1167/Asgard Past: A Double-Edged Present

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Asgard Past: A Double-Edged Present
Date of Scene: 14 April 2020
Location: Royal Palace, Asgard
Synopsis: Sif and Heidi descend into the hidden passage in the Armory again after nearly six-hundred years to find...history repeating itself? A new and honorable task is gained.
Cast of Characters: Sif, Heidi Ingerdottir




Sif has posed:
Centuries have passed and the vivid life-cycle of Asgard itself continues. The living continue at their tasks and the young grow to become wiser through their trials and errors -- in theory, at least.

And the sword sits quietly in the darkness on the fourth slab-stair in the tunnel behind the pillar.

In an attempt to aid the youngest Prince, banished to Midgard by his father in order to learn some lesson sure to eventually come to light, Sif has recently returned to Asgard's Royal Palace in search of a few specific tomes. She has all but one and is currently frowning down at them, her arms tightly crossed. It's not quite the glare which freezes the air around her, but one might hazard a crisp of frost growing on the top book's cover.

"I cannot, for the life of me, fathom where the last title is." Her grousing is towards her accompaniment, Heidi Ingerdottir. "I may need to count it as lost entirely. Loki will be displeased..." Her eyes roll off to one side in exasperation, in the vague direction of the Royal Armory. "Might it have been taken //outside// of the Archives? Someone will be punished if so...though not by myself, by the Master Archivist."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I would rather not return to Prince Loki empty-handed." Granted, Heidi knew there were other books, but not getting /all/ of them felt like a failure. "Perhaps you are correct. If we search the corners where someone may have carelessly left it, perhaps we can find it. Books do not just /disappear/."

Well, sometimes they do, but the sentiment is that it didn't get up and just walk away. That, though, could also be plausible. "Perhaps were we to ask around someone might have a sign of where it was last seen..."

Sif has posed:
Sif nods. She then gathers the books up into her arms with a briskness, though not without care for the rarer tomes. She's cautious about their corners and pages rustling against the silvery sectors of her armor, this bright against the dyed red leather-paddings beneath them.

"Yes, a good place to start. I shall ask the Archivist at the desk who last laid claim to the tome." She strides with aplomb through the stacks and emerges into the open space beyond at a speed to make her loose dark hair lift off her pauldrons. When the Archivist at his desk glances up, he starts, jolting his quill across the page before himself.

The books are put on hold (by royal decree of the younger Prince, Sif so convincingly explains) and the Archivist notes that one of the...Einherjar actually was last peering through the tome in question.

An Einherjar? Reading about magic? It seems a juxtaposition, but it means Sif turns to Heidi with a rueful ghost of a smile. "It seems we must hunt through the Proving Grounds and their respective buildings."

And so off they go, winding through the halls of the Royal Palace for the smaller side-halls and an exit towards the martial grounds. "It seems odd that an Einherjar would seek knowledge as such," comments the Valkyrie with a glance towards Heidi.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Perhaps a bit of light reading," Heidi jokes. "Although maybe we are to see someone who has a passion for history or magic? I find people surprise me all the time. To think that an Einherjar would be interested in such a thing only makes me interested in who this person is." She's always interested in meeting interesting people after all.

"Hopefully, at least, we can recover the book. I have not seen Prince Loki annoyed in person, but the stories I have heard..." Oof, stories were bad enough.

Sif has posed:
It's with another faint smile, this one almost regretful, when Sif reaches to brush and twist a lock of her raven-black hair, lustrous as the darkness between the stars. Her hand then falls to the pommel of her sword again.

"They are rooted in some truth, though one would note that his older brother might be of similar ilk. Thor, however, appears to temper his passion moreso than Loki. With Loki..." She thinks as she walks. "His passion runs no less deep, but he seems to have a finger's touch upon it at all times. He would be surprised to hear of an Einherjar having interest in magic, yes. Whomever this may be, I do look forward to meeting them," she says as they exit out into the interspace between Palace and the Proving Grounds. Already, the area is thicker with the presence of the guards, both elite and trainees alike. All recognize Sif, Goddess of War and resident beloved harridan to those who slack, and they nod and voice greeting to her. Heidi is recognized as well and greeted in turn, a known staple in the stables, and beloved for her care for the mounts there.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"From what little I have personally seen of Thor his temperment is much closer to mine own than anything. He does seem passionate as well, though. They do seem to share that trait." Heidi hasn't much personal experience with them, though she has certainly known many stories. Seeing them in person has certainly been a new and different experience.

Their presense as they enter is certainly known, her eyes scanning those who look upon them. "I must Midgard seems rather lacking in their information on magic. I did look one time to see if I could find some information there and it seemed as if their collections contained next to nothing."

Sif has posed:
"I wonder that you did not locate their repositories of information. Surely Loki knows of where they could be, or if not where, of their fabled locations. I do know that the city of New York is home to a Midgardian named the 'Sorcerer Supreme'. He is said to be of great magical power. Did you visit his abode in your search?"

