4206/A New Adventure and Old Habits

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A New Adventure and Old Habits
Date of Scene: 22 November 2020
Location: Amora's (now) Tower, ages ago
Synopsis: Brunnhilde goes out for a life of adventure with Amora, which apparently can mean a lot of things that make Brunnhilde grumpy.
Cast of Characters: Amora, Brunnhilde




Amora has posed:
Summer of 876.

It was a memorable year in more ways than one. Brunhilde and Amora had attained a sort of friendship when the latter had goaded Brunnhilde by kindling on the Valkyrie's sense of adventure, along with proving herself to be a good drinking companion. True enough that Amora took anything with a passion.. And drinking? Well, it brought the wildness in her.

So they were now riding through the lands of a Lord Torfinn, Amora speaking of the man's woes. "So apparently..." she was riding a horse while they made way through the countryside, back straight and elegant and .., looking like quite the rider. Such a little box of surprises she could be sometime. "... Lord Torfinn has been having trouble with a certain tower that appeared on his lands." a roll of her eyes, "He says it might be related to a recent attack on one of his hamlets a while back. Trolls apparently." she explains, tone disdainful. "A tower .., pffttt. As if trolls have the mastery of magic needed to make a tower 'appear' out of nowhere."

Brunnhilde has posed:
Brunnhilde doesn't seem to care so much in her riding, unless they are charging into danger, and then all her instincts and training snap into place.  For now, she's more focused on listening and feeling the air rush across her face.  "The trolls /are/ getting really bad though."  She shakes her head at the daftness of what trolls trying to conjure such a thing would look like.

"What are you thinking?"  Brunnhilde asks, knowing Amora has more of a sense for these things.

Amora has posed:
"Are you sure it's safe to ask me what I am thinking..?" Amora. Always the tease. But the blonde Asgardian didn't seem to get tired of it, in good humors. Perhaps in suspiciously too good humor. Crystal blue gaze turns to look at the Valkyrie, hand reaching up to draw some of her golden mane out of her eyes and face, "It might be a ruse from this Lord to cover something else. Maybe he is the one doing the riding.." she says, "... apparently some of these so called .., Lords.., get restless about pillaging and rampaging through. And then blame it on magic."

Another roll of her eyes. She was such a victim. Everyone always blaming things on her and her magic. Most were true, but even so. She lets out a brief tsk, her eyes roaming over the side of the road where the start of a forest is, long trees.

"But .., he may also be telling the truth." She states, "And if there is magic behind this.." an eager little smile appearing on her lips. "... that's when things start to get interesting." the glint on her eye is telling that she may suspect the latter.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"Never.  That's what makes it interesting," Brunnihilde says with an amused chuckle.  It's been fun.  It is what Amora promised it would be.  She keeps her eyes on the 'road,' given she isn't really riding properly.  Not that she couldn't take a tumble, but it's annoying to break the pace for a mouthful of ground.

"Hmm.  Yeah, I can see that."  Brunnhilde's probably seen that exact plot playing out before, or it sounds too likely.  She nods.  "Of course," she concludes.  "If there is magic involved do I get to use my sword?" because, as Amora knows, Brunnhilde does not like staying on the sidelines.

Spotting the tree line, Brunnhilde scans it, and then the rest of their surroundings.

Amora has posed:
"It would insult me if you didn't use your sword. Besides, I fully trust you to protect me if a fight breaks out. Imagine *me* being hit by a troll..." Inconceivable! Specially to her looks ... And Amora can't have that ... Reaching the treeline she dismounts, approaching and cocking her head to the side. "Mmmmmm...." she looks at the Valkyrie a moment and then back. "You know, this isn't the first time I have been through these parts and ..." a pause. "I don't remember this here. There used to be a lake and ..."

A snort, "Clever." her eyes flicker momentarily as if she had found a mouse she was hunting for a time, lips turning up into a cheshire smile. "Aahhhhhh." she gestures for Valkyrie to join her and starts to weave her hands together, speaking in Asgardian, her words echoating with power.

"By the powers granted to me by the Norn part way and make it so we see the unseen. The hidden path." as a glow leaves her hands and starts spreading through the forest a way seems to 'open', showing barren land leading up to a frozen lake in the distance.. And up further ahead, a tall, tall tower. Some figures can be seen by the lake, even if they are still too far to discern who or what they may be.

"Parlor magics.." she says, so arrogant.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"If I get tired," she won't, "You can use me as a shield," Brunnhilde offers, deadpan, though there's a glint in her eye.  She slows her horse as Amora does, but waits until the Sorceress looks back to rest her hand on Dragonfang's hilt.

