Chapter 30
My spirits were somewhat lifted after this conversation and I challenged them to a race. We sprinted over the fields like madmen and actually laughed the whole time. I really needed some fun after the last few days. It took us about 3 hours to reach the estate of Lord Treyu, by then I had managed to somewhat clear my mind and get to terms with my breakup. My mood was a lot lighter and I felt refreshed from the time outdoor. As we arrived Thor and Loki did most of the talking. They had a proclamation from the king that explained who we were and why we were there. The housekeeper was a nice and agreeable older woman who clearly was distressed over what had happened to the family. She gave us free reign of the estate and promised to help us as much as she could. There were guards already at the house, sent by king Merinor when the alarming news had first reached him. They informed us of what they had found when they had first arrived. Before we could start our investigation the housekeeper swept us all into her kitchen for a late lunch. Which I really didn’t mind, the ride and stress had given me quite the appetite. After lunch we discussed what our next course of action would be. It was Loki who took the lead in the investigation and Thor and I didn’t mind. The consensus was that we should inspect the bodies and question the staff, but Loki was torn between the two seeing as he wanted to be there for both.
“Loki, how about you take care of the bodies and crime scene.” I suggested. “You are the only one who can d
My spirits lifted somewhat after our conversation, and I challenged them to a race. We sprinted across the fields like madmen, laughing the entire time. It was exactly the kind of fun I needed after the past few days. By the time we reached Lord Treyu's estate, three hours had passed. I had managed to clear my mind and come to terms with my breakup, though I still hadn't fully processed how it had unfolded. My mood was lighter, and the time spent outdoors left me feeling refreshed.
Upon arrival, Thor and Loki did most of the talking. They presented a proclamation from the king, explaining who we were and why we were there. The housekeeper, a kind and agreeable older woman, clearly felt distressed over what had happened to the family. She gave us free rein of the estate and promised to assist us however she could. Guards had already been stationed at the house, sent by King Merinor when the alarming news first reached him. They briefed us on their findings when they first arrived.
Before we could begin our investigation, the housekeeper ushered us into her kitchen for a late lunch, which I didn't mind at all. The ride and stress had certainly given me a appetite. After lunch, we discussed our next course of action. Loki naturally took the lead in the investigation, with Thor and I following his guidance. The plan was to inspect the bodies and question the staff, but Loki seemed torn between the two, wanting to be there for both aspects.
“Loki, how about you handle the bodies and the crime scene?” I suggested. “You are the only one who can detect and trace any lingering magic. I’ll accompany Thor as he speaks with the staff. With my abilities, we should be able to manage the interrogation. If we find anyone suspicious, we can flag them for a second interview with you present.”
Loki nodded. “Yes, that seems wise. But if you do find anyone suspicious, do not let them leave. Keep them in a separate room under guard. We do not want anyone disappearing on us.”
We split up to carry out our tasks. I had envisioned interrogating people as exciting, but soon realized how tedious it really was. It became an endless loop of the same questions with different faces. At times, the tension in the air would shift, and I could feel people becoming uneasy or threatened. When that happened, I’d signal Thor, who would refine his questions to try and uncover more, but it didn’t bring us any closer to finding the killer. In the end, we uncovered a few confessions of petty theft and minor infractions, but nothing that pointed to the culprit.
As the hours dragged on, I grew tired and hungry. We didn’t want to interrupt the interrogations to eat or rest. We wanted to finish quickly, ensuring no one had a chance to slip away. Eventually, we had questioned all but one servant: a chambermaid who cleaned the Lord and Lady’s bedchambers. She was missing, though the staff assured us it wasn’t unusual. Apparently, she had a fiancé in town and was known to sneak away when not needed. We’d check on her the next day.
The housekeeper ushered us into a small dining room for a late dinner, and not before long, Loki joined us.
As we updated him on the missing chambermaid, he frowned. “We will need to track her down tomorrow.”
I nodded. “Yes, she’s the only loose end. The rest of the staff mostly told the truth. Those who didn’t had other reasons for lying. We uncovered a few petty thefts and two servants who’ve been sneaking off to be together.”
I noticed the dark circles under Loki’s eyes. He looked exhausted. He must’ve used a lot of Seiðr today. I hoped I’d have a chance to replenish him before we went to sleep.
“Brother, what did you find?” Thor asked as we continued our meal.
Loki waved his hand, and a rush of magic swept through the room.
“I have sealed the room so no one can listen in,” Loki said, answering my question before I could ask. “I have examined the bodies of the Lord and Lady. Honestly, it was quite disturbing.” He sighed. “From the outside, there was nothing unusual, but what I found inside... It’s enough to make my stomach turn. They have been severely tortured with dark magic before they died. I suspect the perpetrator could not get the information they wanted and resorted to extracting it by force. I will not get into the details, but whatever was done to them, it was excruciating. The magic used was incredibly dark. I can still feel traces of it down here. In their room, it is almost overwhelming.”
“Maybe the thief couldn’t enter the vault?” I suggested. “I remember several of the staff mentioning they couldn’t be the thief since they couldn’t access the vault. From what they told us, it seems to be warded so only Lord Treyu and his wife could enter.”
Loki frowned, clearly deep in thought. “I did inspect the vault. It is still full of items, and as far as I can tell, only the gems are missing. If what you say about the wards is true, though, that certainly complicates things.” He sighed again. “There was a faint trace of magic in the vault, but I was not blocked from entering. I assumed the trace was from a series of basic warding spells. Those are commonly used and only alert you when someone breaches the vault. They are simple to place and maintain, and also quite easy to drain. If you trip the ward repeatedly, it eventually depletes. They are effective, but any thief would avoid tripping them too often, as it would draw attention. But if the ward around the vault is more complex, then it would be far harder to drain.”
He paused, looking thoughtful. “These kinds of wards are not only difficult to place, but they require a large Seiðr reserve to maintain. The wards are designed to last a long time, reinforced on a regular basis. To access the vault, you would need to be a Seiðr user yourself. I know for a fact that Lord Treyu and his wife were both Seiðr users. These types of wards are meant to last, and they are designed to prevent depletion with repeated attacks.”
I could see Loki deep in thought, and Thor and I quietly waited for him to ponder.
After a while, Loki spoke up. "They must have found a way to sabotage the restocking of the ward." He paused, brow furrowed. "I can only assume it was already severely depleted before they attempted anything. It would not be possible to drain it so much otherwise." He shook his head in frustration. "But then, why the torture? What did they have to gain from that, if not entrance to the vault?"
Loki’s voice lingered on the question, his speculation drifting in the air.
It was Thor who suddenly slammed his hand on the table, as if a light had gone off in his mind. "Brother," he began, "we know this thief has several items that can store great quantities of magic. Could they have been used to drain a ward?"
Loki met his brother's gaze, and I saw the wheels turning in his mind.
"You might be onto something," Loki admitted, his voice softening with realization. "We know the victims were tortured, and the most likely reason for that torture was to gain access to the vault. If the wards had already been weakened, there would have been no need to torture them. Once the thief gained access to the vault, inside, it would have been possible to drain the wards using one or more vessels of power."
