Asgard was cloaked in silence, and Lady Sif hated it.

She walked down the golden hallways of the palace, despising how each and every footfall echoed through the open corridors. A few maids scurried about, but other than their occasional presence, it was deserted. In such uncertain times, no one lingered without purpose.

Before the second prince's disappearance, she had always carried two hidden knives with her. Now, she carried seven.

There was something so empty about their realm now. It was a gilded cage, and they were nothing but jeweled little birds. Somewhere, someone was watching them flutter around helplessly, and they were getting a good laugh about it, too. Deep down, she knew that bigger forces were at fault for this. More dangerous forces, perhaps, than Odin realized.

"Sif!"

The warrior spun around, surprised to hear that familiar voice so soon after farewelling it.

"Thor!"

Sif rushed over to the prince, who looked exhausted to the bone. A scrape carved down the side of his face. She shocked them both by wrapping her arms around him, and he embraced her tentatively.

Their past made no difference to her because he was Thor. Because he was good and honest, because he had spent the last months searching every realm for his lost brother, because he had refused to ascend until the whole matter was behind them. It made no difference that his gaze had been turned by a mortal woman on his last escapade to Midgard. She welcomed him home warmly because her best friend no longer had anyone to welcome home.

"What did you do to your face?" She muttered, tracing the outline of the cut with a careful thumb. "If you don't clean that out, it'll scar."

Thor chuckled, shaking his head. They fell in step with each other, her steering him in the direction of the hospital wing, whether he realized it or not. "Just a disagreement."

"A disagreement involving blades?"

"You know me too well, good Lady Sif." His formalities had returned, to her dismay. Formal court manners were now a barricade between them. "But I also know you too well, and I know that you're trying to connive me into seeing a healer."

"Connive is such a negative word," she said innocently. "I prefer lead. I am leading you to a healer."

"Greater matters press my mind than a scar."

Sif glanced at him, her brown eyes solemn. "The Allfather is in his study, and your mother is in the gardens. Either would be most pleased to lend an ear, I'm sure, and both would offer sage counsel, should you ask for it."

"No, I cannot discuss such matters with them," he said. "Not yet."

"I see." She pursed her lips in thought and tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear. "If you wish, I'll be your confidante."

Thor looked over at her for a moment before nodding. He shifted Mjilonir back and forth in his hands, a motion she immediately recognized as a nervous habit.

"What concerns you?" She pressed, knowing that he'd open up as soon as he started talking.

"I am... well, if you must know, it is not Loki that concerns me most." He sighed. "It's Maeve that worries me, Sif."

Sif's gaze darkened. In the months since Loki's disappearance, Maeve hardly spoke to anyone. No one blamed the princess for her sudden reclusiveness, but her stilled tongue was something Asgard's army could not afford to accommodate. After all, her soul mark was the only proof that Loki was still alive. Sif had spent many nights with Maeve sobbing on her shoulder because the mark burned with her husband's pain. If it wasn't for the twins, Sif would have been even more concerned, but she knew that her friend was holding herself together for the sake of her children.

Maeve was the bravest person Sif had ever known.

"I worry about her as well," she admitted. "But she is strong, Thor, stronger than most realize. Think of all she has gone through and survived."

"She should not have had to go through all of that. She is a gentle soul, and she brought my brother peace. She does not deserve this pain." Thor pinched the bridge of his nose in obvious frustration. "Instead of naming Loki or me king, he should have simply named her queen."

A slight smile worked its way across Sif's stoic features. "I have no doubt that she would be a fine ruler, but I also believe that she never wanted a throne."

"Of course she didn't. That's precisely what would have made her such a magnificent queen," Thor said, shaking his head sorrowfully. "She only wanted her small world to be kept whole and safe, and it has been shattered. I swore to save that world for her, because she is my sister and she deserves it."

"And we will find him," she said firmly. "Whoever has taken your brother will be brought to Asgardian justice."

"I fear that something much darker is at play. A threat looms in my mind. This danger is more than we realize."

"I know. I agree with you."

"Your Highness!"

A breathless guard stopped short a few feet away from the pair. Sif stared at the man, confused by his sudden appearance. How far had he run?

"Heimdall sends for you," he continued heavily, hands on his knees as he bent over to breathe. The Bifrost. That's quite a distance. "It's of dire importance."

Thor was at his side in an instant. "What does he want?" He asked urgently. His bright blue eyes flicked up to Sif, and she held his frantic gaze. "Has he found him?"

The guard nodded.

*

Maeve sat on the edge of the Rainbow Bridge, her feet dangling precariously over the abyss below. She sighed. Even the beauty of an Asgardian sunset couldn't lift her spirits in the slightest.

She began to unravel her long blonde braids. Her hair now fell down past her waist. More than once, she'd considered cutting it to rest on her shoulders. Its length was only a reminder of the passage of time. Eight months.

A searing pain scorched her wrist and she flinched, but as soon as the sensation occurred, it was gone. A single tear slipped down her cheek. Unknown magic had prevented Maeve from using her soul mark to find or to speak with Loki, but she could still feel each moment of pain. It was nearly unbearable, and she'd been through enough pain of her own to know that.

"Maeve?"

Thor's voice was not booming as it used to be. Ever since Loki's disappearance, it was softer, more reserved, and now, it was worried.

"Hi, Thor."

"You shouldn't be that close to the edge," he said, his eyes wide. "You could fall, or-"

"Don't worry. I'm not going to jump. I'm not selfish." To make him feel better, she scooted away from the edge and crossed her legs. "Better?"

"Yes." He smiled and sat down next to her. It was an odd pairing to look at, the massive prince and the tiny princess, but after years of knowing him, Maeve felt closer to Thor than she did many of her brothers by blood. Reaching out to place a hand over hers, he said, "I just spoke with Heimdall."

"And?" She braced herself, expecting more of the same. I see nothing but an abyss, my princess. The gatekeeper was kind, always offering wisdom and silence. Unlike nearly everyone else in the palace, Heimdall didn't walk on ice around Maeve, something she appreciated greatly. Still, he had brought her no good news for eight months.

His eyes met hers. "He was able to see him again, Maeve. He found Loki. We know where he is."

Loki.

Maeve scrambled into a standing position, her hands shaking and breath short. "What? What are we still standing around here for? We have to save him! Where has he been taken?"

"It's not that simple. It's actually quite complicated."

"I don't care. It could be the most complicated thing in the world and I wouldn't care. I need my husband back, Thor. I love him. I'll do whatever it takes."

Thor ran a hand down his face, wincing slightly. Lately he'd been more tired, exhausted from searching for his lost brother after so many long months. There was some deeper emotion now, running through his veins like a river runs brought a canyon: constant, yet dangerous. Maeve noticed a scrape down the side of his face and briefly wondered how he'd earned such a mark, and why he hadn't gone to get it healed.

"It's not that simple," he repeated, looking down at his hands. "And should you wish to come with me, I would not object, but I do need you to listen to me, because in circumstances like these, my judgement may be less flawed than yours."

"Thor," she murmured, her worried eyes flicking up to meet his, "what's going on?"

Next chapter is AVENGERS!