Change || Loki.

24.

Loki stared at the girl for a moment as she took his wrist in her hand and gently pulled him with her. It was quite bold of her considering Loki hadn't uttered a single word to her all this time.

She lead him to her small cabin, right underneath a huge oak tree. Loki was hesitant to say the least but he was too tired to protest. The cabin was smaller than it looked from the outside but it felt homely and warm. He liked it a lot.

She left him standing while she pulled out a medium sized copper box from a shelf and opened it up. She lowered her gaze to the cushioned seat and then looked back up again, gesturing him to sit.

"Aren't you gonna ask for my name?" She asked, dabbing a piece of wet cotton against his bleeding wounds. Loki looked into her eyes, almost as if waiting for her to answer. She snickered and shook her head gently, looking back down. "I'm Aurora." She murmured.

"I'm Loki." He spoke in a whisper, finally after a long moment of silence. Despite his low pitch, his voice sounded husky, causing Aurora to think what would have been the last time he drank water. Without a single word shared between the two, Aurora stood and walked towards the other side of the chamber which appeared to be a kitchen.
From a tub of water, she scooped out some in the shell of a passion fruit. She brought it to Loki and placed it in his hands. Loki as quick to drink all of, his thirst unbearable after having a sight to the elixir.

The availability of such equipments gave Loki the impression that she too had accidentally landed on this planet.

"You've lived here all your life?" Loki asked, his curiosity taking over. The girl shook her head in denial while Loki stood up.

"Let's go outside." She said as she walked out, her hips swaying gently.

They walked towards the river while the leaves rustled as the wind blew swiftly against the two. "I'm from a place called Vanaheimr. I'm not sure if you'd recognise it." She said, sitting down by the banks of the river. Loki followed her actions and sat down. "I've heard of it, yes, from my father." He said, the moment the word 'father' crossed his lips, he felt his chest clench. She glanced up at him and eyed him carefully before turning her gaze away.

"That's rare."

Silence built up again amongst the two but it wasn't uncomfortable, it was rather good to have.

Loki looked at the mother and son across the river, filling their clay pots with water and leaving with their hands intwined. A smile pulled over his lips, denying the pain in his heart.

"Were you close with your parents?" She asked, noticing the smile on his face, looking at the mother and son. "Not really, no."

"Why not? Did you not love them?" She wanted to know about this man. It had been a long time since she spoke to anyone but herself. Loki chuckled bitterly at her question and shook his head.

"A child always loves his parents. They are the only option he has. My parents, they had another option. A better son." That is all he said, but it was enough to make Aurora understand him. She offered him silence which Loki appreciated a lot more than unwanted pity.

"It's beautiful, this place. So serene and calm." Loki commented, diverting the tense topic. "It is." She agreed. Loki leaned back against the tree behind him and rested. He shut his eyes close while the cold wind tickled the side of his neck.

It didn't take long for his tired self to fall into a deep sleep while the calming whispers of the waterfall engulfed him into tranquility.

All the traumatic memories were pushed aside from his head and the only thing that stayed was solitude.

His breaths were light and feathery and his face looked more relaxed than ever. The silly girl chuckled, looking at the man asleep, shaking her head before leaving for her cabin.

Hours later, the sound of raindrops pattering against the leaves woke him up from a dreamless sleep. Loki let out a short sigh as he stood up. He took a long breath of the cool, fresh air as he smiled a little. He hadn't slept this well ever.

He looked around and noticed the absence of Aurora. He assumed she might be in the cabin and his feet automatically made their way there.

When Loki put a thought into the girl, he realised that she too must be lonely. She offered such great help to him without any selfish wants. It only seemed as if she wanted company.

He stood by the door of her cabin, his hand resting against the frame. "May I come in?" The girl looked up from the book in her hand, pulled out of her trance and nodded with a welcoming smile.

"Slept well?" She asked, laughing. "Very." He answered, looking down at his feet with a shy grin.

"What are you reading?" Loki asked, interested in the book she held. The sight of a book always urged Loki to read it. This time was no different. Without a word, she raised the book towards Loki, gesturing him to take it.

Loki glanced at it and slowly, let his hand reach out for it. It was untitled. When he opened the book, he stared at the cursive handwriting flipped through the pages. "What is it about?" Loki asked, still looking down at it.

"Everything." She answered, getting up to stand beside him. "It has answers to every question a man can ask." Loki looked up at her confused. "So if I search the pages with a query, I get the answer?"

"You will." She said with an encouraging nod. "The only problem is, it is you who decides whether it is the answer or not."

Loki stared at her, amusement flickering in his eyes. "You're a funny fish, Aurora."
He admired her.