I couldn’t shake the growing unease. "But why murder them?" I asked, my voice tinged with confusion. "I understand the theft, but once they’ve gained access to the vault, why kill them too? And why steal such specific items while leaving the rest of value behind?"
Loki sighed, rubbing his temple as if the question frustrated him. "I agree. Why take only the gems and leave everything else? There's still a fortune in that vault. If it was money they were after, why leave the rest behind? Also, why refill the vessels of power? That means the vessels were drained, which not only suggests all that power was used for something, but also hints that they need even more power for something else."
We all fell silent after that, each of us lost in our thoughts, trying to piece together the puzzle with the limited information we had. But it was still too early to make any conclusions.
"Tomorrow, we must focus on finding that chambermaid," Loki said, breaking the silence. We all nodded in agreement. "She is the only one with a direct connection to both the bedchamber and the vault that we have not questioned yet."
We finished our meal, and the housekeeper showed us to our rooms. Loki had requested we be housed in the servant quarters, far from the lingering dark magic near the more luxurious rooms. She apologized profusely about the size and simplicity of the rooms, but we reassured her that it was more than fine. Thor had stationed King Merinor's men on a rotating shift outside our doors, ensuring our security. Our rooms were situated at the end of a hallway, making them easy to guard, but Loki still placed some extra wards for added safety.
While I appreciated all the precautions, it did give me the creeps. The fact that we had to be so guarded only meant one thing: we weren't safe. It hadn't occurred to me until now that the murderer might return, or worse—could still be hiding in the house. I pushed the chilling thought aside as I wished Thor and Loki goodnight and entered my room.
The room was tiny—nothing but a large bed, a simple chair, and a balcony. It was clearly meant for sleeping and little else. I washed quickly and put on my nightgown. As I climbed into bed, I felt a sudden, cold chill in the air, and I couldn’t help but shiver. There was something wrong. It almost felt like pure evil was in the house, but I couldn’t pinpoint the source—it surrounded me, suffocatingly.
I immediately focused on my link with Loki. “Loki, something’s wrong. Can you sense what I’m feeling?”
His response came swiftly. “Yes, I do not like the feeling either. Do not be alarmed—I will teleport into your room now.”
Within moments, Loki was in my room, checking every corner. But nothing seemed out of place. Even with him near me, the strange feeling remained.
"Loki, I don’t like this," I admitted. "Even with you here, I still feel something's off. Are you sure Thor is safe?"
Loki's face was full of shock, and I could feel his worry through our connection. “I’ll go check on him.” He turned to leave.
“No, wait,” I said, rushing toward him. I wrapped my arms around him quickly. “I know you're exhausted. Take some of my Seiðr and teleport to Thor, then bring him back here. We don’t want to alert whatever it is. Let them think we're separated in three rooms. Just bring Thor here, and we’ll stay together.”
“That’s a good idea,” Loki agreed, wrapping his arms around me in return.
I felt his energy flow into mine, the familiar warmth of the Seiðr transferring effortlessly between us. This time, I could feel the energy exchange—neither painful nor uncomfortable. It was clear that Loki had become very comfortable with this process. He knew exactly how much and how quickly he could transfer Seiðr between us.
As I looked up, I saw his expression lighten, his energy replenished. “Thank you,” he said softly, stepping back and vanishing as quickly as he had appeared.
Left alone with my unsettling feelings, I paced the room. After a few minutes, I felt a familiar tingle of magic behind me. I turned, and there they were—Loki and Thor. Instantly, the weird sensation began to dissipate. It was as if the tension and darkness that had clung to me were now gone.
“This is good,” I said to both of them. “The creepy feeling has almost completely vanished. It's still lingering in the back of my mind, but it doesn’t give me the chills anymore.”
“Sister, your abilities are remarkable,” Thor said as he placed his belongings down on the small chair in my room. “I must say, I am almost envious of them. It is an incredible advantage for a warrior to sense incoming danger.”
I smiled at him. “That I can imagine, but it’s not as nice to feel your enemies' pain as you fight them.” I grinned wryly.
Thor nodded. “Ah, yes. That would be a huge downside indeed.”
I could feel him and Loki scanning the room, unsure of where to settle. Thor had brought his sleeping gear, but the floor was too small for someone of his size to sleep on. If needed, I could sleep on the floor, as I was the smallest of us all. I sensed their discomfort with the situation, and I couldn’t help but giggle. We had been sleeping near each other for days while traveling outside, but now, in the small room, it made them uneasy.
“You both know I can feel your unease, right?” I grinned at them. “The bed is large enough for the three of us, and I don’t mind sharing. If you don’t want to share with me, that's fine. You both share the bed, and I’ll take the floor, since I’m the smallest.”
I knew Loki wouldn’t have any trouble with us sharing a bed, but I didn’t want Thor to know that it was a normal thing for us.
Thor looked at me sheepishly. “Aurora, we do not want to impose. While we would never do anything to harm you, please do not feel obligated to share your bed with us. I will never dream of asking you to sleep on the floor. Loki and I have slept in far worse circumstances. We would really not mind sitting on the floor for the night.”
I smiled warmly at him. “Thor, you are my big brother, and Loki is my best friend. I won’t ever let you sleep uncomfortably when there is a bed big enough for the three of us. Just promise me you won’t squish me in my sleep or snore like Volstagg, and we’re fine.”
Thor smiled at my words. “That, my sister, I can promise.” He grinned.
They both set their weapons on either side of the bed—Thor taking the side closest to the door, and Loki choosing the balcony side. Honestly, I was relieved to have them both nearby in this creepy house. I climbed into the center of the bed and got comfortable.
Thor headed to the bathroom to change into his sleeping clothes, while Loki just magicked his on. With a flick of his fingers, he conjured another blanket and tossed it onto Thor’s side of the bed.
“Thor tends to hug the covers,” he said with a grin, adjusting the bedding so Thor had a separate blanket from ours.
When Thor came out and noticed the extra blanket, he smiled. “My brother knows me too well.” He gave a soft chuckle and got into bed.
Thor was a lot bigger, so I scooted over toward Loki to give him more space. Loki moved to lie beside me, taking his place on the bed. I’d been right—there was enough room for the three of us, especially once Thor rolled over to face us.
I did my best to relax. The weird feeling from earlier had mostly faded, and I had not one, but two warriors at either side. I took a few slow breaths and closed my eyes. Thor and Loki talked softly beside me, their voices fading as I drifted off to sleep.
At some point in the night, I jolted awake—disoriented. I was lying on my side, facing Thor. I could feel Loki’s arms wrapped around me, his body pressed against my back. At some point, he must’ve pulled me close. The chill had returned, and every hair on my neck and arms stood up.
I nudged Loki, but he didn’t wake. I was about to nudge him again when the chill vanished—along with the strange, crawling feeling that had woken me. I stayed awake for a while, just in case it returned, but eventually, my eyes grew heavy again.
I woke the next morning to muffled sounds I couldn’t place. As I opened my eyes, I found myself curled against Loki’s chest. He was lying on his side, watching me.
“Morning,” he said with a smile.
