Title: Two Steps from Hel – Chapter 2

Summary: A tragic event drives Loki to desperate measures.

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

Thor looked down at Fenris briefly then back at Sif. "How?"

"I don't know. She just woke up. She doesn't remember anything that happened."

Thor followed Sif back inside, Fenris and Ikol close behind. The group of mourners had moved from the receiving room to Sigyn's chambers. The servants were doing a good job at keeping them from crowding Sigyn who was sitting on the edge of the bed looking very confused. Theoric was standing beside her.

"Lady Sigyn," Thor said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Sigyn replied. "Considering I evidently was dead just a few minutes ago."

"What do you remember?"

"I was sparring with one of the warriors and then I woke up here," Sigyn said as she looked around the room. "Where is Loki?"

Theoric opened his mouth to say something but Thor silenced him with a glare. He looked down at Fenris, then back at Sigyn.

"I will go fetch him."

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

Hours earlier...

Loki walked swiftly into Hela's palace. None of the guards tried to stop him. He didn't suspect they would, Loki had visited Hela more than once since his return. It was for the best as Loki would have cut down anybody who got in his way.

He headed straight for the throne room. Not waiting for the guards to announce him, he threw the heavy doors open with a spell.

"Hela!"

She lounged on her throne, a smirk on her lips. Tyr and Leah flanked her.

"Loki," she said. "I've been expecting you. I wanted to show you my new sculpture."

With a flick of the wrist a figure of a woman appeared before him in blue crystal. It was Sigyn. Loki felt a cold rage growing in him.

"Give her back!" Loki hissed.

Hela laughed. "No, I'm rather fond of this one."

"Give her back or I will take her!"

Hela leaned forward. "I was hoping you'd try," she whispered.

Loki drew his sword and charged at the throne. He wasn't surprised when Tyr intercepted him.

"You don't know what you're doing, boy," Tyr said, forcing him back. "Stand down, I don't want to fight you."

"Then step aside!" Loki jumped back several feet then released a magic attack. It hit a field. Loki risked a look to the side where Leah stood, her hand outstretched toward Tyr. He turned back to Tyr in time to block an attack.

"You can't win this, Loki," he said.

"As if that ever stopped me."

Loki knew he was outmatched. His only edge against Tyr was his magic and Leah had effectively nullified that. But he couldn't stop. He would fight until he could fight no longer. Every time Tyr knocked him down Loki pulled himself back up and charged back into the fray, ignoring the pain, ignoring the exhaustion. But soon Loki reached his limit. Tyr knocked the sword out of his hand and downed him with a fierce blow. Even so, Loki struggled to push himself up.

"Stay down," Tyr whispered to him.

Loki ignored him and managed to push himself into a sitting position, leaning heavily against a wall.

"Enough," Hela said, approaching them. Tyr stepped away with a bow. She knelt beside Loki. "That was very entertaining, watching you struggle so hopelessly. You've pleased me, so I'm willing to offer you a trade. I've written you out of my book, but I'm loath to lose a soul. If you agree to remain here, I will return Lady Sigyn to the land of the living."

It was no choice for Loki. He couldn't win this fight, but he could insure Sigyn's life.

"Return her to full health and remove any memories of her death and her time here. I will stay."

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

For the second time in a matter of hours, a son of Odin walked into Hela's throne room. Fenris and Ikol had accompanied Thor.

"Hela. Tyr." Thor said, nodding in greeting. Tyr returned the nod.

"My, my," Hela said. "This is turning out to be quite the family reunion." She turned to Fenris. "You're looking quite cuddly, Brother."

"You're looking as repulsive as ever," Fenris replied.

Hela turned back to Thor. "To what do I owe this honor?"

"You know why I'm here, Hela," Thor replied.

"Oh, you must have come to see my new decoration," Hela said, a wicked smile on her lips. "I had the most lovely crystal statue just a few hours ago. I've since replaced it with this." She made a motion with her hand and the wall beside her was illuminated with a green light.

