Summary:Why are Fenris and Astryd visiting the Asgardian Embassy? It can't be good. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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"Lady Sif? Um… HE is here." That had been the message that had been given to the dark haired Asgardian. It had taken a moment to get out of the staff exactly who 'he' is but not longer than a moment. There's only one being who associates with Asgardians and terrifies people like that. The Sun Eater. The World Ender.
What on Earth is Fenris doing at the Embassy? Fenris AND Astryd no less. Both exiles. Both not especially known to be warm and fuzzy about those still serving the All Father. Well, Fenris is fuzzy, but where Asgardians are concerned often not warm.
Still, he is here. In one of the conference rooms and according to the staff, he has something with him.
The message was… baffling. But, it was also fairly urgent, so Sif abandoned her attempts at skating practice on the roof and hurries down to the conference room still in her workout garb and woolen socks.
Stepping into the conference room a bit hesitantly, she looks from Sun-Eater to Valkyr and back. "I would not have expected to see you both here." Perhaps she should request refreshments from the kitchen.
Astryd is viewing one of the pieces of art on the wall in the conference room. It's from Asgard and depicts some of her Sisters in battle. Which battle? Astryd doesn't know it - it was one they fought after she'd been exiled - but still the artwork tugs on her heartstrings.
Turning to face Sif when the woman enters, Astryd slips her arm through Fenris' and offers a smile. "Hell might freeze over, yet, Lady Sif." The blonde answers "Well actually, some of them might melt. Not all hells are fire and brimstone."
"How are you feeling, though? I didn't get chance to ask you yesterday."
"These are strange times, Lady Sif." Fenris says placing a small bag on the table. It's leather with draw strings. And inside it are what sound like rocks. "I went on a journey recently and acquired some liferunes from the Svartalfar." The Dwarves. They're not overly fond of the God Wolf so lord only knows what he traded or whom he threatened for them.
"But yet before we get to the purpose of our meeting… how are you?"
"I am… physically well," Sif admits to the couple. It's what she doesn't say that's likely more telling. She moves to sit at the conference table as she looks between them and then at the sack of runes that Fenris has put on the table.
"Are those for the ailing Midgardians?" She looks from the sack to Fenris worriedly. What lengths DID he go to for those stones? She might as well ask it aloud, the expression on her face is so very clear.
"You look tired, Sif." Astryd murmurs. "Are you sleeping? Or are your dreams troubled? What you did for me, for us, I owe you a debt that I might never repay." The Warrioress had protected the Valkyr from the backlash of Sedna's spell and taken a metaphysical wound herself.
"And strange times indeed. Just as long as no one tries to bring a chain, I think we'll all do swimmingly with our visit."
There's the faintest of chuckles at Sifs questions. "I think, Lady Sif, whilst they might used for that, you find some aid in their use as well."
"There are enough to go around. I do not know if it will cure their illness. It might. But it will at the very least buy them time." Fenris nods. There are, indeed, nearly a dozen liferunes in the pouch. And while they do not look like much Sif knows that they are worth a small fortune that could not be paid in midgardian currency.
"I recently received a word from my my 'brother'." The being that Fenris often refers to as his brother - regardless of actual blood relation - is an immense serpent inhabiting the deepest ocean depths of this world in a sort of 'out of phase' kind of fashion. It mostly sleeps and midgardian legend has it that it will be the ruin of Thor in the end though whether or not that is true is another matter. It is still a fearsome being.
This might be news to Astryd.
Sif ohs faintly, then shakes her head just once. "They should be utilized for the Midgardians first. What they are lacking in the most is time." Of course, in her eyes, ALL Midgardians are sorely lacking in time. Their lives are just so SHORT. Perhaps that is why they seem to accomplish so much so quickly — they know their time in this existence is limited.
Fenris mentions his brother, and she looks at him with her eyebrows furrowed. She can guess who he's referring to, but she is as likely to be wrong as correct. Thus, she doesn't offer her guess aloud.
But. Why would Fenris 'brother' send word? That alone is troubling.
"I'm sure the Midgardians will appreciate your generosity, Lady Sif." Astryd murmurs, turning to look at Fenris in question.
"He did, my Heart, is there stirring for him as well? I thought Jorgamundr was deep in slumber." It might be the Great Serpent still is and has spoken to Fenris in dreams. "What news did he send?"
"He sent news that the Norns sent him a vision…" In Fenris' world, visions from the Norns are always to be treated with some suspicion. They are after all agents of fate. And fate is exactly what Fenris is trying to defy.
"He said in his slumber he saw Sif riding upon his back at the End of All Things, fighting Thor. He said that she cast Thor down and broke his back with her blade envenomed by his fangs."
A warning perhaps? That Sif's role in the grand tapestry that are the prophesies of Asgard has changed. That she falls and fights against the Thunder Lord and All Father at the end of it all.
"I what? No, It can't be true." Sif stands again and starts to pace in agitation. "I would never betray Thor or the Allfather in that manner!" She stops mid-pace to look at Astryd. "Why would the Norns…?" She looks away, wringing her hands together.
"You suspect it's something to do with the, the injury," she says vaguely while tapping at her sternum with one hand.
"The Norns." Astryd sighs and studies Fenris' face. There's a reason he hadn't shared this information with Astryd before they came. In fact, he'd ensured she would be here - so she could hear this? Or was it something else? Had Cuan found him yesterday and relayed how reckless the Valkyr had been?
