A/N: Many thanks to phantome101, VampireNaomi, tgeorges, Floyd, and Tashianna for the kind reviews, and also to those who have faved this story!
– CHAPTER 8 –
Discoveries
Ever since Hel had been given that magic book, she had not once let go of it. She carried it everywhere she went, usually with it open and her nose buried in it, so that several times her brothers had had to save her from tripping over something or bumping into a tree. She even slept with it, as if it were a cuddly doll.
Both brothers were becoming increasingly vexed by this, but dared not say a word about the book any more, lest they brought out their sister's ire. Once, they had managed to get a hold of the book and hide it while Hel had been taking a bath, as this was the only occasion when she would set the book aside. They had never known, until this incident, that their cute little sister could be so vicious. There really was quite a temper beneath that sweet, meek façade. It seemed that Hel could do anything to protect what was really important to her.
Of course, just because the two brothers never mentioned the book again didn't mean they would stop showing their displeasure in other ways. Fenrir, who had been spending more and more time with his siblings, was very blunt when speaking his mind about Hel's sedentary lifestyle, whereas Jormungand seemed to be trying to annoy her into quitting it, or so it felt like to her. He nagged so much that even Fenrir was getting annoyed – more annoyed than usual, that was.
"Really, Sister, all you do is sit here and read all day," Jormungand was complaining, while his two siblings were doing their best to tune his voice out. "You, too, Brother! Really, would it kill you to help our mother once in a while? She deserves it, after everything she has done for us, and she has a lot of work to do. I do what I can, but sadly, I have limits..." his voice trailed off and he let out a mournful sigh.
He truly regretted that, despite his best efforts, he couldn't really help his mother in any significant way. His body just wasn't built for housework. Hel, on the other hand, was perfectly capable of doing everything their mother did, and Fenrir could also be very helpful in many ways. But they just never bothered to help at all. They were just so lazy and selfish. That was why Jormungand kept insisting that they help, even when Angrboda herself assured him that she was fine doing the work all on her own. It was a mother's duty to care for her children, she always told him. Well, Jormungand rather thought that she had done more than enough for them by giving them life, love, food, and a place to live in. Now it was the children's duty to show their gratitude and care for their mother.
Shaking himself out of his reverie, Jormungand looked back at his siblings sternly.
"I'm not asking too much of you! You don't have to do all the work! Just giving us a hand every now and then would be good enough. And besides, this isn't as unpleasant as you seem to think it is. You act like helping with the housework is some sort of arduous chore, but it can really be quite fun if only you—"
"Shut up!" Fenrir finally burst out, pawing at his ears in a desperate attempt to muffle out his brother's voice. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! I can't stand this any more! Gods, how can someone be so damn annoying?"
"Well, Brother," replied Jormungand primly, "if you actually listened to me and helped Mother at least once in your life, there would be no need for me to bring this up all the time."
"Argh!" Fenrir leapt to his paws, looking half-crazed. "I said, shut up!" With a ferocious snarl, he charged at his brother, snapping his jaws at him.
They both struggled for a while, appearing to be engaged in mortal battle, though in reality, if one looked closely, they weren't serious about it at all. Well aware of this, Hel just turned a page of her book, paying them no mind.
"Please stop!" she heard her younger brother wail. "You're getting drool all over me!" Fenrir's only reply was an extra drooly bite. "Ouch!" yelped Jormungand. "All right, all right! You win, Brother, you win!"
At last, Hel looked up from her book to give her brothers a disapproving look. Fenrir was standing over Jormungand's prostrated form with a smug face, while the serpent went limp and played dead.
"How old are you two, again?" she asked them snidely.
Jormungand, at least, had the grace to look sheepish, even if just for a second.
"Oh, Sister, it's just that... I'm just so glad that our brother is spending more time with us..." he said, beaming at both his siblings. When Jormungand averted his gaze, Fenrir made a disgusted face and pretended to throw up.
