Closed Ice and Elegance (Sliver)

[Valkyrie]

Morwen let a small chortle of tinkling laughter escape her mouth as Sliver answered with the first comment on her mind. Well it was certainly a valid sentiment, the city was quite a chilly place. Morwen smiled warmly, pleased by the relaxed demeanor that Sliver showed. She enjoyed it immensely when her subjects felt comfortable around her.

Morwen listened patiently to Sliver’s question and her smile widened. It wasn’t often that people asked her about places other than Avanthal. As much as she loved her beautiful city she had other places she enjoyed as well, though perhaps not quite as much.

“Certainly there are places I enjoy seeing. Every place in Mizahar has a specialness about it that I have come to adore. It is hard to pick just one place. It used to be that I loved to visit the mountains in the south, in the region of Kalea. But now I do not enjoy visiting that place as much as I once did. No, now I would say that I most enjoy the forests just south of us in Taldera. The red trees are marvelously beautiful. Even more so when I arrive and they are coated in white fluffy snow. It is a sight to be seen, I assure you.” Morwen thought carefully about her answer and spoke as honestly as she might around a mortal uninvolved in the workings of the gods. She did love the sight of snow on the great bloodwoods, that was certainly true.

Morwen was silent for a few moments and gazed a spot several feet above Sliver’s head, evidently lost in thought. When she looked at Sliver again her expression was more serious and her eyes searched for something within Sliver.

“I must ask you a serious question now, Sliver. You see much of the city as a guard, and you speak to many different people. I am aware of much in the city and receive many visitors. I am aware that there are many feelings running through the city right now. There is much confusion. This winter I will be away and unable to intervene in the workings of the city. While I am gone, will you do what you must to keep peace within the city?” Morwen’s question would cause the wolverine to think a few minutes. Morwen was a goddess after all, when she asked if someone would do what they must she meant a whole lot more than ensuring children didn’t throw snowballs at their elders. She truly meant whatever it would take. Perhaps even the Icewatch guard’s death if it came to that.

[Sliver]

To amuse a Goddess, that was something Sliver would be able to take pride in for season's to come. That relaxed sense and feeling of normalcy, even within the greatness of this hall filled her with the warmth of a comforting hearth, and something sat right with the wolverine at that. It was as if the world had aligned just right in order to give her this moment of peace and comfort, and she drank it in as best she could before she would inevitably return to the cold. Then the question, the moment was gone as soon as it had come, and Sliver was glad she had taken that short spell. She let her mind process the full realization of what the Goddess desired from her. She would do well to remember these ethereal beings had plans larger and higher than she could ever hope to contemplate, no matter how well they could mimic mortals. For several chimes Sliver sat in a frosted silence, making sure that when she spoke her words would be clear and true. It was strange to feel so serious, to feel the weight of her responsibility to this deity upon her shoulders, yet still feel relaxed within her presence, as if the only right answer was the truth...and she supposed in reality, that was precisely it. "I am worried about what will occur in your absence, My Queen."Her joking tone was gone, her calm and easy smile faded into seriousness. For all purposes Morwen could have been talking to an adviser of hers and not a simple guard. "The Vantha....they are my people now, my people to take care of and protect, but they are all imperfect, just as I am. They have a stinging sense of pride, just as I do. I learned from your priestess how harmful pride can be, though I also accept it as part of me..." She stumbled a bit here, losing sight of where her words were taking here. Petch common, it never seemed able to convey the feelings and thoughts bubbling inside her skull. Ah no, there they were. "I think Winter will be cold...colder than most, but I am ready to protect this city in any, and every way I can." Her voice shook as she remembered the Frostfawn hunter's knife dragging down the inside of her leg, the utter fear that had consumed her at becoming a hunted animal. Part of her had known she was going to die, and despite being glad she hadn't, she knew that if it happened again, she would fall into Dira's embrace knowing she had served her City and its Queen to the fullest. Now her mahogany gaze drew up from the floor and stared directly into Morwen's frosty eyes. She wasn't sure if this was an appropriate gesture, but she was no poet, no public speaker. She enjoyed talking as much as anyone, but only her actions and behavior would reveal the truth behind what she had said, for there would be no empty promises given in this throne room today, not if she was guarding Avanthal.

[Valkyrie]

Morwen looked deeply into Sliver’s eyes for several quiet moments. Whatever she found there evidently satisfied her because the goddess nodded and rose from her throne. Her shimmering gown pooled at her feet as she stepped down to stand beside Sliver.