I couldn’t help but smile back. There was still a muffled sound coming from the bathroom, and when I glanced over, I saw Thor’s side of the bed was empty. I shifted, trying to put a bit of space between Loki and me before Thor came back, but Loki didn’t let me go.
“Do not worry. Thor has already seen us sleep like this. He understands we are best friends, and he shall not be the cause of any rumors. He would never do such a thing to me—especially in a situation like this, where we were required to share a bed. Now that he has declared you his sister, he would never do anything to harm your reputation either.”
I relaxed a little. I’d been worried Thor might get the wrong idea about me and Loki. After everything that happened with Muriel, I seriously needed a break from relationship drama.
Thor emerged from the bathroom and smiled when he saw I was awake.
“Good morning, sister. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I slept very well,” I admitted, turning in Loki’s arms to face him. “Who wouldn’t, when protected by the two most fierce warriors in all of Asgard?”
Thor’s face lit up with the compliment.
Loki leaned close, whispering just loud enough for Thor to hear, “If you keep up complimenting him like that, Sif might have a reason to get jealous.”
I shoved my elbow back—harder than necessary—and heard a soft grunt from Loki as I caught him in the ribs.
Thor laughed loudly. “I think you have finally met your match, brother. I would be careful not to anger her.”
“I noticed,” Loki said with a slight pout, though I could feel he was joking. “It seems she is quite protective of her friends.”
We all laughed, and then Loki and I climbed out of bed. We took some time to get ready, and Loki transported both himself and Thor back to their own rooms. A few moments later, they knocked on my door, and we headed downstairs for breakfast.
After we ate, we decided to check out the village to search for the chambermaid and her fiancé. We rode into town and were directed to a nearby farm owned by the man in question. As we approached, we saw him in the fields, herding cattle.
He looked a little spooked at our arrival—not that I blamed him. It had to be strange to have three clearly noble strangers ride onto your land for no obvious reason.
Loki motioned for us to wait, dismounted Lady, and approached the man. They spoke briefly, and suddenly I was overwhelmed with a spike of intense fear.
It wasn’t mine—it came from the man.
Loki returned with a deep frown etched into his face.
“He has not seen his fiancée in the last few days. He expected her yesterday, but assumed she had been delayed at work. He is going to fetch his horse. It appears she normally takes a shortcut through the woods, rather than using the road we traveled. He fears something may have happened to her.”
As Loki mounted Lady, I saw the man approaching us on horseback.
“My prince and princess,” he said with a nervous bow, “my name is Andall. I am certain my fiancée Aliona has nothing to do with the dreadful business that befell the Lord and Lady. As promised, I will show you the road she takes when coming to visit me.”
He was clearly worried, his concern radiating from him like heat.
“It’s nice to meet you, Andall,” I said in what I hoped was a calming voice. “I’m sure Aliona has nothing to do with any of this. Right now, our first priority is to find her and make sure she’s alright.”
And I could feel his gratitude surge in response to my words.
“Please, Andall, let us begin the search,” Thor said. That was all the encouragement Andall needed. He turned and spurred his horse into a gallop toward the woods.
We followed at a slower pace, keeping our eyes peeled for any sign of Aliona. Andall told us she usually reached his farm within an hour on foot. Loki and Thor scanned the area for tracks, but we had found nothing after ten minutes.
Twenty minutes into the woods, Loki held up a hand and signaled us to stop. We dismounted as he pointed toward something just off the road.
“Look there,” he said.
I followed his gesture and spotted clear footprints in the moist forest floor. They were small and distinct—but they veered off the main path, heading deeper into the trees.
We tried to follow them, but the underbrush got thicker. More and more of the tracks were obscured or erased by those of small animals.
Thor glanced at Andall. “Is it normal for Aliona to leave the path?”
Andall shook his head. “No,” he said quietly.
We did our best to follow what little trail remained, but eventually the footprints disappeared completely. I tried to focus, reaching out with my senses, but I felt nothing beyond the emotions of the animals around us.
“Other than a few animals, I do not feel anyone nearby,” I told Loki through the bond, watching his frown deepen.
“I think we should fan out,” he said decisively. “We know she was here, but the animals have compromised the trail too much to follow. If we spread out—staying within shouting distance—we may rediscover her tracks. Do not stray too far from one another, or we risk missing something important.”
We all nodded and followed Loki’s instructions. I wasn’t exactly a tracker, but I scanned the forest floor as carefully as I could. At least I could tell the difference between human footprints and animal tracks.
Loki was off to my right, Andall to my left, and Thor a little farther past him. I could still sense their presence—but there was nothing else. No trace of anyone unfamiliar. It was creeping me out. If she were nearby, I’d feel something… wouldn’t I?
We searched for what felt like a long time. I couldn’t see Loki or Andall anymore, but their emotional presence hovered in the distance, reassuring me that I hadn’t wandered too far. We were deep into the forest now, and up ahead, I spotted a pond. To get around it, I had to cross over more toward Loki’s side of the woods.
It was a beautiful pond—almost eerily so. The water was clear, and I could see tiny fish and animals beneath the surface. Vibrantly colored flowers floated lazily across the top, and I caught myself slowing down just to look at them.
The pond wasn’t particularly large, just oddly shaped—and deep. Very deep. I was halfway around when something near the edge caught my eye. A flicker of movement in the water—something pale and soft, swaying gently beneath the surface.
Fabric.
I froze, staring. The way the fabric moved was mesmerizing, and for a second, I forgot to breathe. I stepped closer, squinting—and then the water shifted.
A female Elven face stared back at me from beneath the surface.
I slapped both hands over my mouth to keep from screaming. Her expression looked… serene. Like she was simply sleeping.
But she wasn’t.
A surge of adrenaline shot through me, and before I knew it, I was in the water. The cold slammed into me like a wall—sharp and biting. My leather outfit offered no protection, and I started to shiver almost instantly. She was deeper beneath the surface than I had thought, and I dove after her without hesitation.
I managed to grab her under the arms, but she wouldn’t budge. I surfaced for air and dove again. That’s when I saw it—a rope tied around her waist, anchoring her down. No wonder I couldn’t lift her.
I struggled with the knot, but my fingers were numb and slow from the cold. I focused and chanted the fire spell in my head, snapping the rope with a flash of magic.
She rose immediately.
I broke the surface gasping and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her toward the bank. Despite her soaked dress, she was surprisingly light. I gently laid her down on the shore and brushed the wet hair from her face, blinking back the tears stinging my eyes.
If this was Aliona, it would shatter Andall.
Shivering uncontrollably, I tried to call out for the others, but the cold and emotion had locked up my throat. I reached through the bond instead.
"Loki, please get the others and come to my location. I was to your left. I found a small pond, and in it… an Elven woman. She was tied underwater. She is dead, but I managed to get her out. I fear it is Aliona."
His shock hit me instantly, and I heard him shouting for Thor and Andall in the distance. Seconds later, pounding footsteps echoed through the trees.
Loki reached me first. I looked up at him as a rush of magic washed over me, drying my clothes and hair. I was still freezing, but my enchanted outfit would take care of that soon enough.
