Fable - Ask Lunacy and Heretics

[Ivar]

Braum was not the sort to deny a woman her demand, so when Sif asked to be put back onto the ground he complied.

The way he moved her was like a gentle giant placing down a flower, ensuring that she was not harmed as he put her onto the ground. Ivar meanwhile peered into the cavern, his lips thinning for a brief moment as he crouched down and ran his hand over one of the tread.

"Brakil." He told Braum in their Native Kjos. The Brakil was a bear, or sorts. Though far larger and more ornery with six legs instead of the usual four. "We should be fine as long as we're out by noontime."

He shifted, taking a breath and stepping a bit deeper before finding them a small nook that the three of them could comfortably settle in.

"No wood for fire, but we've had worse nights." Ivar said as he looked at Sif with a smile, Braum offering the same reassuring expression.

 

[Sif]

All things considered, Sif had endured far worse nights than this during her travels. The two nords that she'd found seemed decent men, which was more than she could say for half the individuals she encountered on the road -- especially given her current state of dress. Her clothes were in tatters and barely clung to her form. She was grateful for Braum's cloak.

Still, she knew the man was likely cold without it.

Her eyes swept over Ivar and Braum, taking note of how intertwined their strands were. The two of them were as tightly woven as if they were brothers, but it seemed they were not related by blood -- not that such things mattered as far as Sif was concerned.

A family that choses you was far more precious than those who just happened to be of your flesh and blood.

She glanced between the two travelers, a smirk on her lips. They were far more fortunate than they realized. Such bonds were rare in this world.

"Worse nights, hm? Glad to know that I managed to avoid that list." She teased, settling onto the stone floor between the two of them.

 

[Ivar]

Ivar was the first one to sit down, though he kept himself a few inches apart from where Sif was. Braum on the other hand remained standing, glancing wearily further down into the cavern.

It was already warmer inside of the alcove than it was elsewhere. Some of the cold kept at bay simply because the wind could not reach. The larger of the two Nord's still seemed weary however, and he glanced down to Ivar with a frown.

"Sure it won't come out?"​

Ivar nodded. "It's already hunted."

For a few seconds Braum lingered, and then he too sat himself down, looking over to Sif with a slight smile at her comment.

"No, definitely not the worst."​

The Nord said as his eyes flickered.

"There was a night where we walked into a Frosty Wyrm nest." Ivar brought up with a chuckle. "The damned thing just about ate me whole."

 

[Sif]

She glanced between the two of them during their discussion about the creature whose cave they were borrowing. Ivar didn't seem particularly concerned and she sensed no danger herself.

Once Braum settled onto the ground near her, she held out the large cloak with a slight smile. "Would you like to share? It'll be warmer."

Her mismatched gaze turned to Ivar at the mention of a Frost Wyrm and she arched a brow. "I am impressed that it didn't do just that. How did the two of you escape?"

 

[Ivar]

"Aye."​

Braum said, showing no hint of shyness as he tucked himself beneath his own massive cloak. The Fur must have come from a creature twice his size, and the warmth of that making it evident. Ivar himself only smiled, thinking back on the story.

"They're not that smart." The Barbarian said with a shrug, grinning from ear to ear as he recalled the moment.

"Braum here lead it through it's own nest." He motioned with his hand, swirling it in circles. "I caught it's attention at the last second, and as it looked at me it missed the fact that there was a wall in front of it."

A shrug rolled his shoulders.

"Damn thing tried to get two meals and failed in getting even one."​

The titan of a man let out a laugh at the same time as Ivar. "Braum's always been good bait."

Ivar said with a smirk.

 

[Sif]

The boisterous laughter from the men brought a smile to Sif's features. It was a rare thing for her to see such jovial people in her travels. Normally, when she came into someone's life, things were not going well for them or they were on the cusp of massive life change. Listening to Ivar and Braum tell stories of their past escapades felt almost... normal in a way.

