Ineffable- A Loki Fanfic

16

Clara's feet slowed her to a stop just beyond the edge of a clearing. Her breath, shards of ice coming into her lungs and fire coming out, was heavy in her chest and pearls of sweat coated her tawny skin. Loki was close but he felt.. faded and she began to get worried that she was too late.

Cautiously, she inched forward into the last of the trees until she was at the edge of a crude encampment. It was a scar in the middle of the beautiful forest, trees hacked down viciously and replaced with man made huts. Some of their bones still laid in waste about the camp, a graveyard for the ancients. The huts, placed randomly without much thought for the design of streets or pathways, stood like rotten ogre teeth, blackened with rounded roofs. Smoke billowed out of every corner, octopus tentacles reaching out to strangle her, the stench of violence thick in the air.

Clara silently scanned the scene, her eyes only able to take in so much death before she had to blink. She was searching for Loki but Clara could feel the pain of the forest as she touched the last remaining trees that stood between her and the graveyard. It was a screaming pain, angry and plotting. As she let this pain seep into her blood, it took over her senses, the trees wanted to use her to fight their war. Before her vision was completely clouded with revenge for the forest, she spotted him. Out in the open, strapped to a pole with his hands tied over his head, was Loki. If it weren't for the tiniest of pulls she felt, she would have assumed he was already gone. It took everything in her to rip away from the saplings. They were young and fearless and their strength scared her.

'They would have never let me go.' Clara thought with a shudder.

Without any concern of getting caught she ran to Loki and dropped to her knees before him. Loki's skin shone like cold marble, she couldn't bring herself to touch him. Her breath stole in her throat and Clara choked back a cry. It seemed to snap her back into her body.

Clara quickly cut him down and laid his head gently in her lap. His breaths were shallow and too far in between and she just held him and cried, cradling him in her arms, her tears streaking his sickly, porcelain face. Processing all of her memories while holding a dying man she should have never met, let alone, fell in love with, was too much. Just a few days ago she was wishing she could sew his mouth shut and leave him in the forest. Now her every breath was tied to his.

"ALNA!" She screamed through sobs, hoping there was still time to save him. "You miserable brat, if you die on me I will never forgive you." Clara was hoping the harshness of her tone would get a sarcastic rise out of him, a crooked smile or an eyebrow raise, anything. Loki did not move, he did not smile but she did hear laughter. It was coming from all sides as the men in the camp surrounded her, they were eyeing her greedily.

You come any closer and I will kill us both." She drew out a dagger and held it to Loki's throat.

"The TVA will not accept us dead and you won't get your little payday. They will consider it job done, and ignore you."

"Give 'em space boys." Fringsnell stepped forward now, a smile clownishly painted on his face. "What do you want sweet little rat?"

"I want him healed. I know you have a healer ensla..."

"I am here child." A woman, nearly identical to the woman that pulled her from the water, stepped forward. She looked much older but was dressed well, seemed clean and fed. Clara saw that her body was laced with delicate golden chains, snaking their way up and down her arms and legs, wrapping themselves in her hair and around her waist and they were giving off a soft glow. They would have been beautiful if it weren't obvious that they were meant to restrict her. Clara stared at the chains, trying to make sense of them when Alna spoke again.

"Keeps my magic under .... Control dear. Nothing to be concerned about."

"If he dies it's over and he doesn't have much time left." Clara urged.