A/N: So I had to split this chapter into two. This is the shorter half of it, the longer one is 13. Thank you all for your reviews. Sorry this takes so long but it builds into certain relationships that will be important later in the story.
Copyright: Marvel comics owns Thor and his cast of thousands.
The cold wind snapped through her hair as Sigyn took aim at the target. The dead quiet of the archery field gave her time to concentrate. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the bulls eye, her right arm pulled back on the arrow, string taught, she aimed and released. The arrow flew, but wobbled and she winced looking at her wrist. It still hurt, but she needed to practice, the longer she didn't the more of her skill would diminish. She saw the arrow had landed just short of the target, and she cursed, pulled another arrow from the quiver that leaned on the stand next to her. Rolling her shoulder she forced her wrist straight and gritted her teeth through the pain. This time it flew straight, but still off center.
Cursing she got another and knocked it. Sigyn fired again, and again, and again. Each time the pain coursed through her arm and to her shoulder, but she didn't stop. She was on her fifteenth shot when someone came onto the field behind her and Sigyn clucked her tongue, pulling the arrow back.
"If you're here on a request from my Mother, then you can just turn back and leave this minute." Sigyn told the intruder and fired again. She scowled when it was off center again and picked up the sixteenth. The intruder moved over to her side and she could see that it was Theoric, as she had suspected.
"I didn't come here on her request," He leaned on a wooden crate that was used as a block to create stalls for the archers, crossed his arms and watched her fire again. The arrow wobbled once more and she reached down to grab another only for him to stop her mid grab. "Don't you think you're pushing it?"
Sigyn yanked her hand away, a look of pain flitted in her eyes and she cradled her wrist before taking the arrow again. Theoric gave her a stern look.
"Clearly you don't care about what happens to that wrist of yours."
"I do actually," Sigyn told him firing another shot and pausing then to talk to him. "I care if I can actually use it. You know very well that come spring the archery competition will happen."
"Aye, as part of the ceremonies," Theroric resting his arms behind him, letting his weight settle. "Sigyn, you're not thinking of entering, are you?"
"I am Actually, I'll be old enough for it," she said and took up her seventeenth shot. Theoric scowled.
"What for? You know that there will be a lot of archers, mostly maleā¦"
"You included," she said, Theoric gave her a sideways smile.
"Aye, me included," he shifted as she shot again, hitting the ground. "Why are you straining yourself for this?"
"Because once the snow comes I will be returning home, and then I can't get in the practice." Sigyn told him. Theoric watched her knock another arrow, holding it down, she spoke. "So why did you come here?"
"Because I was worried," Theoric told her honestly and pulled himself into a sitting position on the crate. "Lady Idunn told me you come here a lot, and she's concerned, given the season change, you'll get a cold."
Sigyn took aim again, "I know, but I'll suffer the cold and the rain, or whatever else is thrown at me to get what I want."
"What do you want," Theoric asked as she fired. The arrow hit just above the bulls eye. She looked at him directly.
"I want the prize of course."
Theoric raised his eyebrow and laughed.
"The money, what would you want with money?"
"Not the money," Sigyn dismissed and propped herself against the other crate looking off in the distance at the palace. "I want the opportunity to go into the palace for the dinner."
"You mean the event the evening before the Ceremony of Age?" Theoric inquired and she nodded. He furrowed his brow, "But why? You can go in at any time with your Mother."
"Think about what you just said," Sigyn pointed out and Theoric tapped his chin. "I'd have to go in with my Mother, and she would tell the guards where I could or could not go."
Theoric laughed softly, "Very clever. Win the prize and get to wander the halls unattended, but what for Sigyn?"
"There's something in there that I want to find." She got up and went to retrieve another arrow. Theoric bent down and got it for her. Taking it Sigyn aimed it at the bulls eye and gritted her teeth. "There's something in there that I need to find."
"You need to find it? What is it?" He asked curiously and she fired, watched the arrow sail through the air and picked up another when it went just beyond the target.