Braum's form was close to her own beneath the heavy cloak. They weren't quite touching, but she could feel his warmth radiating off his skin.

"Sounds like fortune smiles on the two of you quite often." She mused with a smirk, running her fingers through a few loose strands of her hair.

 

[Ivar]

"Fortune?" He mused. "Maybe so."

Though he would hardly consider himself lucky.

Ivar had spent his entire life apart from his own people, exiled by the actions of his father and those who had cast judgement upon him. Braum knew this, but neither of the men thought Sif should partake in such a drastic turn of her phrase.

"We're alive yet, and that at least is a sign of something I suppose."​

The Barbarian smiled. "The White Wolf's blessing perhaps."

Ivar said the words with a smile as he leaned back and set himself against the icy wall behind him so he was half laying down. His own furs kept him more than warm enough.

"Who can really know after all." He mused as Braum looked to Sif, not wanting to drag her back against the wall if she did not wish it.

 

[Sif]

She glanced between the two of them for a moment and then she decided to lean back into the wall between the two of them. With just the cloak between her bare back and the ice wall, it was considerably cooler for herself, but she didn't offer a complaint.

There was an amused glint in Sif's eyes as she met Braum's gaze. It was clear to her now that these two men were not of her own kind. Perhaps that was why they even spoke to her at all. Most Nordwiir could spot an Unworthy a mile away, but this pair of Nords didn't seem to care. Or perhaps they didn't know the custom.

She paused for a few moments before she decided to introduce herself at last. "I'm called Sif, by the way... what about the two of you?"

 

[Ivar]

Braum leaned himself back, just a barely shy of Sif, the padded shirt likely doing wonders for his own warmth.

"I am Braum, He is Ivar."​

The Barbarian looked over towards Sif and smiled, laying just inches from her himself. The cold had never bothered him as much as it had others, a gift from the White Wolf his father had said. He was never really too sure about that, though sitting in the cave he was grateful for it.

"We are from Kjos." Ivar offered freely.

The free-city was known throughout most of the Tundra, and even to Sif's ears it would ring a bell. It was one of the few Settlements in the Tundra where the Nordwiir were not utterly disdained, though neither men knew she was one of them of course.

 

[Sif]

"A pleasure to meet you both... bit of a shame that it was not under better circumstances." She mused with a quiet chuckle, folding her arms over her chest. "Though... I suppose if there were better circumstances, I never would have crossed your path."

"Fate weaves such a strange web, after all." She chuckled, tilting her head just enough so that she could look down at Ivar as he sprawled out at her side.

With a quiet sigh, she leaned ever so slightly into Braum's side. He didn't seem to mind her closeness and she was grateful for the shared warmth.

"How is your hand, Ivar?" She asked him softly, reaching over to take one of his bloodied hands in hers to inspect the bruising.

 

[Ivar]

Braum did not seem to mind, as she laid on him he shifted slightly to move a bit closer, offering some of his heat beneath the cloak. The large Nord had no second thought in the matter, simply doing shifting with Sif's own motions.

A grimace pulled across Ivar's face as Sif took his hand. Not because of her touch, but because of the slight hitch of pain. She would see some of the skin had broken, and blood still caked his skin. "It will heal."

The Barbarian said, biting down the discomfort.

"Ivar has a tendency to...get carried away."​

That was one way of describing it. Both of them knew of his rages, how he slipped into them and could not stop until something snapped him out. It was like a trance, a frenzy that fell over him and made him lose all control.

In a fight it was fierce, on a battlefield it made him a god. At least that was what Braum had always said.

"Heals quick though. For a little guy."​

Ivar let out a scoff at his friend.

 

[Sif]

Before Sif could stop herself, she'd dipped her head down and placed a delicate kiss to the back of Ivar's bruised and battered hand. She was no stranger to violence, and she got the sense that Ivar wouldn't turn his blinding rage on her -- not unless she'd given him a reason to.

