Loki's hackles rose at Sif's words. Why did Odin send her? Why did Odin send her? Sending a messenger to bring Loki before him wasn't an unusual occurrence, he was a prince and had duties to the throne after all. That didn't explain what Odin could want with Morgan. Or why he sent Sif.

Loki sighed, his arm going protectively around Morgan as he addressed Sif. "What does he need, Sif?" he asked a little more curtly than he usually would be with Sif. He liked her after all. She was the only of his brother's friends that he could tolerate.

Sif laughed, trying to ease the tension. She knew it was weird for Odin to send her. "Don't huff so, Loki," she said warmly, keeping her tone light and friendly, trying to reassure Loki this visit wasn't a big deal. Loki didn't believe it, but he let her keep talking. "All he sent me for is to make sure "Lady Brynhilde's daughter" is capable of at least defending herself before she returns to Midgard," Sif explained. Loki heard the words she wasn't saying. All ladies of Asgard needed to be able to defend themselves, at least well enough to buy time for a trained warrior to arrive to help them.

Odin could order her to stay on Asgard until she could defend herself that well. He could hold her to that standard even blind. Especially blind. He could chain her to Asgard.

And he was within his rights to do it to defend one of the nobles in his care.

Neither Sif nor Loki wanted to upset Morgan, though. "And you're here to teach her, I assume?" Loki asked carefully. He assumed that Sif was here to evaluate Morgan's skills. He wanted to find a way to tell Sif that she better clear Morgan to leave Asgard. If Odin was leaving the evaluation of Morgan's skill up to Sif, there was a chance... "It is certainly an honor to have the Goddess of War as a combat instructor," he said just as carefully. He hoped Sif would get the message that as Goddess of War, she could declare a noble fit to leave Asgard. And she better do it.

Sif nodded. "The Allfather asked me to evaluate her skills and make sure she is taught what is necessary." It wasn't a new assignment for Sif, most young noble ladies went to her for training. This really wasn't new, except that the lady in question was Loki's lady. And he wouldn't put up with this not going the way he wanted.

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Joy... more mandatory self-defense lessons," her voice was laced with sarcasm as she mock grumbled.

Sif smirked and lit up. "More, hm?" she asked with a wicked gleam in her eye. This might not be so bad after all.

Before Loki knew what was happening, the girls' arms were linked and Sif was leading Morgan out to the practice courts, grilling Morgan on what self-defense she already knew and how she learned it.

Loki chuckled to himself as he moved to catch up with them. "I should have seen that coming..."

Sif laughed and looked back at Loki over her shoulder. "Yes. You should have!" she replied brightly, excited for a new sparring partner to play with, especially since she had a feeling Morgan could be a good friend.

Morgan had a knack for befriending everyone around her, especially for someone who claimed she sucked at making friends.

"She will surprise you, Sif," Loki said warmly. He'd seen his lady in action and didn't doubt that she could pass Sif's assessment. Unless Sif was under orders to fail her.

Loki wouldn't stand for it if Sif was under orders to fail her.

"I'm sure she will," Sif agreed, her tone clear that she would evaluate and teach Morgan fairly. "Anyone you're interested in, Trickster? They would have to be full of surprises," Sif teased him warmly.

Loki chuckled. "True," he agreed, and realized that Sif was a closer friend to him than he'd originally thought.

So the three of them headed out to the practice courts with Sif grilling Morgan on her knowledge the entire way. Loki wasn't concerned and strolled with the ladies. He wanted to watch Morgan's assessment and see just how amazing his lady was. Loki knew she was strong and that Natasha had taught her well enough to hold her own. Especially as she'd already kicked the Warriors Three's collective asses. Loki hoped to see it again.

Sif led her out to the training court where she had plenty of room for the battle. Morgan's clothes shimmered to workout clothes. Sif's assessment began as she tested Morgan's physical fighting ability. Loki sat nearby, keeping an eye on his blind love, just in case. Morgan clearly had skills in hand to hand combat, staff work, and blades. She was hampered slightly by her inability to see, but she had mechanisms to compensate for it, especially if she could get a hand on her opponent. Or if she had a staff. The girl was deadly with a staff.

