The battle raged on. It was hot, the sun beating down on both sides of the battle. The smell of sweat and blood overwhelmed the naturally sweet air.

"Behind you!" Loki shouted at Thor who spun around and swung Mjolnir into the face of an opponent. Thor nodded solemnly at Loki. Loki nodded back before spinning on his own heel and throwing a dagger into the heart of an enemy.

The battle continued this way for days until both sides started to drop to the ground in exhaustion. Both princes fought on, leading their forces until the enemy called for a retreat. But just before the last enemy soldier had retreated, one loosed an arrow which flew straight at the Lady Sif. Sif turned just in time to see a raven haired man charging towards her, throwing her to the ground. Sif sputtered as she got a handful of dirt in her mouth, spitting and choking on the soil. She turned to growl at Loki, but he was doubled over, an arrow in his side.

A roar rang through the battlefield, the enemy charging back down the hill. Sif glanced at Thor who was rooted in place, staring at his fallen brother. His blue eyes slipped up to meet Sif's gaze. "Take him away! Go!" Thor shouted urgently.

Sif glanced down at Loki, who was now pale and sweaty, clutching at the arrow which was lodged just beneath his ribcage. "GO!" She heard Thor shout once more.

Sif stumbled down to Loki, taking his arm over her shoulder and hoisting him up. She dragged him off the battlefield, the prince trying to walk the best he could but tripping time and time again, leaning heavily against her. Thoughts of how ridiculous this was entered Sif's head. The traitor should be dead. She was tempted to leave him, to let him die for all he had done to Asgard and Midgard.

But something stopped her from dropping the prince then and there. Sentiment, guilt, or duty… she didn't know which. She couldn't let him die.

She spotted a cave nearby, fortunate for the both of them. She gladly let go of Loki so that he tumbled to the floor with a grunt. "Don't tell me I have to help patch you up too." Sif grumbled.

Loki sighed, pushing himself up against the cave wall. "No. I can do that on my own." He was silent for a moment, not meeting her gaze. "I assume I must thank you for getting me to safety."

Sif's eyes narrowed as she looked down at the wounded man. "I did it because I had to. I don't believe I have to thank you for taking the arrow for me either, after all the stuff you've pulled over the last century."

Loki chuckled breathily, clutching his side harder. "That is your right, I guess." He sighed, glancing at the tiny cave entrance. "We should probably retreat farther into the cave. We do not want our enemies seeing us."

Sif surveyed the entrance before nodding in agreement. She didn't bother to help the prince up, but walked right past him to the far back of the cave. Loki watched her before pushing himself to his feet, feeling a pulsing pain in his side that could only mean poison. He gasped as it hit his head, making his vision blur and head pound.

Sif watched as Loki limped to the back of the cave where she sat, an arrow still in his side. She watched as he sat across from her, looking down at the arrow. She winced as he slowly coaxed the arrow shaft out of his leather. He glanced at her wearily before unbuckling the clasps to his leather armor and shrugging it off, leaving a thin tunic on underneath. Blood coated his green tunic, staining it brown.

"Interesting. No arrow head." He muttered as he studied his wound.

"Wouldn't it help if you took off your tunic?" Sif asked irritably.

Loki smirked. "Are you asking me to undress, Lady Sif?"

"No. I'm asking you if it would help to see your wound better without at tunic on." Sif replied flatly.

Loki's smirk faded. "I don't want to take it off."

Sif glared at him. "How are you going to patch it up then?"

Loki tore a piece of fabric from his tunic, wrapping it tightly around his waist, tying knots and weaving other pieces of fabric until the wound stopped gushing blood. Loki pressed himself against the cave wall, panting, his face more pale than usual.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Sif asked, slightly impressed and suspicious. "Let me guess. Those glorious books of yours?"

Loki shook his head, coughing up a chuckle. "Experience."

"You can't have been shot with an arrow more than once. You've always been careful about avoiding injury."

Loki avoided eye contact. "Let us drop this useless conversation. It only matters that I know how to do it."

Sif rolled her eyes. "Fine." Sif glanced at the distant light that was the cave entrance. "Let's just hope we aren't here for too long."

Loki sighed. "Thor will find us. And if he doesn't come to find me, he'll come to find you."

Sif nodded and the both of them fell into an uneasy silence. It began to get late, the sounds of the battle winding down. They couldn't risk going outside, so they would have to wait until the battle was over.

Sif fumed. She should be out there with Thor and the Warriors Three, fighting. Not babysitting the traitor prince.

She felt her eyes start to droop, Loki's already closed. What could be wrong with a short nap?