Visitation

by kalimecat

Loki has returned to Asgard and is imprisoned for his crimes. While in prison he has the occasional visitor, will the love of others bring back the fallen prince or is he truly too far gone?

30. Back to Asgard

A/N HELLLLOOOO READERS! I hope many of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Dear readers I am soooooo sorry! I cannot apologize enough for how long it took me to up that. MY only excuse is that working full time and being back in school does not leave much room for writing FF ;( but I am on winter break now and thankfully have much more time to write. Once again I have to thank you all for your continued support of the story. I cherished every review, favorite and follow. I don't think this chapter is even deserving of how long you all waited, but here it is. It is a transitional chapter getting us from point A to point B and point be is winding up to the big finale! Well once gain I thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. Happy reads and writes and God bless you all.

Whizzzzz! FLASH! Crackle and fizz, then Whoooooooosh and Zhhhing. Splash! The solar skiff sailed through the portal formed in the cleft of the rocks on cliff underneath the waterfall. It appeared all in one breath and the blink of an eye, out of no where and splashed down on the peaceful and beautiful Lake Kelevi just as the morning mist were lifting off of the lake's still waters. It was a bumpy ride, it all happened so fast, at lightening speed. They followed Loki's lodestone and it lead them back to the spot. Sif repeated the magical incantation that Loki had told her. Then, they were sucked into the vortex. The portal was filled with bright, brilliant colored lights that swirled all about them in dizzying kaleidoscopic patterns. The sounds of being pulled through the vortex was a whistle and churning hum of an engine all at once. It was blaring and grating and nearly deafening and some how none of the warrior could recall it being quite so loud in the passageway the first time they had entered. But perhaps that had been on account of Loki having accompanying them before. Maybe the enchanter had been able to use some other mystical method to protect their eardrums.

They did not have to endure the screeching, siren sound of the vortex for long. They were zipped through the portal rapid speeds. The Einherjar assumed they must have been traveling at the speed of light. The wind in the passageway tunnel caused their hair to blow about in their faces, their mouths to dry out, their lips to chap and the skin around their jaws to flap like sails. It nearly blew them over and off of the ship. They were all cramped on to the long boat tightly as they made their way through the magic portal. Their numbers were fewer than when they had embarked on this dangerous mission, but their fellow soldiers who were wounded took up a significant amount of room in the ship being that they had to lay out long and flat.

The landing was even rougher and more jarring as the tiny ship reentered Asgard's atmosphere with a screeching scream. The scream of the engines as magic pushed the ship through was accompanied by the frantic hollers of the soldiers.

The splashdown landing sent the crystal blue lake waters stretching skyward around the long boat and sent the gentle swans who nested by Lake Kelevi flying away and angrily honking as they flew away. They cried out all at once in a lapsing moment of natural as they felt the push and pull and thrust of the magic on their body; such power and raw force, it made them feel as though they would be torn apart in the vortex. Especially since none of them were magic wielders it was risky to go through the portal as it was. Loki had assured them that the magic words would be enough to open the portal and get them through, but everyone was wary. What was the word of that trickster really worth?

But as they felt the cool spray of the mist of the water fall against their faces and heard the caw of the caw of the swans and geese as they flew away from the lake now that the solar skiff had intruded upon their privacy upon the placid lake and the sweet smell of baby's breath and fresh wild flowers kissed by the morning dew tickled their noses all the Einherjar were able to take a collective sigh of astonishment and relief seeing as they had made it.

Frandal was the first to manage to crack open his eyes. His hands were white knuckled from holding on so tightly to the steering rudder of the solar skiff. He swiped his hand upward over his handsome face removing the lake water from his eyes. "It worked?" he mouthed in amazement as he looked up and saw the beautiful, crystal blue lake and waterfalls all around him. The sight was lovely. There were many extraordinarily breathtaking sights in Asgard, but little compared the majestic beauty of Lake Kelevi. It was completely enclosed by waterfalls. Asgard was a welcomed sight after nearly a week of only seeing the desolation and despair that was the Dark-World. The bleak landscape of monotone gray sky and endlessly rolling black foothills made of ash and granite was enough to drive a sane man out of his mind.

He gazed gratefully upon the gorgeous blue sky his head. It was a picturesque fall day in Asgard with gentle fluffy white clouds poking about all over the happy sky. The sun shone like a polished gold coin fresh from the treasury vaults of Asgard. The lake hand brilliant blue water and the greenery around the lake was starting to change colors. It was a collage of red and gold and orange foliage smattered with just a few touches of the remaining green from the summer. Frandal blinked his eyes taking it all in again. He pinched himself just to make sure it wasn't a dream. 'It worked!" uttered once again. the blonde-haired swordsman exclaimed. "Huzzah! Men!" he cried. "We made it!" he called once more this time he took to shaking a few of the warriors. Many of the men were still dizzy after the transportation through the magic portal. They were holding their stomachs and heads. Some even had their bodies slopped over the sides of the vessel.

Volstagg managed to raise his red head from its position between his knees. He was certain he would have retched after that rickety and rocky ride, but alas he had nothing in his stomach to be retched. "Asgard!" Volstagg panted as he took in the relieving sight of the Lake Kelevi. Lake Kelevi was one of the largest lakes in Asgard and if it wasn't the largest lake it certainly had the largest resort. It was right outside the Imperial City and many nobles and wealthy merchants built summer houses along the banks of the lake or on the cliff tops over looking the waterfalls. It was beautiful. It was a popular spot for young lovers to sneak away from the gossiping mouths of the city spinsters and have private and romantic gondola rides by moonlight. It was a bustling spot of activity during the day. On the weekends many of the smarter merchants would move business to Lake Kelevi during the summer months. People from all across Asgard and the Nine Realms would come their for holidays, honeymoons and weekend getaways. Vendors of all sorts could make a pretty penny. The herring always migrated through the Lake and fishermen would pour in by the boat load for a healthy catch.

The pudgy warrior was able to recall many fond memories he had on Lake Kelevi. Time when his parents would bring he and his siblings out for picnics, times when he and his friends would come up to the lake and take long boats and ride them down the rapids of the waterfall. Now he had brought his own family to the resort where they rode and raced in dragon boats.

"Asgard!" the plump Viking exclaimed as her threw his arms out toward the warm Asgardian sun in gratitude. He then plunged his face into the cool lake and started guzzling, guzzling, guzzling the fresh spring water like a thirsty camel. As he bent over to drink her tipped over the boat.

"Volstagg!" cried Frandal as he and a few other soldier tried to pull the rotund red Viking face from the water. Volstagg rose like wet dog as he shook himself. His thick red curls wet everyone as he did so.

"Volstagg are you crazy?" Frandal questioned as he wiped his face free of the water he'd just been splashed with. "You could have capsized us!" he scolded.

"Sweet Nectar of Life!" Volstagg cried as he raised his voice in jubilation and wiped the back of his wrist across his newly wetted lips. "A lake of gold truly is less than a cool fresh spring in the desert," he confessed breathlessly as he looked around at his friends. He scooped water into his dirty, ruddy palm and lapped it up his thirst still not quenched. "Thank the Norns, we made it," he raised his hands in the air in praise for their escape.

Lady Sif leaned over the back of the ship and looked out at Asgard. She nodded to herself, "it actually worked," she marveled as she took in the area. In the distance, just over the peaks of the majestic purple mountains, Lady SiF could just barely make out the skyline of the Imperial City. It sparkled in the morning light. She could make out the top spires on the domes of the temples. She could see the highest tower of the Imperial Palace. Sif gasped as she beheld it. She brought her hand to rest upon her breast. She had had her doubts that they would make it back through the portal. "He actually was telling the truth," Sif whispered as she shook her head in disbelief. She had been so convinced that Loki's lodestone would be a dead end. She was surprised when they arrived at the spot where they'd entered into the Dark-Realm from. Still, she hadn't been quite so impressed by that, the trick was to see if they could actually enter the secret passageway. She wouldn't have been surprised if the enchanted words that the young wizard had told her to repeat would have been some type of curse sealing them all in the Dark-World forever. The strange thing was that she almost wished it would have been that way. At least then she would have been able to hurl it back in her comrades faces and tell them how foolish they were for putting any confidence in that slimy porcelain skinned snake. Then they would have been forced to stay in the Dark-World and find Thor. Alas as she begrudging ground out the ancient incantation her brown eyes gazed in amazement as the small crack began to enlarge She and the troops watched the tiny sliver of a crystal crack, no different than any other crevice that would be chipped int the side of a cliff, evolve into a large gaping, swirling, spiraling, sparkling hole. Before any more speculations could be formed in Sf's mind she found the gravitational pull of the vortex sucking her in.

Now, unbelievable as it was, they were here, washed up on the shores of the beautiful waterfall enclosed Lake Kelevi. She glanced around and blinked back the tears from her big brown eyes. She'd never actually allow herself to shed tears in front of the troops. She still had her reservations about leaving Thor stranded in the Dark World. Frandal and Volstagg tried to assuage her protests by saying that Thor still had a chance to get off the Dark-World. They said that Loki could find the portal and open it for them. She scoffed at the idea. Although, she supposed at this point she had no reason to not believe the trickster. So far his words had been proven truthful. Not that she trusted him. She'd never trust that worm. But even if she did trust him, which she didn't, that didn't mean that Loki would be able to return the two of them back to Asgard. Loki could have been too injured or incapacitated to perform the spell. What if Prince Thor had never even found the ingrate who he dared to still call brother? What if Loki was dead? Then Thor would be trapped in the Dark-World forever.

The warrior woman slammed her eyelids shut trying to block out the terrible thought. She and Lady Jane Foster waited up until morning light while the rest of the soldiers slept eagerly awaiting Thor return. But he returned to them not. Neither of them wanted to give into the feelings of anxious despair that had slowly started to creep over them. The worry went unspoken, but the two women were not the only ones to share in it. An eerie dread loomed over the heads of the men and though no one dared to mention it. But all of them thought about the fact that when they returned to Asgard with out the fairer son of Odin that could mean that they would be facing the final battle for the very existence of the realms as they knew it without their fearless prince to lead them. Sif wouldn't allow he mind to dwell on such thoughts. There was still time. There was still a chance. There was a chance of course that Thor had found Loki and rescued him from whatever ill and most deserved trouble had befallen him and that the two of them could travel back to Asgard in the knick-of-time. She was surprised and herself actually hoping for the raven-haired criminal to be alright. It made her feel uncomfortable to care so. Care might have been too great a word, she was concerned for Thor and Loki was his only hope of getting off that forsaken dark rock. She was concerned for Asgard and Loki was simply a means to and end in saving Asgard. He'd proven himself on the battlefield in Svartalfhiem, she supposed she could afford Loki that compliment. He hadn't shown fear, he'd fought like a real warrior he'd defended the maiden Jane and he'd saved Thor. They could use his skills in the battle against the Dark-Elves again. Besides the Aether wa not a force of arms ,. There was a saying in war that you fight fire with fire. They'd need some element of magic to fight a weapon of , that was it. She had no concern for that vile weasel it was simply he militaristic mind thinking of strategy. She had to trust that the Norns were not so cruel as to as to have ordained for them to face Ragnorok without Prince Thor on their side.

She brought her misty mahogany eyes to look out at the landscape of Asgard once more. As she gazed at the enchanted lake with its crystal blue waters and toward the proud snow-capped purple hills of the High Mountains and the grandeur of the large gilded metropolis that's jeweled domes and floating edifices could be made out just barely in the distance. Lady Sif, a hardened warrior and never one much for aesthetics sighed in awe. She finally understood why Thor had been so adamant for them all to return to Asgard. Surely, such sight was much more welcomed as the final one her eyes should gaze upon than the bleak and dismal realm of Svartalfheim. Sif had no qualms or resignations about dying in the beat of battle. That was the greatest glory any warrior of Asgard could receive. Every man and woman in Asgard had trained in their youth for war. The greatest among them taking on the title of Einherjar. Now she'd get to partake in the greatest adventure that any Einherjar ever could be apart of. She'd fight in the great Battle of Ragnorok and she'd fight with the ferocity of a Berserker. But she had to admit she'd much rather allow her dying eyes to see one last glimpse of Asgard's golden sun or the beautiful, green meadows than the black ash fields of the Dark-World.

Jane Foster was seated in the back of the long boat. She had been seated there to look over the injured warriors. Her back slumped against the edge o the boat. Her face was pale and sweat covered and her auburn hair was plastered for her forehead. Her head and ached and her stomach was churning like a windmill. The soldiers had warned her that crossing through a portal was difficult feat. She hadn't exactly known what they meant. When Thor took her through the Bifrost and transported her from Earth to Asgard it hadn't been so difficult. She'd felt fine. She'd felt exhilarated. It was like being on a rollercoaster. She was all goose-pimply and there were butterflies in her stomach but she hadn't felt sick. She had no memory of how she felt when Loki had transported them from Asgard to Svartalfheim. She'd fainted from the strain of the Aether on her body. But she'd supposed this had been different. In both instances she'd been transported with the help of a skilled enchanter this time she and the warriors of Asgard were at the full mercy of the vortex and its force.

The Einherjar seemed to be recuperating much faster than her. She shouldn't have been surprised. It was only natural, they were warriors after all, men hardened and trained for combat of the elements they'd been fighting and traversing across the realms for hundreds of years and they were Asgardians. She breathed deeply and tried to still herself. She noticed that she was shaking when she went to wipe her brow free from perspiration. "Lady Jane, are you well?' asked young Aryk as he turned to her.

"Oh," the Midgardian mortal muttered as the young Einherjar caught her attention. "Yes, yes, yes" she responded and she nodded vigorously and swallowed back the nausea that had occurred because of her twisting belly. Physically, she felt as though she would be fine in a few moment once the lights stopped blinking in front of her hazel eyes. But emotionally, she was a wreck. She was so worried about Thor. He'd been left all alone on the Dark-World. She had no way to contact him! She bit deep into her bottom lip. It was completely chapped and the pressure from her teeth immediately set the bottom lip to bleeding, but she scarcely noticed.. She clenched her dry and dirty hands into a fist. And closed her eyes cursing mentally. It wasn't as if she could just text Thor like an anxious girlfriend and ask him where he was and was he alright. For goodness sakes she couldn't send him a message via a courier or a messenger pigeon. All she could do was wait. She hated waiting, waiting s such an inactive role for a scientist to take. A scientist she be busy, should be doing something trying to influence outcomes, but this wasn't science and she was powerless to the whims of fate.

After a few more minutes of slow inhales and exhales she felt her tremors stop and the stars ipated and she was able to look up and see all the beauty that was around her. Thor had given her a whirlwind tour of the Imperial City when she'd first arrived but he hadn't taken her to this intoxicating place. Jane gasped as she beheld such rare natural splendor. She was encircled by beautiful crystal blue waterfall. The water was ever so gently cascading down the jagged mountain rocks and forming intertwining rainbows that made a dazzling multicolored canopy over the Lake Kelevi.

Thor had mentioned taking her to lake Kelevi. He kept talking about its endless beauty and how people from all over the Nine-Realms came to bask on the banks of the glittering sapphire pool and bathe under the crystal waterfalls. It had sounded too good to be true. She thought that perhaps Thor was exaggerating, but she should have known that there was no need for exaggeration in the golden realm of Asgard.

Jane sighed and she flicked some of her still damp hair away from her eyes. She rest her elbow on the rail of the solar skiff and leaned her chin in the palm of her hand streaked with black soot. She looked out on the placid lake waters it reminded her of one tome when her father took her camping as a girl. Her mother didn't mind going camping as long as they brought the camper. But her dad always argued that that wasn't real camping. So her mother would stay in the camper where she could be tuned into her soap operas and connected with the kitchen and her and her father pitched he a tent right outside. . She and her dad father caught their own fish straight from the lake and cooked it over an an open grille. They built a fire and gazed up at the stars. Her father knew so much. He told her so much. He knew so could listen to him talk for hours and she didn't even n feel the need to interrupt him. Eventually her mother came out with her harmonica and she helped them sing some campfire songs. But her mother quickly rand back into the safety of the camper after getting a few mosquito bites. That night her and her father slept under the stars. The next morning they took baths in the lake. Her mother was horrified and forced them and when she saw flopping around the lake in the nude scooped her up and made her take a shower in the camper.

