Chapter Eleven

Iwaldi sat behind his desk, a sturdy thing carved from marble, and read the letter in his hands over and over again to be sure that the words were real and not tricks from a long night of drink and merriment. But the words remained the same, and they made his head ache and his stomach roll. Sigyn would not be happy about this either.

"I see you're awake," she said as she came through the archway, carrying a tray with two mugs of strong tea on it. "They said you managed to drink several of the visiting lords under the table; I thought we wouldn't see you until nearly dinner time." Her gaze fell to the letter in his hand, and then to his face; she would see the worry there, no point in hiding it. "What is it? Has something happened?"

He handed her the letter so she could read for herself. "Your uncle will be paying us a visit. He doesn't say why." She read it in silence before setting it back on his desk. Her shoulders were tense and her gaze was fixed on the letter.

"Do you think he knows I'm here?"

"I haven't seen or spoken to Freyr in years. I can't imagine this is a social call." Sigyn chewed on her lower lip, her hand balled into a fist.

"Do I run?" She asked, her voice small.

"No!" The thought of his daughter jumping between worlds again, drifting aimlessly without close friends or family, sparked a fresh wave of fury in him. "You are my daughter, and only you will determine if or when you leave. Still, it will be difficult to keep your presence here a secret. Someone will talk."

"Plus, I'm the tallest one here." He was relieved for her smile; the last thing he wanted was for her to be more upset.

"Perhaps, I'm wrong and this is just a social visit. Maybe he just wants to make sure you're alright. You did vanish from Asgard." He doubted this was the case, but he regretted making her worry about it. She saw through it, though. She wasn't a fool and knew what a lie sounded like.

"I'm going to the forge for a while."


Sigyn waited until she was at the forge before unleashing any of the emotions she kept closely hidden. Slamming her tools on the table, muttering and cursing to herself, she was sure she was a sight to anyone else in the forge with her. All she had wanted was some time to herself with people who would allow her to recover. Now her uncle was coming, which meant he, or her family, must want something.

She tied her hair back and pulled out a hammer and the piece she was currently working on. Whatever it was, she had no intention of giving it to them.

To Iwaldi's surprise, Freyr brought with him only a small retinue of attendants. They may not have had the amount of pomp the Asgardians did, but it was not to be said that those of Vanaheim weren't capable of extravagance. This humble showing was out of character and made him ill at ease.

He greeted Freyr in his main hall, surrounded by only a few others. He wanted to keep this whole situation as controlled as possible. Freyr had changed little over the years. His golden hair was a little paler, but still plaited in a warrior's fashion, and a fresh scar ran down his cheek. He wore his usual charismatic smile when he knelt before him.

"My lord," he greeted, inclining his head a little for extra flourish. "Thank you for accepting my visit."

Iwaldi arched his eyebrow. "I don't think you've ever called me 'my lord'. Not even when your sister and I were...together. What have I done to earn such formality this time?"

"Merely offering your the respect as fitting your station."

He wanted something, someone, and this was all a poor attempt at making a good impression. "You're a terrible arse kisser and full of shit, Freyr."

He laughed, the sound reverberating off the stone walls, and rose to his feet. "Alas, my charms are lost on you, you old dwarf." This time Iwaldi chuckled; it'd been a long time since they'd traded barbs with each other. "There is an important matter I wish to discuss with you, but I was hoping we could talk in private."

Ah yes, there it was. Freyr had come with a purpose and all the smiles and joking would not keep him from it. Iwaldi lead him to his private study where he had mulled ale brought for them. He was not the only one trying to make a decent impression. The drink was Freyr's favorite, and Iwaldi thought if he could keep him in a good mood, this whole business might go over more smoothly. "Before we talk business, tell me: how is Freya?"

"Just as untamable as ever. She spends a great deal of time on Vanaheim now, trying to restore some kind of order. Still carrying a flame for my sister?"

When Freyr had learned of his relationship with Freya, he'd laughed and clapped him on the shoulder instead of the usual confused look and ever since then Iwaldi had liked the man. "She is the mother of my children; that flame will never extinguish."