Loki was trapped against the wall by thick vines. He looked to be unconscious. He wore nothing but a loin cloth and the large thorns on the vines bit deep into his skin.

"Loki!" Thor rushed over an began pulling on the vines but they only pulled tighter around Loki. He spun around to face Hela. "Release him!"

"Of course," Hela said, walking over to them. "But I must then retrieve Lady Sigyn again, as per our agreement."

"What?"

"How else did you think Loki freed Lady Sigyn?" Hela replied. "He ran headlong into a fight he had no hope of winning. One soul for another. If you take Loki, I will consider it a violation of our agreement and retrieve the lady. But, let's ask him what he wants to do." She reached out and gently cupped Loki's chin. "Loooookiiiii," she said, almost singing.

Loki's eyes fluttered open.

"Loki!" Thor said, stepping forward.

"Brother?" Loki gasped out.

"He's here to take you home," Hela told him. "Of course, we have our little agreement. But I'll give you a choice. Now that you know what you're in for, do you still wish to remain here? Or shall I release you and retrieve the Lady Sigyn?"

Loki shook he head. "Leave, Thor," he whispered.

Thor knew Loki would refuse. He was never so proud of his little brother than he was at this moment, but it broke his heart to see Loki suffering so.

Hela, however, had a surprising reaction. The devious smile disappeared from her face and she pulled her hand away from Loki as if burned.

"Who is this man?" she demanded.

"He is Loki," Thor replied.

"Loki was never so noble."

"The old Loki, no. This is not the old Loki."

Hela stared at his brother for a long while. Thor couldn't imagine what she was thinking. Abruptly, she spun away and flicked her wrist. The vines disappeared and Loki fell. Thor caught him before he hit the floor.

"He is no longer amusing," Hela said, not looking back. "Take him."

Thor removed his cloak and began wrapping it around Loki only for his brother to began to feebly attempt to push him away.

"No," Loki said. "Sigyn"

"Lady Sigyn is safe, for now," Hela said. "Now leave before I change my mind."

With that, Loki allowed Thor to wrap him in his cloak and pick him up. Loki went limp against his chest. Thor tightened his hold.

"What of you, Fenris," Thor heard Hela say as the walked out. "I can remove that collar for you."

Fenris stopped, but Thor kept walking. He didn't care whether or not the wolf stayed.

"Such a kind offer, sister," Fenris said. "Which makes me suspicious. No, thank you. I'll get this collar off myself, eventually. Besides, the food here is lacking."

Fenris was at Thor's side again a moment later.

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

Lady Sigyn stared down at the cup in her hands. It was filled with rose green tea. It was a drink from Midgard; Loki had given it to her. She wasn't keen on the taste but the scent was soothing so she would sometimes brew some to breathe in the vapors after a particularly stressful day. There were few things more stressful than dying, even if she couldn't remember it.

Lady Sif had returned to the palace to await news of Loki and the former mourners had filtered out soon after. The only one left was Theoric who was silently sitting across the table from her. They hadn't been in each others' presence this long since he left her and the last time they met had been on bad terms.

"What do you want, Theoric?" she asked finally. "Why are you still here?"

Theoric looked up in surprise. "I..." he began. "I merely wish to make sure you are well."

"I am well," Sigyn said. "I am alive and I am well. It is late and you need not remain on my account."

"You are dismissing me, then?" Theoric asked.

Sigyn held the cup to her face and breathed in deeply before answering. "If that is your only reason for being here, yes. Unless there is another reason?"

Theoric looked away from her and ran his fingers through his hair. With a sigh he turned back. "I wish to apologize," he said hesitantly. "For leaving."

Sigyn set the cup down and considered Theoric for a moment. He looked away under her gaze. "What happened to you Theoric?" she asked finally.

Theoric looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

"I loved you Theoric," Sigyn said. "You were brave and strong and noble. What happened?"