The female astrophysicist sniggered as a dirty little thought entered into her mind. She started to picture her and Thor splashing around in the lake with no clothes on. She covered her mouth as she felt start to blush. At least this time her mother wouldn't be able to come and snatch her away.

She licked her bloody lip as she started to envision, Thor's masculine body drenched in water glistening hot and wet in the sun.

Unfortunately, such fantasies were short lived as she realized that such a dream might never come to be. Everything hinged on 24 measly hours. What if Thor didn't return? If he remained trapped in the Dark-World. She clutched her damp and dirty shawl tighter around heras she began to feel overwhelmed with fear. What if she never saw him again? She'd never really told him that she'd loved him. She'd supposed she'd said it in other ways, they'd shared passionate kisses and long stares and gotten tongue tied sometimes when they'd tried to talk to each other, but neither of them had ever actually uttered the words to each other. Her heart sank low into her chest and somehow it seemed to have ended up in the pit of her stomach. She looked out at the beautiful Asgardian sunrise, everyting seemed so at peace, so wonderful and serene. Her one fresh salt tear somehow weaseled its way down her cheek from her hazel colored eyes. What if Ragnorok befell Asgard? She gulped, she didn't want to imagine all this splendor going up in smoke. She'd been there when the Dark-Elves had attacked the Imperial City. It had been horrifying, but it had and all happened so quickly that she'd had scarcely been able to process what was happening. It was a moment of sheer terror and panic, but then it was done. The damage they caused to the city had been intense and devastating. But at least it hadn't been wide spread. Most of the citizens of Asgard had been safe in other cities and shires throughout the realm. This next time, when the Dark-Elves came the terror wouldn't last for a moment but it would be on going and no one would be exempted from it. Jane Foster's teeth sank deep into her lip extracting more and more blood. She hated to think about the beauty and magic of this realm being destroyed. It was petrifying to think about her own realm coming to an end, bu and being plunged into Darkness. Still, somehow even the end of everything seemed less horrific than thinking about never seeing Thor again and never having a chance to tell him how she truly felt about him. No mattered what the next day brought she wanted to at least have that chance.

"We haven't a moment to waste!" Lady Sif declared shaking herself from her awestruck trance at the ravishing beauty of her home world and banging her fist against the rail of the solar skiff. She hoisted herself to her feet rocking the boat slightly "We must get to the Bifrost and tell Heimdal what has happened," she continued and slammed her fist against her palm. She started to pace the length of the longboat.

Volstagg grunted his approval of Lady Sif's declaration and nodded vigorously. "Perhaps Heimdal can open the Bifrost long enough to bring Thor and Loki back," he suggested and their was some murmuring among the ranks.

"We could do without the latter," the female Einherjar murmured only loud enough for those around her to hear and snicker at.

"It's too risky to open the Bifrost" one soldier interjected. "It could be just the opportunity that Malekith is looking for to get back to Asgard."

Lady Sif jerked her head at the comment of the Einherjar. She turned her head in a sharp swift angle and started to march over to the scoundrel who dare contradict a recommendation for saving Thor's life. She started to stomp across the metal floor of the solar skiff toward the insubordinate ruffian. Hearing the swift moving footsteps Frandal turned his head to look in Sif's direction and he saw the venomous look in her eyes. It was as if the lady was seeing red. It reminded him of a time when they were but youngsters and had first started sparring as a part of schooling. Sif wanted to spar with the lads rather than sparing with the other young maidens. He'd made the mistake of insulting her. He'd called her by her gender. In that moment he heard Sif let out a battle cry as she picked up one of the staff's from the wall and came charging toward him. He'd been frozen, petrified in fear as he watched the dark-haired girl run toward him. She planted to the spearhead of the staff into the dust of the sparring ring and pole-vaulted herself up to kick him in the face. He stumbled backward and fell to the floor and Sif hopped on top of him and proceeded to pull his hair and punch him in the face. He squealed like a girl until the instructor came over pulled her off of him. He proclaimed that Sif had the heart of a Berserker and that she was welcomed to train with the boys if she pleased.

Frandal feared that his unsuspecting comrade was in for a similar fate as he had faced as a little boy and quite frankly being the one the face Sif's foot or fist nay sword was a fate he'd not wish upon anyone. "Lady Sif, calm yourself please," Frandal whispered in her ear as he intercepted her and blocked her clear path toward the cautious Einherjar. He placed his hands on her shoulders steadying the warrior woman. "All are points to be considered," the sensible casanova muttered as he nodded trying to soothe the high strung shield-maiden. He was still muttering wet words against her ear. Sif recoiled and pushed Frandal off of her. She snarled. She wasn't one of his bar wenches who would fall and melt and acquiesce to anything whispered to her in that buttery soft tone of his.

"Do you hear him?" Lady Sif challenged as she pointed over the golden-locked swordsman's shoulder.

"Yes, yes," Frandal nodded genteelly. He tried to pat Sif's strong, broad warrior shoulders to smooth over her fraying nerves. "But decisions such as these are better left for the collective wisdom of Asgard's High Council," he pointed out diplomatically. He arched his golden brows and flashed a dazzling smile in Lady Sif's direction. His manners only made her want to strike him across the face in order to knock him out so that she could confront the soldier who dare not try to do everything in his power to save Prince Thor. To even talk of not opening the Bifrost was treason in Sif's book. A crime punishable by death.

The shield-maiden growled at Frandal but the bold blade-wielder didn't shirk from his cocky stance nor did his debonair smile falter. Finally, Sif relented. She knew Frandal was right. It would be better if the council made the decision to open the Bifrost in order to keep the protocols of Asgard in tact. With King Odin suffering in Oversleep and Queen Frigga miles away at his side and Thor off world the next in command was Asgard's High Council. Not the Einherjar. Lady Sif rolled her deep mahogany eyes and crossed her arm in a childish pout, but didn't offer another word in protest. "You're right Frandal," she muttered bitterly as she leaned her back against the guardrail.

Sir Frandal's cocky grin spread quickly and even wider across his face. He gawked as her turned to her and pounded on his chest as he gave an exaggerated cough. "What? Doth mine ears deceive me! What's that? Come again, fair maiden?" Frandal teased.

Sif couldn't help the slight smirk that trailed across her dirty lips at Frandal's jesting, 'Don't push it, Frandal," she warned under her breath. "We need to warn the Council of what has happened," the blonde-haired swordsman interjected. "The Dark-Elves have the Aether and Prince Thor is missing," he reminded his comrades regretfully, "and we need to be prepared to defend ourselves against them," he admonished them.

"I can go and speak with General Byron," stated Captain Fell. "I am sure he can have guards and soldiers set up around the palace and the outer wall of the city in order to protect the citizens."

"That sounds like a wise plan of action, captain," Frandal confirmed.

"But Captain Frell," began the plumpest member of the Warriors Three began his tone housed a slight air of worry, "shouldn't we suggest trying to evacuate the citizens?"

The wizened Einherjar captain place a hand on Frandal's broad shoulders, "Hmm," he moaned. "it is a nice sentiment, but with such short notice it would be doubtful that we would be able to evacuate all the citizens out of the city before Convergence occurs. We have but a day."

Volstagg's thick, bushy red-orange brows knit together with worry as he heard the older Einherjar's statement. His wife and children were still in the city and his mother and father too, along with a few of his siblings and their families. He had been lucky that no harm had come to his family members during the first raid that those vile Dark-Elves had caused. He could not take his chance on luck again; not now when the Dark-Elves possessed the Aether and they were preparing to lay waste to all of Asgard and bring forth Ragnorok. "But," the burly, viking started to argue his long, red curly beard swung along with his wagging head.

"Don't worry Volstagg," Sif spoke up, "We will do everything in our power to protect the citizens of Asgard," she assured him with a wink. "We can store hundreds if not thousands in the catacombs underneath the palace," she expressed.

"By Yddrasil!" the elderly soldier snapped his fingers. "Lady Sif you are right!" exclaimed Captain Frell. "It has been so long," he started to chuckle. "I nearly forgot about them," he explained to the younger Einherjar. "They were installed centuries even before an old-timer like myself was born,' he pointed out as he started to chuckle. "They were made during the time when my grandfathers was an Einherjar. It was rumored that my great uncle, D'Berjerac was one of the chief architects on the project," the elder general began to explain. "If I remember correctly," he began as he raked his long gnarled and weathered fingers through his scruffy white beard. "They were made during the time of the wars with the Fire Giants," he continued. "They run throughout the city and many many citizens will be able to get through the tunnels and out to the Dales by such a means," he agreed.

"Yes," Jane spoke up the conversation finally sparking her interest. "When the palace was under siege the queen rushed most of the noblewomen and the servants into a secret passage that she said would lead to the catacombs," Jane chimed in.

"It is coming back to me now," Captain Frell continued. The gears in his mind started to turn like those of the brilliant military strategist that he was. "There is a tunnel that runs right through the center of the city. In the square. The citizens would have to go through the sewers," Captain Frell confessed as he crinkled his nose, "But, it could work!" Frell reported with a snap of his fingers.

"If everything is settled I suggest we get to the palace and fast," remarked Hogun casually. "We need to get this men treated," he pointed out with a grunt as he looked over his shoulder at the men resting on the floorboards of the skiff shivering, sweating and groaning with fever, weakened and unconscious. They won't last much longer," he confessed his expression grim as ever.

"I can help get the men to the healers," Jane stated.

"Well what are we waiting for," Sif snapped. "To the Imperial City!" she called to the helmsman. Instantly, the solar skiff's engines hummed and it's gears started grinding as it slowly lifted off of the crystal blue waters. The mast opened and caught the glittering rays of the sun and it took off like a bullet sailing through the skies.

---

"Heimdal! Heimdal!" Lady Sif immediately started to call once she and her three close warrior friends stepped foot on the rainbow bridge. They had made it back into the city, but they hadn't time to gather horses or even stop at the palace. "Heimdal! We must speak with you urgently It's important! It's about Thor, " Lady Sif announced as she and the Warriors Three entered the golden dome of the Bifrost observatory.

Sif, Frandal, Hogun and Volstagg were frozen in their tracks when they arrived for instead of finding a statuesque guardian clad in gold resolute in his stance with fiery golden eyes ever vigilantly staring out into the cosmos they found about two dozen men encircling the inside of the observatory. They were palace guards. The centuries stood at attention, broad, iron-clad to broad, iron-clad shoulder, unblinking and unmoving as they formed a protective hedge around the Bifrost key.

Hogun squinted. He could scarcely make out the key pan as it was surrounded and heavily guarded but the armored men, but he could see that Hiemdal's sword was still sheathed within the key, but the Bifrost had been turned off. "I don't like the looks of this," Hogun muttered in his normal low gravely tone that only the warriors with him could hear.

"I say, what's all this?" asked Volstagg aloud as he directed his question toward the centuries. He looked around flabbergasted at the sight. "Where's Heimdal?' he questioned looking around for the fabled guardian

"Halt!" one of the centuries shouted. The voice was deep and booming. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three traced the voice to the man who stood in the center of the platoon, his large body was directly blocking the Bifrost key. His armor was made of a burnished bronze and he had a bright red flower protruding from the horned crest of his helmet. He was one of the captains of the guard, but his face was indistinguishable from the other soldiers who stood with him being that most of their features were concealed by their helmets. "Stay where you are!" The captain of the guard ordered. "Don't come any further!" he commanded Lady Sif and the Warrior's three. "Put your hands up where we can see them!" he barked.

Four pairs of eyes exchanged cautious glance. With a concise nod between them the close friends of Crown Prince Thor tentatively obeyed the command of the guard captain. They raised their hands in compliance. Showing that they didn't pose any threat. Once the head guard saw that the Einherjar were willing to cooperate he started to descend the steps and walked toward them. He wore a proud and smug grin of his full lips as he started to circle around them like a vulture. "Who are you?" the brunette shield-maiden demanded as she looked on the guardsman. "Where is Heimdal?" she immediately asked not even giving the guard a chance to answer her first question. "We need to speak to him!" Sif stated once more.

"Traitors don't make request here," the captain of the guards snapped.

"Traitors?' Frandal questioned out loud. "What on Asgard are you talking about? Do you know who we are, man?" the blonde-haired haired casanova was baffled by the accusation.

The red-haired member of the Warriors Three allowed a gentle smile to roll over his face. "Good friends," Volstagg interrupted, jovially. He chuckled to himself as he watched the suspicious guard circling him. He grabbed his large and round abdomen as it shook with his laughter. This poor guard obviously didn't realize who they were. It wasn't surprising when he really thought of it. After the devastating attack on the Imperial City the High Council of Asgard had called for all warriors of Asgard to report to the Imperial City. This meant men who served in Asgard's navy, militia, border guards and reserves along with retired military personnel had flown to the Imperial City with due haste to aid in keeping the realm safe. Many lived in the far off provinces and mountain regions of Asgard, some lived on the coast and others were from the outlying isles. Most were probably from wee little towns and shires. Some were little more than eager country boys who weren't wealthy enough to mingle in circles with gentry or members of nobility. Word often trickled down slowly to these places. Their citizens were usually behind on gossip, trends and fashion.

Poor bumpkins, they'd scarcely have recognized Prince Thor without introduction let alone the fearsome foursome who accompanied him. "This is Lady Sif," he said gesturing back to the noble, but dirty looking warrior woman who stood to his left hand side. Sif stood at attention, but there was a hard set to her mouth and an no nonsense glare to her dark brown pupils. "And we are the Warriors Three," Volstagg explained with a smile as he pointed to his male comrades. "Hogun the Grim," Volstagg announced as he pointed to short, but muscular, onyx haired warrior with tattered plum tunics. Hogun nodded but kept his grim expression. "Frandal the Valient," he pointed toward the tall blonde Einherjar, he was dirty and disheveled looking and his fair hair was nearly black with ash, but nonetheless he wore a dashing debonaire smile that was known to slay ladies as much as his blade was known to slay an Orc. Frandal was sure to flash his pearly whites and stand up proud and tall despite his fatigue for their could have been a woman in the ranks of the guards. "And of course," Volstagg paused for dramatic effect. "Myself," he chuckled. "Volstagg the..."

"Hungry!" Frandal kibitzed. The ruddy Viking turned toward his friend and gave his a dirty look. The flirtatious swordsman merely smirked. Volstagg returned his attention back toward the platoon of palace soldiers he'd been addressing. He expected an immediate correction of response. He expected awestruck gasps and claps and cheers and few to reach out and try to touch them. He expected for the palace guards to rush up to them with admiration and hero worship. It wouldn't have been the first time they'd experienced such fanfare. There had been numerous occasions when they'd travel into the smaller towns and hamlets of Asgard and abroad only to be unrecognized by a crowd until one person found out who they were and then the whole city was in an uproar. Before long the tavern or inn where they were staying would be overrun with people trying to catch a glimpse of them, begging for stories, tokens and autographs and of course the warriors were all too happy to regale the citizens of Asgard with stories of their many glorious conquest. Somehow the tales just got bigger and better with every retelling. It was good to be famous after all.

The captain of the guard merely scoffed, unimpressed by the introduction. 'Did I ask who you were?" the captain of the guard shot back. Volstagg's puffed up chest deflated. "I know good and well who you all are! Einherjar, generals, friends of the royal family and arch traitors to the crown!" he spat.

'Traitors to the crown? Now see here..." Frandal attempted to counter.

"I've been expecting you," he stated. "And it gives me great pleasure to place criminals like you under arrest!" he condemned.

