Summary:Fenris returns from a Recon mission to some interesting news. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It is a cold night in… wherever the hell Fenris has just been. Astryd can feel the chill of a deep mountain winter clinging to the Old Wolf as he steps through the Way he has opened. There's magic clinging too him as well. Something of this world but not of this world. Magic, possibly, of the Octessence.
"Astryd?" Fenris says as he comes through. "Tell me we have something hot to drink."
Astryd has been waiting for Fenris to return from whereever he went. She'd gone shopping with Bast a few days before and the cat goddess had insisted they stop by Loki's to help someone out. The results of that … were interesting.
"And if I was to tell you we didn't?" The stern blonde gives the Old Wolf a look as she ladels mulled wine into a mug for him as she does. "It is Winter, so of course we do. If you like I will heat you some mead, instead."
After handing him the mug, the blonde wraps a from the couch about the taller man, along with her arms. "And where have you been where it is so cold and that … feel as you do?"
"Then we'd be going on an impromptu trip to Tahiti." Fenris says shaking himself. If HE is cold then wherever he was was also truly cold. Cold in a manner that earth seldom is. Cold enough to make even those of Asgard wish for hearth and ale.
"Antarctica. Deep in Antarctica. I was looking for one of the bearers of the Octessence's favor. One of their champions. Well. We wished to speak with them did we not." He's putting out feelers.
Fenris takes the mug and drinks much of it in one gulp. "Ah. That's better. How was your day, Raven?"
"Without me?" That gets a curious look from the blonde. "We did, of course. We've leads for two of them, once Sif and Betty get my favour. You found a third? That … is four, if I'm not mistaken."
At least the alcohol in the mulled wine won't affect Fenris and Astryd serves him another, drawing him to the couch and sitting the old wolf down. Perching herself on his knee as she does.
"Today was fine, it was the other day that was interesting. Do you remember Loki and Sigyn told us of the cursed midgardian? When I went shopping with Bast, she dropped in on them and removed the curse."
It's said so matter of factly, but Fenris can be sure it wasn't straight forward. Curse removal never is - and there is *always* a price to magic.
"What did you find?"
"I discovered some time sensitive information on their location and went to try to catch them. But…" Fenris shook his head. "They were not there. They had been. I found a shrine or something similar but no champion and no link to the strange gods of the Eight." So it was a wild goose chase, or at the very least a missed opportunity.
"I may need to focus more effort on them. I thnk possibly we may need to journey to the underworld to get better information."
But that is, for the moment, neither here nor there.
"Removed the curse did she? What price did she extract for that?" Fenris says as everyone gets comfortable.
"Did you find anything there?" Astryd believes that things are rarely a waste. The slightest information can be useful - even if your not sure what or how at the time. "Where in the underworlds, my heart? You know I will take you. It's not safe - not even for the likes of you - though."
"She didn't exactly. As you might expect, the countercurse took its price. I know that it hit Loki and Sigyn, but how I'm not sure. I was … a little … shaken myself. The midgardian seemed to avoided the brunt of it, for which I am glad - she was not the one who the curse was aimed it. I … there was a warrior there, my heart. The magic … "
Astryd isn't sure how to explain this, mostly because she's not sure what *this* is.
"Yes and no. The shrine was empty and appeared to have been abandoned for some time. But there were… traces of a presence. I spent some time investigating. As near as I could tell it was drawing on power from the patron god. So I… borrowed some." Not much. Not anything the god in question is likely to miss but enough to give him something to 'phone home' with. So yes. Something useful just not immediately so.
"A warrior? Astryd, what happened?"
"And you call me reckless, my heart." Astryd smiles. She is reckless, a lot lately. "So do you know where there is magic will take us?"
"I don't know what happened, Fenris. But I could sense his presence once the magic died down, he felt much like you and Cuan - not in terms of magic but in … nature." Wild. Wolf Like. "When I spoke, I could tell he could hear me and he was as shocked as I was." It's not happened to Astryd before, she's always been careful - even with her mortals.
Maybe Fenris is more aware of what happened then she is.
"I do." Fenris chuckles. "And no I do not yet know, but we will find out together. As to what part of the underworld, it will have to be a very old one. These gods have not interacted with humanity in a serious way since before you and I arrived on this world." A very old part of the underworld indeed. Possibly… dealing with religions which have long since passed from memory.
"Curious. He wasn't of my blood, do you think?" If not that, then cursed, perhaps. "You said the curse rebounded onto him?"
"I do not mind the old Ways, my heart. Not usually. Many are mostly deserted though a few have some Ancient Terror patrolling them. The echoes, the memories, of what once was. We will need to be careful but it will be … fun, I think."
Of course Astryd would think it would be fun.
"When shall we go?" The blonde shakes her head in answer to the old wolfs question "I can't be certain of course, your line … is deep however, I didn't sense it about him and I normally do. This felt different to anything I've experienced - even with you." Grey eyes meet Fenris' as she thinks on it. "I suppose you might say the curse. Or the price the counter curse extracted. I remember thinking at the time how nice it would have been to have yourself, or Cuan, by my side."