Theoric stared at her, wide eyed, then let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "I ask that same question every time I look at myself in the mirror." He stood up and began pacing the room. "It wasn't until I heard that you had been killed that I realized what I walked away from. And with that came the realization of how far I had truly fallen."

"Then do something about it," Siygn said. "If you dislike who you have become, change!"

"It's not easy," Theoric replied.

"The Theoric I loved would not have backed down from this challenge."

Theoric stopped pacing and looked at Sigyn. But before he could respond, one of the maids rushed in closely followed by Sif.

"Thor found Loki. He has taken him to the House of Healing," Sif said.

"No," Sigyn gasped rising to her feet. "He's hurt? How badly?"

Sif shook her head. "I don't know. I came here immediately."

Sigyn took several steps toward the door and stopped when Theoric called her name.

"I'll do it," he said. "I'll change, for you."

"Do it, Theoric. For yourself, not for me," Sigyn replied. "My heart it no longer free to give. But, I forgive you."

Sif had come on her flying horse and Sigyn held on tightly as they flew toward the House of Healing. It was her first time traveling in this manner and she might have felt exhilarated under different circumstances. But as it was, even the swift horse seemed so slow.

When they finally arrived, a guard directed them to Loki's room. Without knocking, Sif opened the door for Sigyn to enter. Thor, who was standing by the bed, stepped back as Sigyn rushed to Loki's side.

Loki was asleep or unconscious. There were bandages about his head and neck and Sigyn saw even more peeking out from beneath the covers.

"Where was he?" she asked, turning to Thor.

"He was in Hel," Thor replied.

Sigyn suspected as much when she was told she had died. She knew Loki had something to do with her return.

"What happened?"

Thor hesitated.

"Please, tell me."

"He went to Hel to fight for you," Thor said. "But he wasn't strong enough. So he made a deal. He stayed and Hela sent you back."

"How did you get him back?"

"Hela released him, because he no longer amused her."

Sigyn reached under the covers and found Loki's hand. She gently pulled it out, noting that his arm was also heavily bandaged.

Oh, my beloved, she thought as she brought his hand to her lips.

"I must report to my father," she heard Thor say.

She heard the door open and shut. Soon after, she felt Sif's comforting hand on her back.

"You know, I wasn't intending to fall in love," Sigyn told Sif. "When I first approached him. I just thought if I couldn't be happy, then it was only proper if Loki was miserable, too." She laughed lightly. It seemed so silly now, but at the time she had been completely serious. "I knew he was different the first time he opened his mouth. No, before that. The first time he looked me in the eyes. They were so clear." She laughed again. "Confused, too. A mad woman appears out of nowhere and demands marriage. What must he have been thinking?"

"He cares for you, too," Sif said.

"I know," Sigyn replied, giving Loki's hand a light squeeze.

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

Loki woke up the next day, asked for some water, then promptly went back to sleep. This cycle repeated itself several times that day. It was both frustrating and encouraging for Sigyn.

"He'll be fine," Thor assured her. "His body will heal faster if he sleeps." Sigyn suspected Thor said that for his own benefit as much as hers.

Thor was there as often as he could be, but he had other responsibilities. He had also been tending to Fenris. Sigyn knew her assistants could handle business without her for a few days (she wouldn't have hired them otherwise) and they knew where she was if she was needed.

Sigyn spent the time waiting for Loki to wake up studying healing magic just in case Loki decided to make a habit of getting in over his head. She already knew a great deal about healing potions and salves (which the healers relied on) and some minor healing spells and had been able to heal some of the smaller scratches. Healing magic drew power from the caster's life-force. Minor spells were fairly harmless but a major spell could kill the caster if not skilled or powerful enough. Sigyn would have to be very careful.

Finally, Loki woke up, asked for water and, when he received it, didn't go back to sleep.

"Are you well, Lady Sigyn?" he asked, his voice weak.