"Didn't know you were such a poet." Freyr took a long drink of his ale, and Iwaldi did not like the sudden shift in the air. "Unfortunately, it's one of your children that has brought me here." Iwaldi stared into the fireplace on the other side of the room. If he didn't acknowledge what Freyr said he would take laugh again and say it was all some joke. "I've been sent to bring Sigyn back to Asgard."

No matter how many times Iwaldi had played that request over and over in his head, hearing it still took the air from his lungs. "No."

"I'm afraid I don't have much of a choice. I was ordered to bring her home."

"Home?" Iwaldi bristled. "This is her home! And I am not sending her back so that the All-Father can torture her some more!"

"Is that what she told you?" He was smiling, but Iwaldi couldn't read the mood behind it. "My niece seems to have a flair for the dramatic. She was given a remarkable amount of freedom for what she did. And she did have a role, Iwaldi. Or did she keep that from you?"

"I know what she did. And I also know she lived in fear that Odin would change his mind and imprison her or worse. I know of the scorn she faced. And I know that you offered her no comfort."

Freyr at least had the decency to look ashamed, whether it was genuine or not Iwaldi couldn't tell. "Politics in Asgard..."

"Politics?" He sputtered. "She is your kin, and you ignored her suffering for politics? Is that why when you all thought Loki dead the first time you told her grief was shameful? That she should start looking for a proper husband?"

"That was not my idea but you cannot tell me you were pleased she married Loki. Especially not after all the shit he pulled here."

"If we were to forever be judged for the sins of our youth, Freyr, you would not be able to show your face at court. Loki may not have been my first choice for her, but he made my girl happy, and in his own way I believe he loved her too. So while it is my hope that one day she finds happiness, with a new husband or no, I will not disrespect their marriage. And if I remember correctly, it was Freya who was angry about the two of them. You just laughed so hard I thought you were going to piss yourself."

This time Freyr chuckled, remembering as he was the day Sigyn confirmed she and Loki were together, and that one day she wanted to marry him. "I thought she was just trying to spite her mother. I knew Loki was trouble, but I didn't think him capable of attacking Jotunheim and Midgard. Nor did I think he'd marry her in the middle of it all. It was a bit of a shock to all of us when we realized how close they were."

"We'll you can imagine it was a bit of a shock to me when I heard how she'd been treated, so no I will not send her back there. He may be ruler of all nine realms but I am still Lord of this mountain and I will not be bullied into sending my own daughter back to a hostile environment. Loki is dead, Freyr. There is nothing for her there. What use is she to him?"

"I don't know why the All-Father has summoned her, or what his purpose is. But, I can promise you I would not be here if I thought she would be in any danger. Plus, your daughter is a talented sorcerer in her own right, trained not only by the late queen but by Loki as well. In Asgard, she might actually be able to do something with her talents. To make a new name for herself."

"For herself or for your family?" Freya's family was ambitious, and while he didn't doubt that they would not willingly lead her to harm, that didn't mean they wouldn't push her into some sort of political machination she didn't want to be a part of.

"For herself. Tell me, what has she been doing here this whole time?"

"Grieving. Healing. Things she apparently couldn't do in peace anywhere else but home."

"And what happens when all her wounds are healed and she's done grieving? Do you really believe she'll be content to spend the rest of her life holed up under a mountain? She may be your daughter but she is also my sister's, and she will grow restless."

"Do not pretend to be concerned with her welfare now when you have been suspiciously absent all this time. If or when Sigyn decides to leave Nidavellir, it will be on her terms when she is ready."

Freyr sighed and leaned his head back against the wall he was against, throwing one of his hands up. "Will you let me at least talk to her? Let me plead my case to her; she might be more reasonable."

He had a feeling Freyr would ask this. "You already have."

"What you're going to tell her half of what I said and..." He stopped, and Iwaldi couldn't help but smirk as Sigyn stepped out of the shadows. Freyr looked like he was going to shit himself.