Before I could say anything, Thor and Andall burst through the trees.
The moment Andall laid eyes on the woman, I knew.
It was Aliona.
A tidal wave of anguish and heartbreak surged from him, and he let out a guttural, heart-wrenching cry. He ran to her and collapsed, gripping her limp body and sobbing as he held her to his chest.
Loki and I stepped back to give him space to grieve. He wrapped his arms around me, another wave of warming magic brushing over my skin. Gently, he pulled away and glanced at the pond.
I knew what he needed.
I silently took his hand and led him to the edge, pointing to the rope still floating under the surface. With a motion of his hand, Loki summoned the rope—and the heavy boulder it had been tied to—out of the water and onto the forest floor.
He went over to examine them, but I couldn’t bring myself to follow. Andall’s grief was overwhelming, fogging up my mind and drowning everything else out.
Thor must’ve sensed it. He walked over and steadied me with an arm around my shoulders. We stood like that in silence until Loki finished inspecting the rope, the rock, and the area around the pond. The grim look on his face said everything.
He had found nothing.
Thor gave me a gentle squeeze, and I looked up at him.
“Sister, are you well enough for the moment?”
I nodded. He released me gently and walked over to Andall, who had finally stopped crying. Thor knelt beside him, speaking softly, eventually persuading him to let go of Aliona’s body.
He made a vow then—that he would find whoever had done this.
Andall’s pain turned to rage, flaring hot and sharp as he realized she’d been murdered. Thor gently convinced him to lead the way back to the village so they could get help and retrieve her body.
I hated to admit it, but I was relieved when they left. The further away they got, the more my mind cleared.
“How did she die?” I asked hoarsely, watching as Loki knelt beside Aliona’s body.
He’d waited until Andall was gone. His hands hovered over her, magic whispering in the air as it moved. I saw the frown on his face deepen as he repeated the spell a second time.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Loki shook his head and moved toward me. “The inside of her body feels the same as Lord Treyu’s did. With him, the trace of dark magic was still strong. But with Aliona... it is nearly gone. She died long before Lord Treyu and his wife.”
I blinked. “But several servants told us they saw her after the murder. She was accounted for until we arrived to investigate.”
Loki nodded slowly. “Yes. She vanished when we arrived.” He looked back at the body. “But this woman has been dead for days. Perhaps a week. I believe the thief tortured her and then used an illusion to pose as her. The only reason her body looks untouched is due to preservation magic. If we had not found her today, that magic would have dissolved, and the animals would have ensured she was never found.”
A chill rippled down my spine.
“So… there was an imposter? Someone used magic to look like Aliona?”
“Yes,” Loki said grimly. “Our magical thief can cast powerful illusions. The servants did not notice the difference. It seems the thief worked among them both before and after the murders.”
I looked back at Aliona’s body, fear curling in my chest.
I frowned. “Something about this doesn’t add up. You said Lord Treyu and his wife were Seiðr users, right?”
He nodded.
“Then wouldn’t they have felt someone wearing an illusion in their home? It’s one of the first things you taught me—and it’s basic.”
Loki tilted his head, clearly considering my words. “You believe the thief did not use an illusion?”
“I think… if I were the thief, and I had access to magical vessels and power, I wouldn’t risk a detectable illusion. I’d transform myself. Like when you shift forms. If I saw you as a woman without witnessing the change, I’d never know magic was involved.”
Loki’s frown deepened. “You make a strong point. Although… my female form is still me. To shapeshift into someone else entirely is nearly impossible, because—”
His voice faltered, and I saw his eyes widen as they snapped back to Aliona’s body.
“The preservation magic,” he said sharply. “That is why her body was kept intact in the pond. As long as her mortal form remained undamaged, the thief could continue to use it. This is not illusion—it is dark magic. A twisted form of shapeshifting, powered by blood magic… and sacrifice.”
He took a breath, gaze fixed on her.
“As long as her body remained whole, the Seiðr user could take her likeness without difficulty. And dark magic—especially of this kind—is far harder to detect when you do not know what you are looking for. Lord Treyu and his wife would never have sensed the blood magic beneath the disguise.”
A heavy silence settled between us.
I stared at Aliona, the weight of it all pressing down on my chest.
So many lives lost—for nothing more than greed and power.
“Are you alright?” Loki asked as he noticed the look on my face while I stared at Aliona’s body.
“I’m fine,” I sighed. “Just… raw. I felt all of Andall’s grief, pain, and love for her. It overwhelmed me. It’s heartbreaking, and to think it’s all because someone wanted to steal something.” I wrapped my arms around myself. I wasn’t cold—my clothes kept the chill out, and Loki’s magic had already warmed me—but I still felt drained. Tired. Hollow.
Loki stepped closer and pulled me gently into his arms.
“I am sorry you had to feel his grief, Aurora,” he murmured. “It was difficult enough to watch. I can only imagine how much worse it must have been to feel it.”
I stayed in his arms, letting his comfort soften the sharp edges inside me. We stood like that until Loki’s head turned, his eyes catching something in the distance. A moment later, Thor emerged through the trees with a few men following behind.
Thor explained that after they reached the village, Andall had collapsed in grief. Thor had seen to it that his family took care of him and then gathered a few men and the undertaker to return with him.
Loki and Thor spoke with the undertaker, handling what needed to be arranged, and afterward, the three of us rode back to the manor in silence. It was late afternoon when we arrived. Thor and Loki informed the staff of Aliona’s death. It seemed she was well liked—loved, even. The news struck them hard.
We had a simple, informal dinner, and not long after, we left for the palace.
The ride back was quiet and uneventful. Once we arrived, we were greeted by Sif and the Warriors Three. They invited us to go into town for a drink, but I declined. All I wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep.
Loki also declined, while Thor accepted and went with them. As Loki and I walked the quiet corridors toward our rooms, I felt a familiar unease settle in my chest. Sadness lingered—and something else. A nervous twist. I didn’t want anyone overhearing, so I focused on our bond.
“Loki, can you sleep with me tonight? I think we both could use the comfort of a good night’s rest.”
I felt his hesitation before he even answered, and honestly, it surprised me. So did the rush of embarrassment I felt ripple through the bond from his end. He glanced at me with a rueful smile.
“Forgive me, Aurora. I truly wish we could. But I… I am having a dream tonight.”
I blinked at him, remembering instantly. He could feel the connection as my thoughts caught up.
“I do not think it wise for us to share a bed while I experience it,” he said, and I noticed the faint blush creeping up his neck.
“Loki, I’m sorry,” I said softly, slipping my arm through his as we walked. “With everything going on—and no dreams last night—I completely forgot.”
But I remembered now. Tomorrow night, after the festival, would be my final dream. First it would be Loki and me—or Yrissa—and then Yrissa and Muriel.
And I’d be sharing a room with Loki.
He must have followed the thread of my thoughts because I felt a gentle squeeze on my arm.
“Tomorrow, we shall both be dreaming. I am confident we will not notice each other while within them. And if I wake after the first part, I shall leave the bed and wait in the bathroom until your dream ends. That way, you need not feel embarrassed.”
“You’ve already thought about this,” I said with a small smile, and he nodded.
