Sif's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Sif crossed the wetland path to Frigg's palace with Loki's secret burning in her chest. He had boasted of a weakness in Baldr. But he never named the plant. He never showed it. Sif carried only his words, and words from Loki turned to smoke in the hand. If she named the wrong plant to the Queen, Frigg would call her a liar and throw her out. She found the Queen at her loom in Fensalir. Frigg did not turn. Her gold keys hung at her belt, and her blue cape pooled on the wet stone. "You come with a mother's fear on your face," she said. "Speak it." "Your son can be killed," Sif said. "Loki found the way. He crossed the bridge in secret and hunted for it." Frigg's hands stopped. She rose slowly. "Every plant swore to spare him. Every beast. Every stone. Name the thing you claim I missed." Sif's mouth went dry. She did not have the name. "I don't know it. He would not say. But I swear he holds it." The Queen's face hardened. "Then you bring me a rumor. My son is loved by all things. You want me to break Loki on a guess." She reached for the loom again. "Leave." Sif had failed. She turned toward the door, and the water outside went still. A woman stood in the doorway. Pale skin, black straight hair, wings of dark bone folded behind her. Loki's daughter. Sif had heard of her, the one who ruled the dead, the one who knew each name and each hour of death. Fear crossed even Frigg's face. "He is my father," Hel said. Her voice was flat and cold. "I know what he carries. He showed me before he showed anyone." She looked at Sif, then at the Queen. "You want the name of the plant. It grows in Baldr's orchard. It bore no oath because it was too small to notice. Mistletoe." Frigg went white. The word struck her like a blow. "Mistletoe," she whispered. "I passed it by. It was young. I thought it too weak to matter." Her hand found the edge of the loom. "I forgot one thing in all the nine realms, and Loki found it." Sif's guess was now the Queen's certainty. But she stared at Hel, and dread crept up her spine. Why would Loki's own daughter hand his secret to his enemies? Hel answered the unspoken question. "My father thinks he holds all the power now. I wanted him to learn he does not." She smiled without warmth. "And I wanted you to owe me." Frigg turned to Sif, tears bright in her eyes and fury behind them. "Go to Odin. Tell him the mistletoe. Tell him Loki has it." Sif had her proof at last. But she left Fensalir knowing she now owed a debt to something worse than Loki.