Trying something a little different, the chapters for this story will only be five pages as opposed to my usual seven. Let me know if the difference is horrific or not? xoxo

Happenstance

Well past midnight an old farmhouse sat alone amongst a thicket of trees. It had been a family farm, dating back so long no one knew when it was built anymore. The last few generations had gone from agriculture to animals, animals all the way down to a simple sustaining property. The last of the family line owned the land now. Keeping a few horses, chickens, cows, and even pigs. Just enough to keep it running. Trees had overtaken much of the fields not left for the animals, and the thick forest stretched for miles.

So late in the evening, the farms sole inhabitant sat in her plush armchair, her legs curled under her and her eReader in her hand. A warm fire crackled in the fireplace across from her and a delicate cup of tea sat freshly refilled on the table beside her. A smile flickered on her face and a soft chuckle emitted from her pink lips. Something in the digital pages tickled her in delight.

Looking up at the grandfather clock on the far wall Iselle realized she had left Marcus outside. As if on cue, the husky began barking. Iselle laughed and stood to let him in but her body froze as his barking became primal and desperately agitated. Fear had her bolting through to the kitchen and out the screen door. She ran off the porch and towards the picket fence surrounding the house. Marcus stood there, snarling and woofing towards the treeline.

In a hushed voice Iselle asked the canine what was wrong. He looked back at her and whimpered, ceasing his barking, before turning his head towards the sky above the trees. Her eyes searched the dark treeline with her heartbeat rushing in her ears. A flashing light in the sky drew her attention. A bright comet flew through the sky. Its tail blue and looked as if it were made of ice. Iselle's eyes screwed up in confusion at the strange colors. Then a smile lit up her face, memories of being wrapped in comforters watching meteor showers with her oldest friend passed through her mind.

Marcus started barking with renewed panic drawing her face down in a frown. "Calm down old boy," she reached a pale hand out to pat his head. "It's just a comet, enjoy it while it lasts." In irony a huge crash echoed through the yard, Iselle's head shot up and saw a fire in the far woods before a rush of heat had her stepping back in shock. Horror clutched her chest, snapping into action she ran for the hose she used to spray down the animal stalls. Marcus ran behind her and she made sure it was turned to full flow before sprinting into the woods. The fire was deep enough in, but still within the boundaries of her property. It crackled in a circle about five feet in diameter, the heat rushing over her skin like she was in an oven.

Pulling the lever, a thick stream of water exploded from the hose. It had her stumbling back slightly at first but she pressed on. It didn't take very long for the flames to dissipate and the cold night air to carry away the smoke. Squinting in the moonlight Iselle watched with shock as something moved in the unblemished center of the circle. "Holy crap!" She gasped, rushing forward to help if she could. "What are you doing here?" Before Iselle could reach out for what turned out to be a man he looked up quickly. His face was harsh but his green eyes sparkled so beautifully in their anger.

"Go back into your home." Loki's voice was deep and commanding. He tried to scare her but he didn't succeed. His black hair was nearly to his shoulders and mussed up like it had been slicked back beforehand. The little voice inside Iselle told her to tell him off, she was a strong independant woman. But her eyes darted around the darkness surrounding them and she opted for the creepy voice in her head instead.

"Humans aren't meant to wander in the darkness. That is why they live in the sun." Iselle struggled to not pull out a smile as Loki nearly gaped at her.

His eyes narrowed and he studied her again. "I am not human, go home." Marcus growled at her legs and her interest peaked.

"In that case you'll have to tell me your story, and let me patch that up." She pointed to the huge gash she could see through an even larger rip in his clothes. The leather garb itself being strange, almost from a comic book. Loki scowled as he struggled to stand, he wobbled on his legs and lurched back when Iselle reached for him. One look down at her beast of a dog had him ascertaining she wasn't going to take no for an answer. And what she had said about the night, she may be something more.

Loki's interest, like hers, was over clouding his judgement. "Very quickly, then I must go." Iselle's eyes lit up and she swallowed another grin. Not wanting him to take off she grabbed his hand to pull him with her. At their contact she broke into screams. Swirling lines of blue light shot from his hand and began to wrap their way up her body. Her world went black instantly, leaving the broken god to watch with wide eyes as her body convulsed and blue designs burned into her skin.