Sif seems to be marking faces as they travel. She doesn't take them into the barracks on a suspicion that the Einherjar they hunt for won't be found there. It brings them nearer to the Proving Grounds where the trainees are currently involved in bouts. The cracks of sturdy practice weaponry can be heard interspersed with grunts. Sif nods to herself. Bruises teach lessons nonlethal.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I cannot say I have run across him, though I met a gathering of women who had some particular fondness for magic and it made me curious as to the abilities of the Midgardians. I shall perhaps inquire with one of them. It seems as if magic is a more secretive art there. Perhaps they are more protective? I am not certain. Midgard can be, at times, incredibly confusing." Heidi won't even go into how confusing its people are on top of that.

She, too, seems to be searching for whomever it is that happens to be holding their missing tome, but her gaze is much more friendly on each of them. It's probably a stark contrast to the way Sif is looking over people as they go.

Sif has posed:
Heidi's sunshiney personality is indeed in stark contrast to Sif. Her pale eyes scan faces as if cataloguing a list of those to be spoken to and one can observe the soldiers come to better attention or conversations to briefly drop off in order to honor her presence.

"Hmm. I can only but agree, Lady Heidi. Midgard is a world unto itself." A small smile is aimed in her direction before Sif turns her striding towards the Armory. "Come. We shall check here. If he is not present here, I might send word through the Einherjar to summon him to Archives."

They reach the Armory without any further distraction. Once inside, the air is cool and still, scented of metal, treated leather, and the oils and tools used to keep the weaponry at shining exactness. Sif calls out, "Einherjar Oleg?"

Silence. They're by themselves in the building, apparently.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Having him summoned seems to be a more useful suggestion. It seems as if we'd have more success that way." Heidi glances around in the armory, listening carefully to hear if they might have company at all, in spite of the calling. "I don't hear anything," she comments, taking a better look around. She frowns. "Perhaps there is nothing for us to find here."

Even with nothing to find, she's already starting to wander, taking note of the shine and care of the weapons contained within. "I am starting to weigh the merits of this inconvenience versus Prince Loki's annoyance and it is a very tricky balance..."

Sif has posed:
Sif's laugh might be surprising. She gives Heidi a wry look over her shoulder even as she brushes past one of the long wooden tables dedicated to polishing weaponry when in use. "I guarantee, Lady Heidi, that this is a pale inconvenience in counter to the Prince's ire."

She makes her way over to the corner by the tall collection of halberds and spears and comes to a slow halt.

"...do you think he might have accidentally placed it behind the pillar?"

Heidi will likely catch the cautionary sobriety in the Valkyrie's face, but that is...absolutely a gleam of adventuresome curiosity in her pale eyes.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
That is certainly a look Heidi is familiar with. There's caution, sure, but it doesn't change that it's /interesting/ and that sense of adventure and curiosity has always been there. "I mean, accidents happen all the time Lady Sif. Surely given the weight of our task we should exhaust all avenues, should we not?" She looks back towards Sif, a small grin on her face. She's certainly not letting it hide in her eyes.

"We've come this far, haven't we? We should be sure to check everywhere."

Sif has posed:
In a youthful echo to the first time they trespassed into the tunnel, there's a mirroring smile on Sif's face. Inhaling, she then nods curtly. "Indeed, lest a stone be left unturned. If you would retrieve one of the lanterns from the supplies corner, I will see at opening the pillar."

Her dark hair is gathered up into a twisted and tucked lover's-knot before it's tied in place by a leather length kept at her belt for various reasons. Her gloved hands, the leather fingerless to allow better grip, then press against the pillar. It seems far easier than when she was young, less resistance. With a soft clunk of the mechanisms, it drops the paltry centimeter and then swings inwards. From within, a cooler sigh of air to make goosebumps rise on her body. Sif takes a step back, looking for Heidi.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi isn't far. By the time Sif's got the mechanism triggered and the entrance open, she's returned with a lantern, holding it up high to shine their way into the passage. "Well, I didn't expect to be doing this today," she notes with a small laugh. It's quite clear it's intended to shake off any lingering discomfort. Humor tended to be good for that. Not all of her humorous quips are unintentional.

"I wonder if anyone has touched this..." It's fair to wonder. It's been a /very/ long time.

Sif has posed:
The lantern shines with a consistent brightness. It is one of the models set alight by a breath upon the crystal centrally within and sure to shine for hours unless the bottom dial is twisted to release its stored energy; this immediately darkens it.

"By the dust upon the stone, I think not," murmurs the Valkyrie in response to Heidi's query. "Today is a fine day unlike any other, is it not? I wish...I wish to see if the passage is still as we saw it, either open or filled. If I may?" Collecting the lantern, Sif then dares her first step into the passageway. Taller now as an adult, she needs to stoop slightly for the slope of the tunnel's roof. The light spills down the stairs and shines off the matte metal surface of...

