Discovery
The next few days passed uneventfully, for which we were all extremely thankful. Aizerue was resolved that the negotiations continue successfully, and returned to work with determined patience. Malalik decided not to issue me a third set of armor, and instead had Scathsa graft a strong warding spell onto me, along with bolstering the pattern I’d already worn to make maintaining the illusion of armor or clothing easier for me to maintain over long stretches of time.
The palace inhabitants seemed to be in a state of mourning. Conversations were subdued, there was little laughter in the dining halls, and even the guards marched with less flash and clatter than before. We were wary of a backlash of sentiment among the Aesir. Thor was a popular figure, and the fact that we had been involved in his banishment in any way could be enough to upset people, but Sif and Frigga both made several public and private statements of support for us, which did much to defuse resentment.
Odin himself virtually vanished after the banishment. He made a few very brief appearances, but spent the majority of his time in his private quarters, with Frigga taking up most of his duties. Daucus guessed that he was preparing for eldersleep, the period of near-comatose rest that older Aesir needed on a regular basis to restore their vigor. Loki still attended the conferences, but he seemed quieter and more distracted than usual, presumably due to his own increased workload as the now official heir to the throne.
Then one morning, Loki arrived late for the negotiations and said that he needed to speak with our delegation urgently, and privately. The Aesir delegates left the room, and we guards were called in. As soon as the doors were closed, he said without preamble, “Tyr may be missing.”
Aesir would have exploded into conversation. We fell still and silent, watching each others’ auras and instinctively scanning the area for aetheric threats. It was several seconds before Aizerue could compose emself enough to speak. “Please explain,” e said, with just the slightest rumbling growl to eir voice.
“When the ravens were sent to check and reinforce the wards, they discovered an irregularity in the spells set up around the site. They’re connected directly to Odin, and when he inspected it he didn’t think the wards had been broken.” Loki clasped his hands behind his back as he spoke, matching Aizerue’s calm. “But he sent a squad of guards to investigate, just to make sure. They returned with several badly wounded members, and reported that as far as they could tell, there was nobody in the area. However, several aetheric traps have been set, and none of them had the skill to defuse them.”
“And I suppose Odin wants to send my people into danger, rather than risking more Aesir guards,” Aizerue snarled. Daucus stepped forward, but Loki was already shaking his head.
“The wards set on the premises are keyed only to respond to the royal family of Asgard,” he said. “I would appreciate any assistance you could lend, but I will be present, as both Odin and Frigga are required to remain here.”
All of us were watching Loki’s aura closely, but there was no trace of golden curls. Aizerue closed eir eyes, breathing deeply, then nodded to Daucus before turning away.
Daucus bowed to Loki. “We will send Scathsa with you, who is an expert on wards and security systems,” hie said. “And Sigyn, since you have been working with zir for some time.”
Scathsa stepped forward, and Loki nodded at us. “Thank you. Unless either of you have any equipment you want to bring, we should leave immediately.” We turned to the door, but Aizerue intercepted us, staring pointedly at Loki.
“Do not presume too far upon our natural sympathy for your kind,” e said quietly. “You have given us reason to believe you are an ally—but which way will you turn, when the choice must be made between your family and your nature?”
Before the Jotun could answer, Aizerue swept out of the room with Daucus and the other two guards in tow. Loki stared after them for a moment, then turned to me. “What was that about?”
I sighed and shook my head. “Things have been happening so quickly—I think it’s getting to eir more than e wants to admit. I apologize if e caused any offense.”
Loki studied my face, then nodded. “No offense was taken,” he said, then shrugged. “A bit of confusion, but that can wait. Let us be off.”
The three of us hustled to the nearest open balcony. Before Loki could bring out his whistle, Scathsa and I had changed into our native forms. “If we’re in a hurry, we’d rather not wait,” I said, settling on the floor as Scathsa perched on the balcony with eir wings spread. “The extra weight will be easy for me to handle when we’re not under attack.”
I turned back to look at Loki, who was standing by my side, looking uncertain. I puffed out a breath and smirked at him. “It can’t be that different from riding a horse,” I teased.
He laughed, relaxing a little, then climbed awkwardly onto my back. I winced as he gripped my ruff, but he quickly settled into a position that was as minimally uncomfortable as it was likely to get. “I’m ready,” he told me.
Scathsa launched off the balcony as I walked up to the edge. I didn’t pause to give Loki time to get nervous before I jumped.
For a moment I worried that I’d spoken too soon when I’d said I could handle the extra burden, feeling the strain in my wings as I struggled to lift both our bodies. A weaving of weghtlessness coiled around me, and in a few seconds I was rising, grateful for Scathsa’s assistance.
We circled to the other side of the palace, then made straight for the Bifrost gate with a burst of aetherically-enhanced speed. Loki’s grip on my neck was tight, but I could hear him laughing in the wind that whipped past us as we raced low across the water.
A lone figure stood on the bridge waiting for us as we backwinged to land on the crystalline walkway. He watched, impassive and immobile, as Loki slid off my back and Scathsa and I returned to our Aesir guard forms and bowed respectfully.
“They have agreed to accompany me to Svartalfheim,” Loki said, gesturing to us. “Have you seen anything we should be aware of?”
“There has been no movement that I could detect at the site of Tyr’s exile,” Heimdall replied. I startled slightly at the resonance of his voice, which seemed much better suited for a dragon twice his size than for any Aesir, and once again wondered at the extent of his powers as he led us into the gatehouse. “Or anywhere else on the world.”
“Could you put us down a ways away from the confinement site?” Scathsa asked. “It would be helpful to get a sense of the larger patterns, and see if there’s any traces leading away from the area.”
“Very well.” Heimdall stepped onto the platform and inserted his sword into its podium as we gathered in front of the gate. Power flickered across the room, the mechanism gathering force for its tremendous discharge.
Loki glanced at me with a smirk. “And for your information, that was nothing like riding a horse,” he said, just before the portal opened and we were pulled through.