At Amora's signal, Brunnhilde dismounts.  She takes a moment with the horse, as if giving him a quiet thank you for the ride and then joins Amora.  "You'd think they would have come up with a more attractive illusion or something less interesting than a dense mysterious forest."

The last bit earns Amora a look, but not lasting and could nearly be taken for comedic effect, or not.  "You think there's a princess up in there?" she says, drawing Dragonfang because parlor tricks or not, Trolls didn't do this.

She moves to mount her horse in one swift motion, belying centuries of training.  Brunnhilde kicks her heel against his flank.  "Come on.  Stop fiddling with your parlor tricks."  She trots ahead.

Amora has posed:
"You are assuming I *can* pick you up." A faint little smirk on Amora's lips, still with the tease. Is she saying she is too frail or weak to pick up the Valkyrie? Or that perhaps she has been putting in a little weight? Amora isn't telling anyway instead she examining the pathway leading up to the tower. "Very interesting.." but she moves to mount up as well, all elegance and grace, spuring her horse to follow Brunhilde.

"I beg your pardon, but my magic is anything but parlor tricks." She reaches to the side of her horse where a long staff is wrapped in cloth, starting to undo it as she follows the other woman. Beneath the cloth there's a long staff, a crystal on the top and runes adorning it alongside it. Clearly she is preparing herself for a fight...

And as they get near it does seem as if a fight might just be what they are up against. The figures turn out to be trolls, close to the ice lake. They are tall, large but a touch different from the norm perhaps, runes adorning their bodies. Magical ones? Most likely. They look towards the incoming riders with a snarl.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"Oh no I would just flatten you, but you'd live.  It'd be too messy otherwise," Brunnhilde says with a flippant shrug.  Still, she squints slightly.

"You /just/ said," Brunnhilde says with a laugh, perhaps playing the dumb jock a little to get away with twisting Amora's words.  Sometimes the Valkyrie likes to be smarter than she appears, but it seems to be quite conveniently deployed.  There's a sense she knows she's not fooling anyone.

"Show me then," Brunnhilde teases as they approach.  She peers out at the Trolls and tilts her head to the side toward Amora, "Yep.  They got the squiggly-" she searches for a suitable word as she points and musses her finger about like a kid doodling in their notebook or a general pointing out a battle plan in miniature.  And then it winds around to, well one of the Trolls that juuuust noticed them.

"Oops.  We blew the element of surprise," Brunnhilde says with a shrug and she reaches to draw Dragonfang with a shinnng!  This is where she does her thing, grip tightening on the reigns as she charges at the Trolls headlong.

But this is not a legendary horse.  This is just some horse Brunnhilde grabbed from a stable.  A rent-a-horse even.  A nice as model as rent-a-horse's come, but is that really saying much?  The horse breaks off into a full gallop at Brunnhilde's command, but as soon as it loses its nerve, well what happens next isn't graceful.  The horse tries to both pivot and buck at the same time because Trolls are really really scary and he doesn't know this crazy lady.  Brunnhilde gets flung from the saddle, smears into the ground, and then gets back up, raising her sword to show she's alright as the Troll's come barreling down.

As long as it gives Amora space to work.

Amora has posed:
It's not as if the trolls are that keen-eyed. But there's the scent, and the actual FACT that none of them attempted to stealthily approach the place. Amora doesn't seem the type that would deign into skulking around. She *does* like being seen afterall.. And stealthing? That goes against her core nature! And with Brunnhilde just charging in .., well, seems like there will be no element of surprise..

Amora is galloping behind the valkyrie, drawing out her staff and while her manner of distracting the trolls appears unorthodox it does work.. They focus on her, lumbering close with their large clubs... Just enough time for Amora to float up in the air, a smirk on her expression. "Is this the famed ride of the valkyries?" she quips, but her words are already shaking with power, darker as she enunciates and calls for lightning in the ancient tongue of the Norns...

Lightning surges on the tip of her staff, crackling with power and then she sends a bolt towards the nearest troll. As the bolt hits though nothing happens, instead the runes just glowing brighter..

"Ah, so these were his defenses.." she murmurs. Clearly she planned coming here somehow.

"You better use some of that Valkyrie magic!" she warns. "These creatures are protected against spells..." not that she stops casting, already preparing another incantation, but not in time to stop the first troll from reaching Brunhilde, swinging it's large club down at her. Trolls are simple. They aim and try to squish puny Asgardians under their clubs.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"You have a front row seat," Brunnhilde calls back to Amora (even if Amora is more up than down now.  She's busy dodging the opening Troll attack, though she always manages to make these things sport, even in the face of great danger.  She's a Valkyrie, and has been a workaholic for centuries as a Valhalla rickshaw.  It feels good to let loose, to stretch her legs, to dodge the massive, shaped trunk club that comes barreling down over her head.

