Author's Note: Hi everyone, and welcome to 2015! Yes, I know I am over a week late, but I figured I am still allowed to say it :) So this chapter was going to originally be a lot longer, but I decided to split it into two so you wouldn't have to wait as long for an update. Sorry for all of the spelling and grammatical errors, I only had the opportunity to proofread this once. Enjoy! Fire Elf Maiden, thank you yet again. Khaleesi Cosima Laufeyson, yes, what in the actual Hel just happened? :) Perhaps it shall all turn out ok. Mybonded Thank you XD Guest, I am so glad you are blown away. I am very pleased to hear that!


Loki watched Sigyn ride off into the darkness, and then mounted his own horse. She would have no trouble reaching the garrison in a short amount of time with the way she could ride. He jumped up on his steed and galloped out of the stable. Four horsemen were heading in the direction that Sigyn had gone, so Loki cut them off. There was a moment of chaos as the five horses tried not to collide with one another, and then Loki shot off in a different direction. He heard hoof beats pursuing him, but he didn't glance back to see how many of the riders were following him. He led his pursuers around the grounds of the estate, and managed to catch sight of them as he made a sharp turn. Two, there were only two riders behind them. Had the other two gone after Sigyn? There was only one way to know for sure. He needed to get to the garrison. He had led these two astray for long enough. He changed directions suddenly, and made for the closest village. The riders continued to follow him till he was in sight of the village, at which point they stopped their pursuit. Loki headed straight for the buildings that housed the garrison, and he didn't bother leaving any instructions for the guards in the stable as to how to care for his horse. He strode to the main entrance of the building with purpose and accosted the first soldier he saw.

"Where is my wife?"

"Prince Loki!?" The startled man gasped. "We did not know we were to be expecting you."

"I did not announce my arrival, now where is my wife?"

"Your wife, my Prince?"

Loki's impatience was growing.

"Yes, my wife, Princess Sigyn."

"Yes, My Prince, I am aware of who she is, but I don't know why you are asking me where she is." The soldier explained.

"I am asking because she should have arrived here not long before me."

"My Prince, Princess Sigyn has not come here."

Loki was barely keeping his temper in check now.

"Where is your commanding officer?"

"Asleep."

"Have someone wake him up then. Inform him that Prince Loki is here and wishes to speak with him."

"Yes, sir." The frazzled soldier replied.

He obviously wasn't thrilled that he was going to have to wake his superior, but Loki didn't care. His wife took precedence over some officer's sleep. He stood in the corridor doing his best not to pace about. The solider did eventually return with his commanding officer, and Loki spoke before either of them could.

"I've come for my wife. Where is she?"

"Your wife is not here, Prince Loki, and I am not certain as to why you believe she is." The Commander stated firmly.

Loki's heart stopped.

"Are you certain? You have been asleep from what I was told." Loki pointed out.

"I would have been informed if Princess Sigyn had arrived here in the dead of night." The Commander returned. "Now you seem to be in a hurry, so do you wish to waste time searching the entire barracks, or would you rather tell me what is going on?"

"Sigyn and I were set upon at the estate. We managed to reach the stables, and I instructed her to ride on ahead while I diverted our pursuers. She was supposed to have met me here." Loki explained in a direct manner.

"Perhaps you have only managed to arrive before her." The Commander offered.

"That is highly unlikely, Sigyn is the faster rider." Loki remarked as he turned to head back down the corridor. "I expect you to awaken your men, Commander. You have a member of the Royal Family to locate."

"And where are you going?" The Commander queried in a frustrated manner.

"I am going to look for my wife. I can't wait for you to scramble your men."

