Frozen soul

Chapter 7

I DON'T OWN PICTURE

Loki refuse speak to anyone for a week. He bury himself to his room or at library. Chara didn't push him. Thor try to make him speak but Loki ignore him completely. Chara tell Loki at first day in his silence that he could go anywhere inside the building as long as she knew where he is. Loki nod to answer. Chara follow him silently and read with him in library or at her room. She make sure Loki has at least three full meal in day. She carry them in his room and out. Chara didn't ask him to join her or if she could join him and Loki didn't ask either. Avengers have start to calm down. Fury have assured them that they could trust Winter. Chara didn't threaten them if they didn't try to accuse or piss her off. 

At the end of week Avengers got some mission that needs everyone. Steve has instructed Chara that she only need to call them if she had troubles with Loki. Chara roll her eyes to him and assure that they will be fine. Thor slap her back. "Have fun with Loki." He say and wink his eye to Chara. Chara roll her eyes. Thor smile and go after others inside Quinjet. 

After they have disappeared in sky, Chara turn around and rush inside. She stomp with fidgeting Kiba after her to upstairs and kick Loki's door open. Loki jump on his bed. "What the hell?" He growl angrily. "Put these on." Chara command and throw pair of boots and some outdoor clothes to bed. Loki frown and look confused at clothes in his bed and then at Chara. "Put those on, we are going to hunt. I'm pissed off, Kiba is snapping to everyone and you need some fresh air. Put those on." Chara command again. Loki look at fidgeting and snappy wolf next to Chara and rise to his feet. "I wait outside. If you don't come out in 10 minutes I will come to drag you out, no matter what you wear." She threaten, turn around and leave the room after Kiba. 

Chara lean on wall and tap the floor with her right foot. Kiba pace front of her and growl here and there. When Chara almost lose her patience Loki step outside. "Finally." Chara crumble and push herself off the wall. Kiba jump to stand next to her. "So now what?" Loki ask annoyed. Chara lay her hand top of Kiba's neck and grab Loki's shoulder. Before Loki have time to ask or do anything, Chara teleport them near forest line. Kiba yip happily and rush to forest. Chara let go of Loki's shoulder after she is sure he won't lose his balance. "You could have warn me." He growl and glare at her. "That wouldn't be fun at all." Chara tease him and wink her eye. Loki groan. "Come on, try to keep up." Chara say happily and push a little on Loki's shoulder before jogging after Kiba. She hear Loki groan again before following her.

After about hour Chara realize that Loki has lost more of his stamina than she thought. He is already falling behind. They have caught only one rabbit. Chara stop to wait Loki. Kiba whine to her. "I know." She whisper to him. "You go alone. Catch something to eat and come back to us. We wait here." Chara say eventually and wave her hand for Kiba. He look between Chara and now in sight Loki once before leaping in forest. Chara waited patiently to Loki catch her. Loki is sweating and breathing heavily. When he got next to Chara he pant and wipe his forehead. "Did they let you out of that cell at all?" Chara ask gently. Loki glare at her. "What you think." He snap to her. "I see." She answer and frown. Chara sit down on old fallen tree trunk, she pat next to her signaling Loki that he should sit down too. Loki glare at her again but eventually sit down. Chara reach toward him a water bottle. Loki look at it warily. Chara sigh and took a sip on it before reaching it toward him again. Loki grab it and take big gulps. 

They sit in silence. Chara deep in her thoughts. "We need to work at your stamina and strength." She finally say. Loki turn to stare at her shocked. "What?" He ask confused. Chara turn to look at Loki. "You are way too good warrior to ruin like this. Truth to be told you would be useless in battle right now." Chara continue. Loki look at her unbelieving his ears. Chara evaluate Loki and start to form a plan. "You can't use your magic right now and I doubt Avengers are willing to take that off yet." She say and point at controller in his wrist. "I don't care do you want to join or even help them. It isn't my business, but I think you would like to get as healthy as you used to be. Am I right?" Chara ask and tilt her head. Loki stare at her for a moment. Then he slowly nod. He felt horrible about how bad shape he is. "They won't let me train." He whisper and turn to look at the ground. Chara shrug. "I don't ask their permission. You are under my care so I will do what I want." She say confident and when Loki look at her, she smile to him mischievously. "Trust me, they can't stop me even if they wanted." She laugh and wink her eye to Loki. Corner of his mouth twitch a little upwards.