"Speaking of that, Brother Fenrir, why have you been spending so much time with us lately?" Hel asked, unwilling to deal with Jormungand's sappiness or Fenrir's mocking antics. "What happened to Hrygda?"
"I have been wondering the same, myself," said Jormungand. "We haven't seen Hrygda in such a long time."
Fenrir scowled, all traces of amusement suddenly gone. "Oh, that. She's just been a bit of a bitch lately. No pun intended," he muttered and lay down on the ground, resting his head on his crossed paws.
While Jormungand was a bit flustered by Fenrir's foul language, Hel just continued to regard her elder brother with a level gaze, looking mildly intrigued.
"Did you two have a fight?" she asked.
"No. She's just been so annoying, I can barely stand to be anywhere near her for more than five minutes. Believe it or not, she's got even more annoying than this idiot here," Fenrir growled, indicating his younger brother.
"That's odd," said Hel, frowning. "Maybe there's something wrong with her."
"Yeah, I think she might be ill or something."
"Oh? What makes you think so?"
He hesitated, looking almost embarrassed. "Well, she smells different. And she looks a little, er, bloated, and the others say she sometimes gets sick... I'm not too worried, though. The elders in the clan seem to know what's wrong with her, and they're not worried. Whatever is wrong with her, it's not my problem, and I can wait until it's fixed."
Hel opened her mouth to reply, but Jormungand beat her to it.
"Brother! How can you be so callous?" he chided him. "I thought she was your best friend! You should be there for her, especially if she's ill! You shouldn't give up on someone who is special to you just because they're being difficult. And she needs you now more than ever!"
Fenrir never listened to Jormungand – or to anyone, really, except maybe to his father, but especially not to Jormungand – and yet now he actually seemed to heed those words. He would never admit that Jormungand might be right about something, of course, but he did look properly ashamed of himself. Proof of this was that he didn't even snap at his little brother.
Suddenly, Jormungand froze and reared up. "Something is approaching at an amazing speed," he whispered.
Fenrir's nose twitched in the air, trying to catch the scent of whatever was coming their way. Feeling an odd sense of déjà vu, Hel remained silent and alert, her gaze bouncing from one brother to the other. She was ready to bolt at the slightest sign of trouble.
After a couple of minutes, Hel thought she could hear something as well. It was a very familiar sound, just as the scent was very familiar to both brothers. There was a rumble and then the trio was enveloped by a cloud of dust and leaves. Once they stopped coughing and the dust settled, they could finally see their elder half-brother, the eight-legged stallion Sleipnir. This time, however, he wasn't alone. A beautiful, motherly woman with blonde hair and a warm smile was elegantly mounted on him.
"Found you!" said Sleipnir with his usual enthusiasm.
"Sleipnir! Sigyn!" Fenrir said just as happily.
Hel and Jormungand, on the other hand, were a little wary of the stranger. The serpent in particular was having misgivings about this. The last time Fenrir had excitedly shouted that name, Jormungand had ended up with a thunder god beating the daylights out of him and chasing him into a lake. As inconspicuously as possible for someone of his considerable size, he eased his way behind a tree and some bushes.
"Fenrir!" Sigyn dismounted from Sleipnir and giggled as she allowed the wolf to lick her hands and face. "Oh, my dear, I missed you so much!" she said, giving him a hug.
"I missed you, too, Sigyn! I couldn't even talk to you the last time I saw you!" He pulled back with the look of a kicked dog. "Why did you scream like that when you saw me? I wasn't going to hurt you, you know!"
"Oh, Fenrir..." she began, with a chagrined look, and petted him. "I'm so sorry. I know you would never hurt me. I just didn't recognise you! I mean, the last time I'd seen you, you were just a little puppy, so small I could easily carry you around. And now look at you!" She gave him an admiring look. "You've grown so much! You're much bigger than an adult wolf."
"It's 'cause I'm a giant!" said Fenrir proudly. "Mu mum says I'm going to grow even bigger." They both laughed, until Fenrir's expression grew apologetic. "I'm sorry I scared you before."
