Title: Two Steps from Hel – Chapter 1

Summary: A tragic event drives Loki to desperate measures.

Characters: Loki, Sigyn, Thor, Sif, Theoric, Fenris, Ikol, Hela, Tyr

Loki walked toward the practice grounds with Fenris trotting obediently at his side. At least that what it would look like anybody who saw them. Loki actually had an invisible leash attached to Fenris' collar. The wolf wasn't happy about it, but it was the only way Loki would risk taking him about the city. He made it invisible in order to spare Fenris some embarrassment.

Lady Sigyn had left him a note when he arrived for breakfast to meet her at the grounds. She had also left some breakfast for him, but he was so curious that he had only eaten a few bites before returning to his chambers to fetch Fenris and head out.

He would have brought Ikol, too, but the bird was off doing whatever he did when he disappeared. Ikol hadn't bothered to tell Fenris where he was going.

As he approached, he noticed Lady Sif sparring with somebody. A small fellow; from his stance, Loki could tell that he was a beginner. Sure enough, Sif paused to adjust his stance before continuing. When he was younger, Loki studied with the sword, same as Thor. When he returned to Asgard, he continued for a few years before turning his attention to sorcery. Thor said he had potential (probably based on his previous self's skill) but he was probably rather rusty now.

Loki looked around for Sigyn, but didn't see her. Sif spotted him and waved. He was surprised, though, when the fellow she was sparring with waved as well.

Do I know him? he wondered as he waved back.

Sif said something and the two headed over to Loki.

"Good morning, Loki," Sif said cheerfully. "What brings you to the practice grounds?"

That raised a red flag. Sif was nice, sometimes even pleasant, but she was never cheerful when dealing with him. She was up to something.

"Good morning, Lady Sif," Loki replied politely. "Lady Sigyn asked me to meet her here this morning. Have you seen her?"

"Have I seen her?" Sif repeated looking back over her shoulder at her companion.

Loki followed her gaze and somehow managed not to gape. Even with the covered head and the mud-smeared face, there was no denying those bright blue eyes.

"Sigyn?"

Sigyn laughed merrily and pulled her helm off. "Good morning, Loki."

"When did this start?"

"A couple of weeks ago," Sigyn replied.

"But, why?" Loki asked.

Sigyn shrugged. "I don't know, really. I just saw Lady Sif fighting and though 'I wonder if I could do that.' So I asked Lady Sif if she would train me. I'm not very good, though."

"You're doing very well for somebody who has never held a sword in her life," Sif assured her.

Loki nodded. "It's always good to know how to defend yourself without magic," he said. Especially since being associated with me can be dangerous, he added silently.

"Glad you think that," Sif said, still smiling. "Tell me, Loki, when was the last time you practiced with swords."

Loki returned her smile. "Are you offering to train me, Lady Sif, or are you just looking for a reason to beat me up?"

"Yes," Sif replied.

Loki laughed. "Well, when you put it that way..."

"Oh, come now, Loki," Sigyn said. "We can learn together."

Loki sighed. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

"Oh, it will hurt," Sif said. "I can assure you of that. But it'll be worth it in the end."

"For you or me?"

"Yes."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

He watch them, him, laughing. It seemed so unfair, after all the pain and anguish, that he should be able to find happiness.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The Asgardian sky was becoming quite a familiar sight to Loki. It seemed like he spent more time on his back than on his feet in these training sessions with Sif. Loki was suspecting that this really was just an excuse to beat him up. Not that he could really blame her.

Loki liked Lady Sif, though he knew full well the feelings weren't reciprocated. She had good reason not to like him; his previous incarnation treated her horribly and all for what? As far as he'd been able to ascertain, her only crime had been taking away Thor's attention. In a way Loki could understand. Thor was his only friend when he was a child. He supposed that if he thought he were losing his brother and only friend, he'd feel bitter, too. Loki wanted to think that he would have handle it differently, but he couldn't, in all honesty.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of not being able to remember his past life was that he didn't know when or how he went bad and, as such, couldn't make sure to avoid it. Thor told him it had happened during their adolescent years, though his brother also couldn't say how as he hadn't realized it until it was too late. So, now Loki was left wondering if he had avoided it or if he had merely delayed it.

"On your feet," Sif shouted, pulling Loki from his thoughts.

"Why? You'll just knock me back down," Loki muttered.

Sif laughed. Not a sadistic laugh – it sounded like she genuinely found Loki's comment funny. "Come on," She said, offering him a hand up. "I think that's good for today."

"I thank you for the reprieve, my lady, however temporary," Loki replied, accepting her help.

"I expect both of you here bright and early tomorrow." Sif gave him a light pat on his shoulder. "You're doing good," she said and walked away before he could respond.

Loki stared after her for a while, still wondering if he had heard correctly. Lady Sif had just praised him. He was all smiles as he walked over to Sigyn, who was standing by the fence with Fenris. Ikol was perched on a post nearby.

"How are you?" Sigyn asked.

