Story of Seasons: Fire and Ice

The Bargain

Nearly two weeks had passed since the night of drunken shenanigans. Following the incident, the gods had gone on with their daily activities. During that time, Thor continued to gather meat for the banquet. As he was in charge of most current hunts, he often ventured out into the forests, sometimes alone and occasionally in a group. In doing so, he kept a careful eye out for their four-legged quarry but hadn't seen hide nor hair of her since their first meeting.

Balder had called upon the forest creatures to ask for their assistance. Birds took to the skies, rabbits scouted from their networks of underground burrows, and herds of deer searched across the plains. Nearly all eyes were looking out for her, but so far, they had all come up empty. Either they simply couldn't locate her, or they couldn't discern her from the other wolves in the area. Considering her white coat and cunning nature, it wasn't entirely surprising. One could only expect so much from woodland creatures.

Loki was doing his part as well, albeit using far lazier methods. In the days since his inebriated endeavor, he had been enjoying making a fool of himself from the seclusion of his forest home. Although this time, he was perfectly sober. Attempting to build on his earlier success, the god of fire spent his time howling into the skies during the morning, evening, and night, in the hopes of receiving another response. He had not been so lucky. This morning was no different. Howling as loud as his voice would allow, he gave it his best shot and moved on to other business. It seemed that he would have no choice but to venture into the cold if he were to have any chance of finding her.

A puff of white smoke escaped his mouth as he trudged through the brush. In the early morning air, he rubbed his arms together, steadily warming the area in his path. With his friends busy tending to their own affairs and no luck in finding their furry friend, he was dreadfully bored. To pass the time, he had decided to take a walk along a familiar path, and possibly find a woodland creature to bother. And of course, if he happened upon their target by chance, it wouldn't hurt. He sauntered along, absentmindedly playing with a small flame in the palm of his hand. He willed the orange mass to take the form of a rabbit... then a boar... then a fox. As his mind continued to wander, he hadn't noticed that the flame shifted again, taking the form of a wolf.

The sound of rustling leaves drew him out of his contemplation. Surrounded in his own makeshift blanket of warmth, Loki had momentarily forgotten that he was wandering through the forest. The wolf in his hand curled into itself, forming a sphere as he turned to face the approaching threat. He paused for a moment, wondering if their acquaintance had finally decided to reveal herself before quickly ridding himself of the thought. She was far too careful to alert him in such a manner.

Whatever was coming certainly wasn't going to be friendly, and he had no qualms about bringing it to a swift end. Loki would happily roast the first creature that dared to challenge him. The bushes in front of him began to violently shake and the sound of stomping hooves told the fire god everything he needed to know. Preparing himself for the charge, he raised his hand into an offensive position and waited.

Within moments, a medium-sized boar burst through the brush, agitated by Loki's taunt. While it was no prize-winning game, a boar of that size could easily knock him off his feet if he were to allow it. He was about two seconds away from turning the creature into a hearty dinner when suddenly, a thought came to mind. Waving away his dancing flame, he decided he would have a little fun with the angry beast. He stood stock still as the creature approached, tusks brandishing menacingly. With a chuckle, he danced to the side. His braids fluttered as the boar rushed past him, skidding to a stop behind him.

"You're going to have to do better than that," he taunted, twirling one of his braids around like a pinwheel. Enraged, the boar lowered its head again and huffed, scraping its hooves against the icy ground. Smiling, the mischievous god watched the beast run at him again. He stuck his tongue out at it, eagerly awaiting another opportunity to irritate the animal. He balanced on the balls of his feet in preparation. The boar was almost upon him... and then it wasn't.