Lady Sif's eyes along with the eyes of her friends grew large upon the words. "Arrest?" she shook her head.

"There must be some mistake?" the plumpest member of the Warrior's Three argued.

"Oh I assure you, there isn't. Now, do you intend to come quietly with some respect for your station or shall we have to do this the hard way and round you cowards up like dogs?" he asked.

'Cowards! You dare to call us cowards!" ranted Lady Sif. "You know who were are, but you don't have the courage to tell us who you are or what you are doing here instead of Heimdal!" the shield-maiden accused as she stepped boldly forward toward the decorated guard.

"Silence!" roared the captain of the guards. "Prisoners don't get to ask questions," the captain of the guards ground out. "Guards," he expressed as he glanced over his soldier and the troop he was commanding.

"Prisoners?" the silent warrior questioned turning to look at his friends.

"We aren't your prisoners!" Lady Sif corrected the captain of the guard immediately.

"You shall be soon enough," the smug guard with the bright red plumage sticking out from between the horns of his helmet sneered. "Guards!" he shouted to the armed men. "Arrest these traitors!" he commanded. He pointed at the warriors and the palace soldiers followed his ordered and advanced on the four comrades. The heavy boots stomped on the gilded floor of the observatory and the guards marched in unison toward Lady Sif, Volstagg, Frandal and Hogun and they drew their weapons at the well respected warriors. The Einherjar were rounded up like sheep and backed against one another. The palace soldiers pointed their spears at them and raised blades toward them. Some of the guards were carrying taser swords that were infused with electric currents and had them raised at the warriors three who had been standing in their presence with no weapons drawn. They came in quickly and surrounded the four fearsome warriors. They encircled them forcing the four Einherjar generals to take steps closer toward one another.

Before long the guards were seizing the warriors. Their hands covered in hard metal gauntlets gripped the shoulders of the Warriors Three as the attempted to apprehend them. The guards did their best to subdue them, but the skilled soldiers managed to evade the attempts of the guards to clap them in irons. They dodged, twisted, ducked, punched and kicked in valiant effort to fight against the soldiers who were trying to arrest them. One of the palace soldiers clamped down hard on Lady Sif's shoulder and attempted to twist her arms behind her back so that he could place manacles on her wrists and take her into custody. Quickly, the warrior woman reacted to the attack. She elbowed him in the gut no sooner had he brought himself close enough to grab her by the shoulder. He doubled over in pain and Lady Sif, never one known to show mercy to a foe in battle, brought her elbow down sharply at the center of his spine and caused him to collapse in an unconscious heap at her feet.

Instantly the other guards hurled themselves on the female Einherjar. Two of three of them took hold of her arms at a time, trying to pin her down. Despite, her small frame the shield-maiden was incredibly strong. "On what charges do you call for our arrest?" she demanded of the captain of the guard. Another guard who was closing in on them attempted to grab her by the wrist and subdue her. The warrior woman easily managed to avoid the tactic. She swooped her hand out of dodge of his clamp and pushed him back. The guard clumsily fell over into some of his fellow watchmen. Once Sif had caused the distraction the rest of the Warriors Three began fighting back against the palace guards as well. Volstagg whipped out his broad battle ax and swung it mightily around his head causing the soldiers that were mounting around them to not be able to advance unless they wanted to be decapitated. The handsome blonde swordsman whipped out his blade and began to dual with the soldiers who were near him. With great joy and enthusiasm he began parrying and thrusting with his magnificent blade. His steel clashed against theirs and with a few fancy flicks of the wrist he was able to disarm the palace guards. Hogun the Grim silently pulled out two of his maces and he wielded them mightily taking out two or three soldiers at a time with one blow.

The leader of the palace guards looked on the display with disgust curling upon his thick lips as he watched the famed Einherjar make play of his well trained soldiers. "ENOUGH!" he yelled. "TAKE THEM IN TO CUSTODY!" he bellowed at his men.

Soldiers who had fallen did their best to spring back up and more soldiers readily appeared. They seemed to come out of no where. They sprang from the sides and some descended ceiling of the Bifrost observatory. They swooped down on ropes and once more they had the Warriors Three and Lady Sif surrounded.

Sif and the Warrior's three took an abrupt step back as they were met with the steely faces and sharpened weapons of the advancing guards. Naturally, the warriors went into a protective stance and position. They formed a circle around each other each facing the men that were advancing upon them. Hogun's hand strayed to his mace and he raised it in a ready position. Likewise Volstagg grabbed his battle axe. Frandal quickly unsheathed his blade and raised it letting it gleam in the presence of the guards. Lady Sif wore a smirk on her face as she rapidly whipped out her double bladed javelin. She held it firmly in both hands, ready for one of the guards to make the first move so that she could cut them down to size.

The palace guards were patient and approached the warriors slowly. They knew how formidable they were. These were the legendary Warriors Three and Lady Sif. They'd marched into countless battles along side Prince Thor. Each battle having ended in victory. Each one of them was a living legend with a record unmatched in the pantheon of Einherjar who had come before them, although Volstagg's record was that of the Einherjar who could eat the most. Still it would take tactics and probably large numbers to bring down this team.

Sif's shrewd, dark eyes took in her surroundings and her sharp warrior mind assessed the situation and quickly started making calculations. The Bifrost observatory was a cramped space. It didn't allow room for much combat. Also, they were slightly out numbered by the palace guards. 24 on 4 hardly seemed a fair fight... for the guards. Furthermore there was only one entrance/exit to the Bifrost observatory and the guards who weren't advancing on them were starting to cut off the exit. They were forming a barrier around it. Sif thought about the logistics, a fight in the observatory could prove costly. The space was cramped and a wrong move could activate the Bifrost and such an action wasn't safe this close to Convergence without Heimdal present. It would be best to try to evacuate the Bifrost observatory before trying to engage the palace guards in a true battle. "I can take about 5 of the guards to the right," Lady Sif whispered over her shoulder toward her comrades. "Hogun, do you and Frandal think that you can handle the mean who are advancing on our left flank?" she inquired. The slant eyed warrior responded with a grunt as he tightened his grip on his mace. "Good. Volstagg can you clear our exit path?" Sif asked. "If we can keep an escape open we can head to the bridge keep the fighting out there and hopefully make a break for the palace," the warrior woman explained.

The burly, curly bearded Viking nodded and chuckled as a pleased smile trickles between his red beard and mustache. "With pleasure Lady Sif," he agreed with a wink as he rolled up his sleeve and exposed his ruddy arms and large, round muscles. He tilted back his head and started to lift his voice in a battle cry. Before he could bellow "For Asgard," he felt Frandal's almost soft hands come and clamp around his lip.

"Let's not fight them," Frandal whispered through his teeth. His eyes darted around the room taking in the men who had them cornered.

The plump member of the Warrior Three twist his face from the smooth skinned swordsman's hands, "What? And have them arrest us? Nay, I say! What are you talking about, Frandal?"

"Hush up you big lummox and think!" the sharp witted swordsman snapped. "A bout in here could set off the Bifrost," he insisted. "And without horses it is doubtful that we'd be able to make it to the palace without being caught," he insisted.

Volstagg was about to find some remark to give as a retort, but the gravelly voice of the almond eyed warrior cut across him. "Frandal is right," Hogun spoke up his voice rasping as he attempted to whisper. "Besides, we should find out what is going on." he stated. "They fight for Asgard the same as we do," Hogun mentioned.

"Like spit they do!" Sif swore.

'Patience, Lady Sif," the golden-locked swashbuckler hushed the fiesty female warrior. "Patience," he repeated. "We need to find Heimdal and having a battle here won't help us get to him," Frandal reasoned. "it might prove to work the contrary," he explained.

"We have you surrounded," the captain of the guard announced. "Now, drop your weapons!" the captain of the guards ordered the Einherjar warriors once he was standing directly in front of them. "If you don't put up any more resistance then I can see that resisting arrest is not also added to the charges that have already been brought against," he assured them.

"Death first!" Lady Sif roared.

A humorless sort of laugh was emitted from the captain's mouth. "That can be arranged, my Lady," he stated. Just then the sound of many swift moving feet came from the rear. Sif and the rest of the warriors swiveled around only to find that the exit was completely cut off and a new platoon of palace soldiers with horses and crossbows had barricaded their only means of escape. The guards inside the observatory had enclosed on the tiny group of warriors and they had the sharpened edges of the swords and spears raised at the throats of Prince Thor's closest friends. The sizzle from the electric weapons crackled in the ears of the famed Einherjar generals and the heat from the charges radiated off of the swords and spears nearly scalding the warriors. Seeing that even still the Warriors Three and Lady Sif seemed unmoved, unafraid and completely unrelenting, the captain of the guard gave a nod to one of his men. The soldier then purposefully poked and Volstagg's pudgy potbelly with his electric staff. As soon as the electrically charged end of the weapon came in contact with Volstagg's belly in sent the massive warrior screaming as the electricity surged through his stomach. He had on armor so the electric shock became trapped within the metal and shocked his flesh. Seeing the reaction the captain of the guard ordered the soldier to prod him once more with the rod. There was a moment of hesitation from the soldier, but in these dangerous times the commands of ones superiors was to be heeded at all times. He shoved his electric spear back toward Volstagg he left it against the plump warrior's armor a little bit longer this time. The high wattage being conducted through the metal armor caused Volstagg to stiffen and made the curly, red hairs of his beard stand on end. Once again he cried out from the violent shock. The chubby Viking groaned as he tried to grin and bear the pain. Angrily, Volstagg started to swing his mighty battle ax in an attempt to defend himself, but the blow came sloppily as his strong arm trembled as hot electricity still coursed through his veins. The guard who had been prodding him with the spear was easily able to deflect the blow. He brought the electrically charged end of the weapon toward Volstagg's wrist. The skin there was exposed. Volstagg let out a holler that nearly shook the very foundations of the Bifrost. It was like his wrist had been set on fire. The hot, searing pain poured through his entire arm. He screamed and automatically dropped his ax and grabbed his wrist that was now charcoal black due to the electrical shock. Finally the agony became unbearable. With a yell Volstagg doubled over, huffing and puffing and gasping for air as he held his burnt right wrist in the palm of his left hand. He cradled it as he fell to his knees and started to rock back and forth. He fell to his knees gasping, screaming, shivering and convulsing as the palace guards to other jabs at him with the electrically charged weapons.

"Volstagg!" Sif called seeing her friend humbled and brought to the floor. Volstagg let out another scream as his skin came in contact with the painful weapons once more. Defenseless and vulnerable as he was from their battery, the guards grabbed his broad arms and stretched them out wide before the managed to twist them out behind his back. They were not mindful of his injury as they clapped a manacle around his charred wrist. They locked his wrist in tight fitting, cold handcuffs and Volstagg moaned uncomfortably as they fitted them around him. They then placed the round warrior in a prone position on the Bifrost floor. Volstagg was still shaking violently at this point. The captain of the guard merely stepped on Volstagg's back to hold Thor's fat friend in place and the soldier pointed the electric- spear at the back of Volstagg's neck.

"Stop!" called the blonde-haired swordsman. "Leave him be!" the swashbuckler demanded.

"Then comply!" retorted the captain of the guard. "Put down your weapon!" The debonair swordsman hesitated. There was a slight weakness in the line of defense that the palace guards had made. It would have been more than possible for him to run through the line, engage a few men and give Sif and Hogun enough to free Volstagg. But Volstagg was completely at the mercy of the captain of the guard and he couldn't risk his friends life for if either Sif or Hogun were detained for even the slightest milisecond that would be enough time for the captain to order the other soldier to electrocute Volstagg again. Seeing the state of his friend Frandal was the first to lower his weapon. Slowly, gently and carefully he started to bring his blade down by his side.

"Drop it!" the captain of the guard ordered as he took one the electro-blades from one of his guards and positioned it at a sharp angle by Volstaggs thick neck. He gestured with his hands for the guards to hoist the panting Einherjar to his knees so that the other three Einherjar could see the tip of sword aimed for Volstagg's juggler. Frandal heard Volstagg's labored breathing. He couldn't breath in that position being forced to lie on his belly. He saw the anguish that was present in bright blue eyes as the plump warrior and father of two looked up at him.

Frandal heaved a sigh and started to place his sword back in its sheath, but one of the guards got the jump on him and while he was briefly looking down the guard struck him on the back of his blonde head with the hilt of his weapon. The blow to the head caused the swashbuckler to fall forward and on to his knees. Frandal caught himself on his hands and he shook himself trying to shake away the stars that started to shine before his eyes. As he did so though the palace guards laid hold of him and shackled his hands as well.

"Look," Frandal began as he defiantly twisted and tried to yank himself free of the soldier's grip. He comtinued to struggle and pull away from the guards. "You are making a tremendous mistake. We don't want to fight you."

"Silence!" once more bellowed the decorated palace guard.

The dark-haired shield-maiden growled at the head guard. "We don't take orders from the likes of you!" Lady Sif spat back as she kept her double bladed javelin poised and at her side, ready to strike. "Who are you? And under what authority do you stand here?' the proud female Einherjar continued to question. "What have you done with Heimdal?" she continued ranting.

The head guard proudly swaggered over to the dirty looking Einherjar general. Her normally shiny silver armor was smudged and tarnished the black soot of the Dark-World. Her normally smoothed back hair, was let loose, wild and abandoned in sloppy, muddy strands about her face. Her face painted as dirty as a chimney sweep. His thick lips formed a smirk. "Lady Sif, I am absolutely hurt that you do not remember me," the captain of the guard stated as he clicked his tongue. He removed his helmet revealing sturdy, handsome, dark features. The captain of the guard had chiseled face and a broad jawline with a tapered mustache that framed his full lips perfectly and he possessed a well manicured beard the traced the distinguish line of his jaw. His skin was the color of rich top soil and his eyes were so dark and smoldering that they were nearly the same color as coal.

'O-oddvar?" Frandal stammered as he squinted trying to make sure he was seeing things correctly after his blow to the head. His head still throbbed spun from the hard whack he'd received and stars still twinkled in front of his eyes. Oddvar was the eldest son of Ingvar, the warden of the palace prison who had been murdered slightly over a year ago by the prisoner Loki. Oddvar was only about a century or so older than the crown prince of Asgard. He'd actually been one of the friend's of Sif's older brother, Leif. Unlike her brother though, Oddvar had always had respect for the crown and showed Prince Thor utmost respect. He'd been a very impressive athlete during his years of academy training and even going so far as to train for the triathlon represent Asgard in the Great Games. It was thought by many that he would become a professional and become a wrestler or tournament dualist who would entertain the masses at the great arenas and amphitheaters and coliseums throughout Asgard. But the young athlete had higher ideals for himself. He wanted to follow in his father's steps and have a career in law enforcement. For years he'd worked as a constable throughout the Imperial City, but for the past 60 years he'd been away from the Imperial City and had been working in Asgard's Mountains of Turk. He had become the head warden in a prison there, the Quarry. The Quarry was a debtors prison camp. It was there that debtors could work off their debts to their landlords, masters and governors by laboring in The Quarry. Their wages were paid entirely to the ones who they owed. Most of the prisoners were common criminals and some weren't criminals at all rather those with gambling debts. They posed little threat to the public, but it was a good place to start. He wanted to earn his reputation and not just be offered position based on his father's exalted stature.

He'd been working in the Quarry when his family sent word to him that his father had been killed. Oddvar rushed back to the Imperial City to comfort his grieving mother and bewildered younger siblings. He came as the first son is supposed to render the rites so that his father had a proper burial and to divvy up his father's estate, but mostly he came to call the king to grant him the ancient right of vengeance

Frandal shook his head after he had made sure that he was seeing who he thought he was seeing. "Good Oddvar, what is the meaning of this?" he asked. asked the swordsman in confusion as he still struggled against the palace guards who had him bound and chained. "You know us well, in the name of Asgard why are you doing this?"

