Chapter 1
Hi, everyone! I haven't really put out any of my work. This is a first to me. It's currently lockdown in area so I thought I'd give it a try. I apologize for any grammatical errors. Let me know and I'd fix it. Thank you for reading!
Hope you like it :)
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The sun shined brightly this morning as hundreds of men and women marched along the unpaved road in the countryside. Procession from the main city to the destination was estimated to last 10 days at the speed everyone was on. His father, the All Father, demands that his second son be touring their land.
The prince grew tired and the sun continued to beat down heavily on him and he had been on his horse for hours now. His body soaked with sweat and dirt, his raven black hair caked with grease. His legs and back aches even more so. He hasn't had a decent bath in 7 days now. There has been no river nor lake for him to do his business without his people seeing him in his glory. No he didn't like that.
"Your Highness, it's been five hours. The horses need rest and we need to make camp soon." The soldier said, galloping with his own horse just throttling behind him.
The man with the raven black hair nodded and answered, "Let's make camp at the foot of the hill. It will have enough space to accommodate our party."
"Yes, Your Highness. I will send someone ahead to check the area." Said the soldier. He nodded in agreement and the soldier shouted something and another soldier riding his horse came running much faster, in a hurry to follow the command.
Sun is now slowly setting. The tents have been put up. The horses were fed and given water. The women are preparing supper for the whole army. The men talking to themselves circling the fire. Nothing was out of the ordinary. It was too boring. Everything has been a constant replica of what happened yesterday and the day before that. The raven haired man sighed and he looked over the horizon.
He has been on horseback for a week now. This was his chance to stretch his legs and get away from all these people even for just a couple of hours. He needed peace, a place to think far from the crowd who has always stolen glances from the raven hair prince, beloved and favoured by the All Mother and not so by the All Father.
"To the hill it is." He mumbled to himself. There was still some sunlight. He carried his staff with him and he walked towards the small hill.
He had magic in him and he was an excellent fighter. He wasn't worried with threats of bandits lingering in the woods ready to attack any traveler passing by. One would be a fool if anyone tried to rob the second prince of Asgard.
Ascending the top of the hill, his eyes caught something red in the distance. it seemed like a piece of cloth dancing with wind. He slowly and stealthily approaches it. Maybe tonight will be different, he thought. Coming up close to the figure he was astonished to finally see it was a girl. The girl was on her back to the forest floor, unconscious, her clothes ripped in several different places. She had wounds all over her body. He looks closely at her injuries. Definitely, swords and arrows were the weapons used to attack this poor girl. Blood soaked in a once white dress. Somebody wanted this girl dead. Who knows how long she has been here. The raven haired man reached his hand toward the woman to check if she was breathing.
As soon as his hand touched her neck, her eyes opened wide, gasping and reaching for air as if it was running away from her.
She sat up and said, "Loki, I'm glad you're alright!" She gave him a bone crushing hug which took the prince by surprise. Who was this woman? Why does she call me by my birth name so insouciantly?
Before the third question, can even be thought, he knocked her out with his hand leaving the woman unconscious yet again. He was intrigued, yes. Nobody outside of the Capitol really knew how he looked. His brother's face was well known across the land. He on the other hand was not. This tour's ultimate goal was for their people to be graced with his presence. To meet the infamous, reclusive second prince and break the rumors that have shrouded his being. This tour has just gotten interesting. He needed answers and he would get them no matter what.
He smiled as he started lifting the girl off the ground. He carried her back to camp. The healer was called to attend to the girl's wounds. He noticed that the healer kept glancing towards the direction of the prince.
"No, I didn't do this to her. I found her that way." He announced knowing the running questions behind those quiet looks. The healer nodded in acknowledgement and continued working on the injuries on the girl on the bed of the prince. He also wondered the same thing the prince has been thinking all this time. Who was this girl and why was she wanted dead?
She should have been dead. The blood loss was far too great. Her injuries were too deep as well. The one absolute fact about this injured girl was she was healed before by magic.
"No Asgardian healer or anyone in the nine realms, can even best death. Someone has healed her with great magic but why leave her on top of the hill?" Silent thoughts of the Asgardian healer. He continued working on the sleeping girl as the prince looked on.