Chapter 13 – Into the Snow

Loki saw the flash of hurt on Sigyn's face before the door slammed shut and he felt a prickle of conscience. It softened the annoyance that he felt toward his companion. He knew that she was exhausted. Still, she was being inexcusably rude to Angrboda.

"I apologize for Sigyn," Loki said as he turned back around to face their lovely hostess. "She's just-"

"Jealous."

Loki blinked in surprise. "I was going to say tired," he drawled.

"Were you?" Angrboda asked, bemused. "And do you really think that's what it is?" She slipped her arm through his. The gesture was so fluid and so subtle that they had taken several steps down the hallway before Loki realized what had happened. He was shocked by her audacity…but he didn't pull away. "She wants you," Angrboda said bluntly. Loki opened his mouth to answer, but one of Angrboda's hands settled onto his waist and the other on the center of his chest. She peered up at him through thick black lashes. "You wanted her too, I think."

"Wanted?" Loki asked, noting the past tense. He was unable to tear his eyes away from Angrboda's bewitching gaze, even as his mind turned back to Sigyn. He thought about her standing in the throne room in Vanaheim…the night in Hambli's palace…the almost-kiss in the snow… Perhaps the enchantress was right. He had wanted Sigyn then…and had anything changed? It was only hours since he had held her in his arms.

Angrboda was watching his expression closely. He thought that he caught the shadow of a frown on her full, red lips.

"Share another drink with me," she said abruptly, breaking through his musing.

"I shouldn't!" Loki protested, but he was already following her through the doorway into another room.

It was a bedchamber- Angrboda's from the looks of the gowns hung on a peg by the wall and the various bottles and brushes laid out on a bureau near the door. The lady seemed totally unselfconscious of this fact as she walked to a bedside table and uncorked a bottle. She filled a glass with amber liquid and pressed it briefly to her own lips before offering it to Loki.

"My own recipe," she declared.

Loki nodded and then took a long drink. It was unlike any spirit that he had drunk before. It was thick and creamy- and very potent. Almost as soon as he swallowed, his thoughts began to turn hazy. He couldn't remember what he had been thinking just a moment before... something about the ocean…and dwarves…and... snow?

"More?" Angrboda offered, after he had drained the cup. She filled it again.

Loki opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out. He didn't feel drunk. He was steady on his feet and he was achingly conscious of Angrboda standing in front of him, of bed behind her and the heat of her gaze, but something strange was happening in his mind. It reminded him of a fraying rope. He felt as if he was losing something and knew that he had to stop it. His heart beat faster as he tried to work out what was going on and what to do…He had to remember…he hadtoremember! …to remember...to…remember what?

Whatever he had been reaching for was gone.

"Is something the matter?" Angrboda asked, sounding truly concerned. When Loki didn't answer. She caught his hand and guided the vessel to his lips.

Loki drank again. This time, as the potion slipped down his throat, his thoughts grew calmer. He had a vague sense of something that wasn't there- of loss and absence- but he didn't know what it was. By the time he finished the second draught, he had ceased to care.

Angrboda sat down on the mattress and patted the space beside her.

"Now," she purred as he joined her. "Why don't you tell me about your Sigyn?"

Loki 's forehead scrunched in confusion. "My…what?" he asked, baffled by the question. "Who?"

Angrboda's lips curled up in malicious glee. "No one," she purred as her hand snaked toward his body again. This time it slipped around his neck and pulled him forward to her lips.

"It's late," she whispered after a long, deep kiss. "It's time that I put you to bed."

Sigyn awoke in terror as a hand clamped around the back of her neck and yanked her out of bed.

She opened her mouth to scream, but the only thing that came out was a terrified yip. She tried to turn her head, but couldn't. Whatever had grabbed her was holding her out in front of its body. All she knew was that it was fearsomely strong. The grip was never loosened, even though she kicked and snarled and howled.

She was carried all the way down the staircase to the front door. A dark blue arm criss-crossed with ridges and scars reached out to fling it open.