"Why isn't it obvious?" Oddvar smugly retorted, "You all have committed treason and I am seeing to it that criminals such as yourselves are severely punished."

"Treason!" the dark-haired shield-maiden balked. "How dare you accuse us of treason!" Lady Sif continued to rail."We are generals of the Einherjar!" Sif reminded the guards. "We could have you all court-marshaled and hanged for this assault and for this act of insubordination!" she ranted. 'You're the one who is committing treason right now, by impeding us in our duties," She explained with her double blade still raised. We need to speak to Heimdal! This is a matter of the utmost importance," Sif stated.

"Grave importance!" Frandal added for emphasis as he was hauled to his feet by the guard. His throat was still in danger of the soldier's knife.

Lady Sif's breathing was ragged as she turned and looked the captain of the guard in his dark-brown eyes. "This is a matter of life and death. It is a matter regarding Convergence and the very fate of the realms. Heimdal must be made aware all our lives are at stake. Now release them and tell us where Heimdal is or I shall be forced to start cutting through the corpses of your wretched band of guards and report to the High Council of Asgard of your act of high treason," Sif declared.

The chestnut skinned captain of the guard tossed his head back and laughed heartily. He laughed as if he'd been told a most amusing story over the tavern bar. He bent back and slapped his knee. Lady Sif's lip curled into a bitter snarl. "What's so funny?" she hissed back at him.

"Your threats, my lady," Oddvar insisted as he brought his thick hands to flick away a droplet of moisture that had gathered at his eyes in response to his immense guffawing.

Having heard enough of the raucous laughter at the expense of herself and her comrades the valiant warrior woman stepped forward and flipped her double blade around in her hands. She twirled it like a baton and then brought it around quickly to slash and cut off the sideburns that led into Oddvar's beard.

The captain of the guard's eyes grew wide as he watched the soft, chocolate tuffs of his beard flutter down from his face and onto the floor. That part of his face was now clean shaven and the shave was just a little too close for comfort. The cold air tickled the freshly exposed skin on the side of his face.

His right cheek stung from the razor burn. Oddvar brought his fingers up to examine the area. It was the closest shave he ever received. Too close. His fingers soon met with the tip of Lady Sif's double bladed javelin once more as Sif tauntingly, languidly rubbed the edge of the blade back and forth over the bald patch in Oddvar's beard. The sensitive skin was now smooth as a baby's bottom and so easily chafed and irritated by Lady Sif's continuous scraping and rubbing with the edge of her crisp blade, "You should know this about me, Oddvar," Lady Sif paused as she brought her, cut scarred and dirty hands to wrap around Oddvar's tunic collar. "I don't make threats," she said as she dragged him closer to her and leaned her chafed, unpainted lips over and whispered in his ear. Her voice was breathy, low and sultry. "I make promises!" she declared as she quickly pulled her blade back and then brought it forward to whack Oddvar right where she had just shaved him. The deep gash exploded with bright red blood that started to run down the side of the head guards face. Oddvar's head swiveled to the left from the impact of the cut. He gasped and immediately cupped his strong hand over his cheek. 'Now release them and take us to Heimdal or you will see how Lady Sif is truly a woman of her word!"

Oddvar raised his head back toward the proud shield-maiden. He smiled a handsome white-toothed smile in her direction. He knew what most men in Asgard thought of Lady Sif. She had earned her place to stand with the men and had therefore lost her womanhood in their eyes, but there had always been something he found ever so attractive about the boyish shield-maiden. She was covered in filth, bedraggled and scrawny. Her masculine physique had diminished any hope she had ever had of having a chest. But still it was her fiery spirit that he'd always found most attractive. It was only after the brief rendezvous that they partook in that he realized her most attractive trait was also her worst. "Now tell us where is Heimdal? We demanded to speak with him!" Sif insisted.

"You're threats are indeed idle," the captian spat back at the shield-maiden. 'It was the High Council of Asgard who commissioned me to arrest you," Oddvar stated.

"What?" Lady Sif mouthed. Her dark eyes shared a glance with Frandal, both of them staring at the other in bewilderment.

"This is proposterous!" the golden-locked swashbuckler stated. "We are here on behalf of Prince Thor. Prince Thor will set the record straight once he returns to Asgard. He is off world at the moment. He could be in great peril! Don't you see, man, that is why we need to speak to Heimdal," Frandal explained panting as he struggled to break free of the bonds.

Oddvar tossed back his head and laugh. The man had a hearty laugh that seemed to bounce echo off the walls of the golden dome. "You, Heimdal and your Prince Thor all stand condemned of treason by the High Council."

"The High Council cannot accuse the son of Odin of treason!" interjected Hogun.

"Of course they can," Oddvar snapped. "The High Council sees that the will of the all-father is carried out and while there is breath in King Odin's body he still remains king of Asgard which means Prince Thor cannot act in disobedience again the expressed commands of his king."

"What are you talking about man?" groaned Volstagg the pain subsiding just long enough for him to pick up the tail of the conversation. 'Prince Thor hasn't disobeyed any coman..." Volstagg started to protest, but froze mid sentence as he recalled all that has transpired.

"Oh yes he has," Oddvar's head snapped at a dangerous angle as he turned to face the ruddy, Viking warrior who was lying prostrate on the ground. 'He released that vile and vicious criminal Loki!" Oddvar rumbled. "That monster was to remain in prison for 500 years!" he raged and fumed.

Lady Sif shook her head. She lowered her sword and actually reached a dirty hand out toward the guard. She understood how confused and betrayed the captain of the guard must have felt. Quite frankly she'd had her own reservations about the whole ordeal. She constantly had to remind herself that the act was for the greater good, the lesser of two evils. "Oddvar you don't understand," she entreated. "That was a last resort. Thor was trying to move Lady Jane and the Aether off world so that the Dark-Elves wouldn't come back to attack Asgard. The Bifrost was shut down, he didn't want to open it and act so openly against the wishes of the council... Loki was the only one who possessed the knowledge of power to move us off world without the use of the Bifrost."

Oddvar rolled his eyes. "Of course it takes a criminal to commit a criminal act." Oddvar yanked his chocolate arm away from Lady Sif's calloused, blackened hands. He looked at her with nothing, but venom and fire in his eyes. He turned around grabbed Sif by the arm. He caught her off guard and managed to twist her arm behind her back in an uncomfortable angle. He maneuvered the handcuffs around her wrist and released her arms only to slip his big palms around her dirty, but thin neck.

"Let go of me!" Sif ordered as she stomped on his foot and swung his elbows back and repeatedly jabbed him in stomach and chest area. Perhaps it was the adrenaline that surged through the now fatherless man's body, but he was not phased by her simple assault. He still held to her fast. Determined, Sif jutted her head back headbutting Oddvar with the back of her head and the front of his. He reared backward, stunned by the blow. Sif tried to use this vulnerability as some leverage to toss the large soldier over her shoulder, but he would not budge. But with her hands tied behind her back she couldn't move him. When the pain slightly subsided, he pressed his knife point at her back as well. "That monster killed my father!" Oddvar whispered harshly in her ear as he tugged on her grimy brunette tresses.

"I understand...your need for vengeance...but" Sif choked.

"No!" he squeezed tighter on her throat. "You don't understand!" he ground out through his teeth. "I went to Odin and asked to take the Rite of Vengeance upon that animal. "I was entitled to the Laws of First Blood!" he swore. "I wanted to slaughter him then and there before all. The all-father was going to let me do it too. It was Prince Thor who interceded on behalf of that despicable creature. He begged the all-father not to allow the laws and ordinances of our forefathers to be carried out to its fullest extent. The harkened to Prince Thor's soft hearted words and stayed my hand saying that Loki would be severely punished for his crimes and kept locked away for all time. I wasn't satisfied but I respected the all-father's words. When I saw that the Vanir noble had been given the honor of beating Loki before all I envied him. Now Thor has undone the word of the king toward me," Oddvar's burly body trembled with fury. "And you have aided him in that," he accused as he looked down at the warrior woman whose face was starting to discolor from lack of oxygen. His face formed a ravenous snarl. He pulled his sword from its sheath.

"Oddvar don't!" Hogun cautioned. His voice only barely portraying emotion as he spoke. "Your father is dead. I am sorry for that," he apologized. "He served the king well," the quiet warrior commended. "But what you want to do now, having us arrested won't help. "if you want to see Loki brought to justice...you need to allow us to get to Heimdal so that he may bring Thor back to Asgard and subsequently Loki ," Hogun stated wisely.

"He's right, this won't bring your father back," Lady Sif croaked over her shoulder. "it'll only lead to more death, the death of your wife and children, the death of your family and our entire world," she begged.

Oddvar let out of mirthless guffaw. "You all may be right, but someone has still got to pay," he muttered cruelly in her ear as he sliced the sword through her armor and into her side. Sif cried out. Her faced turned white as the pain of the metal ripped through her body. Oddvar released her and she fell to the floor.

"Lady Sif!" hollered Hogun his black, slanted eyes grew wide. He dived down by her side to examine her injury. Blood poured from her right side like a crimson fountain. He inspected the wound. Sif gasped and closed her eyes.

"I lived through worse," the shield-maiden responded though her voice was weak and breathy. "Go," she pressed as she squeezed Hogun's hand. He was their last hope. Hogun's eyes once again roved over the injury. The cut was deep, although it was a clean wound hitting no major organs he fear that Lady Sif would bleed out. He ripped his own royal purple tunic n an attempt to bandage her. As he did so the palace guards seized him.

"Take them to the Council," Oddvar gave one last command before putting on his helmet and stepping over Lady Sif.

---

Jane Foster swiftly maneuvered the solar skiff through the streets of the Imperial City. Frandal quickly explained to her how to negotiate the vessel. She had listened intently and from what he said it seemed like quite an easy machine to operate. Pull the level, hold down on the rudder. It seemed easy enough. He said it was something like steering a kayak. She'd never done that, but she had driven a trailer. If she could drive that big clunky thing around a dirt highway she could most certainly manage the elegant little boat.

Unfortunately, the solar skiff had proved harder to fly than she had imagined. She was zipping and whirling across the sky at incredible speed and without any control. She was sure she had nearly killed a flock of migrating birds. She would have ran into something if it wasn't for the fact that she was 1000 ft in the air. That made her terribly nervous. She kept screaming out and yelling trying to get the longboat toward the ground. She kept pressing the rudder downward, but it never made the ship descend. It only caused the ship to accelerate. Frustrated Jane kicked at the rudder and started pressing the buttons on the side. At on point the ships said burst forth. It nearly frightened her to death. It knocked her back on her buttocks and left her painting. "No!" Jane whined. The ship was still moving at a face pace. She pushed from her fallen over position and rushed toward the sail. 'No! Come down! Come Down You stupid thing!" she fussed and she tugged and on the golden sail and furiously kicked at the poll. She was ashamed to admit a few other choice words escaped her lips. Finally, in anger she struck the pole of the sail with her fist. It sent a profound pain radiating up the knuckles of her right hand all the way to her elbow. She had no time to scream out because of the pain though for the skiff was all of a sudden making a nose dive into the city. "OH MY GOSH!" Jane hollered mouth wide open as she felt her stomach drop like she was plummeting on the biggest hill of a rollercoaster. Instinctively her hands clutched at the pole. "Oh God, oh God, Oh, God oh God" she muttered as the wind whipping across her face caused her eyes to water. She wrapped her whole body around the pole of the sail clinging to it for dear life. She slammed her eyes shut.

Somehow she opened them again and she noticed the bodies of the wounded men were slightly elevated off of the falling ship. They were floating in the air just about the vessel. "NO!" Jane screamed out. Those poor soldiers, they'd held on to life this long. They'd gotten so close to being able to get treated it just wasn't fair for them to die helpless and unknowing and splattered against the golden pavement of the city streets. Frandal, Sif, Volstagg and Hogun had trusted her to get these men to the healers. Jane's hazel eyes darted around. She noticed the rope hanging from the edge of sail. She quickly gabbed it. She saw that the rudder was only a few feet from her all though the back end of the boat where the rudder was attached was the part of the boat aimed closest to the ground. With her hand wrapped in the rope and a gulp Jane jumped toward the rudder. She caught it. She pressed it. She pressed and pulled it upward. 'Please, please, please!" she muttered her voice full of strain. "Pull up, pull up, Pull up!" she begged. Her own body was turned up blowing in the wind and her broken sandals blew right off her feet. "PULL UP!" Jane screamed and she pressed the rudder as far as it could go with all her strength.

It stopped. The sails flew back open and just before they would have made a crash landing into the banking building the solar sailor came to a screeching halt. Jane was throne to the other end of the boat. She hit her head against the wooden plank, but managed to peel herself off of the deck. Jane was trembling terribly. She was nearly hyperventilating as she looked around. She leaned over the side of the solar skiff to find the were hovering a mere 5 feet off the ground. The auburn haired astrophysicist allowed her self to slump back down to the deck. She wiped her brow and pressed her hand to her heart feeling it's rapid beat. Jane felt her body to make sure she was alive. She pinched herself too. She felt like sobbing and she didn't know whether it was from gratitude at still being alive or from the fear of the experience. Suddenly she was made aware of an intense burning sensation on her hands. She quickly unraveled the rope to look at her left hand. She winced as she peeled back the hemp rope from the flesh of her palms. The skin was burned, rubbed raw to the point of bleeding.

Jane heard some faint groans and moans from behind her. 'The men," she thought out loud as she turned to look at them. Here, she'd only selfishly been thinking of her own safety. She turned to find their bodies strewn and about and on top of one another. She counted head ans all were present and accounted for and still breathing. They seemed no worse for the wear, but how could she tell she was no healer. Jane did her best to fix them back in comfortable positions. She covered them back up with blankets. She could make out the House of Healing only a few blocks away. "I'll be back with help," she promised the wounded warriors. She got the anchor and cand pushed it over the back of the skiff. Then she leaped from the back of the boat and took to running through the street racing toward the hospital.

Jane burst through the large onyx doors of the infirmary. The building had high, dome shaped ceilings and brightly colored stained glass windows. The walls were made of bright white limestone and the building smelt of lime, lemon and eucalyptus leaves. There were big crystal pools on both the left and right size. The atmosphere seemed to want to project tranquility, but inside the gorgeous structure there was a hot bed of activity. Men and women lined the walls of the waiting chamber and healers dashed back and forth down the halls. Babies and children cried and women and men were inquiring as to the conditions of their loved ones.

"Help! Help! HELP!" Jane frantically started yelling as her dirty bare feet traipsed across the clean marble floors of the halls of healing. "I need help! I need help!" she cried.

Heads turned to stare at her as she entered the room with a dramatic outburst. The heavy, onyx doors slammed behind her and echoed loudly. She felt hundreds of eyes landing on her. She heard a few shrieks and gasps and maybe even a few snickers. She was convinced she looked quite a sight. Her cheeks started to flush. She probably looked like a fate worse than death. Her whole body was smeared head to toe in black ash, she looked like a chimney weep. The elegant garment that she had been wearing had been ripped to rags. She looked down. Where were her shoes? She hadn't even noticed. Well she'd challenge any of them to look any better if they'd spent merely 4 3 nights in the Dark-World. It was the most inhospitable land she'd ever encountered. This from a woman who spent years researching in a dust ball town. But Svartalfheim was enough to make Death Valley, California look like an oasis. What she wouldn't have done for there to have been an oasis in the Dar-World. It was nothing there. Nothing but rolling black-ash dune hills, sunless gray skies and jagged obsidion stones shooting out from the sand. There had been no water. She hadn't been able to bathe. She realized she probably reeked. They hadn't had water to spare for such pleasantries as hygiene. Lady Jane gulped and suppressed all her tendencies to focus on being self conscious. Those poor warriors were counting on her. "Help!" she started to cry once more as she pushed through the crowd of people looking for a healer.

