Loki's Country Girl (On Hold)

Not Just a Nightmare

You were surrounded by mist and fog so thick that you could hardly see anything.
"Hello?" You shouted into the fog. But there was no one there. No one to hear your calls, no one to help. "Where am I?" You wondered out loud.
That's when you felt it. A shiver, that went up your spine, and your bones began to hurt. Like someone was dry freezing them. Your heart began to beat fast, the feeling of dread and hopelessness filling your mind.
Then mist and fog, that you hadn't noticed before, started to leave your body. It swirled and and shifted in front of you. Going from a shapeless form to the form of a man completely made of mist.
Once he was out of you your body went back to normal.
He continued to walk.
You watched him leave as the same cold painful hopeless feeling came over you again. And just like last time mist and fog started to leave your body forming into a mist person.
Once that person was gone you turned to see a whole group of them walking/floating along.
They weren't coming out of you.
No.
They were going through you. Like a ghost.
You stepped to the side of the group, watching the mist ghost people go by.
    Their hair swirled around their heads, like they were underwater. Their expressions were bleak and bland. Their eyes were noting but a blue spark. Like they had little gems wedged in their eye sockets instead of eyeballs.
The way they all held themselves, slouched shoulders, head down. They all looked so hopeless. So lost. So... dead.
Even though their eyes shined like gems, the shine wasn't happy or lively. Instead when you looked into them you felt dread and despair. Nothing mattered. You should just lay down and give up.
When the group passed you decided to fall in behind them. They were going somewhere. And somewhere was better than nowhere. Which was where you currently were.
       As you fallowed you could hear them chattering but you couldn't make out any of the words.
Their chatter didn't sound like a language. Instead it sounded like whispers that floated around in the fog waiting for someone to hear them. You could almost hear them but something wasn't connecting.
       Like when your friend is talking to you and they shout up wind. You can hear them, but the wind carries their voice away before you can make out what they're saying.
     As you walked further into the fog you began to make out dark silhouettes of dead trees. At first there was only a few, but as you walked there began to get more and more until you were in a tunnel of dead trees.
      They grew so close together that the tree trunks looked like walls. Their branches weaved together, making an arch over your head.
The walk felt like it was going on forever. You were about ready to turn around but just then you saw a glimmer of yellow light at the end of the tunnel of trees.
The trees opened up into a dark, foggy clearing where a small abandoned castle stood.
It looked to have been made out of fog, stone, and tree roots, all weaving together to make the creepiest castle imaginable.
The stones moved a little, floating in the fog that was the castle. Tree roots and branches crawled up the walls, some going into the the walls while others went straight up the sides. Some of the branches wove the stone together, making that part of the castle look stronger.
Out of the fog like windows a yellow light lit up a castle. The only color you had seen since you had arrived here.
"My brothers and sisters." Spoke an airy whisper. When he spoke his voice felt like he was invading your mind. For when he spoke you didn't exactly hear him. Instead it was like his voice went straight to your brain, clouding it in mist and fog. "I am glad to see you were able to make it." A mist ghost was standing on the steppes of the castle. He looked like all the others but he had one thing that made him stand out.
Placed upon his swirly white hair was a crown of ice. He must have been the king here.
"I have called you here today because a friend of mine has asked me to. He has a plan to cripple Asgard just as they have crippled us. To make them suffer just like they have us. I only ask for your undying allegiance. The price will be high, but our awards will be great."
There was chatter of agreement among the crowd of mist ghosts.
"My friend that has helped me see this goal is none other than Surtr."
*
You woke up to the feeling of hot breath fanning the back of your neck.
     "What the?" You opened your eyes to see a big old muzzle in your face. It was Blaze. "Morning bud." You greeted him reaching up to pet is soft silky nose. "What are you doing in my room?"
     Blaze nickered happily, nuzzling his muzzle against your neck.
"Ok, ok." You laughed at him. "We'll go riding." You sat up in bed throwing the covers off of you and swinging your legs over the side of your bed. You were about to get up when Blaze used his head to push you back onto your bed. "What?" You asked Blaze.