"Aww, don't worry about it, dear."
"So, not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?"
Sigyn smiled and gestured at Sleipnir. "When Sleipnir came to visit, he explained to me that the wolf that had invaded Asgard was actually you. He also told me that you're Loki's son and that he knew where you lived, so I asked him to bring me along the next time he was allowed to come to Jotunheim."
"Glad I could help!" said Sleipnir.
"He also told me that the other – er – monsters that were in Asgard that day were your siblings," continued Sigyn as she, along with Fenrir and Sleipnir, turned to look at Hel, who seemed embarrassed and angry that she was now the centre of the attention.
"I'm not a monster," she muttered, turning slightly sideways and discreetly trying to conceal the rotting half of her face behind a curtain of hair.
"Of course you're not," Sigyn hurried to say. "I apologise for my ill wording. It's just that all the other gods refer to you that way, and they don't know any better..." She cut herself off and shook her head. "No, that's no excuse. Please forgive me, Hel." She tentatively reached out and gently pulled that lock of hair behind Hel's ear, her fingers brushing against the girl's rotting cheek. Sigyn didn't seem disgusted by it at all, though, and her gaze remained unwaveringly warm. "You're such an adorable little girl. How can anyone in their right mind call you a monster? If the gods had bothered to really look at you, they'd have seen it. You are no monster."
Except for a slight narrowing of the eyes, Hel's face remained impassive. She seemed to be waiting for something. Fenrir and Sleipnir exchanged inquisitive looks, but neither had a clue about what was going through Hel's mind. Oblivious to it all, Sigyn looked up from Hel's eyes when she caught sight of something by the tree a few feet away.
"And you must be little Jormungand, right?" she said, walking over to the serpent, who was doing his best to make himself invisible among the bushes. "Come on out, there is no need to be shy."
Despite her encouraging words, as soon as she parted the bushes and took her first good look at him, an acute shriek escaped her lips and she stumbled back, nearly falling over. Little Jormungand, she had called him. Either Sleipnir had been a little economical with the truth when describing his youngest brother, or the poor woman was really that clueless and thought he had been just exaggerating.
She slapped her hand over her mouth, ashamed for her outburst. "Oh, dear!" She chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scream. I was just a little startled, is all. I didn't expect you to be this..." her voice trailed off and her eyes widened exponentially as Jormungand gave up on hiding and slowly emerged from the bushes, his long body never seeming to end. "... big," Sigyn finished weakly. Behind her, Fenrir sniggered, thoroughly amused both by Sigyn's dismay and his brother's awkwardness.
Pulling herself together, Sigyn offered Jormungand a smile as warm as she had offered Hel and reached out to pet him on the head. Her movements were slow, her touch hesitant, but not because she was afraid of him or disgusted; maybe she realised, somehow, that Jormungand wasn't very keen on being touched by a stranger.
"You're a good boy, Jormungand," she told him. "Thor said he almost killed you in Asgard. I hope he didn't hurt you too badly... Are you all right now?"
Jormungand looked up with a jerk, more than a little surprised by the question. He had never expected anyone but his family, especially not a goddess, to worry about his well-being – and he could tell her concern was genuine. He felt oddly touched.
"I wasn't badly hurt, and I am fully healed now, madam, thank you."
"Oh, please!" Sigyn giggled. "Don't call me that; it makes me feel like an old woman. Call me Sigyn."
"As you wish, Lady Sigyn."
Sigyn's lips twitched in barely suppressed amusement. "You're so polite, it's almost scary. Quite uncanny, coming from a snake." She turned to look at all four siblings. "You're all such adorable children! Next time, I think I'll bring my sons to meet you."
Fenrir and Sleipnir didn't seem to think that was a very good idea, but they didn't like to upset Sigyn by voicing their opinion. Although Fenrir hadn't got to know Sigyn's sons very well, he had been in their presence long enough to gather they weren't exactly a pair of social butterflies. In fact, they had struck him as rather stoic and depressed. Come to think of it, they just might get along with Hel, after all.
