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<center>The young frost giant was incredibly weak. 

He had with him two items of note; a club-like wand of power, and a small silver dagger. The knife was little more than a tool to him, useful for dissecting the animals that were foolish enough to come closer to his call, who would be killed, butchered, and devoured after a handful of minutes in a fire. That had been several days ago, however. If he hadn't known better, the cold and calculating mind of the boy would almost believe word had gotten out to the fauna of the woods, with the level of avoidance he had experienced. His jerky ran out from the rabbit he had 'met' a couple days prior. Which of course meant... Two days without much food to fuel his six foot body, which was growing more and more sluggish as the hours passed on. 

He could not muster the strength and energy needed to transform into his true form - Not yet... Half of his goal had been to push himself harder than ever, to force that -thing- upon himself. He had been left in the wild, all alone and lost without the comfort of his family, feeling colder than ever... 

... Well, that last part wasn't really a major issue for him, but still. The thought still stands. 

The young giant was determined to make his way in the world, to make his mother and father proud, grow in enough strength to not mind the glances of those beneath himself, to which there would be plenty. He needed to survive for that to happen, had to find food and shelter; something the frost giant had to make his own of. He ended the day within a divot of a tree, made by himself with the butt of his club-staff. He slept off his hunger with an unseen but worryingly deep frown, having never felt so... Starved before, in his life. A comfortable table filled with enough food to sustain him waited back in Dawnstone, but he was... So far away from there, right now. So far away from family, food, shelter, comforts. Even the grumpy voices of the grown ups, some of whom even he surpassed in height these days, would be of fair mercy from his thoughts, if he could just...

... He fell asleep with such thoughts in his head. He didn't even know when it happened - Only recalling the butt end of his musings the moment he awoke.

Another day would go by like this, with brown and battered hunting shoes flopping in the damp grass he trod through. Luck would be on his side, today, however, as although he was more than a little fatigued and famished, he had enough strength to get him past a near-by hill, and into view of a valley. Gripping his clubwand, Loki wanders further in, determination written plainly upon his visage. He hunted boars by the stream using weak water and ice magic, practicing the natural craft of his mother, using the skills he had inherited from her in a still amateurish, yet growing way. He even fished with a stick to collect food from the depths of the cold river water, learned from his time with his father. Now fed, he was free to wonder once more, icy blue eyes sparking from the return of his mana. 

Another week would pass - And then another. His eleventh birthday would come and go, and his mind would lightly wonder upon his sister, his twin, Aud. Surely he would meet her soon? It had been so long, longer than he had ever gone without her before, and there was a strange churning in his gut from her absence. In fact, it even felt as if she were still right there next time him - When he turned his head, he could even make out a soul sucking outline, as if her aura, her being, were just out of reach... Yet, he supposed this feeling was one of the reasons he was out here. Was it a weakness to care for ones twin? No. But the feeling, the anxiety of separation, that at least had to be squashed... Well, for as painful as it were to be away, he supposed he'd just buy her a stuffed bear or something to smother her with when they did finally catch up. Or, no. Perhaps he could make a stuffed snowman...? The thought ironically warmed his frost giant heart, as he regained all which was lost in the trek towards the valley and then some. 

The young giant was still growing, slowly getting stronger, faster, and with a mind honed into sharpness by the necessity of wilderness living. He was soon able to perform more complex ice and water spells and the boar he could bring down became larger. He learned to scrape a trees under-bark to obtain chippings, which, after a day or two in the sun, could be lit rather easily to burn as fuel in a fire, and even saved to use later as charcoal of sorts if it didn't totally burn out. Endlessly useful for cooking more jerky on his expedition to his journeys end. 

The young giant was beginning to develop a knack for survival. He learned to adapt and use the resources around him. And it felt... Good. A sense of self-responsibility, of autarky and independence. He was getting closer to Aud, he knew - With every step he took. And when he met her in the middle, he knew he would hit her in the head with his stick a few times, sure, for the sake of showing each other what they learned. But he would do it with <b><i>affection</b></i> and <big>love</big>. 

__

The days in the wild became more and more enjoyable, but the young giant still yearned for a true form which never came. He longed to be able to transform like his mother, and show the world his true power of a Frost Giant. He wanted to return home to his family and prove himself, to hug his father in arms even larger than before, but he knew he must stay in the wilderness to find the strength to do so.

...

Well, no. Actually... 

It had been a while since his sister and he had made some plan to enter the woods separately. He had thought they made the goal 'to find each other in the center', but... What if she got lost? Or worse...

... 

What is she just, went home? What if she left him here by himself?!?! What if she stayed in the desert while he gathered up his gear and LEFT HIM TO FEND FOR HIMSELF ALL THIS TIME?! With tears threatening the corners of his eyes, Loki would dart as fast as he could home, twigs still latched helter-skelter in his silky, ghost like white hair towards the place he knew and loved the most.

Towards Dawnstone. 

Towards Home.