Loki left the Commander and the soldier without a second glance or thought towards them. Having these men begin a search was merely to put more pressure on the men that had attacked he and Sigyn. Loki didn't actually expect the soldiers to find his wife; he would have to do that himself. He mounted his horse and spurred it out of the stable and towards the main road leading from the village towards the estate. There was no finished road to the estate, so he would have to follow one of the several dirt paths instead. It took him a good ten minutes to reach the first dirt path, but once he reached it he didn't have to look far for the first clue leading to his wife's fate. In the darkness he could make out the form of a large animal on the ground. He dismounted and approached the fallen animal on foot. He knew it was Roan even before he got close enough to see the horse's features. He had been shot with three arrows to the body and one to the head. It hurt Loki to see Sigyn's beloved horse shot dead, and he could only imagine how Sigyn felt if she knew. Though he hoped by some miracle that she didn't know, he had a strong feeling that she did. He left the horse to search around the surrounding area a bit. He was frightend that at any moment he would spot his wife's body splayed upon the damp earth, but he found no such thing. Insead, he spotted something odd on the ground a few paces away from Roan. He approached the item, knelt down, and picked up a pair of splinterd arrow shafts. It only took Loki a moment to put the pieces together. The two riders that hadn't followed him had gone after Sigyn. She had been shot twice by either one of the riders, or a third assailent that had been positioned along the road somewhere. Roan had been shot, taking her down with him. The men had then broken the shafts of the arrows off to transport her to where they intended to hold her captive. At least he hoped that was their intention. Surely if they had intended on killing Sigyn they would have done so when they shot her off of Roan.

For most people this is when the fear would have begun to cloud their judgement, but not Loki. He was perfectly able to push the fact that it was his wife who was in danger to the back of his mind to better focus on the task at hand. He ran over to his horse and mounted again. He needed to inform the Commander of what he had found, and where to start looking for Sigyn. He rode towards the garrison as swiftly as his mount would take him, thinking of the men who had taken Sigyn the entire ride.

Thurisaz.

Sigyn had been quick to notice the rune that they wore on their cloaks. It was a rune he avoided using in magic if he could. It was a dangerous symbol that stood for resistance, chaos, conflict, betrayal, and war. It was the perfect rune for these particular men to take on as their mark. These men were from the same faction that he had spent his final mission for the War Council trying to take down. They went by no name, but clung to Thurisaz as their emblem. Loki's dealings with them had been long and bloody, and he had wiped out every confirmed member of the group that he knew of. Apparently there had been more than a few uncomfirmed members though. Putting a stop to these men had been a priority to the Council when word had reached them that they sought to undermine Thor's upcoming coronation and annihilate the House of Odin. While Loki felt Thor's rise to the throne was premature, he dared anyone plot against his brother in such a deadly manner. As offensive as this group's intentions towards his brother had been, what Loki had found to be even more revolting was their supposed dealings with the Frost Giants. Rumors had circulated amongst Loki's contacts that these men had intended to negotiate some sort of alliance between themselves and the giants. Loki found the rumor to be somewhat ridiculous, but the fact that the rumor even existed in the underworld of society gave some credibility to it. If they were true, Loki would have to dub his adversaries to be daft. Everyone knew that the Frost Giants were no more than barbarious monsters. They had no morals, no conscience, and they certainly could not be reasoned with. Any thought of aligning yourself with them was a foolish notion, and an obvious sign of desperation. Their desperation did not make these men any less dangerous however, as Sigyn's abduction proved.

What was left of this faction had somehow managed to discover his identity, and were now going to exact their revenge on him. Now that they had Sigyn they would do one of two things: hold her for some sort of ransom or kill her. If the first, he would receive word of what they would demand of him, which would more than likely be his life for hers. If this were the case, they would take her to one of their boltholes till he made the required payment. Unfotunately for them, Loki knew where all of them were. It was conceivable that they had created new ones in the time that had elapsed between his attempt at eradicating them all and now, but that wouldn't stop him. There wasn't a nook in the Nine Realms where they would be able to conceal her for long. What they were going to do to Sigyn in the amount of time it would take him to locate them was a troubling matter though. Would they torture her? Defile her? The thought of any mistreatment befalling his wife caused Loki to see red. He would kill them all if any harm came to Sigyn.

He didn't have time to think on how he would carry out that revenge however, as he came upon the Commander and his men.

"They have taken Sigyn." He stated. "I found her horse shot dead up ahead, and two broken arrow shafts, which means she is injured."

"Who are 'they'?" The Commander asked.

"They don't go by any name, but unite under the symbol of Thurisaz."

"And how do you know this?"

Loki could hardly give the real reason behind his knowledge of the group, but fortunately he was good at twisting the truth.