“The djed storm was difficult for all of us. More than you can understand has changed. The city included. It is always difficult to accept change and let go of the ways of the past and so my people have chosen to vent their emotions on each other. But I do not worry for them yet, not enough to intervene. The city has ways of taking care of itself. Trust in the people of Avanthal, and you shall see them rise to the challenge.” Morwen’s tone was firm and full of light. It was clear that she did trust in her people to prove themselves to be good and true.

“I have a task for you, if you will accept it.” Morwen said and turned away from Sliver to walk towards one of the walls of her throne room. She wiggled her fingers gently to indicate that Sliver should follow her, which the wolverine immediately stood to do. The wall that Morwen led Sliver towards was covered in paintings, undoubtedly gifts from the many artists that had lived in Avanthal over the years. Morwen came to stop in front of a large painting that featured a single, dead tree in a bleak tundra landscape. The tree’s branches had been naked of bark for uncountable years and the entirety of the plant was bleached white from long exposure to sun and wind.

“The tree in this painting is a real place though it is a day’s run from Avanthal. Many travelers have passed by it unaware that it has any special significance. But there is in fact a very special box buried in the snow beneath this tree. And only those who come seeking this box wake it’s guardian. “ Morwen lifted her fingers to gently run them over the surface of the painted canvas.

“I would like you to retrieve this box for me. You will have to protect yourself against its guardian. Your reward for completing this task is whatever you find inside the box. I ask that you keep its contents safe and I place them under your guardianship for the remainder of your life. Do you accept this task?” Morwen turned to Sliver and smiled gently as she asked her question. Her eyes were unassuming and gentle, she would allow Sliver to take this task upon herself, the goddess would not force it on her.

[Sliver]

Sliver practically flew out of her seat when summoned, as if Morwen had a string attached from that finger to the Kelvic. Perhaps it was that she had been sitting for a prolonged bit, or maybe it was the intensity of keeping her eyes focused upon a Goddess for an extended period of time that had made her jumpy. Either way she got a hold of herself as she crossed the room, purposefully taking slightly more measured steps in order to keep herself from sprinting beside the deity. As she walked she contemplated the Goddesses words. She was sure Morwen had the best of reasons to trust her people, and if anyone knew what they would end up doing, that they would overcome their differences, it was she. Yet Sliver could not help, but feel a twinge of doubt. Not with her words or faith, if Sliver was sure of anything she was sure that the City would recover, yet Gods had huge scopes to look through, and she wondered how much trauma and pain would occur in the between time for the Vantha, between now and a time of more peaceful demeanor. That was neither here nor there. Sliver stowed these thoughts away, storing them under the heading of time, trying to contemplate in the way a being with a longer lifespan might when observing its passage. Now Morwen was showing her an eerie image. It was still beautiful, but so different from the artistic pieces she was used to glimpsing it gave her a strangely uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, a good indicator of something bad. The more Morwen spoke, the more this feeling grew. Several questions popped up in Sliver's mind when faced with this potential quest. If this item had a guardian, why did she need to obtain it? What kind of creature or being resided in a tree, yet knew when an individual had come for the box it protected? And why, in a City of stories and tales, had she never heard of this one? All these questions pointed to some seriously dangerous messages, but a small smile spread across the wolverine's features. It was something tangible, a quest that she could accomplish, physical and real, not emotional upheaval that she could never seem to repair by simply pummeling or cajoling. Her expression straightened in contemplation of the last remark. under your guardianship for the rest of your life. That statement nearly carried more weight than the question before, but if she had not hesitated to say yes to the first, Sliver couldn't fathom saying no now. She realized all her questions would be answered in time, and the Kelvic bowed her head slightly before bringing it up. "I accept."

[Valkyrie]

Morwen smiled gracefully as Sliver accepted the task she had set. She could sense the Kelvics curiosity and questions, but since she did not ask Morwen did not answer. Besides, some things are better left to be discovered on their own. Morwen had called it a task but there was no mistaking that this was a test as well. If Morwen had simply wanted the box in a more protective place she would have sent a whole patrol of Icewatch for it. But instead she was sending just Sliver. The only way to truly know and trust her subjects was to test their resolve and fortitude.