“Thank you, Loki. For thinking ahead. For always trying to spare me any awkwardness. I know I’ve said it before, but… I’m so glad we’re friends. I don’t think I could’ve made it through the last few months without you.”
A warm feeling surged between us—deeper than I’d felt before. He didn’t say a word, but I didn’t need him to. I could feel it. I was just as important to him as he was to me.
We reached my door, and after a quiet goodbye, I stepped inside.
The elder woman was already waiting for me.
“Good evening, my princess. How may I assist you tonight?” she asked as she followed me toward the bedroom.
“Is there anything you can give me to help me sleep?” I asked. “It’s been a rough few days, and I’m worried I might have nightmares.”
I felt her sympathy before she even spoke.
“I will prepare a warm drink with herbs that will ease your sleep. They may keep you asleep longer, but they will assure it is restful,” she said with a bow.
“That would be perfect,” I replied, and she left the room.
While she was gone, I changed into my nightgown with a flick of magic. A few minutes later, she returned with the drink. I accepted it gratefully—it was warm, soothing, and had a broth-like flavor. Within moments, I felt drowsiness begin to creep in.
The elder woman helped me into bed.
“I will wake you before midday tomorrow and have lunch brought to your room. The rest of the time will be needed to prepare you for the festival.”
With that, she gave a final bow and left the room.
And I drifted into sleep.
etect and possibly trace any magic left behind. I will accompany Thor as he speaks with the staff. With my abilities I think we can manage between the two of us. We can always flag the ones we don’t trust for a second interview where you will be present.”
Loki nodded. “Yes, I think that is wise, but if you do find any of them suspicious, don’t let them leave. Put them in a separate room under guard, we don’t want to have them disappear on us.”
We nodded and went our separate ways. I had this exiting vision in my mind of interrogating people, but I soon realized that it was actually really dull. It was an endless repetition of the same questions but with different people. Sometimes it took a interesting turn when I felt them getting spooked or threatened. I would signal Thor and he would refine his questions to try and hone in on the reason, but it didn’t lead to the killer. In the end we had a few confessions of petty theft and other small stuff like that, but nothing pointing us towards the killer.
It was getting quite late and I was getting tired and hungry. We didn’t want to interrupt the interrogations to get something to eat or rest. We wanted to complete it as fast as we could, to make sure none of them had a chance to disappear. Finally we interrogated all but one of the servant, a chambermaid that cleaned the Lord and Ladies bedchambers. It appeared she was unaccounted for, though the rest of the staff assured us that this wasn’t abnormal. She had a fiancée intown and she was known to sneak off when she wasn’t needed to go and see him. We would make sure to check on her tomorrow.
The housekeeper ushered us into a small dining room for a late dinner and not much later Loki also joined.
As we told him about the chambermaid and he frowned. “We will have to see if we can track her down tomorrow.”
I nodded. “Yeah, she’s the only loose end right now. The rest of the staff were mostly telling the truth. The ones who weren’t had other reasons for lying. We uncovered a few petty thefts and two servants who’ve been sneaking off to get together.” I noticed the dark circles under Loki’s eyes, he looked exhausted. He must have used a lot of Seidr today. I hoped I would get a chance to replenish him before we went to sleep.
“Brother what did you find?” Thor asked as we ate our dinner.
Loki waved his hand and there was a rush of magic trough the room.
“I’ve sealed the room so no one can listen in.” Loki said to answer my question before I could even ask. “I’ve examined the bodies of the Lord and Lady, to be honest it was quite disturbing.” He sighed. “From the outside there was nothing wrong with them, it was what is on the inside that makes it very disturbing. From what I’ve been able to see with my magic was enough to make my stomach turn. They have been severely tortured with dark magic before they died. I have reason to believe the perpetrator couldn’t find what he or she was looking for and extracted the information from them by force. I will spare you the detail of what was done to them, but it had the be excruciating. The magic used was so very dark. I can still feel traces of it down here, in their room it was very overwhelming.”
“Maybe the thief couldn’t enter the vault?” I speculated. “I remember that several of the staff commented that they couldn’t be the thief, since they couldn’t enter the vault even if they had wanted to. From what they told us it seems to be warded so only Lord Treyu and his wide could enter.”
I could see Loki frown. “I did inspect the vault, it’s still full of items and as far as I can tell only the gems are missing. If what you say about the wards is true though, it most certainly does complicate things.” He sighed. “There was a faint trace of magic in the vault but I wasn’t blocked from entering it. I had assumed the trace to be from a series of basic warding spells. Those basic warding spells are commonly used and will only alarm and draw attention to the vault when breached by an intruder. They very commonly used, easy to place and maintain but more so quite simple to drain. You just trip the ward repeatedly and in the end the ward is drained. Their quite effective, any thief would never trip those wards repeatedly. It would only draw attention to the vault and the perpetrator and get them caught. But if what you say is true, then the ward surrounding the vault was a very complex one. If it repelled everyone except Lord Treyu and his wife it would be very hard to drain. They are not only quite difficult to place, but would have a enormous Seidr reserve in place to prevent them from running out. To access the vault you would have to be a Seidr user yourself. I know for a fact that Lord Treyu and his wise both were. These type of wards are meant to last a long time and usually are reinforced with extra Seidr on a monthly schedule. It would be impossible to drain the ward in such a short time for it to only leave this kind of trace. It would simply be to much Seidr for any one magic user to store or channel. Unlike the simple wards, these kind are specially design so that they don’t deplete with repeated attacks.”
I could see him think deeply and Thor and I left him to ponder while we silently ate.
“They must have found away to sabotage the restocking of the ward.” Loki said aloud after some time. “I can only assume it was already severely depleted before they even tried anything. It wouldn’t be possible to drain it this much.” But Loki shook his head. “Although, then why the torture? What did he have to gain from that, if not entrance to the vault?” Loki speculated aloud.
It was Thor who suddenly slammed his hand on the table as he clearly had a brainwave. “Brother, we know this thief has several items that can store great quantities of magic. Could they be used to drain a ward?”
Loki looked at Thor and I could see metaphorical gears turn behind his eyes.
“You might be on to something.” He admitted. “We know the victims were tortured. The most likely reason for that torture was to get access to the vault. If the wards had already been weakened the thief would not have any need to torture them. Once the thief did get access to the vault, on the inside it would be possible to drain the wards using one or more vessels of power.”
I was getting a uncomfortable feeling about all of this. “I don’t understand why though.” I admitted. “Sure a thief stealing items for profit I get, but why the murder? He already got what he wanted at that point right? Namely access to the vault, so why murder them too and why steel such oddly specific items and leave the rest of value?”
Loki sighed. “I agree, why take only the gems and nothing else? There still is a fortune in that vault. If it was money they were after, why leave the rest?. Also, why refill the vessels of power? First off it means that the vessels were drained. So not only was all that power used for something, it would also insinuate that they need even more power for something else.”
We all sat quietly after that, trying to figure out what the overall picture might be, but with the limited information we had at this point it was impossible.