"Because I have encountered them before while working for the AllFather in the outer villages. They wear the rune in red on their cloaks. Regardless, we need to find my wife. If they intend to hold her for ransom they will take her to one of their boltholes, but they can't have gotten far yet. Search the areas surrounding the Royal Estate, including the caves along the beach. I would also send some of your men to the south and east in case they have tried to take her in either of those directions."

"And what about the north?" The Commander queried, not too pleased that he was being given commands.

"I will ride north."

"By yourself?" The Commander asked incredulously.

"There is more open ground to cover in that direction, and I am extremely familiar with the area. I know where to look if they have managed to get very far."

Loki was about to spur his mount, but paused as a thought crossed his mind.

"Send word to the palace immediately of what has transpired, and ensure that Princess Sigyn's family is sent word as well."

"Very well My Prince, and if we find any sign of Princess Sigyn how are we to inform you?"

"You won't be able to. Return to the garrison by midday if you and your men fail to find any sign of Sigyn. I will meet you there once I have exhausted my own search. Do not forget to send word to my family." Loki commanded before galloping off north.

The Commander and his men would find no trace of Sigyn. These men all came from the northernmost villages, so that is the direction they would have taken her. They had plenty of hiding spots along the way, so Loki had his work cut out for him, but he would only bother with the ones that were within a reasonable distance of the estate. There were at least three of them on the run, and they were carrying an injured woman, so their progress would be slower. That would allow Loki to make up some of the ground between them. He pressed his horse on at a relentless pace hoping to catch sight of Sigyn and her abducters with each passing minute. The black inky night began to give way to the lighter gray tones of early morning, but there was still some time before the sun would rise. To avoid suspicion, the men would have to reach one of their safe spots before the morning, which narrowed Loki's list of places to search. Of course, this was all assuing that they planned on holding her for ransom. If their intention was to kill Sigyn, then Loki had no idea where to search… or did he? Loki had learned several important things about this particular faction when he had infiltrated them for the War Council. The first was that they were ruthless. The second was that they were very ritualistic. They had invoked dark magic on more than one occasion, and they had a very specific manner in which they handled certain situations. If they intended to kill Sigyn, they would do so in a ritual killing right after sunrise, and there were only a few locations in Asgard where that could be accomplished. Loki altered his course to the northeast when the idea hit him. One of those spots was located in a wooded area not too far off, and the riders would be able to reach it before the dawn if they rode without stopping. Hopefully he was wrong, and he would find the ritual spot to be abandoned, but he couldn't afford not to check. It would be the only explination of why they hadn't just killed Sigyn in the first place if killing her was their intention.

Loki rode as hard as he could, but he was only to the outskirts of the wooded area by the time the sun began to rise. If these men intended to kill her he was running out of time. He had to reach them before the sun rose completely over the horizon if he was going to stop them. Fortunately the woods were not very dense, so his ride through them was made easier than it could have been. He reached the small clearing where the rituals were normally held and pulled his mount to a sudden stop. It took him a moment to register what he was seeing. Bodies were strewn about the clearing, but none of them appeared to be Sigyn. Loki dismounted, and strode over to the sacrificial stone. Beside it lay two men wearing the Thurisaz embroidered cloaks. He didn't even need to check their pulse to know they were dead. A chalice lay not too far off from the man closest to him, and when he walked to the other side of the stone, next to the other dead man, there was a dagger lying on the ground. Loki bent down and picked up the dagger. He could just make out the words on its blade in the early morning light.

Dreyrugr Gildi.

Blood-stained recompense.

They had taken Sigyn as their recompense for Loki's actions against their faction. Her death was intended to be a revenge killing, and it would have stood as a small settlement for his bloody actions. The knife would have been sent to him once the deed was done to act as a reminder of his actions and their consequences. Sigyn's body would have been disposed of in such a way that Loki would never have been able to recover it, and that would have been it.

Would have.

Loki placed a hand on the ceremonial slab where Sigyn would have been chained, and he could feel the last warmth from her body dissipate from it. She was still alive; she had to be. There was no blood anywhere, and whoever had taken her from here had not been gone long. If he left now he might be able to catch up to them, whoever them was, but the chances of him even riding in the right direction were slim if he didn't know who had killed these men and taken her. Though his heart told him to ride, his mind told him to stay and look for any clues as to what had happened here. His mind won out, and he tucked the dagger into the top of his boot before going to examine the corpses. The one closest to him had no visible wounds, which was more than a little strange. Unable to determine what had happened by looking at that body, Loki went to look at the other seven strewn about the clearing. One by one he examined them, and little by little his confusion grew. None of them had suffered any visible wounds. There was no indication of what could have happened or who could have done this. Loki searched the clothing of the men and studied the chalice that was lying next to the sacrificial stone before riding back towards the village. It was a little before midday when he arrived back at the garrison, and the Commander and his men had not returned yet, so Loki made himself comfortable in the meeting chamber, and studied the knife he had found.