"Well, now I've met nearly the whole family," said Sigyn, clasping her hands. "Only one person left. Can you tell me where your mother is? I'd love to meet her!"
"Sure, I'll take you to her," volunteered Fenrir.
"Oh, no, dear, that's not necessary. Just give me instructions to get there and you children can keep playing out here while I see your mother."
Fenrir looked like Sigyn had just physically slapped him. "B-but—"
"I just want to talk to her in private for a moment, and Sleipnir was really eager to talk to you," said Sigyn, with a placating gesture and an unassuming smile. As if on cue, Sleipnir shifted and shuffled his feet, as if barely able to refrain from bouncing up and down like no self-respecting stallion ever should. Still, Fenrir wasn't very happy.
"But—"
"Brother," Jormungand admonished him softly and then turned to Sigyn. "Of course, Lady Sigyn, we understand." He quickly gave her directions to the abode; it wasn't very far or even very difficult to find, if one had a keen eye and wasn't afraid of going into the heart of Ironwood.
"Thank you, Jormungand," she said once she was sure she had got the directions correctly. She stroke his scaly head again, which earned him a slightly jealous look from Fenrir. "I'll see you later today, then. Take good care of your little siblings, okay?"
"Whaaat?!" Fenrir burst out and his jaw hit the ground. By the time he recovered from the shock, Sigyn had long left, but he still shouted, "I'm nothis little brother! I'm the oldest brother, dammit! And I'm not a child!"
"Well, you have to admit that Jormungand acts and sounds a lot more mature than you," remarked Hel. "And he also looks bigger, since he's so long."
"And technically, I'm the oldest one here," Sleipnir pointed out.
While Fenrir silently fumed, Hel turned to address Jormungand.
"Are you sure it was wise to let her go to Mother by herself?"
"Ironwood is hardly dangerous at this time of the day," said Jormungand.
"That's not what I mean. Can we really trust her? How do we know she's not going to hurt our mother?"
"Sigyn? Never!" said Sleipnir, appalled. "Sigyn wouldn't hurt a fly! She's the sweetest person in all the nine worlds!"
"That's right!" said Fenrir, grudgingly putting his annoyance aside. "If anything, it's Mum who might hurt Sigyn."
"I am disturbed that you seem to have more faith in a stranger from Asgard than in your own mother," said Hel coldly.
"I-I didn't mean it like that!" protested Fenrir, flustered, but Hel ignored him and turned to face Jormungand once more.
"Well? Aren't you going to say anything? What do you think of this Sigyn person? Do you like her?"
"I neither like nor dislike her," answered Jormungand nonchalantly. "But she's very nice, and I couldn't detect anything threatening about her. I think she's safe, and that's all that matters to me."
oOo
Sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace in her abode, Angrboda was listlessly sewing one of Hel's dresses. With her mind elsewhere, she would often accidentally prickle a finger, or get something wrong and have to undo her work only to start over, but she didn't paid that any mind. For a good while now, she had been feeling rather lonely and wondering where Loki was. He hadn't visited in so long...
Perhaps something had happened to him. The last time he had gone so long without seeing his giant family had been years ago, back when Fenrir had been a tiny puppy and Jormungand no longer than Angrboda's arm. He had apologised for his absence and promised to visit more often – a promise he had kept for many years to come. What could possibly be delaying him this time?
Oddly enough, the children hadn't been inquiring after their father. Maybe they had given up, but Angrboda rather suspected that they had been up to some kind of mischief. Months ago, they had been gone for an unusually long time, and when Angrboda asked them to elaborate on what they had been doing, they would always find an excuse to make a hurried exit or change the subject. After a while, Angrboda decided to let it go. Obviously no harm had come to them, and that was what mattered.
A sudden, but soft, knock on the door jolted her out of her thoughts and made her heart leap. The children wouldn't knock on the door of their own home. Could it be Loki? Taking a deep, laborious breath, Angrboda dropped the dress and the needle and stumbled over to the door.
