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Sigyn didn't emerge from the RV until almost noon, looking like those pictures Darcy had seen in National Geographic about people who wander the desert, shuffling towards them with Loki's cape still wrapped around her. Both she and Jane were silent as she made her way inside, grabbed a cup of coffee, and sat at the table.
Whatever the spell had done to her, Darcy didn't like it. Dark circles were blooming underneath her eyes, and her whole body seemed weighed down with exhaustion. They tried to talk to her, to ask if she was alright, but each time she just shrugged or nodded.
Jane finally sat across from her, and Sigyn waited a moment before looking up. "I know none of this has been easy for you and I just...I wanted to thank you for everything you've done."
Sigyn managed a small smile. "You're welcome, Jane." Content with that answer, Jane went back to the board where she had pinned blown up pictures from last night. Sigyn sipped at her coffee, tapping her nails lightly against the side of the mug.
"Did either of you...hear something? While I was working on the spell, that is." She was shifting uncomfortably in her seat, and wouldn't look at either of them.
"I didn't. What about you Darcy?" Darcy shook her head. "Should we have?"
"No."
"Did you hear something?"
Sigyn didn't answer right away. "That much magic has a cost and it has side effects. It'll play tricks on you if you're unprepared for it."
"If I had known it would do this-"
"Don't worry about it. I didn't even know it would react." She got up and walked back to her little corner where she kept her belongings. Jane took it as a hint to leave her alone, but Darcy couldn't let it go, so she followed Sigyn.
"You sure you're alright?" she asked as Sigyn knelt next her mattress. She reminded Darcy of some sort wild animal when an intruder accidentally stumbles into its nest. Her whole body tensed, coiled like a spring that would be sprung at any moment. She should have been nervous, except Darcy was 90% certain that Sigyn wouldn't bite her.
"I said, I'm fine," she growled. Make that 75%.
"Look you're just really on edge and if you need anything or want to talk about it I'm here because it's not good to keep all that bottled up, you know."
Sigyn let out a heavy sigh. "I heard voices of those long gone." The look she gave her only meant one thing: Loki.
"Wait," Darcy whispered, "Are you hearing ghosts or something?"
"Not ghosts. Just echoed memories." And damn, if that didn't break Darcy's heart a little.
After that it was back to work; Sigyn had pulled out more of her books, Jane was pouring over her new data, and Darcy was just doing whatever she wanted her to do. For hours they were silent, and Darcy was glad for her headphones otherwise she might have gone crazy. The sun started to dip behind the horizon and Darcy felt her stomach growl.
"Time for another break you two." Jane waved at her dismissively. Sigyn had her headphones in and ignored her all together. Darcy walked over and pulled one of her headphones out. "Come on. I'm starting to get hungry and you two should eat too."
"I was just going to make myself something here, or run into town and get something quick," Jane said. "But if you two want to go get something you're more than welcome to go."
"Well, that settles it." Darcy was tired of constantly working all day and then doing nothing at night. She didn't consider herself a party girl but the dealership could get pretty stagnant at night. "I'm taking Sigyn drinking."
The bar was noisy, though Sigyn had experienced worse during any of the great feasts hosted in Asgard. And it was dimly lit, save for the neon lights on the walls. After a couple of drinks, Darcy's cheeks were flushed. She was giddy and her speech rambled from topic to topic.
"This is so not fair. You're not even drunk."
"Immortal, remember? One sip of Asgardian mead and you'd find yourself passed out on the floor."
"Should bring that to my next birthday party," she said. Sigyn sipped at her beer, which tasted pretty bad so she ordered something else that was fruity and bright blue.
She had remained too long on Midgard, too long in the company of Jane and Darcy. She was becoming comfortable with them and each day she spent with them was another day she wasn't looking for Loki. She would have to leave them soon. With a vial of Jane's blood and a better understanding of the magic at the Bifrost site, she should have an easier time finding him.
One of the young men who had been at the pool table came over and started blatantly flirting with them. And he was doing a poor job of it as well, too drunk to stand or respect personal space. Fandral had better chance with the Valkyries. Despite both of their initial rejections, the oaf was still pestering them, Darcy in particular, trying to buy her a drink.
So Sigyn did something she hadn't done since the last time her and Loki travelled to Vanaheim. As he insisted on placing a bottle in front of Darcy, Sigyn twitched her fingers beneath the bar and the bottle broke as soon as it hit the table, all the beer miraculously splashing only onto him. The bartender apologized and gave him another on the house. And then another. And then another. Each bottle broke on impact, even though he tried to place it as gently as he could. Finally, the bartender, convinced he was doing it on purpose, had him thrown out covered in beer.
"Was that necessary?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Darcy."
"You're a terrible liar."
"I'm not the god of lies."
"No, you just slept with him and broke Vanaheim."