Dreyrugr Gildi.

The words haunted him, just as they were intended to. Because of his actions Sigyn had gone from the hands of one enemy, and into the clutches of the unknown. What did her latest captors want with her? Did they intend to kill her? If so, why not let someone else do their dirty work? Those men had obviously intended to kill her, so why not let them? Perhaps they were just saving her. Maybe they were going to take her to safety. If they lived in one of these outer towns they may not recognize who she is simply by looking at her. Sigyn had more than likely been drugged with something, as the empty chalice would suggest, so perhaps they were waiting for her to regain her senses so they could ask her who she was. Regardless of their intentions towards Sigyn, Loki was baffled by how they had killed those eight men. No open wounds, no bruising, no physical evidence of even a skirmish. Could it have been magic? He knew of no spells that could kill eight people instantaneously. Perhaps they had accidentally killed themselves. Maybe killing Sigyn had been intended as both a message to him and as part of some sort of dark magic ritual. Loki had never really taken a serious look at dark magice before. He had come across some in his work for the War Council, but never had he put any time or effort into becoming familiar with it. Perhaps he would need to examine it a little closer to see if that had been their intention. A dark spell requiring a human sacrifice that had backfired and killed them all… it was certainly possible, but that still didn't explain why Sigyn was missing. Surely the backfiring spell would have killed her as well. None of this added up.

Loki quickly lost track of time as he sat in the room silently. He gazed at the dagger intently wishing it could tell him what had happened that morning, or that the scene would suddenly begin to reflect itself on the metal of the blade. Nothing. No answers presented themselves, and Loki's patience began to grow thin. He considered going out and searching for the Commander to tell him that their current search could be abandoned, but footsteps down the hall harkened someones arrival. Loki arose from his chair and exited the meeting room. The Commander and a small group of soldiers were coming down the hall towards him, but they stopped at the sight of him.

"Prince Loki? I did not think you would return before us." The Commander stated.

"I found the men who took Sigyn."

"And the Princess is safe?"

"She is still missing. The men were dead when I arrived, and Sigyn was gone. I did find this however." Loki explained while holding out the knife.

The Commander took the knife and examined it.

"Dreyrugr Gildi? So…They took her for revenge?"

"They were going to kill her for revenge, but someone got to them first."

"Revenge for what?" The Commander queried, while holding the kife back for Loki to take.

"They apparently didn't appreciate the political work I did for my Father." Loki lied smoothly.

"So who has taken her now? Are they friend or foe?"

"If I knew that I wouldn't be standing here." Loki noted bitterly.

The Commander nodded in deference and looked towards one of his men.

"Go recall the rest of the guard. Tell them to return to the garrison at once for futher instructions."

"No need to return to the garrison." Loki interjected. "Tell them to ride Northeast of here till they reach the woodlands. We will be waiting for them there."

The soldier looked from Loki back to his Commander, who gave a curt nod. He wasn't about to go against the orders of a Prince. The soldier left, and Loki strutted past the Commander and the rest of his men.

"Has word been sent to my family?"

"Yes, My Prince, but they are likely only just now receiving the news. No help will arrive from the palace till this evening at the earliest." The Commander informed him as he turned to follow Loki.

"Then we will do what we can till they arrive." Loki pronounced.

