Edderkopp - Drider!Loki

Eighteen

The crossing of the conveniently felled tree proved to be less than a secure one, the rain slicking up the bark in a way that barely phased my companions but had me praying to deities I didn't believe in for a safe passage and not a, perhaps to some, righteous fall to my death.

By the time I reached solid ground on the other side, my knees were shaking and I couldn't keep my hands steady.

Thor and Loki stood beneath a canopy of trees, one watching with an amused smirk and the other with an unreadable expression that made my already shaking legs feel even more like jelly.

"I think it's time we call it a night here, don't you?" Loki said, a little too jovially for my liking, as he looked towards the sky. "I don't think this will let up anytime soon, if anything it's going to get worse by the looks of the clouds."

"You're still happy to sleep around them after what I just said?" Thor asked, rearing on Loki with a look of angry betrayal.

"For now, yes," Loki nodded. "I have no real reason to distrust motives as of yet."

"So you think that some folk tale about missing princes and a curse is more likely than them trying to get us as close to the treeline as possible before slaughtering us for our meat?"

"Truthfully, yes."

Thor's jaw set and he shook his head, leaning away from the drider as he eyed him from head to toe.

"I am not resting near-"

"Oh, do give it a break," Loki sighed with a roll of his eyes. "You have relaxed, shared food and slept alongside us this entire trip and not even one solitary scale has been lifted from your body. We have been in vulnerable positions this entire time and yet, you would rather choose the words of pixies than the actions of a human."

"Perhaps you are easily fooled."

"Or perhaps you are too easily swayed."

The tension between them sat heavily in my stomach and I knew that I had to disrupt, yet I could the build up of nerves made the weakness in my legs worse and my fingers started to feel numb and tingly.

Unfortunately, certain things are unavoidable.

"Guys, please," I said as I stepped forward, lifting my hands passively. "I think we all need to settle down, let our heads cool down and discuss this in the morning after we've had some rest and some food."

Thor's stony glare made a shiver run down my spine, one that had me taking a deep and shaky breath.

"I know you're not my biggest supporter right now, but please it's getting late and the weather is taking another turn...just...let's talk things over before you completely turn back."

There's a lingered silence before he finally scoffed and turned his head away.

"Fine, but I am not sleeping anywhere near you."

"I can accept that."

"It wouldn't matter if you didn't."

Turning away, Thor slithered off to another canopy of trees that sat on the other side of a ten foot break in the foliage, a mud path snaking through the grass and indicating just how far people would typically go before turning to walk back with their foraged goods.

The path never reached the bridge and I could imagine people stood at the five foot point, staring towards the rickety and rundown rope and wood before turning away, deciding the cross wasn't worth the risk no matter what may lay on the other side.

Only the foolish dared venture far enough to open Pandora's box and enter the realm of the beasts.

Loki must have caught on to my mental turmoil as I watched Thor's retreating back, as he skittered closer and lay a hand on my shoulder, his thin fingers giving it a light squeeze.

"Don't fret, little human, he shall come round once again."

"And if he doesn't?" I frowned, looking up at him.

"Then we shall simply have to continue our quest alone and leave the fool behind."

I could only nod in response, though my heart squeezed at the thought of leaving Thor behind as we continued, something about it just didn't feel right but it wasn't as though I could force him. Especially not with how hard-headed he was.

"Come, let us settle for the night, we can speak to him in the morning."

With a loaded sigh, I could only nod again before turning to look over the canopy in search of the thickest spot that would help keep us sheltered for the night.

---

The little sleep I got was unsettled and sporadic.

I couldn't get comfortable and once I had, my mind raced too much for me to be able to relax, so instead I found myself staring through the darkness to Loki who was resting above me in a quickly made web.

'That's going to collapse one day.'

"Oh, shut up," I mumbled as I rolled over, glaring into the darkness as my brain continued to fire off stupid thoughts.

Rolling onto my side, I adjusted my cape-blanket and instead stared towards the trees that were partially hidden by a darkness that my eyes just couldn't adjust to.

While gazing into nothing worked in making my eyes feel heavy to the point of struggling to keep them open, it didn't lead to me managing to fall asleep and so, after lying in a futile denial for a while longer, I decided to get up and try to pace myself to tiredness. When that didn't work, I decided to sit beside the tree we had crossed and stare towards the sky, admiring the stars and the light as the sun started to rise far off in the distance.

Even with the peaceful scene set out in front of me, I couldn't settle my mind and I knew the trek to the outskirts of the forest was going to prove long once we started in the morning.

Thinking of the sunlight filled my stomach with dread, knowing that it would mean having to face Thor and answer questions or accusations I simply didn't have the answer or proof to.

The pit in my stomach worked its way up my chest and to my throat, where I suddenly found it hard to swallow at the mere thought of getting into any kind of conflict, especially with the likes of Thor who, if stories were to be believed, could be rather hot tempered.

There was only so much protection I could hope that Loki would provide for me, but I couldn't rely on him not taking Thor's side in the end and leaving me to return alone at best and eating me at worst.

"They could get maybe two meals out of me if they ration correctly."

"I don't think there would be much to share between them."

The hairs on the back of my neck bristled at the unfamiliar deep voice, my back straightening as the rest of me temporarily froze.

After managing to push the prickles of discomfort aside, I half turned in my spot to scan the area which looked no different for the most part, still dark and damp and...like a habited forest that sat still at first glance.

If they hadn't of moved then I'd have never seen them.

But they did and my eyes immediately shot in their direction to catch the shadow of a head and the beginning of shoulders emerging from one of the larger puddles still drying behind me.

All senses completely left me and before I was aware of what was happening, I tore the silence of the night with a scream.