Immediately a team of healers seemed to rush toward her. The over took her like a wave of bodies. They were varying ages, some young some old, some male and some female, but all dressed in the proper healer attire. Many of the healers wore light blue togas although the most senior healers would wear white or black togas with blue sashes around the waist or blue scarves around their heads.

The healers all came up to Lady Jane shushing her like she was an over excited toddler.. They patted the air and spoke in low slow tones. One of the healers a young woman who appeared to be only a few years older than Jane stepped forward. "Merciful Yddrasil!" the young healer shrieked. "What happened to you?" she questioned her eyes quickly looked Jane up and down with disapproval.

Jane was breathless, "I need your help," Jane Foster panted.

"Young lady," an elderly male healer's voice warbled as he slowly as he approached. He walked toward the group of healers with a cane supporting him. His back was slightly bent and he has a straight, long white beard. "You are going to have to keep your voice down" he chided her. This is a place of healing," he explained as he waved his cane before her and pointed around him toward the enormous edifice.

"Please, no, you don't understand...I need...I need help...I need help,' she entreated him.

The elderly healer, pulled his spectacles from his tunic pocket and placed them on the bridge of his nose. He peared through them with his light brown eyes. "My word' the elder mumbled. "I'd indeed say you do need help, child" he concurred. "But that might be beyond our area of expertise," he chuckled. "The tailor and shoe shops do not open until 9 and the bathhouse not until 10," the man quipped.

"Although I do believe the asylum is open," he pointed out. All the healers began to laugh.

The astrophysicist looked mortified. "I don't need an asylum!" she shot back.

"You you seen yourself, dear girl?' another healer asked. This one was middle aged woman with short, curly golden hair and buxom bosom that couldn't even be hidden under her baggy white toga.

"Now, now Gildy," Don't tease another healer instructed. "She is not alone. So many have gone made since the attacks. Who knows, she could have lost everything in the attack. Her home, her father and mother, her husband," the healer spoke pityingly. She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Never fear we will help you," she stated kindly and tried to take hold of Lady Jane.

'Of course," the elder healer reasoned. He nodded his bald head and leaned on his staff. His eyes crinkling softly with more compassion. "Brigga, why don't you take her to get tidy up and tend to any wounds she may have," he instructed. "Gildy, find out if she is on any of our missing persons lists," he ordered.

"Come, this way," said Brigga kindly, she wrapped delicate, soft hands around Jane's soot covered shoulder in an effort to escort her to one of the healing rooms.

"No," Jane tore from Brigga's hands defiantly. The healer looked shocked. "You don't understand. I am not the one in need of your help. It's my friends," she finally blurted out.

"Friends? What friends?" questioned the elder healer.

"Warriors! Einherjar, of Prince Thor's own choosing. They've been badly wounded for days and unconscious as well. They've been without proper nourishment or medical care," Jane explained all in one breath.

"Well heavens, child why didn't you say so?" demanded Gildy as she stomped her foot.

"Where are they?' asked the elder.

"Not far," the mortal woman gasped as she caught her breath. "I ran here from the banking building, that's where they are. I...I...I left them in a solar skiff I anchored there," Jane expressed. Her words landed her a few strange look apparently it was not customary in Asgard for one to just anchor a solar skiff anywhere.

The buxom healer, Gildy, pressed a small lapel on the side of her toga strap. "All available healers, I have a retrieval request, status urgent," she said as she spoke into the lapel. Jane watched as the lapels on the rest of the healers' togas around her blinked red. She heard some chirping and buzzing sounds coming back to Gildy. "I have about 7 other healers who are available," she expressed to the elder. He nodded. "Come on!" she called over her shoulder as she took off racing down the corridor. A few of the other healers who had been present with Jane started running behind Gildy. Jane turned on her heels ready to run to.

It was Brigga's smooth hand that caught her by the shoulder. "Where do you think you are going?" she asked.

"With the rest of the healers," Jane insisted. "I have to go back to the soldiers. I told them I would come back with help. What if the healers can't find them?" Jane questioned.

"We have more than enough healers and equipment to do the job," Brigga explained. "You look like you have been through quite an ordeal yourself. What ever those men have been through it seems you have endured similar. Look at you...you look famished and pale...oh!" she hissed. "Look at your hand," she pointed out the severe rope burn on Jane's palm. "That needs to be treated," she stated. "Come, let us get you all fixed up," Brigga smiled once more taking a gentle hold of Jane's shoulders.

"But...The men?" the auburn-haired astrophysicist stammered, her voice began to grow very weak. Somehow it hit her just then how extremely hungry she was. She felt her stomach growl. Aches and pains sprang up on parts of her body that she never even knew existed. Her bare feet felt cold and wet and she caught a whiff of herself. Her eyes felt heavy. She felt ashamed she should be doing more. She should be doing everything in her power to help save Thor. Lady Sif and Frandal and Volstagg and Hogun probably surely weren't stopping to take a rest. "I...I should go to the palace...I...I have important news," Jane started to reveal, but quickly bit her tongue. She didn't know how much of the information would be privy to the general public. Her hazel eyes darted downward.

"To the palace?" Brigga chuckled as they walked next to each other. She seemed not to noticed the moment of hesitation in Jane's voice. "You can't just walk into the palace uninvited, dear girl," she reminded her. "So gracious art our lieges that it is easy to forget such facts," Brigga confessed. "I myself have been privileged to attend the grand New Years Celebration at the palace," Birgga nearly swooned. "I shall never forget it," she began and went on to explain about the elaborate revelry she partook in. "The Royal family always allows for as many citizens as possible to join them in the festivities in the grand atrium," she explained. "But it would be highly irregular for a peasant to go to the palace at a time like this." Jane had forgotten looking the way she did no one would recognize her as the honored guest of the crown prince. She doubted that even if she had been wearing the gorgeous silk gowns that Thor had bestowed on her the average citizen would recognize her. Although, Lady Sigyn, had shown her, her picture had made it into a local scroll distribution that was very popular in Asgard, Herald Socialite. Jane had assumed it was the Asgardian equivalent to People. Still she doubted that Prince Thor's mortal love interest was of any concern to the Aesir right now. There world was just hours away from apocalypse. Perhaps it was for the best that they did not recognize her. If they did they'd probably drag her through the street and stone her as the harlot who brought ruin to the realm, the temptress who awakened Ragnorok. "It's heavily guarded. Absolutely no one can get in at a time like this. With Ragnorok so close. Why every soldier across this realm has been ordered to report to the palace," Brigga explained her words bringing Jane's mind back from dark thoughts. "Besides you don't need to go anywhere," she admonished. "You need rest. You need a nice bowl of cinnamon spiced curds and a warm bath," she stated. "Would you really go before the Crown Prince in such a state?" pointed out Brigga.

The mortal woman tucked one of her mud caked hairs behind her ear. Jane looked down and tried to keep her armpits tight against herself. She knew she must have been a stench in the woman's nostril all though healer was gracious. "A bath would be wonderful," Jane admitted quietly.

The healer proceeded to lead her down the clean corridors of the hospital. Her muddy, dusty feet left brown footprints on the spotless marble floor. Finally, after what seemed like walking miles they arrived at an empty healing chamber. The room was simply furnished. It had a modest bed with simple white and brown bedding, but it certainly looked more comfortable than the sleeping bag stretched across rocky ground that she had been sleeping on. There was writing desk with a transparent, brightly illuminated touch-screen on it. It was some type of entertainment device from the way Thor had explained it. There was a couch and chair and a bathroom. Nothing had ever looked so wondrous as the bathroom. Even if it would have been nothing but as rusty tin-pail full of suds it would have looked like a luxury spa. Lucky, for Jane Foster it was more like the latter. The bath was large. It was deep like a shallow hot tub. With an overhead shower that was shaped like a square. Jane's mouth dropped open and her eyes welled with tears.

"Why don't you get undressed," Brigga offered. Jane felt embarrassed the woman saw her staring at a shower like it was a thing of wonder. "You can lay your..." Brigga paused searching for the appropriate word for the tattered, filthy rags that Jane was clothed in. "Things there," she stated and gestured to a stool in the corner of the room. "We'll have someone bring you something, clean and some breakfast as well," said Brigga. Jane nodded dumbly as she walked into the bathroom. "When you are ready to get started with your bath you may. The pool is infused with the minerals that stimulate the body's natural healing processes. The shower head is made of healing crystals," she explained. Jane turned toward her. "When the water comes down crystal particles slough off and will also help to heal injuries you may have. If any of your ailments persist you let your attendant know and they will take you to an examination room where the injury can be better cared for. But I think that the bath should do the trick." Brigga assured her as she patted her shoulder.

The auburn-haired swallowed the lump in her throat. "yes, yes," she nodded, "Thank you," Jane responded humbly.

"A pleasure," the healer stated as she slowly started to exit. "Ring if you need anything," she explained before she departed. Her hand was on the door and she slowly started to open it.

"If you could," the auburn haired mortal called hesitantly, freezing the healer in her tracks, "I would like to be alerted as to the conditions of the injured warriors when they are brought back," Jane stated her voice softened.

The healer, Brigga nodded. "I am sure that can be arranged at some point," she said. She walked back over to the human woman, "But you must take care of yourself as well. You look like you have been through quite an ordeal yourself," she explained. 'Look at you all covered with ash and soot," If I ddin't know any better I'd think you'd been fighting some type of battle," she laughed.

The scientist cracked an awkward laugh in response. "Battle! No! Well...I..I mean that is we have all been through the battle of the attack on Asgard, but...it wasn't like I was fighting on Svartalfhiem or anything like that," she replied.

Brigga raised an eyebrow, "No, quite," she said curiously. She shook herself, no doubt this poor woman was still traumatized from the terrible attacks on Asgard. "Well why don't you freshen up, Lady...Lady, what is your name?' she asked.

"Oh...I'm...I'm..." she paused only for a moment as she tried to think of another name for herself. Blast it! She could think of nothing, but her own name, "Jane," she admitted. She chided herself for her lack of creativity. She was not very good with lies. Growing-up in small midwestern town as she had lies were greatly frowned upon and often lying children were caught red handed. Friends, neighbors and teachers had no problem identifying a fibbing child to their parents. Rather than to be shamed and face punishment she just learned that honesty was the best policy.

"Jane?" Brigga repeatedly. The astrophysicist nodded. "Well rest at ease now, Lady Jane, I will send word to you as soon as I can," Brigga promised.

Once more Jane thanked her and allowed the healer to take her leave. Jane peeled herself out of her soiled garments. She wanted to rip them off of her skin. She felt disgusting and slimy. She tossed the filthy rags to the side. As the dust covered garments left her body the smell of her unclean body exploded and filled the air of the chamber. Jane gagged at her own body odor and held her nose. Not able to bear the smell she ran for the bath and plunged into the deep healing mineral waters.

She dived in allowing the tepid waters engulf her from the crown of her ashy head to the tips of her dirty toes. She held her breath under the water for a while. With a gasp, she eventually came up for air. The warm shade of auburn had finally started to come back to hairs as the dirt washed off of her. Her fingers were no longer hidden under the black ash. The grime had filled the pool and now the waters that were once a gentle mint green color had turned a dingy, ugly gray. Jane nearly swam to the other side of the bathing pool to unstop the drain and let the dirty water out. As the contaminated water slowly drained out of the tub, Jane switched on the shower and let the purple waters rain down in sweet warm drops cleansing the final bits of residue from her skin, hair, body and face. She reached her hands up gratefully as salt tears mixed with the hot crystal water washing over her face. She basked in the flow. Never had anything felt so good. Jane Foster had never been the type of person to take long showers. It seemed in practical to her. It certainly didn't take a person a half an hour to cleanse their body. It was time that could have been spent better reading, researching or doing experiments, but in this moment she felt like she'd never leave the shower again. She'd never been so dirty in her whole life. She never wanted to be again. She nearly promised herself that from now on she would cherish bathing as the privilege that it was. She would indulge in it to the fullest if she got the chance to shower again. Underneath the warm downpour Jane shivered with grim thoughts racing through her head. What if this was the last shower she ever took? She her lips as fear sank in.

Mentally, Jane chided herself. How could she be so selfish? The Nine-Realms were in danger of being plunged into a darkness so thick that it was doubtful any would survive and those that did would simply be made into slaves. He didn't even know where Thor was? What if he was hurt? What if he'd been captured and was being tortured by the Dark-Elves? What if the worse had befallen him? She shook her head trying to banish such a wicked thought from her mind, but it gnawed at her gut until the anxious field of fluttering butterflies in her stomach turned into a swarm a violent, buzzing killer bees in her chest. The pain consumed her and brought her crashing down to her knees sobbing in the shower. Thor could be dead and all she had the audacity to think of was the wonders of bathing! What did that matter? She'd live a thousand years in a swamp, she honestly would if she knew she'd see Thor alive again.

Knock knock, a swift rapping came on the door to the bathing salon. Jane gasped pulling her head out of palms. She started to wipe her eyes. She had no idea how long she'd been sitting in the shower weeping. She crawled to her feet. "Just a minute,' she called as she fumbled to find away to turn the shower off. The swift knocks came again. "Just a minute!" Jane shouted this time. She tried to rinsed her face so that it wouldn't show that she had been crying. This time there was no knock, but she heard something click as if the door was being open. In panic Jane turned off the shower and poked her head from behind the shower curtain. "Do you mind?" Jane uttered angrily, "I said just a minute," she repeated.

"Ahh now don't mind me mistress," a pleasant, high pitched, girlish voice giggled. The person's back was toward as they were backing in wheeling a cart. "My, my this room sure is steamy," the young woman commented.

"I'll be out in just a minute," Jane tried to explain.

"I don't mean to barge in on you, I know some people don't like to be seen when they are not decent," the woman talked on, "Honestly, I couldn't see you if I tried, it's a foggy as swamp in here, "but seeing as I've been instructed to bring you some from garments I can't see how I could see you decent until I saw you indecent," she giggled. "I never much mind being naked in front of others" the woman continued. "it seems perfectly natural to me," she confessed still giggling. "Now, I won't peak, I promise if it makes you uncomfortable," the handmaiden vowed.

"Please!" the auburn haired scientist nearly squealed she kept the curtain tucked tight around her body, "it very much does so make me uncomfortable," she explained.

"Aww, tis no trouble then, I shall keep my eyes closed," the handmaiden explained as she slowly started to turn around and face Lady Jane. "I just have the clean clothes that the healers instructed me to bring you," she had a robe draped across her arm. Her eyes were closed as she presented the robe toward the woman in the shower. She smiled kindly "and I've got a nice steamy bowl of porridge for you that I set up by the nightstand by your bed," she beamed.

Jane smiled at the woman who grinned from ear to ear and stood before her with her eyes closed. Jane sighed, she hadn't meant to be so snappy. It wasn't this woman's fault what had happened oh the contrary, it was all her own fault. Jane smoothed her hand over her face wiping away some to the access moisture, As the steam in the room started to subside, Jane was able to make out the features on the woman who stood before her arms outstretched with closed eyes. She was tanned skinned with platinum blonde hair woven in braids she had pink kissed shaped lips. Pretty and petite. "Sigyn?" Jane questioned in disbelief rubbing her hands over her eyes again.

Lady Sigyn's big, golden eyes popped open. A quizzical expression played on her face for only half a second until recognition sunk in. "Lady Jane!" she cried exuberantly, throwing her hands in the air and tossing the garment to the side. She flung the white curtain back and took a good look at Jane. Jane shrieked and tried to cover her herself once more. She tried to pull the curtain back and cover herself with her arms to no avail. Sigyn had already engulfed her in a warm embrace. Eventually, Jane gave up on trying to be modest and simply wrapped her arms around Sigyn and hugged her tight. "Oh my goodness! It is so marvelous to see you alive and well!" Sigyn continued to hug Jane's bare body.

"Oh Sigyn, it is good to see you too. You have no idea how good," Jane confessed her voice cracking. "But...but...but what are you doing here? I thought you went to the Dales."

