Sigyn had a bad feeling about this last gate. She just couldn't place what it was. On instinct, she unbuckled her iron blade from her belt and handed it in its sheath to Loki. "This is the strongest weapon any of us have against the fae," she told him as she held it out to him.

"And you're giving it to me, because?" Loki asked, concern in his voice. He didn't like Sig giving up her weapon. "You need a weapon as well, love," he told her. He sounded worried and hesitated at taking her weapon.

"I have other blades," she reassured him. "However, I doubt I'm going to be in a position to use that one if we need it. There's nothing here, but something feels off and I trust you at my back," she told him firmly. She did trust Loki at her back and she needed someone she trusted wielding the blade that could kill her just as easily as it could take out their opponents.

Everyone saw how much it pleased Loki that Sig trusted him at her back. He took the sword from her and drew it. The sword wasn't his specialty when it came to weapons, but all warriors of Asgard knew how to fight with them. "Alright, darling. I will be right beside you the whole time," he reassured her as the rest of the group drew their weapons as well. They took Sig's anxiety and her bad feelings seriously. They were also there to protect her. That was the job the Allmother had given them on this trip. And no-one wanted to upset Mama Frigga.

Sig nodded and stepped up to the doorway with Loki at her side. She could feel Loki's anxiety, fueled by her own. He would defend her with everything he had, and not just because they were soulbound and he would die as well, but because he truly cared.

Sig drew her belt knife and sliced open her palm as she drew the power to close the doorway. She reached out to either side of it and grabbed the edges. It took a long time for her to wrestle the doorway shut. It took all of her strength to wrench the doorway closed and more power than she wanted to admit. It was fighting being closed.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the gate was finally closed.

Except that a moment later, a great many things happen all at once.

Sig crumpled when she let the power go. When the gate was finally closed. All the color drained from her. All of it. Her hair and eyes drained to a light gray, her skin too pale, nearly translucent. The only color she had was the glowing soulbond mark and the blood on her hands.

At the same time, the group found themselves surrounded by the fae after a burst of magic threw their group apart. The fae were all members of the seelie court and included one of the Gray Lords. The Gray Lord could be easily identified by the crown on his head. In an instant he had Sig, thrown over his shoulder barely conscious, with a ring of lesser fae around him to protect him.

Loki growled and pointed the iron blade at the Gray Lord. "Put my soulbound down before I make you," he snarled as Thor, Sif, and the warriors three regrouped to face the group of fae. Loki couldn't rush in to attack the Gray Lord while he still held Sig draped over his shoulder. Sig struggled, but she was so weak and drained that she couldn't manage. That was why she had brought Thor and the warriors. She couldn't defend herself after closing the doorways. They all knew it.

"This lady belongs to the fae," the Gray Lord replied, there was no fear of Loki or any of the warriors in his voice or demeanor. He smirked at Loki. "Though I recognize your voice, Asgardian. You're the one who told us where our missing Gray Lady was," he teased and Loki stiffened. His slip of the tongue had told the Gray Lords where Sig was and they had figured out where she would go next. It was his fault she was caught now. At least, that's what he told himself. The Gray Lord turned to the fae with him. "Take care of these... Asgardians," he turned up his nose at the word as he gave the order to the lesser fae "while I take my leave,"

Loki teleported right in front of the Gray Lord as the fae turned to leave, materializing right in front of him, Sig's iron blade held to the Gray Lord's throat. "I said 'Put. Her. Down.'" he growled, magic flaring around him in anger at this fae for trying to take Sig, and anger at himself for putting her in danger.

The Gray Lord drew his own blade in a smooth motion, deflecting Loki's skillfully. "You dare lay claim to a Gray Lady?" he demanded of Loki while Sig was starting to stir enough to think of something useful to do to help.

"She and I are soulbound. You have no right to take her from me. If you try, I will cut you down where you stand," Loki replied hotly, standing his ground. He would not allow Sig to be taken, not again.

"If you try, you will injure her in the process. That blade will cut through any fae. I will be returning home with the Gray Lady," the Gray Lord informed Loki matter-of-factly and gestured to his minions to deal with the troublesome Asgardian. Most of his minions were dealing with Thor and his friends, keeping them busy.

Loki's magic flashed and all of the fae facing the group were bound to the ground so they couldn't move. He wasn't pulling any punches. "I am not a weak Asgardian and she no longer belongs to the fae. I will not tell you again. Put her down or I will be forced to make you," Loki didn't want to rush in to attack when Sig was in danger from the blade that could kill her just as easily as the other fae.

Sig finally recognized the voice and knew what to do. She stole a touch of power from the soulbond, from Loki. He wouldn't mind. He'd already given her permission to do so. she needed to add power to her words. "Jareth of the queens ravens, lord of the sea," she snarled his name and title. "I command you by your truename to put me down," she growled with as much power as she could add to the words. It wasn't much. She wasn't strong enough to pull much power, even with the soulbond.

It was thankfully enough.

Jareth's eyes went dull for a moment as he set Sig carefully on her feet. He was unable to fight the compulsions of her using his truename against him. She couldn't do more than that, though, she didn't have the strength, not after closing the doorway. Loki would have to actually fight him. It had taken all the power she could muster to get Jareth to put her down.

Loki's hand wrapped around Sig's arm and he hauled her to him, his arm shifting to wrap around her waist to hold her to his side once she'd stumbled closer to him. The blade Loki held was still raised and pointed at Jareth's neck. "Any last words?" he demanded as he held Sig safely to him. He was much more relaxed now that she was safe, even if she was only half-conscious and pretty delirious.

"The Queen will not let you keep her, Asgardian," Jareth replied once he could focus again, deflecting Loki's blade with his own.

"She will have to go through me and an army of Asgardians before she can take her from me," Loki snarled. Jareth leapt in to attack Loki with his own blade. All of the other fae were occupied with being slaughtered by Thor and his friends. Loki was a skilled swordsman and could enhance every attack with his magic. He was hampered some by keeping Sig safe when she was barely keeping her feet under her. He didn't waste time playing with Jareth. He slew him the first opportunity he got, thrusting Sig's sword through the Gray Lord's heart.

Jareth fell to the ground, dead in an instant from the iron blade.

The others were finishing up with the other fae around the same time. Loki vanished Sig's blade and turned to her, his hands on her upper arms, half supporting her, shaking her a little to get her attention as she was wilting fast, now that the last of the adrenaline was no longer keeping her going. "Sig, Sig are you alright, my love?" Loki asked her when he had her attention.

Loki looked terrified at her appearance. Her colors had all gone to light gray at best. Even the bright green of her eyes, her unnaturally red hair, had all turned light gray.

Sig thought she answered him. She thought she managed to speak. She wasn't sure. Her words were slurring with power drain and exhaustion and she wasn't sure she spoke aloud, but still she tried:

"I really don't think so..."