The King and The Lionheart (Loki fanfic V:1)

Stay Alive Part 5

Everywhere I walk the people who live here are glancing my way and whispering to each other. I sigh and turn around to go find the rest of my team when I almost run into someone. I have to tilt my head up to see that it's Bjorn. "Oh, so it's not just me that they were whispering about," I say and rub the back of my neck as I take a step back so that I'm not inches away from him.

He chuckles causing his chest to rumble "I'm not the type of person that gets overlooked, no it wasn't just you."

"So, why were you following me?" I ask trying not to look at the scar on his face.

"It's dangerous to go alone, especially for someone like you," He says softly.

"'Especially for someone like me'? For someone who is thought to not be able to fight well?" I ask crossing my arms readying myself for another argument.

"For someone so small," He corrects me with a small smile.

I stare at him for a second in disbelief and then find myself laughing. It feels good, it's been a while since I genuinely laughed. But at the same time hearing myself make those sounds, it feels wrong at the same time. He chuckled for a minute before watching me with a gleam in his eyes. "Sorry, it's just been awhile since someone brought up my height. People usually bring up other issues when it comes to me."

He tilts his head as if asking what things people bring up but I honestly don't want to bring up my downsides in front of people I don't know. He can see that I won't be telling him and gestures with his head to follow him. We go back to outside the leader's tent to hear some arguing coming from inside. "Oh thank the gods you two are back," Eliina says softly when she see us approaching.

"How long has this been going on?" I ask just as quietly.

"Several minutes," She whispers. "Escape plan?"

I'm slightly surprised she's asking to have an escape plan "Bjorn, find the other two be quick but discreet," I say leaving no room for questions, luckily he obeys right away and goes off to look for Einar and Frode. "What do you think about to the right between those tents? It's not the fastest way out but it's the way with the least amount of armed civilians."

She nods and the rest of our team comes back trying to hide their slight anxiousness. I've missed this feeling. I've missed the uncertainty of whether or not I'll be alive tomorrow. I feel a bubble growing in my chest and suddenly Caldor is thrown out of the tent. I jump slightly readying myself to run or fight, whichever is needed of me.

I then see a beautiful woman follow our leader out of the tent except she seems livid while he seems to be trying to keep his cool. I hear Einar gasp at the scene unfolding before us. I wonder if any of the people here speaks blubbering, breathless screeches. I feel uncertainty sweep over me as Einar and Eliina start to giggle at what's happening.

The woman throws a shoe at Caldor's head and he gets off the ground throwing his hands in the air in surrender. Finally she goes back into the tent she came storming out of and someone gives us some supplies and we're told to set up camp. We go into the woods deep enough that we can still see them but they would only be able to make out the fire we'll have later.

We clear the area we're staying at of sticks, rocks, and other things that we wouldn't be able to sleep on. Finally night falls and Frode builds a fire. Einar starts to get ingredients ready to make some form of stew with, my stomach can't help but rumble at the thought of finally having food.

While Einar is cooking the food Eliina brought up the idea that she had earlier about each of us taking turns asking questions and then everyone has to answer. I feel so awkward, I haven't felt like since I arrived at Asgard, as if I don't belong but I have to be here. I feel like this is a slightly childish, but then again, it might be the fact that I don't want to share my life with strangers.

We go around asking random questions; what's your age, favorite color, favorite animal, and a lot of other favorite questions. I stop paying attention to what their answers are and then I hear Einar ask if anyone here has ever truly loved anyone yet. I ignore his glances as I feel adrenaline pump through my system and I feel my jaw clench so tight I feel like I'm going to break.

No one seems to want to answer first so Einar answers his own question "I'm too much to be held down, myself," I know this was to loosen up the air but the awkward chuckles that go around our group, while we huddle around the fire for warmth.

"I am," Eliina answers smiling into the fire.

"Too in love with the battlefield," Frode answers.

"I need a drink," Caldor says and leaves the group seeming to have had enough of this.

"I have a wife, two daughters and a son," Bjorn says grinning with pride.

I'm the only one that hasn't either answered or left. "I have been," I whisper staring into the fire feeling as if I could see his eyes staring back at mine from within the embers. We eventually fall asleep one by one, I stare at the stars through the canopy of leaves and feel darkness overtake me eventually.

The next day we go back and Eliina tells me on our trek back to the leader's tent that the woman that was screaming at Caldor was an ex fiancé of his. It seems that once he was enlisted in Odin's army he ceased all contact with her and this broke her heart. I may have to respect him as my leader on these mission but he is most certainly is not great when it comes to romance.

I walk fast enough to catch up with Caldor who's walking ahead of the group a little ways "So," I say and he jumps slightly and glares at me. I know that he doesn't like me but he seriously needs to get over himself "Are you going to take my advice of going in with you this time?"

He sighs and wipes his face with a hand as if actually contemplating this. "Maybe," He whispers. "I was thinking that it wouldn't be a good idea to go in there this time. How long were you the king's adviser?"

"Over a hundred years," I answer trying not to make it sound like I'm bragging. He nods and I can see a look of slight defeat overcome his face.

"If we're going to ensure the majority of this planet's peace treaty we're going to need someone in a better position to talk to them," He says almost more to himself than to me. I simply nod knowing that this means I get to try to keep the peace. If the past me say this she would be terrified of the responsibility now on my shoulder but I'm used to trying to keep the peace by now.

When I get to the tent I'm escorted in by a guard and I see an older woman sitting on a throne. Which I wonder if they drug it out all this way or if they had it specially made. "Where is the man from yesterday? I had more things I wished to speak to him about," She says with a frown looming on her face.

"Forgive me, your majesty, but he thought it best to send me in his stead, especially after what transpired yesterday. I come in his stead to talk about a possible peace treaty," I say and fold my hands gracefully making my body language say that while I will listen to what she has to say. A stance that is open to her needs but we aren't leaving without her word.