"What is it you are thinking?"
"Soon. Tomorrow or in the next couple of days if we can. I think that it this is something we will want to happen sooner rather than later. Otherwise it may get away from us." Fenris says watching Astryd as she explains what happened with the warriors.
"I'd ask what he looks like but honestly that wouldn't tell us much. But that's neither here nor there. What happened?" She's… hedging. Which isn't like her at all.
"Alright then. Tomorrow if nothing stops us." Astryd winces "You know what he looks like. It's … Captain America." This just got a whole lot worse.
"He arrived to pick up the midgardian and return her to their place of their work. Bast was just beginning working her casting and he was far enough back that there was no worry about his interferring. What we didn't know is that he has a spirit bound to a tattoo - babysitting it he says. The sprit, a dragon, took exception to the magic in the air and tried to manifest at the time the counter curse exacted its price. I stepped between him and the midgardian to make sure she would not be harmed."
There's a shake of her head again. "And then I could … sense him and I know, from the way he looked at me, he would respond to my call…"
Fenris leans his head back and looks up at the ceiling as if that would provide an answer. "Are you telling me you've made Captain America an einherjar?" Not one of Odin's warriors but one of her own and not even dead on top of that. If that gets out - and it will - there's going to be quite a to do. Whether Astryd did it on purpose or not won't matter. The fact is - as with all facts - that it undeniably is.
"Um." Astryd says and looks at Fenris. "I … think so? I mean. I didn't Choose him and I didn't set out to do it. I was thinking about you and Cuan!" She sounds a little defensive. "I mean, I haven't followed up with him…"
Oh yes, if that gets out, there will be a to-do. How? Who knows.
"I … do you think I need to follow it up, or maybe things will fade…."
"Well I don't know. Is there any possibility that this magical whatever it is will backfire causing the warrior in question horrible problems? And is there any possibility it could pull him into the eye of fate and cause us horrible problems?" Does Astryd need to follow up on this?
Fenris gives her a look.
"Are you sure you were thinking of Cuan and I? Or did he just remind you of some strapping nordic man whom you fancied a millennia or so ago?" This will complicate things. It might work out alright in the end but at the moment the only thing he can wonder is what happens if Astryd 'thinks' that having backup would be nice and the poor guy has to drop everything he's doing and rush to her side. Or even worse, is summoned by magic.
"Um." Astryd just sighs. It's not often that Fenris see's his Raven like this. She's lost and really not sure what to do. "Of course that's possible. I mean, just by linking him with me, I've exposed to him more Fate than he should be but …" It is Captain America and his story is kind of complicated.
"Well, he might of. But is was you I was thinking of. And Cuan. I haven't had a mortal of mine in … centuries, Fenris. I haven't wanted one and I have you."
Clearly she's not thought about summoning her Warrior and what might happen.
"What should I do, my heart? I don't want him linked with me."
That could well change though, couldn't it?
"Well you could ask Bast if there is a way to cut the link. It's her damn curse that started this after all." Fenris points out. "But I suspect that this kind of a price is built into the magic. Which means that you're going to have to figure out what you want to do with your new… wolf-warrior."
Fenris shakes his head and chuckles a little bit, wryly. "You could just resolve to leave him alone, never make the link an issue. But I suspect somehow that 'things will happen' that will make that difficult to impossible."
"I can speak with Bast, my heart. I think you're right though. Bast had said the spell would exact it's own price and I had just called one of hers from the Underworld." Oh good, she should have probably mentioned that just now.
"I want him to live his life, Fenris. He's not mine, not like that." Astryd has never shown any tendency to gather anyone to her 'banner, so that's likely right. "I think though, that you are correct and Fate will see to it that the link is an issue. I'll start with Bast and try to minimise with the good Captain."
"Admirable, but fate will do what it will do regardless of what either of us want. Speak with Bast. And then possibly speak with him. He deserves a say in this as well." And for the moment that is the best that any of them can do. Magic is fickle and it often seems to have a mind of its own. This is most decidedly one of those times.
"In the mean time we shall make our moves and parley with strange gods. Focus on the things we can do rather than the things that are beyond our control." That is how Fenris and Astryd have always gotten by.
"I will do that, my heart. You … should meet him as well, when the time is right." How will Captain America respond to this news? Astryd knows he felt something but he likely didn't understand. She barely understands herself.
What a mess. Something is playing with the Valkyr, Fate or otherwise. Maybe the 'powers' have decided she's a pawn to the move the Wolf God. Maybe it's something else entirely.
"Then let us prepare and be on our way tomorrow. However, tonight …" The blonde smirks at the God Wolf, not finishing that statement.
"Tonight…" Fenris chuckles and gives Astryd a little push. "We can do other things. Let me just wash up and you will enjoy my company for the rest of the night much better."
Once she's up he goes to shower and they can spend the rest of the night free of considerations of fate, or Captain Rogers, or any other earthly concern.