Lokasenna
A Place to Practice
Before Loki could say anything else, Sigyn had left the room. It took him a while to make sense of what had just happened. At first, he had not understood why she would think of herself as a prisoner too. But then it dawned on him that she spent every waking moment at his side, maybe not in a cell but just as isolated as he was. She had been tricked into a voluntary life-sentence. It startled him how much he could relate to what she must be feeling and his own anger towards Odin and Frigga started to rise up to the surface again.
They returned to his cell without saying another word to each other. However, while she was removing the bracelets, she suddenly said: 'I think I am beginning to understand why you can do magic. I misinterpreted the book. When I read about the ego, I assumed it to be more about selfishness rather than self-consciousness. It seems much easier when you disassociate yourself from your immediate feelings.' She did not know why exactly she was telling him this, but since her encounter with Olrin she had started to feel differently about Loki.
'Does this mean you do not think me so self-centred any more?' he asked in jest.
'No. It means I now know that you are very disciplined.'
He couldn't suppress a smirk at this. It was fascinating that, however badly she might think of the person who had made her a voluntary prisoner, she would not show it. But when it came to him she seemed almost eager to express her contempt. He was ever so slightly impressed by this quality, however, somewhere in the back of his mind he hoped that the regard she had for him was more, or rather, better than she expressed.
Later that day Loki caught himself staring at the niche where Sig sat reading at the table. He realised that he had not read a single word on the page of the book he had picked up to read. Internally reprimanding himself for getting distracted by his mother's servant he flipped back a page and tried to concentrate harder on keeping his eyes fixed on the words before him. Meanwhile Sig was telling herself off as well. She, too, had been chancing looks at Loki whenever she thought he would not notice it. Of course, it was her duty to watch him, but this was different. She had thought him handsome before, but getting to know him better, he seemed to become even more attractive. It felt like all those things he had done to land him in this cell mattered less to her the more she thought about it. Or rather, she had started to relate to his motivation for them. She understood his anger towards Frigga and the Allfather, as she had recently been a victim of their manipulations as well.
As soon as she became fully aware of this new development in her feelings it seemed to become harder for her to be around him. When she brought him his dinner in the evening he tried to engage her in conversation, but she made every effort to get out of his presence as soon as possible. She didn't dare look at him, for fear of him discovering what she was feeling.
She was afraid that if he found out he would use her to escape. But what frightened her most was that she might just let him.
The following morning Sig came in to take Loki for their daily trip to the bathroom. She had barely slept that night, she had been practicing something new which she had come upon in one of Frigga's books: concealing, and when done successfully completely vanishing, objects. It had been terribly difficult for her to concentrate, Loki seemed to have infiltrated her mind and she could think of little else but him. This was one of the reasons she chose to practice magic rather than getting a good night's sleep. Forcing herself to keep concentrated on making the chips of wood she used to make the fires for the bath with disappear, seemed to temporarily drive Loki from her mind. However, when she eventually returned to the servants' quarters four hours before she had to be up again, her head was filled with visions of Loki and herself, and what might happen if they could leave their prison..
These thoughts still in the back of her mind, Sig tried to act as inconspicuous as ever. The sleep deprivation did not help, she was not really paying attention to what she was doing. When they came to the bathroom she immediately walked over to the tub to light the fire. She had not taken two steps when suddenly flames appeared in the grate, without her doing anything. 'What is-' she spun around, only to see Loki lower his hand with a small grin. His wrists, she saw -and gasped audibly as she noticed, pressing her hands to her mouth in shock- were bare, the iron bracelets preventing him from using magic were still hanging from the belt of her dress. She had forgotten to put them on.
'I thought it might be faster if I did it.' he said, his lip curled in a slight smile. Sig stared at him for a moment, then immediately started to fumble at the bracelets, trying to pry them loose from her belt. In only a few paces Loki was right in front of her and grabbed her trembling hands. Regardless of what Sig might have been fantasising about at night, the reality of the situation had fired her into complete panic. He had already killed one of his guards, he was convicted for killing hundreds of Midgardians. His magical skills were far more advanced than hers. She was just a weak, tiny obstruction in the way of his freedom. Sig tried to shake him off, although from previous experience she knew this would not help. 'No, no, no!' she cried, as she struggled. He chuckled quietly as he constrained her flailing arms. 'Hush,' he said calmly, but Sig still struggled. Finally, he managed to subdue her, holding her wrists in a vice-like grip. Sig cursed her stupidity and her weakness, she had no idea what would happen next but she was sure it would not end well for her. 'Let me go,' she pleaded, softly. He merely shook his head, still firmly holding her by her wrists.
Suddenly everything seemed to turn black before her eyes. There was a rush of air, as if she was falling down from a great height. Although she could not clearly see him, Loki was still holding on to her, their bodies pressed to each other by the sudden pressure. As quickly as all this had happened, it stopped again. Sig felt firm ground under her feet once more, and she became aware that they were no longer in the bathroom in the dungeons. They were, in fact, not even near the palace any more.
They seemed to be inside a large cave, their immediate surroundings were illuminated by a faint glow, which hung around them like mist. The rest of the enormous space was obscured from sight by darkness.
'Where are we?' Sig asked, still looking around in amazement. Her breath formed in little clouds, although it was not cold at all.
'Somewhere no one will ever find us.' he replied simply and when she continued to give him a confused look he elaborated: 'I've been coming here for years. Whenever I needed a place to be alone, to concentrate and practice my magic, I would come here. I'm not entirely sure what lies beyond this cave, it's so vast I've never had a chance to explore all of it.
'But… Why are we here?' she asked. She was sure that if he was planning to escape he would surely not take her with him, let alone show her his hideout.