"On it," the valkyrie says with distilled, utterly pure confidence.  As the first club comes down, another comes at her feet.  It looks coordinated but it's more like they're trying to whack a field rat.  She hops up on the second one and sinks Dragonfang into the first one as it rises back up for a second blow, taking Brunnhilde along with it.

Before the troll can shake her off, Brunnhilde dislodges and drops on his head.  So the trolls start aiming there.  It's a dubious strategy, but it's clear that one of the things that gives Brunnhilde a leg up is her creativity and spontaneity, when she's not eating dirt.

Amora has posed:
The trolls roar as they attack, the clubs hitting the ground and making it shake. Clearly not a place where anyone would want to be, no matter how tough their skin is. As the valkyrie 'rat' dodges them over and over it just makes them more frustrated, growling, seeing 'red'. How dare this puny Asgardian move so fast?!

The first troll roars in pain as the sword sinks in, one big hand attempting to reach up to grab at the elusive Brunnhilde. As for the second one, well, it aims a blow with it's club at Brunnhilde... Too bad that a troll head is right in front of it so with a loud *twack* the club hits the troll...

It's enough to send the troll unconscious, it starting to fall back with a growl of pain. Hopefully Brunnhilde will be swift enough to get out of it's back before she's squished down!

As for Amora ... She finally finishes her spell, this time not aiming at the troll but the area around him... The ice from the lake breaks and forms into various shards of ice. Shards that she makes fall all around the creature effectively trapping it in place. It struggles.. But without room to maneuver it can't just use it's strength to break away..

Brunnhilde has posed:
Brunnhilde flips out a dagger and waits for the troll to start its great 'timber,' which isn't long.  She springs off of the troll with the faith of a climber making a death defying hop, only she lodges her dagger into the back of another troll.  She's clearly warmed up now.  Everyone needs a warmup, but some choose to do it on the battlefield.

The blade sinks in and she's goes for a little ride, anchoring at the troll's rib.  She tries to hold on long enough to shove Dragonfang in.  "This is so dumb," she acknowledges her sloppy work to herself with a grin as she fully expects to be thrown off in a matter of seconds without anything to hold on...to, hmm.

Distracted by the easy target Amora gives her, there's a flash of a grin.  "Nice thinking.  One sec.  Hand full."

Amora has posed:
It's not as if Amora is too far from the troll she just captured. She could easily twack it on the head with her staff to knock it out. But for some reason she stays away, continuing her motions, again another incantation being uttered. But this time no visible effect comes out .. Whatever did she do? It's not as if the troll is going anywhere though, just growling in frustration...

As for the SECOND one that Brunnhilde is riding it reaches down, massive hand attempting to twap out it's passenger. "GET OFF!" it shouts in troll, the protective runes continuing to blaze all around the troll's body.

As the fight progresses though there is a glow up on the tower and then a shimmer nearby. A figure appears, a well-dressed man, gold and other jewelry adorning him, a long robe, handsome features and a staff as well. "What is this?" the man speaks in High Asgardian. Maybe an Asgardian noble of some kind?

The man's blue eyes look around in annoyance, first at the Valkyrie, then at Amora. A glimmer of recognition is on his eyes. "Amora.. What are you doing here? You are not allowed in these grounds." he says. "Karnilla has said so. *I* am the one who is to hold this tower."

Amora, for her part, looks oh so surprised...

Brunnhilde has posed:
Preoccupied with the swats as she gets jolted around like a rag doll, Brunnhilde doesn't see the figure first appear.  But it doesn't take her long.  Part of her prowess is built on awareness, even if she deems a lot of things to not be immediate threats.

A small part of the Valkyrie is immediately put off by the accent, but her gut prejudice doesn't compare to the sudden flash of righteous anger from the deceit.  So she gets fly-swatted into a stun and flicked off by the troll between the trolls and the tower itself.

"What in Hades is going on?" Brunnhilde Not a scratch, but she does have mud smeared across her face in happenstance warrior paint, which she smears off with a some spare square of cloth she pulls from her hip.  She checks over her shoulders for how long she has till the trolls catch up with her.

Amora has posed:
The troll shouts a mix of a triumphant howl and a pained one when Brunhilde is tossed away, it then reaching down to tap at the hole on it's side where Dragonfang sank deep. It roars and starts rushing out towards the Valkyrie again..