"Something that's important to me, and only to me," she said pulling back the arrow. Theoric got up and went behind her. He lifted and straightened her arm then pushed in her back forcing her straight. It was painful but when Sigyn let the arrow fly it was closer to the bulls eye. She looked at him curiously.
"If it's important to you, then I'll help you get what you want," he smiled and she nodded. "Would you like to take a break, I did bring some food with me."
Theoric pulled some wrapped sandwiches out of his cloak and hot apple cider. Sigyn followed him into the wooden stalls away from the cold, where royals watched from. Sitting on a chair, Sigyn took a big bite of the sandwich then drank the cider. Wiping her lip she asked, "I haven't seen a lot of the Hawks."
"Missions," he told her. "I wish I could go with them."
"Why?" Sigyn asked curiously. "Don't you like staying here? Syn's in the palace now."
"Aye, but her eyes are on the fops that have money," Theoric said pointedly and Sigyn gave a nod. Her sister had never really appreciated Theoric all that much.
"Well, if I was old enough, I would certainly go out with you Theoric."
He glanced at her, then laughed and rubbed her hair. Sigyn giggled with him and Theoric grinned. "Oh, you wouldn't prefer the looks and courting of a certain dark haired prince?"
Sigyn set down her sandwich, "You mean Prince Loki?"
"Well people say that you were seen talking to him before he left," Theoric mentioned somberly before biting into his meal. "And there's what I saw in the garden that day."
"What you saw, was him teasing me, nothing more Theoric," Sigyn corrected him. "Besides, he came over with Lady Amora and clearly prefers the company of her to someone like me, no doubt."
"He was with Lady Amora?" Theoric blinked, "The Enchantress? Whatever for?"
"Because they were talking, I don't know," Sigyn told him directly and scowled at her sandwich, thinking about how the girl had called her little, or for that matter the way Loki had had her on his lap, made her stomach hurt. She tried to not think about it, "He said something about matters that he had to deal with."
Theoric looked out at the range as if debating something then tapped her shoulder, "Can you keep a secret?"
"Aye," she replied. Given the secrets she was already keeping it couldn't be that much harder to keep another. "What sort?"
"Well, my commander told me that the Princes went to help Lord Frey with matters in the Skornhiem Mountains. Apparently there's been some big fighting over there, and they may have asked the young Lords as a means of acting as a covert operation to take down whatever was causing the fighting over there."
Sigyn looked confused, "Take down what fighting?"
"The war between the one called Mongol and the King there. Lord Odin, I hear, fears that if Mongol were to succeed in breaching the walls to the city, then some very important treasure would be lost. I'm sure that he wants the Princes to find the treasure and bring it back here as a means of keeping it safe, and more likely having a means of keeping the King from trying to come after Asgard."
"But that makes no sense; going after Asgard would be foolish. It's too well protected." Sigyn told him and Theoric gave her a slow nod.
"Aye, I agree with you, but we don't know what powers the King has, and the All-Father simply wants to keep the people safe." Theoric explained. Sigyn looked at her last bit of sandwich, munched on it before taking a long drink of her cider.
"When do you think they will be back?"
"Don't know, when they can, I suppose. Though don't believe they will be back before the first snow falls." Theoric told her getting up. He bowed and smiled, "I guess you'll be getting back to your practice?"
"Yes," Sigyn hopped over the stall to the ground with her good hand. Landing on the crunchy grass, "I'll suppose you'll be waiting for me inside to walk me back to Idunn's?"
"Aye, that was the plan," he waved at her as he climbed down the steps and headed inside. Sigyn watched him go, turned back to the range and went back into her stall. She picked up an arrow, aimed carefully, and fired again, her mind dwelling on what Loki promised.
You said you wouldn't be gone to long Prince Loki, I hope you do make it back before the late autumn comes, Sigyn watched the arrow fly, wondering to herself why she cared if she saw him or not, and assumed it was just to be sure he was safe.