Darcy ordered some onion rings that were a little greasy, but crunchy and flavorful, and mozzarella sticks because she believed the grease from the food would counter-act the alcohol. A couple of hours later, Darcy felt sober enough to leave without falling all over the sidewalk (unlike the first night they met, which she pointed out).
It was a short walk back to the dealership, but Sigyn paused as soon they stepped out into the night air. Something was off. The air itself was too cool, and breeze had the faintest scent of metal and ozone. It was electric, and then it was gone, fluttering away in an instant.
"What's the matter, Lassie?" Darcy asked, and Sigyn realized that she had her nose in the air the same way a dog would during a hunt.
"It's nothing." She ignored Darcy's reference (as she did with all the others she didn't understand). "Let's just go back."
Her fears were confirmed when they returned to the dealership. Three black cars were parked outside. One was a van. The other two were smaller, sleek and gleaming under the lamp lights. She froze where she stood, tensed and ready for fight or flight.
"Huh, I wonder what S.H.I.E.D. is doing here?" Sigyn shot her a questioning look, so Darcy explained further. "That government agency Jane and I technically work for. They're the only people around here who drive cars like that."
Sigyn's stomach twisted into knots. "Will they be a problem?" she asked, trying to calculate how many people could fit into each car, how far apart they were, and how she and they could get out of this situation.
"I don't know why they wou-" Thankfully, Darcy was sober enough to figure it out. "Oh, right. You and Loki. Gotchya. Just keep to the whole 'Vicki Anderson' alias. It's a common enough name."
Inside was a small cluster of men in dark suits. The leader was a tall, lean man with thick blond hair, and he was talking to Jane, who looked like she had just woken up herself. Two men in identical suits stopped her and Darcy before they could enter.
"It's alright, they're with me. They're my assistants." Jane protested, but the two agents still didn't let them pass. It took them only moments to identify Darcy but they didn't let either of them pass. Sigyn had to fight the temptation to just push past them.
"I'm sorry, but we only have clearance for Miss Foster. You'll both have to wait outside." It was the leader who spoke to her.
"This is bullshit." Darcy protested.
Sigyn nodded and grabbed Darcy's arm. "We understand. Come on, Darcy. Let's go back to the bar." She practically dragged Darcy around the corner. When she tried to protest again, Sigyn covered her mouth with her hand.
From where she stood, Sigyn could see all her notes, her journal, her bowl, all spread out on the table. "Stay here." she whispered. It had been a long time since she'd done this, but with a few muttered words she turned herself invisible. It felt strange, like ice cold silk travelling over her skin.
She really wanted to make sure that none of them got into her things, but her curiosity (and concern) was piqued. She walked right past the two agents by the door and lingered in the far corner. Jane looked particularly sour.
"What, exactly, is this all about Agent Harrison?" Jane asked.
"Miss Foster, we need you to transfer to another of our observatories for a consulting position."
"And where is this observatory located?" She was pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Tromsø." When she didn't respond, Harrison added. "In Norway."
That was a name Sigyn hadn't heard in quite some time, nor did it leave her with a particularly good feeling.
"In Norway?!" Jane's voice was high enough Sigyn was surprised glass didn't shatter. "But all my research and work is here."
"And you will be well compensated for your time."
"Oh yeah? How?"
Harrison took a pen and a little notebook out his pocket, scribbled what Sigyn assumed was a number, and then showed it to Jane. She couldn't see how much it was, but given that Jane's jaw fell wide open she concluded that it was substantial.
"As I said, you'll be well compensated. Not to mention you'll be relocating to one of the top observatories in that country."
Jane chewed at her lower lip. Whatever amount Harrison offered her was enough to make her reconsider. "What about Darcy and Vicki? Can't they come too?"
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. This assignment is classified." She started to object but Harrison continued. "We have a private jet standing by to take you within the hour if you accept."
Sigyn frowned. Shuttling her off to an obscurely remote location in secrecy with a reward raised all sorts of suspicions.
None of them seemed particularly interested in her belongings so she slipped back outside. She needed to talk to Darcy and Jane without all the agents present. The vehicles were all parked facing the building, their tails pointing towards the desert. As she walked past each one, she placed her hand on the hood and the front lights would turn on. The metal warmed beneath her hand as the engines turned on. Each one went slowly rolling back into the desert with a gentle push.
It didn't take long before all the agents to come running out after their cars, including Agent Harrison. As Sigyn turned to return inside, her boot turned over a couple of stones. Not as smooth as river pebbles, but about the same size and not entirely jagged.
"What did you do?" She heard Darcy whisper. She scooped up a handful of them, grabbed Darcy's arm again, and headed inside.
"I hear you're making a journey," she said, the invisibility dripping off of her.
