Edderkopp - Drider!Loki

Fifteen

We all stared in silence at Raspy, me in bemusement, Thor with a thoughtful frown and Loki with a look that wished death upon them both.

"You're ridiculous," the drider scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Humans may not be the most trustworthy but I don't believe for a second that we're being sold off."

"The human will sell you!" High-pitched screeched, throwing their arms into the air for dramatic effect.

"They'll make pelts out of you," Raspy added, flying closer to Loki's face and making him flinch back. "Naga scales sell for a pretty penny."

"Drider pelt isn't likely to be highly coveted," he replied with a sneer. "If anything it would be the silk we spin that would be sought after."

"Then it's selling that!"

Loki stared at the pixie closest to him then shook his head and promptly, much to everyone's surprise, batted them out of the way with the back of his hand so that he could move by.

Raspy let out a startled yell and High-pitched lurched forward to catch them in their spin.

"Loki!" Thor scolded, slithering after him.

Loki glanced over his should then rolled his eyes again.

"Sorry, protector of the forest dwellers, but I have no time for their idiocy."

"That doesn't mean you can literally smack them around," Thor hissed, easily catching up to Loki's side and reaching up to grab that drider's shoulder, forcing him to face him.

There was a strange standoff between them, leaned in whispers that I couldn't hear were being exchanged until I started to approach them, being cautious of passing the pixies in case they decided to play some kind of trick on me.

Once close enough, their expressions gave away the nature of their conversation though they both stopped as I drew too close, not that it stopped Thor from looking uncertain and apprehensive and Loki insulted and irritated.

"You can't be doubting now," Loki seethed through gritted teeth, straining to keep his voice quiet. "Not because of some troublemakers who know nothing of significance beyond the trees."

"But what if they're right?" Thor replied, not attempting to keep his voice down. "We don't know anything about this human, we could be being led into danger and you're believing blindly."

"Not blindly, we are following a hunch."

"Of what? Because we both lack significant memories? That is nothing, Loki."

"But it could be."

"And yet the further we go the more I question the legitimacy of this story, as that is all it is."

"Then leave!"

Loki's voice echoed in the tree canopy and sent a cold chill down my spine, Thor looked taken aback by the usually docile Loki daring to yell at him.

The atmosphere immediately changed into one of awkward silence, no one expecting Loki to snap in such a way and thus leaving us with no reaction, even Loki looked surprised by the volume of his outcry.

He was also the first to recover from it, his face dropping into one of remorse as he looked away, his chin dropping to his chest.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, turning back to face the way we were walking.

I turned to Thor, who was watching Loki's back as the drider continued down the path, pushing aside branches as he disappeared between the trees.

Thor looked to me, our eyes meeting briefly before he diverted his own, his shoulders hunching.

"I didn't wish to upset him," he said, staring at the ground, "I just wanted to point out that...it's true, no offense meant but we are following you with no evidence of truth to this theory of yours."

I nodded slowly, licking my bottom lip before taking a deep breath through my nose.

"I know, Thor, I get it, I wouldn't ask you both to trust me in full faith but," I frowned in thought then shook my head and shrugged, "I think Loki needs this."

"You think his reasoning is that simple?"

"I'm sure it's more complex but in layman's terms, I guess that's what I'd say."

Thor sighed, running a black nailed hand through his dirty and tangled hair.

"Perhaps, I shall speak to him and see if we can settle this, though I make no promises that I will follow from here."

"Of course," I smiled. "I'll give you two a minute to patch things up."

"Don't fall behind too far," he said, giving me a wry and uncertain smile, "I would wish to say farewell before we part ways if that's what I choose."

"Wouldn't dream of missing it but I do hope you'll stick around, even for just a bit longer."

He gave me a look of understanding and then slithered off into the shadows after Loki, branches snapping under his weight and the breeze rustling the leaves overhead being the only sounds as I watched him disappear, my hands resting behind my back.

I waited for a couple of passing beats until I was sure that they were far enough ahead to have privacy and then I spun around, eyes scanning the area until they fell upon the two pixies.

With a surge of anger, I stomped forward and snatched at each of them, catching one of their legs in either of my hands to pull them closer to my face.

They were rather hideous little things up close, completely different to the cute things I'd seen illustrated in storybooks when I was a child.

Not that it mattered, my irritation with them would have made me lash out even if they were as adorable as the fluffiest pups.

High-pitched was letting out grunts of discomfort and pushing against my hand to break free while Raspy was trying to twist around to nip and bite at my thumb and finger, neither of them being particularly successful in either endeavour.

"You two, listen and listen good," I seethed, my eyes narrowing into a cold glare, "and be sure to spread this through the forest to every being you cross."

They both stopped what they were doing, staring at me, likely as startled by the shift as I had been by my annoyance.

"If you or any other thing within these trees try to impede on my business again then I shall see to it that you and this beautiful expanse of land all burn, am I clear?"

There was no immediate answer, both of them merely hung there and stared in stunned silence until I gave them a little shake, startling them back to reality.

"Y-Yeah! We get it," High-pitched squeaked, a sound like cutlery scraping on a plate.

"We won't stop you, promise," Raspy nodded meekly.

"No stupid rumours?" I asked, looking between them both.

"None," Raspy shook their head, holding one hand up while putting the other to their chest. "Promise."

"Good," I said, letting their legs go with a disgustingly sweet smile. "Then I think we're done here."

The two wasted no time in backing away from me, Raspy grabbing for High-pitch's arm in some form of security as they both eyed me warily before hastily turning tail and flying off.

I watched until they were no longer in sight and then dusted off my hands while turning back to our path, ready to catch up to my companions.