Part One - A New Beginning (Loki x Reader)

Chapter Fourteen - Bad Feeling

     She promised Loki that she would tell him when she got the bad feeling before they picked up their things to head back to the castle yesterday. She wakes up with a heavy feeling of dread on her as the memory of the vision dream she just had evaporates before she can make sense of what she saw. Whatever it is trying to warn her about is getting closer. But the weight lifts before she makes it out of the room to get breakfast.

     She makes her way down to the dining hall trying to remember anything in the dream. But the harder she tries, the less she can recall. She immediately forgets all about it as she spots Loki just about to sit across from Lady Sif. She remembers that today she is going to train with them both and her excitement drives all other thoughts out of her mind.

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     I am so excited that I eat my food faster than I usually do for the second morning in a row. Loki smirks at me and I stick my tongue out at him before I get up and leave my dirty dishes with the others. Lady Sif is right behind me and Loki is behind us waiting.

     I smile at her. "Thank you again for agreeing to train with us Lady Sif."

     "Thank you for inviting me to join you."

     We leave the hall and walk to one of the bigger gardens around the castle where Loki and I usually train. I really like it because part of the castle shades half of it on one side before moving across and shading the other side. Loki has noticed that I try to stay in the shade when I can and he lets me. I don't know if it's true but I feel like I get tired faster when I stay in the sun for a long time.

     Lady Sif looks around the garden and smiles. "This is a great training choice. Outside but secluded so you can train in peace."

     Loki nods. "I am trying to keep the training we do separate from everyone else so when she is ready to spar with anyone, they are caught by surprise at what she can do. This keeps any moves we teach her that only she can do a secret."

     Lady Sif nods slowly before she asks, "Why keep it all a secret?"

     Loki turns to me with a small smile. "Care to explain, little Valkyrie?"

     "Firstly, always assume your opponent will underestimate you in any way and you will have a secret upper hand. Second, the fewer people know what you can do, the less it will spread so anybody that attacks you will be caught by surprise. Including sparring partners. Third, you never show all the cards you are holding and when you do show one, it is because you have a new card nobody has seen in your hand."

     Loki smiles at me with a smug smile because I've memorized what he's taught me. I try to remember as much as I can about things he teaches me on purpose and things he says that seem like a good idea to remember. I'm not sure how I remember all that I do but every time I show him I've remembered something he looks proud.

     Lady Sif's eyebrows go up when I'm done. "Not bad, little Valkyrie." She turns to Loki. "Sage words from someone so young, Prince Loki." She takes a fighting stance and says "Now show me what you know."

     I look at Loki quickly and he nods at me once. He sits on a bench that is far enough away that we won't accidentally hit him. So I face Lady Sif and get into a fighting stance and she moves towards me. I don't even think about what I need to do anymore, my body remembers each move I have practiced with Loki tons of times. I swear, at least 500 times for each move.

     I block as best as I can and try to find openings like Loki has taught me. Lady Sif shifts so that she is in the defensive position and I go through moves trying to get past her blocking movements. She goes back to attacking me faster than she was and I move faster trying to keep up with her. She shifts back into a defensive position and I attack her moving faster than we were before.

     I finally am able to hit her in the stomach once and she smiles before grabbing my wrist and throwing me over her back. I land on my back, all the air pushed out of my body and I lie there wondering how that just happened. I push myself up and Lady Sif begins clapping. I turn to look at Loki and he smiles a big smile at me and nods once towards me again.

     "Very good, little Valkyrie. You are stronger and faster than most people would think. I try to expect the unexpected as often as I can so that I am always on guard. Now would you like to learn how to throw someone over you with their own weight like I just did to you?"

     I nod excitedly. "Yes, please! That was so cool. You left yourself open on purpose then right?"

     She nods. "Your mind is quick too." Lady Sif turns to Loki. "If I may, I would love to help train her. However often I can."

     Loki looks at me first, his face completely blank. I don't know what he is looking for and before I can say anything he turns back to Lady Sif.

     "Thank you, Lady Sif. If our little Valkyrie does not mind, we can schedule days or times she can train with you alone or the both of us."

     They both look at me and I almost cry, I'm so happy and excited. "Really? You wouldn't mind training me?"

     "Not at all. Plus it will be a nice reprieve from all the boys I train with."

     I jump to my feet before running over to her and giving her a big hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will train hard I swear! Loki says I'm a fast learner."

     "She is and a great student as well. She will push herself harder than you ever will. That I can promise you now. You will never be bored either." Loki smiles at me.

     Lady Sif stands there thinking for a few seconds. "Well, today will be learning how to throw someone over you. There are already quite a few moves that have come to mind that someone your size can benefit from. Do you learn better by watching a move or doing the move yourself?"

     "Both. Loki shows me how to move before I do the same moves and he watches me so he can see if I need to change anything. Then I repeat it at different speeds before I use the move on him."

     "I cannot wait to begin your weapons training, little Valkyrie. And seeing what your fighting style turns into once you are comfortable with more things you will be learning from both of us. And if you are caught in a battle, remember this: you are fighting for your life. Men have more weak spots than women do and they will try and use their natural strength against you. When in doubt, fight dirty, fight with anything and everything you can think of, and get your hands on. Fight until you are the one standing and never stop fighting."

     "Men have more weak spots. If I'm fighting for my life, fight dirty, fight with anything and everything until I'm the last one standing. And never stop fighting." I repeat with a nod.

     They both nod and Lady Sif asks Loki to come stand in front of her so I can see the move once before she shows me how to stand and move. I keep repeating her words in my head and I smile to myself. I will always try to be the last person standing and whoever attacks me won't know what hit them. I will keep my cards close to me like Loki has taught me and surprise everyone.

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     The little Valkyrie spends the next three days waking up with the feeling of dread getting stronger and lingering for longer in the mornings before she goes about her day. She remembers to tell Loki all three mornings over breakfast about her bad feeling. Loki keeps a close eye on her to see if it affects her day-to-day activities. Since it does not, he does not worry about it because of his mother's warning.

     Between "lady" lessons, lessons with Loki, Lady Sif, and Queen Frigga, and reading and practicing on her own, the little Valkyrie's mind shoves the feeling aside every morning. By midday, it is far from her mind, which Queen Frigga is thankful for.

     Queen Frigga sighs as the moon reaches its apex. "Not long now. I am so sorry, little one."

Author Note

For those of you reading this as a completed story and ignored my previous note and kept going, (you little rebel you, I love it) we're running out of chapters you can stop at. If you want to keep going, by all means. Just let the record show I tried.

For all my readers, prepare yourselves.