Jane practically jumped out of her skin. "Damn it don't do that! How long have you been there?" she asked. "And are you the reason the cars started moving on their own?"
"Just a little mischief. So, Tromsø?"
"Where?" Darcy asked.
"Norway," both she and Jane answered.
"Yeah." Jane looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I have to take this. They pay alone..."
The shared look implied that she knew as well as Sigyn did that they didn't really have much of a choice. "No need to apologize."
"Have you ever been to this Trom...place?" Darcy asked.
"Not for quite some time. I'd say about...900 years. Once every Asgardian considered a god and then some traveled through the lands we were worshipped in at least once. Tromsø was the farthest north we ever went."
"900...years ago. How old are you?" Jane asked. The look of recognition said that Jane had never really, truly thought about how old the man she kissed in the desert was.
"Well over a thousand."
"Do you just…laugh at bartenders when they ask for I.D.?"
"And Thor?" Jane asked.
"He's closer to fifteen hundred," Sigyn said impatiently. They didn't have time for this.
Jane looked shocked for a moment before asking. "What's it like?"
"I don't have time to discuss the benefits and disadvantages of immortality with you right now."
"I was talking about Tromsø."
Oh…"It's…pretty. Cold. Right now, it will be bright for most of the day. When I was there last it was mostly small, scattered settlements; it's probably bigger now. Hopefully."
Sigyn still had the pebbles in her hand, and she picked two of the best looking ones. "You should finish packing; they'll be back shortly and probably not in a good mood."
Jane gave her a curious look but hurried off anyway. Darcy tried asking her something but she shushed her. She closed each hand around a pebble; the spell seeped through her skin into the stones. When she opened them again, each stone had a glowing rune on it. One had the symbol Algiz to ward off evil; the other had Raidho to guide her both in her travels and her search.
In the distance Sigyn could see the cars turn around and start heading back towards them. So much she still needed to tell Jane and so little time to do so.
Jane was practically throwing her clothes into an open suitcase. "Here." Sigyn held out the stones to her. "Keep these with you at all times."
"What are they?"
"Runestones. For your protection." She took them, admired them for a moment, before thanking her and putting them in her jacket. "There's more. I don't know what's in Tromsø anymore or where this observatory is located." Sigyn hesitated, knowing how crazy this may sound. "There...may still be creatures of legend out there. Trolls, huldas, nøkken. Some of them could have been driven north as the south became more settled. If the area is remote then your chances of running into one go up even further." Jane looked especially shocked, not that Sigyn could understand why. This is the woman who had kissed the god of thunder, seen the Bifrost centuries after the last mortals had, and allowed the goddess of fidelity to perform all sorts magic to (unbeknownst to her) find Loki. Nothing should surprise her at this point.
"Listen," she said, placing her hands on Jane's shoulders. "Just be careful. Do some reading during your journey, but if you see any of these creatures, treat them with respect, but do not make deals with them or go with them. And definitely be wary of any man or horse that comes out of a stream."
Jane nodded then did something didn't expect. She hugged her. Sigyn froze then hugged her back lightly. "Thank you, Sigyn."
Sigyn swallowed hard, suddenly a little uncomfortable. "I hope you find Thor."
The agents returned shortly thereafter and after Jane declares that she and Darcy were helping her pack, the agents didn't throw them out. Sigyn observed the agents closely, to see if they take an interest in her or her belongings. Which they didn't. Unless they were dealing with Jane's equipment, which she insisted be handled with absolute care, they were practically frantic to get her out of there. When the time came for Jane to leave, she and Darcy were almost teary eyed as they say goodbye. Sigyn had an unexpected and uncomfortable lump in her throat.
Mercifully, the goodbyes were quick. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents whisked Jane away, the black cars disappearing into the night. Sigyn and Darcy were left in the empty dealership.
They gathered the rest of their meager belongings and Darcy drove them twenty five minutes into Santa Fe, where they pulled into an IHOP, since it was the only place still open. Darcy ordered a stack of pancakes and Sigyn ordered an omelet stuffed with bacon and cheese, which she only picked at. Her appetite was gone.
"I can't believe they just...took her away like that," Darcy said. Sigyn could, and the whole situation left her feeling uneasy. "Why Norway, though? Seems a little far don't you think?"
"Isn't it obvious? Showing up in the middle of the night and whisking her away on a private plane without a choice-"
"They did give her a choice. They paid her well and Jane accepted."
"Don't be naive, Darcy." Sigyn took a bite of her omelet. "That was just to make it look like she went of her own accord. I guarantee if she had refused they would have taken her and her equipment regardless. Think about it. Remote location practically on top of the world, private jet, excessive payment, yet they show up in the middle of the night saying she has to leave right now? They're hiding her."
The color drained a little from Darcy's face. "From what?"
"I don't know." Whatever it was, it had to be close. The air practically tasted of magic.
