Loki: Storm of Swords

Chapter 52 - The Shield Maiden & the Hound

Ragna felt something like a foreboding stir deep within her and she lowered her sword. Sif frowned as she watched the young girl break off in the middle of their training. The four Knights of the Vale who were watching them, also observed the girl with raised eyebrows. "Ragna?" Sif asked. "What is it? It's not like you to lose focus."

"I haven't lost focus. I'm listening, so I'm focusing on that. Please be quiet," Ragna answered firmly, and Sif frowned a little. The Asgardian maiden watched her charge before she turned and got herself a drink of water. Ragna had closed her eyes and tilted her head from side to side. Her tongue poked out of her mouth for a second, as if she was smelling the air like a snake. The knights watched her with odd expressions on their faces, and one or two of them whispered derisive things to each other. "Say I'm the 'odd child of the Hand' one more time, and I'll hamstring you," Ragna declared without opening her eyes, and pointing her short sword at one of the men. Sif's head spun around and she found the guilty knight by the bright red color of his cheeks.

"Did you insult Ragna Frostborn?" she queried. The man spluttered and stuttered, raising his hands in supplication. "Apologize to her. She is the daughter of a noble house, after all." The man nodded stiffly to Sif before turning to Ragna and bowing.

"My apologies, Ragna, daughter of Ser Loki of House Frostborn," the man said. Ragna gave him a demure smile as she handed her sword back to Sif. 

"I'm done for the day. I'll be in my chamber. And... I think Sandor wants to talk to you," Ragna stated and Sif glanced over her shoulder. The Hound was walking down the shallow steps towards the training circle. When Sif looked back, Ragna was gone. Sif huffed. She was getting very tired of Ragna doing that.

"You'll get used to it," said a voice and she saw that Sandor Clegane was standing next to her and eyeing her with his own version of a bemused expression. 

"I don't think I will. How does she do that?" Sif queried as they cleaned up the weapons and started to walk back to the Eyrie. 

"Even I couldn't tell you, and I've known her since she was in her mother's belly, to when she was born, to when she took her first step, to when she first stole one of my knives," Sandor said gruffly, but Sif was not fooled by his tone. Affection could be heard in the sour pitch. "And I plan to see her receive her training, master all weapons, and grow into a powerful warrior."

"You're alright with her being a fighter instead of a proper lady?" Sif queried, curious. Her own father had frowned at the thought of her being a warrior, because it would make her appear less desirable to Thor. Not that he had known Thor was going to fall in love with a mortal woman, but, he had tried. 

"I have always wanted her to be happy, and my little lady has always been happier when wielding a weapon," Sandor answered. "I feel that she will grow up to be like her mother: live with grace, but fight with deadly precision."

"I have the feeling, from the short time I've been with her, that she'll be more like her father," Sif dared to say. She knew many things about Loki, but felt that Sandor might think her presumptuous when it came to Ragna.

"She has aspects of her father's personality, to be sure. She's cutting to anyone who thinks she is but a little child," Clegane answered. 

"But... she is a little child," Sif stated and Clegane eyed her.

"To the world, she is. But, not to me. She is as cunning as her father and as beautiful as her mother. She has the skill of several well-trained knights, and the instincts of a world wise traveler. She will be a great woman, and I hope she achieves her dream, and I want be by her side when it happens," Sandor Clegane responded. 

"What is her dream? Will it make my dream of being a shield maiden seem small in comparison?" Sif asked with a hint of a smile on her face. This drew one from Sandor as well and it warmed Sif when she saw it.

"She wants to be a general in the queen's army. She wants to search far and wide for the best warriors and cutthroats and put them all together, with her in charge. She wants them to answer to her and her alone; she wants their loyalty," Sandor said and Sif's eyes widened.

"She wants to be a general? She wants to have her own unit?" Sif could hardly believe it. A six-year-old girl wanted to have men answer to her in combat? 

"Don't you have men to command on Asgard?" Sandor posed, slightly confused by Sif's reaction.

"No. I do not. I'm just a shield maiden. I listen to Thor's orders, and follow my instincts; that is all," Sif answered. Sandor's eyebrow, or the remnants of it, went up. 

"You only ever wanted to fight? You never wanted to lead?" he asked.

"I was lucky enough to be allowed to fight. I never actually dreamed of having more than that. But, I am happy for her. Ragna needs something that she can excel at. I fear she is envious of her brother's magic," Sif said and Sandor nodded.

"Aye. But... it's not so much jealousy as irritation. Her brother seems to have a natural talent with magic, and it makes him cocky. Ragna has trained herself long and hard, while Rhaenar... well... he doesn't. Loki lets it slide because they're still children, but things will get serious once they are a little older. Ragna is already taking it seriously though, and it bothers her that her brother doesn't," Sandor enlightened.

"She seems to be a very serious little girl for sure," Sif commented dryly. Sandor nodded and heaved a tired sigh.

"She's too serious for a child of six-years-of-age. Whenever she does show some sense of humor, it's her father's, but much worse. Almost demonic," Sandor admitted and Sif nodded. From what little she had seen of Ragna's sense of humor, it was dark. "But, deep down, she's not a bad child at all. She loves her family and I know that she cares for me too." Sif smiled at Sandor's optimism and her hand actually went out and touched his forearm.

"Since you've known her since she was an infant, I'm sure she does care for you as well," Sif affirmed. Sandor seemed transfixed by the presence of her hand on his arm. Sif and Sandor looked at each other. Her blue eyes met his dark ones and Sif felt something like a spark begin to burn deep within her. The way he looked at her... no man had ever looked at her that way. They either viewed her as a prize for her money and family's title; or they cast lustful gazes in her direction. Sandor looked at her as a fellow warrior and a co-protector of the children. Sif could tell that they were his first loves in life, but the glances he gave her were not to be ignored.

"You'll be a wonderful mother someday, Lady Sif. And any man who has you would be counted the luckiest of lords," Sandor told her. Sif's hand tightened on his arm and his larger hand came up and encompassed hers. It was rough and scarred, like the man it belonged to, but Sif found she liked it. A pale and soft hand on a man meant he had an easy life; whereas a marked and coarse hand meant hard labor and dedicated training. 

"Thank you, Ser Sandor. I hope to be worthy of the compliment," Sif answered. Sandor's lips started to turn up when they heard a rustling and caught sight of Rhaenar. The little boy looked up at them with wide, serious eyes. The collar around his neck always made Sif feel sorry for him. He was clearly depressed at having it on, and he certainly did not appear any cheerful than he had been before. "What is it, Rhaenar?" Sif asked as she pulled away from Sandor and approached him. 

"Ragna's gone." Those two words seem to freeze time for both guardians. 

"Gone?" Sandor asked, his voice surprisingly calm. 

"Gone!" Sif exclaimed, clearly more astounded by it than Sandor. She was not used to Ragna's disappearing feats. "Well, where did she go?!"

"If I can trust my instincts, I would say she went home. She went home," Rhaenar answered. Sif sprang into action instantly. She swept Rhaenar into her arms and turned to Sandor.

"Get Obara! We're leaving to go after her!" Sif ordered. Sandor nodded and darted away. Sif held Rhaenar tightly to her and whispered, "We'll find her. We'll get her back."

"If she doesn't want to be found by you, she won't be found by you," her twin responded seriously. And the painful part was, Sif believed him.