Of the many gifts Fritjof had given her, the power to heal was not one of them. That didn't stop her from learning herbology and medicine. She was a quick learner, after all.

Remembering herself, she gave a shy smile and pulled her face away from Ivar's hand.

She settled back against Braum, jumping slightly when she realized that he'd positioned himself in such a way so that her back didn't have to press against the cold wall. His broad chest was far more comfortable to lean against and his warmth chased away the chill that hung in the air. "Mmm..."

 

[Ivar]

A small amount of shock crossed Ivar's face, his brows furrowing for a brief moment but no question touching his lips as she drew away from the back of his knuckles. The Barbarian took a breath, glancing through the dark of the cavern at the woman.

Braum already seemed to have settled, and Sif had no qualms about placing herself against him.

For a few moments there was silence in the air, only the sound of their breathing echoing out. Ivar still felt Sif's hand clutching his own, and he made no move to pull away. Instead he closed his eyes, nestling against the wall.

The night air felt colder than it usually did, even in the cavern.

Yet comfort and sleep could still be found.

 

[Sif]

Sif was the first to stir awake the next morning. When she slowly opened her eyes, she realized that she was nestled against Braum's broad chest and Ivar was snuggled up behind her. The three of them were entangled and pressed together, chasing off any chill that might have thought to seize hold of them in the night. Her body ached, as it always did after she shapeshifted but also in far more pleasant manner as well.

As she took in the resting faces of Braum and Ivar, it occurred to her that she'd enjoy waking up with them like this again. It was the first time she'd felt like that about anyone she'd crossed paths with.

Lifting her head, she peered over Braum's shoulder towards the mouth of the cave. She sighed softly, a bit reluctant to wake the men. It was so warm tucked between them, comfortable even; so much so that she was tempted to lay back down and pretend for to sleep for a little while longer. Was it so wrong of her to enjoy a man's caress?

So many who touched her did so out of malice or with the intent of taking whatever they wanted from her. Braum and Ivar had proven to be something entirely unexpected -- different. Was this a glimpse at what life could be like away from the Nordwiir?

She shook her head to clear the thoughts, reaching instead for the small leather pouch that was tucked away in her tattered clothing. Every effort was made not to wake her companions as she opened the pouch and tapped out two dark blue berries into her palm: Moonlocke berries, to be precise, a potent toxin when taken in high doses. But that was not their intended purpose this morning.

Sif popped the little berries into her mouth and quietly chewed them, leaning back against the wall with Braum's heavy cloak partially wrapped over her shoulders. The taste was sweeter than one might expect. A dangerous snack to keep the hands of fate at bay.

Her mismatched gaze lingered on Braum for a moment. The glowing strands of potential futures drifted around the trio, but she could see that hers and Braum's were far more entangled. Her brow furrowed slightly, reaching out to gently grasp one of the linked threads.

Warm. A golden sun shining, blinding. There was no snow where she stood.
Glints of light dazzle across the muddied landscape.
The stench of blood heavy in the air.
Crows cawing, circling overhead.

Panting. She's running from something; A wolf of fire and shadow., snapping at her heels.
A trial of wild lilies, pure white but splattered with red.
Water rushing, a river.

Braum turns to her and smiles.
Sif smiles in return.
​

Her hand is suddenly, forcibly, snatched back from the thread and the glowing strands dissipate into a mist of pale blue light. An angry growl snarled in her ear, dragging her out of the vision. She couldn't see him... but she sensed Fritjof. There was an ominous glower in the air, he was angry with her.

That is enough of that.

Sif felt an instinctual defiance grip her heart. Fritjof was hiding something from her, and there was no denying the jealousy she felt clinging to his presence, though it took her a moment to recognize the emotion. She'd never seen him like this before. Who was he to judge her? How many times had she been brutalized and beaten all for the sake of him? For "fate"? The moment she found an ounce of enjoyment he wanted to intervene?