Her canine stood barking, wanting to lash out but not sure what to attack. When the light stopped her body shuddered. He reached out to catch her and shook her slightly. Pain shot through his abdomen at the movement. Iselle looked up at him in utter shock, thought rushing back into her head. "What are you doing here?" She mumbled, her words were strange as they left her mouth. Why would she ask such a question?

Loki seemed to be thinking the same thing as he lifted her now limp body to carry her back towards the house. Again pain ripped through him, rage followed at his inability to heal himself. Using the hose to find the path, he grunted his way slowly towards the lights of her farmhouse. Iselle looked up at him with stars in her eyes; his face was bruised and thinly built, the moon lit his pale features like a display. "I have no idea." He murmured, toeing her back door open.

He walked through the warm kitchen seeking out a couch to lay her on. "Oh love," she whispered with tears in her eyes. "You're lost and weaker than you were before." Her voice was wistful and he looked at her in shock before settling her onto the couch. "The heartbreak of betrayal by one who swore to protect you. A foolish and frail little thing." Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment. Satisfied that she was sleeping Loki moved to leave, he needed to heal himself and be on his way.

Looking back down at her he glared at the markings on her skin. "Oh fuck!" She hissed, jolting herself awake and standing quickly. "Your wound!" He was about to object to her moving around when she pulled him up the stairs into a bathroom. "Glad you didn't tentacle rape my hand that time." Iselle tried to make a joke while wiggling her fingers at him in a tentacle mimick.

She went to open the cabinet beside the mirror and gasped at her reflection. Her skin was covered in blue markings, they faded out from the top of her chest so her face and neck were the only parts unmarred. She pulled off her cardigan and stood in only shorts and a tank top. Loki stood behind her, watching her shocked reaction. She even lifted her shirt slightly and gasped. Pulling it down quickly she grabbed her cardigan.

A blush formed on her face when she realized she had exposed her plump abdomen with the stranger behind her. Taking a deep breath, Iselle pulled open the cabinet and took out a large first aid box. She instructed him to sit on the toilet and turned the hot water on. As she rummaged around for some scissors he studied her, he could feel his magic had left him but what had transpired with this supposed human had him thinking she held her own power. For reasons unknown to him he had ignited it inside of her at his touch.

"I need to take off..." her round face screwed up in an attempt to express her instructions. With an exasperated chuckled she waved her hands in a circle around his top half. "All of this stuff, coat, shirt, whatever..." Loki's face of confusion tilted downward to look at his clothes. They smelt of burnt leather and blood, charred and torn from both the battle with his brother and his fall from Asgard.

"I suppose it is trash regardless," he spoke in his regal fashion, taking note of how the girls face flushed when he looked back up at her. "I will request your assistance, I fear this gash is not the worst of my injures." Iselle's blush deepened at his coolly delivered words and she nodded. Not knowing where to begin she opted for the safest route. Instructing him to stay still she carefully cut the clothing off of his thin but toned torso. As the scissors glided through the leather she thanked God she kept them very sharp.

"So what's your name?" She asked lightly, peeling the garments off all at once from his motionless shoulders. Holding in a grimace she took in his wounds, in addition to the large slice above his navel he was littered in dark bruises and minor cuts and burns.

"Loki," the man whispered, his head turned down to take in the damage himself. A strange shock rippled through Iselle's body, noticing her frigid pause he looked up at her. Catching her eyes for only a moment before she turned away, Loki narrowed his own in suspicion. "What is it?" He continued to whisper.

Iselle make busy work of pulling out peroxide, towels, and running the sink with warm water. She shook her head and let a facecloth soak up some water. "It's just not a very common name." She whispered back, pressing the cloth above the wound to let the water squeeze out. Loki hissed and lurched back. A small smile passed her lips.

"You find jest in my pain?" His tone was mock offence and made a small giggle jump from her lips.