"Hello, uncle." She was dressed in the colors of mourning. "I trust my father wasn't giving you too much trouble," she said with an easy smile and a hand on his shoulder.

"No more so than usual." He got up and embraced her. "It's good to see you. You look well, all things considered."

"My good health can mainly be attributed to the care I've received here." Before he could counter her, Sigyn took him by the arm and said, "Enough talk for now, uncle. There's to be a feast tonight in your honor, as our guest. I'm sure you'll want to rest and get cleaned up beforehand."

Freyr glanced over at him, seeing right through what Sigyn was doing. "A bath does sound lovely. Still had to ride here despite how close Heimdall brought us. Let's see which one of us can drink the other under the table."

"You may be of the Vanir but I am a dwarf, with the iron stomach of one too."

Sigyn handed him off to one of the servants to take him to his room and shut the door. "Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"Most likely. Freyr is many things, but deceptive is not one of them."

Sigyn chewed on her thumbnail. "Let me talk to him at the feast tonight."

"I do not think he will tell you anything different than what he said just now."

She grinned. "You underestimate my persuasiveness, father."

No, he never doubted that. Between Asgard and Loki, he was sure she just as much a silver tongue as her husband. But Iwaldi still feared Freyr would mention something that would make her change her mind.


Sigyn's heart was pounding when she returned to her rooms, but she waited until the door was closed before she let go of her composure. Her breath came in shallow gulps and she dragged a hand through her hair. She didn't want to go back to Asgard; she couldn't go back and be reminded of him at every turn, to have to take sleeping potions to dull her dreams so she wouldn't see him, to serve at the will of either the All-Father or her family.

She thought of running again. She and her father had discussed this in case this was indeed what Freyr came for. It wouldn't take much for her to throw together a few items and slip out through one of the many tunnels under this mountain. But she had spent at least the last year or so running from everything, from her past, from her memories. She'd grown tired of it ages ago. All she wanted to do was vanish beneath the mountain and be forgotten for a while.

"Why can't they all just leave me alone?"

"Because life isn't that simple," a voice answered from the other side of the room. Sigyn jumped and reached for the nearest object to hurl at them, which in this case ended up being a book she kept on a nearby table. "Whoa, relax Sigyn. It's only me." The figure made themselves visible and Sigyn dropped the book and her jaw.

"Amora?!"

"Surprise."

"What...what are you doing here?" The last time she'd seen Amora was years ago, when she left to study on Alfheim.

"When I heard about everything that happened I had to come see you." Sigyn stayed pressed against the door, trying to slow the rapid beating of her heart, and Amora stepped forward. Her bright golden hair was braided, which it almost never was, and her clothes were simple and modest. "Sigyn, I am so sorry about Loki." It was one of the few consolations she knew wasn't an empty platitude; Loki had been her friend, too. She couldn't answer without her voice cracking so she only nodded. Amora gently pulled her away from the door and placed her hands on her arms. "How've you been holding up? The healers said you'd been...unwell."

"Unwell?" She couldn't help the dry laugh that bubbled up from her throat. "Is that what they're calling grief stricken madness now?"

"Siggy." Amora pulled her forward into a tight embrace. "No one knew where you were or what had happened to you."

"Don't tell me you were worried." Amora really wasn't the type to show concern like this. Her face was rarely without a smirk, and a sharp retort was always on her tongue. She was like Loki in a lot of ways and that was comforting. But this new earnestness was almost unsettling, if only that Sigyn rarely saw this side of her.

"A little. I was brought back from Alfheim and find more chaos than even I'm used to. The Bifrost had to be repaired, Loki had died twice, and you had gone missing twice, the two of you had tried to take over Midgard, plus at some point you two got married. I'm starting to think you two need me to keep you out of trouble."

There it was; there was the Amora she remembered. She'd even overlook the fact that she referred to Loki as though he was still alive and blame it on habit. "Please, if you weren't traipsing around Alfheim doing gods know what you would have been right there with us."

