Lead Me Back to Normalcy
A/N: I am so, so, so sorry for not posting this chapter this morning! I was in a rush to get to orientation and registration at my university! I'm officially a college girl and on my way to becoming a physicist! I'm so happy!
Also, today will the last update on this fanfiction until Tuesday, and I will update weekly on Tuesday;unless I get so far ahead in chapters and need to post 'em! Which, that scenario actually may happen. Random, but anyone who plays Warcraft will understand why I will update on Tuesday.
And oh my god, I was not expecting chapter five to have the response it did! I am totally blown away guys! Thank you so very much! I may just start replying to them!
Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.
Chapter Six: Truth or Fiction
There upon the great waters of the edge of Asgard sat a small, rather pitiful looking boat—if it even counted for that. It was a simple looking rowboat with enough seats to carry six people. In the back of the boat, sitting next to Njord was Sigyn. She was tired by the way she hunched over. Her long hair was pulled back into two braids, one on either side of her face that fell to the bottom of her ribcage. Like most of her clothes, the white shirt she adorned ate her figure, even with the help of a decorative ebon' belt that was tight around her waist. The sleeves were cone in shape, becoming larger as they approached her hands; though at the top had black, ornate bandages that clung next to her skin. The rest bottom half of her shirt behaved much a like tunic. There, to his surprise, she had adorned black pants that revealed how boney her legs were. Even the matching leather boots with silver fur lining seemed ready to fall off her small feet.
She lifted her head a smidgen to look his way. In the days of her absence Thor had forgotten how dark her eyes were with tiredness. Still, Sigyn gave the first genuine smile Thor had seen since before Loki's suicide. Though weak, it was an improvement. "All ready, Thor?" she inquired softly.
Three guards stood beside the boat. They were covered in heavy metal plates and animal hides. Their cloaks were reversible with a furry inside to keep them warm, while the outside consisted of silver scales that reminded Thor of some sea serpent. Various hunting knives and swords hung their hips and legs. He moved passed the three guards Njord had brought to occupy the seat in front of Sigyn. "Of course!" Thor remarked as he laid his belongings to the floor with an audible thump! "I fear no boat, Sigyn. I walked to the heart of Jotunheim and back, fighting my way. A little boat ride seems pleasant."
"Jotunheim is but a wasteland now because of your family," Njord condemned with raw anger in his husky voice. Thor could feel the god's eyes damning him for his actions. "The damage your brother caused is enough to ignite a war. Consider yourself and all of Asgard lucky that the Jotun have not decided to go to war, Thor." Thor braced himself as the three guards kicked the boat into the water, propelling it into the surf. With such grace, the three had managed to get into the boat without so much as single drip of water on them. "Asgard will lose if that happens."
"Enough blood has been shed, Father," Sigyn spoke through an unusual strong voice. It took Thor by surprise. Curiously Thor looked to her holding her head high; something he had not seen, even when in the presence of Loki. "I will not have war occur between those two realms. As I hail from both, I can speak good and bad of both." Her lips were pulled tightly together. She let eyes stray to the broken bifrost as they rocked closer to the edge.
"So what Mother said is true," Thor commented. He felt her eyes scan him once before returning to the fast fading images of Asgard. He lowered his head and rested his arms on the top of his thighs. He took a breath of the ocean air, smelling the mixture of the cosmos' stardust and salt water. Somehow he knew he would not smell it again for some time. "I am sorry for your losses, Sigyn." Thor twisted his neck to see a tear roll down Sigyn's face. His heart felt heavy in his chest for the young woman. "I did not realize that you cried for more than just Loki."
She took a moment to recompose and stop the sobs from reaching her mouth. "That why I will go to Jotunheim, Thor," Sigyn responded slowly, her voice losing its strength once again. "There they will understand. Helblindi will help me get to Earth to be away from all of this. In return, you will have my protection Thor and come to Earth with me."
"I need your protection?" Thor repeated. He looked around at the sky before shading his head. "That is a first, Sigyn." He grinned from the idea of a woman such as she being his protector. He was unsure if she was even fit enough to lift a sword. "Why would they kill me and not you?" the god asked.
"Because I am one of them, Thor," she replied venomously. "Be grateful for it. It was the only reason Laufey did not strike you or Loki down years ago when you sought violence after your coronation. Though now I wonder if it was a poor mistake on his part to show either of you mercy."
"So you would have had Laufey kill my brother, your husband?" Thor questioned angrily. "You smear your name as the goddess of fidelity." His nose wrinkled at the lack of love Sigyn now displayed. It was like Sif had, Sigyn was not as innocent as she appeared.