...the sword.

"Skuld's tits, it is still here...!" whispers Sif, giving Heidi a wide-eyed glance. Daringly, she then continues further down to pick up the long-still sword by its grip. Turning in place, she shows it to the other Asgardian, expression moderately shocked.

Sif hasn't noticed yet that there aren't any boulders filling the passage.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"It is good that no one has disturbed it then. As we asked." Heidi takes a moment to appreciate the fact that the passage had been just as it had been hundreds of years ago, sword included. Her eyes widen at the sword, then her eyes widen more as she looks /behind/ Sif. She suddenly feels like she's young again as she points.

"Lady Sif! Nothing is there!" She's /more/ than shocked. "What if he wants us to bring the sword back?!" She can face plenty of things in battle, fight fearlessly agains an enemy, but this sort of thing /still/ spooks her.

Sif has posed:
Turning in place, the Valkyrie stares at the lack of rocks. She does straighten as much as the passage can allow in defiance to the rill of nerves up her spine. "I hazard if anything, the spirit might appreciate the return of his sword, yes. Whatever he was guarding against, it is one of his defenses against it," Sif agrees. Her grin is challenging now, bravery in the face of youthful fear. "I believe the tome may wait for this little quest. It should not be overly difficult."

Says she.

Gesturing with the dusty sword, Sif then makes to descend the stairs for the large wooden door. The ambient sounds are their own: breathing, the shift of fabric and armor, booted steps. Time hasn't touched the fine reliefs and filigree on the walls, nor has it touched the large wooden door at the bottom of the steps. "See that the hinge-trigger still works?" asks Sif very quietly upon arrival, her smile still a touch shivery.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Perhaps your memory fails you, Lady Sif, but I believe there was some kind of /creature/ down there as well. I would not tempt fate by calling it 'not overly difficult'." Heidi states, but then pauses. "However, we have battle experience we did not have when we were young. That certainly leads to an interesting challenge." She does so like interesting.

She moves to follow down the stairs, her eyes scanning about to make sure everything looks the same. When they reach the door, she shakes her head. "This feels so strange. Like a moment in time has just been left for us to return to." She reaches up to test the hinge and make sure that it does still move the way it did before. "Do you think he's there? Waiting?" It's spooky, so her voice is hushed. Just in case.

Sif has posed:
"We shall have to see," replies Sif in an equally quiet volume. The wooden door swings open upon the manipulation of its hinge and a familiar draft of chilled air slips past them both. Holding up the lantern, the Goddess leads the way into the rounded living quarters once more.

Everything appears as it was those centuries back. The quill at the desk in its empty ink bottle hasn't rotated. The soldier's cot is still made tightly, its small box tucked beneath in shadow. The rusted iron door battered by rage last they entered remains still and touched by age. Centrally, the table where Sif set the lantern down remains with its covering of dust...save for the finger-line drawn and the centuries-old lantern long since burnt out of its flame.

This, Sif stares at. "...I remember this," she whispers.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Lady Sif, this should be impossible. It's like no time has passed at all." Heidi's attention sweeps the room, looking for both differences as well as the sight of their potential 'friend' who might be interested in his sword. "I do not believe this is real. These things aren't..." She looks towards the old lantern, then shakes her head quite insistantly.

"Lady Sif, I thought perhaps we were seeing something when we were young, that we had somehow made it up, but to see it again is certainly unsettling." She even /looks/ unsettled. She does, however, keep her voice fairly low--as if afraid to somehow wake the dead.

Sif has posed:
"It strains belief," agrees the dark-haired woman. She sets aside the more modern lantern in order to slip her finger into the ring of the dust-covered lantern beside it. Lifting it shows the outline of its imprint on the table and its weight is real. "But it appears that this place is."

The old lantern is once more set upon the table and the newer variant once more lofted, the better for Sif to walk over to the weapons rack. The sword is placed back where it once stood and she then lingers, almost reverent, before it. "Queen Frigga, when I was young, once attempted to explain to us all how time is fluid. Its rivers flow for each individual consciousness and while we are alone in our minds, our presences are united in our realities and existence. Perhaps this is a place where those rivers briefly join and break...?"

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
It doesn't escape Heidi's gaze that the bed is made this time, a tiny change since last time. He was at least safe after the battle with whatever scared them off, right? She glances briefly to Sif, raising an eyebrow. "That sounds like an odd story... but one that I could believe. Perhaps there is something here." It's a lot less creepy than believing there are ghosts wandering around.

She peeks at the box under the bed. "You don't suppose we should look around, do you? Or... should we leave the sword and go?" She very much looks like she wants to finish what they started originally.

Sif has posed:
Light flows over Heidi by the bed as she's joined by her companion. Kneeling down, Sif brings the lantern's glow to bear. It is just the single box beneath the bed, bigger than a ceremonial dagger holder but smaller than a traveling chest. It too is covered in dust and seems to not have been touched for nigh on eternity itself.

