Summary:Fenris and Astryd take some time out to look at the mark she received. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The ski lodge in Norway was definitely underbooked, as this is summer and in the southern part of the country it is possible to find places where snow doesn't cover everything. That just meant it was easier for Fenris to talk the owner into letting them stay in it though that might have also had something to do that he pushed open the door as a giant wolf and asked for a couple of rooms.
Aurora is in one of them, Fenris and Astryd in the other. The Old Wolf has just come back into the rather nice suites from checking his phone to insure that he's not being overly missed in New York.
"I've arranged for dinner." He says as he comes to the bed and sits down on the corner. "How are you feeling raven? This is the first time we've undertaken a long trip since you were injured."
And he knows for a fact she's not fully healed yet.
Astryd had been resting while Fenris had been organising. She'd travelled well enough, but she is fatigued. Something that didn't happen before Balors light had hit her. Was it the mark, or was it something else entirely? She isn't sure and she's not sure that Fenris can work it out either. She might need … more help.
And that … annoys her.
Watching as the Old Wolf takes a seat on the bed, she holds a pale hand out to him. "Come closer, my Wolf, I would you to feel you close, at the moment." shifting slightly to give him room to settle near. "Is Aurora settled? I am a bad hostess but I'm tired, Fenris. More tired than I've been in a long time."
"You're not hosting anything at the moment. That's on the proprietor but yes she is settled and comfortable. I get the feeling it's been a while since she was out last. She was looking at one of the lift attendants…"
Fenris shakes his head and comes to sit near Astryd and take her hand. "You're more hurt than you've been in a long time. I want to take another look at that mark on you, if you don't mind…"
The Old Wolf definitely knows magic even if he can't do any. So while it's perhaps unlikely that he can get it off her (yes he will need help) with enough time to examine it, he might possibly be able to identify it. And that will at least tell him where he needs to go.
"Does it still hurt? Or is it more fatigue than anything else?"
"Mortals don't understand hospitality as we do, Fenris." Astryd notes. He's right. Technically the Valkyr isn't except that Aurora is their guest. "I hope it's just old fashioned lust that she's looking at him with and not one our more … predatory traits. Was it the blonde or brunette. The brunette, I'm thinking. He had a look to him."
Her long fingers curl in Fenris hand when he takes them and Astryd lets out a long slow breath. "You know I don't. Am I not your Raven? Let me … " retrieving her hand, the blonde opens her shirt.
The mark is still livid on her pale flesh, just above her heart where the beam had hit her.
"Sometimes it hurts. Stings mostly. And I've never felt so tired, ever. Not even after Odin banished me."
"You are my raven indeed." Fenris knows mortals don't really understand this kind of thing. But they don't really have the time or the need to develop that understanding. He runs his hand over the area where the mark is. Just above her heart. That's got significance. He knows it does. The heart governs the emotions. And the ancient greeks believed that it was the seat of all reason as well.
Which is awful. The heart is terrible at reasoning.
"It's sapping something… It can see it drawing energy from you. I wonder…"
The Old Wolf gets up and goes to the window to open it. He grabs a handful of frost from the previous night and comes back in. The water is pure. Clean. It should show him resonances. "This is gonna be…"
He rubs it on her. Cold. It's gonna be cold.
Astryd is Fenris' raven even if he hasn't bound her in that way. It is a label the blonde wears easily. Fenris is right, as his hand moves over that mark, he can feel the energy it's drawing. It's not drawing too strongly, but strongly enough.
"Ack… " Astryd shivers as the snow hits her body that's been warmed by the heating in the room. It's cold "Fenris! What is this supposed to show you?"
Except you know, an icy Bird.
"Pure water can show the flows of magic if you have eyes like mine." Fenris murmurs. It's pulling power from her and it's not storing it. It's just pushing it into the ether. It's designed to weaken her. But for what purpose?
"It's a curse. Or half of a geas. It looks like it's designed to sap your energy. It's something I might consider if I wanted to wear someone down." But that suggests it was placed with a purpose and since this came from a strike she was not meant to take, it also means it wasn't meant for her.
That, however, doesn't mean that it won't be used against her. Fenris knows that gods are nothing if not opportunists.
He does smirk a little bit though. "What's wrong, snowbird?"
