"I'll be the brave warrior," Thor said, grinning. He showed off the gap in his smile. Loki's brother had lost a tooth two days ago. He turned to Sif. "You can be the damsel I'm protecting from the monster."
Sif frowned. "But I'm always the damsel. Can't I be something else?"
Thor frowned, matching his friend's expression. "No. Because you're the girl. You have to be the damsel."
"Why don't you be the damsel for once, Thor," Loki suggested. "And Sif can be the warrior."
"Oooh!" Sif exclaimed. "Can't I be a warrior, Thor?"
"I can't be the damsel!" Thor protested. "I'm a boy! Enough of this, I'm the oldest. We do what I say. Sif, you're the damsel. Loki, you're the frost giant."
Loki frowned. He was always the frost giant. He wanted to be the hero for once. Just once, but he knew Thor would never consent to playing the bad guy. The closest he would get was fighting with Thor against make-believe monsters.
Suddenly Loki didn't really feel like playing anymore. "You guys go ahead. I think I'm going for a walk."
"Loki?" Thor asked, looking up.
Sif shook her head. "Fine, we'll play without you then, grumpy. Come on, Thor."
His brother hesitated for a moment, before turning around and going with the dark haired girl. "Come back soon," Thor said. "We'll save a place in the game for you."
Loki nodded, but he didn't really pay much attention. Soon his brother and Sif would be totally distracted by their game of pretend, and he could stand there for what seemed like hours before either of them noticed him.
He wandered through the gardens, not paying much attention to where he was going. He couldn't get lost and there was never anything dangerous around, not this close to home. There were too many people watching them: Father, Mother, Heimdall, and the guards standing watch around the castle.
A branch snapped above him, and someone screamed. He looked up just in time to see a girl falling from the branches. "Oof." He caught her in his arms like Thor caught Sif when he pretended to rescue her. He staggered under her weight, but managed to stay upright.
"Get off," the girl said, struggling so much Loki dropped her instead of setting her down nicely, like he'd been trying to do. She hit the ground and rolled away from him, popping up and putting up her fists. Loki stared at her, completely taken aback.
He had never seen this girl before, which meant she wasn't the daughter of anyone important. A servant maybe? She was younger and shorter than him, with long curly blond hair and brown eyes. And she was angry.
"If you ever carry me like that again, I'll knock your teeth out!" she said, moving her fists threateningly.
The young prince stared, confused. "But you fell! And I saved you!"
"I didn't ask you to save me," she said, abandoning her fighting stance and putting her hands on her hips. "So don't think I owe you anything." She turned around and started to walk away in a huff.
"Why would I want anything from you?" he asked, partly out of true curiosity and partly to make her mad.
She whirled, and he worked hard to keep from grinning at her angry face. "Oh? Got everything you'll ever need, do you? Never need anything from anyone, do you?"
He couldn't keep his face straight anymore. "Well, I am a prince."
If he expected a reaction, the one she gave wasn't it. Her face screwed up in pity. "Oh. That's kinda sad."
He frowned. "Why is it sad?"
"I have enough trouble sneaking away from just my mother. But you must have a whole army of people watching you," she said.
He did. "So?"
"Well, then you can never get away," she said.
"Why would I want to get away?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. There were so many times when he wanted to get away. Just disappear. Have some time that was only his for a while.
The girl looked at him like he was the dumbest boy she'd ever met. "To do things you're not supposed to do. But, I suppose, since you're a prince and all, you can do whatever you want." She turned to walk away again.
He didn't want her to go. He liked talking to her. She talked with him, instead of down to him or up to him or around him like everyone else. Except Thor, he reminded himself. He didn't know why, but most people avoided him. "That's not true," he said. "I can't do whatever I want. Not yet."
She turned around. "Then learn to sneak. You're all dark and stuff, you'd probably be really good at it."
Loki shook his head. "Villains sneak. I'm a hero."
"Heroes sneak too. They gotta," the girl replied. "If you're a hero, do you have a villain?"
He frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Every hero needs a villain. Otherwise they're not a hero, they're just a person," she said.
"I- no," Loki replied, frowning. In truth, he was always the villain so Thor could be the hero. But he saw her point. Thor always looked a lot more heroic fighting him than when they were fighting nothing together.
