Author's Note: Just a warning I do use the word 'damn' in this chapter. It is not often I will use language like that, so please bear with me on this one.
Sigyn did visit Loki the next day so she was present at the palace when the warriors returned victoriously from battle. Loki ensured that she was invited to dine with them in celebration, though he was fairly certain Thor or Fandral would have invited her anyway, and she accepted the invitation graciously. She spent the evening by Loki's side, and she forced him to sit through several lengthy conversations with Sif. He couldn't help but notice that she would occasionally mention things concerning hair. At first she mentioned Frida's new haircut and how she was considering changing her own style slightly. She then asked Sif about how she chose to dress for battle, which led to a conversation about Sif's hair and how it must be difficult to keep out-of-the-way when she fought. Almost every conversation the two women had Sigyn could twist back to hair in some manner. When she couldn't make a reference to hair, Sigyn would play with or toss hers about. At one point in the evening she went so far as to instruct Loki to run his fingers through it the next time they talked to Sif. Loki complied with her strange request quite willingly, but did Sigyn really think she could subtly manipulate Sif into wanting to change her hairstyle? While Loki believed this subliminal tactic was bound to fail, he was forced to change his mind as the evening progressed. Sif began to play with her own hair, and would scan the room to study other Ladies and their hairstyles. Sigyn had managed to plant an idea in Sif's head and between the post-battle adrenaline and no small amount of alcohol, Sif caved in to Sigyn's suggestions.
"Its time for a change!" Sif declared out of nowhere.
"A change?" Sigyn asked a tad surprised.
"Yes, I must get my hair cut. It is far too impractical for a warrior to have such long hair!" She stated.
"Would you like me to cut it for you?" Sigyn offered nonchalantly.
Sif looked at Sigyn with her eyes wide.
"Could you?!"
"I cut Frida's, I don't see why yours should be any different." Sigyn pointed out.
Sif grabbed Sigyn's hands excitedly.
"Oh please do!"
Loki sighed. Sif was definitely drunk. He hadn't seen the proud warrior act this much like a little girl since…well ever.
"I shall do it for you sometime." Sigyn replied.
"Not sometime," Sif interjected, "now!"
"Now!?... but I have no scissors." Sigyn pointed out.
Sif looked drunkenly around the room and her gaze landed on Loki.
"Loki, go fetch us some scissors!" She commanded happily.
Normally Sif commanding him to do anything would have offended Loki, but at the moment he was too shocked that Sigyn's plan was actually going to work. There was no way in the Nine Realms that this should have worked. He conjured a pair of scissors, muttered the spell that would enchant them, and handed them over to Sigyn. Scissors now in hand, Sif pulled Sigyn off somewhere secluded so that she could get her hair cut in privacy. Loki did not have to sit alone long before Thor took a seat next to him.
"You missed out on an exciting battle, Loki! We could have used you out there." His brother declared.
Normally Thor would have grabbed Loki violently about the shoulders to give such a speech, but he fortunately refrained this time.
"You all seemed to manage fine without me." Loki pointed out.
"Yes, well we can't always rely on such good luck to get through." Thor noted.
"I am certain that you could fight half of these battles on your own and still victor unscathed." Loki commented.
"Not the last one." Thor stated while looking towards Loki's injured shoulder.
Loki fidgeted a little in his seat. He and Thor hadn't really discussed the nature of his injury, and Loki felt that now was certainly an odd time to bring it up.
"You would have done the same for me." He said while shrugging casually.
Thor smiled, and this time he did wrap his arm around Loki's shoulder.
"The same and more." He replied. "Now, where is Sigyn?"
"She and Sif have scampered off somewhere." Loki answered.
"I see, a little female bonding time. You know you better keep a close eye on her." Thor remarked.
"Why may I ask?"
"Fandral has taken an interest in her."
"Fandral takes interest in anyone that wears a dress." Loki countered.
"True enough, but that does not negate the fact that he will pursue her."
"He has every right to pursue her, I see no reason why I must monitor Sigyn's every move. She is perfectly capable of handling herself if she does not desire his advances, or have you so quickly forgotten her reaction to yours?"
"I am not likely to forget that any time soon, but it is not for her sake that I mention it."
"Then why do you bring it up?"
"For your sake. You may be able to hide your feelings from others, yourself even, but you cannot hide them from me. You care for Sigyn and I think she would have you if you were to ask, but if you are not careful you will lose her to another man."
"Have you been speaking to mother lately?" Loki asked while rolling his eyes.
"Of this? No. Why?"
"Because she seems determined to believe that Sigyn means more to me than merely a friend as well."
"Perhaps the problem is that you are determined to believe that she doesn't mean more." Thor mused.
Loki might have replied to this, but was spared the option to by the re-entry of Sif and Sigyn.
"I feel unburdened already!" Sif half-shouted before falling into giggles.