As for the other sorcerer... "What is going on here is that *you* are trespassing." the man gestures, the runes flickering and the troll slowing down to a stop. Apparently those runes are doing more than just protecting them from magic. "I am Lord Loren, first apprentice to Karnilla, the Norn Queen." yes, he seems proud of that title, even lifting his nose a touch in quite the arrogant poise. "A position that Amora here doesn't respect apparently.." his tone venomous..

As for Amora she speaks up after a sigh. "Perhaps you should had thought about more than your position before allowing your subjects to go around attacking one of this land's hamlets, don't you think?" tone casual before her icy blue gaze falls on Brunnhilde. She smiles faintly. "I am as surprised as you." she lies, "To think that the one behind all this is Karnilla's apprentice..."

Not that the man tries to deny it, shrugging. "The trolls get rowdy if I do not let them loose from time to time. It was calculated. No Lord of these lands will risk moving against Karnilla and her apprentices once they know it was me." the people that were killed though? Doesn't seem as if he gives them a moment's thought..

Brunnhilde has posed:
"I don't care about your teacher or her teacher's pet.  That doesn't change what you did.  Just because you have power does not mean you have dominion or claim to lay waste to the weakest.  You have abused your place in the Realms," and stoked the fire of the Valkyrie.

A smidge of it might be misplaced disgust?  Anger? for Amora's reply.  She's not buying something.  "You are obviously lying," she says outright.  "You are telling me that the great Sorceress who is perfect in every way couldn't put this together?  You reek of more horse shit than I do."  It's probably mud and troll shit, but we like to believe things that make us more comfortable, and on the crap totem pole, troll is way worse.

Amora has posed:
"Excuse me... But who are you exactly?" The Lord asks with a raised brow. "To even deign to address me?" he eyes the mud smeared valkyrie up and down. No recognition there. Really, the mud does a good work on keeping her incognito. But he does look amused after a few moments, "Your mercenary does have quite the mouth, Amora. You do not know how to hire them anymore?" he is smirking now, tone sardonic.

Amora then shakes her head, opening her hands to the sides, "Contrary to widespread belief I do not know all that happens in the realms..." even if she does admit a moment after, "I *might* have had an.., idea that this could be so." those perfectly-built shoulders (sans mud or troll crap, tyvm) then lifting up and down in a shrug, "Does it change anything though?" she asks of the Valkyrie. "One way or another he has to be stopped."

Loren then raises his hands. "Enough!" he frowning then. "Clearly I will have to teach you a lesson." a shimmering globe appears around the man. "And dispose of your merc.." he gestures and the trolls again resume their attack on Brunnhilde, including the one that was captured in ice, the blocks falling off. Clearly this is no weak mage.

Amora only smiles more deeply. Is this going exactly as she expected? Right now it seems like so. The man starts conjuring elemental forces around, the discarded shards of ice lifting off the ground and turning towards Amora...

Brunnhilde has posed:
"You have not heard of the Valkyrior?  I am Valkyrie."  Brunnhilde does not flaunt her status of being chosen to lead them, nor her iron clad place in Valhalla according to Odin's favor, or the fact that he considers her his god daughter (when he feels like it, though he certainly has similar expectations of her as he does his real progeny given by his rage at times).  No.  She's bound too tightly to her self that has fused with that identity over the centuries.  Her role as a symbol, not for him, but for the warriors she has such deep respect for.  For the people.  But this person.  Eww.  She doesn't like to think of these people.

"I am no mercenary.  I do not fight for gold or glory."

Brunnhilde spares an eye roll for Amora.  "Well at least he's an ass's hole," she mutters, though not to hide it from the Lord.

Perhaps to her detriment, Brunnhilde doesn't seem to care that Loren is a strong sorcerer.  "Gods there is only so much narcism one can bear."  The monarchy, Amora for the last however many months, though admittedly she tolerated and even has become fond of Amora's lightness and the playfulness at it.  And now.  Now this guy.

Brunnhilde just sprints over to grab a huge boulder and launch it at Loren before charging toward /him/.  "The trolls are a distraction," and they obviously know how to swing and miss.  The Valkyrie is smiling.

Amora has posed:
"Of course..." Loren replies.. "And I am Odin.. Pray tell, do you believe me daft? Not in a million years would I imagine Amora and a Valkyrie joining forces.." he laughs out loud. Nope, he isn't believing her at all. "Don't worry.., no matter what you will taste the same to my trolls." eeewww, that took a turn to the dark. But he does seem to be getting upset. And he was called an asshole! Unbearable ...