Blaze turned his attention to the bandages covering your forearm. He sniffed the bandages, then sneezed.
"It was just an accident." You told Blaze. "I'm fine now."
He snorted, pinning his ears back, stomping one of his front hooves on the ground. His eyes turned from gentle to angry and you knew he knew where you got the cut from. Blaze then headed for the door.
"No wait!" You tried to call him back, but he wouldn't listen. Blaze had one thing in his mind. Find Loki.
You jumped out of bed and ran up to your horse grabbing him by his mane. "You need to stop." You told Blaze.
He didn't listen.
Instead he continued to trot out of your room down the halls of the palace with you getting dragged along.
You tried to plant your feet into the grown but it did nothing. Other than making you fall forward, making you even more useless as you hung onto Blaze's mane.
Blaze reached Loki's room, barging in without even stoping.
Loki was up, lounging on one of his couches, calmly reading a book when Blaze and you burst into his room.
Blaze stopped, glaring at Loki when he found him.
You, on the other hand, finally let go of your horse's mane, landing on your butt.
"Well this is a surprise." Loki said amusingly.
"Ain't it though?" You asked him as you stood up.
"Now Blaze." You told your horse firmly standing in front of him, between him and Loki. "You can't just go around being mad at Loki."
Blaze snorted and stomped his hoof angrily.
"I know all you want to do is keep me safe, but Loki's not going to hurt me."
Blaze snorted in disbelief gesturing with his head to your bandaged arm.
"Again." You relented. "And the cut isn't even that bad. You know how many horses I've fallen off of. How many injuries I have gotten from being an equestrian. I'm just an occupational hazard. Can you please just try to get along with my boyfriend?"
Blaze snorted a shook his massive head.
"For me?" You asked hopefully.
Blaze looked form you to Loki back to you. After a long while he finally relented nuzzling your neck in agreement.
"Thank you." You told him, hugging his massive head. Blaze will never like Loki, but he wouldn't hurt him unless he was extremely provoked. Blaze cared for you and you cared for Loki.
"This was not how I imagined this morning going." Loki told you from where he was still seated in the couch. "How did Blaze get into the castle?"
"I do not know." You told Loki turning to face him. "He woke me up this morning in my room. I think he wants to go out for a ride."
       "Now (y/n)" Loki began his face turning from amusement to concern. "It's not safe here for you."
       "I know I know." You sighed. "I'm only human. But I won't be alone. Blaze will be with me, and I won't be gone long."
Loki still didn't look sold on the idea. But he finally relented. "If your not back in one hour I will have every palace guard looking for you." Loki told you firmly. "And you will not be going on a trail ride alone again as long as we are here." Loki tried to sound stern, he really did, but it came out as more lovingly exasperated than anything.
"Thank you!" You told Loki running up and giving him a tackle hug along with a kiss.
"Your hour starts now." Loki told you giving you his best stern look.
You laughed. "We better get going bud." You told your horse.
Blaze nickered in agreement and with a flash of his golden magic your cloths changed form pajamas to jeans and a t-shirt, though you still had no shoes. You didn't mind, it was fun riding with no shoes.
You kissed Loki again before jumping onto Blazes back.
"Don't let my father see your horse in his palace." Loki bid you warmly. "He won't find it amusing."
You told him that you wouldn't as you and Blaze trotted out the door.
"Morning Thor." You greeted the half awake god as he poked his head out of his room to see what all the commotion was about.
Horse hooves on marble floors weren't exactly stealthy.
"What is going on out here." Thor asked, not used to seeing horses in the palace.
"I'm going out for a morning ride." You told him. "Don't worry Loki knows." And with that you and Blaze trotted the rest of the way down the hall. Leaving a very confused Thor behind.
Not only did you want to ride your horse you also wanted to think about the dream you had last night. The feeling it gave you... the absolute coldness you felt there.
You knew it wasn't just a nightmare.