The girl's shoulder's moved just a fraction toward slumping, and he could tell she was suddenly embarrassed. "Do you think… I've got to go." She turned around and ran off on bare feet.
"Wait!" he shouted. She didn't wait. She didn't even slow. She just kept running. "Wait!" he said, running after her. "Wait, stop!" He was faster than she was, and she tried to throw him off by making sharp turns and putting trees in his path. But Loki wasn't thwarted that easily. "Hey!" he said, grabbing her arm as he caught up, "stop!"
She tried to jerk away, but he was stronger than her too, and she couldn't get free. She tried to run again, almost dragging him with her. "Why won't you stop?" he asked, and saw that she was trying really hard not to laugh. She lost control of her face when he looked at her and she just started laughing. He let go, ready to grab her again if she started off. "What are you laughing at?" he asked, utterly exasperated.
"You chased me. It was fun," the girl said, though giggles. It was kinda weird. Sif never giggled.
"What's your name?" he asked, realizing that he didn't know it.
"Sigyn," the girl replied. "I already know your name. It's Loki."
"Do you really have to go? Can't you play?" he asked. "You can be the princess, and I'll be the hero."
Sigyn made a face. "Princesses are boring. I'm the villain, and you're the her-"
"Sigyn!" someone shouted through the trees. "Sigyn! Get back here this instant!"
Loki whirled and pushed his new friend behind him. "Don't worry. I'll protect you." She pinched him in the side. "Ow!"
"Don't be dumb. That's my mother. I have to go," she said, running towards the shouting.
"I'll see you later?" Loki asked.
"Sure!" she shouted over her shoulder. "I'll be around here somewhere."
Sigyn creeped away from her mother early the next day, just after lessons. She ran up too the castle and sneaked her way in. The servants always knew where the royal family was, and she found Loki reading a book on a bench.
She walked toward him as quietly as she could, and, when she was close enough, shouted "BOO!"
He did not react.
"Loki?" she asked, worried he might be mad at her. He didn't move. "Loki?" she asked, her voice rising an octave.
"BOO!" someone said in her ear behind her. She screamed and whirled around to see Loki grinning.
Eyes wide, she looked from the boy behind her to the boy on the bench. "But…"
"Look," Loki said, turning around to look at the bench. "It's just magic, see?" He waved his hand and the bench boy went away. "I learned how to do that today." He sounded smug.
"Wow," Sigyn said, staring at the empty space. "Good for sneaking. Can you teach me to do that?"
Loki frowned. "I don't think so… I'm sorry."
"That's okay," she said. "I don't want to do the same thing as you."
He frowned at her. "Why not? What's wrong with being like me?"
"Nothing's wrong with being like you, except if I'm exactly like you. That's rude," she replied.
"Oh," Loki replied.
"What do you want to do?" she asked.
"Wanna go play in the orchard again?" Loki asked.
She shook her head. "My mother is there. Let's go somewhere else." Instinctively, Sigyn knew her mother must not see Loki with her.
"Um," Loki thought for a moment. "I think I know a place. Follow me." He grabbed her hand and they took off running down the hall.
He was much faster than her; she kept up only because he was tugging her along behind him. They rounded a corner and almost crashed right into someone. Someone tall.
Loki pulled up short. "Father," he said. Sigyn looked at her friend for a moment before looking up at the king. Her eyes felt as big as saucers, but she couldn't pull her face into a calmer expression. The king was enormous, with a grey beard and long grey hair that looked like it needed a brush. A gold eye patch covered the hole where his eye used to be, the one he lost for justice.
"Loki," Odin said in a surprisingly kind voice for someone who looked so fearsome. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Sigyn," Loki said. She didn't know what to do, so she briefly pulled her hand from Loki's to wave. Then she quick grabbed his hand again.
"Well, Sigyn," Odin said, smiling brightly at her. "I am glad to meet you. And where are you going in such a hurry?"
"I wanted to show her the east look out," Loki said. "Can I, Father?"
"Of course," the All-Father replied. "Be careful, son." Loki pulled on her arm and they were running again.
"What were you so nervous about?" Loki asked after they had gone a ways. "It's just Father."
"To you. To everyone else he's the king!"
Loki frowned. "So? I'm a prince. You don't get nervous around me."