“Follow the coast northwest for a day’s jog and you will find the tree. The box is buried beneath the snow and ice at it’s feet. Be safe and pace yourself, a storm is blowing in soon. As I said, you may keep the contents of the box. The box itself should be turned in to Jenna Aviak. She will know what to do with it.” Morwen reached out a pale arm and wrapped her hand around Sliver’s left shoulder. For half a second Sliver would feel the most cold sensation she had ever felt in her life. The bones and blood in her body felt like ice and that she would crack at any second. The sensation subsided as quickly as it came and Sliver felt warmth return to her body. In fact, more warmth than she had felt prior to Morwen touching her.

“Go with my blessing, Sliver.” Morwen took a step back and nodded at Sliver to indicate her dismissal. If Sliver looked at her left shoulder she would see the blessing that Morwen had left her. An intricately designed blue snowflake covered Sliver’s upper left arm and shoulder. The tribal tattoos covering her arm had shifted and moved to form a beautiful cage for the snowflake to rest in. The symbol of cold weather brought warmth to Sliver’s body. The chill she had felt standing in Morwen’s castle before had gone, now she felt comfortable and at ease in the frozen palace.

With Morwen’s blessing and her dismissal still ringing in her ears, it was time for Sliver to set out and complete the task before her.

OOCDon’t zip all the way to the tree yet, lets play with the environment a bit since you've got that fancy hand warmer now

[Sliver]

It felt like a jolt of lightning. So much power in a single touch and Sliver felt her body freeze for an instant like a hole fishermen drilled in a river. Then the warmth flooded back through her veins and she felt as if whatever was thawing her out was using a bonfire to do so. She saw the subtle shifting of her tattoos and her eyes drifted down to her shoulder, eyes widening as icy tendrils crept form within her flesh, taking their rightful spot upon her arm. She had always imagined that her wolverine blood afforded her a bit of natural defense against the cold, better than a pompous Eypharian or Jungle-blooded Myrian anyway, but now she truly knew what she had been missing. The room felt as comfortable as a well-heated cabin, and any chill she may have felt was like a distant memory.

It was so beautiful, and perhaps it was her own innate selfishness that made her think of it as more elegant and wonderful than any mark she had ever seen, but it was the fact that it lay in her flesh that made it so. Calloused fingers brushed over the Gnosis mark’s surface, and were surprised to find it warmer instead of colder than the rest of her flesh. She wondered vaguely if those who were unmarked would find it the other way around. Morwen stared at her expectantly, a small smile holding those frosty lips aloft. Sliver opened her mouth, and then closed it. Best not to ruin this moment between Queen and Subject with things as trivial as words. She bowed low and deep to her Goddess, Morwen exchanging a respectful inclination of her head in return. Their time was done, whatever illusions of a social chat in the alleyways of Avanthal were dispelled as Sliver felt a new power course through her veins: Now she had a mission. She gave a formal salute and left the room, already wondering when she would next see her Goddess.

Jenna made a polite gesture of goodbyes but Sliver honestly wasn’t paying attention. Rather like on a hunt her gaze had been narrowed, and the only words she heard were the echoes of Morwen’s instructions. When she stepped out of the palace it was like stepping into a fresh spring morning, a flurry of snow swept up in the wind and brought trailing in front of her face. The Kelvic breathed in the cool fresh air and almost reluctantly slipped on her jacket, knowing she would need it in the bells to come.

First, however, there was a very important matter to attend to. A bare hand reached into the nearest pile of flakes and scooped up a handful of the icy substance. She felt as if Morwen’s Gnosis gave the bearer ice in their veins, for the feel of it in her hands felt like holding her natural element. Not some entity that fell around her, separate from the life here in Avanthal, but the key part of the cycle of it all, and she had power over it. Eyelids closed slowly and focused on the substance, some of it already trickling into water down her hands. She imagined it melting, heating so that the tiny fractals of ice became like rain drops dribbling off the eaves of a house. She had never used magic before and never had any desire to learn it, yet this moment must have been similar to perhaps a reimancer of flame or water, for the satisfaction she felt as the snow spilled over and down upon her boots in its liquid form filled her with something akin to euphoria. The wolverine gave an excited yelp, and glanced at four of her comrades that stood guard at the gates, smiles exchanged between all as she suddenly understood their secrets.

But now it was time to journey. She checked her day pack, a few rations, an extra pair of clothes and a small blanket. It would have to do, for she didn't want to take the time from the day in returning to the barracks. Feet pounded steadily upon the ground, making her way through town, unable to keep from beaming as she went. She waved and greeted those who passed, and a few noticed how rosy her cheeks looked as if warmed from the inside out, though it would be hard to guess the gift the wolverine had been given.