“Tomorrow we must focus on finding that chambermaid.” Loki decided and the rest of us nodded. “She is the only one with a connection to the bedchamber and vault that we have not spoken to yet.”
We finished our meal and were shown to our rooms by the housekeeper. We were housed in the servant quarters at Loki’s request. He wanted our rooms far away from the dark magic that still lingered near the more luxurious rooms. She apologized profusely about size and simplicity of the rooms but we assured her that it was fine. Thor had stationed king Merinor’s men on a rotating shift in the hallway outside of our doors. We had had three adjacent rooms at the end of a hallway so it was easy to guard, but Loki still placed some extra wards just to be safe.
While I was glad for all the precautions it also kind of gave me the creeps. Because it could only mean that we weren’t safe. Until now it hadn’t occurred to me that the murderer could return, or worse could still be in the house. I tried to push back the scary thought as I wished Thor and Loki goodnight and entered my room. I quickly washed myself and put on my nightgown, the room itself was tiny. There was a relatively large bed, a simple chair and a balcony on one side and that was it. The room was clearly meant for just sleeping and nothing else. As I climbed into bed I suddenly noticed a very cold chill in the air and I couldn’t help but shiver. There was something very wrong, it almost felt like there was pure evil inside the house. I couldn’t pinpoint it, it came from all-around me.
I instantly focused on my link with Loki. “Loki, something’s wrong, can you sense what I feel?”
Instantly I got his reply. “Yes, I really do not like how it feels. Do not be alarmed I will teleport into your room.”
Almost instantly Loki was in my room checking every corner, but he didn’t find anything. Even with him near me in the small room the weird feeling stayed.
“Loki, I really don’t like this. Even with you here I’m still feeling like somethings off. Are you sure Thor is safe?“
Loki looked at me with shock clear in his eyes and I could feel his worry. “I’ll go check on him.” He said as he walked over to the door to leave.”
“No wait.” I said, before he could open the door. I rushed over and placed my arms around him. “I know you’re exhausted. Take some of my seidr and teleport to Thor, then teleport him back here. We don’t want to alert whatever it. Let them think we’re separated over three rooms. Just bring Thor here and we’ll all stay together.”
“That’s a good idea.” Loki agreed and quickly wrapped his arms around me.
I felt his energy connect with mine. This time I could feel the energy transfer, not that it hurt or anything. I was glad we had done this before as it seemed he now was quite comfortable with this whole process. It was clear he knew exactly how much and how fast he could transfer Seidr between us. As I looked up I was glad to see he instantly looked and felt better.
“Thank you.” He said as he released me from our hug. He took a step back and disappeared. Leaving me alone with these creepy feelings.
After a few minutes I started to pace my room, but as soon as I felt the tingle of magic behind me I turned. There he and Thor were and the weird scary feeling died down almost instantly. I don’t know what my senses had been telling me, but it seemed that we were better off camping together for the night.
“This is good.” I said to both of them. “The creepy feeling has almost totally vanished. It’s still lingers in the back of my mind, but it’s not giving me the chills anymore.”
“Sister your abilities are remarkable.” Thor said as he placed his few belongings on the small chair in my room. “I must say I’m almost envious of them. It is a great advantage for a warrior to sense incoming danger.”
I smiled at him. “that I can imagine, but it’s not as nice to feel your enemies pain as you fight them.” I grinned wryly.
Thor nodded “Ah, yes. That would be a huge downside indeed.”
I could see him and Loki scan the room. Thor had brought his sleeping gear but the floorspace was clearly to small for someone of his size to sleep on. If needed I could sleep on the floor though seeing as I was the smallest of us all. I could feel their awkwardness at the situation and I couldn’t help but giggle. We had been sleeping near each other for days while being outside. But now in the small room it made them uncomfortable.
“You both know I can feel your unease right?” I grinned at them. “The bed is large enough for the three of us and I don’t mind sharing, if you don’t want to share with me also fine. You both share the bed and I will take the floor since I’m the smallest.”
I knew Loki wouldn’t have any trouble with us sleeping together in one bed, but I didn’t want Thor to know that it was a normal thing for us.
Thor looked at me sheepishly. “Aurora, we do not want to impose. While we would never do anything to harm you, please do not feel obligated to share your bed with us. I will never dream of asking you to sleep on the floor. Loki and I have slept in far worse circumstances, we really would not mind sitting on the floor for the night. ”
I smiled. “Thor, you are my big brother and Loki is my best friend. I won’t ever let you sleep uncomfortably when there is a bed big enough for the three of us. Just promise me you won’t squish me in my sleep or snore like Volstagg and were fine.”
Thor smiled at my words. “That my sister I can promise.” He grinned.
They both arranged their weapons on each side of the bed. Thor took the side closest to the door and Loki took the side of the balcony. To be honest I was glad having them both near me in this creepy house. I climbed into the center of the bed and got comfortable. Thor went off to the bathroom to change into his sleeping clothes as Loki just magicked them on. He also conjured another blanket and put it on Thors side of the bed.
“Thor tends to hug the covers.” He grinned and I saw him rearrange the blankets so Thor’s had his own blanket separate from ours.
When Thor came out and saw the extra blanket he smiled. “My brother knows me to well.” He softly grinned and got in bed.
Thor was a lot bigger and I scooted over to Loki’s side to give him some more room. Loki walked over and took his place next to me. I had been right, there was enough room in the large bed for the three of us especially when Thor rolled over to his side so he could face me and Loki.
I did my best to relax. The weird feeling was nearly gone and I had not one but two warriors at each side. So I took a few breaths and closed my eyes, Thor an Loki softly talked for a bit and I felt myself drift of to sleep. In the midst of the night I suddenly woke feeling disoriented. I was on my side facing Thor. I felt Loki’s arms around and him against my back. Somewhere during the night he had pulled me close against him. The chill was back and all the hairs in my neck and on my arms were standing up. I nudged Loki, but he didn’t wake. I was about to nudge him again when suddenly the chills vanished and took the weird feeling with them. I tried to stay awake to make sure the feeling wouldn’t return, but after a while I felt my eyes grow heavy again.
The next morning I woke from muffled sounds that I couldn’t place. As I opened my eyes and looked up I saw Loki looking back. He was lying on his side and I was wrapped in his arm. Apparently somewhere in the night I must have turned and curled myself against him.
“Morning.” He said with a smile and I couldn’t help but smile back. There was a muffled sound coming from the bathroom and as I looked over I found Thor’s side empty. I tried to make some room between me and Loki before Thor came back, but Loki wouldn’t have it.
“Don’t worry, Thor has already seen us sleeping together like this. He understands were best friends and he will not be the cause of any rumors. He would never do that to me, especially in a situation like this where we had to sleep together. Now that he declared you as a sister he would never do something to hurt your reputation ether.”
I relaxed a bit, I had been a bit worried Thor might get the wrong idea about me and Loki. After what happened with Muriel I really needed some down time with relationship drama.
Thor emerged from the bathroom and smiled as he saw me awake. “Good morning sister, did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I slept very well.” I admitted as I turned in Loki’s arms to face him. “Who wouldn’t when protected by the two most fierce warriors in all of Asgard.” I could see Thor’s face light up with the compliment.