Frost Giants!

Sigyn stiffened in fear as her mind supplied what she couldn't see. She knew that the Ironwood was in Jotunheim, but she thought they were safe in Angrboda's cottage. They must have been attacked in the night! Or else -Sigyn's suspicions about the sorceress returned to the forefront of her mind- perhaps they had been betrayed!

What had they done to Loki?

Sigyn tried to scream his name. Once again, she didn't recognize the sound that came from her lips.

"Hush, you!" a gruff voice boomed behind her. The giant carried her down the front steps. Then, to her utter astonishment, the giant flung her forward into the snow.

For just a moment, Sigyn was paralyzed by shock as her brain raced to process the past few moments: A frost giant had dragged her out of bed! She was outside alone in the snow! She didn't see Loki anywhere!

It was the last thought that galvanized her. She struggled to her feet, and then jumped when she saw a flash of white fur out of the corner of her eye. She had forgotten about the wolves!

Sigyn held her breath. Very carefully, she turned her head again and then jolted when she realized that it was just behind her! She yelped and tried to twist away, but it the wolf stayed directly on her shoulder. She ran as fast as she could, twisting left and right until she reached a frozen stream that ran behind Angrboda's cottage. She tried to stop , but the ground was too slippery. Her body continued careened forward, coming to a rest at last near the far bank.

Sigyn picked herself up very carefully. The tale of King Salkin falling through the ice was in the forefront of her mind as she listened for signs of cracking. She looked down at her feet, and then did a double take.

The surface of the frozen stream smooth and clear. Peering down, she saw a pure white wolf looking up at her from under the ice.

Sigyn scrambled backwards.

The wolf moved back as well. Sigyn tilted her head, and the wolf moved in perfect time.

Sigyn held perfectly still and examined the animal. The wolf was smaller than the animals that had tracked them the night before, and it had a chain and pendant around its neck. Sigyn's eyes narrowed when she realized that it looked exactly like the one that she wore…and there was something familiar about the animal's cool blue eyes.

A sickening realization crept over Sigyn as she slowly turned her head to the side. There, where her feet should be, were a set of furry paws. She was the wolf! What she saw was her own reflection!

Angrboda did this! Sigyn thought, deciding at once that the sorceress was to blame. The sense of satisfaction at seeing through the other woman was short-lived, however. Loki was still in danger, and he was the only person who might be able to change her back!

Sigyn retraced her pawprints in the snow until she was back at the cottage. She made a circle around the house, looking for Loki, but her hopes were dashed. There was no sign of the prince- or of a second wolf.

After determining that Loki wasn't outside the house, she tried to get inside again. Nothing happened when she scratched at the door and so she went back to the side of the house where firewood had been stacked under a window.

Sigyn leapt on top of the woodpile and peeked into the window.

Through the glass, Sigyn could see the main hall where they had all shared dinner the night before. It looked just as cozy and inviting as ever. The dishes from the night before had been put away, but something was bubbling in a caldron hung over the fire. It was early morning, and there was no sign that the inhabitants of the house were stirring- or of the frost giant who had thrown Sigyn into the snow. She tried the front door again and pawed at a few more windows, but eventually she climbed back onto the pile of logs and settled down to wait.

Hours passed and the sun rose high in the sky. Sigyn worried about Loki. Of course, she had only known the Prince for a little while, but it seemed unusual for him to sleep so late. She was about to give up hope and try the door again when she heard footsteps on the stairs.

Sigyn craned her neck forward to get a better view as two figures came into view. The first was Angrboda. Automatically, the fur on the back of her neck rose and a low growl formed in her throat. She was calmed, however, when she saw that the second person in the room was Loki. He was laughing and seemed at ease. Relief swept over Sigyn's new body- but the sensation didn't last for long. She couldn't make out what was being said, but she could watch expressions. Angrboda said something that must have been funny because Loki laughed- then he bent forward and kissed her on the lips.

