Learning To Love

Chapter 12

Thor led the way into the massive throne room. His father, Odin, the All-Father, sat upon the throne. He didn't move, but his eyes followed them until they stood directly before him.

"Thor, who is this?" he asks calmly. Thor smiles.

"This is Sierra. She is from Midgard, and she is a very good friend of Loki and I." Odin raised his chin and peered down at them.

"Why is she here, if she is merely a friend?" Sierra opened her mouth to shoot something snarky at him, but Thor spoke first, much more calmly than anything she would have said.

"Because she and Loki are very close. She can help us find him," Thor said. She nodded her agreement. Odin sighed.

"Mila," he called. A servant on the other side of the room turned.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Find my wife and ask her to come here. We need to see her."

**********

The first thing Thor's mother, Frigga, did when she met Sierra was give her a hug and pull her away to find a bedroom and clothes. Together they through the wardrobe in the room searching for a dress that would fit Sierra. Frigga said that they would all be eating dinner together, and that Sierra needed to dress up. Finally, she pulled out a dress, and held it up in the light.

"It's perfect!" she said, beaming. Sierra reached out and ran her fingers lightly against the fabric, tracing the seams. Her mouth hung open slightly at the sight of it. The jade green silk was as light as air, and thin gold trim encircled the neck and waist. Frigga handed it to Sierra and left while she slipped into it. It fit perfectly, and Sierra was impressed by how comfortable it was. She stepped out into the hallway where Frigga waited. Frigga was elated and she grasped Sierra's shoulders and looked her up and down.

"You look gorgeous, darling!" Sierra pressed her lips together and blushed, hiding a smile.

"Thank you."

**********

At dinner they introduced Sierra to the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif. She hit it off right away with Sif, who talked of teaching her to use a sword. At first, Sierra declined and Sif glanced at her, an eyebrow raised.

"You know, if you plan to help us rescue Loki, wherever the hell he is, you need to be able to defend yourself," she said. Fear flashed across Sierra's face; clearly she hadn't truly considered the possibility of being in any kind of fight.

"Fine," she relented. Sif grinned.

"It'll be fun, trust me."

She dragged Sierra to the courtyard immediately after dinner and handed her one of two swords she'd brought with her.

"I won't hurt you, promise. I'll just teach you some basic moves to start. And fight with the flat, not the blade." She winked and proceeded to run through some simple maneuvers, and the two women sparred for a while. Sif was a skilled swordsman and a patient teacher, and though she took it easy on Sierra, Sif was impressed by her natural coordination and athleticism.

For a few minutes the courtyard rang with the sound of metal striking metal, but finally she disarmed Sierra. Sierra held up her hands in surrender before bending to pick up the sword.

"You fight well," Sif laughed. "You've really never used a sword before?" Sierra pursed her lips and nodded. "You picked it up really quick."

**********

"We've got it!" Thor shouted, tearing into the courtyard on their second day on Asgard. Sif and Sierra stopped sparring and lowered their swords.

"What do you mean?" Sierra asked, jogging towards him.

"Heimdall was finally able to see Loki. We know where he is." She gasped.

"Seriously? We have to move, now!" She started to head towards the palace, but Thor grabbed her arm.

"Sierra, it's not going to be easy." Their eyes met and Thor's face was etched with concern. "We could only see him because Thanos wants us to. We're almost certainly walking into an ambush. That being said, Thanos is torturing Loki. He's badly hurt already. It will be extremely hard to get to him, but it's crucial that we do."

"Then we have to go!" Sierra shrieked. She broke free of his grasp and sprinted out of the courtyard.

**********

In the darkness, the damp air chilled Loki to the bone. The rusted chains dug painfully into his wrists. His stomach twisted in knots; he'd been starved for days and his lips were dry. The chains kept him upright, attached to the wall about ten feet off the ground. He dangled from them; though his feet touched the floor, he could no longer stand on his own. The metal cell door squeaking and grinding as it opened brought him back to his senses.

"Loki...How do you feel? A little sore?" Thanos chuckled.

"It'll take more than that to do me in," Loki replied coldly, and speaking sent him into a fit of coughing.

"You're strong. You're also a fool." Thanos took a key and unlocked the chains, and Loki collapsed in a heap. He started to push himself up, but Thanos kicked his ribs and he crumpled once again. Thanos pulled something out and uncoiled it. A moment later he lashed it out and the pain reverberated through Loki. About five minutes into the torture, his body couldn't handle the anguish, and his field of vision faded to black.

**********