"It is *not* true, Lady Sif, till it happens and I'll remind you that the Norns nudge the tapestry as much as anyone. They too are influenced by those Who Sit Above In Shadow. It likely does have something to do with your injury - but it might not be what is obvious."
"The most obvious implication is that your injury eventually leads to a series of events in which you betray the All Father and fight on the side of the Jotun. Or at the very least, fall out with Asgard so badly that you would side with Jotun to do it harm."
The Old Wolf sighs. "The difficulty is of course that even IF it is true, and as Astryd says it is not true until it happens, we have no way of knowing if this is a result of not treating your injury or of an attempt to treat it gone badly." In other words, as is often the way of these things, they have no way of knowing if trying to prevent disaster will actually cause it.
"I thought you should both be the first to know."
Why hadn't he told Astryd ahead of time? Maybe he had indeed been concerned that something would happen.
"To know for certain we need to deal with beings that lay outside of the loom of fate. I know you engaged Hod already. And… perhaps others?"
Sif sighs, wringing her hands together briefly. "I will not let what may only be a possibility overly influence my actions now," she promises the couple. Crossing her arms tightly to stop the urge to keep wringing her hands, she looks at Fenris.
"Yes, though I am not expecting Hod to assist us at all, much less willingly. He still reacts poorly to anyone and anything from Asgard." Though, she's tempted to offer him a little mead to see how he feels about that.
"Hod feels he owes you, Lady Sif, trade on that." Astryd answers, looking at Fenris intently. The Old Wolf might expect some questions from his Raven later but it's not something that she'll raise in public. "He's offered to get you into Asgard should need to determine the Ancestor of those afflicted Midgardians. At the very least, it sounds like you should have one their healers attend here and speak with the Midgardian Scientists, don't you think?"
"There is also, Betty, Fenris. She's agreed to do some investigating and locate things that Hod might retrieve. I'm not sure of others. What of Ambrose and Leuitenant Barnes, Lady Sif?"
"She did, didn't she. Well if you've not already set her on a task I might be able to think of a few things she could investigate that might aid us." The Old Wolf considers that for a few moments and then focuses back on the people present.
"I know of a being completely free of fates influence that we might engage either directly or with the assistance of the likes of Hod or Betty or Amrbrose or Barnes…" Or all of them.
"Unfortunately it will be exceedingly reluctant to aid us directly. It's name is Uatu. It is known as the Watcher. And it has been watching for a very, very long time. Approached right, it may well point us in the right direction. Though it has a tendency to utter… rather uncomfortable truths."
"Ambrose? I do not think he knows anything of Reverbium. At least, I have not spoken with him about it. Barnes… I could speak with him if you wish. He may be able to assist." If nothing else, he can help her make sense of her phone device when Ms. Lewis is not available to do so.
Uatu. That is not a name she's heard before and yet it makes her uneasy. Uncomfortable truths are, by their very definition, uncomfortable. She's had quite enough of that lately.
"You miss my intent, Lady Sif." Astryd manages to smile. "It's who is outside Fates effect that might help us. Those are the names that I know of and they seemed willing enough to aid us previously."
"I believe Betty will be speaking with Scientists, Fenris but she was eager to offer assistance so if we've more, she'd like to hear of it." Uato's name draws a frown. "And how do we find this being, my Heart?"
"He is nearby." Fenris points up into the sky. "Usually watching from the moon. Some simple enchantments should suffice for those unable to be there normally." People like Barnes or Ambrose or even Betty if they take them along for that. Otherwise there are more terrestrial leads to hunt down that may well bear fruit.
"Uatu will not, ever, act to change the course of events for better or worse. But if an appeal is made to him correctly he might provide answers. Allow us to take fate into our own hands. His needs, and even desires, however, are very few. So you will have to make an appeal to his - for lack of a better word - humanity."
Which is always a tricky thing to do when dealing with an immortal being.
"I must warn you though. Every mortal we engage to help us risks becoming part of the… cycle that we are caught in." Which means that they must weigh their appeals for help carefully. Lest they save themselves by damning others.
At that, Sif nods. She's still uneasy about the whole thing, though. Finally returning to her seat at the table, she looks at the other two for a long moment. "I do not see that we have much choice. This is vital information that we need, and if this is the only way to obtain it…"
She just hopes that in asking the assistance of Midgardian allies that she doesn't condemn them to fates as bad as hers seems to have become. Worse, most likely, considering how short their lifespans are in comparison.
Sif might well be but do they really have a choice? Fenris, Astryd and Hod at least are subject to Fates whim. Now, it seems, Sif is too. They need to be able to influence the pull and if Astryd knows anything, Midgardians are *exceedingly* resourceful.
"Then we shall plan, Fenris. Gather those who wish to assist us, Lady Sif." For Astryd, it's that simple though they both might get a sense of that recklessness she's been displaying. "We will go soon."
Fenris is silent for a moment as he watches AStryd. Clearly weighing things in his mind rather carefully. "We will, yes. As soon as can be arranged. Will you go tell Cuan and his pack to be ready to support us? I wish to check in on my various bloodlines and gather what support I can for this."
There's anotehr pause. "I would like you to work closely with Sif to make sure that all goes as it is intended." And so that Sif can keep an eye on his increasingly reckless raven, not that he says that. But that's also why he wants words with Cuan. Later. Alone.
"Will, if there is nothing more, we will cease terrifying your embassy staff."