"I think we are sufficiently tutored to defend ourselves against what harm may show at the gate, if it does so again. If...oh, his name was..." Her pale eyes rise to Heidi's face and narrow, thinking. "Hartvald, that was his father...oh," and she slaps her free hand against her thigh with a light pop. "Valdar. Einherjar Valdar. If he should appear, we will greet him with more respect than last."

By the look of things, she's not stopping anybody from pulling the box out for inspection.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Oh, good, you remembered his name. I was about to feel guilty for forgetting, but it has been a few years." Heidi may be underestimating the amount of time its been. It certainly feels like yesterday down here. "Yes, I do agree, it would be nice to greet him in a more proper way. To be fair, we were young women sneaking around in hopes of not being caught. I do not think a proper greeting was something we were expecting to do."

Really, she'd been more interested in dusty old books and documents, but they were interrupted last time. This time, she's curious as to the box under the bed. Pulling it out, she sets it on the bed before opening it slowly. She looks through the objects slowly, though she doesn't touch them. "I think these are sentimental." She almost closes it instantly, but doesn't, just taking a moment to look at them.

"They look like memories that I would keep if I were sentimental about things," she says, as if she somehow weren't sentimental. "Why would you keep a seashell unless you treasured something about it?" She does note the rolled vellum in the box, her curiosity getting the best of her as she picks it up and starts to open it--provided it doesn't give her any trouble.

Sif has posed:
"Not in the least. He...seemed to show from nowhere." Sif takes a moment to very carefully scan the circular room and especially the rusted iron-lattice door before she returns her attention to the box now set upon the bed. Her lantern is lifted to provide maximal light for the viewing of its contents.

As her eyes wander, they gain a softness rarely seen in empathy for the items. "I agree, Lady Heidi. This is the collection of someone far from home and family," she murmurs. "Einherjar Valdar must have grown up near an ocean...or perhaps it was gained during his travels." Along with the seashell is a silver locket shaped as one of the local species of wildflower, a dozen coins from another world, and a clear crystal ball. She watches Heidi pluck the small piece of vellum with a censorous frown, but too late.

Unrolling it reveals a poem. At first, it reads as any gushing love-poem might, florid with grand statements such as 'eternally lifted in spirit' and 'fresh as spring apples', but surely Heidi notes when Sif makes a sound not too unlike a choked laugh.

"...I daresay the writer thought themselves masterful at double-meanings." Another cough is probably a laugh. Really, it's a laugh.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I cannot tell if he was the writer or the recipient, but I would be sure to remind them that sometimes more is not always better," Heidi comments, though she keeps her voice low and glances over her shoulder. She doesn't want to be caught reading /this/. She hasn't felt this worried about being spotted by someone since she was young. She quickly rolls the vellum back up, then looks to Sif. She then looks at the box again. "I am willing to bet these are all memories tied to someone dearly loved who is far away now. It is very sweet, poetry aside."

She carefully moves to close the box so she can return it to where it belongs. She /does/ feel a touch guilty about peeking now, but... that's where curiosity brings you.

Sif has posed:
When do both of them feel the curling wisps of invisible cold about their ankles?

Doesn't matter, there's suddenly a third voice slicing into the moment with a crisp abruptness: "Ex-CUSE ME, you are //TRESPASSING!//"

Hope Heidi's got the box back under the bed by now! Sif quickly side-steps to block the view of what the younger Asgardian is doing -- or in defensive reaction, either/or, given her hand on the grip of her enchanted sword.

It is indeed Einherjar Valdar, son of Hartvald, refined in his more ancient ceremonial armor and double-crescent horned helm. His brown eyes seem to shine with a touch more color than last they saw and with a large amount of stern ire.

And zero recognition.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Thankfully, Heidi had managed to slide the box under the bed when the voice almost made her jump. When she turns quickly, she peeks her head out from around Sif to make sure that it was the man they'd seen before. Once spotting that it was indeed the same strangely appearing man as when they were young, her eyes light up. "Hail Einherjar Valdar, son of Hartvald! We do not tresspass but come returning a mistakenly taken weapon. That was in..." She looks towards Sif. "Do you remember the year? I don't remember the year."

While she seems to ponder this, she creeps slightly out from behind Sif. If it was indeed the same person, surely he wouldn't hurt them. If things were strange with the time, perhaps he was unaware of how much time had passed.

Sif has posed:
Sif whispers aside to her comrade behind her in fairly flawless ventriloquy, "I have no recollection of the year in question." It's probably a little awkward given she never looks away from Valdar beyond them.

Across the round table, lit by the upheld light Sif still carries aloft, the ancient Einherjar's mouth has visibly fallen open. He squints at the both of them, his own hand mirroring Sif with hand on the hilt of his sword. "I know not either of you. What weapon do you speak of?"