She went to hug Sigyn, but it looked as if she was falling over the poor girl more than anything. Sigyn obviously wasn't sure how to handle the drunken warrior so she just stood their half-hugging half-supporting Sif. Sif's cries of joy caught the attention of those still celebrating, but her newly transformed hair is what kept their attention. Loki smirked inwardly. Sif obviously hadn't seen her new hairdo yet, if she had she wouldn't be nearly so jovial. He had to give Sigyn some credit though; she had actually done a nice job of cutting Sif's hair. Sif spotted Thor and Loki and drug Sigyn over to join them before practically throwing herself into Thor's lap.
"How do you like my new hairdo? I think it is much more suitable for a warrior." She remarked.
Thor looked at Sif's now black hair cautiously.
"It is certainly different…" He remarked not disapprovingly.
The Warriors Three quickly made their way over to Loki, Thor, Sif, and Sigyn.
"Decided it was time for a change did you?" Fandral asked upon arrival.
"I did. Sigyn pointed out that my hair was impractical for a warrior."
"I could understand the length perhaps, but the color?" Volstagg queried.
"The color? What is wrong with the color?" Sif scoffed.
"Black is certainly an extreme. Not that it looks bad…"
"Black!?" Sif shouted in horror.
The Warriors Three all look at Sigyn. Fandral regarded her as though he was trying to hide an impressed look. Volstagg looked simply blown over, and Hogun, surprise surprise, looked less than amused. Only Thor looked to Loki. To her credit, Sigyn kept a mask of pure innocence despite the stares.
Sif jumped up from Thor's lap and went in search of a mirror. A few minutes later she stormed into the room looking as though she could murder Sigyn where she stood.
"How dare you!"
Sigyn held her ground unfazed, but it was Fandral who intercepted the fuming Lady Sif.
"Sif calm yourself. Sigyn doesn't know magic, she couldn't have changed your hair color." He pointed out.
Sif stopped in her tracks and thought over Fandral's point. Loki could see the realization of who the real culprit was dawn on her. She turned her angry gaze to Loki, and he was fairly certain she had every intention of killing him then and there.
"Ah! Injured." Loki noted aloud while pointing to his shoulder.
Sif stopped in her tracks yet again and began looking between him and Sigyn.
"You… you helped him, I know you did!" She determined while pointing an angry finger at Sigyn.
"At least it looks nice." Sigyn replied calmly neither denying nor confirming Sif's accusation.
Sif began to charge at Sigyn, but Sigyn simply smiled before stepping to the side and dodging Sif's grasp. She nimbly evaded the drunken Sif while skipping about the room. Loki and Fandral were outright laughing, Thor and Volstagg cracked a smile, and Hogun looked grim as ever. Fandral finally went to Sigyn's aid. He snagged her as she was running by and placed himself between her and Sif, and Loki found that he had suddenly lost the urge to laugh.
"Never fear My Lady, I shall defend you!" Fandral cried gallantly.
Sigyn let her head peek out from around Fandral's arm to watch Sif head their way. Thor managed to intercept Sif before she could reach the pair, and he held her tight despite her squirming.
"I think it is time to put you to bed My Lady. Do not worry about your hair, we shall have Loki change it back in the morning, though I think it looks lovely."
Thor's assurances calmed Sif somewhat, and she allowed Thor to lead her away from the celebration. Loki eyed Fandral as he turned to look down at Sigyn.
"I believe you are safe now My Lady." He noted with a charming smile.
Loki felt the bile rise in his throat at Fandral's ridiculous grin. He glanced at Sigyn expecting to see a similar look of disgust on her face, but he found her to be smiling. She was laughing with him! She kept one hand on his arm while she used the other one to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
"All thanks to you, my brave warrior." She replied.
She was just teasing, wasn't she? Surely she was not being taken in by Fandral's pretty words and sickeningly charming smile. Loki shook his head to try to clear it. Why should he even care? As he had told Thor, his mother, and even Fandral he had no interest in Sigyn save as a friend… did he? Loki rose abruptly from his seat with no clear reason as to why he did so.
"Are you all right Loki? You look ill…" Sigyn noted as he stood there awkwardly.
"I'm fine!" He snapped at her, suddenly quite annoyed with the concerned look on her face.
"Easy Loki, she is only trying to watch out for you." Fandral defended.
"Of course, because that is her job as my mother." Loki huffed.
"Loki be fair, she does not have to be your mother to show concern for you." Volstagg supplicated hoping that the usually rational Loki would pull his act together and dispel the tension that was building in the room.
"And I don't have to be any more than her friend to show concern for her!" He spat.
Did he just say that out loud? Damn this argument didn't make sense any more. The Warriors Three sent confused glances at one another not knowing how to reply to that. Loki wasn't surprised by their bewilderment. He couldn't follow his own train of thought so he hardly expected them to be able to. Sigyn, on the other hand, just stared back at Loki with a wounded look in her eyes, but she said nothing.
"Now I think it is time I retire, or do I not have your permission?" He asked Sigyn mockingly.
"You hardly need it, but will you not walk me to the stables?"
"Have Fandral take you, I am sure he is qualified enough to protect you for so short a distance."
With that Loki stormed off without taking another glance at the group he was leaving behind. He successfully made it back to his chambers before the guilt started to creep in. Perhaps he had been too harsh with Sigyn? Either way it was too late to take it back now, and she probably deserved it… didn't she?