Loki grinned in my ear and whispered just loud enough so Thor could also hear. “If you keep up complementing him like that, Sif might have a reason to get jealous.”
I pushed back my elbow with a bit of force and I could hear a tiny grunt come from Loki as knocked him in the ribs as a mock warning.
This made Thor laugh loudly. “I think you finally met your match brother. I would be careful not to anger her.”
“I noticed.” He said with a tiny pout on his face, but I could feel he was joking. “It seems she is quite protective of her friends.”
We all laughed and Loki and I climbed out of bed. We took some time to get ready and Loki transported Thor and himself back into their own rooms. A few moments later they knocked om my door and we went down to eat some breakfast. After that we decided to check out the village in order to find the chambermaid and her fiancée. We rode into town and got the directions to the farm owned by her fiancée. It wasn’t very far and as soon as we reached it we saw a man out in the fields herding in his cattle. He seemed a bit spooked at our arrival. It must be weird to have three clearly noble people ride onto your farm for no reason. Loki motioned us to wait and he dismounted Lady and walked over to the man. They talked and suddenly I was overwhelmed with a intense fear. It wasn’t my own, it came from the man in the field.
As Loki walked back I saw a deep frown on his face. “He has not seen his fiancée in the last few days. Although he did expect her to visit yesterday. He was under the impression that she had to be delayed at work. He is going to get his horse, it seems she normally takes a shortcut through the woods instead of the road we just took. He fears something might have happened to her.” Loki said as he mounted Lady.
I saw the fiancée ride towards us on his horse. “My prince and princess he said with bow and a nervous tone in his voice. My name is Andall. I’m sure my fiancée Aliona has nothing to do with the dreadful business that befell the Lord and lady. As promised I will show you the road she takes when she comes to visit me.”
He was very nervous and clearly very worried about Aliona.
“It’s nice to meet you Andall.” I said in a hopefully calming voice. “I’m sure Aliona has nothing to do with all of this, our first priority now is to find her and make sure she is alright.” And I could feel his gratitude at my words.
“Please Andall, let us start looking for her. Show us the way.” Thor said and it was all it took to make Andall spur his horse into a gallop towards the woods.
We slowly made our way trough the woods, desperately looking for anything that might tell us where Aliona was. We had been in the woods for about 10 minutes. Andall explained that on foot Aliona would normally be at his farm within an hour. Loki and Thor kept their eyes open for any possible tracks but so far hadn’t found any. When we were 20 minutes into our search Loki motioned us to stop. We dismounted and Loki pointed to something.
“Look there.” He said as he pointed to something on the side of the road.
I looked and saw clear signs of footprints. The forest floor was moist and there were small footprints clearly visible. The strange thing was that they veered off the path and went deeper into the forest. We tried to follow the tracks but the underbrush was getting quite dense and more and more her tracks seemed to be covered or erased by that of small animals.
Thor looked at Andall. “Is it normal for Aliona to go off road?” he asked and I could see Andall shake his head.
We did our best to follow the remnants of her footprints but we came to a point that they were just no longer visible. I tried to use my senses, to see if I could feel anyone other then our own party, but I didn’t sense anything other then a few animals.
“Other then a few animals I don’t feel anyone around.” I said to him trough our bond and I could see him frown.
“I think we should fan out.” Loki said decisively. “We know she’s been here but the animals compromised her tracks to much to follow. If we fan out hopefully we can find her tracks again. I would like us to remain in shouting distance of each other. Do not venture out to far from ach other or we might miss something.”
We all nodded and did what Loki said. I wasn’t very good at tracking, but I scanned the forest floor for her footprints the best I could. At least I could discern her footprints from that of a animal. Loki was to my right and Andall to my left. I could feel their presence but I couldn’t feel anything else. It was creeping me out. If she was near I would be able to feel something right? We searched and searched. I couldn’t see Loki and Andall anymore, but I could feel their presence in the distance. We were quite far into the forest and up ahead I noticed a pond. I had to walk over to Lok’s side of the forest to get around it. It was quite beautiful, the water was clear and I could see little fish and animals inside. There were beautiful colored flowers floating on the surface of the water and I couldn’t help but look at them as I slowly made my way around the pond. It wasn’t a very big pond, but just irregularly shaped and clearly very deep. I was halfway round when I noticed something different in the water. Near the side the side there was something like fabric floating and waving in the soft currents of the water. I was mesmerized by the gentle wave of the fabric. I walked closer to inspect it when a sudden flow parted the fabric and I saw a female elven face.
I slapped my hands over my mouth to try and holdback a scream. The face in the water looked almost serine, like it was sleeping. There was a wash of determination inside me and I was next to the pond before I knew it. I quickly waded into the water. The water was so very cold that my leather outfit couldn’t keep me warm and I started to shiver. She was deep under the surface and I dived after her. I was able to grab her under her arms but she wouldn’t budge when I tried to pull her up. I came up to get some air and dove back down again. I noticed a rope around her waist, she was tied down. No wonder I couldn’t get her up. I tried to loosen the knot around her waist but in this cold my fingers wouldn’t cooperate. I chanted the fire spell in my head and snapped the rope. Instantly she floated up. I surfaced with her and gasped for air. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to the side. Even in her wet dress she was surprisingly light. I gently rested her on the bank next to the water and I did my best to move her wet hair out of her face. I couldn’t help but feel tears well up as I thought about Andall . If this was Aliona it would break his heart.
I knew I had to alert the others, I was shivering badly and I tried to shout but the emotions and cold had blocked my throat. So I contacted Loki through our bond.
“Loki, please get the others and come to my location. I was to your left. I found a small pond and in it was a elven woman. She was tied down underwater. She is dead but I managed to get her out, I fear it’s Aliona.”
I could feel Loki’s shock at my words and heard him shouting to Thor and Andall in the distance. After a few more shouts I could hear footsteps running towards me. As Loki reached me I looked at him and I felt a rush of magic. I could feel he had dried my hair and clothes. I was still very cold but the spell in my outfit would take care of that eventually. Before I could say anything I saw Thor and Andall rush over. As soon as Andall’s eyes saw the woman I knew it was Aliona. Immense pain and grief washed over him and he let out a heart breaking cry. He ran over and fell down beside her. Crying unstoppable gripping hear limp body and holding it against him.
Loki and I moved back to give him room to grieve. Loki wrapped me in his arms and there was another surge of his magic warming me. He gently pulled me from him and looked at the pond. I knew what he wanted. I took his hand and silently walked to the side of the pond and pointed to the rope floating under the surface. Loki motioned his hand I saw the rope and a bolder float out of the water and onto the land beside it.
Loki went over to investigate but I didn’t have the heart to follow him. Andall’s pain was overwhelming me and I found it hard to think, let alone stand. It seemed that Thor picked up on this as he walked over and wrapped an arm around me to steady me. We stood like this until Loki was done with his examination. He had searched the rope, boulder and the surrounding area of the pond but from the look on his face I knew he didn’t find anything.
Thor gently squeezed me and I looked up at him.
“Sister are you alright for the moment?” He asked and I nodded.