Pain, as deep and as sudden as the stab of a knife, lanced through Sigyn's heart. The jealousy that she felt the night before boiled hot in her veins, and she couldn't contain an anguished howl. She must have been louder than she thought. Both faces turned toward the window. Loki stepped forward, frowning. Sigyn felt his eyes sweep over her. For just a moment, his eyes met hers.

"Loki! It's me!" She called through kahalan, "You have to help me! Angrboda turned me into a wolf!You're in danger!"

Sigyn felt a bubble of hope spring up in her chest when she saw Loki wince and grab his temple. He must had heard her! The bubble deflated, however, when the look of confusion on his face only grew, and burst completely when Sigyn pushed him aside.

"GO!" the sorceress hissed. Despite the barrier of the wall and window, Sigyn heard the word so loudly that it rang in her ears. It hit her like a physical push, knocking her off of the woodpile to tumble back into the snow. Sigyn whimpered, but tried to climb back up. Craning her neck, she could still see Loki's face through the glass, watching her intently.

"Help me!" she called out to him again.

Loki turned. She thought that he must have said something to Angrboda, because the woman scowled and led him away from the window.

"Loki! Come back!" Sigyn begged him. Then, a new sound caught her attention: a low, menacing growl. She turned around and saw three of the huge wolves like the ones that they had seen in the forest the day before.

Any hope that they might ignore one of their own kind was dashed when she saw the raised hackles on their backs and their barred teeth. Their leader reared back on his hind legs, preparing to lunge- which is when Sigyn's instincts kicked in. She leapt off of the firewood and darted into the woods.

In her regular body, Sigyn wouldn't have stood a chance, and so she was temporarily grateful for the speed, grace and enhanced hearing that her wolf body offered. She could hear the wolves behind her as she raced past the towering black trees.

Sigyn tried everything that she could think of to lose the pack, but it wasn't any use. Even if she could evade their sense of smell, tracks in the fresh-fallen snow revealed her every move. Finally, when she was about to give up hope, she spied a hollow log that was half-buried in the snow.

Given the size of the trees in the Iron Wood, it must have been a sapling when it keeled over. It was large enough for Sigyn to wriggle inside, but was too small for the wolves that tracked her. She dove inside and hoped for a miracle.

It only took a few seconds for the wolves to find her. Two of them pawed at the openings on either end, trying to squeeze inside. Another jumped on top of the log and paced back and forth, as if he was looking for a weakness in the wood. They were unsuccessful. The lead wolf raised his head and howled into the wind. An answering howl called back from the darkness beneath the trees. The wolves went still and silent. She thought that they might have lost interest, when she saw a fourth wolf step out of the woods.

The last wolf was slightly smaller than the others- though just as daunting. His fur was black, tinged with silver. It was shaggy in places. One ear was ripped and a deep scratch crossed his face, but he wore the battle scars proudly. A dark intelligence radiated out of the animal. Despite her warm fur, Sigyn shivered at his approach. The wolf didn't try to dig his way into the log. Instead, he walked to the side, passing out of Sigyn's view. She didn't know he was doing until the log began to roll sideways. Sigyn realized that he and the others were pushing it with their snouts.

Sigyn felt slightly dizzy as the log rolled over, but she didn't grow alarmed until they picked up speed. She realized that they were pushing her down a hill- and she had no idea what was at the bottom! Panicked, she tried to squirm her way back outside, but the log was rolling too fast. It bumped painfully along the ground, hitting rocks and stumps along the way. Finally, there was a moment of weightlessness, a crunch and then a splash. They had pushed her into the stream!

Sigyn crawled out of the log and into icy water. Even through her pelt, the cold felt like needles on her skin. She waded to the edge of the ice and climbed up. She had barely regained her feet before one of the wolves pounced. Sigyn tried to twist away, inadvertently exposing her neck. She felt razor sharp teeth sink through her fur. Then, with a loud yelp, her attacker let her go.

