Your Hand To Hold

Chapter Nineteen: Odin's Nefarious Plot

November 12th, 2013

           "Sif, to what do I owe such a pleasure," I asked hesitantly, uncurling myself from Loki as he dissipated. Sif turned her head as if double-checking that he had indeed been within his cell as she had passed on the way to mine. Her face was set with a grim expression as her hazel eyes glanced between mine and the floor several times. With a sigh, she began a well-rehearsed statement. 

   "The All-Father has decided that you are to be released into his custody, under specific guidelines. You will be restricted to your room at all hours, escorted to meals, meetings with him, and outings for your health by myself, Volstagg, or Thor only. You will be seen weekly by Eir to make sure that you are healthy and well-"

   "Sif," I interrupted as my nerves began to get the better of me; "Sif, what are these terms being set for?"

   She took a heavy breath, still refusing to look at me. "I will unlock your cell now and place you into restraints to be escorted to the throne room for further explanation. The All-Father thanks you for your understanding." She slipped something into the key slot, the glass disappearing as she stepped forward and asked me begrudgingly for my wrists.

   I shook my head, yet held them out for her without any defiance. Nearby, the book shimmered with message alerts as Sif bound my wrists. "Could you please gather my journal for me as we leave? I would not like it to be misplaced."

   "Your things will be brought to your room shortly. For now, we must-"

   "Sif," I snapped, forcing her eyes up to mine. I could see the hesitancy, the frustration not toward me but at this entire situation weighing on her as she sighed. "Please, I would not ask if it was not important."  She nodded scooping up the book, and carefully shoved it into the space between her back and her armor as she told me not to say another word.

   She quickly led me out of my cell, and down the pathway. I spared Loki a look, his face filled with dread as I passed. I mouthed the words 'I have it' to him, watching as his green eyes narrowed and then widened with understanding as he nodded once. His mouth moved to form words I could not hear nor see to decipher as we rounded the corner, headed toward the stairs. I fought the urge to race back, to say the words I had been longing to say just in case there was not an opportunity after this but the watchful eyes of the Einherjar poised at the base of the stairs gave me pause. 

   As we ascended,  Sif released her hold on my bindings some, allowing me to fall in line beside her instead of being forced to follow directly behind. I turned to look at her just shy of the midpoint, well out of range from the guard on duty to ask what this was truly about. "Thor has brought Jane to Asgard."

   I felt my eyes widen. "That is not allowed. How was he able to-"

   "She has the Aether within her, Eibhlin. A powerful magic created by the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim during the reign of Bor over five thousand years ago," I froze, yanking her back toward me by the chains she held, refusing to allow her to continue her ascension until I understood exactly what I was walking into. She glared coldly at me yet sighed, knowing what my next question would be. "I know not how it came to reside within her, nor do Thor, Odin, or Eir. Thor and Eir believed it to be an infection, yet Odin knew what it was immediately. All that we do know is that her body cannot sustain itself much longer with the amount of energy surging within her."

   "And that is where I am to come in, is it?"

    "I do not know, Eibhlin. I have only been instructed to bring you before the All-Father-"

   "Oh, do not be so daft, Sif," I growled, flinging myself down to sit on the step with a heavy sigh. "Jane cannot die because we cannot lose our king-to-be to his grief once more. Even if Odin believed that we could, Thor would never allow it. I, though... I am expendable."

   Sif's eyes fell as her shoulders dropped, her lips pressing into a tight line as she chewed at her right cheek. I could sense her fears, her dread, and her utter hopelessness, for all of what she felt mirrored many of my thoughts and feelings. Yet there was more there, just as I knew there would be more to Odin's thoughts, and to Thor's. While I knew Odin did not care what happened to me, I hoped a part of Thor would struggle just as Sif now did, though perhaps not to the same extent. After all, he had his beloved beside him now; Sif would have to watch as hers loved another as she had for two years now, and the man my heart cried out for was still locked away in the dungeons. I wanted nothing more than to demand she return me to my cell, where I would at least remain safe with Loki within the world we had created with one another; yet I could not do such to her nor to Thor. With a heavy sigh, I muttered an okay.

   "What do you mean alright? If you are right, and this is why I have come to collect you, how can you be alright with it?"

   "What choice do I have, Sif? Let us not pretend that Odin's mind wasn't made up the moment he had such power within his grasp, not after all that occurred with the Jotunheim. He will not allow something like that to befall us again, whether by one of our hands or an enemy's. And Thor? I know where your affections lie, and you know that I hold nothing for him but brotherly love, yet neither trumps his affections for the mortal, for his Jane. If her life is at risk, he will stop at nothing to protect her, even if it puts all of us in danger."

   "Eibhlin, he would never do as-"

   "As Loki did? You are a foolish child to think that is true if you have come to collect me in regards to matters concerning Jane while he is off with her." She bristled at my words. I thought that would be the end of our conversation, yet she surprised me.

   "Any possible plan would be nothing but folly; even Thor must know that. For all the books written about the Aether, we have no idea how to get it out of Jane- if such is even possible without killing her. Even if we were to succeed, how can we be so certain that you would be able to tolerate such power any better than she?" Tears began to form in her eyes as she struggled to convey all of her feelings as she looked at me, her eyes unable to focus on mine. I could feel the soft curl of my lips as I smiled softly, my hand reaching out to comfort her. She managed to meet my eyes as our hands connected for the briefest of moments, her lip trembling as she sniffled and looked away. "I... I do not want either of you to die... No matter how much easier my life would be without Jane's presence, I could never wish such upon Thor; and you... For all that we have managed to overcome, I do not want that to no longer exist... for you to no longer exist, Dog Girl."

   I sighed, suddenly realizing what my frustration toward my situation had done. "Torch Bearer, I shall always exist, even if I must disappear to a more permanent location than these catacombs. And you know I would not go quietly. That was lesson one, was it not?"

   "Lesson five; lesson one was stick them, not yourself, with the pointy end." I rolled my eyes as she managed a smile. She embraced me then, telling me to be strong as she released me allowing us to continue our trek to the main levels of the palace, and ultimately to the throne room.