Lokasenna
Frigga
About one hour passed and Sigyn returned to the prison to take Loki for his bath. On her way downstairs she was suddenly startled by a loud noise that came from the dungeon. A resounding alarm rang through the hallways, and Sig could hear people running towards her. She quickly concealed herself as a horde of guards came rushing past her. She hurried after them, her heart beating so fast it hurt. The sounds of breaking glass mingled with screams, echoed through the hallway as she made her way to Loki's cell.
A burning smell drifted towards her when she entered the prison. She stopped when she saw the wreckage, and the fighting that was going on between the rubble of the smashed cell windows. Her eyes searched frantically for Loki, but she saw that he was still in his cell, the glass still intact. The creature she had seen entering with the other prisoners that morning seemed to be in the thick of the battle, it smashed a cell window and then moved to Loki's cell.
Sig stood rooted to the spot, just outside the righthand stairs leading out of the dungeon. She watched breathlessly as the monster paused in front of Loki's window, looking at him for a moment. It moved on without doing anything, but now it was coming towards her. It couldn't see her of course, but if she didn't move it would surely walk straight into her and she stood pressed against the wall, paralysed with fear while prisoners and guards still battled around her.
'You might want to take the stairs to the left,' Loki suddenly said, his voice muffled from behind the glass. The creature stopped, and turned its head to look at him, then it moved to the other side; away from where Sigyn stood. When the creature was gone, Sigyn rushed to Loki's cell, but before she could enter, he gestured to the exit, 'Get out,' he said through the glass, 'Get out, go to Frigga, you'll be safe with her.' His face had been calm and collected before when he had faced the beast, but now he looked worried. Sig didn't want to go, she felt that anywhere Loki was, was where she should be. What if the monster came back? What if one of them got hurt? She'd rather be by his side. But he insisted, and so she made her way through the crowd as best she could to go up to Frigga's quarters.
On her way through the hall, Sig met Frigga, who was leading the Midgardian Jane to her quarters. She was still concealed, although Frigga -like Loki- was able to see her. She motioned silently to Sig to follow her and Jane. They could hear shouts and running footsteps in the corridors beside them. They entered Frigga's quarters, where Sig was instructed to hide Jane while Frigga conjured up a double of her. Sigyn brought Jane to the next room, while Frigga and the double remained where they were.
'What's gonna happen?' Jane asked, her voice quivering a little, 'Is she gonna be okay in there, all by herself?'
Sig pressed her ear to the door, gesturing at Jane to be quiet. She could hear a deep voice, muffled through the door, she could almost make out what was said: 'Witch!' the voice boomed, 'Where is the ether?'
'I'll never tell you.' she heard Frigga say.
Her heart was racing while she and Jane listened. They could not hear the next words that were spoken, but they heard a loud gasp and the sudden noise of others entering the room and a loud roar.
'Thor!' Jane exclaimed, and she was about to open the door, when Sig threw out her arm to stop her: 'Wait…'
Jane could not be held back any longer, and she burst through the door into the other room. Sigyn lingered for a moment. She was afraid of what she might find if she went in after Jane. No longer invisible to others, she thought it better to conceal herself again before she followed. Her heart froze for a moment when she had walked up to stand next to Jane and her eyes met the most dreadful sight. Frigga lay sprawled on the floor, Odin sat next to her, cradling her in his arms and stroking her cheek. Tears welled up in Sig's eyes. This couldn't be… While Jane rushed up to Thor, Sig stood crying silently in the corner; this was the second mother she had lost.
When Odin called for someone to help and carry Frigga's body out, Jane came back to where Sig was standing.
'Sigyn? Are you still here?'
Sig wiped her tears and lifted her concealment, although she remained in the corner where Thor and Odin wouldn't see her. 'Are you okay?' Jane asked, her own eyes still swimming with tears. Sig nodded, fighting the urge to burst out crying again. 'I don't know if you can, but it would be kinda nice if you could stay with me for a while. Thor just told me him and his dad need to sort things out, and I… could really use some company.' Sig looked at her. She felt terrible, and she knew she was wanted elsewhere. She needed to go to Loki and tell him what had happened. Thor walked up to them, stopping next to Jane. 'You are one of my mother's ladies in waiting,' he said, recognising Sigyn, who nodded in reply. 'Could you take Jane back to her room and stay with her a while?'
'My lord, I cannot stay long, I need to..'
'Please…' he interrupted, resting his hand on Jane's shoulder, his eyes glimmering with sadness. 'I cannot stay with her now: as you see, my father and I need to make arrangements for…' he couldn't continue. 'I am sure you can both comfort each other while you wait for us.' he finally finished. It was very hard to refuse, even though Sig felt she should be in the dungeon, comforting Loki rather than the Midgardian girl.
