White Blizzard

Chapter 8

"Loki!" I gasped.

In a flash of magic he had turned back into his regular form, and laid there unmoving in the snow. I was filled with horror at the sight of blood on his clothes.

I ran to his side, kneeling in the stained snow next to him.

"Loki..." I didn't know what to do. He laid there silently not doing anything, his eyes staring blankly into the sky.

I swept his hair out of his face and rested my hand tenderly on his cheek. His green eyes shifted to me. "I lost" he croaked.

"Oh Loki..." I chuckled sadly, but relieved. Loki sat up from his spot, grunting in pain. "You're injured Loki! Don't move around so much." I gasped at him.

"I will be fine...besides... I can heal myself with my magic." Loki said. His green eyes were filled with warm content as he put his hand on my neck. I jittered as he caressed my neck. "I'm just glad you are ok" he murmured.

The cold wind kicked up making me shutter. "We should get into the gorge..." Loki said, gazing at the dark clouded sky. "There is going to be a snow storm."

When we went down into the gorge the frost wolves were lounging around socializing or sleeping. Darsvk was enjoying a deer leg looking smug at Loki.

"I don't like wolves" Loki murmured under his breath. We went to my little hide out place where I was earlier, separating ourselves from the frost wolves.

"Do you mind looking for some fire wood?" Loki asked me. "There should be dead bushes further down."

I nodded and went around the bend, coming upon a few dried bushes along the walls. I quickly gathered some and made my way back to Loki who had cleared a spot where the fire would be.

"Great, now go get some more."He said as I handed him the thin branches "Make sure to get the larger pieces" I nodded and went back, taking a little longer to find and get bigger pieces of wood.

To my delight, I found a small crevice of fresh water pouring out from a rock above. It ran down the wall to a small pool below with fresh herbs growing around it.

Excited about my discovery, I ran back as fast as I could to our little camp site, carrying the fire wood. I turned around the bend, set down the wood, looked up, and froze.

Heat spread across my face as Loki turned to face me, his blood drying scratches no more than dark red lines along his skin. His skin glistened from the fires dancing flames.

"What" Loki asked as he smirked. "Is me being shirtless making you uncomfortable?" The question made my face heat up more.

"I...I just.." I stammered "You're healed!"

"Yah?" Loki raised an eyebrow "I told you I could heal myself. I just don't have anything to wash this blood off with is all." he finished in slight disgust.

"I found a small oasis" I told him. "You can clean up there."

He considered the thought and tossed me a clothe "I shouldn't move around too much or I might reopen my wounds. Do you mind going and getting that clothe wet to clean off the dry blood?"

"I don't mind." I said and went off.

When I came back Loki was laying on the ground on his side.

"Here...allow me to wash off your wounds." I offered. "It's the least I can do to repay you for your care."

Loki didn't argue.

We sat there in silence as rubbed his back clean from blood. I was being careful, not wanting to cause the wounds to reopen.

"All clean on this side..."I said and Loki turned onto his back. I blushed at the sight of his muscles and lean body. I started from his chest down. We stayed there again in silence, my heart beating a little faster with each stroke of my hand along his skin.

"So..."I gulped, trying to take my mind off from Loki's lean body. "What happened back there when you were shot from the sky?"

"Hmm...?" Loki deeply rumbled, snapping out of some sort of trance. "Oh that..."He scrunched his eyes in distrust. "I didn't notice those arrows coming at me at all. And the thing was that those were frost giant arrows. After I healed myself I took to the sky and looked for who shot those arrows but I couldn't find anything." Loki's eyes grew cold, and disbelief flashed in his eyes. "And I can't help but think someone was trying to hurt me on purpose, to kill me."

"Is that why you are being so silent?" I asked, the question escaping my mouth.

Loki looked at me in slight surprise, "Perhaps...there is still so much I do not know about the ones living here." he pause and said quieter "If someone was out to kill me...I will keep my eyes open for them."

I didn't know what to say to comfort Loki. I finished cleaning off the blood below Loki's stomach. I blushed and looked away from Loki "Done" I said.

"Thank you" Loki said as I tossed the clothe aside. I was startled when Loki grabbed my arm and pulled me down to his body, my hand touching his chest in reaction.

Darsvk came around the corner of the rock barrier and snorted at the sight of me on top of Loki. My face lit on fire.

"We are traveling in the morning to frost wolf territory. Be sure to be ready to leave." Darsvk said. He flicked his tail before walking off, leaving me and Loki alone.

Loki slipped his arms around me and set his chin on the top of my head. My heart beat hard from touching Loki's bare skin, feeling his strong body against mine.

He gave a long relaxed sigh. "Allow me to rest like this...It is very comforting." Loki murmured. "It's the least you can do for me."

"O-ok" I stammered, even though I wasn't very tired myself.

Time past by and the fire was nothing more than hot embers. Blizzard wind and snow whirred outside. Loki had fallen asleep so I reached out for the nearby furred capes to use as blankets and draped them over us.

Loki tightened his grip around me from the movement, uttering a few words. I blushed again as his lean body pressed against mine. I could hear his heart beating steadily in his chest.

I shut my eyes.

This whole thing felt nothing more than a mystical dream to me.

Would I miss it when I woke up?