"No," she wiped the worst of the dirt and soot off before picking up the peroxide and dropping the cloth in the sink. "Its just if the water hurt you're really going to hate this." And before he could object, Iselle poured the burning liquid along the wound. Loki slammed back against the toilet with a long scream of pain, Iselle pressed his shoulder back against the wall to hold him still.

"You witch!" He yelled in her face, "what are you doing to me?!" This had her laughing aloud while screwing the bottle closed again.

"Would you rather spend two hours by horse going to a hospital filled with humans?" The sparkle in her eye and the quirk to her lips had Loki calming as she blatantly teased him.

His head swooped down in a small nod and he gave her a pleased glance. "You have a good point."

Iselle gave him a nod, "now you're not bleeding out but you do need stitches, so stand in the shower and strip to your skivvies and I'll get you cleaned up first."

Loki stood but gave her a confused look, "my what?" He gawked, only causing her to chuckle again.

"Your pants, take off your boots and trousers." Loki nodded his understanding and let out a groan when reaching for his shoes. Iselle sighed and knelt on the floor, unlacing the first boot she looked up at him. "If it so pleases you my king," her tone was playful but it lit a fire in his belly to hear the words. "Lift your foot out slowly, hold my hand for support." Lifting her right hand, keeping a firm grip on his boot with her right, Loki successfully removed first his left, the his right boot.

They both let out sighs of accomplishment when she stood. "Fantastic, now the trousers." The sheer level of calm she exhibited as she untied the leather and pulled them away from the linen underneath had him seeing her in a motherly role. The woman seemed to be no more than twenty-five, a little early for modern Midgardian child rearing. It furthered Loki's intrigue. Iselle knelt down to help him slip out of the leathers as well, a little confused as to why he went so far with his costume to include full-length pants beneath the leather.

Iselle reached for the scissors again to cut off his pants up to the top of his legs. Leaving him with small modesties had Loki giving her a curt nod of thanks. Gently, she helped him walk over the discards to make it to the shower easily. Thankful again that she hadn't put a tub in this one, it was only a couple inches Loki had to lift his bruised feet over. The demi-god felt immediate shame at the fact his legs wobbled when the woman turned to bring the shower to life. His body seared in pain and his vision wavered until she slipped her arm around his waist again. He felt so weak, the water flowing softly down had a whimper of relief slip from his lips. Iselle smiled at him, "glad it feels better, now brace yourself."

Loki's heart beat faster as she began to run soap along his bare skin. He saw her face flinch when he groaned lowly at her running along the deepest bruises. Somehow her unrelenting kindness had him warming to her; he was like a child, exposed and helpless. The nagging voice inside him whispered that she would wretch if she knew who he really was. Once Iselle had completely cleaned him off, she slipped out of the shower and instructed him to cut off the remainder and try to wash himself. Loki blushed slightly and nodded when she handed him the silver snippers. Iselle closed the curtain and turned to clean up the floor when the cut cloth slipped onto the floor with the scissors.

Bending to pick them up, her face frowned at Loki's whimpers from the effort of moving. For reasons unknown to her it brought tears to her eyes. "I am finished," Loki hissed weakly. Quickly setting down the filled wastebasket, Iselle handed him a towel around the curtain. He wrapped it around his waist and reached for the curtain. A heavy sigh shuddered out of him as her arms, now removed from her dirty cardigan, wrapped around his waist to help carry his weight. Carefully she patted him dry with another towel before leading him to a guest bedroom.

"Hold on while I put down more towels." Iselle smiled and let Loki stand beside the door as she went about covering the carpet at the end of the bed. Helping him lay on them, she rushed back to the bathroom for the first aid kit. Holding a cloth to his skin to catch the remainder, Iselle doused him in peroxide again. It took longer this time around, Loki too exhausted to moan in pain, her hands moving slowly to keep the rest of his skin clean. She worked in silence as she sterilized the needle and fishing line. A cry echoed from Loki as she pushed the edge of the slash together to sew. By the time she finished Loki's head was lolling against the floor, his mind far afield and close to unconsciousness.