"Sore," Loki replied.

"Well, just apply the salve I gave you and you should be fine."

"And how are you?" he asked. "I noticed you're not as muddy as I am."

Sigyn laughed. "That's because Lady Sif isn't driving me nearly as hard. I think she thinks you have a lot of potential."

"I think she just likes seeing me crawl around in the dirt," Loki replied, but there was no bitterness behind it.

"But you seem to be getting along better."

Loki nodded and laughed. "If I knew this was all I had to do to gain Lady Sif's favor, I would have let her beat me up a long time ago."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

He cursed as he watched them walk away. Him and the lovely lady. He didn't deserve such a prize, not after he destroyed and stole so much from so many. He had wondered when that monster would finally face justice. But the universe continued to ignore him. Perhaps fate itself was too cowardly to take action.

He wasn't

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"That is a pretty deep dent," Loki commented as Sigyn held up her armor. "How did that happen?"

There were in Lady Sigyn's house, lounging before a cozy fire after dinner. Fenris was snoozing on a rug.

Sigyn sighed. "Ragnhild dropped it while she was polishing it."

Sigyn's armor was a plain but durable set that Lady Sif gave to her. It was Sif's first set of armor from when she had begun training to be a warrior. It had survived years of combat practice but was no match for a butter-fingered maid.

"Can you fix it?" Loki asked.

"Maybe, but I know nothing of armor making so I may not fix it correctly," Sigyn replied. "No, I'd best take it to a blacksmith to fix. But I won't have any armor for tomorrow."

"You can use mine," Loki replied. "I won't be making it to practice tomorrow, anyway."

Loki's armor was much finer, though equally durable. It had been his. Thor dug it up and gave it to him when he found out Sif was training Loki. While taller, Loki wasn't that much larger than Sigyn (scrawny, some might say), so his armor should work until she got hers finished. He was pleased to note, however, that he was beginning to develop muscle tone in his arms and chest.

Sigyn raised an eyebrow. "Oh, does Lady Sif know about this?"

"She does, in fact," Loki said. "My father wishes to meet with me tomorrow morning."

"What about, if you don't mind me asking?"

Loki shrugged. "He didn't say. Though, I suspect it's about you."

"Me?"

"Yes," Loki continued. "We haven't spoken since the inquiry. I honestly expected this earlier."

"Well, make sure you say only good things about me," Sigyn said with a smile.

Loki smiled back at her. "That'll be easy."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Loki had been correct about Odin. Even though his father had known about him and Sigyn for a while, he had respected Loki's wish for secrecy. Now that they were public knowledge, Odin had decided it was time for the long-overdue conversation.

Loki didn't know what to make of this new interest in his life. Odin had ignored him for the most part unless he was in trouble. Though, he figured it was probably more due to Odin's concern for Sigyn's well-being rather than an interest in Loki's interpersonal relationships.

It was a short meeting. Loki told Odin how he and Sigyn had met (though he left out the demand for marriage). When Odin asked of his intentions toward Sigyn he answered truthfully.

"I don't have any. I'm with her as long as she wishes."

"And if she wishes to no longer be with you?"

"Then I will leave her be."

Odin stared at him for a bit. "And what do you wish?" He asked finally.

"It doesn't matter," Loki replied.

"Answer the question."

Loki stared down at his hands. He took a deep breath and answered.

"I wish to stay with her as long as possible."

Odin's expression was unreadable and he dismissed Loki soon after.

It was still early so Loki decided to head to the practice grounds to meet up with Sigyn. When he arrived he spotted Sigyn, decked out in his armor, sparring with another warrior. Sif was instructing another trainee.

Loki observed Sigyn for a bit. Though Sif hadn't trained her as hard as she had him, she was showing considerable improvement.

But, there was something odd about about the one she was sparring with.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Lady Sif had told him to spar with the monster. It was destiny. This was where fate lead him. He would be the hand of judgement. He sheathed his sword and picked up a wooden one and began attacking lazily.

He waited until the monster left himself open and then struck.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"SIGYN!"

Sif whipped around at the alarmed shout in time to see Agmundr strike Sigyn down. "Agmundr!" she roared as she charged at him. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and she heard shouting, but her focus was on the scene before.

No, no, she thought. Why? Why Sigyn?

Several warriors had been closer and had already disarmed and restrained Agmundr by the time she reached Sigyn. Loki was also there, kneeling beside Sigyn. He pulled off Sigyn's helm and Sif's heart sank.

It only took one look at the blank eyes to realize they were too late.

"Agmundr!" She spun toward man. He was staring in shock down at Sigyn, as if he didn't fully realize what he had just done. Had he been bespelled? "Why?" she demanded.

"No, no, no, no," Agmundr muttered, shaking his head, not looking at her. "It was a trick. Trickster! Monster! You did this. You switched places! You made me kill her!"

It all fell into place. Sigyn was wearing Loki's armor and Agmundr thought she was he. Loki had been his target.

Sif motioned for him to be taken away and knelt next to Sigyn across from Loki.