"The sword at the weapons rack, Master Valdar." They'll see his eyes flick there and return to them. "It has been missing for some time." Valdar isn't convinced; if anything, he appears more confused and concerned. "I am the Lady Sif, of Asgard and Vanaheim both, beholden to the Valkyrior," she tries with a traditional warrior's greeting of fist to chest. It rings against her armor as she bows shortly, her eyes never leaving him.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"And I am Lady Heidi, daughter of Inger, trainer of the Royal Stables." For a moment, Heidi kind of wishes she called herself 'Keeper' of the Royal Stables. That does kind of fit now. Trainer is a bit of a mouthful and doesn't sound quite as impressive. She'll have to work on that. "I do not blame you for not remembering me, I'm quite forgettable. You must remember Lady Sif, though! Her hair was different back then and she was wearing something that looked like curtains I think. I remember something about curtains."

She flashes a smile at Sif, not at all uncomfortable with this dialogue. "But we mean no harm, we didn't have a way to return the sword until now."

Sif has posed:
Heidi is now the recipient of two sets of glares. Sif, at least, leaves off first, though not without a quiet tsst of sound almost like a 'tut-tut'. "It was a dress and not curtains...though it did end up as a nice pair of handcloths for my water-room, if I remember correctly," she adds sotto-voce.

Einherjar Valdar continues giving the trainer of the Royal Stables a far longer look. Finally, he speaks. "I remember two tow-headed young lasses getting lost down here less than a fortnight ago, but no one like either of you. Lady Heidi and...Lady Sif?" The shake of his head makes Sif let out a bit of held air. "No, I do not recognize you."

The Valkyrie quickly glances back at Heidi and whispers, "Did you hear? He spoke of only a fortnight."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Good luck getting Heidi to shut up. "Oh, so this does appear to be a river of time situation, I see!" Heidi looks back towards him. "Ah, I wish I could tell you the exact details of what we did but unfortunately that was several hundred years ago. Not to alarm you, of course. That was us, we are now, obviously, much older and more accomplished and certainly more memorable." Perhaps she is annoyed it only took a fortnight to be completely forgotten.

"Oh! Yes, we ran off when you were handling some creature? I do not recall precisely as young minds tend to exaggerate details but I remember it being quite loud and you told us to leave." She pauses. "Oh! And you said something about hiding something and us never returning." She shakes her head. "Ach, I wish I could remember. I must be getting old."

Sif has posed:
Now Valdar is perplexed. "I...would have ordered any trespasser to do as such, yes, but I am but only one stretch of duty into my time. My father last held this honor and he is long deceased," the brown-eyed Einherjar explains slowly, as if someone were going crazy.

Now the Valkyrie's patience begins to appear visibly strained. She puts on a fake smile that might fool the vapid at Court, but not someone who knows her well. "I do not believe Einherjar Valdar is knowledgeable of this concept of a river of time," she says far more lightly than the situation requires. "Perhaps it would be best that we left him to his duties. They are of great need if the All-Father has -- "

//SLAM GROOOOOAAAARRRR//

This time, the creature behind the rusted iron-lattice door hits it hard enough to knock red dust to the cobblestone floor. Both Valdar and Sif seem to turn in unison and draw their blades in gleaming motion.

"Leave now! It comes! My ladies, leave!" shouts Valdar over the din. But by all appearances, Sif isn't going anywhere. She betrays her curiosity by standing her ground before Heidi, lantern still held high. It gleams on an organic surface glossy and potentially wet-looking beyond the door as the creature continues to //WHAM WHAM SCRABBLE WHAM// against it.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
When they were younger, such a creature had terrified them and they had gone fleeing up the stairs when Valdar had requested. This time, it appeared Sif was uninterested in fleeing... and certainly Heidi was not about to leave if they could best this thing. It was noble that he was attempting to protect them, but she wasn't exactly one to flee from danger now. Too much had happened since that day.

She already knows where the weapons rack is, she remembered it from when Sif had taken the sword in the first place. So she goes for it, looking quickly for what seems like the best option for her skillset. The sword could work in a pinch. She checks around and behind it for anything else, spotting the fallen bow and quiver hiding behind the rack itself. "Can't hide from me, little friends," she mutters, scooping them up before she prepares herself to join them in the fight.

Sif has posed:
//GROOOOOAAARRRR SMASH//

Rusted metal resonates and stresses under the barrage of impacts from the slimy-skinned creature beyond it. Valdar looks over at both Sif and Heidi with wide eyes. "You must retreat!"

"We will aid in pushing it back should it escape!" yells Sif back over the din. "We are no shy maidens to fear sound and no fury!" Again, the creature impacts the door thunderously and yowls, the sound echoing upon itself. A quick scan of the room finds Heidi and her newfound weaponry. "Between the slats!" shouts the dark-haired Goddess, holding her ground by the table.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
It's a good thing Heidi is such a good shot. Were it not so, it'd be hard to hit through the metal slats. She turns her attention that way as she repositions herself better, her feet carrying her to where she'll have a straight shot. An arrow is nocked and fired, the bolt sailing between the gaps in metal. "Whatever creature that is, it will surely regret facing us!"

