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+---- Thread: adrift on the ice (/showthread.php?tid=3402)
adrift on the ice - Morgan - 05-07-2020
There would come a time in Deepfrost where walks out in the mountains were inadvisable even to Morgan, with her double protection against the cold. For the moment though that time had not yet arrived and with the mounting tensions in the Citadel, she desired the special calm that only the long rolling plains of the tundra could give. On the back of Eunike she had ridden out into an unnamed distant spot of the mountain, having told her most trusted guards to take control of the Citadel for a day or two.
The snow was for the moment light, even if it would not stay that way. In the quiet air, the only disturbance in the snow Eunike's hoofprints leading up to their current position, it would almost be easy to forget about her troubles. With a sigh, Morgan looked up to the sky, to the swirling snow, and shut her eyes. Just a moment of quiet.
RE: adrift on the ice - Mallorie - 05-07-2020
There was no fanfare to Mallorie's arrival. One minute she was elsewhere, the next she was...here. Now she was staggering, struggling to make her way through the snow that had packed into her boots and begun to seep through her clothes.
Perhaps she should have considered every eventuality when she chose to follow her quarry. She had no idea how long it'd been since she arrived and the cold was beginning to settle into her bones, making her movements stiff. Haggard. She pulled her cloak tighter, as if it might help block out the chill, and trudged on.
It would, she thought as she cast a look around at her surroundings, be quite scenic in any other circumstance.
She paused mid-step, catching sight of the looming shadow not too far ahead from her.
Civilisation, perhaps? Some lone wanderer who could direct her to shelter.
Teeth chattering, Mallorie forced her body to tromp towards it...or them.
RE: adrift on the ice - Morgan - 05-07-2020
Morgan, with her many years experience of wandering in the mountains, had grown accustomed to what sounds and sights were normal. The second she heard the movements she was scanning the landscape, expecting to see an animal and praying to the spirits it wouldn't be an Ursur. When her eyes finally landed on what appeared to be a very ill-prepared woman struggling in the snow her eyes widened and Morgan urged Eunike on to see closer.
As she approached, Morgan made some snap judgements: anyone out in this was either stupid, suicidal or an Outlander; she supposed there was a possibility of all three, but the expression on the woman's face led her to believe it was probably the latter. Jumping off Eunike to help (she was not fond of the Outlanders, but she would not leave one to die) she shrugged the cloak off her shoulders and immediately marched over to rest it over Mallorie, knowing the enchantment from the magic college would protect her own skin.
"This will make you feel warmer." She informed the woman brusquely. "What are you doing out here?"
RE: adrift on the ice - Mallorie - 05-07-2020
The sound of her crunching footsteps, the rushing wind, and her own breathing had been her only companion since she arrived. Hearing a human voice seemed maybe at first to be a dream...though surely it hadn't been so long in the tundra that she'd begun to hallucinate, Mallorie assumed. Otherwise she wouldn't still be standing here drawing breath.
She watched as the shape turned and, as it drew closer, became a woman - in the background what was presumably her mount. Mallorie focused on the woman's stern tone, and the weight and smell of the leather being draped over her shoulders.
What was she doing here? She wasn't really sure how to answer, standing in the middle of a blinding alien landscape, shivering even as she willed herself not to. Wasn't even sure where 'here' was. There was the obvious answer: walking. Then the less obvious: searching. Right now she supposed she should stick to what could be easily dealt with.
"Thank you. I'm...seeking shelter." She dug her fingers gratefully into the thick fur of the cloak, and peered at Morgan. Studied her face the way she'd studied many more as a guard, sizing them up. After a moment of this, she finally added,"Though I'm not entirely sure if I'm likely to find it here."
Mallorie cast a glance over Morgan's shoulder, having decided that the woman was likely not a threat (though certainly not to be dismissed); she noticed the black horse behind her, had never seen such a creature with golden mane and...
Bloody hell. A unicorn?
Mallorie frowned minutely, and decided to return to the matter at hand. Namely, Morgan.
"You wouldn't mind giving me directions, would you?"
RE: adrift on the ice - Morgan - 05-08-2020
Morgan looked about the snow with an incredulous expression as Mallorie said she was 'seeking shelter' as if pointing out that there clearly was not anywhere hospitable for a good amount of the surrounding area. "You will not." She said firmly as the woman seemed to come to the same conclusion.
She watched in silence as Mallorie's eyes widened at the sight of Eunike: that surprise confirmed her suspicion that this woman was an Outlander and with a sigh, Morgan shook her head. "You will die trying to find the way on your own. For the inexperienced the mountains are merciless. ..Besides, I want my cloak back." If this was a joke, she didn't seem to be smiling.