"Oh God, don't tell me it's the zombie apocalypse. I haven't packed my survival kit yet."
"Pardon?" Sigyn couldn't tell if Darcy was being sarcastic or not.
"You know...the walking dead?" Sigyn blinked at yet another reference she didn't get. "Never mind. So what do we do now?"
Sigyn was quiet for a moment. "You should go home, go back to your family."
"You coming with me? My mom would like you and let you stay with us for a while."
She shook her head. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways."
"What? Oh come on. You're leaving just because you and Jane's research got put on hold. I'm sure you two can pick up once Jane gets back. She might even have more evidence for you to work with.
No, she had gotten all the information she could from them. And remaining with them too long would bring her to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention, which she couldn't have. She still had a vial of Jane's blood in her bag; it was time she used it to find Loki. And she needed to find him soon. "This has nothing to do with the research," she said. "This business with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Jane...I don't like it. For your own safety, it might be best if you and I are separated."
Sigyn took out two more pebbles and made the same symbols on them she had for Jane, and then handed them to Darcy. "Keep these with you."
"This is really bad, huh?" she said as she took them.
They finished their meal and Sigyn tried to give her back the iPod, but Darcy insisted that she keep it, saying something about how she had an upgrade anyway. Darcy even agreed to drive her at least part of the way to the Bifrost site, stopping at the closest gas station. While Darcy went inside, Sigyn gathered up all her belongings, checking and double checking to make sure she had everything. When she turned around Darcy was behind her.
"I got you these." Darcy placed two miniature bags of Doritos in her hands. "For the road." When Darcy hugged her, she didn't pull away, rather she hugged her back. "If you get bored or decide it's safe again, my family lives in Blacksburg. In Virginia."
Sigyn nodded. She wasn't sure if she would see Darcy again, and the thought made her a little sad. "Be safe, Darcy."
Darcy hugged her one more time before getting in her car and driving off, leaving Sigyn alone under the harsh gas station lights. It was still a while until dawn. Sigyn took off running towards the Bifrost site.
Her breathing was ragged by the time she reached it. The air was practically electric and tingled along her skin, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. Something had changed, and she didn't think standing in the middle of the circle was the wisest idea this time.
Sigyn knelt a few feet away from the circle and went through the spell's ritual: water in the bowl, followed by a few drops of Jane's blood, the humming and the bowl raising above her hands. This time it didn't start to spin slowly. It spun so fast that Sigyn feared the water would spill out of it.
The air smelt of ozone and pine and she was cold. A faint ring of white light formed where the water touched the bowl.
"Loki," she said, not bothering to whisper; who was around to hear her? "Show me Loki."
The ring of light turned blue and soon engulfed the whole bowl of water. It was nearly blinding but she refused to look away. There were flashes, and this time she could hear bits of Loki's voice. "I have it…pull over…"
"Show him to me," she said through gritted teeth. Hot tears streamed down her face.
The light faded to a soft glow, still blue but less blinding. And there he was. Riding in the back of some truck, a silver case in his hand. It came to a stop and he yelled, "Where are we?"
She shouldn't have been able to hear the next voice at all, and definitely not as clearly as she did, but a distinctly male voice answered, "New Mexico, sir."
Those three words made her heart race and a grin split her face. New Mexico. He was in New Mexico.
Then it was gone. The light continued to dim and Sigyn frantically tried to make the bowl spin again. "No no no, come back." But it didn't. The bowl settled in her hands and the water went still. She screamed and threw the bowl on the ground. She wanted to cry. She had come this far, come so close, and now he was gone again.
The soil didn't absorb the water. It beaded and congealed on the surface like quicksilver. Sigyn touched it, and her fingers made a tiny indent but it didn't separate. So she pressed her hand against the dirt. The earth itself practically hummed with energy, individual veins of magic that flooded her senses. It was the lifeline of the world's magic. Something had amplified it; she shouldn't be able to feel some of the veins as strongly as she was.
The water bubble was glowing, a faint light blue that seemed to pulsate in time with the magic in the earth. If Sigyn poked and pressed on it, however, it gave a little but never broke.
Needs more force to break it. Sigyn rose, stuffing everything else back into her bag. With a powerful stomp, she brought her foot down on the bubble. It ruptured and sank into the earth. For half a moment there was nothing but the desert wind and Sigyn feared she had destroyed something valuable.
Then the veins in the earth lit up.
The weaker ones were bright at first but faded the further they stretched from her. The strongest one was a thin, jagged line of pulsating blue light racing into the distance.
She had her path.
Notes: Information on the runes mentioned in this chapter can be found here . The mythical creatures mentioned came from cruising through Wikipedia's pages on Scandinavian folklore. If anything seems glaringly wrong, let me know and I'll do my best to correct it.