It wasn't long before he, the Commander, and his soldiers were on their way to the small woodland. They waited for the rest of the Commander's warriors to arrive from their previous searches, and then Loki led them to the clearing in the woods. The Commander and his men seemed to be just as stunned by the strange sight of eight unwounded bodies lying about, but they soon set about searching the men and area thoroughly. Some of the men were even sent to scout the woods surrounding the clearing to see if they could discover any indications of where those responsible for moving Sigyn had come from or went to. All of the searching proved to be fruitless however. No traces of any other person having entered or leaving the area aside from those currently presnt could be found. There were no clues hidden amonst the bodies, or in the clearing itself. Sigyn had vanished. Exhaustion began to set in, and Loki's calm façade was beginning to fade. His wife was missing, and he had no evidence to lead him to her. The sun was slipping over the horizon when Loki finally gave into the Commander's suggestion that they deal wth the bodies and return to the garrison. Loki had the men pile the bodies near the sacrificial stone, and then he set them aflame with his magic.

"Return to the Garrison and wait for any word from the palace. I'll return shortly." He instructed as he handed the Commander a cloak he had removed from one of the dead men.

"Perhaps it is best you return with us now." The Commander encouraged. "You have not eaten today, and I am certain you must be exhausted."

"I am neither hungry nor tired. I will remain here and ensure that there is nothing left of the corpses." Loki returned as he watched the flames of his magically induced fire flicker.

"Very well, My Prince." The Commander answered before taking his men and leaving.

Now left alone, Loki let the weight of his loss sink in. Sigyn, his precious Sigyn, was gone. Less than a day ago they had been coupling under the stars, and now she was missing. He clasped his hands behind his back and fiddled with the gold band on his left hand. Sigyn was everything to him, his confidence, his support, his kindness, his joy, and his love. She knew him more intimately than anyone else ever would, and she was the only person aside from his mother who could spot every lie he told. She had won him over just as much as he had won her over when their relationship first began, and then he had been forced to fight for her after he ruined it all. She had been the hardest won prize he had ever obtained, and now he had let her slip through his fingers. Grief, anger, and confusion all tormented him as the flame died down. There was soon nothing left of the flame or corpses, and Loki mounted his horse to return to the garrison. There was a flurry of activity in the stables when he returned, and Loki noticed five familiar horses were now being housed there. He entered the garrison, and his elder brother was embracing him not a minute later.

"I requested that Father allow us to come assist in the search." Thor stated before Loki could say a word.

"More of demanded really." Fandral clarified from behind.

"I see." Was all Loki could manage as he glanced at Sif and the Warriors Three.

"We will find her brother." Thor assured before placing a strong hand on Loki's shoulder. "Now come and eat, I have been informed that you have not eaten all day."

Loki allowed himself to be drug to the dining hall and stared at the meal placed in front of him. The others, aside from Volstagg, ate very little, and no one spoke for some time. Finally Sif broke the silence.

"So what exactly happened? The messenger only told us that Sigyn had been taken this morning by an unknown group of men."

"That is exactly what happened." Loki responded softly.

"But why was she taken? There had to be some reason for it." Fandral tried.

"There was." Loki assured.

He pulled the dagger from the top of his boot again and slid it across the table. Fandral picked it up first and studied it. After reading the inscription on the blade he handed it to Thor, who did the same.

"Recompense? Recompense for what?"

"I'm not certain." Loki replied.

This is normally where one of them would tease him about it being revenge for some sort of prank he had played, but no one dared joke in the face of such calamity. Instead the knife was passed to Hogun, Volstagg, and Sif before being returned to Loki.

"Well the Commander said the men paid for it with their lives." Sif commented.

"They did, but I would rather they hadn't. Now we have no clues as to who killed them and took Sigyn." Loki pointed out. "I didn't miss them by much, if I had only ridden faster I would have been able to reach her before any of that happened!"

Loki's anger began to boil over and he slammed his fist onto the table.

"I was such a fool, and my foolishness may get the one woman I swore to protect killed!"

It wasn't often Loki expressed his feelings so freely in front of the Thor and the others, and they were all obviously taken aback by the outburst. It was Thor who finally spoke to break the tension in the room.

"We will find Sigyn and whoever took her, Loki."

"And if we are too late and she is dead?" Loki pressed.

"Then they will pay for their actions."

"No payment would be enough." Loki stated coldly before rising from the table.