Chara make the blanket appear in ground next to tree trunk and she slide top of it, using trunk as back rest. She sigh happily and look at the tip of trees and sky. Loki look at her face. "I find Kiba in Alaska, place in far north from here. Some poacher has captured him." Chara suddenly start to tell him. "It was day similar to this, only difference that there temperature was lower. I was hiking in middle of wilderness when I hear wolf's cry. I always have been curious about them and decide to take a peek what is happening. When I see that man throwing him in cage I snap. Rage came over my mind. He dared to hurt innocent cup. I killed him, slowly. I cut him to little pieces and scattered them around the forest so no one would ever find him. When I went to let Kiba out of his cage he try to bite me." Chara smile warmly to memory. "He was so scared but he still refuse to surrender. I fed him with my own meal, then he calm a little down. I try to look for his pack for days, but I couldn't find it. When he crawl inside my sleeping back one night with me, I decide to give up and keep him. I raise him and we have been living our lives together almost 1,5 years now. He is still young but he has start to have some adult wolves behavior, like trying to protect me." Chara chuckle and smirk to Loki. "He want to protect her mommy and alpha." She whisper happily before turning her gaze back toward sky. 

They stay silent for a while. "You see beauty in beasts, don't you?" Loki whisper. Chara shrug. "They are predators, hunting is in their instincts. It is only circle of life. Everything born and die eventually." Chara answer. Loki fell in silence again. Chara rise her hand toward sky and made little snowing above them. She use her magic to make snowflakes do little twirls in air before letting them to melt away. Chara could see in corner of her eye that Loki look at her magic admiring and smile to herself. "Loki?" He turn to look at her. "You prefer daggers, right?" He nod slowly and look warily at Chara. Chara push herself on her feet. She made ice dagger appear in her hand and toss it to Loki. He grab it on reflex and asses it. "Do you prefer longer ones or do it need more weight on it?" Chara ask holding her hands on her waist. "My owns are little longer but this is balanced well..." He answer before he seem to realize that he is holding a ice weapon in his hand. 

Chara only now realize that his hand has turn blue. Loki drop the dagger and color soon turn back to normal. Chara vanish the dagger. "Sorry I didn't realize your skin would freeze so quickly." She say and reach toward Loki's hand to look at the damages. Loki jump to his feet and back couple steps away from her. "Don't touch me." He growl while he hold his right wrist with his left hand. Chara frown confuse. "Sorry, I only got worried you got some serious frostbites." She apologize. Loki has angry look of his face. Chara could detect self-hatred under it. "Loki? What is it?" She ask gently, trying to catch his eyes. Loki grit his teeth harder together and refuse to answer. Chara take couple steps closer, they were in arm reach now. "Come on, tell me. Did you got hurt or what is wrong?" Chara try again. Loki grit his teeth and turn to glare at Chara. "I can't get frostbites, so you don't need to pity me." He spit out. Chara tilt her head. "I don't pity you. I got worried that I hurt you accidentally." She say. Loki roll his eyes. "Midgardians..." He murmur.

Chara got annoyed. "Fine, don't tell me. As long as you are okay I don't push you." She say coldly, turn around and whistle. Loki look at her surprised that she gave up so soon. "Winter.." "Leave it. You tell me when you want, not sooner." She say over her shoulder and turn to look toward rustling. Soon Kiba come in view. "Got your stomach full?" Chara ask gently and pet Kiba's head. He happily lick her hand. Chara smile and wave toward Avengers compound. "Let's get back." She say and smile a little to Loki. "Only when you are ready." She say before starting to walk after Kiba, Loki soon follow her.