"I did, but I came back. I came back to the Imperial City. The palace is mostly abandoned besides for the delegates of the council. I couldn't just sit around doing nothing while I knew people were hurting. I knew the healers would need help tending to the wounded. So I came to volunteer. Mostly delivering food and water," Sigyn explained. "I had no idea this was your room," Sigyn giggled.

Jane hugged Sigyn even tighter the second time. "I'm glad you're here. I didn't even know for a while if we would make it back to Asgard," Jane explained

Sigyn finally pushed away from Jane and took another good look at her face. "But you did! Oh but you did, Lady Jane!" Sigyn Arndottir went on. She took Jane's wet face in her hands for a moment and kissed both sides of her cheeks. Jane couldn't help but start to laugh. People of Asgard were affectionate. They liked to touch and hug and kiss one another and Sigyn was probably more affectionate than most. She took Jane by her hands, "You made it back! You made it back! Oh thank the Norns, you've all made it back! We are saved!' she cried as she flung back her head and raised her hands in praise. "Where are the rest of the warriors? Where is Prince Thor? Where is Loki?' Sigyn asked excited her big eyes searching as if she expected to find them somewhere within the chamber.

Jane shook her head. "No Sigyn, I'm afraid it's not that simple," she confessed.

The blonde-haired handmaiden to Queen Frigga seemed to pay no heed to the naked human before her. She went on excitedly pacing around the room. "Where are the other? Is everyone alright? Oh the Council must be alerted to the good news at once! Everyone will be so relieved. I'll go! I'll go!" Sigyn insisted excitedly as she started to twirl about about in dizzying circles her long, blonde hair whipping back and forth across her face. She froze after a moment to catch her breath, "I'll run back to the palace and tell or maybe I should head to the Southern Palace and alert Queen Frigga. Oh perhaps the all-father has awakened from the Oversleep!" she cried with the energy of a child. "Oh there shall be great celebration, you'll see! I bet you have never seen anything like the grand celebrations we can throw in Asgard. Giant feast lasting for weeks. The streets will be overrun with people and music and dancing and wine. They'll but wine in the fountains instead of water. And they'll be fireworks! Lots of fireworks!" Sigyn exclaimed giddily as she threw her hands in the air gesturing like an explosion. "You must get dressed!" she ordered shooing Jane with her hands. "Get dressed quickly!" she demanded once more running to the corner where she carelessly thrown Jane's clean tunic. She picked it up dusted it off and presented it to Lady Jane once more. " No doubt Prince Thor is planning the victory parade!" she carried on."He'll want you in it," she declared nodding her head vigorously. "I'll be back soon! I must spread the word!" Sigyn exclaimed and started to run out the door.

"Sigyn! No! NO!" Jane shouted darting behind her and almost slipping on the wet tile floor. She caught her and grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back and clapped her hand over Sigyn's mouth. Sigyn's golden doubloon eyes housed confusion as she looked back at Lady Jane. "You don't understand," she shook her head she kept her hand firmly planted across Sigyn's lips. "We made it back, but we are now all in even graver danger than before," Jane spoke in a hushed tone as she removed her hand from Sigyn's lips.

Sigyn's soft, pinks lips moved for awhile without being able to find her voice, "What?" the golden-locked lady-in-waiting mouthed. She stepped away from Jane. "How can this be? You are back..." she pointed out.

"Yes, yes, Sigyn but" Jane started. "Please Sigyn, allow me to dress myself and then I shall explain everything," Jane begged.

Sigyn nodded dumbly to Jane Foster's request and slowly walked out of the bathing room. She was stunned and silent, but her mind was reeling. Nervously, she began to pace around the healing chamber bedroom. She couldn't imagine what had happened? Lady Jane was back? She looked well. What could have possibly gone wrong that would have put them in graver danger? How things possibly get more dangerous? Convergence was scheduled to take place by noon time tomorrow, Malekith and the Dark-Elves were still at large, the Aether was in Asgard, the all-father was in Oversleep, more than 2000 people had been killed raid. How could things get any worse? She wrung her hands. They were sweating buckets. She thought of the worse possible outcome. It made her feel weak in the knees. Victory often came with a price. Sometimes grave prices. Had there been injuries in the Dark-World? She shook her head. That was a stupid question. She was full of stupid questions, but of course there must have been injuries, it was a battle after all. Had Prince Thor been injured? Had Loki? Her whole body started to tremble. What if it was worse than injury? What of Loki? She gulped had he returned to Asgard with the rest of the troops? Her heart started to beat wildly in her chest. She looked around and found the bed and staggered to sit there. Her hands gripping at her chest to still her beating heart and then clutching at the quilts on the bed. Had Loki given his all in battle? She bit into her bottom lip. No, no that couldn't be true could it? Heimdal had said he couldn't see Loki though, even the great guardian himself could not see the souls of the dead. What if Loki had died? NO! Sigyn grabbed her head.

Jane emerged from the bathing room. Sigyn's eyes immediately darted toward Jane. Her body was still soggy in the fresh robe that Sigyn had give her. It was a simple white robe that seemed unisex in the way it fit, but it had a belt around the waist which was able to give some definition to Jane's figure. Jane's damp auburn hair was nearly red in color when wet and she wrapped it up in a towel to dry it. Sigyn wasted no time as soon as Jane had stepped foot out of the bathroom the daughter of Admiral Arn leaped to her feet and went to Jane. "What happened, Lady Jane?" Sigyn inquired still ringing her hands. "Is it bad? Very bad?" she asked interrupting Jane as she was just about to part her lips. Jane averted her hazel eyes, but nodded her head. Sigyn's breaths came out sharp and quick and ragged , 'Is everyone alright?' the blonde-haired Aesir woman inquired.

"No," Jane admitted.

"Is...is Loki well?" she questioned timidly.

Jane looked up at her friend with shock. Loki had been the least of her worries. She was only remotely concerned of his whereabouts because she hoped that he and Thor were together, safe where they would be able to look out for one another. Thor was still weak from the battle and she had watched Loki bind up his wounds before. She'd prefer for Thor to be with someone than still alone searching for his brother. Jane reminded herself that the way she felt about Thor must have been the same way Sigyn felt about Loki. She couldn't imagine why a woman as sweet as Sigyn or a woman who had been as kind as Dagmar could have ever ended up having feelings for a man like Loki. Her face twisted with the thought. But that mattered little now. "Sigyn, Loki is missing," she reported stoically.

Sigyn staggered backward once more taking a seat on the bed. "No," she mumbled.

"I'm afraid it's true," Jane stated as she followed Sigyn to the bed and sat down next to her. "And so is Thor,"she sighed.

For awhile the lady-in-waiting just stared at her hands. "What happened?" she asked after an eternity of silence.

Jane broke into tears. "It was awful, Sigyn!" she wailed. She covered her face with her hands for few moments and just cried, finally she felt the Aesir noblewoman's tender hands slowly guiding her so that her head rested on Sigyn's shoulder. After a few moments of deep breathing the astrophysicist was able to collect herself enough to speak. She didn't really know where to start. So she started from the beginning. She told Sigyn of everything, of how the battle went and how so many men were killed and so many were injured including Thor. She told of how Malekith sucked the Aether from her and the dark crystal was now in the wicked elf's possession.

"Malekith has the Aether?' Sigyn mumbled in confusion. She looked up at Lady Jane with horror.

"Yes, he pulled it from me," Jane explained.

"I thought Thor intended to destroy it?"

"He did, Sigyn he tried, but it didn't work and Malekith was able to absorb it." Jane continued talking. She told Lady Sigyn of how Loki slaughtered that animal, Kursed and saved Thor. She told Sigyn of how Loki bravely volunteered to traverse the Dark-World's hostile terrain alone to scout out the enemy.

She was so proud of Loki. Even after all had deemed him a monster he was finally acting like the true hero she always had seen him as. He'd always been her knight in shining armor. She knew others didn't see him as so, but that was what he was. Other's called him a coward because he did not do battle as they did, but she'd never seem him as a coward. Somehow he seemed braver he wasn't afraid to be different on the battlefield. And yet some hearing of his exploits filled her with a deep sorrow. She'd ran back to the Imperial City for nothing. Loki had not needed the letter to make the right decisions when it came down to it. He hadn't need her. She wanted to slap herself in the forehead. Of course he hadn't. She'd been so foolish, she was just a simpleminded maiden and he was the smartest person that she knew what made her think that she could ever be of any help to him in making a decision? It had been sheer fantasy and fancy that caused her to dwell upon such nonsense of thinking he needed her at all. Loki had never needed her. And he'd never wanted her. She doubted he ever would. She'd risked everything everything to come back to the Imperial City and deliver the message and it didn't even matter. Loki had already decided to go with Thor and fight by his side. Child or no child she should have known that Loki would not have let Lady's Dagmar's murder go unavenged. Guilt crept up inside of Sigyn; she' risked her marriage, defied her father and earned her his ire in return all for nothing. In fact her coming back to the Imperial City had only made matters worth had she just stayed in the Dales with with Dirkson at least Heimdal wouldn't be imprisoned. Lady Sigyn was pulled from her laments as she listened to Jane tell of how Thor went to search for his brother and never returned

"W-w-well, well, well they c-c-could still be out there! Couldn't they? Just because they're missing doesn't mean they're dead," Sigyn started to reason. "They may not be dead! Thor and Loki our survivors! They've survived many things together," she assured Jane.

"We believe they are still alive, Lady Sigyn. That is why we rushed back. It was a hard decision Sif and I didn't want to leave the Dark-World without them, but the warriors realized that the best chance of saving Thor...and Loki," she added quickly, "and the realms was to see if Heimdal can locate them and bring them back to Asgard with the power of the Bifrost. If he can do this he could bring them back in time so that Thor can use Gungnir and Mjolnir to destroy the Aether and stop Ragnorok from happening" Jane expressed hopefully. Sigyn's face went pale. She looked grief stricken. "Sigyn what is wrong?" the auburn-haired mortal pressed? "It's okay," she tried to reassure the other woman. "There's still time, Heimdal can transport them back instantly if he can locate them, can he not?"

"Well...yes...yes I suppose, but," Sigyn muttered nervously.

"Do not fear," Jane reached out and wrapped her hands around Sigyn's, "Lady Sif and the Warriors Three went to Heimdal upon our arrival. I'm sure they've reached him by now and told him everything. He has probably already teleported Thor and Loki back to Asgard," Jane grinned at Sigyn hopefully.

"No! No, no!" Sigyn refuted Jane's hopeful statements shaking her head earnestly.

"Sigyn, yes, there's still hope," Jane nodded back at the youthful looking Asgardian noblewoman.

"No, Lady Jane you don't understand," Sigyn shook her head in protest. "Heimdal isn't at the Bifrost," she explained.

Jane raised curious auburn eyebrows, "What do you mean, Sigyn" she laughed dismissively. She liked Sigyn a lot, but she knew she was a flighty young woman. She was sweet as pie, but often prone to getting confused and mixing up facts. "Thor told me that Heimdal never left his post. I asked him where does he eat and sleep?" she continued to giggle.

"Lady Jane, Heimdal is locked in the dungeon!"

"What?"

"Yes, he was arrested the other day. He was accused of treason because of me," Sigyn confessed.

"because of you? But Sigyn, how?"

"I brought the letter that you gave me from Lady Dagmar back to Loki. It was a promise...I thought it was the right thing to do," Sigyn began to speak very fast. "I...I...I...I thought...I thought...that Loki needed to see the letter in order to make the right decisions and help, Thor, but he didn't...he didn't" Sigyn shook her head. "But he didn't, he didn't, did her? I begged Lord Algrim to let me the deliver the letter and Lord Audric who was Lady Dagmar's father allowed me to, but when we went down to the dungeons to see Loki he wasn't there. Lord Algrim, Lord Audric and a few other members of the counsel went to ask Heimdal about Loki's location and if he was aware that he was missing and when he said yes they arrested him on acts of treason. They even accused Prince Thor, the Warriors Three, Lady Sif and all the Einherjar who accompanied them of treason as well. They posted a guard around the Bifrost to wait for the return of the warriors to have them all arrested," Sigyn expounded.

"So Sif, Frandal, Volstagg and Hogun walked into a trap," Jane deduced.

Lady Sigyn Arndottir's soft, puckered pink lips formed a deep frown before her face broke and a river of tears washed over her amber eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sigyn blubbered over and over again. "This is my doing. Truly, it tis. I never meant for this to happen. I should have stayed in the Dales. Oh I'm so sorry, everyone is doomed because of me," Sigyn wailed.

"Sigyn," Jane caught her by her hands in the midst of her weeping. "Do not say that. No one is doomed. At least not just yet. If we can explain to the council what has happened surely they will release Heimdal and allow him to bring Thor back to Asgard,"

"And Loki too?" Sigyn asked as she dried her eyes and looked up at Jane.

"Yes, of course," Jane nodded patronizingly, "and Loki too," she agreed as she smoothed her hand over Sigyn's cheek to wipe away the water stains. "But we haven't a moment to lose," Jane said as she patted Sigyn's hand. "We need to go now. Can you get us into the palace?"

Snowflake made excellent time winding through the crowded streets of Asgard's largest metropolis. Soon the women were leaving the main part of the city and drawing closed to the Royal Palace. "We will probably have to sneak you in," Sigyn told the scientist who was holding on to her back as they rode through the city and made their way to the palace bridge.

"Why?"

"According to the council, you were never supposed to have left your chamber. Prince Thor sneaking you out was another act of treason to them. If the guards catch you they will most likely just try to lock you back in your chamber without ever allowing you to speak to the council," Sigyn explained.

Jane cursed under her breath, "God!" she swore in frustration, "it's like they are trying to find anything possible to accuse Thor of treason when all he is trying to do is save their lives!" she grumbled.

"The council is just scared, Lady Jane," Sigyn expressed in a sigh. "Everyone is scared she went on to say, "I'm scared," she admitted.

All of a sudden some of the anger fell from the mortal woman, "I'm scared, too" she confessed. "But how does the council locking their own prince up and accusing him of treason ease any fear?" she questioned.

The golden-locked lady-in-waiting to Queen Frigga shrugged, "I don't know," she responded. "But I guess if they can say that Prince Thor committed treason then they don't have to feel responsible. No one wants to be responsible for what is to come," Sigyn explained just as they made their way to the drawbridge.

Sigyn Arndottir and Jane Foster looked around and noticed how heavily fortified the palace was. It was even more guarded than it had been in the early hours of the morning when Lady Sigyn had first left to go and help at the infirmary. Guard lined the castle wall. All were standing statuesque and resolute with imposing horned helmets on and gleaming armor and sharped spears and swords. The palace wall stretched the whole perimeter of the palace and the guards were standing shoulder to shoulder on the wall. High in the palace towers there were more soldiers. There soldiers possessed large canons that they seemed eager to fire at will. There were also footmen patrolling the palace grounds consistently making rounds and maneuvers to make sure that no one entered the palace with out permission and infantry airmen policed the skies in their solar skiffs. Their were about ten men in each skiff and each long boat was heavily armed with harpoons and canons as well. There were even Valkyrie flying about on their winged horses over the tallest spires of the palace.

"This could be harder than I thought" Jane surmised. How were they ever to slip passed so many soldiers?

"Not necessarily, Lady Jane," Sigyn stated as she turned back around to face her. "We have someone on the inside, who I'm sure will be happy to help us once we get passed the guards." she winked.

"That's just it Lady Sigyn, how are we to get pass the guards?"

"You just leave that to me," Lady Sigyn smiled. "Be quick and hide under my cape," Sigyn instructed as she tugged on her cloak. Jane did as she was told, she quickly covered herself up under Sigyn's long dark red riding cape. She was leery of Sigyn's plan though. What guard would not notice a large lump growing out of Sigyn's back. Sigyn clicked her tongue and gently tugged on Snowflake's bridle, she brought the horse out of a pounding gallop and into a steady trot. Snowflake whinnied gratefully.

