Utter Devotion

Lost

"I don't mean to interrupt this tender moment," Loki voice made Ciannait look up at him, his befuddled expression made her heart beat faster, her cheeks pulling up in another smile, "Do any of you have any idea where we are?"

"By the ancients," she swore under her breath, as her sisters released her, "No I didn't look at the map this morning, Sagira, Ratana, do either of you have your data pads?"

"No."

"Mines in my bag." Sagira answered, smiling apologetically.

"How long were we riding?"

"The better part of an hour, and you weren't riding in a straight path." She looked over at Thor, he was giving her a half smile in a soft understanding way as he answered.

Looking back up at the last rays of sun playing across the valley, the other side of the sky already darkening to a deep purple, Njord might not notice their absence tonight, Lord Blairn's
parties were well known to be fantastical debauched affairs, but they would be discovered missing by the morning.

"Theres no possible way we'll be able to find our way thru the darkness darling." Loki moved closer as she looked back and forth between the darkness and the setting sun, "None of us know these woods well enough for that, and the horses could get hurt. It would be best if we stayed the night and then started out at first light."

Loki reached up and tenderly cupping her cheeks, stopping her movements, he could see the worry in her eyes, his thumbs rubbed small circles across her cheeks, feeling the fragility of the bones under his hands.

Staring deep into her eyes, he could see the conflict with her, he watched as she realized he was right.

"Ratana," Ciannait looked up at Loki and then back at her sister and nodded.

"If you are sure."

"I am, he'll need it, if we're stuck out here."

Ratana moved her hands in a delicate motion, her hands suddenly glowing blue.

Loki felt it, the instant his seidr was freed, the rush was almost heady, "Just don't let anyone know," Ciannait tugged slightly on his collar pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before letting go of him.

Sagira mean while had retrieved her bow and quiver off the back of her horses saddle.

"I saw some wild turkey not too far back. With any luck I'll catch dinner."

Before anyone could argue, Sagira stole off into the woods.

"Should we be worried about her?" Thor asked Ratana, looking at the spot where Sagira had disappeared between the trees.

"Sagira is one of the best archers I know, she will be fine. We need to make camp as best we can."

"Loki?"

"I think I can manage setting up camp brother."

Rubbing his hands together, three tents appeared, already set up.

"One for Ratana and Thor, one for Sagira, and one for you and I." Loki said with a wink at her.

By the time Sagira returned, the camp was set up a little further away from the river with three tents, a roaring fire, and their horses tied to the trees.

Thor took the birds from Sagira when she reached them, and began pulling the feathers free with an expert hand. Ciannait started to go over to take the bird from him but Loki stopped her

"My brother is actually quite a decent cook when the mood strikes him. Let him do the cooking tonight."

With a flourish of green magic, Loki produced a table, linen, chairs, plates, silver wear, goblets, and several bottles of wine.

"Really, gold plates and crystal glasses?"

Ciannait couldn't help but tease him.

"We're princes, not heathens," Loki looked down his nose in fake distane at Ciannait as she took one of the gold plates from him, a small giggle escaping her lips, making him laugh.

As they all waited for the bird to cook, they found for the first time they were able to talk and enjoy each others company uninhibited by the pressures of Njord.

Watching with delight, Ciannait did not feel the need to add much to the conversation, she was never much for idle chatter but there was a pleasant feeling watching everyone interacting and laughing.

Thor finally declared the turkey done and they all helped themselves to dinner, along with some salad greens Ciannait and Ratana had discovered near by, they toasted Thor for his excellent cooking.

After they were all finished Ciannait caught Loki's eye as she got up from the table, "I'm going to take a little walk," informing her sisters before she walked away from camp.

Loki followed her as she walked along the river bed, the moon having just risen reflecting off the water.

With great surprise he watched Ciannait turn and hold her hand out to him, silently asking for him to take it.

Grasping her hand, their fingers intertwined and this small act of vulnerability on Ciannait's part, felt far more intimate than any acts they had committed together.

As they walked Ciannait heart pounded in her chest, emotion stirred in her chest that she didn't understand their complexity but she knew they were about Loki and she no longer wanted to deny their existence.

The sounds of their boots against the sand and stones of the riverbed echoed slightly as they walked, mingling with the sounds of the wildlife going to sleep, they kept walking in silence till they finally came to a stop when they reached a clearing in the woods and the river curved off to the left. 

"There is something I want to say," she grappled for the words, "I shouldn't want you."

Loki felt the hope that had been building in his chest, stronger since last night dwindle till there was no more than a small barely flickering dying flame.

"Thats not where I thought this was going."

He felt defeated, she had realized his feelings and she didn't feel the same.

"Give me a moment,  I wasn't finished."

Shocked he looked back up into her warm brown eyes, he felt like he was suddenly drowning in their intensity as Ciannait looked up at him.

"I apologize, please continue. "

Sighing, she grasped his hand harder and brought it up to her chest, pressing it against where her heart was pounding.

"I shouldn't want you, but I do. At first it was about doing what I wasn't supposed to, just to feel something other than apathy.  Something that wasn't about Njord grand plans. Something for myself. But now, every time I see you, I..." she started to stammer, looking down at his hand clasped in hers, "I feel things again, and I feel things for you, I just wanted you to know that."

She didn't expect Loki would say anything back, feelings weren't part of their arrangement, just pleasure, she waited for him to say something, anything, as the moments stretched on fear of rejection started to build in her stomach.

Tears started to fill her eyes and she went to release Loki's hand, but his grip on her hand wouldn't loosen.

Loki's ears were ringing as he stared down at Ciannait, he couldn't believe what she was trying to say.

"You... care for me?"

Ciannait looked up just in time to see Loki's features rapidly change from wonder to pure hunger, then his lips were on hers.

She could taste the sweetness from the wine as his tongue plundered her mouth, as he nearly devoured her with the intensity of their kiss.

His arm wound around her, pulling her against him, lifting her of the ground, she wrapped her legs around him, clinging to him, if this was end, then by the norns she would take everything she could.

"Say it," Loki pulled away just a fraction, their heavy breathing mixing together as they both sought to catch their breath, "Say. It." He growled again, clutching her to him.

"I love you."