Perhaps [thor/loki]

Chapter 16

Nora crouched on the ground, perched on her heels, taking in where they had landed. Her breath left cold dew hanging in the air, and the chill on her wet clothes left her shivering. Gyda hadn't awoken yet and lay on her side next to Nora, still breathing.

She glanced over her shoulder, staring at the overgrown pond that she had pulled Gyda and herself from. She could not see anything in the murky water.

Nora stood and surveyed. They were alone. She turned back to her sister and say Gyda upright, shaking her shoulders to wake the girl.

Gyda came to just a few shakes later, lucid and tired. She blinked a few times before taking into account Nora's worried face, and the cold, gray world they had found. Panic set in for Gyda, and she worked up a scream. Nora threw her hand over Gyda's mouth and forced her to the ground until she stopped squirming and screaming.

"Be quiet!" Nora commanded her. "Do you want something to find us?"

Gyda shook her head no, and Nora slowly released her, "Where are we?"

"I don't know," Nora said.

"Did you bring us here?" Gyda asked with anger.

Nora stood up, "I don't think so." She looked at the pond and took a deep breath.

"What do we do?" Gyda asked. "How do we get home?"

"I'm working on it," Nora said. Seeing that this hadn't been the first time she stumbled her way out of Asgard, she knew that Sif would have alerted the others of their mysterious disappearance. Although it was lucky that they had found her when they did last.

"We need to find shelter," Nora decided. "I don't know how long we'll be here, wherever here is."

"Do you think there's a town nearby?" Gyda asked. "I haven't the right shoes for a long walk."

Nora turned and stared at her sister's ignorant comment, "I don't know who or what we'd find in a town. We need to stay out of sight."

Gyda huffed. Nora welcomed the silence that followed. It was uncharacteristic of Gyda to allow Nora to lead. Gyda always took charge of matters at home. But Nora knew this was because Gyda was frightened. She had never left their village in her lifetime. And while it was new to Nora as well, Nora knew that she could keep both of them safe.

Something caught Nora's eye, sitting on top of a rock beside the pond. She walked over to it and found it to be a silver locket. She hesitated before reaching out to touch it. As she opened it, the air was sucked out of her lungs. Inside the locket were two pictures of young girls, Arnora and Gyda.

Thor sat amongst his friends. They were quietly sitting beside the fire, ale untouched, as the weight of Nora's disappearance weighed on them. Sif was without consoling, as she had been tasked by Odin to not leave Nora's side outside of the castle. The others commended her for alerting them to Nora's disappearance, and the mystery of how it occurred loomed over all of them.

"They can't seriously think he would help us," Hogun said. "Loki is a deceitful trickster, and it's been rather pleasant not having him around."

"He'll help us," Thor said, his lips pressed to his fists.

"Why would he do that?" Fandral asked, pressing Thor's knowledge.

Thor met his gaze and looked back at the fire in front of him, "If he still cares for Nora. He'll come."

Thor's words held weight that he left the others to interpret.

Thor spent many hours beside the pond, trying to see that which his mother did. He dug at the ground, ripped the weeds away, and tried to fight his way through. Nothing worked.