2013.09.07 - Missed Messages

The day is slowly ebbing into evening. Thor and Sif have decided to spend a little time in the garden that the Thunder God took the time and care to cultivate for Sif. They sit together on one of the benches not far from the door with the Goddess leaned into Thor's side. She's dressed in a simple but elegant blue gown with black trim and silver embellishments. And she's very clearly exceptionally pregnant.

Suddenly, both Prince and Princess sit up straight and get that look as if they're listening to something. A shared glance and Thor is starting to stand, giving Sif an inquisitive and apologetic look.

The Royal couple might well have noticed something awry, for someone has just crossed from one of the Nine Worlds to another, and they seem to be in a terrible rush about it. Having left Aragorn with the first attendant unlucky enough to catch her eye, Brunnhilde, first of Odin's Valkyrie, strides through the halls, having ascertained the location of those she seeks from the same unfortunate individual who's now wondering quite what to do with the large winged horse that's in his care.

Reaching the door that leads out into the garden, Brunnhilde throws it open and narrows her eyes a little as she squints into the setting sun. Pausing only for a moment to remove her winged helm and tuck it under her left arm, Brunnhilde marches the few steps to where Thor and Sif wait. She's straight backed and purposeful as always, but her usually shining full plate is dull from soot, dented in places, and spattered with what may very well be blood. Stopping at an appropriately ceremonial distance, Brunnhilde clasps her right fist to her chest in a salute as precise as she would offer Odin himself, and drops to one knee, head bowed. "I come as summoned, my King." There is the briefest of hesitations. "My Queen."

Brunnhilde's arrival couldn't come at a more inopportune time for the Thunderer. He bows to the Valkyrie and starts to say something when Sif reaches out to touch his arm. "Nay, Husband. Go to the aid of our allies now. Thou art needed. I shall stay and speak with her."

Thor nods, leans down to touch Sif's cheek before kissing it and then pulls Mjolnir from his belt and lifts, quickly, into the air and takes off...that-a-way.

Once Thor is gone, Sif turns her attention on Brunnhilde and blinks. For several seconds, it would seem as if she were in shock before she rises from her seat and pulls herself up complete, back straight and shoulders squared. "Thor and I no longer rule, Brunnhilde. The All-Father has awoken..."

Brunnhilde remains on one knee and with her head bowed as Thor takes his leave, having not been bidden to stand and apparently determined to show the deference due to the position she still assumes he occupies. It's quite a contrast to her usual demeanour.

Even when Thor takes his leave, and the wind of his passing stirs the greenery about her, Brunnhilde keeps her eyes fixed on the stone on which she kneels. Although, as the seconds drag on with no word from Sif, the perceptive might note a slight shifting in the muscles of her jaw, as if she's gritting her teeth ever more tightly.

Finally, though, Sif breaks the silence - and Brunnhilde's head snaps up, ice-blue eyes raising up to meet Sif's, absolute surprise the only expression on her face for a second or two. But then it clouds with annoyance. "I shall have words with that messenger." She says under her breath in a dark tone, and then smoothly moves to stand, her gloved hands clenching into fists before relaxing once more. "Was I indeed sent for, or should I have remained with my sisters?" She asks, her tone cordial enough, though with an aggrieved edge that she can't quite hide. For a long moment she remains standing straight and erect, eyes locked with Sif, before her expression softens somewhat. "I could say I am weary from battle and ask leave to sit, if it would make you do likewise?" There might almost be a hint of levity, and it's offered in an almost comradely fashion. "How fare you, Sif?"

Sif arches a brow and watches Brunnhilde. "Might I suggest that no death or maiming occur...? If you were sent for, Brunnhilde, then it was not by us and I apologize that you have been misinformed." The respect that Sif still has for the woman is clear in her voice.

An actual laugh is drawn from her at the mention of sitting. "I actually relish the chance to stand. While Hercules' gift has renergized me, Thor still worries a little over much." She motions to the garden. "Would you care to walk?" The question causes the Goddess to smile rather warmly. "I am well, Brunnhilde. And you?"

Some folks teleport with the ease of walking. Others... like Brynn, do not. However, she is making her weekly visit to Sif's... floating through the air in her harley davidson tanktop and bluejeans, along with her duffel bag-o-gear floating alongside her. She was aiming for the balcony before she spied movement upon the rooftop.

So, it's a simple matter to adjust her trajectory and land gently.. and nearly soundlessly on the edge. Just in case the movement was unfriendly.... but the garden is occupied by her friend and... oh my. She doesn't speak up but just kind of squares her shoulders.

The Valkyrie tilts her head to one side as if considering Sif's words, but it's mostly for form's sake. She has no real intention of terrorising the hapless messenger. "As you say." Irritation does flicker in her eyes when it becomes clear that her journey has been wasted, but she takes a breath before speaking again, holding it for a moment and then letting her anger dissipate with it. "It is no-one's fault. Things have been... turbulent of late, in Vanaheim." Which, judging from her battered appearance, might be an understatement.