"Halt! Who goes there?" called one of the foot soldiers who was patrolling the outer wall of the palace. He signaled to his men getting them to line up in a defensive formation as the white horse and its rider approach. Sigyn kept her hands steady on the horse's reins and rubbed on Snowflake's neck cooing softly in the animal's ear to bring her to an even slower pace.

"It tis I...Lady Sigyn," the noblewoman announced to the guard who was still a few feet away from them. He was quickly marching toward them though.

"Lady Sigyn," the palace soldier remarked as he approached the woman. "What are you doing back so soon, did you not just go to the infirmary?" he inquired.

"Aye, that I did good sir, but shortly after my arrival I realized that I was not wearing the ring that my newly betrothed had given me, I thought it shameful that I not be seen with it on," she spoke up. "You know how quick people are to gossip, especially when it comes to a woman like myself," Sigyn pointed to herself. "Twouldn't want people to think that I was not earnest and faithful to my betrothed, especially after what happened to me the last time," Sigyn confessed giving a flippant giggle and twirling one bouncy, blonde curl around her finger as she leaned in on the soldier.

The soldier gulped and attempted to overt his eyes to keep from glancing on Sigyn's ample bosom. Father her made his attention focus on her equally attractive face wear she innocently batted long, blonde eyelashes over deep liquid gold eyes. "Well I certainly twouldn't want anyone to speak ill of you, Lady Sigyn" whispered the soldier, "Especially you being a Lady-in-waiting to her ladyship, Queen Frigga, twouldn't be proper," he insisted.

"I'm so glad, you understand!" Sigyn gushed and giggled. "So you'll let me back into the palace won't you? I'll simply be a jiff, I know exactly where I left it," Sigyn explained as she gave a very tiny kick to Snowflake to get the horse moving again.

'Alas, my lady I'm afraid once you return to the palace you will not be able to leave," the guard reported as he caught the white mare by her reins and halted her.

"Really? But why?"

"Being this close to Convergence the Council has asked that the palace be shut down and no one is to be allowed in or out until Convergence passes," the soldier answered.

Sigyn gasped, "But surely, if the worse should happen the Council will allow the citizens to take shelter in the palace?" Sigyn inquired. "I truly believe tis what Queen Frigga would want," Sigyn explained.

"Alas and alack, I cannot speak to that, my lady," the guard answered. "Queen Frigga isn't here, nor my King Odin or even Prince Thor and the High Council has final say. These are desperate times," he explained somberly, "Desperate times call for desperate measures," he stated.

"Of course," Sigyn nodded her yellow ringlets bouncing, "we must take care to follow our leaders," she expressed. "I am only glad I made it back in time."

"Indeed, milady. I will see to it that you are let in though," he stated. The guard nodded to the other soldiers around him and Jane heard the sound of the cranking gears of the drawbridge being lowered.

Once threw the drawbridge, another soldier came and offered to put Sigyn's horse away. The blonde-haired lady-in-waiting to the queen abruptly refused the offer. She carefully played it off as though she simply wished to water her own horse and all knowing that Sigyn was a flighty, simpleminded maiden paid no heed to her. Jane was able to slip out from under Sigyn's riding cape undetected in the stables.

"Whoa!" Sigyn squealed as she took a deep breath and wiped her brow. "I can't believe that worked!" she exclaimed.

"You were great, Sigyn!"

"Oh me, no, no, no," the handmaiden to Queen Frigga dismissed. "I was sweating like a big, which is no good for silk, mind you," Sigyn reported as she pulled at drapes. Her garment was fairly simple. It was deep plum colored dressed with ruffled trimming around the plunging neckline.

"I couldn't tell," Jane stated, "I think I was sweating enough for the both of us," the scientist chuckled as well.

Sigyn flashed Jane a kind smile, "Right, we must get you to the Council!" she stated in earnest her mind quickly realizing once again why the two of them were standing in the stables. Sigyn looked around, finally she found a simple over coat the stable boys normally wore. It was a dull, dingy, off biege coloring, but those who cleaned the royal stables had no need for fancy raiment. "Here," Sigyn called as she grabbed the dusty, dirty tunic from the hook hanging over the stable stall, "Put this on," she instructed. Jane slipped into the stable boy's uniform. It was a coarse tweed like material, good for working but it fit Lady Jane like a burlap sack. "Put the hood up," Sigyn said as she rushed to put the hood up for Jane and tuck her auburn tresses inside the hood. "No one will recognize you, you won't draw attention to yourself," Sigyn explained.

Carefully, the pair crept through the palace. Jane's disguise certainly kept eyes from looking up at her, but even still the human woman made sure to keep her head down and walk a few steps behind Lady Sigyn, simply playing the role of a servant. Sigyn led them to a group of palace soldiers who were diligently marching about the corridors. Sigyn ran behind one of the columns and tried to inconspicuously wave to one of the guards as he marched back and forth. At first he did not notice her. "Psst! Psst!" Sigyn whispered loudly from behind the column every time the guard marched by. Finally, the guard noticed her. His brown eyes widened as he broke ranks from the marching troop and sprinted toward the column where Sigyn and Jane were hidden.

"Sigyn!" Dyson gasped gratefully, his big ironclad hands immediately reached out and clasped her shoulders. His handsome lips strayed to all too eagerly kiss her rosy, bronzed cheeks. Jane watched as the young man's brown eyes looked at her with longing. His thick fingers strayed to toy with her long, curls. Sigun caught Dyson's hand and held it placing it down at her side as she smiled shyly and turned away. Her coy demeanor jolted the young palace guard from his fantasy of running his calloused fingers through Sigyn's silky, golden mane and having his lips taste her moist pink mouth. His eyes darted downward, "What are you doing back here so soon?" he asked finding his voice once the blush had faded from his cheeks. "I thought that you went to help out at the infirmary?" he posed.

"I did," Sigyn whispered back, "and thank the Norns that I did, for look who I found," Sigyn said and presented Jane. "This is Lady Jane Foster," Sigyn whispered.

"Jane Foster?" Dyson echoed. "The mortal?" Sigyn nodded with a toothless smile on her lips.

"Lady Jane, this is Dyson, one of the finest guards in the palace battalion," Sigyn boasted.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady," Dyson responded immediately dipping into a genteel bow. He went all the way down to one knee and then took Jane's hand and kissed it. Jane smiled. There was something to be said for the chivalry of the Aesir men.

"It's nice to meet you too," Jane said as the young guard rose to his feet.

"Where is Prince Thor?" Dyson asked. "Is he in the infirmary? The High Council must be alerted to this at once!"

"No, Prince Thor is stuck in the Dark-World!" Jane blurted out. Her voice rose above a whisper and a few of the other guards marching by heard her. Dyson pushed to two women back further behind the column and concealed them with his own strapping body. He waved off a few of his fellow guards who were passing by and pretended to have sneezed.

"What do you mean Prince Thor is in the Dark-World? How are you here then?"

"Prince Thor was separated from the Einherjar when he went back to look for Loki," Jane elaborated.

"Jane needs to tell the High Council what has happened so that the will release Heimdal and allow him to access the Bifrost and bring Prince Thor back," Sigyn expressed. "And Prince Loki," she mumbled under her breath.

Dyson's brown eyes turned from gazing at Sigyn with love, longing and admiration to giving her an incriminating glare. "Loki isn't my prince!" he stated harshly. "I care not if that low life cretin never sees the light of day again!" he swore as clenched his fist tightly and closed his eyes.

"Dyson, please," Sigyn whimpered.

"I understand how you feel, Dyson" the female astrophysicist spoke up, "I almost feel the same way, but if Thor is with Loki than he will bring him back here to Asgard and honestly Loki is the least of our problems if the Dark-Elves return and release the Aether."

The brunette guard nodded and gave an affirmative grunt. "Well what can I do?' he asked. 'The Council is convening as we speak. I heard they are sentencing Lady Sif and the Warriors Three on the act of treason," Dyson explained.

"Oh Dyson, isn't there anything you can do, the very fate of Asgard depends on this?" Sigyn pleaded in earnest as she gripped on to his tunics.

"The Council is meeting in the Council Chambers and the guards are all around. There is no way I can just waltz the two of you in there.

"Couldn't you talk to the guards or something?" Jane asked determinedly.

Dyson shook his head. "No guard is going to violate a direct command of the Council, Lady Jane. Not at a time like this. Not this close to Convergence. Never. I am in violation of orders right now by not arresting you right now!" he explained in an urgent sounding whisper. "My corporal has already told us the penalty for disobedience. Just for this brief communication I could face a flogging," he went on. "I'm sorry, Sigyn, Lady Jane, but there is nothing I can do," he insisted. "I must get back with my platoon," he stated and started to put back on his helmet and walk away to join his fellow guards.

"Dyson, please!" Sigyn squeaked desperately as she caught him by the metal on his arms. He immediately turned giving into her plea. It was so sweet and pitiful how could he not answer her cry. He turned around and saw how her wide set gold eyes were trembling with fear. He hated seeing the fear there. He longed to comfort her. "Dyson," she breathed. "I know you are risking much in even talking to us and I thank you,"

"I'd risk a thousand nights flogging for you, Lady Sigyn" the palace soldier gushed.

Sigyn's gentle, pink lips formed a small smile and she blushed a little at the compliment that the guard had afforded her. "I don't want you to get flogged. I don't want you to get in trouble. I don't want anyone to get flogged or get in trouble, but this is important, don't you see?" she asked her amber colored eyes never left gazing into Dyson's and her arm never loosened it's clasp on his wrist. The young soldier only wished that he didn't have the bronzed wrist band guarding his wrist so that he could feel her warm, soft flesh against his skin. "Prince Thor is missing and this could be the only want to save him before Convergence. If Convergence comes and the Dark-Elves enter the city and bring Ragnorok well a flogging could be the least of your worries," Sigyn expressed.

"It is too risky," Dyson protested.

"Please Dyson, there will be no risk once Prince Thor returns. He will set the matter right, no doubt he will honor you for you service. You will have practically saved his life! I'm sure he will be ever so grateful and will bestow upon you lands, monies, titles..."

"Einherjar?" Dyson's brown eyes became glazed over and starry as he thought about one of the most coveted positions in all the land. He could never make himself a Jarl or a lord, but even the lowliest of peasants such as himself could hope to be granted the title Einherjar.

"Why yes! Of course! I'm sure!" Sigyn exclaimed. "I'm sure he'd give you what ever you wanted after you saved his life," the fair-haired Aesir maiden nodded.

"You wouldn't only be responsible for saving his life, but the life of all Asgard...possibly even all the realms," added Jane quickly. 'I'm sure they'd commission a statue to be built for you," She stated.

"A statue!" Dyson's chest broadened as he imagined the dramatic pose that he would take in the statue. He would wear a great crested helmet upon his head one fitted with at least the tusks of two bilgeschnipes, he'd be holding both his sword as his shield, he'd have on a regal looking cape.

"Prince Thor would surely tell his father and then a parade could be held in your honor," Sigyn chimed in.

"A parade for me" Dyson's lips curled into a smile. He was the simple son of blacksmith from the hill country, he was an orphan raised by his widowed grandmother in the palace. How was it that he had found such fame and fortune in the sight of the king.

Jane crept closer to the strapping young guardsman and placed her hand on her shoulder. She stood on the tips of her toes so that she could lean in and whisper in Dyson's ear, "You could even have your own holiday."

The soldier gasped. "Dyson's Day!" he exclaimed. He stuck out his hands and shook them as if refusing an offer. "Oh no, your majesty, tis much to much!" he muttered allowed as the vision of the King of Asgard decreeing a day of feasting in his honor. "I did nothing more than any soldier any faithful citizen would do," he explained humbly to an imagined Odin that sat before him on a lavished throne.

"I'm sure the king would do that and more for you, Sir Dyson if you would help Lady Sigyn and I," Jane said coaxingly.

Dyson blinked his brown eyes the vision of the crowd cheering his name and the queen kissing him in public faded slowly from his minds eye as he was bought back into reality. Once again he found himself in the corridor with lovely Sigyn's golden halo eyes entreating him to help. Somehow the image of glory slipped through his fingers as reality set back in. "Ladies, I want to help, honestly I do, but I don't see what I can do. I know that the Council Chamber is guarded heavily and I cannot imagine any guard that will let you pass," he confessed his shoulders falling as his dream was deflated.

"Dyson please!" Sigyn squealed once more. She held fast to him refusing to let him go, "Surely you can think of something. Asgard needs you! Prince Thor needs you! The Nine-Realms need you! I need you!" she broke into a sob. Suddenly, the tears were tumbling down her face. Her gorgeous face was marred by a frown that should never have been on such dainty, sweet lips. She covered her face and leaned onto Dyson's chest. His arms instinctively cradled her. He felt her whole body shaking as she was so overcome with emotion. Her large arms engulfed her protectively. He naturally started to rock her back and forth doing his best to calm and soothe her like she was a child. He cursed Loki. He didn't understand that monster. He had been the cause of the tears of Sigyn once and yet he felt no remorse for it. "Please...p-please," she sniffled. "Please help us, Dyson," she continued to cry. "Y-y-you must know of something," she murmured as she leaned on his chest.

"Shh, it'll be alright," the young soldier cooed in her ear as he wrapped her in a comforting embrace

Sigyn shook her head in protest. "No, no, no" she muttered. "It won't be alright if Jane can't talk to the Council. The Dark-Elves have the Aether and Prince Thor and Loki are out there and you're saying there is nothing you can do. It's like you're giving up," the golden eyed lady-in-waiting confessed as her eyes shimmered with tears.

Dyson thought long and hard for a moment. The sound of her soft sobs was like nails on a chalkboard to him, he could not bear it. He had to think of something. "There is the balcony entrance," he mentioned after a pronounced paused.

"What?" Sigyn looked up at him as she slipped her tanned hands away from her face and rubbed the liquid from her leaking eyes.

"The balcony," Dyson started to explain. "Normally, Council Meetings are open to all the lords of the realm. Although all the lords aren't allowed to vote all are allowed to be present. The lords sit according to rank, the lesser lords sit on the higher levels furthest away from Council. They sit in the balcony and there is a special stairwell that leads there. I doubt they have posted any guards there since this meeting of the High Council was made private," Dyson explained. "I can get you up there, but then I will have to hurry back with my regiment," he explained in hushed tones.

Sigyn beamed at the palace guard. She turned to Lady Jane and showed forth the same exuberant expression. Lady Jane's lips curled in a sincere grin of gratitude and relief. The queen's handmaiden soon flung her arms out and wrapped them around Dyson's neck and showered him with a few quick pecks from her soft pink lips. The scientist observed as the soldier's face turned red in color and soon he was shoving his helmet back upon his brown-haired head to hide the rosy glow of his cheeks.

Dyson led the women up an old, winding staircase made of stone steps and granite walls. Sigyn was most assured she would have never found it on her own. She'd never entered in from that angle before and there was a secret code that had to be typed into the stones to make the wall open up. She'd only dared to enter a meeting of the High Council one other time and that had been when she'd found that Queen Frigga was still breathing in her bedchamber, but then she'd simply burst through the door. There would be none of that now.

They neared the top of the staircase and there was a wooden door that would allow them entrance to the balcony seats. Like Dyson had predicted the door was unguarded and unlocked. "I've taken you as far as I can, Ladies," Dyson stated once they were standing at the balcony door.

"Thank you, so much, Dyson," Sigyn responded. "All of Asgard will ever be in your debt."

"Not so, my lady," he corrected. "I am guard here at the palace tis merely my job to protect the royal family. If I didn't do this I wouldn't be doing my duty," he reminded her.

'Then you have served well," Jane Foster commended him. "I thank you," she echoed Sigyn's sentiments, "When this is all over I will let Prince Thor know of what you have done, you were the one who made away for his life to be saved."