"Maybe. Midgard, though? There has to be a more interesting place you two could have ruled."

"What, like Asgard? In case you hadn't noticed the All-Father is still alive." Amora nodded and looked down. "Unless something's changed."

"No, nothing. Just thinking the wrong man died that day."

Amora may have meant well, but that poked and prodded at the scar Loki's death left behind. She had enough to deal with tonight without that wound being reopened. "Please tell me you're coming to the feast tonight."

"And miss a Dwarven feast? Of course I'm going."


Amora waited until she was certain she was alone in her room and would not be disturbed before lying down on the bed, her hands folded neatly on her stomach. Astral projection was a tricky thing; she needed complete concentration. Three breaths in, three breaths out, each one detaching herself a little more, before she took one final deep breath and opened her eyes.

She was in a forest, golden light filtering through the trees and making patterns on the ground that seemed to be constantly shifting. "You wanted me to check in," she called out.

Moments later she heard the crunch of leaves as he approached. A trick of her mind; where they were the leaves weren't real. "How is she?" Loki asked.

"She's holding it together. Your death still haunts her, though."

"That's why you need to bring her back."

"I don't know if that's possible. She's stubborn and angry and hurting. You know as well as I do that we'd have better luck picking up the whole damn mountain and bringing it back to Asgard."

"Don't think that hasn't crossed my mind."

"Are you sure this is such a good idea? Maybe she's not ready to come back to Asgard."

"She belongs with me, Amora. I need her here."

"Then let me tell her the truth."

He shook his head. "The walls may be made of stone but they have sharp ears and loose tongues. Word will spread and then we are all in danger."

"As long as she thinks you're dead, there's no reason for her to come back to Asgard."

"Then find a reason!" He snapped, "Convince her. That's why I sent you." The forest went dark and Amora's eyes snapped open. She was gasping for breath and trembling. Sigyn was stubborn, and for a moment Amora feared what would happen if she didn't break through that stubbornness.


Once her father learned Amora was there as well, he insisted Sigyn spend time with her instead of trying to talk to Freyr. The man's far more agreeable when he drinks, he'd said. Let him drink a few pints of our ale and I'll have him agreeing with us. You, on the other hand, need to spend some more time among the living.

She and Amora were seated at the main table with Iwaldi, Freyr and a few others, and every so often Sigyn would lean over and identify any of her father's retainers Amora was unfamiliar with. Amora was as charming as ever, but as the feast went on Sigyn noticed that she fidgeted more and more. She toyed with the choker clasped around her neck, or tugged at her sleeves. And she kept glancing up at the arched ceiling of the hall, so high up even the light didn't fully reach it. She'd seen that look before; some people found being underneath a mountain disconcerting if they weren't used to it. So she took Amora by the arm and started leading her towards the balcony just past the main entrance that overlooked the river outside.

Amora breathed a deep sigh of relief once they were outside. It was dark, but torches that capped each end of the balcony gave them a little light.

"I didn't remember you disliking enclosed spaces," she said kindly. Amora had always been fearless, always ready to jump headlong into some new adventure. A Dwarven hall beneath the mountain would never have bothered her.

"I just spent three years on Alfheim; nothing's enclosed there. It always felt like I was surrounded by nothing but wind and sky."

Sigyn had only been to Alfheim once, but she did remember the open air buildings and feeling like the sky could swallow you at any moment. "Nidavellir has ways of testing those who visit her. I could ask that you be given a room with a balcony; there are a few my father keeps for guests who don't feel well underground."

"Thanks, Siggy." The conversation shifted into a lull. Three years had passed since she'd last seen Amora and neither of them were the same as they had been. There was a gulf between them now. "Why are you still wearing black?"

That question not only broke the tension between them, but seemed to snap something in the very air as well. There was no warm, comforting haze, and she was acutely aware of the chill in the breeze. "What?"

"One of the Lords I spoke to earlier didn't understand why you still wore the color of mourning. Your grief period ended a while ago."