Having begun to relax, Brunnhilde's head turns sharply toward Sif when Hercules is mentioned. "It seems some messages I have missed altogether." She says, sounding curious, but nodding in acquiescence and falling in beside Sif as she moves off, unconsciously moving to the side that she guarded when they fought beside one another. "It pleases me to hear it, though Thor's concern does not surprise me." She's perhaps not as relaxed and conversational as her host, but certainly diplomatic. "I am well enough." She answers, adding, "Despite my appearance." In a slightly rueful tone. "Vanaheim holds, and our sisters endure."

She looks as if she might continue, but a flicker of movement catches her eye. Her right hand reaches up to the hilt of Dragonfang, jutting above her shoulder, but she makes no move to draw it, keeping her gaze curiously at the newcomer and inclining her her toward Sif. "I trust this is a friend?"

THe mention of Vanaheim causes Sif's eyes to flutter for a moment before she inhales slowly and squares her shoulders once more. "The attacks continue all over. Loki's defenses while he was on the throne are holding, however, and the warriors are making headway in pushing them back." Yes, she said Loki. By all appearances it was Thor but....

It brings a smile to Sif's lips to see her once-friend and sister take up that old position and even eases the rigid stance Sif had to a point. "I am glad. I had no doubts our sisters could more than hold their own. Harsh in your training you may be but it is effective none the less. I would not be where I am were it not for you, Brunnhilde."

The movement from Brynn and the reaction from Brunnhilde is caught. "Find peace, Brynn. All is well." And then those silver-blue eyes of Sif slide to the Valkyrie at her side and she nods. "Aye. She is at that. A very dear one." There's a hint of amusement with the next statement. "And she has been asking for a meeting with you."

Seeing the motion of the Valkyrie's hand, twitching to reach for the sword, Brynn grins fondly. She knows -precisely- what the other woman is feeling. She does not move forward at all until Sif speaks of her and nods. Then she steps off that raised rooftop edge so that her eyes are... level with Brunnhilde's. The fact that her hair is a red-gold sheen doesn't shake the mild similarities in features. "Indeed. I have been asking about you... it would seem that we have had... many..." A pause is taken as she mentally searches for the right words. "... overlaps, unintentional in most cases."

Brunnhilde's lips compress a little as Loki is mentioned, and her eyes narrow slightly as she ponders the import of Sif's words, but she doesn't press for a fuller explanation, at least not yet. Instead, she looks over at Sif, down toward her stomach and back up to meet her eyes once more, and actually chuckles quietly to herself. "Indeed? Heavily pregnant and wedded to the Lord Thor? Believe me, Sif... that was not the /intended/ outcome of my training." The amusement that flickered in her eyes is quickly gone, and there's just a touch of asperity in her tone at the end, but she almost forgot her resentment for a moment.

The Valkyrie's grip on her sword-hilt loosens and her hand drops back to her side at Sif's calming words to the newcomer, though she looks surprised - not to mentioned puzzled - at what comes next. "Truly?" She asks, though doesn't wait for a response before stepping forward.

And as her eyes lock with Brynn's, she realises where the nagging familiarity comes from. Where she remembers the other woman's face from. The mirror. Her brows rise in guarded astonishment. "Brynn." She says, testing the name with a knowing tone. The Valkyrie's eyes slide to the sword her near-double carries. "I believe I understand what you are trying not to say." There's an expression on her face that might just be a suppressed grin. "Tell me, do you know how to use that?" She nods to the sword, watching Brynn's reaction with interest.

Sif pauses in her walking for a moment and turns to face Brunnhilde fully. "No, Brunnhilde, it wasn't. I know this. I know you hold resentment and anger towards me for my choice. I wish you could see, however, that it is because of you and your training that I am Thor's sword... Asgard's shield... The Goddess of War." Sif reaches out to lay a hand on the Valkyrie's shoulder. "You once considered me a sister... I hope that relationship can one day be rebuilt." When she moves to greet Brynn, the Goddess steps back and watches. "Brynnhildr, the Eternal... May I introduce to you, Brunnhilde the Valkyrie. Shield Maiden of Asgard and the very first of Odin's Valkyrior." And then she falls silent.

"Aye, 'tis me. I have been hoping to meet with you to apologize for... mistaken identities in the past." offers Brynn -almost- sheepishly. She smiles to Sif at the introduction and gives a nod. With that, she offers a gesture up to her sword hilt. It is not an ultra decorative one like what she generally makes for -others-. "For many centuries, -all- I knew was the sword. Forging blades, and wielding them." She puffs up a bit though then and adds...

"I have had the honor of acting in the Queen's stead upon Midgard while she was away preparing for her ritual. I would think that my skill with the blade had a little something to do with her choice however..." And she reaches up now, slowly drawing said blade from the back-scabbard, "My blade holds no enchantments. Merely the power of my own two hands, and the skill of my forging... I would be honored to offer you a chance to test my skill."