So as Brunnhilde nimbly dodges past the trolls, their clubs hitting the ground where she was moments before the sorcerer finishes his incantation. The ice shards fly towards Amora. She tries to move, to one side, dodging one but another goes right through her torso. She drops to one knee, letting out a gasp... But, something isn't right ... She didn't even try to defend herself with magic.. Loren looks all triumphant though, laughing in his arrogance. "That will teach you who is the superior sorcerer.."

He *was* sort of ignoring Valkyrie though. A mistake as the boulder hits his barrier squarely, crashing it and making him fly back and away.

Amora is still down though and Loren flicks his wrist. "Stay put, brute! Or I finish the job and kill Amora!" one of the shards lifts from the ground.

Brunnhilde has posed:
Brunnhilde expected retaliation from the god.  His brand of 'love' is vindictive.  Everything is both personal and an affront to the core of his values somehow.  She also knows that Odin likes his puppet master tactics.  So this is to be her spanking then.  Or not.  It takes Brunnhilde a moment to realize after the boulder smacks Loren that he's not Odin.  Gah.

The revelation though is a blow.  Deceived by both.  There's a twinge of shame at her own ineptitude.  Then guilt for Odin's presence reminds her of her former duties, how she left the Valkyrior.  Though really she needed a break, a vacation from years of work without ever calling in sick.  Stubborn, angry, but the expert warrior does not lose her cool this time.  There's no time for it anyway.

The Valkyrie cinches into her old self, her old muscle memory of being.  It shows in her bones, her stance, the look in her eye.  Brutal efficiency.  Dragonfang is poised for attack when Valkyrie freezes and glances at Amora out of the corner of her eye.  "My allegiance is not to her."  Right before she puts herself between the ice and Amora.  "Amora has used me, but you're annoying."

Amora has posed:
Awwww.. When Brunnhilde moves to stand between the ice lance and Amora it almost brings a little crocodile tear to Amora's eye. But still, something just isn't .., right.. Amora has been quiet for a while now, just there on her knee. And if there's something Amora is known for is talking. A LOT.

"Then you can die together." Loren announces, teeth showing. He is preparing himself to send the shard towards her when a figure shimmers behind him, Amora, taking a lesson out of Loki's handbook. Illusion? Deception? She was never as strong in direct magical attacks as she was in these kind of magicks.. Something that Loren clearly didn't realize. Arms wrap from behind the man, almost as if they were lovers. "But you have already lost.." she whispers in promise, leaning in to place a kiss on his lips. The man freezes in place, the shard that was pointing to Brunnhilde and the illusion she was protecting falling to the ground.

The trolls also stop on their charge, the runes beginning to fade and their eyes glaze, they uttering a loud howl, berserk-like almost as the control Loren had on them slips away.

Brunnhilde has posed:
Brunnhilde is prepared to roll 'Amora' out of the way, but she's watching Loren, not the ice shard, so the illusion melts in front of her eyes as she hears the ice shard fall behind her.  She sees the kiss, but has bigger worries.

The trolls might wander to the locals and prey on the people or their cattle and farms, which is pretty much the same thing around here, just slower.  She waits though, poised in profile to both Amora and the trolls as she gives the chance to ride it out...with supervision.  Hopefully they don't have a bad opinion of her?

Amora has posed:
The kiss stays for a few moments, Amora going full on french kiss with the man even as power clearly appears to be passing between the two sorcerers. But tales of her deadly kisses aren't exactly new. When she breaks the kiss she is smiling. "Why don't you stay here a moment, darling?" she says, oh so softly, as if talking to a lover..

Loren appears to have lost his look of arrogance, looking adorably to Amora. "Of course.. I .., will wait here." he does seem a touch confused too. He is still a sorcerer, and with a little time he may break out of it. But for now..., here he is, under her spell.

She moves closer to Brunnhilde. "Apologies. But the deception was needed." she does appear quite satisfied now..

As for the trolls, they appear to be coming to themselves, looking around. They find Loren, the one that had enslaved them and begin advancing towards him...

Amora looks towards Brunnhilde, perhaps leaving it to her what the man's fate should be. Clearly she doesn't seem to care.

Brunnhilde has posed:
Brunnhilde had heard of the hypnotism, and that alone creates the opportunity for lethal measures.  "No.  It wasn't, and you aren't sorry.  Don't do that again."  And the Valkyrie is wholly unsatisfied.

Seeing the trolls direct their rage toward their captor, the Valkyrie looks back to Amora, locking eyes with her.  "And now you make me clean up your mess?"  But that's the lighter comment.  Her gaze suggests something deeper than being put out by this.  She's being manipulated again.  It's not as if Brunnhilde's own mythic history isn't riddled with her self-sacrifice, her honor, her heart and value of life...generally.  She is a slave to her own symbol.  The heart of a dog.  She finds her way back.

