Hostage to Love

Surprise

"Whatever you see, whatever happens, stay hidden for as long as you can, ok?" Ari had told Jane in a low voice. They'd made their way back to Jane's room and were now crouching, hidden by the large fourposter.

They'd encountered little resistence, mainly fighting only panicked maids as they tried to flee.

Jane had been bravely searching for Thor when Ari had found her.

"I can fight Ari, I don't want you putting yourself in harm's way for me.  Loki would never forgive me if anything happened to you!" She was the very picture of concern.

"Look, Jane, let's face it, Loki would never forgive ME if anything happened to me!" She laughed mirthlessly. "I don't intend to spend eternity in Valhalla listening to him bitching at me for being careless!" She winked.

Now, back in the relative safety of her room, Ari spoke quickly to her new friend.
"Stay here. If it comes to it, just stab for your life and then run! We will come for you. If you run, go outside and head for the stables. You'll be safe hiding there for a while."

She thrust a dagger, the pommel set with a large emerald, into her hands. The wedding gift - along with her beautiful Aesir - from Loki. Normally, like the wolf, she would never have countenanced it leaving her side, but protecting Jane was one of the few genuine reasons to part with it.

"Lose this, and I'll kill you myself !" She hugged Jane and made her way to the door. "Lock this behind me.  Don't open for anyone but me." Jane nodded and shut the door, turning the key and taking it with her.

She scrambled back to her hiding place on the far side of the bed and crouched down. Being a scientist made Jane naturally sceptical, but today? Today, she prayed to any and all available deities to keep them safe.

Ari plunged back into the melee of the corridor. She wanted to try and barricade the end of it.  Anything to slow down the approaching raiders.

Grabbing two soldiers as they passed, she commandeered them to start moving furniture across the hallway. In reality? A futile gesture against Cronin, but against the other mercenaries? It might just buy them enough time.

For what? She had no idea. But she had to try. The two guards did their best and then left to join the fight.  As they rounded the corner, they came face to face with a gang of what could only be described as soldiers from Hel.  They knew what they had to do.

Drawing their swords, they charged on the invaders. "FOR ASGAAAAAAARD!" They didn't stand a chance.

Ari heard the commotion and fell back, knocking on the door to Jane. "Let me in, it's me!"

Jane scrambled from her hiding place and unlocked the door.  Ari slid in and they locked it.

"Come on, balcony. If we close the shutters and crouch we can't be seen from inside or out. " She grabbed Jane's arm and propelled her to the balcony.  Shoving her outside, she secured the door behind her and closed the shutters.

Jane wheeled round, horrified. She hammered on the doors. "Ari! No! Let me in Ari! Don't do this! Ari!"

Ari closed her eyes and shouted through to Jane to be quiet and sit down. Her tone was necessarily harsh. She wanted her to survive.  This was the best hope to achieve that.

"Aesir!.Aesir, come here, girl!" She called softly, and the wolf trotted over, licking Ari's hand. "Good girl." She ruffled the dog's head. "We have to be brave, girl.  Jane needs us."

Aesir looked up at her, the piercing blue eyes underatanding the sentiment if not the words. 

The two of them sat down in the room, Aesir's head reated on her knee, her sword permanently at the ready.

She could hear screaming in the corridor, the sound of swords clashing and the acrid smell of blood.  The furniture she'd moved? In the end, bought them no time at all.

Ari was glad she was sitting down. Her legs were shaking so much.  Aesir picked up on her fear and whimpered softly.

"Not long now, girl. Not long now." She stood, braced, sword at the ready. If only Loki could see her now. She knew, deep down, he would have been proud.

The noise level grew until Aesir began to whine. It was all getting very close.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and two horned creaturs burst in.  They paused, looked around, and then spotted Ari and Aesir.  With a roar, they ran towards her, and instantly, Aesir leapt up , tearing at the throat of the first one.

It roared with pain and cast the wolf to the side. Aesir sailed through the air, landing in a heap.  Ari swore loudly.

"Not. My. Wolf. You. Don't!" She lunged at the injured raider, and her fury at his treatment of Aesir gave her the strength of ten.  She cleaved his arm from his shoulder, and he screamed, falling to his knees.  Aesir, now recovered, leapt into action.

Ari turned away as her pet, once again, killed for her.

While all this had been happening, the second creature had been roaming the room, looking for people hiding. He turned now, seeing his compatriot lying dead.

"Bitch!" He roared and went to strike Ari.  Aesir once again leapt, but this time she wasn't so lucky.  With a howl that Ari swore, she would never forget hearing, she hit the floor, a sword piercing her shoulder.  Not dead, but incapacitated.

Ari howled in fury and launched herself at the attacker. "I.SAID. NOT.MY.WOLF!" She raised the sword, and as she did so, there was a sudden stabbing pain shooting through her shoulder.

Confused, she looked at the creature. He was still an arm's length away. As she felt herself crumple to the floor, she saw a pair of feet walk past, then turn and crouch.

A third, unseen accomplice had stabbed her in the back as she attacked.  He'd managed to get one of the few vulnerable points in her armour.

As she felt herself bleed, she could vaguely see Jane through the slats on the window to the balcony.  She was crouching, hands in her mouth, crying. Ari smiled at her.  As long as she stayed there, she would be ok.

The raider grabbed her by the hair and made her look at him.

"Why so happy, Asgardian?" He sneered into her face. "You and your puppy are about to die, and yet you smile?"

"That's where you're wrong." She spat back at him.  Her eyes flit around the room and fixed on the door in hope.

"What? That you are about to die?" He sneered again.

The answer came from behind him. A flash of green, and he was mere atoms.

"No. She is no Asgardian. She is a warrior Princess of Vanaheim!" As Ari collapsed onto the marble floor, her last sight was of Loki crashing to his knees in front of her. "She is MY warrior Princess."