Her wrist burned, drawing her attention. She grit her teeth when she saw the clear mark of a hand wrapped around her wrist, bright red against her pale flesh. Fritjof had burned her?

She gasped in pain and tensed up, pawing at the force that was holding her with her other hand.

Come to your senses, idiot girl. Time to come home. The Dark God hissed in her ear, barely restrained fury in his voice. His invisible grasp vanished as quickly as he'd appeared. She was left trembling and with an overbearing sense of foreboding.

A quiet whimper formed in her throat as she held the burned arm to her chest, bowing her head.

​

 

[Braum]

Braum and Ivar woke up at almost the exact same time.

The two Nords seemed almost to be in sync with one another, their eyes folding open and glancing around the cave with no small amount of weariness. Both of them looked over to Sif, then to the tatters of her clothes and beyond into the darker parts of the cavern.

They looked at one another, and wordlessly shared a thought that only they could. A smile touched Braum's face as he looked down at Sif. "No time to linger, I'm afraid."

He told the Priestess, entirely ignorant of the ordeal that she had gone through. His touch was tender on her form, pulling the cloak that he had given her a bit tighter around her form as he gently lifted her up from the ground and dragged himself to his feet.

"The Brakil will wake soon."​

Ivar explained as he gathered himself up as well, The Barbarians shoulders stiffening slightly as he looked down into the darkness of the cave.

"I'm big." Braum joked to Sif, looking her over for a moment. "But those things are bigger."

Though neither men had intention of letting Sif ever see it.

 

[Sif]

She kept her arm hidden beneath the cloak that was draped over her shoulders. A faint smile touched her lips as she dipped her head in agreement. She couldn't quite bring herself to laugh at the Giant's joke, still rattled from the encounter with Fritjof.

The Dark God was a fickle being, she'd always known that much; but he'd never treated her like that before.

Sif took a breath to collect her thoughts. "If that's the case, then we should get a move on."

 

[Braum]

Braum did not let Sif walk, mostly because she had no clothes and even in the wee hours of the morning the Tundra was not something one wanted to experience in the nude.

Ivar was of the same mind, though he allowed his brother to do the carrying of course. Of the two of them he was more suited, with Sif weighing less than a Doll for the Giant. Outside the cavern the sun was already beginning to rise, cresting the horizon.

As they moved onto the fields Ivar turned for a brief moment.

"There is a fishing outpost west of here." Of the two of them Ivar had always been better at knowing the land. He had spent most of his youth outside Kjos with his father, traveling the Tundra. "It will be abandoned, but we'll find some supplies there."

It had not been where he and Braum intended to go, but it was only a short detour. "There you can decide where you want to go."

The Giant told her with a smile.

 

[Sif]

When Braum so easily gathered her in his arms without so much as a second thought, Sif inhaled a quick breath in surprise. She gripped the cloak tightly around her form with her burned hand, keeping it hidden beneath the fur while the other arm reached around behind the giant's neck for support.

While she was embarrassed at having to be carried in such a way, she no less appreciated the gesture. It seemed the brothers were concerned more for her comfort than the inconvenience.

Nordwiir men would have either left her in the cave or forced her to walk for their own amusement. In their eyes, she was weak, inconsequential, and didn't deserve their help.

Fritjof had always made it seem that was the way of the world, that only he and his followers would accept her. Braum and Ivar were challenging that entire belief by their actions alone. She wasn't sure what to make of it.

The burn on her wrist still stung -- a warning of what could happen if she continued along that line of thought.

"I'm sure I'll figure something out. What about the two of you? Where are you heading?"

 

[Braum]

"The Southlands." Ivar answered as they walked, the crunch of their boots echoing out in the cold.

The two men seemed stalwart, strong. They knew what path they walked and changing it was not something that they would be doing any time soon. An oath had been sworn, and for the two Nords that was a pact which they could not break.

"To the port of Vek first." Braum explained. "From there to the continents"

Vek was the southern most city in all of the Tundra, a place so far from Kjos that it might have been a whole journey in it of itself. Reaching the city would likely take months, and it would make one wonder why they did not leave from somewhere else.