Brunnhilde snarls, angry at her self-imposed obligation as she charges to try and snatch the jerk up in time.

Amora has posed:
Amora's gaze is unreadable now, icy blue gaze locked on Brunnhilde while she waits. She is ready to have the man die. A rival, and one full of arrogance to boot. Besides, she could do well with being Karnilla's only apprentice. When the Valkyrie then charges, full of her honor and heart she takes in a breath.

Loren doesn't even try to dodge, he is absolutely smitten with Amora, smiling even as Brunnhilde snatches him from certain death, getting him out of the way of a club and to a safe distance. And now that the trolls aren't protected by magick again it means Amora *can* affect them...

And right now.., she appears more powerful. Perhaps she stole *something* from Loren? Her words again echo. Louder. A portal opens up in front of the creatures. "Leave. Back to your lands." the creatures look at the portal, the frozen wastes in front of them. Their home... They step in without hesitation... As they leave the portal closes behind them, Amora looking back to Brunnhilde.

"You are truly a Valkyrie." A praise? Disappointment? Maybe a bit of both? "You know the kind of man he is."

Brunnhilde has posed:
Brunnhilde watches as the trolls obey Amora and an eye on the enchantress. Once the great migration is complete, her stare has not wavered and her grip on the scruff of Loren's collar.  Asgardian or not, Brunnhilde dominates him, even as a dumbed lamb.

"I measure.  I do not choose who dies, and I should have never been a part of this to begin with."  Brunnhilde did play her part beautifully, with all heart.  But a moment later, she sprints out to the wilds to leave him and comes back, as if she doesn't want to leave Amora alone.

"He cannot harm you now.  And you did not just come for the tower," she says, commenting slyly on Amora's new strength.

Amora has posed:
"What alternative would there be? Let him continue terrorizing the nearby hamlets? Allowing his trolls to feed from innocents?" Amora asks, almost as if the choice was obvious. "Yes, I gained from this, but in the end the man had to be stopped. Does it matter that I profit..?" she doesn't try to hide it. Yes, she has gained some of his power. And then there is the tower. So many possibilities...

"We did something good here today. Something I could not had done on my own." She admits easily. "Together .., there is little that can stop us. You can see it the same way I do, can't you?" she folds her arms together, regarding Brunnhilde now. Her posture is .., a touch different.., as if she had gained control of this place, this tower.

The new Lady.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"You heard me," Brunnhilde still has Dragonfang out throughout their conversation, but she doesn't have that tense spring in her frame.  She's in complete control.  She doesn't argue with Amora any longer.

The new status of Amora only seems like salt in the wounds.  "It was a betrayal of trust.  If you do not see.  I do not trust my life to someone I cannot trust.  Do not think things will be the same."  But she didn't say they were over.

Amora has posed:
"One day...." Amora replies, tone solemn, "... you will understand why I do what I do." a resignation to her tone. She knows this is a path she has to walk alone. "Hopefully it won't be too late then.." but she doesn't argue further about who is right or not. Instead she gestures..

"And now..." A glimmer of playfulness returning to her gaze, perhaps trying to make amends for her betrayal. "Shall we explore this place and seek the man's hidden stash of mead? These high Lords normally enjoy only the finest of drinks.." bribe Valkyrie with drinks!

"For if you do not trust me now at least allow me to extend you my hospitality here, Brunnhilde." her tone smooth, inviting before she adds with a faint, tentative smile. "Besides.., that's not only mud on your face..." making it all the more real that indeed the smell is .., peculiar.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"I am not that enlightened."  It's hard to tell whether the Valkyrie is being self-deprecating or sarcastic.  She's just...grumpy now.  "Too late for what?"  Her anger only simmers now in the face of Amora's charm.

Brunnhilde sighs at herself and cleans off Dragonfang.  "We should," she relents, like she knew she would.  She looks up and over to Amora.  "I know.  Unfortunately.  You think we'll find any resistance inside?"  She looks back the way they came to see if the rental horse ever showed back up.  Nope.

Amora has posed:
That first question goes without answer. Enigmatic! That's one of Amora's traits. Instead she turns towards the Tower, gesturing for the Valkyrie to walk with her, "Come on. And no, I do not believe we will find any resistance." she smiling a touch eagerly. "The magic of the tower is now mine. It will take time to master it of course but ..." and her smile turns more devious, ".. we won't find any problems within." a glance given to the other Asgardian. "At least no more than the ones we want to brew up for ourselves, of course." of course that her teasing ways couldn't be gone for too long.