She ran out of the gates with barely a greeting and made her way towards the port side of the wall, where she would run between it and the coast towards her destination.

She hadn't gone far when her natural curiosity bade her to approach the freezing sea shore, hand tearing out of its glove and setting itself atop the ice. She imagined the same image before, but swapped the rain water with a frozen pond, imagining a hole in it's depths. The ice did not so much as budge, at least, not that Sliver could see. She furrowed her brow and focused again, eyes squinting in concentration. She noticed a tiny pool of water form beneath her hand, but almost instantly it re-froze and she growled low and under her breath. Then something tickled at the back of her mind, like a sixth sense trying to emerge and she relaxed, opening herself up to it. She realized suddenly that she knew precisely how deep and massive this section of oceanic ice was, not breaking apart until way into the sea, and the idea of such a massive entity made her hand lurch back in shock. And here she was trying to melt it, even a tiny piece. She rose, wiping off her wet hand and began walking along the shore thoughtfully, contemplating her new powers for a moment, nearly forgetting about her mission. A snort and a snuffle were given at her own loss of memory and she slid a hand back into her glove. Yet even though she ran for a time she couldn't resist stopping and trying again upon an icy embankment, palm pressed against the chilled landscape, reveling in the way the water streamed down.

She released both hands from their gloved bindings and tried her new found powers with both hands, watching as hand shaped holes appeared in the icy snow with delight.

[Valkyrie]

Snow began to fall softly on the ground as Sliver made her way towards her destination and stopped now and then to explore her new powers. One time as Sliver walked away from a hand print she had made in the snow she turned back to see a snow hare carefully lapping at the water in the handprint. The snow hare looked up to see Sliver looking at it and dashed away back to the safety of its burrow.

The single snow hare was the only creature Sliver came across in her journey. The quiet tundra stretched out in all directions except where it met the thick ice of the coast. The only sound to break up the long trip was the occasional loud snap of cracking ice on the ocean or the lurch of sheets of ice sliding across each other.

Bells stretched on and the snow began to fall harder and thicker. Slowly Sliver’s sight would be limited by the thick flakes, luckily she had the coast to follow and would hopefully not become another traveler lost in the endless snows of Northern Taldera.

Night began to fall and the air temperature began to drop from cold to frigid. A single mark of Morwen could not fend off all hints of the cold but it was enough to keep her alive. Her skin would feel chilled though her gnosis and her continued activity in moving towards her destination would warm her blood enough to keep frostbite or hypothermia at bay. The combination of the impending darkness and the thick snowfall would limit Sliver’s vision to a dozen or so feet around her, even the sea ice was beginning to get difficult to distinguish. Soon she would have to decide if she dared keeping going or camp for the night. Not only did she have the darkness to consider but also whether continuing would allow her the energy reserves to deal with whatever awaited her at the end of this journey.

[Sliver]

The wolverine contemplated her options. On the one hand total darkness would fall soon, and she would be walking blindly, to a tree she wasn't sure of the location. On the other the storm might only increase, visibility being next to nothing upon the morrow and she would be traveling blindly. Dark eyes assessed her surroundings then finally gave a sigh of defeat. She walked further to the right, establishing with her foot precisely where the sea ice began, then turned herself around and counted her steps bak through the snow. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Somewhere between 26 and 38 steps (she got confused sometimes with numbers over 20) she found a section of brown-grey granite sticking up from the ground. A fire was out of the question, but even if the snow truly accumualated the direction and shape of the rock gave her a lee from the storm. She rifled in her small rucksack for the jerky, and softened the hard material in her mouth, using the canvas from the pup tent to make a layer between her and the snow to sleep upon. She stripped down her clothes and folded them up nicely, storing them upn a small rocky shelf to keep them dry before assessing how she felt. She was almost warm in the small alcove the rock provided, and gingerly the nude Kelvic stepped out into the flurries and wind, then leaping backwards after the intial cold front...so the mark wasn't that potent then. She smiled at her own silliness and transformed into wolverine form. The little mammal chortled with glee, for with her fur coat she felt like a little furnace in the snow. Grumbling happily she settled atop her pup tent, kneading the material with her paws and walking a few well placed circles in the canvas before lying herself down. She would be hungry in the morn, and the idea of what awaited her still hung seriously in her mind, yet she couldn't help but feel extremely content out here in her element, warm as a dog near a fire...or a wolverine's equivalent anyway.