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It's not much, but I wanted to give you guys something! ENJOY!

PS: Big thanks to my sister for helping out! ;)

Chapter 33

Thor paced around the circle of the Bifröst which was still slightly visible under the now muddy underground.

"Where are they?" he asked out loud.

Fandral who as leaning against a nearby boulder, sighed. "Maybe they're staying away on purpose, if only not go crazy of your pacing!" he said sarcastically. Volstagg threw his friend a meaningful look and walked over to Thor.

He placed a hand on the God of Thunder's shoulder and forced him to stand still.

"Don't worry, my friend. They will be here soon enough!"

"They should have been here about half an hour ago!" Thor harshly responded after which he pulled himself from Volstagg's grip and started pacing again. "I expect something like this from Fandral, but not from Sif and Arya!"

Fandral looked up from his sword he'd been cleaning with no reason and shouted: "What's that supposed to mean!"

Thor didn't answer. His eye fell on Hogun who suddenly appeared through the rain.

"I don't see them anywhere…" the Vanaheimer started sadly while walking closer. Thor nodded, while trying not to show his worry. He knew Sif could take care of herself, but Arya? Why did he even agree with Loki to take her with them. He'd seen her fight and she wasn't that bad at all, but Thor wasn't sure about her qualities as a survivor…

"Maybe they found something? Maybe they're together… or maybe they've both found something…" Volstagg carefully suggested. In his head he added or something happened, but he wisely decided to leave that one out.

Thor nodded again. "That's possible…" he answered vaguely, obviously think the same thing as Volstagg.

"So…" Hogun asked after a short silence. "You suggest we search for them?"

"No-o-o!" Fandral shouted while sheathing his sword. "This is Sif we're talking about! Searching for her would be a disgrace… for her!"

"No, we're not just talking about Sif! Arya's out there too!"

Fandral wanted to answer, but he couldn't find the right words. He still had to adjust to the new member of their team. Judging by the expression on the other faces, he wasn't the only one. Neither of them knew whether Arya was capable of looking after herself or not…

"Well, we can't just randomly start searching…." Volstagg continued. "They could be anywhere? Do we split up?"

Thor seemed to think over the best strategy. "Which way did they go? Both of them?"

The God of Thunder waited for an answer, but it stayed quiet. Everyone looked around, hoping they could find footprints, but the rain and mud had washed them away. In fact, they now realised how unprepared they'd acted. They'd just took off without even talking over the plan, without marking the covered ground.

"I think... I came from that direction…" Fandral eventually said, while pointing behind him, but Volstagg quickly interrupted.

"No, no! You came from the opposite direction, I'm sure of it! You walked straight to that boulder to rest you lazy arse!"

Fandral pretended to be in shock. "I did not! I am positive I past that tree behind me!"

"No you didn't!"

"Well, at least I'm trying to get us somewhere!"

"Shut up!" Thor roared. Immediate silence fell over the four friends. Thor groaned and rubbed his forehead.

Fandral sighed. "Never thought I would say this… but this is where we miss Loki…."

Volstagg nodded and dropped his axe on the ground so he could rest his arms on the handle. "You're right… Loki used to take care of the annoying details…"

"Well Loki's not here now!" Thor interrupted impatiently. "Now, let us try to…"

"Hold on!" Fandral suddenly shouted. He loosened his lazy arse from the boulder and narrowed his eyes. The others followed his stare. In the distance, two figures appeared. Two running figures in the rain. Automatically, everyone drew their weapon, ready for what could come.

The two figures started to take shape. The first one wore a golden armour, a shining shield and a sword. Her long black hair waving with every step. Right behind her ran another women, fully dressed in black, with an bow on her back.

Thor and the Warriors Three relaxed.

Finally they thought.

Fully soaked, heavily breathing and slightly panicking, the two women arrived at the circle. Without further notice, both Arya and Sif fell on their backs in the muddy sand. They didn't care if they were getting dirty, it couldn't get any worse!