He gently released me and made his way back to Andall who had stopped crying. Thor persuaded him to let go of Aliona’s body. He vowed to him that he would find the person responsible. I could feel Andall’s anger flare at his words as he just realized she had been murdered. Thor managed to persuade him to show him the way to the village so they could get help and move Aliona. I was shamed to admit I was glad to see them go. Feeling his pain, his grief and now his anger nearly paralyzed. Luckily the further they moved away the more clarity I felt coming back to my brain.
“How did she die?” I asked hoarsely as I now saw Loki examine the body.
He had waited for Andall to leave. His hands waved over her and I could feel the tingle of his magic. He looked troubled and I could see him do it again. As he looked up I could feel his disgust and worry.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Loki shook his head and moved towards me. “The inside of her body feels the same way that Lord Treyu did. With Lord Treyu the trace of dark magic had been almost tangible. With Aliona’s body the magical trace is nearly gone. Meaning she was killed a long time before Lord Treyu and his wife.”
I looked at Loki dumbfounded. “But several servants told us they’d seen Aliona after the murder. She was accounted for until we arrived to investigate.”
Loki nodded. “Yes, she disappeared when we arrived.” He said slowly looking back to Aliona’s body. “But this body has been dead longer then that. I think the thief tortured this poor girl then disguised himself with an illusion to look like her. The poor girl has been dead for nearly a week. The only reason she looks this good is because she’s being preserved by the dark magic. If we had not found her in the next few hours, the magic would have been dissolved completely. As soon as the magic would have left her body the other animals in the forest would have made sure no one would have found her.”
My blood chilled. “So there was an imposter? Someone who used magic to look like Aliona?”
Loki nodded. “It seems our magical thief is able to cast powerful illusions. The other servants did not notice the difference and it seems she worked for days before and after the incident. ”
I stared back at Aliona and couldn’t help but feel scared. If the thief was capable of that he or she could be almost anyone.
“Loki, are you sure the thief is using an illusion?” I asked as I looked at him.
He frowned at my question. “Why do you ask this?”
“Something about this whole thing is off. You said Lord Treyu and his wife were Seidr users right?”
Loki nodded at my words.
“Then wouldn’t they notice someone wearing an illusion in their home? It was one of the first things you had me learn and I know it’s something quite basic.” I asked as I looked at him.
Loki seemed to think about what I said. “You think the thief did not use an illusion?”
“It’s just that I know I can feel illusions and the thief must have known Lord Treyu could also do this. If I was the thief and had access to vessels of power I wouldn’t cast and illusion, I would transform myself. Like you do when you turn female. If I would meet you without seeing the change I wouldn’t know magic was involved.”
I could see Loki’s frown deepen. “It’s hard to say for sure, but I agree with your logic. If the thief has mastered form shifting it will make our search very difficult. Its nearly impossible to feel the difference, you would have to know the person very well to uncover that they are not who they say they are.”
I couldn’t help but feel sadness wash over me. All these poor people who had paid with their lives for nothing more than silly greed and power. Loki and I just stood there for a moment in silence.
“Are you alright?” Loki asked as he saw me look at Aliona’s body with a sad look on my face.
“I’m fine.” I sighed. “I’m just very raw at the moment. I felt all of Andall’s grief, pain and love for her. It left me quite overwhelmed. It’s heartbreaking and to think it’s only because someone wanted to steal something.” I wrapped my arms around myself. I wasn’t cold, my clothing prevented that and with Loki’s help I was warm again. But this whole thing just left me emotionally drained and tired.
Loki moved closer and pulled me against him. “I’m sorry you had to feel his grief Aurora.” He sighed. “It was hard enough to watch, I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you to feel it.”
I stayed in his arms letting his comfort wash over me. We stood there till Loki seemed to hear something. He released me and within moments we saw Thor and a few men walk towards us.
Thor told me that as soon as they reached the village Andall had crashed in grief. Thor had made sure he was take care of by his family and then tracked down some men and the undertaker. Loki and Thor settled some matters with the undertaker and after that we rode back to the manor in silence. It was late in the afternoon when we reached the manor. Thor and Loki informed the staff about Aliona’s death. It seems she was well liked and loved and the news hit hard.
We decided on a quick and informal dinner after which we left and headed back to the castle. The ride back was calm and un eventful. Once back in the palace we were greeted by Sif and the warriors three. They invited us to go into town and have a drink, but I declined. I wanted nothing more but to get to bed and sleep. Loki also declined and Thor took them up on their offer and joined them. As Loki and I walked back to our rooms the corridors were mostly empty. I was feeling sad and a bit nervous about being back in the castle. I focused on my bond because as I didn’t want us to be overheard.
“Loki, can you sleep with me tonight? We both could use the comfort of a good nights sleep I recon?”
I felt his unease as I asked the question and to be honest I was shocked at his reluctance. I could see him feel my shock and a rueful smile form on his face.
“Sorry Aurora, I really wish it would be possible to sleep together tonight.” I could feel he left something unsaid and he could feel my unasked question.
“I’m having a dream tonight.” He admitted. “I don’t think it’s wise for us to share a bed while I’m having it.” I could see a tiny hint of blush crawl up his neck and I could feel his embarrassment.
“Loki, I’m sorry.” I said and I took his arm as we walked. “With all that was happening and the lack of dreams yesterday I kind of forgot.”
Immediately I remembered what he had said. Tomorrow night, after the festival would be my last dream. First it would be me or Yrissa and Loki and them it would be Yrissa and Muriel. My eyes shot up as I remembered the sleeping arrangements tomorrow night. I would be sharing a room with Loki.
It seemed that he had understood my string of thoughts as he now put pressure on my arm to comfort me.
“Tomorrow we both will be having the same dream. I’m confident we would not notice each other while we are dreaming it. If I wake after the first part I will leave you and stay in the bathroom until your dream is over. That way you don’t have to be embarrassed.”
“Seems you already thought about it.” I asked and he nodded.
“Thank you for thinking about these things Loki. Thank you for going out of your way to reduce any awkwardness between us. I know I said it before, but I’m so very glad we are friends. I don’t think I could have gone through these last few months without you.” I admitted.
I could feel a deep warm feeling surge between us that I hadn’t felt before. Without him saying anything I knew I was just as special to him as he was to me. We reached my door and as we said goodbye I entered my room. The elder woman was waiting for me as I came in.
“Good evening my princess, how can I assist you tonight?” she asked as we walked to my bedroom.
“Is there anything you can give me that might help me sleep? I had a troubling few days and I’m worried I might have nightmares.” I said and I could feel sympathy coming from her.
“I will bring you a warm drink with some herbs in them. They have a tendency to make you sleep longer but they will assure a restful sleep.” She said with a bow.
“That would be fine.” I replied and she left.
In her absence I magically changed into my nightgown and after a few moments she was back. I gratefully took the warm drink which tasted very nice and brothlike. Within moments I could feel myself getting drowsy and the elder woman helped me into bed.
“I will wake you before midday tomorrow and have a lunch ready for you in your room. We will need the rest of the time to get you ready for the festival.” With that she walked out the room and I fell asleep.