As requested, she took Jane to her room. There they sat down in silence for a while, Sigyn looked out of the window, while Jane was wiping new tears from her cheek.
'So… How long have you worked for Frigga?' Jane finally said, breaking the silence.
'I've been in her service for nine years.' Sig replied, trying hard to keep her face composed.
'So what are you gonna do now?' Jane asked. Sig had not thought about that yet.
'I suppose… I will continue with my duties.'
'But… Didn't all your duties kind of.. involve Frigga?'
Sigyn didn't like where this conversation was going. She did not know this girl very well, and she was not sure whether she could be trusted. No one could know that she was still looking after Loki. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry or anything…' Jane said quickly, when Sig did not respond immediately. Sig smiled and shook her head, 'It's quite alright. I do not know what will happen next, but there is a lot of work to be done so I am sure that the Allfather can still make use of me and all the other ladies in waiting.'
'Yeah, you were there the day I came in, right?'
'I was.'
'Were all the other nurses Frigga's maids too?'
'Most of them, yes.'
'Well, then you'll definitely get another job here. It's such a big palace.'
Sigyn nodded absent-mindedly. She thought of the big palace with all its inhabitants, and one in particular. Did he know yet? Would someone tell him?
Thor did not visit them until night started to fall. When he came in both Sig and Jane got up from their seats. He walked over to Jane and embraced her, Sig turned away to give them some privacy. She heard them exchange some tender words, which almost made her tear up again. Now more than ever, it felt like she should be in the dungeon with Loki. Thor turned to Sig, 'Tonight there will be a ceremony for my mother and all the others who fell today. You and the other lady's maids will of course get a special place, as you have all served her loyally.' As much as this flattered Sig, she was still anxious to visit Loki.
'My lord,' she said, 'how is the situation in the prison?'
'They are cleaning up the wreckage as we speak.'
'Did any of the prisoners escape?'
'A handful was freed by the beast that killed my mother. But those were mostly petty criminals. My brother, Loki, who is not simply a petty criminal remains in his cell, which is a small comfort.'
'My lord…' Sig began tentatively, 'Has he heard the news yet?' Thor looked a little taken aback by this question. He examined Sig with curiosity, but replied: 'I do not think he has.'
'Someone should tell him, don't you think, my lord?' Thor seemed to think for a moment, 'Yes, yes… It is only right he should know. I shall send someone to inform him,' Sig was about to suggest to go herself, but before she could open her mouth Thor continued: 'The ceremony will start in about an hour, I expect you will want to eat something and change before it begins. I will have someone bring another dress for you, so you can remain here with Jane.'
'Thank you but-'
'I shall come and fetch you both when it is time.'
A burning smell drifted towards her when she entered the prison. She stopped when she saw the wreckage, and the fighting that was going on between the rubble of the smashed cell windows. Her eyes searched frantically for Loki, but she saw that he was still in his cell, the glass still intact. The creature she had seen entering with the other prisoners that morning seemed to be in the thick of the battle, it smashed a cell window and then moved to Loki's cell.
Sig stood rooted to the spot, just outside the righthand stairs leading out of the dungeon. She watched breathlessly as the monster paused in front of Loki's window, looking at him for a moment. It moved on without doing anything, but now it was coming towards her. It couldn't see her of course, but if she didn't move it would surely walk straight into her and she stood pressed against the wall, paralysed with fear while prisoners and guards still battled around her.
'You might want to take the stairs to the left,' Loki suddenly said, his voice muffled from behind the glass. The creature stopped, and turned its head to look at him, then it moved to the other side; away from where Sigyn stood. When the creature was gone, Sigyn rushed to Loki's cell, but before she could enter, he gestured to the exit, 'Get out,' he said through the glass, 'Get out, go to Frigga, you'll be safe with her.' His face had been calm and collected before when he had faced the beast, but now he looked worried. Sig didn't want to go, she felt that anywhere Loki was, was where she should be. What if the monster came back? What if one of them got hurt? She'd rather be by his side. But he insisted, and so she made her way through the crowd as best she could to go up to Frigga's quarters.
On her way through the hall, Sig met Frigga, who was leading the Midgardian Jane to her quarters. She was still concealed, although Frigga -like Loki- was able to see her. She motioned silently to Sig to follow her and Jane. They could hear shouts and running footsteps in the corridors beside them. They entered Frigga's quarters, where Sig was instructed to hide Jane while Frigga conjured up a double of her. Sigyn brought Jane to the next room, while Frigga and the double remained where they were.
'What's gonna happen?' Jane asked, her voice quivering a little, 'Is she gonna be okay in there, all by herself?'
Sig pressed her ear to the door, gesturing at Jane to be quiet. She could hear a deep voice, muffled through the door, she could almost make out what was said: 'Witch!' the voice boomed, 'Where is the ether?'
