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Thor's eyes darted from Sibyl to Loki, as though he could not decide who to listen to.

Not that Sibyl had much to say on the matter. "I don't know much about fighting, but what I do know is that numbers matter. And strategy. If you stand a better chance of winning with allies, then you shouldn't fight alone."

Loki nodded, looking surprised. "She's wise, your little witch. You should listen to her."

Sibyl set her hands on her hips. "What did you just call me?" She might be small, but no way was she letting some arsehole she didn't know call her a witch.

Loki smiled. "I called you wise. It means clever, an important quality in a scholar. Now, if Thor were even one tenth as wise as you, he'd see the wisdom of my advice, and we'd be halfway to Odin by now. Are you coming, brother, or are you determined to get yourself and your betrothed killed?"

Still Thor was torn.

But Sibyl had already decided. "Go with him. If I see your witch, I'll point her in the right direction of where to find you. I'll be fine."

Thor set his hammer down, so that he could take her hands in his. "Sibyl, promise me you will stay safe. I will seek out Odin, fight this monster, and get free of this curse. I will return for you, ástin mín. I swear it."

She believed him.

One kiss. Long enough for her to want it to go on forever, but too short for what might be farewell.

She might not like it, but she knew this was the right thing to do.

Thor released her, and raced out the door, with Loki on his heels.

Sibyl sighed. She wanted to shout after them to wait, that she wanted to come, too, but what good would that do? Loki might have called her a witch, but she was no more magical than...well, the stones beneath her feet. She kicked one, and it went bouncing off into the darkness.

What she really wanted to do was throw a tantrum of epic proportions. In the privacy of her tent, where no one would see. Where she could scream her frustrations into her pillow, at falling for a Viking warrior who might never come home.

The tent was empty, thank goodness. Jorunn must be in the bathroom, or something.

Sibyl picked up her pillow...

"Oh, thank fuck I found you. Quick, pack your things, we have to go. Wait, not everything. Just enough for a couple of nights away. Pack light." Jorunn grabbed her backpack and began stuffing clothes into it.

"Where are we going?" Sibyl asked.

"With Thor and Loki, of course. You don't think those two can take care of things on their own, do you? Neither of them can operate a phone, or any form of modern tech, and they know next to nothing about our world. They need us, but we have to be quick." She stuffed an extra pair of socks into her backpack and cinched it closed, then zipped up her coat. She grabbed Sibyl's hand. "Come on, let's go!"