But they do have their natures afterall. Valkyrie has her honor and heart. Amora has her deviousness and teasing. All so very different.

Brunnhilde has posed:
The non-answer doesn't go unnoticed, but Brunnhilde is in no mood to pursue it right now.  The mead is beckoning to lighten or darken her mood.  She walks along, sheathing Dragonfang as she goes.  There's purpose in her step.  There's mead to be plundered.

"What kind of magic is this tower?" the Valkyrie knows these magic wielders have powerful ways of making things not what they seem.  Hel, she's with the Enchantress.  "You never change do you."  It's not wholly negative.  The teasing is one of the things that lured Brunnhilde into hearing the Asgardian out originally.

The Valkyrie certainly a merriment and appreciation for deviousness, but only so much as it stays within certain bounds she would never cross herself.  Indeed.  They are very different in their cores.

Amora has posed:
"This place... is a place of power. One of the Nexus of power that Karnila has used to tap into the energies she controls. But clearly it's keeper wasn't .., worthy. As for what can be done here. Well.., whatever our imagination, and power, allows us to. I do have plans." a safe place, away from prying eyes. This would certainly come in handy in the future. Somewhere she could call home.

"What would you like me to change to..?" She asks, casting a look over her shoulder at the other woman. Really, keep feeding her teasing. But she then laughs out musically. Clearly she is in good spirits. And who can blame her?

As they start entering the tower it's opulence is obvious. Clearly Lord Loren liked a lush living. Furniture, jewelry.. All very palatial. She lets out a sigh. And .., it seems bigger, as if the tower from the outside didn't seem as big as it clearly was within. Magic at work for sure!

"You like the way I am." Not a question. She seems quite sure about it.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"No he wasn't."  That is something they can agree upon, even if Brunnhilde's less than thrilled about what just happened.  "Whatever our imagination allows us to leaves a lot to our..."  But she doesn't finish it.  It's too cheesy for the mead drinking woman.

  She's trying to cling to her resolve as she glances around at the opulence, searching for the kitchens where she knows the cellar must be nearby.  To break now would be letting Amora win somehow, but who can resist.  Amora does seem to have an annoying way of reading the Valkyrie, though it's not as if the woman doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve.

Brunnhilde does not say anything, though her eyes do.  Amora isn't off the mark.  "I do not wish to throw a veil over my eyes."  Brunnhilde's gaze suggests she wants Amora to know that this is a pointed diversion, a kind of jab that she wouldn't allow Amora a direct truth.  A denial of her standard attention, and she grins ever so slightly.

Amora has posed:
"Brunnhilde. I *never* leave anything to the imagination. You should know that by now." Amora snorts. Nope, it's not too cheesy for her to say those things. She thrives in it afterall! Though she *does* note the way Brunnhilde looks at her, a look that is returned by the sorceress.

"You do not have to throw anything over your eyes that you do not wish to." she retorts, going with the diversion, heels heard as they echo on the otherwise empty halls, she following along through the tower. It's not exactly an ordinary kind of tower but eventually it gives way to a large kitchen. There is no staff though, so however the former Lord did things ..., well.., most likely it was through magic.

"Goind directly for the booze?" She questions. "I thought you'd wish to clean up first." she asks, all too innocently.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"But you keep changing every day," Brunnhilde quips, her words tinged with facetiousness.  After a good fight though, there are always three priorities, eating, drinking, and sleeping with pleasurable company.  Bathing /is/ important, but, "Mead cures all ills.  I /do/ want to bathe first.  But I want a quick taste too."  And by quick taste, Amora knows exactly what Brunnhilde means.

At least she's quick about it though.  She finds the cellar quickly and takes a jug or two with her, handing one to Amora.  "Now where is ass's bath?"  POP!  She pulls the cork and lifts the mead for a swig, practically civilized for the Valkyrie.  "Hmm?"  Her eyes flicker to the side toward Amora.

Amora has posed:
Within the cellar indeed they come to find the good stuff. Clearly Lord Loren enjoyed his drink. Amora takes one of the jugs with a raised brow, a look given at Brunnhilde and she quirking her lips up amusedly. "One day..., you might just become an hostage to this booze stuff." ominous words? But it seems to be said in jest right now.

And right after she lifts the jug up to her lips, taking an hearty swig too. Damn, that *does* taste well. She closes her eyes a moment, letting the emotion of battle abate and she relaxes. Yes, they had done this.. She reaches over with the jug, tipping it against the Valkyrie's.