"What in Odin's name happened!" Thor shouted both angry and relieved, but he didn't get an answer. Sif was gasping for breath and Arya had started crying again. She wasn't really sure if it was because she was still terrified, or just relieved.

Thor frowned. Through the rain and mud he could see several bleeding wounds on both women. The God of Thunder shared a look with his friends, but no one seemed to get a clue. And then, out of nowhere, both women started laughing! Never mind the mud or the rain!

The four men didn't know what they'd missed, but right there, at their very feet, lay two almost hysterical women laughing and rolling through the mud. And there was no stopping it!

-xxx-

One hour later, Arya and Sif had filled the others in on what had happened. After some discussion, Thor had allowed both women to continue the mission. He had been worried that they were too badly injured to go on, but Arya had guaranteed him that she'd never felt better. And Sif… well… there was no question about her opinion.

Of course, Arya did ask Heimdall if he could send a new set of arrows down and also some ropes, since these seemed to come in very handy!

After what seemed ages the rain finally stopped, but that didn't come as an advantage. Without the rain, you could see miles and miles around. Only in the far distance they could see dark mountains rise from the surface. The wilderness…

Thor ordered everyone to hide behind a bunch of trees standing a little bit further. They would set up camp there and at least they wouldn't be out in the open. Now that the bandits knew they were here, they couldn't be too careful!

Unfortunately, the trees weren't a big luxury either. Even though it had stopped raining, the trees' branches were still full of water. It was almost as if it was a local shower!

"There's a cave nearby the bandits' hideout…" Sif said while watching Fandral bungle with the fire. The firewood was way too wet and big raindrops kept on falling in the warriors neck, which made him shriek and jump around like a girl four five minutes.

Thor shook his head. "Too dangerous! They know we're here! Caves like that are the first they check…"

Sif nodded vaguely and sighed. She'd been hoping on a dry night…

"Aha!" Fandral suddenly shouted. Strangely enough, he'd managed to light the fire.

Sif frowned. "How did you do that?" she asked. "That wood was soaking wet!"

Fandral got to his feet and grinned. "Doubting my fire making qualities? Accept that I am in fact a genius! Even this wood couldn't resist my hot personality!"

Sif raised her eyebrows. "Not stating anything, Mr. genius without eyebrows!" she said with a smile.

Fandral's grin faded. He picked up Sif's sword and watched his reflection in the blade. A high pitched shout followed.

Everyone started laughing, even Arya couldn't keep herself from smiling. She'd been watching the other's from a distance, wondering if she would join them.

Suddenly Sif looked up and gestured she had to come closer.

Feeling a little awkward, Arya did as she was told and set down next to Volstagg.

"I am truly sorry I have been such a… well… a bitch. I guess I was unreasonable…" Sif started with a friendly smile.

"Don't you mean jealous…" Volstagg asked with grin.

"Or completely insensitive, downright rude and the biggest nitwit in history!" Fandral added still trying to convince himself his reflection was fake.

Sif smirked and sighed. "Anyway, you have proven yourself to be an amazing warrior! You have saved my life and I am proud to call you my friend! Welcome to the team! From this day forward we shall be called Lady Sif, The Warriors Three and Fandral!"

Arya laughed and Fandral looked up in awe.

"You can't kick me out like that! I'm irreplaceable!"

-xxx-

The night fell and it seemed even the trees were running out of water. The group prepared the little food they'd brought with them. Volstagg grew more irritated every second. He enjoyed a good meal!

Things only got better. At one point, Sif had started telling Arya stories of their former quests and adventures.

"… there was this time when Loki and I constantly fought…"

Thor smiled and nodded. "Oh, I remember that… That's a long time ago…"

Fandral grinned. "But worth remembering…."

Arya looked from one warrior to the other. "What? What happened?"

Sif and Thor shared a look, silently asking who would tell the story.

"We were still teenagers…" Thor started. "Loki and Sif just couldn't stand each other! It almost lasted for three years before they could have a proper conversation again."

