mean that I'll be giving you speech lessons to replace my own, then?" I ask him slyly. He smirks.

"It is useless trying to teach you to speak like a god. However, for myself to learn to speak like a Midgardian-"

"Oh I'm gonna have so much fun corrupting you, your godly highness!" I exclaim excitedly. A look of horror dawns on Loki's face as he realises what he said.

Oh, I'm gonna teach you to talk like a Midgardian, alright! I'm gonna teach you to talk like every Midgardian I know! I think, just a little evilly.