No one protested as he left the dining hall, and he approached the first soldier he saw. He inquired about any possible sleeping arrangements that could be made, and the soldier led him to a small room. It was obviously supposed to belong to one of the officers, but apparently the Commander had seen to it that it had been vacated for his use. It was likely the Commander was giving his own room up to Thor. Loki lay on the bed sleeplessly for hours on end, and only managed to doze before the morning. He rose early, tried to eat some breakfast, and then waited impatiently for everyone else to get ready. Once again the search party was spilt up. Loki instructed the Commander to split his men between the different villages located near the woodland area, while Loki, Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three would search the natural landmarks nearby that he knew housed potential hiding spots. The day's search was long and fruitless on all accounts, but Loki continued to press on. Nothing turned up the next day, or even the next, and by week's end even Thor's ever-optimistic outlook was turning grim.

"We have searched this entire area as thoughroughly as possible Loki," he noted, "if Sigyn were here we would have found her by now."

"Thor is right, there is little more we can do by staying here." Sif concurred.

Loki continued to stare blankly at the ring on his finger. He ddn't want to admit it, but he knew they were right. If Sigyn were still in this area they would have found her by now.

"Loki?" Thor prodded when he didn't respond. "Loki, I think it is time we returned to the palace to regroup. Surely Father will know what to do, or where to look."

"We will leave in the morning." Loki determined sullenly before rising and leaving the room.

He went straight to the sleeping chambers he had been occupying the entire week, and lay in bed awake the entire evening. He, Thor, and the others were on the road back to the palace not long after dawn. Loki had thanked the Commander for his help, and requested that if any news came to light it should be sent on to the palace. The Commander assured him that it would be, and then the group started the half-day journey home. As they rode it came to Loki's mind that he had not asked what had been done with Roan's carcass. He assumed that the soldiers had burned it, as was customary, but the more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to know. It was one more reminder that Sigyn was gone. Their arrival at the Palace only caused Loki's heart to sink further. Frigga and Odin were standing in the courtyard when Loki and the others arrived. Hugin and Munin, Odin's ravens, were also both perched on a railing. Loki assumed they had given Odin the news that he and his brother were returning. Frigga wasted no time in wrapping Loki in a tight embrace the moment he dismounted. Loki allowed his arms to encircle his mother and he let his head hang ever so slightly.

"I am so sorry darling, but if Sigyn is still alive you will find her. I know you will." His Mother whispered comfortingly.

Loki pulled away from Frigga reluctantly to look at Odin. The AllFather's thoughts were hidden behind a firm mask of self-restraint, and there was no way for Loki to interpret it.

"Go clean up, and I will send for Sigyn's family. You will tell us everything once they have arrived." The AllFather commanded.

Loki nodded, and was about to walk in the direction of he and Sigyn's quarters when Frigga stopped him.

"Livia knows of Sigyn's disappearance, and she is trying to put up a brave front. She has been working herself to the bone these past few days, so please be gentle with her." His Mother requested.

"Of course." Loki assured before leaving the courtyard.

The walk to he and Sigyn's wing of the Palace was a lonely one, and the feeling of actually entering it was oppressive. He went straight to their bedroom, and cringed at the desolate atmosphere of the chamber. It seemed dead without Sigyn's presence. He stood there for a few minutes doing nothing but trying to imagine Sigyn's warmth emcompassing the room, but it was no good. Without her here it just wasn't the same. There was a sudden light knock on the open bedroom door, and Loki turned to see Livia. The poor serving girl looked worse for the wear.

"I thought I heard you come down the hall, My Prince, I just wanted to be sure." She excused.

"I'm back for the moment, I'm not sure how long I will be staying." He clarified.

"So, its true? You still haven't found her…"

"Not yet." Loki stated decisively.

Sigyn wasn't dead, he knew she wasn't, and so he would never stop searching for her. Neither he nor Livia spoke for a moment, and Sigyn's voice began to nag at him to say something to their maid.

"How is your mother?" He inquired.

"She woke up a couple of days ago, My Prince. I still go home and spend the evenings with her, but if you need me here I can stay."

"There is no need for that. Go home and be with your family."

"Thank you, My Prince… and… and thank you for letting me go to her in the first place. I know you didn't have to, and… and maybe you shouldn't have let me…"

Livia began to cry, and Loki was left standing there awkwardly. Sigyn would have taken the girl into her arms and comforted her, but Sigyn wasn't here and he certainly couldn't do that.

"I should have stayed with you! If I hadn't of left I could have helped, and maybe Princess Sigyn would still be here!"

