4132/Talking with the Dead

Talking with the Dead
Date of Scene:	15 November 2020
Location:	Niffleheim - Asgard
Synopsis:	Lady Sif meets Hela, to seek an audience with one of her souls.
Cast of Characters:	Hela, Sif

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Hela has posed:
The realm of the dead sure takes a lot of ruling. But Hela doesn't mind. She's settled on her throne, which is in turn in a great hall within her gigantic palace of ice and stone in Helheim, talking to a couple of draugr lieutenants of hers. The throne is at the top of a short flight of steps, but these draugr seem quite favoured as they are up the top, talking to her in low voices. About trouble in her prison Eljudnir.

The hall itself has plenty of other draugr in here, but mostly minding their own business or doing their own thing. Hela actually has a fairly light hand so long as they all do what they are told. Unfortunately some in her prison are not, hence the quiet discussion going on. Not that Hela looks particularly bothered, this sort of thing has happened before, nobody gets out of there.

Sif has posed:
Though plenty of people get in.

Besides those destined for these frozen halls, guests do come to visit the guardian of the dead. One such individual is the Lady Sif who has come over great distances through the endless tundra of Niffleheim, to the gates of Helheim, and finally to the frozen Palace of the Goddess of Death herself. Armored as she usually is, she's forgone her Pegasus beyond the great gates and trudged through the sea of restless, Draugr, and mournful sorrow filled tapestry to the great hall where one might seek audience with the ruler.

Her black hair is pulled back out of her face as she ascends the many steps to the throne of the lady. Hand raised in greeting, she halts halfway up to be summoned the rest of the way. Doesn't do anyone any favors to upset the Lady before ever asking favor of her.

Hela has posed:
"You can deal with it on your own inititive, I am sure." Hela tells her minions. "But be sure to return to me if there are any living around there who shouldn't be.". The draugr salute, and move to leave - and pause, when they see Sif behind her. Not the usual denizen of this cold hall after all.

Hela actually gets up off of the throne when she sees the raised hand, and takes a few steps towards Sif, being hospitable herself to the goddess of war. "How unusual to see you in my palace, Sif. Loki or Amora, perhaps, but not you.". She's thinking about why she's here - and she frowns a little. No doubt someone wants her to release a soul that is rightfully hers.

Being quite straightforward, she outright says her suspicions straight up. "I hope you are not here to petitition for someone's release from my realm.".

Sif has posed:
The hand settles back at her side near to the thick leather belt where a swords well worn leather wrapped hilt rests against her hip, "No, nothing so dramatic as that I'm afraid." There's some part of her that considers playing at Loki's trickery, but Sif and Hela could hardly count one another as friends for the rouse to actually play.

"I have come to speak with one of mine who died too far from home to reach the endless shores." Blue eyes track the Draughr as they stop in seeing her, fix upon them temporarily, then flick back over to their master. "Memories long forgotten have surfaced in my dreams and I wish to make right a promise centuries old." The fact one of her faithful had fallen, but not gone to their rightful place aside, Sif doesn't look pensive.

Perhaps guarded, but the die was cast long ago.

Hela has posed:
"There is no where in time or space where Death cannot reach." Hela tells Sif. "If your warrior was not reserved by Odin...", she can't help but leak at least a little of the fury she still feels within her at these words, "... then they will be here. I never abandon an Asgardian soul due for Helheim.". And even the ones who aren't she often makes a hard case for.

"The living do not belong in these halls, in truth.". She narrows her eyes a bit, putting her hands on her hips. "But I see no harm in granting you this favour. There are many dead in my realm. You will have to be quite specific, if I am to summon the one you seek.".

Sif has posed:
"I am well aware." Sif says with an understanding nod to Hela's explanation of exactly how far her reach extends, well beyond the barriers of this realm. Her hand remains fixed upon her belt, where it might sit comfortably. Regarding the Goddess of Death as she weathers the tempest of rage that befalls her at the meer mention of Odin's occational interloping into affairs that are her's be right.

"His name is Ulf. He fell in Vinland to skraeling assault. He was a soldier of no great deed, but his face has frequent my minds waking dreams for two week. Certainly there must be a reason for it."

Hela has posed:
"Ulf, abandoned on the battlefield long enough to not die on the battlefield.". Hela's suspicion grows a bit. HER soul. "I brought him relief from his pain, and he is not in a place of torment.".

She turns and makes her way back up to her throne, though as she goes she's already mentally seeking him out - and settles onto her throne, lifting one hand. "I trust this will not take too long, and you do not intend to upset him in some fashion.".

And then the semi-substantial shade of Ulf appears before Sif, a bit surprised to suddenly be yanked away from whatever he was doing at the whim of Hela.

Sif has posed:
A solumn nod.

Sif had not been present at the battle, had not witnessed Ulf plead to survive his injuries and ultimately die from them regardless. If it had not been for his suddenly surfacing in her memory after centuries, she'd likely have given him no second thought. His dishonor had earned him not but sleep in the lands of Mists and Fog.

So it is that she looks upon the unassuming visage of a man long dead. Fixed upon him with cold blue eyes that have seen score of battles on every imaginable battlefield. "Ulf." She says the name quietly, stepping towards him with those same blue eyes regarding him at a cant angle as if to gleen some great understanding of his sudden importance in her thoughts.

"You saw something, long ago. Something that died with you.. I've seen your impressions of it in my waking dreams, but only brief glimpse through multicolored fog and at great distances.. So you've got me here, what it is it you wished for me to know?"

