They walked alone by the river in the heart of the Mistletoe Forest. Thor and Fandral raced ahead, their laughter and shouts echoing through the woods. They pointed and playfully swung twigs at each other's heads, leaping from one moss-covered rock to the next. Sif walked closely behind them, with Volstagg standing right beside her. The boy with dark hair and eyes as blue as the Asgardian sky followed furthest behind. He made no sound, and the others did not say much to him, except Thor, who kept shouting at him to look at him. Loki smiled and obliged.
Soria's mother said he was a prince too, but something was different about him or perhaps because the others treated him differently. She watched them from one of the highest branches in a tree, hidden behind the leaves in its crown.
'What are you doing?' Lyma's voice sounded irritated.
'I know those kids.'
'Are they in the academy with you?'
'It's the princes of Asgard.'
She felt the weight shift, and then Lyma was hovering next to Soria in a watery form.
"They behave so differently. Thor is the one on the rock, throwing twigs at the other boy. Loki is the one with dark hair, standing over there."
"Why does he look so miserable?" Lyma asked.
"He doesn't look miserable."
"He doesn't look like he belongs."
"Well, neither do you among these forest nymphs."
Lyma fell silent but slowly turned to look at her. With one firm shove, she sent Soria rolling over and down from the branch toward a free fall.
Soria braced herself, closing her eyes but instead of feeling the hard ground, she felt a grip around her arm and legs. When she opened her eyes, a golden-haired boy with blue eyes was beaming at her. Thor flew across the field and caught her. The other children ran up to them. Volstagg laughed deeply and Fandral clapped him on the shoulder with relief but Soria struggled against Thor.
"Put me down", she begged.
He raised a brow, "alright, alright. Calm down there, baby bird".
He landed his feet on the ground and then put her on her feet.
"Thank you", she mustered.
"What were you even doing up there?" Fandral asked.
"I was just playing."
"By yourself?" Sif raised a brow.
"Yes"
"What were you playing? Certain death?" Thor asked.
"I was playing; mind your damn business", Soria pouted and turned around, walking into the woods.
"Were you playing with a forest nymphs?" Thor followed her and the rest of the children followed him, except Loki who glanced up at the tree.
Lyma curled her body together and hid further back. He stood there for a minute but soon enough followed his brother. She could hear them trotting through the forest, telling each other off.