Sif has posed:
Heidi's arrow is swift and sure. It disappears centrally through one of the many square gaps of blackness and the light of Sif's lantern is uncertain -- it doesn't illuminate what damage was done. The creature continues pounding away on the rusted lattice door and reddish dust continues falling.

"I beg you, fair warriors, retreat! This is a creature drawn by your presence!" Valdar brings himself a good number of steps towards the grated door. Beyond it, two sets of eyes -- four in total -- gleam venomously-green in the lantern's light.

Sif seems to balk at this information. She gives Heidi a fleeting glance. "We would not leave you to face this creature alone!" she still shouts, clearly torn.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"It is not the first time something something monstrous has been drawn by my presence," Heidi says, unphased. She draws another arrow, lining up the shot carefully before she lets loose. "Perhaps we should tell it very firmly to go away. Sometimes that works. Especially if 'very firmly' involves blades. That tends to work."

When Sif looks at her, Heidi glances back, noting the indecision. If she's torn herself, she's still remaining determined for the moment.

Sif has posed:
//Zip// -- there goes Heidi's arrow into the darkness beyond the grated door again. If it buries itself into the creature, the thing simply writhes and then seems to retreat a few steps. Slimes. Slimy-steps. Valdar takes up a stance before the gateway now with his sword up and ready, both hands upon it; it's a broadsword by the two-handed grip he has on it, the blade gleaming like a spire of starlight.

"Please, I beg you, leave! It will retreat!" he shouts, very ready to come to blows with the thing.

With a tremendous WHOM of impact, the creature manages to bust through the upper left-hand corner of the door. The metal screeches and curls upon itself, allowing an arm tipped with four long digits bearing recurved talons to reach through. Is it fur? Is it...seaweed? Either way, it's off-green and heavily muscled.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
It's incredibly hard to want to leave a /fight/, much less leave someone alone to handle it. Heidi does not like the idea and she figures Sif is certainly conflicted as well. "Why is it drawn here? What is it after?" Perhaps some answers will make the decision easier. Was this some weird guardian of the rivers of time upset at them for dipping their toes in the water?

"We only want to help!" She prepares an arrow, but this one isn't shot yet, but carefully aimed at the arm.

Sif has posed:
"You are trespassers!" Valdar shouts back, more tersely this time. The creature now has its claws locked into the metal and is attempting to pull it more open from the other side. Metal begins to peel from its deep inserts into the stone with crackling chunks of sand and screeching groans.

Sif makes a quick strike for the creature's arm. Brumeoalfold, swift as a falling star, slices down dead at the joint which //could// be an elbow; there's an uncomfortable insinuation of ANOTHER joint just beyond the lantern's light as it briefly splashes across the grated door and the oozy thing beyond.

And it just keeps going.

Did Sif...miss?

In shock, she pulls back a few steps and then swings the sword again, this time upwards as if to cleave an arm.

It goes //through// the creature.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Was it illusionary? Heidi uncommonly finds herself growing slightly angry. Had this been a trick to merely ward them off? Or was her weapon just unable to cause damage to it? Her arrows had seemed to do something, so why not Sif's blade? So many questions. So, to test, she proceeds to aim her arrow for the arm, attempting to do so near where Sif would have cut--if it is illusion for her arrow too, then that would certainly be something to see.

She fires, determined to see the outcome. She needs to know if she should be irrationally angry or not.

Sif has posed:
Sif's own actions have the Einherjar in his black and silvery livery staring rather than attacking the roaring creature beyond the grate. It throws itself bodily into the metal latticing, using its grip on the outside to anchor for maximum force. Valdar lifts his shoulders to hear the impact and turns in time to see Heidi's arrow in flight.

The arrow zips through the arm and through the grating beyond. Sif's lantern light falls upon the slimy off-green fur-tendrils again: there's no arrows to be found.

Even in the chaos, Valdar reaches out towards the Valkyrie's lantern-arm...and his own hand goes through it entirely. Now he stares, mouth hanging open. Sif is wordless herself.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Is this all a... trick?" Heidi's bow lowers, her attention going between the creature and Valdar. Her brow furrows and she starts to move towards the grate. She stops near Sif, however, and puts a hand on her arm--mostly to test that /she's/ solidly there as well. It wouldn't do to have to explain to someone how she lost Sif in some weird time river stuff. "I am very unsure what is real right now."

Sif has posed:
Valdar seems to snap out of his own frozen confusion when Heidi's words thread through the constant clangor of the gate's vibrating. Sif watches, still shocked, as he steps forward and brings the broadsword up towards the creature's arm. His weapon strikes with full force and not only severs the arm at this elbow-like joint, but leaves a brief skurling of white-fire and a sizzling, smoking wound.