Hela has posed:
Hela goes silent on her throne, though she does listen curiously, head tilting slightly. With her huge headdress, even slight movements are easily noted.

The shade of Ulf calms a bit after he looks around and sees where he is - an audience with the living, it seems. And now he's suddenly spilling his final moments to the Lady Sif.

"It was not death in battle with skraelings. As I crawled from the battlefield through the snows, I came across a foul denizen of Svartalfheim, in Vinland bent on thievery from what I saw, carrying artifacts of the skraelings on its person. And it was he who slew me, while I could not even stand. I was fortunate that Death took me quickly.".

He says that last bit perhaps because he's very conscious of Hela watching him from her throne right now, so he better say something complimentary!

Sif has posed:
"A dark elf.." Sif says with a vile taste to mirror the expression on her face at its mention, "You were slew by a Dark Elf.. Ulf, you poor soul." A frown settles instead of the scowl that had been there, blue eyes lifting from the dead to the keeper of them, arms crossed over armored chest.

The silence is thoughtful.

"What treasures there could have drawn the dokkalfar so far west, I wonder." The question, though not for Ulf specifically, could perhaps be answered by him. He was all that could shed any light upon what trinkets and artifact the beast that slew him carried.

Hela has posed:
"Fallen weapons of the gods, perhaps... it was scavenging the battlefields. And it wore a golden bracelet that seemed alien... both to it, and to Vinland, though it appeared Asgardian to my ignorant eyes. Perhaps part of the loot it had uncovered.". It's not like it was a place known for its gold. More known for its lack of food really.

Hela merely silently listens to all this. In fact if anything she seems slightly amused. For once she benefited, albeit very slightly, from the intervention of a dark elf.

Sif has posed:
A benefit that is not lost on Sif, who has lost one of hers to the mechinations of the Dark Elves a millenia ago. If she were in a mood to be sore over it, however.. that's a matter for some other visit.

Nodding to Ulf's recollections of what he saw so long ago. "You've done well, Ulf. Far better than the stories of you say, but that is a matter easily remedied. While I have no authority to lift you up from this realm..." She made a promise to Hela, no trickery, "...I can toast to you at the great hall. And I shall."

Her left arm extends out to him, "Ulf the Distant Seer, they will call you when they raise their cups high in your honor. Least you know in your passing, you've shed light on a mistory score of centuries old."

Hela has posed:
"His deeds are remembered here, too." Hela says from her throne, irritated. Everybody thinks her realm is runner up, but SHE at least loves it. "He is a diligent soul. And now he is a part of MY armies, and will perhaps fight at my side".

Ulf grips Sif's offered arm gratefully with his cold fist - but not for long, as he's already fading out of existence, returned to whatever corner of Helheim Hela took him from.

"It was a long time ago in the way Midgard counts the ages." she observes, getting up from her throne. "Are you now satisfied, Lady Sif?".

Sif has posed:
The addition from Hela earns a glance from the Goddess of War and a solumn nod, "Then I will hear his praise sang all the way to Asgard." There's no mistaken the quiet challenge in her tone, but she's not out and out stomping her foot in the throne room of the God of Death. Strong willed and stubborn, sure, but not suicidal.

Once Ulf has fade, blue eyes continue to stare at the place where he'd stood moments prior, until they again regard Hela at the question posed. "I am. Thank you, Hela." Bowing her head in gratitude, "You needn't have obliged me and I appreciate you having done so."

Hela has posed:
Hela slowly walks down the steps until she's fairly close to Sif - a bit further than normal conversation range, but only a bit. "Ulf wanted to speak with you about his experiences as much, or more, as much as you wished to listen to them. Though I was unaware until you brought this to my attention. While the dead are kept apart from the living, these rules are not strictly observed when the gods are involved.".

"This realm is not as tortuous as the slanders above us in Asgard sometimes imply." Hela points out proudly, though she nods in acknowledgement of the thanks. Getting thanks is a rare thing for her, but she's too proud to make a big deal of accepting it. "Do you want to make your own way to Asgard back across the Helvegen? Or shall I provide transportation?" she asks, all polite in return.

Sif has posed:
"No, I am keenly aware that it is not." Sif has more than her fair share of faithful who find themselves in Hela's domain than their proper place amongst the honored warriors in the endless battle, warriors who die old in their beds or alone on forgotten fields from injuries sustained. "But his death was an intrusion." An unkindness for a soldier, to be sure. It's the only time she'll overtly mention it, however.

So as not to tip the applecart.

"I've much to think on.. while Ulf's revelations relieve me of some burdon, they have only unearthed more questions. The twin edge of a well edged sword, eh?" A ghost of a grin, "I'll leave as I entered, assuring you that I shall tally no longer than is absolutely necessary and intrude upon nigh."

Hela has posed:
"The fates can and do send people in unexpected directions." Hela says, after a moment. "By rights I should be queen of those in Valhalla too, anyway.". She nods at the answer, not entirely surprised.

"I would have thought you would like my realm, Lady Sif. You have an appreciation for harsh places after all, as I understand. Paradoxically, I suppose it makes the living feel more alive, within reason.".

She returns to her throne, and then waves and smiles at Sif, though she's pretty much unable to make any smile not seem cold. "Enjoy your travels in my realm, then, after you have crossed the bridge back to the lands of the living.". For her realm has an alive bit, and a dead bit, after all.