Disclaimer: This fan fiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Not beta-read so all mistakes are mine. As always thanks for their reviews go to Potkantka and wbss21- Glad you're enjoying it.

CHAPTER NINE: WHISPERS

Meanwhile,

Back on Nornheim…

Sigyn leans down and reaches in to touch the communications device built into her gauntlet. Flicks it on and waits patiently to see if it will boost up. Hoping that it will tell her how many Valkyries there are in the area and how many of them have turned their com' devices on. Hoping that at least one hunting party will be able to come and relieve her of Chauri before the bitch finally loses her grip on life. Outside the storm still rages, moving with the same speed with which is came on. Clouds churning and twisting, lightning splitting the sky. Hiding all three of Nornheim's moons, making the temperature icy even as thunder rolls and booms-

It's going to be a terrible night, she thinks.

As if to contradict her, by some miracle the device blinks on then and she quickly taps out a message in Disir, the language spoken by both Norns and their Valkyries. Throws a wary glance at her prisoners and then lowers the cloak of magic she has carefully spread over the cave in which they've sheltered in an effort to keep them hidden from the Chitauri. Though she supposes she can leave it down now; The storm has become bad enough to do its work for her. As soon as the message is sent she raises the shield again and settled herself down on the ground, waiting for one of her sisters to answer it. Given the nature of the weather it may be a long shot but at given what has happened it's possible a scouting party has already been dispatched.

At her feet Chauri lolls, still half-way between life and death. Occasionally muttering curses. Her wounds bleeding out all over Nornheim's dusty, tan-yellow soil. She appears to be no nearer life than she when Loki stabbed her, and yet she clings to her mortality with surprising tenacity; The fact that she has finally succeeded in finding her favourite pet the probably reason for her death-strong grip. Sigyn knows that she should be worried about the Chitauri princess, should be trying to keep her alive, the better to gain knowledge of what her people have planned- But she cannot bring herself to do it.

She cannot bring herself to truly care.

For in a make-shift billet to her right Loki lies, his face pallid as death, his breath coming shallowly. His skin raging with fever though it feels so cold to the touch. Blue to white it pales and flushes, a storm to match the one raging outside. The sickness so strong that it counteracts even Odin's ironclad glamour on his adoptive son's flesh. Every so often his eyes flitter open and it's anyone's guess whether they will gleam blue or red or some sick black colour Sigyn has never seen in them before-

And that sight is enough to make Sigyn's heart stutter in her chest.

Not that she is willing to dwell on her reaction: She has wrapped him in her own cloak, one eye constantly on him, but that is no more than any Law Speaker like herself would do for their prisoner. At least, that is what she tells herself. Every so often he calls out in his sleep, words and curses, occasionally sounds which from another she would think were sobs. Insults at Chauri mingling with those aimed at Thor, everything muddled together as he tosses and turns in his slumber. Sigyn watches, her worry mounting. Cursing both Chauri and her choices as Loki's guardian. For it is her fault he came to this: She disengaged his healing while he was in Asgard, the better to control him when he was her prisoner-

Now witness the result, she thinks bitterly. Witness what your interference has cost him.

For had she not meddled with him as she has then he would not be so sick as he is now.

Her com' device chimes then, telling her that not only has she finally succeeded in contacting someone but they are near enough to provide an extraction team. She glances down to ascertain the identity of her saviour and winces at what she sees: The only available Valkyrie is Karnilla, a woman who is far from her first choice. The other woman was originally assigned to Loki and was not an advocate of his having a fair trial. One of the few Asgardians in the Norns' service, she carries a grudge against the younger Odinsson from what Sigyn can see, a grudge which appears to have nothing to do with the Siege of Midgard or Loki's actions therein. And given those facts Sigyn doubts Karnilla will applaud her plans to save her prisoner, anymore than she applauded the Norns' decision to give him a trial. Not that she is going to get any choice about that. Sigyn sighs, picturing the argument ahead of her as she checks her gear, making sure to gather her belongings-

She hears footfalls then, the swish of a blade being pulled out.

She draws her own weapon and darts forward, ready for battle, only to nearly smack into a fellow Valkyrie.

"It is you," Karnilla says without preamble. The taller woman looks like she's vaguely disappointed. "I had assumed he'd gutted you and left you for dead."

"And just happened to know how to call you in the language of the Norns?" Sigyn scoffs. "Because he felt like giving his captors a sporting chance?"

Apparently the taller woman isn't impressed with her line of thought, because she doesn't answer her. But then Karnilla is not exactly known for her sparkling repartee. "Is that him?" she says instead, jerking her chin in Loki's general direction.

Sigyn feels a flash of… possessiveness go through her. Because that is such a helpful reaction in the circumstances. "Yes, that's him, but he's not why you're here."

And she gestures to Chauri with her boot, drawing her lips back in disgust as the alien princess mewls.

For the first time in their long acquaintance Karnilla almost looks impressed.

"You caught one," she says. She hunkers down beside the alien, not too near, and examines her green flesh and hair with interest, using the point of her blade to lift Chauri's armour and find the skin beneath. "And not just a drone member: This one isn't like the corpses they found on Midgard."

Sigyn nods. "Aye, she thinks for herself. Loki said she worked in the Chitauri court, for their emperor: He said that she is called Chauri." She frowns as Karnilla straightens up, shrugging at the other woman's raised eyebrows. "Whatever she is, she's higher up in their structure than any prisoner we have thus far found," she points out.