"Red glowing eyes?" Astryd smirks tiredly "Or just ones I prefer?" The mark is pulling energy, as well as being an inverted luck symbol. If someone was to attack her now, she'd be hard pressed to defend against let alone fight it. Is that the only reason, or is there more? "We know that wasn't intended for me so there's some solace in that." She murmurs.
"Balor knows though it was I who took the blast. He also knows I stood in the Vanguard and fought of his attack, while dead warriors answered my call and flanked them." She hadn't been the most potent who'd fought that day. It's hard to ignore an angry Valkyrie though.
"He'll be coming for me, won't he?" the question is quiet, thoughtful. "Wrong? Why nothing, Fenris. You just dumped icy cold water on me and don't be seeming to try and remedy that."
"Yes. Red glowing eyes." Fenris says dryly as he keeps his hand where it was, adding his body heat to hers so the ice turns into water a bit more quickly.
"I need the water, besides it's amusing." The Old Wolf can be a bit of a troll sometimes and that's amusing. He doesn't like trolls. Literal ones that is. He has no problem with people being 'trollish' mostly because he doesn't notice it.
"Assuming he yet lives then yes. If he does not, then I think we still have to assume that someone knows about this mark and will try to make use of it. I can only assume it would make someone like you fatigued for the purpose of lessening their resistance to something. What, though…"
Physical attack? That seems unlikely. Mental? That… given what happened to Hod that seems a bit more plausible.
"Well I like red glowing eyes, so there's that." Astryd shifts to get closer and sap more of Fenris heat. "Well now I'm all wet and that should be remedied." Troll indeed her Wolf is and she wouldn't have it any other way.
"The mind and the spirit." That's the answer that Astryd gives. "A Physical attack means being present and risking that others would be around to assist. Mind and spirit? It's possible I wouldn't know until it was too late."
Why the spirit though? What could they hope to achieve?
"If this was meant for Hod, or Amaterasu, I'd say that it was intended to MAKE them help start an apocalypse. And that means there had to be a way to issue an instruction. Or that it's embedded in the spell itself. An impulse to do something out of character. Or even an exaggeration of things already in character." Fenris frowns.
"Raven, you've not had any odd urges lately have you?" At other times that might be playful but now it's deadly serious. Fenris trusts Astryd with his life. With his very being. If she is compromised then HE is in big, big trouble. Could she push him to a rage?
Possibly yes.
"Urges?" Astryd doesn't like how this sounds. There's no way that Astryd would do anything to push Fenris' rage directly. She is far too loyal and caring to do that. However …
What wouldn't she do to protect him from his fate? She would put herself at risk to do that. She has already. Would she also try to break Fate herself?
Possibly.
"Not that I've notice, my heart, beyond the normal …" The look she bends on him, despite her fatigue, is speaking. "But what are thinking …"
"I'm thinking that a good way to start an apocalypse is to get me upset…" Fenris isn't sure how Astryd would do that. She is, he would agree if she had said it, far too loyal and caring. She's his raven for a reason. She wouldn't betray him like that.
Well, not on purpose. But could she push him that way without meaning to? Absolutely.
Fenris brushes Astryd's golden hair back. "We'll watch it. I'm more concerned that it's wearing you out." Well not, he's way more concerned that it might compromise her. "Fortunately I know where we can go to get this looked at in more detail. It's just… they're not going to be real happy to see us…"
Astryd wouldn't betray Fenris. That was set when she approached Odin and was banished for trying to free the God-Wolf.
"This is very true, Fenris. But I'm not about to upset you *like that*." The blonde murmurs, enjoying his touch on her brow. But push him accidently, by playing on that loyalty? They'd seen what he would do if his Raven was threatened.
"Is there anyone who is truly happy to see the walking apocalypse and his woman arrive, my heart? Who though, is it you're thinking of?" She trusts him and she … really doesn't like how she feels right now.
"No one knows more about compulsions and curses than the Tuatha." Fenris says with a slight sigh. "They make their bread and butter ladling out geasa like there's no tomorrow. If anyone can gain a greater understanding of this, it's them. The trick is that I don't think Lugh ever quite forgave me for my time on the Island."
