The Hermit Herbalist

Chapter 3 - Mistrust

Clint was want to admit it, but he was starving when he came to again. A heavenly aroma pervaded the dwelling, and he turned his head to see what Loki had been cooking. Some kind of bird was roasting over the fire, and she was sprinkling seasoning over it. Her skirts were bunched up in the back to keep them away from the sparks as they shot out onto the dirt floor. When she turned to get something from a shelf, Clint saw her pale calves. Completely without blemish, and very firm by the looks of them. He started to sit up, and groaned audibly. Loki did an about face and looked at him with bright eyes. "Ah! I see that you are awake," she said, pouring a cup and extending it to him. Clint studied it with uncertainty. "Oh! Save me from the stupidity of men! If I wanted you dead, I would have left you in the ditch where I found you!" Loki snapped, shoving it at him instead.

"Save me from you, somebody," Clint retorted and Loki's eyes narrowed. She kept the cup there and Clint kept staring at it. Loki withdrew without making a sound and downed the contents of the cup herself. She gave him a hint of a smile before turning back to the fire.

"Let me know when your pride eats your stomach out," she said as she sliced through the bird and put some on a wooden plate. Some greens accompanied it and she poured what looked like wine into a cup for herself. She sat down at a little table and proceeded to eat without acknowledging Clint again. Clint strove to sit up again and Loki gave him no warnings. She kept eating her own meal, quietly and with delicate manners. Clint was proud of himself as he stood to his feet and began to shuffle to where his things were lying. "And where do you think you're going?" Loki asked as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. Clint gathered his newly repaired duster, bow, quiver, and his guns.

"I'm leaving," Clint informed her.

"And going where?" Loki asked diplomatically as she leaned forward in her seat and studied him. "You're on Nornheim now. If you think you can call on Heimdall to bring you back to Asgard, you're sadly mistaken. The Norns, the Goddesses of Fate, control this realm. They use their powers to block Heimdall's sight and ears. He cannot find you. No one can." Clint felt as if his entire life was at an end. They could not find him? How was that possible?

"You're lying. It's what you do best," Clint snapped as he stormed out of the door, carrying his things hap-hazardly behind him.

"Barton! Come back!" Loki called. She rose up from her chair and followed him out the door. "Barton, you cannot leave!  You're not completely healed!" Loki said, reaching out and catching hold of Clint's arm. His reaction was immediate, spinning around and backhanding her with enough force to knock her to the ground. Loki did not raise her head again, her one hand up to shield her face from further onslaught. Clint gasped, stepping back as he realized what he had done. He had done the same thing his dad had done to his mom before he killed them both in a car crash.

"I'm leaving now," Clint said, not apologizing for the action, even if he did feel guilty about it. "Don't try to stop me." Loki made no sound, nor did she nod her head in acknowledgement. Clint began a swift walk away from her and her house, despite his complaining wounds and aching body. He glanced back when he entered the woods, but did not see Loki following him. He wished he could feel a sense of victory. However, the slap he had delivered to her face still haunted him. It painfully reminded him of all the times his dad had returned home, drunk and angry, and had beaten his mother. Clint pushed the images from his mind and kept on moving. When he felt he was safe enough distance from Loki's hovel, he put his duster back on and adjusting his quiver. With his bow in hand, Clint continued his advance through the woods. There was an arrow on his string, and he was ready for anything. Or so he thought.

There was a snap and Clint spun around, but found himself caught up in a net for his troubles. He twisted about, only causing himself pain as he tried to find his knife. "Look what we have here?" said a snide voice and Clint glanced down and saw the same man he had seen at Loki's house before. However, he was reinforced by two other men.