The creature YOWLS and yanks away behind the grate, currently in the throes of agony from the wound.

Sif too snaps out of her momentary shock; Heidi's hand on her arm helps ground her all the more. "No, it is no trick," the Valkyrie says. "Queen Frigga, she said -- we are out of time -- we are not from his time, I remember now --

Again, the creature rushes and slams against the grating.

" -- he is a legend to us, Lady Heidi, do you remember? A children's hero-tale."

Another tremendous impact now sends a crackling up into the ceiling of the room. Valdar looks up and grimaces. "Ladies, I know not whence you came from, but you must leave before the room collapses! I would not have you trapped!"

Oh god -- the tunnel //was// caved in to their current-time knowledge!

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Oh, this is... Lady Sif, did we just walk into a children's tale?!" Heidi is still quite baffled, but she looks towards Valdar as he fights the creature. "Oh, no, we really shouldn't be down here, should we?" Given that they can't help with the monster, she's inclined to say they should leave and then an odd thought strikes her. "Einherjar Valdar! It is imperative that I know from whence your family came!" ... what?

If they're out of time and the room is going to collapse and be gone to them, she only has a little time. She darts off towards the bed to retrieve the box from under it. They were sentimental things. Perhaps nothing lost to the reaches of time... save for the mementos of a family's history.

Sif has posed:
Sif frowns, squinting towards the monster. "We should not, no, but it is not drawn to us. It is drawn to something else." Whether or not that's heard over the din of another impact isn't certain. The Einherjar does hear Heidi, however, and he briefly glances away from his set stance before the rusted lattice-door.

"Gymirsgard, my lady, at its border to Vanaheim! My mother is Nella!" His attention is drawn back to the creature which makes a god-awful SNARL and swipes out towards the box now safely in Heidi's grasp with the stump of its arm. The ceiling cracks ominously further into the room and a large slab of rock falls. Valdar seems to realize what's going on and points at the stairway. "Take it! Take it and go!"

Sif looks up in time to have a piece of rock bounce off her skull. She winces and dances back a good number of steps. "But Valdar -- "

"Leave! Leave now!!! The ceiling was already weak!" Valdar appears stricken. "I should have told the builders -- "

//WHAM// -- and the door makes an ominous creaking sound now. More rock tumbles to the room's floor. Sif turns and runs for the stairwell. "Heidi! Lady Heidi, to me!!!" The lantern goes with her, so hopefully the younger Asgardian is close!

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
It feels like leaving a man to die--in a way, it certainly is, but Heidi is fairly aware there's little that can be done. Nothing, really, save for rescuing a few possessions that might mean something to someone. She hugs the box to her chest, already moving as soon as she hears Valdar yelling for them to leave. She's barely a step behind Sif as soon as she starts for the stairwell.

It's familiar, running towards the steps and fleeing from the room with the sound of a creature behind them. A little more familiar than Heidi would like, but she's determined to see the story through to a finish this time.

Sif has posed:
Up the stairs they go again in an eerie echo of their own past, this having still been a gleam of the future in a time more distant yet in their reckoning, before the births of either warrior. Behind them, the sound of battle rises as a cry from the Einherjar braids seamlessly with the creature's snarl, all this overtaken by the sudden throaty roar of collapsing stone.

Sif ducks out into the Armory again with both Brumeoalfold and the lantern swinging as she turns to ascertain that her friend also exited. "Lady Heidi!?" Her voice is high and breathless, color standing on her cheeks.

"Hail...?" Around the corner comes one of the older Einherjar soldiers, well-known to the Goddess of War as one of the drill sergeants on the Proving Grounds. He appears baffled to see them both suddenly appear.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
The younger Asgardian makes it up the stairs even as she leaves behind the sound of battle and collapsing stone. Heidi throws a glance over her shoulder, even as she reaches the top before she looks back to Sif. "Lady Sif, are you--" But she stops, noticing that they've been spotted. "Hail!" She offers, cheerfully if not breathlessly, and then she immediately ignores him in favor of Sif.

"Are you well? That was..." She pauses, holding up the box, which she'd barely let move from its place cradled to her chest. "I have it. For his family." She seems more determined that Sif's probably ever seen her.

Sif has posed:
Quickly, Sif cranes her head around the halberd display to see -- ah, it's Agil -- and she too throws a brief, "Hail!" his way before returning her attention to Heidi. "I am...I am well, yes. I can see you are whole." There is a note of questioning in her tone, though her pale eyes just as quickly fall to the box. "His mother...he said Nella, yes?"

She doesn't seem to wait for the answer. A quick step around Heidi means she can hold her lantern out into the passage. As it was before is as it is now: filled with large boulders. It sets her heart to sinking. She emerges in time for Agil to make his way over.