Going to Eunike and climbing back onto the saddle, she held out a hand for Mallorie to use to mount as well. "I will give you a ride to the Citadel. I cannot leave people to perish in the mountains - I assume you have just found yourself here?"
RE: adrift on the ice - Mallorie - 05-08-2020
Mallorie nodded, absently, as Morgan confirmed her suspicions about her surroundings. The landscape seemed...desolate, at best. Judging by the way the other woman looked around in some disbelief Mallorie had either made some sort of faux pas, or outed herself as foreign to this land. Not that she intended to hide that fact. Seemed silly to do so now, at least.
Whether there was humour intended in Morgan's comments or not, Mallorie wouldn't have noticed; she let the cloak's warmth sink into her skin and simply replied, "Of course. Thank you, again."
The news that she would die if she carried on alone gave Mallorie pause. She wasn't fond of teaming up with strangers, but she also took Morgan to be someone not inclined to lie. If she was to survive here, she must accept help.
Taking a breath and stepping towards the...unicorn, Mallorie accepted the hand offered and situated herself atop Eunike with a little awkwardness.
"I don't have much...experience with these creatures." She admitted. "This Citadel is the closest settlement, I presume?"
Morgan's question wasn't one she could answer easily, she found, and she considered it from atop the mount. Finally, she found the words to reply.
"More or less. I wasn't expecting to end up in the middle of...this. I gather I'm lucky I ran into you - much obliged."
RE: adrift on the ice - Morgan - 05-08-2020
This newcomer was at least smart enough to take Morgan up on her offer. Morgan had come up against pride in the mountains before, met people sure they could survive the cold with just light clothing and sheer willpower: those she could not save she left to their fate, seeing it as chosen. Mallorie was awkward to get on Eunike but managed well enough; as soon as they were both on the saddle Morgan began to ride, a slow pace so Eunike could easily navigate the snow and steep height.
"It is. Also where I would be heading anyway." She nodded at Mallorie's thanks. For a moment she wondered if was best to leave it at that, let the ride continue in silence until they reached the Citadel, but a sense of protection made her feel that she had to try and prepare their new guest for what was to come.
With a sigh, she briefly glanced back. "I am Captain Morgan Aristomache. I command the Deepfrost Shields, the guards of the Citadel. This place is Halo." There was so much to say but she wanted to give Mallorie a chance to ask questions and lead the conversation herself, to not overload the newcomer with information.
RE: adrift on the ice - Mallorie - 05-10-2020
Mallorie stayed silent beyond her thanks. She had too many questions to choose from to really know where to start, and she didn’t want to succumb to small talk with her apparently taciturn saviour. Instead she did her best to remain upright on the unicorn’s back, and take in as much information as she could while warming under the borrowed cloak.
Ah, a local, she thought, at Morgan’s brief explanation, and she nodded when Morgan introduced herself.
She relaxed at the news that Morgan was a guard captain. If she was a halfway decent one then Mallorie was likely to receive actual help and information, at the very least, directions.
“Mallorie,” she said simply, “guard - well, formerly, I suppose.”
Until she’d come through whatever brought her here, at least. She thought about remaining quiet, letting the shock of her arrival fade away before attempting actual conversation, but the need for information got the better of her as they made their way through the tundra. Maybe it was the steady motion of Eunike beneath them.
“Do you have many people dropping in out of nowhere, Captain?”
RE: adrift on the ice - Morgan - 05-11-2020
Hearing that Mallorie was a guard as well earned her some respect in Morgan's eyes, though not too much: after all, she had no idea if Mallorie was a good one. Morgan had also found that standards for guards were vastly different in different places: the force in Torchline had her tutting and shaking her head within five minutes when she had visited.
"We do." Morgan had never thought she'd have to give the 'welcome to Caido' speech to a newcomer, personally liking to keep her distance from the Outlanders, but she supposed it was a courtesy many Naturals would have to learn to extend. "You are an Outlander. People come to this land - Caido - from all different worlds. You have been brought here by a being called The Voice." A being, not a Goddess.
"You cannot go back to your old world. I am sure you have more questions...I will try to answer them." Reaching down to pat Eunike's neck as they traversed over a slightly slippy bit of the terrain, Morgan waited to hear what Mallorie would want to know.
RE: adrift on the ice - Mallorie - 05-11-2020
Outlander. So that's what she was now. Not just miles - worlds? - away from home. Now she was something with a name.
Mallorie was at least glad she wasn't alone. If others had come through here before then...
But that wasn't her priority right now. She held on and listened attentively to Morgan's information.