Because Fenris did spend some time on the island and grew friendly enough with Bres and Scathach and Brigid. But Lugh, well, Lugh had his eye on a pretty little black Irish lass and this had been when Astryd was travelling and…
Well, Fenris has a bloodline of Irish werewolves out there, somewhere.
"However I don't think after everything, particularly with this being connected to Balor, that they'll turn us away."
Because while people might not be happy to see them, only an idiot makes them angry.
"More family problems, Fenris? I swear … " Astryd shakes her head. While each of them have their own mortal descendants, Fenris' more prolific than her own, they don't have their own. Maybe it hasn't occurred to them or maybe they know it's sensible they don't. "You want me to sweet talk, Lugh? Bat my eyes at him or do you want to brazen out?"
Gods can have such ego's. Her own God included, she knows that.
"Shall we go when we've finished this expedition?"
"Unless you need a rest first, I think we should. I don't want to leave that thing to fester on you." Because she's tired now but if they get into a fight that thing is going to be a big, big problem.
The other question, though, has the Old Wolf considering. "You might need to sweet talk him…" He finally says grudgingly. He is not immune to ego, no. Not in the least. He is however aware the Lugh's own ego might be the key to placating him. He just doesn't want to do it. Particularly not with his raven.
But if it gets the job done…
"Then I'll try not to need the rest, my heart." The blonde answers. She doesn't know if that's possible - a fight is likely and even though she's strong, this geas / curse is taking its toll. "
Seeing Fenris grump, Astryd moves to put her head in his lap. "I am your Raven, Fenris. Nothing can change that, regardless of who I might bat my eyelids at." She murmurs. They might each have had mortals over the centuries, but they've always returned to each other. Other Gods though? Well, she's seeing the response to even the suggestion of flirting.
"Trust me to do only what needs to be done. I'm at no risk of being dazzled by the Lord of Light, not when my heart belongs to the Sun Eater."
Mortal lovers don't really threaten Fenris. If Astryd were to stay with them for their whole lives - and she has on occasion - it'd be an eyeblink from his perspective. No more than a mortal might think of going out for coffee with someone. Gods on the other hand…
Well she saw how Fenris reacted to Tammuz threat to take her away. Tammuz saw that too and if he's smart he'll never do anything like that again. Because Fenris might not be so forgiving the next time…
"I do trust you, my dear. I'm just a jealous Old Wolf and prefer to hog all your attentions." All the ones she pays to immortals anyway.
"Do you feel able to continue our journey here?" Fenris doesn't want to leave her behind but they're probably going to need to move quickly over the next little while.
Tammuz may well have learned his lesson. Time will tell though.
"I like that the Old Wolf is jealous for my attentions and he shall have them." Slightly out of character for her to push it, but not much. It could be put down to her experience with Tammuz - the other God had been going to bind her. Bind her like Fenris never has.
"Even if I didn't, I would continue, Fenris. If I can't fly, I can ride on your shoulders or I could call Cuan to carry me. That will conserve some of my energy at least and you wouldn't have to slow for your withering Raven."
If the earth god has not, Fenris will teach the lesson again. But he doesn't like repeating himself very much.
"Of course I am." Fenris says, brushing her hair again and smiling. "You were the first one who dared to dream that I could be more than a prophesy waiting to happen."
Fenris had convinced her of that and it had taken time. But she had been receptive to it. And she was the one who had risked everything to get him freed. And she was the one who had paid a heavy price for her audacity.
"I prefer that my raven not be withering if it's all the same to you. We will tend that with all possible speed. I promise you that."
"You were my dream waiting to happen." Astryd murmurs "Not a prophesy." She doesn't know whether she got it worse than he. She was exiled two hundred years before he was and he doesn't, or hasn't, spoken on that time. It probably wasn't pleasant - and made worse because of her meddling.
"I have you to care for me, Fenris. What more could I want?" They'll see to it and she will heal. She's confident of that.
Pulling herself up to sit in his lap, Fenris Raven smiles again as she leans in to kiss him. "I think you have other things to tend tonight, though."
"I do." Fenris smiles, accepting the kiss. He gives Astryd a squeeze and then lets her go. "Dinner will be up shortly. So until then why don't I run a bath for you. Afterwards, we can enjoy the evening."
They have miles to cover tomorrow. But tonight they can relax a little bit.