Edderkopp - Drider!Loki

Ten

(The picture is how I imagine Loki to look, though it isn't actually Loki because I can't draw Loki...just a visualisation I doodle the other day.)

"Are you okay?"

I looked up at Loki, who in turn was frowning down at me in concern.

We had stopped rolling at the bottom of the slope, the rain continuing to pelt down on us and soak any scrapes and bruises we may have acquired.

Though Loki had cushioned most of my trip down, there were still parts of my shoulders and legs that ached and I hated to think how he and his vast number of extra limbs felt.

"I'm good," I said with a small nod, "thank you."

"Wonderful," he sighed out, a hand reaching up to tug at a twig that had tangled in my hair during our tumble.

"What about you? Are you okay?"

"I am," he glanced down, slowly lifting himself up before wincing. "Though I appear to have twinged one of my legs."

Letting go of me so that I could stabilise myself on my own legs, Loki took a couple of steps to test for other injuries and the limitations of his bad leg.

"Will you be able to continue?" I asked, watching him.

"I think so, it'll be a pain, both figuratively and literally, but I think I can carry on slowly."

"And here I thought spiders were pretty much screwed when a single leg is out of commission," I laughed softly.

Loki chuckled, leaning down to my level to cup my chin in his long, slender fingers.

"You forget, my dear, that I am superior to a mere spider."

He smiled wolfishly, his sharp teeth sending a mixture of shivers down my spine.

"Don't do that," I said, pulling my head away.

"Why? Does it entice you too much?"

"No, it does the exact opposite."

Loki chuckled as I turned away and surveyed the ditch length and height, my hands placed on my hips as I did my best to ignore him.

My heart rate had not sped up because of that, it was the adrenaline of the tumble still seeping out of me.

"This looks pretty steep," I sighed, turning to him, "and given the rain it's probably slippery too, I doubt we're getting back up there."

"You're probably right, I doubt even I could manage to get up there," Loki said, looking down the seemingly endless path. "We may tread water, but we can continue to follow this little trench in the direction we were heading."

"It won't deviate us?"

"Perhaps a little, but I'm certain that I can find my way if we get a little off course."

"I'm glad I have a personal navigator."

I smiled at him then turned towards the direction we had initially been walking and continued forward, keeping my head down to watch my feet and keep the water out of my eyes as best as I could.

The trek was no easier in the trench than it had been on higher ground, my feet slipped just as much as they had been before and I believe that I was actually getting muddier than I had been in the more grassed area.

Occasionally, I would glance over my shoulder to check on Loki, who would give me a smile and a curt nod to show that he wasn't down for the count yet, though he had slowed significantly.