Sigyn looked down at her dress. It was a rich black with gold trim, and sleeves long enough to cover the cuff still around her wrist that she didn't have the heart to take off. "A few weeks is not enough time to mourn." There was a suspicious feeling that twisted inside her. Yes, she and Amora had been good friends but she had still shown up with her uncle. "You're here to convince me to come back to Asgard, aren't you?"

"Siggy..."

"I can't just forget about him and move on. And I certainly can't do it on Asgard where everything reminds me of him. I'm tired, Amora. I'm tired of running; I'm tired of trying to keep my head up all the time. And every time I find a little bit of peace, someone or something comes along and pulls it away from me. No. I'm done."

"As long as you're avoiding Asgard you'll always be running."

Sigyn narrowed her eyes. Amora was too calm, too willing to follow this one order. "There. Is nothing. There. For me. Nothing. My husband is dead, my brother would rather spend time on Midgard, most of my family doesn't stay on Asgard for very long, the All-Father isn't very fond of me, and the Queen is dead."

"Maybe that's reason enough to come back. You worked the closest with the Queen; who better to carry on her legacy?"

"That's not my job, Amora," Sigyn snarled even as the very idea pierced her heart and tears welled in her eyes. "Surely, there are others who are better suited to the task."

"Perhaps, but how many of us can say they were as close to the queen as you? At the very least it'd be a better use of your time and talents." Sigyn snorted and looked out to the river. Yet another person who felt the need to tell her what she should be doing. "Alright, fine. You want to know why you should come back. Because you know as well as I do that the only way you'll ever find peace is to stop hiding."

"I'm not hiding."

"You are, literally, hiding under a rock! Do you really think that what you and Loki did won't find you here, like it did on Midgard? Or that it won't follow you to the next world to run to? What good is this doing for you?"

"It's better than Asgard."

"Is it? The dreams will not stop if you stay here, or return to Midgard or any other world. His death will follow you no matter where you go."

"My grief nearly drove me mad, Amora." Sigyn whispered, her voice cracking. "Why should I go back there?"

She felt Amora's hand on her arm. "Because the woman who followed Loki across the realms and married him in the middle of a battle would not run from this, no matter how much she's hurting."

"And what can I expect if I go back? Imprisonment? The constant presence of a guard?"

"You'd be surprised. Asgard is in such a state right now that you might not even be bothered."

Sigyn's head was swimming, and it felt like her strength had been sapped. "I need some time alone to think about all of this." She expected a fight; Amora was one to not let an argument go until she'd won. But to her surprise, she just sighed and started heading back towards the hall. One problem still remained, one question still unanswered. "No one can seem to answer why the All-Father wants me back so badly. Don't suppose he might have told you the reason."

For a moment there was no answer, just long stretches of silence, and Sigyn thought Amora hadn't heard her, or ignored her. "The queen is dead," she said. "Thor has his duty to Midgard. Maybe he's realized he doesn't have that much family left. "


For the next several days, Sigyn rarely left the forge and she refused most visitors. She would have no other influences, not her father, not Amora, and not Freyr. This was her choice and she would make it alone.

The armor pieces had been done for two days but she still had not come to a conclusion she was happy with, so she spent her time polishing and detailing ever piece until it shone like the royal palace of Asgard.

Amora had, essentially, called her a coward. And once the prickliness of that accusation was gone, Sigyn faced the uncomfortable thought that maybe she was right. How often had she claimed she was tired of running, only to turn around and run to the next world? And how could she continue to, when she did not come from a lineage that would have encouraged this. Her mother was a Valkyrie and there wasn't a battle she could be kept from if she could help it. Her father was a great dwarf lord and warrior in his own right who was willing to stand up to the All-Father himself over her. Thor and her uncle were great warriors, and Frigga and Loki had stood against their enemies at the cost of their lives.

Thor's words to agent Harrison reverberated in her again. Losing Loki is punishment enough. It has taken the fight from her. It rang like a discordant note then, and now it was almost deafening within these stone halls. She had vowed not to let Loki's death weaken her, not while there was still strength in her. Grief and madness were her enemies, and she would have to face them.