Dyson held up a thick bronzed hand halting Lady Jane, "Ragnorok not coming to pass is all I need, my lady," he expressed and gave a sweeping bow. "I have to go," he stated suddenly and abruptly.

"Yes, of course you must," Sigyn nodded. "I don't want you to get in any trouble."

Young Dyson tossed his head back and laughed. "I am sure I am already in a realms worth of trouble, it would take a miracle for my corporal not to have noticed my absence by now." Sigyn gasped and covered her mouth feeling guilt for any backlash that her young friend Dyson may have to experience because of her. "Fret not, fair Sigyn, tis worth it all to know that the realms are spared and to have been of service to your ladyship once more," he confessed to her

"Dyson," Sigyn started to counter, but the soldier interrupted her, he immediately wrapped his thick hands around her waist and pulled her close to him. He breathed in her sweet scent once more she smelt like a spring morning drenched in honey. He looked at her once more. He studied her lovely form. She would ever be the fairest lady he had ever had privilege to lay eyes upon. He shut his eyes for a moment and cursed inwardly. Her beauty was wasted on an older man like man like Lord Theoic. She was worthy of a prince, of course not a prince like that wretch, Loki. His intellect had once been a thing of marvel to the realms, but Dyson counted him as an imbecile for annulling his betrothal to Sigyn. She was worthy of Prince Thor the young guard supposed, but somehow Thor had chosen to bestow his affections upon a mortal, it was baffling.

The more Dyson looked on her the more his passions for her became stirred. The curvature of her frame against his biceps was enough to drive him mad. He had tried to refrain, but he had stood all that he could he could bear no more. Every part of her was a temptation beckoning him, from her sunny mane to her polished, pink lips. He could withstand no more. Besides, who knew what that morrow would bring on the wings of the morning, perhaps the fabled Ragnorok and a hero's death, if that were the case he'd nothing to lose and everything to gain. Without restraint Dyson pressed his lips against Sigyn's. She struggled momentarily, but his arms were strong and she couldn't escape. The kiss was short lived as Dyson pulled away nervously. His face was crimson red and he was panting like a man who'd ran a marathon. His eyes were wide and embarrassed. He didn't know what had come over him, but he didn't regret what he'd done. Sigyn stood chest heaving, mouth open, but he palm covered her freshly kissed lips her golden eyes were wide and blinking. Her averted his brown pupils from looking back at her perplexed stare. The palace guard reverentially dropped to his knees and clasped her petite, tanned and manicured hand and pressed his lips to the back of her palm. His gentle brown eyes looked up at her shimmering gold orbs with admiration before he turned on his heels and marched away.

Lady Sigyn was frozen in confusion for a moment, but with a quick tousle of her long, blond ringlets she managed to regain composure. She blinked her bright amber eyes, "Come on, Lady Jane,' she cried, "we haven't a moment to lose!" she announced as she took hold of Lady Jane by the wrist and dragged her into the balcony. The two women managed to enter clandestinely undetected by the crowd below. They were in too much of an uproar to notice the slender figures gazing down upon them with worry and horror from behind one of the pillars in the balcony.

"Generals Frandal, Volstagg, Hogun and Lady Sif, you stand before this, the High Council of Asgard accused of high treason!" Lord Algrim pronounced. The skinny, white skinned elf glowered down at the bound and chained, bleeding and bludgeoned Einherjar generals. He shook his head with disappointment as he gazed down at the sorry sight of the accused. The fearsome foursome had been dragged from the Bifrost Site to the Palace threshold and treated with little more dignity than cattle being herded and driven about. The only grace they'd been shown was that they had not had to encounter many citizens as they'd been led bound and gagged through the streets being that it was so early in the day. Now, the mighty warriors were humbled in front of Adgard's High Council. They'd been forced to bow on their knees with their hands fettered and with iron rods placed around their backs to make them keep their arms up and their necks bent. Frandal's bright blue eyes hand been blackened and Volstagg's face and arms were marred black and blue with dreadful bruises and he had a large lump on his forehead from wear he'd been brutally beaten by the guards in the Bifrost. Lady Sif undoubtedly looked the worse of her companions, she was bedraggled and muddy with her clothes torn to shred and she had a gaping hole in her side which blood continued to pour from. Her chestnut eyes looked weak as if she was barely hanging on to consciousness. Her labored breathing reverberated off the walls of the dome shaped chamber.

Lady Jane and Sigyn looked on the sight with horror. Sigyn's hand strayed to cover her mouth as she gasped at the terrible sight below. She instinctively gripped Lady Jane's hand, "Lady Jane do you see this?" Jane tried to speak but a thick lump had formed in her throat making it feel impossible to make utterance. "They've got them tied up and arrested like common criminals!" Sigyn exclaimed as she pointed down at her friends.

"Not guilty," Hogun spoke up through gritted teeth as he attempted to lift his head and look Lord Algrim in the eye. "We are warriors of Asgard who obeyed the command of our prince," he defended.

Algrim raised his head and curled his pointed nose. The Prime Minister of Asgard scoffed. He stood proud and tall as he addressed the normally silent member of the Warrior's Three, "That may be the case, but what Prince Thor did was in violation of the expressed commands of his king, Odin all-father. In your zealous effort to follow Prince Thor into combat you too have now become guilty of violating the commands of King Odin. You have helped in aiding in the escape of Asgard's most dangerous criminal," he explained. "Do you deny it?"

"No," rasped Hogun. He denied nothing. He was proud of the actions he'd taken to save Asgard.

'Lord Algrim, accuse us of treason if you will, but we have done nothing, but fight to save Asgard," Frandal croaked. "Can't you see that?" the blonde protested. "Prince Thor only freed Loki so that the Aether could be removed from Asgard without having to open the Bifrost and place the realm at risk," the charming swordsman explained. His little speech had winded him and he leaned over on his knees breathing heavily.

"Hmph!" huffed another member of the High Council, "much good that has done, you all have abandoned Asgard in her darkest hour and Prince Thor has run off with the monster, Loki and is no where to be found! Convergence is but hours away and Thor is not here." Algrim railed.

"Please!" entreated Frandal. The gregarious swordsman's voice was a weak as whisper although all present could tell he was doing his best to speak loudly and clearly. "Convict us of treason if you must, but allow Heimdal to open the Bifrost and find Prince Thor and bring him back to Asgard. It is the only chance we have of survival. He is trapped on Svartalfhiem."

Panicked murmurs broke out amongst the delegates of the council. "We must not allow the Bifrost to be opened," they argued.

"The Dark-Elves were already able to breech the Bifrost once, Asgard will be a sitting duck if we open it now," They bickered.

"You have to open the Bifrost!" the shield-maiden's strong voice rose about the debating members of the Council. "Don't you daft old goats get it!" the brunette shield-maiden hollered in frustration. The white haired heads of the council members swiveled in one swift whipping motion to face Lady Sif. The warrior woman's lower half was soaked in her own dark red blood, her face that was normally tawny from the hours she spent in the field in the heat of battle and in the sun training was now almost alabaster in color. Her usually fiery brown eyes now batted furiously as she tried to maintain consciousness. "Prince Thor is out there! You dare not subject the son of Odin to death?" she yelled at them. Her half lidded eyes scanned the room and she gave an incriminating glare to Lord Algrim. How do you expect to defeat the Dark-Elves without Prince Thor? I am sure this council is well aware of the fact that in the time of our great King Bor he was only able to subdue the Aether with the power of both Gungnir and Mjolnir at his side,"she continued to expound, but she could no longer hold the firm tone that she once had. Her voice grew weaker and she slumped. "No one can wield Mjolnir aside from Prince Thor. To defeat the Dark-Elves he must be here," she insisted.

Once more the council went into deliberation. There voice were a roar swirling through the dome. Different protests and arguments could be heard coming from the different pockets of elders talking amongst themselves. "Perhaps we could open the Bifrost," one member of the council spoke to another. "After all the Aether is no longer on Asgard. Perhaps the Dark-Elves will not return."

"Don't be foolish that is all the more reason to keep the Bifrost closed maybe they will not be able to find their way back to our realm if we keep it closed," another protested.

"But the Bifrost wasn't open to begin with and they still were able to infiltrate the city," a lord interjected.

"We have to keep it closed as a precaution!" someone else shouted as he stood up and stomped a gnarled looking wooden cane on the ground. "If we open the Bifrost and Prince Thor comes back with that Aether infected woman the Dark-Elves will surely come right back here and attack us."

Jane Foster could feel her chest tightening. It seemed unthinkable that the High Council would truly allow Thor to stay in that light forsaken realm of Svartalfhiem. She tried to remember Sigyn's words that the Council was scared and desperate. They were all men who were trying to protect their families and loved ones from being destroyed and made into slaves or obliterated by Darkness. But so was she. She'd held her tongue long enough. Sigyn and she hadn't come there merely to watch old men squabble. "The Dark-Elves already have the Aether," Jane stated from her lofty stand in the balcony overlooking the High Council. The words came out automatically. They slipped from her tongue so quickly that she barely had time to process.

"Who said that?" called out one of the members of the council.

Lord Algrim's white eyes squinted as he made out her dainty figure that was somewhat hidden behind a pillar. Instantly, more than 100 eyes followed Lord Algrim's wrinkly skeletal finger and they were soon all staring up at Dr. Jane Foster. Jane gulped, but she could not swallow the thick lump that had formed in her throat nor could she still the intense thump of her beating heart. She slipped from out behind the pillar and came to the forefront of the balcony and stood before the High Council. She hoped that they could not see the beads of sweat forming around her auburn hairline or the trembling that had seized her entire being. She clutched the banister to steady herself. It hadn't done much good she was still shaking like a lead, but she felt Lady Sigyn's gentle hand at her back.

"The Lady Jane Foster!" Prime Minister Audric announced as he rose from his seat. He had been seated next to Lord Algrim on the podium. His eyes narrowed as he beheld her. The mortal who was infected with the Aether, the Aether which had drawn the Dark-Elves to Asgard and caused his daughter to die. "Guards seize that woman!" he roared and pointed at her. Immediately, the guards posted at the four corners of the chamber rallied around prepared to take Jane into custody.

Sigyn started to take the auburn haired astrophysicist by the hand to help her flee. Jane remained flatfooted "Arresting me will do nothing, Prime Minister Algrim," Jane stated boldlas she looked down at the pointy-earred elf with curly toed golden slippers. "It will not stop what is about to come," she warned. "The Malekith has the Aether."

"Lord Algrim listen not to the human, she has the Aether, she is the one who brought Ragnorok upon all our heads," Lord Audric whispered bitterly in his friend's ear.

"She's telling the truth Lord Algrim, simply listen to her, please," begged Frandal.

"You can have your healers examine me if you do not believe," Jane posed she started to move away from the banister of the balcony and made her way to the steps and descended. "Prince Thor took me to the Dark-World to keep Malekith and his soldiers from coming back to the Imperial City and laying waste to Asgard. He thought that he could lure Malekith by using the Aether within me as bait. He knew that Malekith's powers would be able to purge the Aether from my system and once the dark crystal was exposed he intended to destroy it, but the power of Mjolinir alone was not strong enough to destroy it. Malekith was able to absorb the power and now is in possession of it," Jane explained.

"Are you certain of this?" Lord Algrim questioned but he was not addressing the mortal astrophysicist. He looked to the Warriors Three and Lady Sif for a truthful answer.

Sif nodded weakly, "She is telling the truth, sir the Aether is lost to us."

Lord Algrim slammed his fist on the podium and closed his eyes, "Nononono," he mumbled bitterly.

The faces of the council members were stricken. "Then that is it?"

"We perish?"

"Ragnorok is upon us!" they wailed.

"Prince Thor has doomed us all!" another shouted.

'Tis not certain so," Frandal rasped as he crawled toward the Prime Minister of Asgard. The Light Elf's face expression was a mixture of dismay, grief, fear and shock. "Tis not certain so," Frandal whispered a second time hoping to catch Lord Algrim attention, the adviser to Odin cast a glance in the direction of the bloodied and bruised Einherjar. "If you just allow Hiemdal to go to the Bifrost he can find Thor and bring him back and we can fight!" Frandal dis his best to flash a debonair smile as he flung his head back trying to toss his luscious blonde locks over his shoulder. The movement only proved painful and left the Einherjar dizzy and dazed. His battered head was already suffering from a concussion.

"Fight what?" Algrim muttered bitterly, "You cannot fight fate! Prince Thor has done that which is foolish in not heeding the commands of his father and the request of this council. Now he has left the realms to suffer. Remove these traitors from my sight!" the Elfin adviser ordered as he gestured with a flippant had toward the guards. "If we are all set to face Ragnorok then they shall be but the first to die," he stated with sorrow as he turned to walk away.

The palace guards grappled the injured Einherjar. The warriors struggled but their wounds were too severe for them to put up any true resistance. "Lord Algrim, no! You are making a grave mistake!" Lady Sif screamed out as she felt herself being carted away.

"No," the Prime Minister swirled around on his heels, "You all made the mistake!" he protested as he pointed a condemning skeletal finger at the Warriors Three and Lady Sif. "You all made the mistake when decided to disobey this council. Now you have sentenced us all to certain death," he growled through gritted white teeth as he watched the most noble Einherjar being dragged away.

Lady Jane felt strong hands grip around her slender arms and hoist her in the air and then sling her over a brutally cold metallic shoulder blade while other has clamped manacles on her wrists. She shrieked. "Sigyn!" she cried desperately.

The blonde-haired handmaiden of Queen Frigga rushed to the aid of her mortal friend. Sigyn ferociously attempted to grab the soldier by his yellow cape. She managed to rip it off of his uniform, but that did nothing to stop him. Once again she rushed at him. She pounded at him with he fist. "Let her go!" Sigyn demanded. In a sweeping moved the guard pushed Sigyn aside causing the lady-in-waiting to the Queen to fall over the bleachers while she watched helplessly as Jane was carried off.

Her feet pounded as she raced down the steps to catch Lord Algrim. "Lord Algrim!" she cried her gold eyes trembling and filled with tears that streamed down her face like a flood. "You can't do this!" she protested as she caught hold of his robe. "Please! We need our warriors! Thor is still out there! There is still time?" she entreated him. "Oh please! Oh please! Oh please don't do this!" she sobbed as she melted into a weeping puddle before the Light-Elf's curly toed shoes. The fair-haired noblewoman clutched at the him of his purple tunic, "p-p-please," she cried profusely. The white-eyed elf looked at her with pity, but merely stepped over her and continued in he exit of the chamber.

Sigyn scuttled after the chief adviser of King Odin, still crawling on her hands and knees trying to catch the train of his long, purple tunics. She did. She started to open her mouth to let out another plea, but just then something that seemed enormous shook the very foundations of the Imperial Palace. All froze in their tracks and looked around in astonishment.

"What was that?" one guard questions.

"Perhaps it is Prince Thor and Loki!" Sigyn breathed hopefully. On her knees she lifted up her hands in adoration. New salt tears started to flow from her golden pupils. Tears of gratitude. "Thank the Norns!"

"Could it truly be Thor?" asked one of the delegates.

"Merciful Yddrasil! We are saved!" shouted another. A crazed pandemonium broke out amongst the members of the High Council.

"I knew Thor would save us!" another declared.

"No one defeats the mighty Thor!" one more exclaimed. They rushed out of the council chamber heading for the main gate to greet their returning hero. They freed the warriors three and Lady Jane and Lady Sif as all rejoiced.

"Sif," Sigyn called as she rushed to the wounded female warrior. "Oh that wound is deep, you need a healer," she explained as she helped the shield-maiden sit up.

Sif winced at the movement, "I'll be alright, trust me," she flagged off the handmaiden's worry. "Get me to my feet so I can see Thor," she ordered. Sigyn hoisted Sif to her feet while Jane helped Volstagg, the group hobbled behind the nobles and lords as they made their way to the windows to see the commotion.