The maid obviously felt a great deal of guilt for what had happened, and Loki sighed. It wasn't her fault, but it might be difficult to convince her of that.

"There is nothing you could have done Livia. Sigyn's abduction was well planned, and would have taken place whether or not you had been there. It is best that you weren't there, it may have saved your life."

Livia's teary eyes widened in surprise.

"S…saved my life?"

"If Sigyn and I hadn't been able to get to you in time those men would not have hesitated to kill you, and I doubt you have the skills necessary to fight them off for yourself."

Livia seemed to ponder his words for a moment before she spoke.

"That is true, but still…"

"But still nothing, Livia. It is best that you weren't there."

Livia wiped the rest of her tears away and bowed her head.

"Then let us thank the Norns my mother needed me here. Who would have thought that such ill-fortune could be so well timed?"

"Yes, who would have thought." Loki muttered to himself.

It had been so well timed because it had been planned, he was certain of it. The attack on Livia's mother had been purposeful in pulling the maid and their carriage driver away from the estate. Though the War Council hadn't sent their own men, he still suspected they had played some part in Sigyn's abduction, and that sort of plan lined up well with their practices.

"Is there anything I can do for you, My Prince?"

"Run the bath for me and then go to my study and pull out any books from my collection that pertain to magic." He instructed.

Livia nodded and darted into the bath chamber, while Loki went to the wardrobe to pull out a new set of clothing. His eyes flitted to Sigyn's dresses, and he felt his breath hitch. He allowed himself to quickly run his fingers across the soft fabrics, and then pulled out an outfit of his own. He had to stop acting so morose. Sigyn was not dead, and he was going to find her. He had to stop moping, and start getting to work. Livia left the bath chamber and headed towards his study, and Loki slid into the hot water of the tub. He bathed quickly and managed to change just in time for Livia to return and inform him that the books were on his desk, Sigyn's family had arrived at the palace, and that his Father desired his presence in the throne room. Loki strode there with a confident air though he feared facing his Mother and Father-in law. Odin was seated upon his throne as high and mighty as ever, and his mother stood at his side. Thor stood on opposite side of the throne. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three stood not to far from him, and Sigyn's family were standing on the steps. Loki couldn't fight the feeling that Odin was judging him as he made his way to the foot of the steps. The setting felt more like a trial than a simple recounting of what had happened. Though he would have liked a moment to speak with his in-laws, Odin didn't allow it. Instead he requested that Loki give his story the moment he had reached them. Loki gave the full account in as much detail as he could starting from sending Livia off to be with her mother, and then skipping to Sigyn sensing someone unwanted was at the estate. He thought it best to leave out what they had found in the locked room, and what they had discovered in the caves. None of that really pertained to why Sigyn was taken anyways. He completed his tale with the failed search attempts he had led over the past week, and then fell silent. Odin gazed down on him obviously weighing what he had just been told.

"So there is no evidence that she is still alive?" Odin inquired.

"There is no evidence that she is dead." Loki retorted instead.

"So you intened to continue looking for her." Odin stated.

"I do, with or without your assistance. I will not abandon my wife."

Odin thought silently once more.

"Very well. I will instruct the commanding officers to begin searches for Sigyn in their respective towns, and will have the guard search the city as well. I need you here however."

"You will not allow me to assist with the search for my own wife!?"

"Our soldiers are fully capable of handling the search, and I need you here. Thor's coronation is approaching swiftly, and there are things to be done in preparation. I cannot afford to have you away from the palace for another month or more. You will be kept informed of the search, and if anything does come up that needs your special attention I will allow you to go."

"Father, you canno…"

"This is your King's command, Loki. You will not go off to assist with the searches unless I send you, is that understood?"

Loki stood there defiantly looking up at the AllFather. How could Odin expect him to sit at the palace and assist with coronation details that didn't actually pertain to him while Sigyn was missing? It was absurd, and far from fair!

"Is that understood, Loki?" Odin asked again.

Instead of replying, Loki turned on his heel and stormed out of the throne room. He strode to the closest open-air courtyard he could find, and tried his best not to use his magic to set something on fire. He ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner, but his anger didn't seem to dissipate. A kind female voice broke through the fog of his fury, and he looked over his shoulder expecting to see Sigyn standing there. At a younger age the woman standing behind him could certainly have been mistaken for Sigyn, except for her eyes. Sigyn had Halldor's eyes. Signy approached him carefully and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. He instinctively relaxed at his mother by law's touch. He guessed it was the same touch she used to calm frightened horses, and he had seen Sigyn use it a hundred times.