"Why were you fighting?" Arya asked. "I thought all of you were like… best friends…"

"Oh we were!" Sif quickly responded. "But every friendship has its bad moments…"

"To be honest… I don't remember how it all started." Thor continued. "You know how things like that go… It all starts with something stupid and tiny and suddenly every single thing is a reason to start fighting…"

"It had probably something to do with Sif's teasing…" Volstagg joined in the conversation. Sif looked at him in awe, but couldn't hide her smile.

"He was asking for it!"

Volstagg smiled.

"Anyway…" Thor carried on. "Things got quit messy and Loki tricked Sif into going to Jotenheim all on her own. Unfortunately she ran into some Jötuns."

"Which I would have beaten if they hadn't taken me by surprise!"

Thor ignored her and continued. "Loki was the only one who knew of Sif's whereabouts and by the time Heimdall would have send for us to help, it would have been too late. So Loki went on his own and saved Sif…"

"Well, turning us invisible is not my idea of rescue…" Sif added.

"You should be grateful he was there!" Volstagg interrupted. Sif shut up, she knew he was right.

"But of course that was not the funniest part of the story!" Fandral suddenly continued, ignoring Thor and Sif's angry glares.

"When they got back, Sif couldn't deny the rescue and Loki couldn't deny he had done it either…"

"Very awkward situation!" Sif added.

Thor grinned. Arya watched Sif with curiosity lighting up her emerald eyes. Normally she would have been shocked by the way these people were talking about her king, but they all referred to Loki as their friend, so Arya forgot.

"And it got more embarrassing!" Fandral shouted. Sif hit the warrior on his shoulder.

Fandral laughed, but understood the message.

Sif continued.
"I was really angry with Loki for tricking me, but above all for saving me. It made me look pathetic back then! So we got into a fight again. Of course I scared the hell out of him!" she said with raised eyebrows and a huge grin playing on her lips.

"You should have seen Loki's face!" Fandral added in a loud whisper. Arya laughed and eagerly waited for the rest, but the sudden noise of a breaking twig, made them all look up. There was nothing there.

"Probably nothing…" Hogun said after a tense silence. He'd immediately jumped on his feet, ready to act. "I don't see anything anyway…"

Fandral sighed and relaxed again. He lay back, with his hand behind his head.

"You better keep a careful eye, Hogun… We are in an evil forest after all! You never know when we get attacked by a bloodthirsty rabbit! Or worse! A little squirrel!"

Thor sighed, rolled his eyes and gestured Hogun to sit down again.

Fandral smiled. "Carry on, Sif! We were getting to the good part!"

Sif focused her attention back on the story and smiled.

"Right… Like I said: Loki was shitting his royal pants! I was cornering him! I kept asking why he'd rescued me. After all, he was supposed to disgust me! I'm not even sure I would have done the same thing if our fates were reversed. Right then, I really hated Loki. If I would have saved him, it would have been because he was a prince of Asgard."

"At one point, we decided to intervene, otherwise they would have killed each other after all…" Fandral added.

Sif nodded. "Yes, and Fandral thought it necessary to open his big mouth!"

Fandral grinned. "I said, and this is really exactly what I said: "Sif, my darling, just accept that Loki has been fooled by your beauty!""

Arya couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her eyes sprang from one person to the next, searching for a smile, a sign that they'd been playing with her.

Thor, Sif and Fandral were clearly trying hard not to burst out laughing.

"You should have seen his face!" Thor said.

"Red!" Sif added.

"Red?" Fandral shouted in response. "That was definitely purple!"

The three friend started laughing.

"No way!" Arya shouted, not able to keep herself from laughing too.

"Yes way…" Volstagg said with a sigh, watching his friends.

"Loki had a crush on Lady Sif?" Arya asked, just to make sure.

Sif nodded, tears streaming from her eyes, not able to say anything else.

"I did not!" an unexpected voice suddenly sounded. Everyone immediately turned quiet and jumped up, weapons ready. They all turned around to face the owner of the voice.

Loki walked into the light of the fire, looking angry and slightly blushing. "I did not!" he repeated.

So... I hope you enjoyed it :)

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