The Love Of a Trickster

10

"No, no, no!" Loki waves his arms for me to stop. It seems that our conversation from three weeks ago has entirely fled his mind. It hasn't left mine, however. Almost everyday, I find myself thinking over it and questioning myself about the answer I keep inside. I can't believe I would let myself come to that point.

I pull my wings up behind me as I land and let out a frustrated groan. "Now what?"

"You are not maintaining your balance. You're leaning off to the side too much and should you do that in a fight, it could cost you your life," he mutters. He holds a hand to his forehead. "Again, and this time, do as I told you."

I fly up in the air and wait. Loki begins to shoot blasts of magic at me. I dive into a routine of rolls and flips to duck out of the way. Each time I come out of a roll, the momentum makes me waver in the air. In that moment, Loki fires a blast of magic at me. I thrust my wings up, barely missing the bolt. I pant, sweat dripping down my face. We've been doing this since sunrise and it's already past noon.

Loki continues to fire his magic at me. I roll, duck, dodge, thrust, and fall, until I'm worn to the core. My shoulder blades and spine ache from the arch and thrust that moves my wings. I shake my head to clear it. I cry out as a bolt of magic knocks me out of the sky. I hit the ground with a thud, feeling the breath knocked out of me. I cough and roll over, my breath coming in fits. Loki runs over to me and I see concern brush across his features.

I sit up, unwilling to appear weak. However, with my lack of oxygen, my head begins to spin and I immediately fall over again. I groan and resign myself to the pose I've fallen in. I close my eyes and draw breath in through my nose slowly, until I've regained control of myself. When I open my eyes, Loki is standing over me. He wordlessly offers me a hand and pulls me to my feet. I wipe blood off a cut on my cheek and wince as some dirt falls in it. Loki waits patiently for me to speak. I don't. I jump back into the air, almost gasping at the pain that races up and and down the base of my feathery appendages.

"Come down. That's enough for now," Loki says.

No need to tell me twice. I sigh with relief as I sit down, letting my wings rest. "You have no idea how uncomfortable these things can be."

"I can only imagine."

I crack an eye open. Loki is gazing at me with unchecked admiration. "I see you, you know."

He quickly composes himself. "You've done well for the day. I don't want you falling out of the sky when you reap tonight."

"Ugh, again? That's three times this week!"

"Unfortunately, people don't stop dying, love. When the valiant die, the Valkyrie fly," he points out.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." I groan, rolling the muscles in my wings to loosen them. "It would be nice if we didn't have to go so often, though."

Loki strokes his chin, deep in thought. "Yes, it does seem that you've been kept quite busy." He glances at me.

"What?"

"More Hel soldiers have gone missing and Hela is not bothering to find them."

"Oh no. I'm not doing that again!" I exclaim.

"I'm not asking you to. I'm simply saying that something about this is off." His gaze is concerned.

"I wouldn't worry about it. So what if a few Hel soldiers are loose? Odin will send Seekers after them," I say, in an attempt to reassure him.

"It's not that simple." He shakes his head. "Never mind. You may take the rest of the day off." He turns and begins to walk away.

I remain seated, thinking over what he said. If these Hel soldiers keep getting out and aren't being stopped by Garm, then Hela could be up to something. I leap to my feet and chase after Loki. "Hang on!" He doesn't stop, but he slows his strides. I quickly fall in step beside him. "I think you're right. If these soldiers keep getting out, that means Garm isn't doing his job. Hela controls Garm so the only way he wouldn't be stopping the Hel soldiers would be because Hela commanded him not to."