Her hopes crashed when she saw a stranger at her doorstep and were replaced for disappointment and wariness. She didn't think she had ever seen this woman before, and she knew everyone who dwelt in Ironwood. Worse, Angrboda was pretty sure that before her stood a goddess.
"Can I help you?" she asked, her expression and voice neutral.
"Good afternoon," greeted the other woman courteously. Her voice was very serious, but there was no hint of coldness or threat in it. "Are you Angrboda?"
"Who wants to know?"
"I am Sigyn. I'm sure you've heard of me."
"Sigyn..." Angrboda's blood ran cold. "You are Loki's wife!"
Sigyn nodded. "May I come in, Angrboda?"
The giantess breathed hard, frantically wondering if she should be deny her identity. In the end, she decided against it. She was no coward; goddess or not, Angrboda would face her. Besides, it would be pointless to deny it. Judging by her tone of voice, Sigyn had not doubted for a moment that she was addressing the right person.
"I mean you no harm," said Sigyn when Angrboda didn't move to let her in. The goddess' expression softened, looking almost pitiful. "I just want to talk."
Reluctantly, Angrboda stepped back and let Sigyn come inside her home. Having closed the door, she went back to her chair by the fireplace, while Sigyn sat on the other chair next to it. The chair which Loki would sit on when it was cold and dark and they both sought the warmth of the fireplace. Angrboda glared slightly and made no move to pick up the fallen dress and needle from the floor. She was tense and wary, anxious to hear what Sigyn had to say.
Sigyn, on the other hand, was very relaxed and in no hurry at all. She made herself comfortable on Loki's chair and smiled at Angrboda.
"I just met your children," she remarked. "They're lovely. Little Hel and Jormungand seem to be the quiet, shy type. They remind me of my boys."
Angrboda tried to hide the twinge of fear she felt. The goddess Sigyn had met Loki's giant children?
"What did you do to them?" whispered Angrboda threateningly.
"I didn't do anything to them," said Sigyn, appalled. "All I did was say hello! I'd already met Fenrir before, and I missed him dearly. He was our pet for one day, you know." She laughed at the memory. "Of course, I had no idea it was him at the time. When I finally found out who he was, it only made me love him even more. And then I just had to meet the rest of his family."
Angrboda tilted her head, not sure she had understood.
"You... know who Fenrir is? What exactly do you mean by that?"
"I know he's Loki's son. And you're his mother."
Angrboda pursed her lips. "Who told you that?" Surely Loki wouldn't have told anyone in Asgard about his giant family? He was a little reckless sometimes, yes, but not stupid.
"A very reliable source."
"I see," said Angrboda, her shoulders drooping in resignation. "So you know about me and Loki."
"I have known about you and Loki for a very long time," said Sigyn solemnly. Again, Angrboda was surprised by the lack of hostility in the goddess' eyes, on top of being surprised by the revelation. "At first I just suspected it. And then I just knew it..."
"If you knew about us, how come you've only come to see me now? Did you take that long to find out where I live?"
"Yes and no. I never actively searched for you, but I always wished to meet you in person."
"Get to the point!" Angrboda snapped, though she kept her tone soft. "Are you here to dispose of me or not?"
"Dear Lord Odin, no!" Sigyn looked quite disturbed by the mere suggestion. "I could never 'dispose' of anyone, let alone of you. Even if I were so inclined, I am sure I would be no match for you." She sighed. "But no, I wasn't lying when I said I don't mean you any harm. Nor would I ever hurt your children, for that matter."
"Then why are you here?" asked Angrboda, now more confused than anything else. "How can you not be upset about this? Don't you resent me for my... association with Loki?"
"The question is, do you resent me?" Sigyn replied calmly.
Angrboda lowered her head and took a minute to contemplate her answer.
"I suppose I was a little jealous in the beginning," she admitted, her gaze on her feet. "But then, I figured, who am I to demand or even expect that Loki will only want to be with me? If you can make Loki happy, no matter how, I am your friend. As long as I can be by Loki's side and see him smile, I am happy. As long as he's here..."