He looked at her, beaming. She had never seen him this cheerful before. 'To practice!'
She stared at him, not sure if she had heard correctly.
'To practice? Practice what?'
'Magic, of course.'
They returned to his cell without saying another word to each other. However, while she was removing the bracelets, she suddenly said: 'I think I am beginning to understand why you can do magic. I misinterpreted the book. When I read about the ego, I assumed it to be more about selfishness rather than self-consciousness. It seems much easier when you disassociate yourself from your immediate feelings.' She did not know why exactly she was telling him this, but since her encounter with Olrin she had started to feel differently about Loki.
'Does this mean you do not think me so self-centred any more?' he asked in jest.
'No. It means I now know that you are very disciplined.'
He couldn't suppress a smirk at this. It was fascinating that, however badly she might think of the person who had made her a voluntary prisoner, she would not show it. But when it came to him she seemed almost eager to express her contempt. He was ever so slightly impressed by this quality, however, somewhere in the back of his mind he hoped that the regard she had for him was more, or rather, better than she expressed.
Later that day Loki caught himself staring at the niche where Sig sat reading at the table. He realised that he had not read a single word on the page of the book he had picked up to read. Internally reprimanding himself for getting distracted by his mother's servant he flipped back a page and tried to concentrate harder on keeping his eyes fixed on the words before him. Meanwhile Sig was telling herself off as well. She, too, had been chancing looks at Loki whenever she thought he would not notice it. Of course, it was her duty to watch him, but this was different. She had thought him handsome before, but getting to know him better, he seemed to become even more attractive. It felt like all those things he had done to land him in this cell mattered less to her the more she thought about it. Or rather, she had started to relate to his motivation for them. She understood his anger towards Frigga and the Allfather, as she had recently been a victim of their manipulations as well.
As soon as she became fully aware of this new development in her feelings it seemed to become harder for her to be around him. When she brought him his dinner in the evening he tried to engage her in conversation, but she made every effort to get out of his presence as soon as possible. She didn't dare look at him, for fear of him discovering what she was feeling.
She was afraid that if he found out he would use her to escape. But what frightened her most was that she might just let him.
The following morning Sig came in to take Loki for their daily trip to the bathroom. She had barely slept that night, she had been practicing something new which she had come upon in one of Frigga's books: concealing, and when done successfully completely vanishing, objects. It had been terribly difficult for her to concentrate, Loki seemed to have infiltrated her mind and she could think of little else but him. This was one of the reasons she chose to practice magic rather than getting a good night's sleep. Forcing herself to keep concentrated on making the chips of wood she used to make the fires for the bath with disappear, seemed to temporarily drive Loki from her mind. However, when she eventually returned to the servants' quarters four hours before she had to be up again, her head was filled with visions of Loki and herself, and what might happen if they could leave their prison..
These thoughts still in the back of her mind, Sig tried to act as inconspicuous as ever. The sleep deprivation did not help, she was not really paying attention to what she was doing. When they came to the bathroom she immediately walked over to the tub to light the fire. She had not taken two steps when suddenly flames appeared in the grate, without her doing anything. 'What is-' she spun around, only to see Loki lower his hand with a small grin. His wrists, she saw -and gasped audibly as she noticed, pressing her hands to her mouth in shock- were bare, the iron bracelets preventing him from using magic were still hanging from the belt of her dress. She had forgotten to put them on.
'I thought it might be faster if I did it.' he said, his lip curled in a slight smile. Sig stared at him for a moment, then immediately started to fumble at the bracelets, trying to pry them loose from her belt. In only a few paces Loki was right in front of her and grabbed her trembling hands. Regardless of what Sig might have been fantasising about at night, the reality of the situation had fired her into complete panic. He had already killed one of his guards, he was convicted for killing hundreds of Midgardians. His magical skills were far more advanced than hers. She was just a weak, tiny obstruction in the way of his freedom. Sig tried to shake him off, although from previous experience she knew this would not help. 'No, no, no!' she cried, as she struggled. He chuckled quietly as he constrained her flailing arms. 'Hush,' he said calmly, but Sig still struggled. Finally, he managed to subdue her, holding her wrists in a vice-like grip. Sig cursed her stupidity and her weakness, she had no idea what would happen next but she was sure it would not end well for her. 'Let me go,' she pleaded, softly. He merely shook his head, still firmly holding her by her wrists.
Suddenly everything seemed to turn black before her eyes. There was a rush of air, as if she was falling down from a great height. Although she could not clearly see him, Loki was still holding on to her, their bodies pressed to each other by the sudden pressure. As quickly as all this had happened, it stopped again. Sig felt firm ground under her feet once more, and she became aware that they were no longer in the bathroom in the dungeons. They were, in fact, not even near the palace any more.
They seemed to be inside a large cave, their immediate surroundings were illuminated by a faint glow, which hung around them like mist. The rest of the enormous space was obscured from sight by darkness.
'Where are we?' Sig asked, still looking around in amazement. Her breath formed in little clouds, although it was not cold at all.
'Somewhere no one will ever find us.' he replied simply and when she continued to give him a confused look he elaborated: 'I've been coming here for years. Whenever I needed a place to be alone, to concentrate and practice my magic, I would come here. I'm not entirely sure what lies beyond this cave, it's so vast I've never had a chance to explore all of it.
'But… Why are we here?' she asked. She was sure that if he was planning to escape he would surely not take her with him, let alone show her his hideout.
He looked at her, beaming. She had never seen him this cheerful before. 'To practice!'
She stared at him, not sure if she had heard correctly.
'To practice? Practice what?'
'Magic, of course.'