Sigyn took a deep breath of air. She turned her eyes away from Thor's to watch the sun sparkle off the bifrost. It was so beautiful but so broken. "I cut out my tongue to be with Loki. I kept my word to be faithful to him, and I was," she spoke in a breaking voice. "But at some point, you must wonder how much your faith is worth to someone that you know can kill your people. At what point, do you say no?"
Thor had no answer for her. He wasn't sure if he ever would to that question. Just as suddenly as he was filled with her lack of love to Loki, he could feel empathy for her. Yet, with glazed eyes, he looked back and wondered if it was truly his fault for Loki's madness. Would he really have held onto the staff if Loki hadn't let go? More than likely yes because they were brothers and he loved Loki, but… With a deep breath, he righted himself so that his last moment in Asgard would be one of looking at the sunlight dancing off the city's golden buildings.
From behind Njord stood up as the boat began to teeter near the edge of the Asgard realm. With a quick flip of his hand, the boat fell over the edge. Instead of the boat tipping to a vertical position, it remained horizontal as if it were slowly gliding down. But it wasn't. Thor glanced up to see the stars above him engulfed in darkness in less than a blink of an eye. The roar of the waters was replaced with a low hum. This was nothing like the bifrost that was loud and bright. From the shadows came red eyes that glimmer like stars and damned them to the next life.
In the next blink the darkness was gone, along with the warmth of Asgard's southern winds. The chilly breath of Jotunheim greeted him with an angry hiss. He looked to the ground to see the boat was floating in a circle of water in the middle of a frozen lake. To the west he saw an open plain, but he could not tell whether it was true ground or just part of the lake covered in a heavy layer of snow. The south was the same, but to the north and east were crumbling mountains. Their peaks had been ripped and deep gorges looking like fresh wounds cut through their frozen stone. The bright illuminated every ounce of snow on its ridges, while though a beautiful sight it was ruined by the black dots that were sprinkled across it, which curiosity within Thor. His eyes came to rest at the base of the mountain where a pool of blood had frozen.
He found himself struck by the scene, unable to tell whether he was more saddened or infuriated by what Loki had unleashed. Thor bowed his head to them. He could pick up the traces of their smell on the wind. It was not foul since the bodies on Jotunheim froze too quickly to decompose, but the smell of stillness, soulless bodies was enough for his stomach to cringe.
"You need to go quickly," Njord spoke. He looked to the clear skies, able to see their sun shining overhead and with the star glimmering alone the horizons. "A bitter chill is coming tonight." He held out his hand to the guard sitting next to Thor. The guard undid his cloak and handed it to his king. Njord placed the heavy protection upon his daughter's shoulders. With careful hands, he joined the two clasps together to secure it to Sigyn. Grabbing her by her forearms, he helped her stand.
Njord's eyes softened as he looked upon his daughter. "You have grown into a fine woman since I last saw you, Sigyn," he spoke with pride in his voice. He gulped as he shed a tear for her. "Words cannot describe how full of sorrow I am, but you are strong. The Jotun would not have accepted you if you were anything but. So I have faith that you will be well again. Someday I will have to visit you on Midgard. Give my thanks to Skadi if she still lives." Sigyn could only hug her father. Njord placed his arms around her. "Now go," he whispered.
As she pulled her head away, the tears froze instantly upon her face. "Come, Thor," she said with a rehearsed tone to her voice. "Follow my footsteps." Like a gangly newborn horse she stepped over the boat's ledge and onto the water. Beneath her foot, the water turned to ice. Sigyn turned to Thor, holding out her hand. "The ice will not break," she assured.
Taking her hand, Thor stepped onto the ice. For a brief moment he heard it crackle and buckle, but just as quickly new ice formed over the cracks, restoring its strength. "What form of magic is this?" he asked as he looked to Sigyn.
She led him on for several paces before speaking, "It is no form of magic, Thor. I am a half-breed. I have traits of both my parents."
Thor stumbled over his next step, barely catching himself. In the process he caught a glance of the empty space where Njord had been. Looking forward, all he could see was Sigyn's cloak being dragged behind her like a ball-n-chain. "I knew you to be a half-breed, but I assumed you were Vanir like your foster father." Thor moved quickly to move to her side, but the waist deep snow slowed his progress greatly. Sigyn, on the other hand, walked through it with ease, as if it were just liquid water. She stopped for him to come to her side. "Where are you parents? How did you end up with Vanir?"