"But he is not here, is he?"
Angrboda looked up abruptly and gave Sigyn a defensive look, expecting the goddess to gloat about how Loki spent more time with his family in Asgard than with Angrboda. What she saw, however, was just the opposite. In a way, it was like looking in the mirror. Sigyn had the same wistful, resigned look in her eyes as Angrboda, if not even more apparently.
"Nor is he in Asgard," continued Sigyn. "To tell the truth, I was hoping to find him here with you."
"What do you mean?" With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Angrboda grasped the arms of her chair. "Did something happen to Loki?"
"I don't know. I don't think so," murmured Sigyn, her eyes staring unseeingly at the fireplace. "He told me he was going to have some fun in Midgard, and he hasn't come home ever since. I'm not worried; I'm confident he can take care of himself. I just miss him so much..." Her eyes regained their focus and turned to meet Angrboda's gaze knowingly. "And I'm certainly not the only one."
Angrboda was speechless. She didn't even know what to think, let alone what to say.
"You and I have much in common, Angrboda. We both love Loki dearly and don't care who puts a smile on his face, as long as we can be by his side at least once in a while. We both have learnt to deal with that. And we both have children who look up to him, and suffer terribly because they rarely see him and are unable to bond with their own father." She smiled sadly, averting her gaze towards the fireplace once more. "Of course, your children didn't really tell me as much in our very brief encounter, but I can tell. As I said, they remind me a lot of my sons. Your children have that same characteristic look about them that I've grown so used to seeing in my own children." She looked down at her clasped hands, as though about to confess something very shameful. "As much as I love Loki, I admit he has his flaws... And one of them is that he just can't reach out to children. He doesn't like children. He has no patience for them, doesn't know how to deal with them. He thinks of them as a nuisance."
Without really realising what she was doing, Angrboda absently nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, thoughts were running miles through her head. So Loki gave his "official" family exactly the same treatment as he did his giant family? This thought should have been comforting, but it only deepened Angrboda's sorrow. How could she resent a young woman in love and two children when they all suffered as much as Angrboda herself and her own children?
Angrboda felt Sigyn's pain. For the first time in her entire life, she could empathise with someone. Loki had never really understood her feelings, and she and her children reacted differently to the void that Loki left in their hearts. Moreover, Angrboda tried not to show her weakness to them. She had to be strong for them, in order to support them and alleviate their pain. If they ever found out about her feelings – the extent of her suffering – they would only worry and suffer even more on her behalf. They might even go as far as to feel guilty, believing it was their fault that Loki didn't visit more often, or worse yet, they might start to resent Loki. In fact, Hel had already made a few remarks to that effect, and even Jormungand had once wondered why Angrboda never tried to find a new companion, since she looked so lonely.
They were children, too young to understand.
But Sigyn understood perfectly.
"You understand me."
For a moment, Angrboda thought she had spoken out loud. Then, she realised that it was Sigyn who had said it.
"We are kindred spirits," Sigyn continued, her eyes full of compassion. "As such, we should stick together, not fight. We have one goal – Loki's happiness – and for that we need to make sacrifices. Hopefully, if we support each other, those sacrifices won't seem to great any more."
"Maybe you're right," admitted Angrboda, with a lopsided smile. "It's not the same as having Loki by my side, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try. I've never really had a friend..."
Sigyn's eyes went wide. "What? Never?"
"Giants don't have the custom of making friends," said Angrboda wryly.
With a radiant smile, Sigyn got up from the chair and came to stand before Angrboda.
"Then I would be honoured to be your first and best friend," she said, with a curtsey.
A genuine, completely spontaneous smile formed on Angrboda's lips long before she even realised it. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this content in Loki's absence.
She believed she could actually grow to like this goddess.
oOo
A pale, slender hand, half-covered by a long, flowing sleeve, was lazily held out so that a raven could perch on it. Another hand petted the bird lovingly before it flew again to perch on a red-clad shoulder, just as another raven flew in to perch on its owner's other shoulder.