'I'll never tell you.' she heard Frigga say.
Her heart was racing while she and Jane listened. They could not hear the next words that were spoken, but they heard a loud gasp and the sudden noise of others entering the room and a loud roar.
'Thor!' Jane exclaimed, and she was about to open the door, when Sig threw out her arm to stop her: 'Wait…'
Jane could not be held back any longer, and she burst through the door into the other room. Sigyn lingered for a moment. She was afraid of what she might find if she went in after Jane. No longer invisible to others, she thought it better to conceal herself again before she followed. Her heart froze for a moment when she had walked up to stand next to Jane and her eyes met the most dreadful sight. Frigga lay sprawled on the floor, Odin sat next to her, cradling her in his arms and stroking her cheek. Tears welled up in Sig's eyes. This couldn't be… While Jane rushed up to Thor, Sig stood crying silently in the corner; this was the second mother she had lost.
When Odin called for someone to help and carry Frigga's body out, Jane came back to where Sig was standing.
'Sigyn? Are you still here?'
Sig wiped her tears and lifted her concealment, although she remained in the corner where Thor and Odin wouldn't see her. 'Are you okay?' Jane asked, her own eyes still swimming with tears. Sig nodded, fighting the urge to burst out crying again. 'I don't know if you can, but it would be kinda nice if you could stay with me for a while. Thor just told me him and his dad need to sort things out, and I… could really use some company.' Sig looked at her. She felt terrible, and she knew she was wanted elsewhere. She needed to go to Loki and tell him what had happened. Thor walked up to them, stopping next to Jane. 'You are one of my mother's ladies in waiting,' he said, recognising Sigyn, who nodded in reply. 'Could you take Jane back to her room and stay with her a while?'
'My lord, I cannot stay long, I need to..'
'Please…' he interrupted, resting his hand on Jane's shoulder, his eyes glimmering with sadness. 'I cannot stay with her now: as you see, my father and I need to make arrangements for…' he couldn't continue. 'I am sure you can both comfort each other while you wait for us.' he finally finished. It was very hard to refuse, even though Sig felt she should be in the dungeon, comforting Loki rather than the Midgardian girl.
As requested, she took Jane to her room. There they sat down in silence for a while, Sigyn looked out of the window, while Jane was wiping new tears from her cheek.
'So… How long have you worked for Frigga?' Jane finally said, breaking the silence.
'I've been in her service for nine years.' Sig replied, trying hard to keep her face composed.
'So what are you gonna do now?' Jane asked. Sig had not thought about that yet.
'I suppose… I will continue with my duties.'
'But… Didn't all your duties kind of.. involve Frigga?'
Sigyn didn't like where this conversation was going. She did not know this girl very well, and she was not sure whether she could be trusted. No one could know that she was still looking after Loki. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry or anything…' Jane said quickly, when Sig did not respond immediately. Sig smiled and shook her head, 'It's quite alright. I do not know what will happen next, but there is a lot of work to be done so I am sure that the Allfather can still make use of me and all the other ladies in waiting.'
'Yeah, you were there the day I came in, right?'
'I was.'
'Were all the other nurses Frigga's maids too?'
'Most of them, yes.'
'Well, then you'll definitely get another job here. It's such a big palace.'
Sigyn nodded absent-mindedly. She thought of the big palace with all its inhabitants, and one in particular. Did he know yet? Would someone tell him?
Thor did not visit them until night started to fall. When he came in both Sig and Jane got up from their seats. He walked over to Jane and embraced her, Sig turned away to give them some privacy. She heard them exchange some tender words, which almost made her tear up again. Now more than ever, it felt like she should be in the dungeon with Loki. Thor turned to Sig, 'Tonight there will be a ceremony for my mother and all the others who fell today. You and the other lady's maids will of course get a special place, as you have all served her loyally.' As much as this flattered Sig, she was still anxious to visit Loki.
'My lord,' she said, 'how is the situation in the prison?'
'They are cleaning up the wreckage as we speak.'
'Did any of the prisoners escape?'
'A handful was freed by the beast that killed my mother. But those were mostly petty criminals. My brother, Loki, who is not simply a petty criminal remains in his cell, which is a small comfort.'
'My lord…' Sig began tentatively, 'Has he heard the news yet?' Thor looked a little taken aback by this question. He examined Sig with curiosity, but replied: 'I do not think he has.'
'Someone should tell him, don't you think, my lord?' Thor seemed to think for a moment, 'Yes, yes… It is only right he should know. I shall send someone to inform him,' Sig was about to suggest to go herself, but before she could open her mouth Thor continued: 'The ceremony will start in about an hour, I expect you will want to eat something and change before it begins. I will have someone bring another dress for you, so you can remain here with Jane.'
'Thank you but-'
'I shall come and fetch you both when it is time.'