She adjusted the bit of Loki's cape still tied around her wrist and secured with a metal cuff. Amora spoke of carrying on a legacy. Her husband had died with honor; all his mischief and chaos redeemed with that one final act. What was hers? That she tracked him across the realms to be reunited, stood by him through the worst only to wither after his death? No she would have a legacy of her own.


Her father took the news about as well as she expected. He was worried she had been pressured but once she explained her reasons he understood. Well, as much as he was going to anyway. On her last day, Sigyn remained alone in her rooms. She'd already wandered the great stone halls the night before as a way to say goodbye. Her bags were packed and waiting on the bed, and her father quietly slipped into her room to tell her the others were waiting.

"I want you to promise me something," she said, taking one of her hands in his. "Promise to keep me informed as to how you're treated. If they treat you poorly, I want to know about it."

"I will, father. And I will visit as often as I can. I may be returning to Asgard but I will not be kept a prisoner there."

He smiled and reached into his coat and pulled out a small, velvet wrapped bundle. "There's something I want to give you away from the others." She unwrapped the bundle to reveal a golden cuff bracelet set with green and amber stones that seemed to sparkle when they caught the light. Beautiful, intricate knot work wound around the surface. Dwarven patterns often told a story; this one spoke of love and war and eventual triumph. "You deserve something better to wear with that piece of fabric, something that represented you and Loki."

Fresh tears sprang to her eyes as her numb resolve faltered, and she embraced her father in a tight hug. "Thank you."

"If you're going to return to Asgard as Loki's widow, you should have something worthy of the title."


Iwaldi met with Freyr privately before Sigyn was ready to leave. He had a few words for him. Freyr looked far too pleased with all of this and Iwaldi wanted to punch him for it.

"Well, things worked out better than I thought they would. I was half expecting a war over all of this," he said, looking too pleased with himself for Iwaldi's liking.

"It's not too late."

"Come on, Iwaldi. Sigyn's made her choice."

"I am aware of that. But know this, Freyr Njordson: If I find out that she has been mistreated in anyway, and do not doubt that I will know, I will command every forge in this realm to go cold. Neither Asgard nor Vanaheim will receive any of our weapons, our armor, our metal works. Not so much as a nail will be given to either realm. And if it is a significant injustice, I will command that when the forges are relit, their purpose will be for war."

"A little dramatic, don't you think."

"I am turning one of my children over to you against my better judgment, and only because she believes that this is the right thing for her. If she has been deceived, I will consider it a slight against my house and the response will be as such."

Freyr gave more promises that she would be treated well, and Amora remained silent. A wise move on her part. She may be a friend of Sigyn's, but he wondered what she could have said to make her change her mind. Either way, he did not trust the Enchantress entirely, despite his daughter's reassurances.

When Sigyn appeared in the doorway, their discussion stopped. The few armor pieces she made were done in bronze, and the green dress she wore left one arm bare to show off the golden cuff with the bit of green fabric underneath.

"She looks like she's going to war," Freyr remarked.

"That's one way to describe it," he rumbled.

They had already decided that the public farewells would be quick, having saved the heartfelt goodbyes for earlier that morning. Iwaldi watched as Sigyn followed Freyr, Amora, and the handful of other servants out of the great entrance hall. Sigyn gave one final look back at him and the mountain before Freyr yelled for Heimdall. There was a great flash of rainbow light and then they were gone.


It had been so long since Sigyn had traveled by Bifrost she almost forgot how smooth a transition it was. The secret paths were suffocating at times, pushing her through only to drop her in some unknown location. This was almost like flying, and landing comfortably in the observatory. She could see the Bifrost and just beyond it the great golden palace looming on the horizon.

"Lady Sigyn," Heimdall greeted her. "Welcome back to Asgard."


Note: I apologize this chapter took so long to put up. Life and school got a little hectic for a few months. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)