"Loki?"

He looked up at her with wide, confused eyes, tears streaming down his face. "Sigyn is...dead?"

Loki was in shock, Sif realized. Sif's heart went out to him. He loved Sigyn, of that she had no doubt. Loki looked at Sigyn the same way Thor looked at her. It was this, more than anything, that made Sif start to soften toward Loki. Surely, somebody who loved so deeply could not be evil.

"I'm sorry, Loki."

He blinked once at her and then suddenly disappeared.

Sif sighed. She would need to tell Thor but if Loki didn't want to be found he wouldn't be. She just hoped he wouldn't attempt anything dangerous.

Sif reached down and reverently closed Sigyn's eyes. She removed her cloak and laid it over Sigyn and gently picked her up.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

When Sif told him Loki had disappeared, rather than begin what he know would be a fruitless search, Thor went to Heimdall. But Loki was hidden from Heimdall's all-seeing eyes. One of the first tricks Loki had picked up when he returned was hiding from Heimdall. This behavior worried Thor, though Heimdall had told him Loki employed it infrequently.

Heimdall assured Thor he would continue looking and send word if he located his brother. Then Thor headed to the dungeons to question Armundr.

Sif had told him she believed Armundr's true target was Loki. He didn't know why Armundr had tried to kill his brother. Loki, the old Loki, had no doubt wronged him, if indirectly, at some point. But all Thor could get out of the man was "He deserved to die."

To Armundr's credit, he seemed extremely remorseful for Lady Sigyn's death, but that only made him more hateful toward Loki.

"It's his fault! He made me kill her!" he ranted.

"Was Loki controlling your actions?" Thor demanded.

"He tricked me," Armundr continued. "Switched place so I would strike the lady instead of him! The coward!"

"Loki didn't switch places with Lady Sigyn. He merely loaned her his armor," Thor replied as calmly as possible.

"Tricked me! He tricked me and now the lady is dead."

Thor sighed. He was wasting his time. Armundr had obviously been driven mad by his hatred toward Loki. Shaking his head, he left.

"Keep a close eye on him," Thor instructed the guards. "If my brother show up, do not try to confront him. Send for me immediately. I will be at Lady Sigyn's"

The guards bowed in unison.

It was evening by the time Thor arrived at Lady Sigyn's residence. Sif greeted him at the door and a maid, eyes red and puffy from crying, offered him a drink. Sigyn's reception room was filled with people. Friends and acquaintances mourning the loss of the well-loved lady.

Theoric was among them. The warrior was no longer in the Crimson Hawks. It had been his punishment for bringing false charges against Loki several months earlier. The only reason he wasn't dismissed from Odin's service altogether was Loki's plea for leniency. Thor already disliked the man for what he did to Sigyn and that only increased after what he tried to do to Loki.

Sif lead him past them and into Sigyn's private chambers. Lady Sigyn's body had been cleansed and laid out on her bed, dressed in a simple, white dress. Several of her servants stood around the bed, as if on guard.

"Any sign of Loki?" Sif asked.

"No. Heimdall is searching."

"Do you think he'll go after Armundr?"

Thor sighed. "It's possible but I hope not. Though he would be justified, he would be setting himself down a dark road."

Sif looked over to Sigyn. "I worry for him," she said softly.

Though he grieved for Lady Sigyn, Sif's words brought great joy to Thor's heart. Sif had disagreed with Thor's decisions to bring Loki back and hadn't been afraid to tell him. He had feared that he would someday have to choose between his brother and his beloved. It seemed that was something he no longer had to worry about.

He reached out to embrace Sif when there was a tap on the window.

"Isn't that Loki's bird?" Sif asked.

Thor opened the window and Ikol flew in and landed on a full-length mirror. Thor hadn't noticed it but, he immediately recognized it as the twin to the mirror in Loki's chambers. Ikol tapped on it twice and it began to glow. Moments later, Fenris emerged.

"That mirror..?" Sif began.

"It leads to Loki's room, evidently," Thor replied. It explained how Sigyn often ended up in the palace without anybody remembering her arriving.

Fenris looked at Sigyn briefly, then looked directly at Thor. Without saying a word, he walked to the door. He stopped before the closed door and looked back at Thor.

"I'll return shortly," Thor told Sif. He opened the door, allowing Fenris and Ikol out before following them. Fenris lead him out through the servants entrance.

"Where's Loki?" Thor asked as soon as he shut the door.

"I don't know," Fenris said. "But I have an idea. He appeared in our room earlier, told me Sigyn was dead then grabbed his sword and disappeared again."

"And where do you think he went?"

Fenris hesitated. "Either to avenge Sigyn or to see my sister."

Thor sighed. "I believe it to be the latter."

"Hela won't give her back with out a fight and Loki won't win. Maybe at one point, but not now."

Before Thor could reply, there was a sudden clamor from inside the house. He reached for the door handle just as was yanked open.

"Thor!" It was Sif. "Lady Sigyn is alive!"