Iselle made fast work of cleaning him off and taping bandages on him. Covering a few smaller cuts and double checking the smaller ones, she finally helped him wiggle into a pair of old jogging pants. Loki leaned heavily on the woman as she pulled him up from the pile of towels. Settling him in the bed she was turning to leave when Loki grabbed her wrist weakly. "Please stay with me…" Iselle wasn't even sure if it was a request as his words trailed off and he slipped into sleep. She let out a sigh and curled up at the end of the bed to watch his chest rise and fall. She wasn't quite sure when she had fallen asleep, the exhaustion of her efforts of the night coupled with the now early hour overtook her without much struggle.

The dream was warm, light, and full of the scent of flowers. Peacefully Iselle strolled through a magnificent woodland garden. An immense relief flooded over her, she felt it had been a long time since she ran through the woods. Her pale face frowned at the thought, what would keep her from the delicious green leaves and brown dirt? Iselle began to run with a laugh, her copper hair flowing free and wild behind her. Stopping to kick off mint green slippers she admired her flowing dress of the same color. Her mother loved to dress her in green, saying it brought out the speckles of it in her mostly blue eyes.

Running her hands along the fabric for a moment Iselle stopped and began to spin. Her arms wrapped around her chest, but as she grew faster her arms flew out and laughter chortled from her throat. The sun peaked at her through the tree canopy kissing her freckled cheeks, her sweet laughter became louder. Suddenly Iselle heard a crude voice, stopping her dance, she looked to her left toward a garden enclosed by a small stone semicircle fashioned as a bench. Her smile faltered as a snapping sound and bellowing laughter pierced through her body. Fear gripped her, but her body told her to walk towards the scuffle, she could hear that something was wrong.

Following the distressing sound she rounded the corner. Her eyes narrowed at a circle of strangely dressed men, appearing to be soldiers. As she walked closer to them, she was shocked by what they were doing. They each had a piece of a small ornament in their hands, covered with the most beautiful green jewels. "Where did you get these treasures Trickster? Steal them from some Dwarves?" The men laughed, taunting someone sitting on the stone. Her hands made fists and she found herself quickly running into the sunlight.

Iselle ripped the pieces from their hands, "Why would you do such a thing?" Looking down she saw a man with dark hair, smaller than the others but with his own physical strength. She could feel the pain and anger emanating from him. Assuming this was his item they had taken apart, she gently fell to her knees in front of him.

"Do not worry my darling, I can fix this for you." As she spoke gently to him she placed the pieces in his leather-clad lap. Setting her hands gently on the top of his thighs Iselle turned her head just as he looked up in awe. Missing the sparkle in his emerald eyes as he relished in the smell of her hair and the touch of her dainty hands on his lap. To the soldiers Iselle spoke harshly, "You will leave now, and carry the guilt of your deed with you." The men scattered, and she turned her attention back to the wooden object.

Hesitating to take her hands from his legs, she felt a yearning as his warmth touched her skin. Speaking not another word, Iselle slowly lifted her hands and picked up two pieces. She stuck them together in the way they had been broken apart and brought it up to her lips. The Loki's green eyes widened while watching her. Gently blowing on the wooden trinket Iselle whispered words of encouragement. "You can heal, you will be one again." Showing the now repaired pieces, she picked up the third and final. Repeating her actions, and sealing it with a hopeful kiss and placing the repaired horse in his open palms.

"You had such fire in your eyes." Now Iselle looked up at him. Bright green eyes met hers, her breath was taken as she took in his features. Pale skin adorned over pointed features, a strange sparkle in his eyes made her chest tighten. Loki spoke again, she couldn't hear the words, but his voice was like velvet rolling through her body. Iselle's eyes fluttered weakly, hands gripping his legs desperately. Loki leaned forward, bending his tall stature to reach the crouched girl. His cold lips met hers suddenly and stole the breath from her lungs. Iselle's hands flew up to grab the sides of his head and she felt his arms wrap around her body tightly.

