I Will Follow You Into The Dark~ On Hold

Chapter 4

Loki had wanted to follow Sigyn but who knew which way the woman went, instead he found himself in the chamber the five Aesir often used as a common room. Lounging on the couch, he stared at the walls which were decorated with colourful banners, weapons racks and shelves filled with books. He had always dreamed away staring out the golden doors that lead to the balcony, while the others gouged themselves on the many platters of fruits and meat, chatting among themselves. Now, he sighed curled up in his usual position, his mind on his Själsfrände while Thor and the other four made themselves comfortable on the other couches, without a doubt drinking themselves silly with ale.

"Did you know she wasn't your Själsfrände Loki?" Sif asked, her tone biting as she narrowed her eyes on the God. He looked at her due to her tone rubbing him up the wrong way. The fire he saw in her eyes made him flush with guilt before nodding.

"Yes, and I wanted to say something, but when the Allfather orders something, you have no choice."

Thor snorted, "Loki, Father wouldn't have forced you to go through a fake bonding. That witch must have enchanted him as well. The Vanir rarely can be trusted, besides Freyja and her twin while they were alive."

Loki snorted, before hissing at his brother, "You obviously don't know father like I do. He wanted one of us to throw our lives away by marrying that... that creature."

Thor and the rest of the group looked disgusted, their eyes wide with shock. They couldn't believe that the Allfather would banter his sons' happiness with a pretence marriage. The men looked physically ill while Sif just stared at Loki, her eyes squinting at his. Sighing he stood and beckoned for her to follow, making sure there was enough ale for Thor and the other three to get drunk on, they were free to talk for a while.

Sif pushed Loki up against one of the walls lined with books, her sword flushed against his neck. "What has Sigyn told you?" Loki murmured as he watched Sif grit her teeth at the mention of her friend. He knew he hadn't said anything about the circumstance on the bridge, but he knew Sif and Sigyn were friends.

"Nothing. I saw the mark on your wrist, so you obviously been gifted a Själsfrände, and you weren't the only one to see how destroyed she appeared after the Allfather's announcement. Sigyn has never been one to hide her arms, but lately she wraps her wrists when sparring, as if she had something to hide."

Loki couldn't help but smile at the female warrior's observation skills. His head thumped backwards as he spoke, finally telling someone the secret. "You have without a doubt been told of the death of my betrothed?" Tears filled his eyes as he watched Sif nod, "I was coming back from my annual grieving when my horse spooked and bolted, leaving me deserted on the bridge. Sigyn was on the bridge, and she had just healed me."

Sif coughed and raised her brows. "I thought you and the Allmother claimed to have a strong sense of magic, you had to come from a family of magicians or to be pure of blood?"

Shrugging, he turned to stare at Thor and the others. "Sigyn's been an orphan for as long as she could remember. Who knows who her family were?" With his answer Sif nodded, urging him to continue.

"The bridge lit up like the northern lights, or as one would imagine the road of death that the Valkyries followed. I had never seen it shine so brightly, and we were the only two there at the time." Loki pulled up the sleeve of his tunic and showed Sif his mark, and she gasped just as he had when it was revealed, the mark too similar to those recorded in the history books.

"It looks like a..."

"A Valkyrie sigil, yes." Loki interrupted the flabbergasted Sif.

Sif shook her head, her eyes widened with shock. "But how? They died off just after you and Thor were born. Valkyries were great warriors that ceased to exist after a fight with a criminal that was dangerous to all of the nine Realms. How could you be bonded with one?"