For we once so loved the world by HowlingDarkness95

Chapter 41

The normal hustle and bustle of the market place in Asgard was replaced with an eerie silence that sent shivers down the spines of those who walked past, the place as empty as a ghost town – a stark contrast to its normally crowded state, where throngs of bodies pressed against each other as the people tried to get the best bargain, their voices filling the air.

Sif stalked down the roads, her dark eyes darting left and right, looking out for potential dangers, holding her sword in her right hand and her shield in the other, her black hair braided and slung over her shoulder in order not to let it get in the way when she fought. Her armour weighed heavily on her shoulders, but the warrior maiden hardly noticed it anymore, the metal becoming a second skin to her as though it had been grafted into her flesh. The soldiers never took off their armour now, not even when they slept or ate - such was the life of an Asgardian warrior now. With imminent war on the horizon, and ambushes left, right and centre, there was no time to take off and put on the armour again. The chitauri came in the night, slitting the throats of those who were unprepared.

As a result, even the queen of Asgard herself donned the armour that she had not worn in eons. The maids and servants were given weapons to arm themselves with – for what little good those weapons did without the knowledge of how to use it – and the villagers were instructed to remain in their houses.

Warriors were spread thin across Asgard, trying to patrol the land whilst also doubling to protect the heart of the realm, and it was evident in their strained eyes and the shoulders that were trembling in exhaustion.

Sif herself hadn't seen the Warriors Three since that first invasion by Thanos, all of them separated by the Allfather and spread out across Asgard. And she hadn't seen Thor for much longer than that, her oldest friend having descended to Midgard to fight alongside his mortal friends. The female warrior gripped her sword tighter, her thoughts blackening – as it always did – when it inevitably came to rest on the lone blight on Asgard's brightness.

Loki.

The dark prince had always been withdrawn, selfish and cruel, giving off a mysterious air that had made maidens swoon in the beginning, but which turned to suspicion and disgust soon enough. Once, a long time ago, Sif thought that she might have even fallen for his particular type of charm had she not met Thor and the Warriors Three, something she was grateful for. As it was, they had still met, but Sif had considered him beneath her notice. The prince who hid behind Thor's back, who played with magic and who would hole up in the library the whole day if he was allowed to, not at all like a true Asgardian warrior.

There was a slight hitch in her step as she thought about the younger prince. Looking back now, she wondered if things would be different had she not challenged his authority back then when Thor was banished. She remembered his expression when she and the Warriors Three had barged into the throne room demanding that Thor be released. He had seemed almost disappointed, as though the four of them had failed one of his tests or so, but the expressions had flitted over his face so quickly and finally landed on an emotionless facade that Sif wasn't sure whether she saw correctly. She wondered vaguely if that had been a catalyst for his fall into insanity. Almost as soon as the thought popped into her head, she banished it, telling herself that Loki was an insidious creature who was a snake in disguise, and that even if she had not rebelled, he would have turned out the same way.

She studiously ignored the slight unease that stirred beneath her skin, telling her that she was one of the catalysts to making who Loki was now.

The female warrior finished her patrol and returned to the main palace of Asgard, her shoulders slumping minutely as she stepped passed the great double doors, nodding once to the equally weary guards standing near the door. As her feet meandered along familiar routes and hallways, Sif found herself immersed in her own thoughts. It wasn't until she heard a soft melody echoing in the deserted hallways that she paused in her steps.