The Hermit Herbalist

Chapter 7 - Clint, the Healer?

Loki glared at Clint as he jubilantly rolled in the grass like a child.  "Couldn't you try to act your age?" she asked dryly as she pulled her hair back and began to braid it.  

"Why should I?  You do that enough for the both of us," he answered as he made a grass angel.  Loki and he had walked up the slopes of the nearby mount for the afternoon, and even brought a picnic basket.  Loki was enjoying a 'sandwich'; a confection from earth that Clint had insisted on making for the day.  He had taken cured meat from the bear, lettuce from Loki's garden, cheese, and tomatoes.  And they had bread from the loaves Loki baked.  She was pickling cucumbers, but they were not ready yet.  She took a bite from her sandwich, enjoying the flavor before downing some mead she had brought in a small bottle.  Clint could only have a little bit as he was only human, but Loki's constitution was decidedly stronger.  "Can I have another sip?" Clint asked as he crawled up to her.  Loki shook her head and fell back on the blanket.  She rolled over, showing her back to Clint.  Clint paused as he saw her dress had crept up her legs, revealing pale skin.  Her foot came up and got him in the nose.  "Hey!"  Loki glanced over her shoulder and shook her head.  Clint then decided to have his revenge by clearing everything off the blanket and proceeding to wrap Loki up in it.  

"Get off of me!  Get this off!" Loki hissed as she fought back.  She pushed and punched and kicked and even scratched.  She was not holding back.

"Ouch!  Loki!  I'm only playing," Clint said, but he noticed her terrified expression and he immediately pulled away.  "I'm sorry, Loki," Clint assuaged her when he saw how scared she looked.  "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing!  It's nothing you need to concern yourself over," Loki said as she created space between them.  

"It's not nothing, Loki.  Please tell me so I know not to do it again," Clint pleaded.

"You already know.  I told you not to," Loki insisted as she stood up and straightened her dress.  She snatched up the blanket and stuffed it back into the basket, gathering everything else up with it.  Clint knew he had upset her somehow, and was curious as to why.  However, he knew if he said anything, Loki would make him sleep with Frera again.  He had angered her on another score previously, and those had been the consequences.  

"I guess the picnic is over," Clint mumbled to himself as he followed her down the slopes.  Clint followed her silently, knowing better than to start a conversation with her like this.  When Loki was in one of her moods, she was rather dangerous.  The wind suddenly picked up and Clint glanced towards the sky.  The clouds were moving in, and Clint could smell rain in the air.  Loki was already several yards in front of him, clearly determined to make it home before the torrential downpour struck.  "Loki!  Slow down!  This is a steep hill and you'll fall!" Clint warned.  Loki either did not hear him, or refused to acknowledge his suggestion.  Clint growled and picked up his own pace.  "Loki!" he said, reaching out and touching her arm.  Loki turned, spinning so as to escape his grasp.  However, that put her out of balance on the already uneven ground.  Loki fell over backwards and started rolling down the hill.  "Loki!" Clint called again, giving chase as fast as he could.  She continued to roll, gaining speed the further down she went.  The basket was scattered and the blanket blew in the wind.  It almost blocked Clint's eyesight, and he caught it in his hand, tucking it under his arm.  Finally, he saw Loki vanish into the bushes near the bottom and his heart stopped.  "Please answer me, Loki!" Clint said as he arrived and started pulling the bushes apart.

"I left a cake on the window sill," he heard her murmur.  "It will be soaked."  Clint yanked the last branch aside and saw Loki lying there.  There were cuts on her face and he saw that her one ankle was already swelling.  

"Anything I can't see that I should know about?" he asked.

"Nothing other than several bruises.  Nothing broken.  My ankle is just twisted," Loki answered quietly.  That was when the thunder rolled overhead and the rain began to fall.  "The cake," Loki whispered as Clint wrapped the blanket around her and hauled her up.