Odin's brow furrowed as the two ravens related their findings.
He let out a sigh.
"Well, there is no more doubt about it," he said. "Although Loki never did make an appearance, this was more than enough to confirm my suspicions. I do believe this is the first time that I regret being right."
He stood up from his throne and walked over to the window. Gazing at the bright, cloudless sky in anguish, he whispered:
"Oh, Loki, my brother... What have you done?"
oOo
It was night in Jotunheim. Angrboda, Hel, and Jormungand were all sleeping, and Fenrir was just getting ready to go out to meet Hrygda. He had postponed this meeting for too long already, and he also had the uncanny feeling that he needed to see her as soon as possible. He felt as though she were calling out to him. He knew it was probably just an impression, but it made him feel guilty and very uneasy nonetheless.
However, as soon as he stepped out of the abode, he knew there was something wrong.
Before he could even try to guess what it could be, several armoured bodies fell on him seemingly out of nowhere and pinned him to the ground. He gasped in surprised and tried to struggle free, but arms, chains, and ropes wrapped around his entire body, effectively immobilizing him.
"Quickly! Go inside and get the other two!" yelled a voice that Fenrir instantly recognised as the god Tyr's.
"The serpent is mine!" shouted Thor.
Hel woke up with a start at the sounds of banging, heavy, hurried steps, the clanging of swords, and doors and furniture being broken down. She was quite disoriented by the mayhem outside her room and, for a while, believed she was still dreaming and in the middle of a war.
Dream or not, when her door was smashed open and two bulky warriors in full armour, one brandishing a sword and the other an axe, came in and set their eyes on her, she let out an acute panicked scream which was only silenced when they gagged her.
Jormungand, who slept in the same room as Hel, was awoken by the strong vibrations on the floor, and Hel's scream greatly alarmed him, but he was too sluggish and confused to fully understand what was going on and properly react.
"There you are!" said a baleful voice that pierced through the haze of Jormungand's mind and sent chills down his very long body. "I have you now, monster!"
"Remember, Thor, you're not supposed to kill it!" said someone else, a stranger. "We only have orders to capture them – alive!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
A strong, calloused hand grabbed Jormungand's tail. The serpent instinctively bared his fangs and tried to lung at the warrior, but his movements were still too slow from sleep and Thor was able to draw back in time to avoid a bite.
"Here, use this. I knew we'd need it," said another unknown voice.
Next thing he knew, something half-wrapped around his neck and pinned it to the floor. Now that he couldn't raise his head, the warriors weren't afraid of holding him. He thrashed the rest of his body, which was still free, but in the end, although he was very strong, he was fully immobilized thanks to the joint effort of at least ten men. The object that had been holding his head down – a long stick with a small fork at one end, seemingly – was lifted as Thor carefully took a hold Jormungand's neck in such a way that the serpent remained unable to move his head freely and use his fangs.
"All right, we've got all of them!" announced Thor. "Let's go back!"
When the group left the room, Angrboda was blocking their way, brandishing a long, heavily splintered piece of furniture as if it were a sword.
"What are you doing with my children?" she yelled, sounding as hysterical as she looked. "Leave them alone!"
"Step aside, woman!" barked one of the warriors, undaunted.
"We do not wish to harm you," said another, "but we'll not hesitate to do so if you get in our way."
"I'd like to see you try!" she spat and calmed down just enough to start whispering a spell.
"Oh, no, you don't!" One of the gods holding Jormungand let go of his victim and rushed to Angrboda. His gloved hand struck her forehead and she fell back, unconscious.
"Heimdall, you coward!" shouted Thor. "How could you hit a woman?!"
"I didn't hurt her!" snapped Heimdall as he went back to holding part of Jormungand, who had started to struggle again at the sight of his mother's defeat. "I only put her to sleep so she won't get in the way."
"Right," said Thor as he stepped over Angrboda with a wary glance at her. "Let's go back to Asgard, then. Quickly!"