"You do not look well Loki."

"I am not well." He admitted.

"Thor told us that you have not eaten or slept since the attack." Signy remarked.

"I have no desire to do either of those things right now, not when I could use that time to be looking for Sigyn."

"Your dedication to Sigyn is admirable, Loki, but it is that exact mindset that worries us all. Finding Sigyn will do no good if you kill yourself in the process of it."

Loki let his head drop a little. Signy was right, but how was he supposed to go about life as if everything were normal? He didn't think there was an answer to that question, so he changed the flow of the conversation.

"I should never have let her ride to the garrison alone."

"You thought the men were there after you. It was only natural that you try to draw them away from Sigyn." Halldor commented from behind.

Loki turned to see not only his Father by law, but Frida, Markus, and Hallsteinn as well. Aldís had not been present at the little meeting, and Loki assumed she was watching her sons and Siggy. He hadn't noticed that the rest of the family had come to the courtyard with Signy, so perhaps they had arrived after her.

"It shouldn't have mattered who they were after, I should never have taken the risk of leaving her."

"If you had stayed with her you may have been shot as well." Hallsteinn pointed out.

"Then perhaps they would have left Sigyn alone."

"Or perhaps they would have shot her still." Halldor returned. "You cannot torture yourself with what you could or should have done differently, all that matters now is the search for my daughter."

"Which I am banned from taking part in."

"Your Father has only given such a command because he worries for you." Signy assured. "You are not well, as you have already admitted. Rest now, and perhaps if the AllFather sees improvement in your condition he will allow you to join the search."

Loki didn't reply, but looked out over Asgard. Sigyn could be anywhere out there, and he had no idea as to where she was.

"Both Hallsteinn and I are being allowed to assist in the search." Markus added. "If there is anything you wish us to do for you during the search just tell us, and we will strive our best to do it."

Loki turned to face his in-laws for the first time since they had come to him.

"I ask nothing more than you tell me of anything you may find in regards to Sigyn. I have reason to hold little confidence in any report given to me by the other commanders."

It was as close of a warning as he could give them. He still strongly suspected foul play on the part of the War Council, and it wouldn't surprise him if they had somehow spurred those men to take Sigyn with the intent of killing them and taking her themselves afterwards. That plan would certainly throw suspicion away from them, and it sounded like something they would come up with. The Council wouldn't harm her, but they would use her to force him into their services again. Halldor's eyes flashed, and Loki knew that his father by law understood what he was trying to say. He had shared Loki's concern for Sigyn's safety, and Halldor's distrust of the War Council only added to the validity of his own fears. As awful as this situation was for him, he could only imagine what sort of living nightmare Sigyn's family was experiencing. Two children dead, one presumed dead in action, and a fourth child that was now missing. Sigyn had to be found for their sakes as much as his own.

"We will keep you informed." Hallsteinn promised.

Though Loki had started out on shaky terms with Sigyn's brother, they had made their peace long ago. Hallsteinn was a competent man, and would stay true to his word. Loki held Markus in similar regard.

"Thank you." Loki replied with an almost imperceptible nod in their direction. "I should try and rest now, but know this, I will not stop my search for Sigyn till I have brought her home. I will hunt down those responsible for this inexcusable act, and I will avenge myself upon them."

"Just focus on resting for now." Frida encouraged. "Once you have some time to recouperate you should come visit Markus and I, Siggy would love to see you."

"Have you told her?" Loki inquired.

"Not yet, I still held on to some hope that we would hear from Sigyn's kidnappers regarding some sort of ransom."

"We still may." He stated. "I will leave you all now, but I am sure we will be in contact soon."

Halldor, Hallsteinn, and Markus gave him a little bow of respect, and he returned it with a head nod of his own before heading towards he and Sigyn's private chambers. He had considered going straight to his study to begin looking over his texts in search of anything pertaining to the dark magic that may have killed the men in the clearing, but, despite his protestations otherwise, he did need some rest. He needed to regain his strength so that when the time came, he could kill those who tried to stand between he and his wife.