Eagle (A Loki love story)

Chapter 12

When Thor saw the two of us, he stopped short and stared, causing the two people behind him to walk into him.  I recognized Hogan but the other one was a girl, about my age, who looked very similar to Hogan.  She was wearing a long, simple blue dress and her shortish black hair hung around her shoulders.  She looked at me with curiosity and Loki with fear.  I suddenly realized what position we were in.  If anyone saw us and hadn't heard our conversation, they would assume that he was about to kiss me.

"Well, well.  It seems you have ruined the moment again." Loki glared at Thor, who was rapidly turning a brilliant shade of red, "And just what do you think you're doing in our garden?"

"Loki." I scolded gently and pulled myself out of his grasp, "Please excuse us." I felt him poke at me mentally.

"If you think I'm going to forget what you said, you're wrong."

"Thor, are you going to introduce me to your friend?" The girl asked.

"Of course.  Hannah, this is Mira, a friend from Midgard.  Mira, this is Hannah, Hogan's sister."

"Hi." I said, suddenly shy.  She just nodded back, it appeared that she was a nervous as I was.

"Well, now that we're all acquainted, do excuse us." A pair on long, slender arms encircled my waist and suddenly, we were at....the training grounds?

"But Loki, I thought you said there was a class."

"There normally is but Thor loves to show off and is always there.  I figured since he was in the gardens showing a guest around, that there was no class and therefore space for us."

"I didn't pin you as someone who would spend a lot of time here."

"No more than required.  It gets dull after several hundred years."

"But you can fight." I confirmed.  He nodded.

"I prefer to use magic but when I must, I will use daggers."

"But nothing else?"

"I do not like burdening myself with cumbersome weapons, I do not wish to look like a bumbling fool.  I use whatever I can get my hands on during the battle."

"Loki, you could never look like a bumbling fool.  Which weapon would you recommend I learn to use?"

"A little bit of everything but I think you should specialize in smaller, lighter weapons."

"So daggers?"

"Or katanas."

"Well, I know how to use those already.  I owned a pair of them back at SHIELD but I didn't have the chance to grab them before I came here.  Is it possible–"

"Absolutely.  Katanas are becoming less popular in favor of the double-bladed staff and the sword.  I am certain there are several lying around, perhaps in here." He led me into a room that was filled with weapons at every turn and as he promised, there were several pairs of katanas sitting in the back collecting dust.  They were all lovely but not quite the size or style I was used to.  Despite the fact that most of them weren't being used anymore and the layer of dust that was slowly forming, they were still as good as new, the blades were sharp and glinted in even the dullest light.  But none of them caught my attention.  Loki was no showing no signs of impatience, he was just leaning against one of the racks of swords watching me with observant eyes.  Just as I was about to give up, I saw something in the corner, hidden behind the dangling battle axes.  I had to squeeze between the rack and the wall to retrieve it.  I pulled out pair of slightly rusty, long katanas, slightly too long to use in flight but they were the closest to my style.  When I looked again, a saw a smaller pair but I couldn't quite reach them.