"Fascinating." Karnilla pulls out her mother-line, gestures to Sigyn's where it's bound around the Chitauri. "If you wouldn't mind?" she says. No Valkyrie can open the mother-line of another; even if it were possible it' simply not done. "Did you do this damage to her?" she asks as Sigyn unbinds the alien. "Did she talk after you fought?"

"No and no." For a moment she is hesitant to answer but then she realises that lying will probably work out worse. "Loki did this to her," she says softly. "He was trying to protect me."

Karnilla blinks, her disbelief obvious. "So he's been sweet as flower-petals since you picked him up, has he?" she drawls, binding Chauri tight with her own rope.

Apparently it's her turn to scoff.

Sigyn can't help her testiness in response. "No, he's tried to escape three times in the last two days. And he's nearly beaten the blazes out of me to do it." She sighs, shakes her head at the other woman's raised eyebrow. "And yet each time he has had a chance to leave me for dead he has helped me. He has stepped down. He stabbed that creature-" she gestures to Chauri- "To save me." She frowns, shakes her head.

"I assure you, it's most vexing."

Karnilla shrugs. "You know my opinion on him," she says, speaking over Sigyn before she has a chance to object. "I believe he's up to something; He's a trickster, it is simply what they do." And she stands, picking up her own com' device and tapping it. At the very edge of her vision Sigyn sees three more Valkyries, the remains of Karnilla's hunting party, ghost forwards but they are too far away for her to recognise them yet. The red mantles mean they're probably only younglings though, new recruits.

Karnilla sees her looking.

"I know, I pulled nurseling duty," she says. "They're all destined for the Shield Maidens, except the redhead." She nods to a very small, elfin looking woman on her left. "That one wants to try for the Peace Weavers, if you can believe it." Karnilla shakes her head. "As if those women wouldn't eat her alive."

Sigyn finds herself sincerely hoping that Chauri remains unconscious if three younglings and Karnilla are all that stand between the Chitauri and possible freedom. Even if one of those younglings is in the middle of training as a Peace Weaver. The elite of the Valkyries, Peace Weavers go into conflict situations like wars and uprisings. Use their training to persuade- sometimes force- the combatants to sit down and make peace. They are the most feared women in the Nine Realms, more feared even than the Shield Maidens who guard the Nornkeep or the Law Speakers like herself to hunt criminals.

But something tells Sigyn that Chauri could give even them a run for their money.

So it's probably just as well the woman is so near death.

As she thinks it Karnilla straightens up and gestures to one of her charges. The girl, tall and broad with strikingly pale skin, reaches down and lifts up the Chitauri's body with nary a wince. The other younglings have fashioned some sort of pallet which they've left at the mouth of the cave and now the pale girl drops Chauri unceremoniously on it before she and her sisters lift it and begin dragging it into the night. "Are you coming?" Karnilla asks as soon as the girls are out of earshot. "Or are you staying here to freeze to death with your childhood sweetheart?"

Sigyn glowers. "You know my orders from Lady Verthandi," she says stiffly. "Even if I were so inclined I cannot leave him."

Karnilla lowers her voice. "He's sick, Sigyn," she says quietly. "Nobody would blame you if he died en route to the Nornkeep-"

"I would blame me," she returns, equally softly. Her tone brooks no disagreement. "Besides, if he dies the Norns' plans die with him," she points out. "Our easiest chance of peace goes with him to the grave."

Karnilla's look is cold. "Of course. Because that is your only care in all of this." She shakes her head again, reproving as a mother. "And what of you? Are you going to try and keep that ridiculous bargain with Verthandi?" she demands. "Are you still saying that you can save him? Because that, sister, is madness."

Just for a split second Sigyn is tempted to punch her fellow Valkyrie. It's a measure of how topsy-turvy Loki turns her feelings that she even contemplates it and she immediately tamps the urge down. "I never said I could save him," she hisses. "I said he had it in him to save himself."

Karnilla snorts. "Same difference-"

"Not even close." And Sigyn feels her hand tighten on her weapon, the urge to wipe that smug look off her sister Valkyrie's face getting stronger.

She forces herself to take a step back.

"If you're to have a hope of getting the Chitauri to the Nornkeep, you should go now, sister," she says. "I doubt you have any time to waste on a night like this."

Karnilla narrows her eyes. "And what of you?"

She gestures to Loki. "I have my hands full with an ailing prisoner. I will make camp here tonight, and I will bring him in tomorrow." Again she shrugs. "You'll read it all in my report, I assure you. But for the moment-" She gestures to the mouth of the cave- "You really should go."

There's far more threat than invitation in her tone and she knows it. Just as she knows that Karnilla cannot force her to bring Loki in yet.

The other woman takes the hint though and steps back. Inclines her head politely to her fellow Valkyrie, though Sigyn would place coin she'd rather give her a sharp blow. "Good hunting, sister," she says instead though, tone meticulously polite.

Doesn't do to show insubordination in the ranks with all those younglings watching, Sigyn muses.

"Good hunting to you too, sister," Sigyn returns. "Give my regards to our Ladies Three-" meaning the Norns- "And all in the Nornkeep. Good night."

And with that Karnilla sweeps out of the cave, her blue cloak flaring behind her. The sound of the storm increasing in the moments after she's gone. Sigyn settles herself down beside Loki and stares at her prisoner, watches his chest rise and fall with the labour of breathing-

And in that moment she makes, what even she has to admit, is probably the stupidest decision of her life.

For she promised Verthandi he had it in him to save himself, and tonight she will give him the chance to do just that.