The Witch's Familiar

Chapter 27

  Barrelling through the air as fast as a dragon could fly was definitely an experience. It would have been exilerating had the situation not been dire, had Loki not been terrified for his mother, had people not been in dager. Sera felt your worry and sped even faster. You gave her directions based on the pull of the locator spell. It felt like you flew forever and for no time at all. She flew low so you could hop off her back in the middle of the village and swept back up to the air to keep watch above you. You needed to finetune the locator spell and needed to be on the ground to get a better lock on Frigga's location.

You ran through the village, darting through the battles still raging. You had only one task: find Frigga. You would help with the battle once the queen was safe, once Loki's mother was accounted for. You finally tracked her to a large building toward the edge of the village. Sera shrank back down to cat-dragon form and settled on your shoulder to help however she could. You burst inside and took in the horrible scene in front of you.

At the far side of the building was a huddle of small terrified children, the eldest of whom were bravely holding weapons. Of course Frigga was here to protect the children. Your brain finally registered what it hadn't wanted to: the scent of blood, the shapes lying on the ground, one with a golden dress and equally golden hair. Frigga.

Someone else entered the building and ran to her. "Frigga, no!" Odin shouted as he knelt beside her.

You ran to her and skidded to your knees beside her. She was laying on her back, looking up at her husband with glazing eyes. There was a huge gash across her stomach, she'd been cut nearly in half. It was amazing she was still alive. You saw her attacker in two pieces nearby. She'd been injured defending the children.

"Why? You fool, you should have-" Odin was telling her, weeping over her death, though she wasn't lost yet.

You weren't going to let her be lost.

You moved to Frigga's other side, ignoring Odin completely. He would just be in the way, grieving husbands always were. You touched Frigga's cheek. "Stay with me," you bid her softly. She gave you a warm smile.

"Love my Loki for me,"

You dumped power into her, strengthening her, holding her self to her battered body, much as Loki had done for you. "Now is not the time for you to go to Valhala," you told her firmly as you used more healing magic, though healing wasn't your speciality. You could do it and do it well, though years of hard work and practice. "It is going to hurt and be hard for both of us, but I can and will heal you," you told her firmly. She nodded, accepting the work and effort to stay here with her family. Good.

Odin glared at you. "You are Midgardian, what can you possibly do?" he demanded.

"Save your wife's life," you told him firmly and started summoning supplies to do just that. He started to protest. You glared at him. Right now he wasn't a king. He was an idiot male, an idiot husband standing in the way of your work. Those you knew how to deal with. "What have you to lose? I am the only one here with a chance to save her. So let me do my job," you growled.

You didn't wait for his reply, you got back to your task. It would take all of your magic, too many potions, and all of your skills for this healing. You even had to get out the emergencies only potion and would have used two vials of it had you had another.

You don't know how long you worked, how long you and Frigga both fought for the healing to take. You lost track of how much power you were using. You completely ignored Odin and the children in the room.

Finally, finally, it was done.

At least as done as you could make it right now. The wounds were closed and she was out of the woods. You let go of her mind, letting her fall into sleep or unconsciouness. You looked up at Odin, finally remembering that he was there. "She'll be fine," you told him, your voice hoarse with exhaustion and power drain. "She needs to take it easy and put up with some pampering from her loving husband, but she'll be fine." It was your usual speech to worried husbands after a healing, usually from midwifing, but it tended to work in all situations on worried husbands.