The Burden Of Her Arms (Loki/Sigyn)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The funeral was supposed to be small, quiet, quick. Odin permitted a temple priest to oversee it. It was expected that only family would attend.

Hundreds came. They packed the palace port, all of them holding the small glowing orbs of prayer and remembrance.

"It would seem you're not as alone as you think." Loki murmured to Sigyn. He raised his brows. "They're here for you."

Few knew Sigyn well enough to comfort her and even fewer had known Vali. But they came for their newly loved goddess, for the woman that had sacrificed all the happiness she deserved for the sake of others.

Sigyn kept her eyes focused forward. She couldn't bear to see their faces, their pity, their sadness. The mere sight of their numbers had brought unwanted tears to her eyes. She wiped them quickly and held tightly to Narfi's hand as they walked down the aisle the crowd had made. He looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Who're they?" He whispered.

She shook her head. "I don't know. Friends, I suppose." His fingers tightened around hers as they reached the edge of the dock. The boat came down the canal, sliding gracefully and silently towards them. Another hand wrapped around Sigyn's. Cold and hesitantly gentle, she knew it was Loki's but she didn't look. Her gaze was riveted on Vali's boat. She swallowed past a lump, blinked quickly, sniffled. She took a deep breath, squeezed Loki's hand. But nothing could prepare her for the sight of him.

He lay in the center, dressed and cleaned and appearing as though he was only asleep. As the watchers gently guided the boat down with long staffs in the water, onlookers leaned forward to place things in the boat. It drew closer finally and Sigyn realized the gifts left to him were children's toys - dolls, blocks and balls, children's books...

She shuddered and closed her eyes, curling her lips in to quell the sob that rose in her throat. The hand to her left moved away and returned to press something into her hand. She looked down to see it was his favorite toy, a small, deformed rag doll she had struggled to make him when he was a babe.

Narfi reached into his coat and pulled out his own. He looked up at her and then leaned forward to place it next to Vali. She followed suit, lingering only long enough to caress his cheek one last time.

The boat moved on but it blurred from her vision as her tears fell. Loki's arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his chest. His chin brushed the top of her head when he nodded to the archer. The arrow was lit and drawn. The archer let it fly with calm grace. It thunked in the boat, disappearing from her blurry view. The flames reached up slowly, licking the edges of the boat.

Narfi nudged her and she looked down to take the white orb of remembrance from him. She held it close to her chest, closing her eyes and shaking over it. Loki's hands cupped hers and together they lifted it into the night sky. Narfi let his own go, watching it for a moment but quickly returning his gaze to Vali's boat.

A dull thump echoed down the dock and the boat rose off the edge of the falls. It floated, still traveling forward slowly. Sigyn held her breath, praying the Valkyries would take him. He had not died in dishonor of his own accord. Would they not have mercy on him?

A black mist wrapped around the boat and grabbed hold of the gunnel. It fell.

Sigyn's knees have out as her cry shook the silence. Loki's arms wrapped tightly around her. "Hush, love. Look there." He pointed towards the falls.

A small white orb rose from the falls and floated there, waiting to be sure it was seen before it floated into the sky with the others.

"The Valkyries let Hela take him. He hasn't been forsaken, I promise you." He clasped her to his chest and shushed her. "It's alright, my love. It's alright."