"You ask many questions, Thor," she complained, but there was no bite to her voice. "All you need to know is that I belong to three realms; Asgard, Jotunheim, and my father's. Where and how I came is none of your concern." She looked to him with tired eyes but looking forward towards the mountains. "It is something that I do not wish to talk about." She continued to walk; though remaining slowly enough so Thor could keep up with some effort.
"Does Loki know?" Thor asked bluntly. "Did he know anything about you?"
"Some," Sigyn answered. "He knew what he needed to know. I treated him like I did my father, I only let them know the things that would not hurt them." The woman stepped onto the first rock, finding her footing to come easily. Thor, too heavy to take her hand, uneasily found his balance upon the small ledge. "It was best if Loki did not know of my heritage, Thor. He never would have loved me otherwise."
"Did you even try to tell him?" Thor berated as he followed her up the ledge.
"Asgardians cannot love anything derived from a Juton," she criticized. "Loki knew that as soon as he discovered his heritage. No matter if you did love him—I know you do—he would not have listened. Loki could not love himself. So why should anyone else?" She stepped over a rock and used it to raise herself to another ledge. "You come from a very critical society, Thor; either you are accepted in Asgard or not.
Both of you were equally loved in Asgard. Perhaps there were days when Loki felt out of place, but no more than you or I. Loki was confident, not arrogant, mischievous but not harmful—" She stopped, searching for something within the rocks. Sigyn felt around them with her bare hands. With them already numb from the cold, she did not notice the small scratches the ice made on her palms. But the pain was minute compared to the thorn stuck in her heart. "Your father loved you both equally, but he did not regard you both equally.
"All Father," she continued in a scathing, husky voice. "He meant well. He treated Loki well, but…" Sigyn sighed. She wiped her bloody palm over her right eye to keep the tears from freezing on hr face. "All Loki wanted to be was to be your equal. He never wanted the throne—I don't believe he even wanted to be king. He just wanted to have the same chance as you to be king, but because of his heritage, he would never be considered king. Loki knew from a young age he would never be king, even though he was better than you. So without that responsibility he could be mischievous. You though, you made a mockery of the throne when you knew perfectly well that you would be king. That frustrated him. Loki, despite being a trickster, always had his best interests in Asgard. He—" Her fragile voice broke off quickly, as if she were a child who had been overheard by an adult.
Their eyes turned towards the shadows that were moving across the mountain. Their feet kick up rocks that crashed down the mountain, sounding like the hooves of a thousand horses. What were few were now many as they came flooding out of their holes and into the sunlight. Their skin glittered blue, meaning only one suck creature they could be. Without hesitation, Thor's hand found his beloved hammer. "Thor, do not!" She cried. "Put the hammer back! They do not know we are their allies."
"And they don't act like it either," Thor sneered. She had her hands wrapped around his forearm, pitifully pushing his hand back down to his side. "Let go, Sigyn!" He jerked his hand back to escape her grasp. Immediately he felt thick, cold ice engulfed his hand and hammer in one fell swoop. The god turned to see his hand caught in a tower of ice. Farther behind, coming down on the snowy slopes and skis were the frost giants. They traveled fast, much faster than any horse Thor had ever ridden.
Grunting, he gathered his strength to shatter the ice that bound his hand; only then to have his left hand chained in ice. As he raised his hammer, the ice once again rose up from the ground to stop him in his tracks. Thor could hear the crackling of the ice and is wound his legs like a snake. "Sigyn, run!" he shouted. She only glanced at him with callous eyes. "Run! Heim—" She placed a hand to his mouth, freezing his mouth in place.
"You are making a mess," Sigyn hissed. She swiveled on the ice to face the giants as they approached. They jumped out of the bindings that held their feet together with their black skis; the snow and crunched beneath their feet like shattering bones. They could see the reds of the first ones as they approached. From their hands grew a crude, impaling weapon made of clear ice. Sigyn walked backwards, pressing her back to Thor's chest. "Halt!" she cried in a raspy voice. "I am Sigyn, daughter of Njord and Ska—" Her words were stolen from her the nearest frost giant raised his weapon.
"The names of your parents mean little, wife of Loki," The giant growled.
"I have citizenship here, Jotun," Sigyn snapped.
He chuckled, lowering his weapon. With a deep breath, he could smell the fear rolling off her body. "You lost your citizenship here with your marriage to Loki," he answered. Around him the other frost giants began to form a dense circle around the duo. "You are an enemy, wife of Loki. You will pay as such."
She leaned her head forward to meet his harsh gaze. "I am not his wife, Jotun," Sigyn corrected in an icy tone. "My marriage to him has been annulled; therefore I am no longer a citizen of Asgard. My citizenship here is then legal." Her words did little to intimidate him as he approached her with a deep scowl on his face. In her chest she felt her heart quicken as he reached out to here with his free hand. "Touch me and the wrath of Njord will be upon you, Jotun!"
