Post by valkryie on Aug 10, 2009 19:43:54 GMT -5
The gates of Valhalla were closed, the guards set above them keeping a watchful eye to the lands beyond the great feast hall. The evil forces of Asgard usually kept their distance, but all had to be ever vigilant.
Hjordis appeared silently and suddenly just outside the gates and as she looked up to them, longing racing through her for an instant before she tamped it down. She had made her mistakes. There was no point in wishing for things to be different.
Not two seconds after her arrival did the cry go out from the guards, the two closest to her readying spear and crossbow, both aimed at her heart. An instant later one of them blinked in surprise and slightly lowered the crossbow in his hands.
“Hjordis?” The second guard made a surprised sound and took a closer look before he too lowered his spear.
“It is I,” she replied in a loud, clear voice that carried up to the gates. Voices hushed in rapid murmurs rose like the muffled sound of insect wings behind the barrier and seconds later the gates opened. Two lines of guards came out, swords and spears at the ready as they surrounded her. Hjordis made not one single move against them.
“I wish to speak with Lord Thor,” she said, her eyes kept straight and steady toward the gates. The guards looked to one another for a moment but did not move to allow her forward. “It is a matter of utmost importance.”
“Thou art exiled, Hjordis. Doest thou not know the full meaning of the word?” Hjordis looked toward the one speaking. He was of rank among the guards and she knew him well enough to know he was an honorable but stoic man.
“I know full well the gravity of mine punishment. Think thou I would come here on a whim? I wish to speak with Lord Thor,” she repeated before slowly raising her arm to show the scroll in her hand. “If he refuses to grant an audience, tell him it is not I who asks. It is Captain America of Midgard.”
There was more murmuring from those hidden by the walls surrounded Valhalla and the guards all exchanged looks again. The officer did not look pleased.
“I will convey thine wishes to my Lord, but thou will wait outside the gates,” he ordered.
“Give him this should he refuse a second time,” Hjordis said, holding out the scroll to the officer. He glared at her and strode forward, indignation clear on his face.
“Explain why I should take orders from an exile,” he spat out, saying the last word as if the very sound of it dirtied his tongue. She did not retreat from his anger nor did she seem affected at all.
“Forgive me. It is not mine intent to give orders. I humbly ask that thee take this scroll with thee when requesting an audience. The reason for mine presence is explained,” she said though her tone of voice did not change overly much. The officer stood silent for a moment, staring her down. Or trying to anyway.
She met his eyes calmly, unblinking, and with a quick swipe of his hand, he took the scroll from her and turned without a word to disappear through the gates.
For the next twenty minutes she stood mute, surrounded by the same guards like a statue. She did not move, nor did she look at any of them. The sight of Valhalla through the gates was enough to carve a hole in her chest large enough to leave her feeling empty. Alone. Unwanted.
But she refused to give in to self-pity and she stood there, straight and tall and bordering on defiant until the lieutenant returned. By the unhappy look on his face, she knew she had won this small victory.
“Lord Thor will see thee, but thou art to be escorted to the hall,” he said. Hjordis nodded once and waited for two of the guards to flank her before they each took hold of one of her arms and moved her forward.
The walk through Valhalla was one of the longest she’d ever taken, rivaling even her farewell march through the only place she’d ever called home. People watched, some silent, some talking to their companions as she was escorted to the throne room and she could imagine how the gossip would flare like the sun at the news of her return. Hjordis kept her eyes forward the entire time and denied herself even glimpses of them.
Only when she stood in the throne room and the two guards stepped aside did she dare let her eyes wander. They settled upon the Asgardian King just before she dropped to one knee, a fist over her heart and her head bowed in respect.
Thor sat in his throne, Mjolnir in one hand looking regal and untouchable. The look he leveled Hjordis was not pleasant.
“Speak not, exile,” Thor ordered, his voice booming out and filling the cavernous room. Hjordis nodded once, quickly, keeping it bowed and her eyes averted. Heavy silence filled the room and no one moved.
“Rise.” The one word order was barely off his lips before she obeyed, standing to attention in one smooth, razor sharp motion. “Thou comes unarmed,” Thor noted. Hjordis nodded again. “One does not often see a sister Valkyrior in such a state.” Her chin dipped barely an inch in response, her eyes settled on Thor’s feet in a wash of shame.