Luckily for everyone involved, except Fandral himself, Fandral was the victim for the testing after Sif's initial assessment.

Loki and Sif both watched her with a critical eye. She wasn't as good as an Asgardian warrior. Not nearly. But she was proficient. She was a blur on the battlefield, fighting with speed and skill instead of brute force. Loki could feel her using her magic to gauge where her opponent was.

Everyone else on the practice courts was staring open-mouthed at the Midgardian-raised blind girl beating up Fandral.

Sif ended the assessment with a final match, an all-out bout with whatever weapons Morgan and Fandral chose. Morgan chose a staff while Fandral had his rapier. Morgan wasn't a match for Fandral, not when he was going full-out, but she held her own long enough. That was all that mattered. She was panting and exhausted when Sif called the match. She wasn't going to let Fandral actually take the blind girl down. "Well done, Morgan," Sif told her, clapping her shoulder.

"You are magnificent, my darling," Loki said, coming over and pulling Morgan into a hug.

Morgan vanished her staff and wrapped her arms around Loki, laying her head on his chest. She enjoyed the feeling of his cold seeping through his shirt. "Fandral could have handed my ass to me in that last bout. In all of them really," she admitted.

Loki chuckled. "I disagree, darling. I saw your skills,"

"Flatterer. I know Midgardian skills aren't nearly as good as those of an Aesir trained warrior," she said fondly and kissed his cheek.

"It was still impressive. Being able to hold your own against a warrior of Asgard says something about your skill,"

"Which means your father can't insist she stay on Asgard for her safety," Sif confirmed to Loki, reassuring him.

Loki sighed in relief. "Exactly." He was beyond glad that Sif was vouching for Morgan without coercion. He would hate to have to coerce her, but he would have. He wouldn't have allowed Morgan to remain trapped here, just because of Odin's wishes.

Morgan looked up at him concerned. "He could really do that?" she asked. It was the first she was hearing about this. She should've been told and she felt her anger spiking.

Loki sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, darling," he told her gently. "I didn't want you to stress over it, when I knew you would succeed. But yes, he could have ordered you to stay on Asgard until you gained the skills necessary to defend yourself. You are a noble in his court, Ana. He does have that right,"

"And you are blind," Sif added unnecessarily. "It is his job to protect the court. But as long as I can vouch for your skills, he can't use that angle to keep you here," Sif explained. She would vouch for Morgan. Loki got the impression that Odin hadn't exactly sent her, but she came out to assess Morgan's skills objectively before he could order someone to assess them unobjectively.

Loki was beyond grateful to her for it. She really was the best of Thor's friends.

Morgan nodded and accepted their explanations for why they hadn't told her.

Sif smirked at Loki, noting that he caught her tone and what she did. "So I'll vouch for you," she told Morgan. "And not only at the threat of being turned into a frog by your courtier," she teased Loki.

Loki chuckled, glad the mood was lightened. "I would never think of it, Lady Sif," he told her truthfully. Loki knew better than to mess with Sif. Or attempt to trick her. Experiments he'd done while they were children had backfired. Terribly.

Sif rolled her yes. "Sure you wouldn't, Loki. We all remember Thor spending months as a frog," she reminded him while Morgan laughed at the story.

"That was Thor. I know better than to mess with you,"

Sif smirked. "Damn straight," she laughed. "Well, Morgan's cleared by me to be able to leave the realm. I'm sure you'll be making sure her skills improve,"

Loki nodded and stroked Morgan's hair. "Once we return to Midgard. And Mother is helping her work through her magic while we're here,"

Sif nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I'll make sure Fan vouches for her too," she added, reassuring Loki that Fandral wouldn't do something stupid.

"Good. Or he will have me to deal with,"

Sif nodded and went to beat some more sense into Fandral before he did something stupid like not vouch for Morgan, just so Odin could get her to stay there. Morgan and Loki left to enjoy their day. They would be heading back to Midgard soon, especially now that Odin couldn't insist that Morgan had to stay for her own safety.

Loki wondered why he would be so desperate to keep her here.