"Lady Sif...and Lady Heidi, what are -- oh." The way the Einherjar looks at them both is with a private sympathy. His dark eyes shift from the open pillar-passageway and back to them. "You have seen...?" he asks very quietly. Sif stiffens, wordless at first.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"From Gymirsgard on the border to Vanaheim, yes," Heidi nods in agreement. "Nella." Her attention goes back towards the boulder-filled passage for the briefest of moments before she turns back sharply as the words trigger something. "... seen? What have we seen?" She's oddly sensitive about out, turning her attention to Agil.

"What have /you/ seen?" The box is clutched to her chest like a precious treasure.

Sif has posed:
Agil is candid, as is the wont for many if not all of the senior members of the Einherjar. "You have seen Valdar the Selfless fall to save the entire city from an invasion by the Brunnmigi. That is what you saw, yes? In the room at the end of the passageway?"

Sif sets aside the lantern as the senior commander asks and makes to slip Brumeoalfold into its scabbard. "I believe so, Master Agil. He saw us as well, I believe, though we could not aid him." How her voice remains even stems from mastery of the skill in the whirlwind of Court.

"No." Agil shakes his head, expression grave. "No one is ever able to aid him." Still, he's noted the box Heidi holds. "Unless this is something you have acquired from beyond the boulders?"

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Yes, we saw Valdar," Heidi agrees, her attention rapt between both Sif and Agil. "I wish we could have, but I am afraid that we could do nothing to save him from the creature." She hugs the box for a moment more before she moves to hold it aloft where it is more easily seen.

"I believe these are objects he treasured. I intend to make certain that they are returned to his kin in hopes it will bring peace to them."

Sif has posed:
Agil nods at the reasoning for the box's presence. "I cannot speak for him, may his soul ever live on in Valhalla, but it does feel...right that this box be returned to him. I am no seeker of magic or spinner of tales, but no one has emerged with it to my knowledge. Perhaps, once it is returned to his family's estate, he will finally rest."

Sif eyes the darkness of the passageway until he finishes speaking. If she's aware she has pale grit in her hair, she doesn't show it. "Have you seen, Master Agil?"

"Myself? No. A comrade's uncle, when he was young in the Einherjar. It is...I dare not claim that the passageway is merely a tale because it is not." He gestures with calloused hand towards the opening. "But it is one we do not encourage curiosity about. Rather, we have allowed the passage to choose whom it seeks to aid, if they can."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I saw these things when we were down there and thought they seemed personal. When I realized he was dying... that he was gone, there was nothing that could be done to aid him... I thought if these precious objects could be brought out, then perhaps there was one thing that could still be done."

Heidi looks between the two of them. "I know not if any of his family live, but even if they do not, perhaps bringing these objects to the place he called home would serve as a fitting tribute."

Sif has posed:
"I think this a wise plan, Lady Heidi -- and honorable. You are the first to emerge in long and long with an object from the room. I believe the last was the Lady Sif." He smiles faintly through his well-kept beard and Sif merely gives him a look back. If she's amused, it shows about her eyes at best. "The sword has been returned to its place?"

"Yes, I thought it best where I found it rather than the stairs," shares the Valkyrie. "What I know of Einherjar Valdar... It has been some three thousand years since he lived. You think his estate still exists? He noted it was on the border to Vanaheim, as Lady Heidi mentioned."

"Yes, that is its location, though it might not yet stand." Agil shifts in place and it becomes apparent that he has a book in-hand. "If I may, do not let uncertainties stand in your way." His grey-green eyes shift to Heidi. "I do not think you will." He means them both by the way his attention shifts back to Sif. "Though I believe you, at least, were looking for this, my lady?"

Sif takes the tome with a sigh. "Yes, Master Agil, thank you." So much effort for a book!

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Even should it not stand, perhaps we may yet honor him there." Heidi seems content at the idea, her eyes scanning over the box before looking back to Agil. She offers him a small smile before she lets her gaze go back to Sif. "Ah, and our quest brings us back full circle. It is funny how quests seem to do that." One quest down, but one left to go. This new one felt much more personal than before.

Sif has posed:
"Indeed," agrees the Valyrie with Heidi. Her nod to Agil is respectful if curt. "Thank you, Master Agil, for delivering the tome. It is much needed."

"You are welcome, Lady Sif. Lady Heidi, I bid you travel well in returning the box to its true home. The Armory may be more quiet for it, but some of us prefer it peaceful." He offers a traditional warrior's forearm-grip and shake to both before departing. It falls upon Sif to close the pillar-door and she does. Once it slides silently into place, appearing solid from base to ceiling, she looks back to Heidi.

"If you may keep a secret...I was worried that Master Agil would also be a ghost. I am absurdly grateful that his arm was but sinew and sticks as it has been for so long," she mutters as she begins briskly striding across the Armory. "Come, Lady Heidi. We will gather the books and then onwards to the next task."

Whatever that may be...

Fate is a mercurial thing sometimes.