"You're different," Sigyn replied. "My mother doesn't tell me stories about you."
"She will," Loki replied. "Someday."
Sigyn opened her mouth to reply, but then thought better of it. Instead, she changed the subject. "Are we really going to the looking tower?"
He grinned at her, big and wide. "Of course not."
Sigyn had been spending her extra hours with Loki for almost an entire month before she met Thor and Sif.
They were playing on the beach when someone shouted. "Hey," and Sigyn looked up to see an older, blond boy running toward her friend. "Brother!" he said, tackling Loki. He fell right through the doppelgänger. Loki, the real Loki, was behind her, tugging on her arm. "Let's go," he whispered. But Sigyn didn't move.
"That wasn't very nice," Sif said, her arms on her hips, glaring at the boy behind Sigyn. Sigyn recognized the dark haired girl from when they're mothers met up. And she knew Sif recognized her.
"That was awesome!" Thor said, getting up. Sigyn knew he had to be Thor, the other prince. No one else could call Loki 'brother.' "How did you do that?"
"Magic," Loki replied. Sigyn looked at him. He wasn't hiding behind her, but something about him had changed. He seemed smaller somehow, because his brother was here.
Sigyn put her arm around his shoulders. "We were playing at war. Loki was Odin and I was Laufey. Do you two want to play?"
Thor grinned. "Sure. I'll be Father and Sif can be Mother, and you and Loki can be Laufey and… and… a lady frost giant."
Sigyn shook her head. "No. You're joining our game. So Loki is Odin and I'm Laufey, because we were here first. Besides, Queen Frigga didn't fight in the war."
Thor frowned. "Then who will I be?"
"Whoever you want. What about Heimdall? He's pretty fearsome," Sigyn suggested.
Thor agreed and Sif joined Loki's side as a lady warrior. Sigyn frowned at that, saying that there wasn't a lady warrior in the Great War, but Sif was insistent. The game was one of the worst ones Sigyn had ever played. It wasn't that it was three against one, that was easy. Sigyn kept getting mad because Thor kept giving the orders and Loki kept jumping to her defense when he was supposed to be fighting her.
"Thor!" Sigyn said when he gave the order to charge. "Loki is the general! He gives the orders! Play it right!"
"Sorry," Thor said, looking bashful.
Sif looked impatient. "Why don't Loki and Thor just switch places?"
"Because! Loki was General first!" Sigyn said, getting unreasonably angry with Sif. Didn't she that letting Thor be General wasn't fair?
"So?" Sif asked. "Loki doesn't mind. Does he?" She looked at the dark haired boy.
"He absolutely does mind!" Sigyn interupted. "It's fairer if Loki's General!"
The older girl glared at her. "Oh? And who are you to speak for a prince of Asgard? You're the daughter of a commoner!"
"I'm his friend!" Sigyn shouted, stamping a foot. The girls were shouting now. "Why won't you let Loki be Odin!"
"Because Thor is better!" Sif shouted back. "Thor is a better Odin! Loki as Odin is-"
Sigyn slapped the older girl in the face.
Sif stared, shocked, at the short blonde, a hand to her reddening cheek. Then she pulled back her fist and punched Sigyn in the eye.
Sigyn's head snapped backwards and she stumbled, almost falling on her butt. Loki caught her, holding her upright. She could feel tears pricking at the edges of her eyes, and she couldn't stop herself from sniffling.
"Aw" Sif said, in a nasty, mocking tone that made Sigyn's blood boil. "Is the wittle girl gonna cry?"
Sigyn gritted her teeth and, despite the fact that she couldn't open her eye, launched herself at the older girl. She didn't get very far. Loki had her by the arms and pulled her back. Then he made doppelgängers. More than just one: dozens. Sigyn didn't even know he could do that. They all surrounded Sif, and the little girl looked terrified. Sigyn, held in place by the real Loki, was a little scared too. "Leave Sigyn alone," they all said, a loud chorus of Lokis. Sif's chin trembled, holding back her own tears. Sigyn wanted to tell her friend to leave the girl alone, but she couldn't find her voice.
"Loki!" someone shouted. The doppelgängers disappeared in a flash. "Sif! Thor? What is going on here?" The four children looked up to see Queen Frigga standing over them.