“Explain thine presence.” The order was given in a rock hard tone and Hjordis kept her eyes averted as she spoke.
“I have come at the request of Captain America. He bade me petition for assistance from thee, my Lord Thor, to rid Midgard of The Hood and his evil plans. Already he has—”
“Enough,” Thor interrupted and she stopped mid sentence, shutting her mouth with an audible click of teeth. With one hand, he rubbed at his temple and sighed impatiently while she stood silent and waiting. “Thou will not have mine assistance.”
“My Lord—”
“I said NAY! This,” he began, holding up the missive she’d written, “is a mortal dilemma. Asgard need not concern herself with the trials of Midgard. Not in this,” he said with a finality that rang like a hammer strike through the room.
“Thou would abandon thine allies?” Hjordis asked quietly, knowing that to speak would only raise the lightning god’s ire. The guards beside her tensed as she looked up, her eyes narrowed and a flash of her own anger and frustration bleeding through as she looked upon her ruler. Thor stood suddenly, Mjolnir in hand, and he marched down the dais steps until he stood less than an arm’s length from her. Energy crackled around the great hammer and for an instant Hjordis thought he would use it on her for her insolence.
“Know this, exile. I do not abandon mine allies when there is need. Here and now, there is not such need as I see it. This is a mortal matter and I have already given Midgard more than I should.” He paused here, his eyes narrowing further on her in meaningful silence to let the barb sink in. “I will not explain mineself further.” Though his voice was set low in volume, the intensity of his words and the blatant warning in them had a sparking chill racing over Hjordis’ skin as surely as if he’d set his lightning upon her.
A long moment passed as they glared at each other until finally she looked down and away. It had been a slim chance at best that Thor would lend his aid and she tried not to let herself feel wronged. Disappointed surely, but it felt much like the sentence of exile had felt.
Only once she gave a jerky nod did he turn on his heel and move back to his throne, sitting down heavily.
“Thou will leave Valhalla now and should thee return for any reason beyond mine direct order, thou will surely not enjoy the consequences.” One last time she nodded and, without looking at anyone, grabbed desperate hold of that invisible power with the image of her room at the Avenger’s mansion in her mind’s eye and yanked. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
[[Exit Thread - Continued here]]
Hjordis appeared silently and suddenly just outside the gates and as she looked up to them, longing racing through her for an instant before she tamped it down. She had made her mistakes. There was no point in wishing for things to be different.
Not two seconds after her arrival did the cry go out from the guards, the two closest to her readying spear and crossbow, both aimed at her heart. An instant later one of them blinked in surprise and slightly lowered the crossbow in his hands.
“Hjordis?” The second guard made a surprised sound and took a closer look before he too lowered his spear.
“It is I,” she replied in a loud, clear voice that carried up to the gates. Voices hushed in rapid murmurs rose like the muffled sound of insect wings behind the barrier and seconds later the gates opened. Two lines of guards came out, swords and spears at the ready as they surrounded her. Hjordis made not one single move against them.
“I wish to speak with Lord Thor,” she said, her eyes kept straight and steady toward the gates. The guards looked to one another for a moment but did not move to allow her forward. “It is a matter of utmost importance.”
“Thou art exiled, Hjordis. Doest thou not know the full meaning of the word?” Hjordis looked toward the one speaking. He was of rank among the guards and she knew him well enough to know he was an honorable but stoic man.
“I know full well the gravity of mine punishment. Think thou I would come here on a whim? I wish to speak with Lord Thor,” she repeated before slowly raising her arm to show the scroll in her hand. “If he refuses to grant an audience, tell him it is not I who asks. It is Captain America of Midgard.”
There was more murmuring from those hidden by the walls surrounded Valhalla and the guards all exchanged looks again. The officer did not look pleased.
“I will convey thine wishes to my Lord, but thou will wait outside the gates,” he ordered.
“Give him this should he refuse a second time,” Hjordis said, holding out the scroll to the officer. He glared at her and strode forward, indignation clear on his face.
“Explain why I should take orders from an exile,” he spat out, saying the last word as if the very sound of it dirtied his tongue. She did not retreat from his anger nor did she seem affected at all.