"A being?" She frowned. She didn't know of any creature that had such power. "What sort of being is this 'Voice'?"
The news that she couldn't return was...less upsetting than she supposed it might be. There was nothing left for her back there, and she wasn't sentimental about location. That this world contained such strange things as creatures who could pull living beings from other worlds was more of a concern.
Another thought occurred to her, though she suspected Morgan may not be able to answer. Her experience of guard captains was that they weren't prone to the fanciful or supernatural; dealing with drunks and bandits didn't lend itself to such things. She asked, anyway.
"Why does it bring us here?"
RE: adrift on the ice - Morgan - 05-11-2020
"...She is...She calls herself a Goddess." Morgan put special emphasis on the word calls, making it very clear what her opinion on the matter was. As if to assert her agreement Eunike snorted and shook her head as she trotted along the trail. "She brings people here to help with some misguided crusade she believes is worthwhile. I am trying my best to fight against it...do not worry, though. I am aware the Outlanders are not active participants. You will not face any trouble from me or my guards on that basis."
Mallorie didn't seem to despair at the news that she couldn't go back home, which Morgan was very glad for: she'd never been good at comforting people. "As for the specific details of what The Voice wants...you'd have to ask somebody else. I have only just begun to learn of this matter myself." There was a slight shake of her head, a sigh of disgust, as if having the Voice's name in her mouth was enough to make her ill.
RE: adrift on the ice - Mallorie - 05-12-2020
Mallorie let Morgan speak without interruption. The other woman seemed to have strong feelings on the matter, which was honestly more insightful than anything she might actually say.
A goddess?
Mallorie had seen her fair share of false gods - had come to the conclusion they were the only sort. That a being in this world apparently had the power to back up such a claim was…
She frowned, and couldn’t help herself from asking, “Is this some sort of recruitment drive then? Or more like conscription?”
The idea of being a pawn in some upstart entity’s conflicts wasn’t appealing. On several levels. She held on tighter with one arm as she checked her belt with the other; relief spread from her fingers to her heart as they touched the familiar weight of her sword.
Hopefully she wouldn’t have to use it anytime soon.
That Morgan didn’t seem to know much more about this ‘goddess’ was disappointing, truth be told. Mallorie let the information sink in, and a thought occurred to her. She supposed she should be cautious on this front - maybe the captain was religious, underneath her apparent skepticism.
“Are there other...gods here?”
RE: adrift on the ice - Morgan - 05-14-2020
Mallorie's question made Morgan pause, mostly because as she had said she wasn't entirely sure why the Voice brought the Outlanders to Caido. "..It is not obligatory. You could easily live your life here without once speaking to the Voice, and I would recommend you do so. She takes the life from those who follow her and makes them into machines." Morgan shook her head sadly, thinking of the potential Neron had had to be a good leader before he gave away his lifeforce for some obviously trapping advantages.
"There are other Gods, yes. Those that are called the 'Old Gods'...personally, I do not think they are worth bothering with. Though...I suppose your relationship to them will depend on how you have come here. Do you know if you can shift into an animal form or cast magic?" She was aware that to some Outlanders that would sound like a bizarre question, but it was best to have everything out in the open right away. "If you can cast magic, the Gods will not want to speak with you - I am Abandoned, able to cast, and they have never paid attention to me." Morgan did not say this with any hint of shame, actually raising her chin as if she was proud.
RE: adrift on the ice - Mallorie - 05-15-2020
That it wasn’t obligatory was a relief. Mallorie had no natural inclination to worship, and didn’t feel like starting now. The concept of being made into a machine was...disquieting. Though she wasn’t quite sure whether Morgan was being literal with her description - her comments seemed not to come from a neutral space, but a more visceral distaste for the matter.
Mallorie tucked that information away for now. Possible conflict was something she would likely need to be aware of in this new place.
The next question made her raise her eyebrows.
“Can I what?”
Magic wasn’t unfamiliar, though it wasn’t something Mallorie had been adept at before. She certainly wasn’t aware of any ability to change into an animal either. But Morgan seemed sincere, and given that she’d apparently teleported to an entire other world it wasn’t that bizarre an idea. She thought about it, unable to do much else on the back of the unicorn, and frowned. Eventually decided it was worth a try.
She held her breath for a moment and concentrated. Imagined feeling furry or feathery, and when nothing (predictably) happened, she felt...ridiculous. As for magic?
Aside from a fraint, niggling awareness of her surroundings which, to be honest, was probably just the shock of the change, she wasn’t aware of anything.
“Not that I’m aware of.” She hoped Morgan hadn’t noticed her moment of brief insanity. “How would I know?”