Though of course Sif was no stranger to travel, her home of the Lost Isles was a journey by sea away.

Ivar chuckled. "A very long walk."

The two men laughed as though it were a joke.

 

[Sif]

The images from her vision briefly came to mind when Braum told her of their intended destination. Had it been in the Southlands? Her brow furrowed somewhat and her grasp tightened a little around Braum's neck, hugging herself closer without realizing it.

"That's the understatement of the century." She quipped, shaking her head a little as she smiled.

"You'll make it though." She said confidently, nodding her head.

Sif paused for a moment as she considered whether or not to say more, but she decided it was worth the risk. Fritjof could be as mad as he wanted to be.

"But it'll be dangerous. If you ever find a trail of white lilies near a river... Yoh should follow it." She said quietly, fiddling with the fur of the cloak as she glanced down.

 

[Braum]

Braum gave her an odd look, raising a single eyebrow but only shrugging his shoulders in response. Ivar half turned towards her, a suspicious look falling over his features as he studied the Priestess for a moment and then nodded his head.

"I've always preferred the red ones." He told her with a smile.

There was a way about him, a freedom that even Braum didn't seem to have. It was like he was unshackled, unchained by anything at all around him. As though life were something that he was simply walking through. "But White is a close second I suppose."

The giant chuckled.

"Ah yes, I forgot your love of flowers." Braum teased, a smile wearing on his face as they continued their trek. "Such womanly pursuits were always in your nature."

 

[Sif]

Sif actually laughed at their banter, a quiet sound that purred in the back of her throat. She dropped her head down onto Braum's shoulder, letting herself relax as he carried her across the snow covered terrain. For some time, she was content to listen to the brother's talk amongst themselves. Their conversation was charming, heartwarming.

Without lifting her head, she asked the next logical question.

"Oh? And what would your womanly pursuits be then, Braum?" She quipped with a slight smirk.

 

[Braum]

"The women themselves." Braum shot back in an instant, earning a bark of a laugh from Ivar in front of them.

The Barbarian didn't say anything at all, but simply shook his head at his friend. Not even looking back as he waited to hear the sound of Sif's hand slap across the Giant's face.

Around them the Tundra seemed to extend into a vast nothingness for miles upon miles. Snow covered hills and rolling fields stretched into an emptiness that would have been difficult to put into words, the view amounting to little to nothing.

That would be their sights for most of the day, until the eventually the scent of the sea would enter their nostrils.

 

[Sif]

Sif didn't slap the Giant's face, but she did smack the back of her hand against his chest, narrowing her eyes up at him as she laughed. "You're horrible."

The small fishing post that Ivar spoke of still stood, but was in considerable disrepair. Buildings were partially crumbled and covered with snow. It was eerily quiet as the trio made their way through the unattended walkways.

"That hut looks to be mostly intact, put me down over there. I can go look for some clothes." Sif said, gesturing over to a small building off to the side of the main square.

Once Braum had set her down, she wrapped the cloak more firmly around herself and hurried out of the snow to find something to wear.

 

[Braum]

Braum looked over towards Ivar for a moment, his shoulders stopping ever so slightly as he watched the Barbarian.

"Ill check the rest of the village." Ivar told his friend.

There was something off about the emptiness of the outpost, though he very much doubted that something sinister lurked within the abandoned village. Sights like this were common around the Tundra. All it really took was one bad storm, one raid by Nordwiir, one ship lost.

Ivar had seen it countless times before.

People simply picked up and moved to the next place. Most within the Tundra did not feel tied to the land, but instead lived as Nomads would. It was a way of life that Ivar could well understand the call of.

Braum nodded as his friend set off to explore the village, calling out after him. "I'll start a fire and see if we can't find some food."

The Giant said as he followed after Sif, ducking his so he did not bump into the doorway.