She raced away from the water, back up onto the bank. Only then did she stop to look back and see what had happened. The clearing was filled with wolves- but they were fighting one another!

Sigyn managed to count up to twelve of the huge animals before she gave up. Fur and teeth were flying so quickly that it was impossible to keep count. She kept her attention on the dark wolf. He had faced off against a huge cream and silver animal that was backing him toward the broken ice.

The dark wolf was only a footstep away from icy death when he finally made his move. He feinted forward, causing his opponent to step off balance. Then, he pressed his advantage. He dove forward, burying his teeth in the other wolf's throat and refusing to let go.

Sigyn's eyes widened at the sight- not simply because of the violence. The victim continued to whine and thrash, but something strange was taking place. As he grew weaker, the silver wolf's fur seemed to peel away. By the time that the creature finally stilled it was a the body of a man, wrapped up in the pelt of a wolf.

Satisfied with his work, the dark wolf finally let go, leaving the man to sputter and choke out his dying breaths. The black animal snapped and snarled at a new opponent, but the tide of the battle had somehow turned. Two of the wolves that had attacked Sigyn were laying dead on the ice, still in their animal forms, and the fourth was racing back into the woods. The dark wolf continued to hiss and snarl as though he were displeased by the loss. In the end, however, he also ran away, leaving the victors alone.

Sigyn maintained her hiding place, hoping to go unnoticed. She knew that she should probably seize the opportunity to run away, but she couldn't stop herself from watching the second wolf-pack with fascination. The bodies of their enemies were ignored, but they rolled the corpse of the man onto his wolf pelt and dragged him to the edge of the woods. Working together, they nudged the man's limbs until his legs were straight and his hands were folded at his chest. They folded the wolf pelt over him like a blanket. Then, one by one, they travelled to the riverbank, gathering stones in their mouth. They returned to the man and deposited them, first at his sides, but then on top of the body, raising it in a burial cairn.

"At least we die as men."

Sigyn when she realized that one of the wolves was standing beside her. It was another cream and silver, and huge- although nothing else appeared threatening. He was standing calmly, regarding Sigyn with strangely human eyes. She started again when she realized that she had heard the voice inside her head.

"You know the mindsong? " Sigyn answered.

The wolf whined and rubbed his head on the ground in reaction to Sigyn's clumsy attempt.

"Better than you, I think…" he growled, "It was the language of my people."

"Your people?" Sigyn regarded him strangely. "How can that be?"

"I am Grevis, a warrior of Vanaheim, but one of the wolf-mother's many victims. We are the witch's servants now…" The wolf answered sadly. "But once we were our own."

Sigyn felt the anguish in his words. She was afraid to ask how long he had been transformed. Instead, she looked toward the man who was being buried and the two dead wolves that lay untended in the snow.

"How did he change back? " she asked. "And what about the others?"

"The others are the witch's children," the wolf replied with contempt. "They never knew their other selves…but for Skion," he paused to dip his head in respect toward the fallen warrior, "death's magic is stronger than the witch. As sleep approaches, her power breaks."

"There has to be another way to undo the spell! " Sigyn insisted. "I have to change back! I have to warn Loki!He is still a prisoner in Angrboda's house! He's in danger!"

"Loki?" Grevis's amber eyes widened. "Odin's son?"

Sigyn nodded.

"If she has taken the Allfather's son, then we are all in danger," Grevis said. "The witch's preparations are nearly complete."

Sigyn wanted to ask what he meant, but before she could speak again, one of the wolves in the valley raised his head and howled.

"The others are returning," Grevis said. "We must go…Come, we will give you shelter and aid as we are able. Perhaps together we can devise a wayto thwart her evil plans."

A/N- 100 reviews! Wow! I only hope that you don't all flee now that I have turned my heroine into a wolf (*sheepish grin*) Sorry that this chapter went a little bit Sigyn heavy (and Sheila, PLEASE don't kill me for "that"…It had to be done!)…it was more fun writing Wolf!Sigyn than I thought.

Thank you again for your comments.