Sigyn smiled. "I am, thanks to you." She began gently stroking his forehead. "So don't worry about me and concentrate on healing up yourself."

"How long has it been?"

"A couple of days. How do you feel?"

"Tired and sore." He shifted and wince slightly. "Maybe a little more than sore."

"Do you need anything?"

"I'm a bit hungry," Loki said.

Thor walked in at that point. "Loki!" he said, relief heavy on his voice. "They told me you had woken up."

Leaving Thor to tend to Loki, Sigyn went in hunt of some food for all of them.

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

Loki's recovery sped up afterward, or it least it seemed so to Sigyn. It wasn't very long before he was able to move around on his own, though he still tired easily. The healers said that he would probably be able to return to his chambers soon. Sigyn even felt comfortable enough to return to her daily routine, though she still spent the nights at the House of Healing on a pallet in Loki's room that had been prepared for her.

One evening, while she was getting ready to sleep, Loki spoke. "You know, you don't have to stay here every night."

"Do you want me to leave?" Sigyn asked.

"I...no," Loki replied quietly. There was a light flush on his cheeks. "But, you've done so much for me already."

"Loki!" she said, placing her hands on her hips. "You went to Hel for me. Tending to you while you recover from the injuries you received while retrieving my soul is the least I can do."

Loki turned away from her. "But it was my fault that you died in the first place."

Sigyn suddenly became...very angry. She clenched her fist and stomped over to Loki's bed, causing him to cower slightly. Sigyn pulled off one of the pillows Loki was using to prop himself up and hit him over the head with it.

"You. Are. The. Most. Frustrating. Man. Ever!" she spat out. "What happened to me was not your fault! It was that mad man's fault and nobody else. Otherwise you might as well blame Lady Sif for assigning him to spar with me or Lord Odin for allowing him to serve as a warrior to begin with. You wouldn't do that, would you?"

"No, ma'am," Loki said quickly.

"Then stop blaming yourself!" she continued, smacking him again with the pillow for emphasis. "And another thing, I'd still take care of you even if you haven't received these injuries on my behalf. Do you know why? Because I love you! Did you hear that? I," *smack* "love" *smack* "you!" *smack*

This was not how Sigyn had planned to confess her feelings. She was hoping for a far romantic setting and far less hitting. Oh, well. Loki was staring at her with wide, green eyes. She could practically see his mind working to absorb what had just happened. She knew the moment it did as Loki turned away abruptly, biting his lower lip.

"I..." he mumbled the rest.

"What was that?" she demanded, raising the pillow for another attack in case it was something stupid.

Loki took a deep breath and turned back to look her directly in the eyes. "I love you, too."

All anger melted away from Sigyn to be replaced with elation. She tossed the pillow away and climbed up onto the bed.

"Finally!"

She kissed him.

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

A short while later, Thor poked his head into the room. One of the healers had come to find him because they had heard some yelling. The lights were out, except for the fire in the hearth, and it was very quite.

But, one look around the room told Thor he had nothing to worry about. Loki and Sigyn were curled up on the bed, fast asleep. Sigyn was above the covers so Thor, as quietly as possible, picked up the blanket from her pallet and draped it over her. He left, as smile on his face, closing the door softly so as not to wake them.

Well, it was about time.

My...I really put Loki through the ringer in this one. At least he got the girl in end :D

Like Sigyn, I had originally planned the confession scene to be far more romantic and with far less hitting. But when I finally got to it, this was what I ended up with. I like it a lot more than what was originally planned.

Poor, Theoric. I've been pretty hard on him so I set him on the road to once again become the brave warrior worthy of the Crimson Hawks.

The title comes from the production music company Two Steps from Hell. Even if you haven't heard the name, you've probably heard their music. They've been featured in a number of trailers and commercials. If you love epic music, I highly recommend their two public album releases available for MP3 download: Invincible and Archangel