Chapter Ten
AN: To the Guest reviewer of chapter nine: I'm glad you like this story, and thank you for reviewing, but I'm not sure why you think there's a Loki/Sif/Thor triangle in this story. I never meant to give anyone that impression, so sorry for misleading you.
Sif awoke the following morning, for a moment unsure where she was. She sat up slowly, and realised this was one of the guest rooms in Heimdall's home, usually used by visitors from the other realms. From the amount of light shining into the room, it was approaching midday. Why had she slept so long?Memories of the previous day came rushing back, and she shed a few more tears against her will. She swiped them from her face as quickly as possible, and quickly got up, gathering her things and preparing to leave. Heimdall did not really have room for her here in the Observatory's rooms, and she did not wish to live so far from the city. Nor did she think she was ready to see her parents, and they often visited Heimdall. He might feel forced to choose sides, and that was not fair, so staying here was not an option.
She went outside slowly, her eyes puffy and sore from all the crying she had done the previous night. It still seemed like a bad dream...her mother had been so cold, so bitter, and Father had just sat there, not saying a word. Sif's shoulders hunched, and she stared only at the ground as she walked towards Heimdall. She didn't realise that her brother wasn't alone until Thor spoke.
"Morning, Sif," Thor was not wearing his characteristic smile, and his voice was hesitant. "Heimdall sent a message to me fairly early this morning. Apparently your parents didn't take your winning the tournament well...?"
Sif glared at Heimdall- she did not want half of Asgard to find out her business, and it was not Heimdall's place to tell anyone he pleased!
Heimdall met her eyes steadily. "I did not reveal everything. I merely thought you might need someone to talk to." He walked to the place where he usually stood to guard the bridge, leaving Sif alone with Thor.
"What's going on, Sif?" Thor's expression was etched with concern now, and Sif felt yet more tears burning her eyes. She never cried this much! She decided to tell him, as no doubt he would find out eventually. Her words came out as gasps, she was trying so hard not to sob.
"Mother...disowned...me. When I went...home last night," Sif swallowed heavily, "she had packed all my clothes...and... wouldn't even let me inside the house. She... she said I had disgraced my parents, and I wasn't part of her family anymore. And Father... just sat there, and did not even speak!" Reliving the event over again in her mind caused Sif to break down yet again.
Thor had listened to her story with an expression of shock and horror on his face. His parents often became angry with him, but he had never imagined that a parent would go so far as to disown a child completely. Unable to think of anything to say, he simply put his arms around Sif, comforting her as she sobbed.
Eventually, Sif stepped back, and dried her eyes. "Sorry about that." Her voice was hoarse, and she knew her face looked terrible, red-eyed and tearstained.
"Maybe Alti will calm down in a few days?" Thor ventured. He could not believe that the woman was serious.
Sif shook her head mutely.
"So you spent last night here...but what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. Find somewhere to live, I suppose. If anywhere will have me, as I have no way of paying for lodgings."
Thor frowned. "Come with me. We can talk to Mother, see if she can calm your parents down. You're too young to be on your own."
"Thor, I don't want to be any trouble..."
He met her eyes intently, looking fierce. "Sif, you are not going to 'be any trouble'. Your mother is being unreasonable, and I am sure my parents will agree. Unless you think she is justified in claiming your ambitions disgraced your family when my father, the King, approves of you becoming a warrior?"
Sif sighed, unable to argue with her friend's logic. She wrapped her arms around herself, and Thor's expression softened.
"Come on." He put his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his support gratefully as he led her to the palace.
Thor left her in one of Queen Frigga's private sitting rooms, after making sure she would not be disturbed, and went to find his mother. Not willing to reveal Sif's situation in public, he merely told her that Sif had a problem, and Frigga's help was needed. She nodded immediately, and followed him, although she was plainly confused. She gasped when she saw Sif's tearstained face.
"Whatever has happened, Sif?" Frigga's hand flew to her mouth, shocked to see the usually cheerful girl looking so miserable. She took the chair opposite the girl, clearly very worried.
Thor sat down beside Sif, taking her hand to encourage her. Sighing, Sif began to repeat last night's events once again.
Frigga stood up in outrage when the story was finished. "The nerve of that woman! Treating an fourteen-year-old that way, just because you have made a choice she does not happen to agree with!" Her expression became alarmed. "Did you have to sleep outdoors last night, Sif?" That could have been dangerous. Even in Asgard, not everyone was honourable...Frigga shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to the young girl. She visibly relaxed when Sif explained that she had been at the Observatory.
Frigga looked thoughtful. "Obviously, you cannot stay with Heimdall indefinitely. I will have one of the rooms here readied for you. You can stay here for as long as you wish."
Sif protested immediately. "My lady, I do not wish to be a burden."
Thor rolled his eyes at her. Frigga shook her head.
"You know as well as I do that you have nowhere else to go, child. Having you here is not a burden, and I will not allow one of my son's friends to live destitute when it is not necessary. I have no doubt that Odin will agree with me, so I am afraid you do not have a choice." She smiled mischeivously at Sif, and a relieved smile emerged on the black-haired girl's face. This solved so many problems...
Thor grinned when he saw Sif smiling at last. "Thank you, Mother."
Sif nodded immediately. "Yes, thank you, my lady."