The loud caw of a raven at the window shook her from the dream. Iselle sighed sadly and rolled over in her bed, opening her eyes. But then she jolted upwards when she remembered she didn't sleep in her bed. Loki's legs lifted and kicked, then she stood up and he let out a groan of pain. A sharp cough from him had her scooting into the bathroom to bring him a glass of water. The dream teased her subconscious, plagued her mind and confused her. Loki gave her a thankful nod and guzzled the water when she returned.

"Just relax," Iselle murmured, stretching on her toes and yawning. "I'll go make us breakfast." Loki stayed silent and turned to look at the black bird at the window. "Oh him?" Iselle chuckled, thumbing towards the animal. Loki looked at her with expectation, "no matter where I fall asleep he always wakes me up at seven." Iselle gave the bird a wave and stuck her tongue out at it before it flew away. His eyebrows lifted in surprise, even the small movement giving him an ache. Iselle winked at him, startling him, and traipsed out of the room.

Letting out a disgruntled sigh, Loki slid back down to the pillows. His comfortable position giving him some relief. He hated relying on strangers, even if the girl wasn't completely human. Something inside Loki told him when he was about to die, his powers passed to the nearest vessel. It would explain the strange blue light and the markings that didn't seem to be leaving the girl anytime soon. Loki let out a hissed curse, anger pushing through his discomfort.

When Iselle bustled back into the room with a tray they ended up eating in silence. She had quietly helped him arrange his pillows to sit comfortably, but Loki noticed a difference in her demeanor around him. Perhaps it was her seeing in a clearer situation the mess she had gotten herself into. Loki couldn't blame the girl, he most likely would end up having to kill her to get his powers back. But it appeared as if she were lost in her own thoughts, she wasn't asking him any questions. Just eating her toast.

After she cleared away the breakfast, Loki was surprised to see her return fully dressed. She instructed him to stay in bed and recover while she took a horse into town and got him clothes and some supplies. While she busied herself with a medical kit Loki questioned why she was helping him. She shrugged and handed him some painkillers. The god rolled his eyes but took them obediently, again asking her why she would leave him in her home. Iselle laughed then, putting the glass back on the nightstand. "You're a wreck Loki, you're not going anywhere." He agreed with a small chuckle, letting her settle him back into a laying position. "I'll be back to make lunch, get some rest." The medication was fast acting and Loki didn't remember her leaving the room.

Hours later, Loki woke to Iselle pushing stray hair from his face. His eyes cracked open slightly in confusion before she ran a face cloth over his eyes. "How's the princess now?" Iselle cooed sarcastically. Loki groaned and had to admit he felt relief after she washed his face. "The cuts on your face are almost gone." He would have rolled away from her and slipped back into sleep if his sewn together torso would allow him to. Iselle stood with a sigh and opened the curtains.

Loki hissed as the midday sun filled the room. "You're wretched," he snarled, squishing his eyes closed. Iselle's laughter filled the room and Loki heard the distinct sounds of dishes clinking together. Iselle assured him the sun would make him feel better. That although it can cause health problems is also could heal.

"Like many things," Loki spat. Iselle smiled down at him and he noticed another pile of food sat on the nightstand. The woman rolled her eyes and instructed him to let her help him upright. Loki had a hard time grasping the amount of time that had passed. But he allowed Iselle to reposition him again, this time he noticed a large difference. "I do feel better," he drawled, bringing a spoonful of chicken soup to his lips. Iselle smiled around one of the rolls and nodded. "It was much easier to move just now, it seems while I've lost my powers I still heal at the Asgardian rate." Iselle nearly choked on a slice of potato. "I will be back to sorts within a fortnight."

"What happened, to these powers of yours?" Iselle whispered, catching Loki's eye. "I'm inclined to believe you, because," she looked down at her arms and shrugged at him. The deep blue lines swirling around her skin a stark reminder. "Well, the people in town kinda wigged out."

Loki felt a strange kind of wrath coil in his belly, it may have stemmed from the fact he had marred her skin. "If they do not like looking at you, they should avert their eyes." Iselle looked up at him with surprise. Loki had caught himself off guard, his head cocking to the side in confusion.