Brunnhilde's jaw tightens as Sif faces her, and remains that way as the other woman speaks. Her expression, that had grown a little stony, finally shows some animation again when Sif reaches out to her. The smile is perhaps not as natural as it might be, and the words are slightly grudging, but the remembered hurt has faded from her eyes when she speaks. "Allow me to bring you back to your best with a blade when your children can spare you... and perhaps it can." It's the best offer she can make, particularly with someone unknown to her hovering nearby.

Brunnhilde inclines her head as she is formally introduced, but her eyes don't leave Brynn's, and that almost-grin doesn't leave her face. "I am impressed." She says, and sounds it, no mockery in her tone. "The Lady Sif is a fine warrior, and an excellent judge of skill." As the blade is drawn, Brunnhilde steps back to gain some room. "But I must confess... I had hoped you would say that." The grin is no longer hidden, and Dragonfang is in her hands. "I shall try not to injure the greenery." She tosses back over her shoulder to Sif, then gives Brynn a respectful nod.

And when the other acknowledges she is ready, Dragonfang whirls up to her shoulder and then slices diagonally down toward Brynn.

Sif beams over at Brynn. "I would have you at my side in battle any day, my friend." Yes, Sif has faith in Brynn's skill.

The compliment from Brunnhilde causes Sif to blink and her eyes to widen slightly. That... was unexpected. And once the shock wears off, it makes the Goddess smile.

The offer to retrain causes Sif to smirk and her head to nod. "I look forward to it." She bows her head and then takes another step back. "It will regrow if you do." She is, after all, married to Thor.

It is the opening exchange of a bout, hopefully a friendly one. Brynn's blade lifts with speed and precision. The blades clang as she neatly executes the parry and steps forward for a pretty standard followup attack, going for a backhand swipe that continues the parry's motion and brings her blade across about torso-level. Amazing how the two of them even -move- similarly. Different training, but... Brynn's learning was much the same as Brunn's... fighting on the field, for real, for her life.

She fully expects the followup to be intercepted. After all, this isn't a fight to the death. She's testing the other woman's skill just as much as she is -being- tested. Her blade however, when it meets Dragonfang, doesn't give. It's not normal steel, that much is certain.

Brunnhilde's first blow was swift, and strong, and precise... but just a little /less/ swift, and strong, and precise, than she's capable of. For all that's passed between them, she does trust Sif's judgment in martial matters as implicitly as she trusts her own. But she also doesn't want to spill Brynn's blood on the foliage if she's slightly less accomplished than Sif suggested.

The Valkyrie need not have worried. As Dragonfang clashes with Brynn's blade, and is swiftly turned aside, only for the other woman to flow smoothly into what would, if this were battle, be a beautifully vicious riposte, Brunnhilde's grin only widens. Sif was right.

Brunnhilde stops holding back. The blades flash in the dying light of the sun, clashing and ringing against one another at ever greater speed, the killing edges only kept at bay by the skill of the combatants. Despite Brunnhilde's promise to Sif, the bout does not remain static, and soon the two are ranging about the garden, one giving ground under a flurry of cuts, only to spin aside and force the other onto the defensive. The two so evenly matched, their styles almost bleeding into one another as the exchange of blows continues, the match seems as if it might last until the sun finally dips below the horizon.

But in the end, it is Brunnhilde who abruptly steps back, raising Dragonfang to her shoulder to guard against the possibility that Brynn may not realise the bout is over. A moments caution, and then the blade is sheathed over her shoulder once more, and the Valkyrie reaches out to grasp Brynn's hand, and says simply, "If but one mortal has mistaken /me/ for /you/, then I am honoured, Brynnhildr the Eternal."

And since Brynn was busy reading her opponent more than anything else, the end of the fight was just that, an abrupt ending. She bows her head and grins. "And by mistaking me for you, they also honored me." She switches from a simple hand grip to a warrior's arm clasp at the last second and then steps back and offers, "Might I inspect your blade?" Then she adds, "I am a swordsmith by trade, and -adore- viewing masterfully crafted weapons... I am sure you understand." And in exchange, she holds out her own nonmagical weapon as if offering it as a hostage or some such.

Sif watches the entire fight with the critical eye of a very perceptive and well trained warrior. When it ends, she beams at the two women and starts to step forward. Still, she remains silent. It's quite clear, however, that she's very proud. Though if which one is anyone's guess.

The warrior's grip that Brynn offers is the final touch for the Valyrie, and she returns it strongly before allowing Brynn to break the contact.

Brunnhilde reaches back to draw her blade once more without hesitation when it is asked for, reversing the weapon in a smooth movement and offering the hilt to Brynn. "By all means. The blade is named Dragonfang..." As the weapons are exchanged, Brunnhilde looks searchingly at Brynn's sword, as if trying to divine it's nature, or possibly just looking for any marks from its encounter with her own. "...and you are a smith of great skill, to forge a blade that can withstand mine." She steps back once more, hefting the sword, testing its balance - and then notices Sif drawing near. Her expression is briefly thoughtful, but then she glances toward Brynn once more. "Perhaps we should talk more of this later, for we are neglecting our host. You will join us, Brynn, as we walk?" There's a quick glance toward Sif, as if seeking permission, but then the Valkyrie takes up her previous position at Sif's side.