Frigga stetched out a hand and caressed Sif's hair gently. "Think nothing of it, my dear. Alti has made a mistake, and I hope she will realise that, but either way, you will always be welcome here. Thor, why don't you take Sif to your rooms, so she can freshen up? Then perhaps you can choose which room you would like," this directed at Sif, "Thor knows which ones are seldom used."
Both teenagers stood, and, acting on impulse, Sif hugged Frigga tightly, having no other way to show her gratitude. Frigga returned the girl's embrace warmly, and made a decision then to go and have words with Alti later. She could not for the life of her understand what the woman had been thinking. Frigga herself would have been proud if a child of hers was courageous enough to go against social constraints and pursue the life he or she wanted. And nothing a child did would ever make Frigga turn them out of the family. She set her thoughts aside, watching fondly as Thor tugged Sif's hand to lead her out of the room. Then she departed herself, to find Odin and explain the new situation to him. She had a feeling that Austmadr's standing in court- and, by default, Alti's- were about to become considerably lower.
After tidying her appearance, and exploring for a while, Sif had chosen a fairly large room with a four poster bed, on the same floor as Thor and Loki's rooms. She felt exceedingly grateful for Frigga's understanding, and hoped she would be able to repay that one day. Thor had left word with a servant that Sif's new room was to be ready by tonight. He stretched, yawning.
"Now that's settled, what do you want to do today?" He asked eagerly. "Our lessons won't resume until next week, so we have a few days to spend as we please. Loki is in the library with Sigyn again, surprise surprise, but I don't have any plans, so..."
"Er...should we go riding again?" Sif suggested. She wanted to get out of the city, forget everything that had happened for a while.
"Good idea! Maybe we could do some hunting, too, as Loki will not be there to complain today."
They went to gather weapons, and then to tack up their horses, and Sif felt hopeful for the first time that day. Maybe her situation with her parents could not be resolved, but at least she had good friends to support her. Life would not stop because of one facet of it going wrong.
Sif was invited to dine with the royal family that evening. She had felt nervous at first, hoping she would not have to explain things yet again, but it appeared that Frigga had informed Odin of the situation at some point, as the king greeted her warmly, as he would a member of the family. His eyes were sympathetic, but he asked no questions.
Loki, of course, asked plenty.
"Since when does being admitted to the warrior's society earn you a place to live at the palace?"
"Loki..." Frigga's voice was stern, warning him.
"I'm only asking! It just took me by surprise, that's all. I assume there is actually a good reason for the new living arrangements...?" He looked at Sif expectantly, but she merely looked at her plate, not responding.
"Ow!" Loki's yell made everyone jump. Thor pasted an innocent expression on his face when Loki glared at him.
"What's wrong?" Frigga peered at Loki worriedly.
"I think Thor accidentally kicked me under the table. I suppose some people just can't help being clumsy..."
Thor scowled, and thankfully, the novelty of Sif's presence soon wore off. She shared many meals with the royals over the next few days, and the servants became acustomed to seeing her within the palace. Frigga had told Sif privately that most citizens of Asgard were now aware of Sif's exclusion from her parents' family, but Sif told herself that she didn't care. Her lessons with Tyr would begin in two days, and that was all that mattered, that she could continue to prove herself a true warrior.
Frigga had visited Alti, not long after Sif had moved in to the palace, but had been unable to change her mind. Alti's words had been cruel: 'She wants to be a warrior, let her be one. But she will no longer be my daughter if she does!" Frigga had not told Sif the details, merely reassuring her that she had a home in the palace for as long as she wished. Odin spoke to Frigga some time later, when they were alone, stating that he was equally displeased with Austmadr's attitude, but seeing no way to change it. He was furious, nonetheless.
"His youngest child and only daughter," Odin muttered, "and he acts as if losing her means nothing!"
Neither of her parents would come to see her, but Sif had spoken to Heimdall several times, and was pleased that her brother, at least, still seemed to care about her. Her lessons with Tyr began, and she worked as hard as she could every day. Soon Tyr admitted that she was one of his best students, in spite of the fact that she was the only girl.
Despite enduring much teasing at first, as the weeks passed, Sif became more accepted among the elder warriors, and her friendship with Thor was stronger than ever. Sigyn had also become a close friend, regardless of the fact that the girls had very little in common. Sif now looked forward eagerly to the day when she was permitted to go on a quest, hopefully with Thor at her side- he was just as eager as she was. Many people of the court still viewed her as an oddity, but it mattered little. She had almost everything she had ever wanted, and the pain of seperation from her parents she knew would fade in time. This was the life she had always dreamed of.
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Heimdall stood at his usual position on the bridge, guarding the realm of Asgard as he always had. He knew his father approached, but did not look round to acknowledge him.
Austmadr stood there silently for a few minutes before speaking.
"Do you still watch over her?"
"Yes. She is content, for the most part, with her life."
"I wish it had not gone this way, but perhaps them being apart is for the best, considering..."
Heimdall turned to look at his father, golden eyes meeting dark brown ones.
"Do you ever intend to reveal the truth?"
"I don't know. What purpose could it possibly serve now?"
"Secrets have a way of coming to light in the end. However much we may wish it otherwise."
Austmadr did not reply to that, having no answer. The two dark-skinned men stood side by side silently, each staring into the distance, lost in their own thoughts, as the sun set behind them.
The End (for now!)