The giant stopped his hand millimeters away from her chin. His red eyes stared into her soul, searching for a trace to identify her as something either enemy of friendly. Sigyn met his gaze only for a few seconds before turning her head away in shame. The giant watched her for a moment before turning the giant who had dared step inside the circle. Thor twisted his head to see this brave giant. He was bigger than the rest with runes that flexed with every twinge of his muscle. This one was younger than the rest, only Thor's age at most. His face was strong, except for his nose, which was crooked in a familiar way.
"Give me a reason to trust you, Sigyn," the young giant spoke. Thor watched with a disgusted face as the giant dare to crouch down to her eye level. He twisted his head to right, revealing a deep scar on the bottom of his jaw line. "You are a true international, girl. You are the outcome of union between an Aesir and Juton, yet, you were raised by a Vanir. You visited Skadi in secrecy because she was the one woman in your father's kingdom that did not loathe a half-breed. Yet, you threw that away to marry an Aesir—no ordinary Aesir either but a prince. It is interesting considering you are not royal, not by blood, but yet—" He inched his face closer to hers, their lips almost touching. "You are received as one."
Sigyn stopped breathing as she felt his hand skim over her belt and between her breasts. "Get to the point," she breathed. Her eyes darted to his and then the ground.
"At any moment you can be stripped of your worthiness," he whispered. "At any moment, you could no longer matter, and no one would shed a tear."
"My father—"
"Your father is old and weary," he retorted. "He will soon die and with it his protection over you. As it is already stands, Skadi's protection over you ended with your marriage to Loki, no?" He grabbed her face his hand, receiving a bitter scream from her as her skin turned blue. Thor jerked at his bindings but to no avail. He watched Sigyn squirm against the giant's grip. Blood trickled down her neck, staining her shirt. "Or else you wouldn't burn beneath my hands, Sigyn," the giant shouted. He tossed to the ground with ease. She curled into a ball as the cold seared through her flesh and into her bones. He loomed over her like a tiger about to bite into his prey. "Now call forth Heimdall and go home." He turned away from her, making his way back through the pack of frost giants.
Sigyn pushed herself up from the ground, wobbling silly on her two legs. The giant stopped and turned his face to the side so he could see her out of his left eye. Sigyn was looking towards the skies, noticing the clouds gathering on the horizon. Sigyn slowly walked towards the giant. She glanced towards Thor. Not to her surprise he struggled furiously against the ice, grunting and groaning like a wild boar. "Helblindi Laufeyson," she spoke in a heavy Vanic accent that Thor had not heard in years. For Thor, it was hard to distinguish her words.
"What is it that you need, half-breed?" The giant coated his name for Sigyn is heavy disgust.
"I seek to go to Midgard with Thor as my protector," she answered.
"For what purpose?" he inquired.
"A fresh start," Sigyn replied. "I am no longer welcomed in Asgard because of my passed husband's deeds. The living Aesir in my father's kingdom speak ill of me as well, treat me as their pet because of my blood. Clearly, by your words, I have no home here. That leaves me with Earth where I have friends." Her voice did not crack this time or sob seep through her words, but it was not genuine. It was rehearsed. Thor noticed the tips of her fingers beginning to twitch; it was an early sign before she lost it. "We are just passing through with your help."
The giant thought over her words for a moment. "Passing through? I cannot allow that. Only those of Jotunheim may know of the passage," he spoke rhetorically. "Seems innocent enough, but we all know you are not that innocent." Helblindi's eyes shifted to the horizon, watching as the storm clouds came rolling in faster. "You've seen too much to ever be innocent. If you—"
He stopped midsentence as an ominous roar echoed through the mountains and rattled their bones. Terror dawned the giants' faces before they turned to run or flee on skis. Thor twisted his head to see the first waves of snow begin to trickle down the mountain. His view was quickly obstructed as the frost giants began to shove passed him in a mad frenzy. "Sigyn," he called with worry. Thor looked to where she had been, but all he saw were the blurry forms of the giants. "Sig—" The air was knocked out of him as the first wave of snow crashed into him harder than bull. His chains were broken with ease, but his strength could not save him as he tossed around like a toddler's ragdoll. Thor's gripped failed to hold onto the hammer. He couldn't see it. No, all he could see was white all around him. All he could hear was the roar of the mountain's fury. All he felt was a numb sensation fill him.
The absolute nothingness consumed him, body and soul.