“Forgive me. It is not mine intent to give orders. I humbly ask that thee take this scroll with thee when requesting an audience. The reason for mine presence is explained,” she said though her tone of voice did not change overly much. The officer stood silent for a moment, staring her down. Or trying to anyway.
She met his eyes calmly, unblinking, and with a quick swipe of his hand, he took the scroll from her and turned without a word to disappear through the gates.
For the next twenty minutes she stood mute, surrounded by the same guards like a statue. She did not move, nor did she look at any of them. The sight of Valhalla through the gates was enough to carve a hole in her chest large enough to leave her feeling empty. Alone. Unwanted.
But she refused to give in to self-pity and she stood there, straight and tall and bordering on defiant until the lieutenant returned. By the unhappy look on his face, she knew she had won this small victory.
“Lord Thor will see thee, but thou art to be escorted to the hall,” he said. Hjordis nodded once and waited for two of the guards to flank her before they each took hold of one of her arms and moved her forward.
The walk through Valhalla was one of the longest she’d ever taken, rivaling even her farewell march through the only place she’d ever called home. People watched, some silent, some talking to their companions as she was escorted to the throne room and she could imagine how the gossip would flare like the sun at the news of her return. Hjordis kept her eyes forward the entire time and denied herself even glimpses of them.
Only when she stood in the throne room and the two guards stepped aside did she dare let her eyes wander. They settled upon the Asgardian King just before she dropped to one knee, a fist over her heart and her head bowed in respect.
Thor sat in his throne, Mjolnir in one hand looking regal and untouchable. The look he leveled Hjordis was not pleasant.
“Speak not, exile,” Thor ordered, his voice booming out and filling the cavernous room. Hjordis nodded once, quickly, keeping it bowed and her eyes averted. Heavy silence filled the room and no one moved.
“Rise.” The one word order was barely off his lips before she obeyed, standing to attention in one smooth, razor sharp motion. “Thou comes unarmed,” Thor noted. Hjordis nodded again. “One does not often see a sister Valkyrior in such a state.” Her chin dipped barely an inch in response, her eyes settled on Thor’s feet in a wash of shame.
“Explain thine presence.” The order was given in a rock hard tone and Hjordis kept her eyes averted as she spoke.
“I have come at the request of Captain America. He bade me petition for assistance from thee, my Lord Thor, to rid Midgard of The Hood and his evil plans. Already he has—”
“Enough,” Thor interrupted and she stopped mid sentence, shutting her mouth with an audible click of teeth. With one hand, he rubbed at his temple and sighed impatiently while she stood silent and waiting. “Thou will not have mine assistance.”
“My Lord—”
“I said NAY! This,” he began, holding up the missive she’d written, “is a mortal dilemma. Asgard need not concern herself with the trials of Midgard. Not in this,” he said with a finality that rang like a hammer strike through the room.
“Thou would abandon thine allies?” Hjordis asked quietly, knowing that to speak would only raise the lightning god’s ire. The guards beside her tensed as she looked up, her eyes narrowed and a flash of her own anger and frustration bleeding through as she looked upon her ruler. Thor stood suddenly, Mjolnir in hand, and he marched down the dais steps until he stood less than an arm’s length from her. Energy crackled around the great hammer and for an instant Hjordis thought he would use it on her for her insolence.
“Know this, exile. I do not abandon mine allies when there is need. Here and now, there is not such need as I see it. This is a mortal matter and I have already given Midgard more than I should.” He paused here, his eyes narrowing further on her in meaningful silence to let the barb sink in. “I will not explain mineself further.” Though his voice was set low in volume, the intensity of his words and the blatant warning in them had a sparking chill racing over Hjordis’ skin as surely as if he’d set his lightning upon her.
A long moment passed as they glared at each other until finally she looked down and away. It had been a slim chance at best that Thor would lend his aid and she tried not to let herself feel wronged. Disappointed surely, but it felt much like the sentence of exile had felt.
Only once she gave a jerky nod did he turn on his heel and move back to his throne, sitting down heavily.
“Thou will leave Valhalla now and should thee return for any reason beyond mine direct order, thou will surely not enjoy the consequences.” One last time she nodded and, without looking at anyone, grabbed desperate hold of that invisible power with the image of her room at the Avenger’s mansion in her mind’s eye and yanked. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
[[Exit Thread - Continued here]]