"To the victors goes the spoils, mmm?" She murmurs, eyes resting on the warrioress. And then it's off to go seek out those baths. The jug is, of course, brought along.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"Come /on/ Amora," Brunnhilde says with an open smirk.  "I will be hostage to no one and nothing."  That confidence is comfortable on the Valkyrie.  She thinks nothing of Amora's words.  They are inconceivable syllables strung together with flirtation.  Inconsequential.

"This is good mead," Brunnhilde says after Amora partakes.  Without even looking, she lifts her jug to return the gesture.  "Indeed.  What are you going to do with all this stuff?" she asks as they search.  Brunnhilde bringing her jug along is a foregone conclusion.

Not once has she checked to see if she's trailed mud, troll blood, or other things in her wake.  "This place is a lot bigger than I thought it would be," even though Valkyrie is no stranger to experiencing such magic.

Amora has posed:
"Bold words." Amora says of that confidence she senses on the Valkyrie's voice, "The future though, it's never as clear as we often think it is. Twisting roads, choices who never thought would be possible. That and more ..." the Norns are known for their gifts of Seeing. And with Karnilla being their strongest sorceresses she has began to teach Amora some of it. She is still very much in the beginning of it at this stage but .., she is beginning to open her 'eyes'. "I have only just began learning the true gift of the Seers. But ..." she does leave that subject go though, instead focusing on the mead.. It's important too, and she is drunk with success, and most likely soon to be drunk with mead too.

"I do accept suggestions on what to do with this all." She opening her arms to the sides while she sashays across the hallways, "I will certainly re-decorate. And in time the place will be in my image." a pause, she glancing over. "You could have a safe place to come to if you so wished. It is the least I could do for your aid." she gesturing. "Quarters for you to rest on if you so called upon."

They travel through the halls, up stairwells and eventually they reach the bath area. Opulent, large. As expected. Magical? Of course, for where else would water be coming from if not by ways of magic?

Brunnhilde has posed:
Brunnhilde has always known she was a slave to fates.  Beyond her psychopomp status.  "I do not need a perfect future.  Life is more interesting that way."  The Valkyrie skirts the issue, but it's unclear to her whether Amora is playing with her or being serious.

"I'll believe you when I see it," she says with a congenial tone as she watches Amora sashay ahead of her own stroll.  "We could burn it?  Or drop it somewhere for someone else to deal with."  She'd suggest someone who might be able to use it, but she's too into the mead at the moment and that would require more speaking which means less mead time.

"Perhaps."  It would be tempting to get out of where she's staying now, wherever that is...it probably isn't as nice as her last digs, and Amora knows the Valkyrie seems to stay mobile.

"This better be worth it," even though Brunnhilde knows it will be.  She's sick of the stench.  She steps over to test the temperature of the water as if she's never jumped into a freezing body of water before in her lifetime.

"It is."

Amora has posed:
"Burn it?!" Amora asks in dismay, shaking her head with determination, those blonde locks flowing about. "Not a chance, dear Brunnhilde. There is too much potential here to just .., squander it to others who will not know how to properly use it." she is quite the creature of ambition afterall. "That you even suggest it.., it breaks my heart.." if she even has one to be broken!

But before she goes on and on about how she will be using the tower she takes another drink from the mead. Damn that thing is strong! "Think about it." the offer for the quarters that is. "You do not need to live there. But it can be a place of recovery. I can arrange it so you can travel to it."

With the water being tested by Brunnhilde she lifts a finely-trimmed brow. Amused? "Was there any doubt it would be worth it?" she approaches, also brushing her hand under water to test it. Yes, quite to her satisfaction. Eyes go back to the other Asgardian.

Brunnhilde has posed:
"I just thought they could sell it at a market, use that."  Brunnhilde shrugs, clearly not put out by how much she has 'wounded' her adventuring companion.  "Ha," she lets out at the broken heart bit.  "I couldn't do that even if I tried."  Well not figuratively.

The Valkyrie goes to work on her mead, trying to catch up after having nursed hers too much for her own liking.  It's not the opulence that attracts her, the promise of clean sheets (okay maybe the clean sheets /are/ on the list) or the eerie quietness made all the more strangely comforting as a reprieve from the constant roar of other patrons.  She bends down to wash her face as best she can, a few scoops of water.  "Fine."  Valkyrie rises.  Her decisions have always been quick and decisive.

"No.  I am covered in manure," Brunnhilde reminds Amora with a laugh.  She tilts her head toward the bath.  "Come."  A ever so thoughtful invitation to get 'clean' in what /hopefully/ is water magical enough not clean itself.