Down below

Chapter 6.

  Loki and Elianah started to spend more and more time together. She was an eager pupil and Loki was pleased with her slow, but steady progress. In return, Elianah gave her Midgardian books that she knew he would like, found in the royal libraries.

'They should definitely upgrade the Midgardian section. Everything seems to end at the 19th century.' she mentioned.

'I can speak to the Head Librarian. Give me a list of books.'

'Really?' she said, her eyes sparkling.

'Yes, really. Otherwise I wouldn't have offered. Put Camus and Sartre there. Oh, and that German one, Zara something.'

'Oh, you mean Thus Spoke Zarathustra from Nietzsche? Typical.' she smiled.

'He had some interesting ideas that is if you conveyed his works to me correctly.'

Elianah threw an energy blast at him, punching him in the shoulder.

'Well done!' Loki said. 'Still a little soft, but your aim has definitely improved.'

'Why, thank you, Professor!'

'I need to go back and study. My brother and his merry friends are approaching.'

'Don't be so lame. We go out to the forest. Join us! Sif says there is a beautiful waterfall there.'

'How romantic. Have fun.'

'Oh, she will.' they heard Thor's booming voice. 'She will ride with me.'

Sif and the Warriors Three were not far behind him. Loki looked at Thor, then Elianah who seemed anxious.

'I don't think so. I can't ride a horse, sorry. Not everyone grows up in a palace.' she shrugged.

'I can take you. Everybody knows what kind of rider my brother is.' Loki offered.

'And what kind of rider would that be, according to everybody? Excellent? Skilled?' Thor grinned and hit him jovially in the back.

'More like impetuous, bumpy.' Loki said.

'There's some truth to that.' Fandral weighed in.

'Ridiculous. I'm one of the best riders.' Thor said a bit offended.

'Alright, that's quite easy to decide. Race each other. Elianah will ride with the winner.' Fandral suggested.

Elianah started to feel uncomfortable and did not want Thor and Loki to argue or race over such a silly thing. The ego on these two!

'I'm happy to ride with Thor since Loki doesn't even want to come.' she said.

'I never said that.' Loki exclaimed and looked at her like she was crazy. 'I thought my attendance was implied.'

Elianah wanted to punch him on the shoulder so badly, but put her poker face on.

'Well, then. Horse race it is.' she said, muttering under her breath to Loki. 'Really?'

He shot a mischievous look at her and winked as he left, following Thor. Elianah walked to the main park with the others, waiting for the two princes to arrive. She asked Sif if they were always this competitive and everyone said 'yes' at the same time. Volstagg told her that a few years ago Thor challenged Loki to a beer drinking contest and they drank until Loki threw up and stormed off, then Thor had two more just to show off and ended up vomiting into one of the fountains. They had to carry him to his room. "This is worse than high school." Elianah thought.

'They used to do things like this all the time. They just don't know when to stop.' Fandral shrugged.

'Here they come.' Sif warned them.