==+==
The snow kicked up around the feet of the fair-haired Velheimer as she trudged along the path towards her home. Her childhood home, real home unlike the towering estates of Regalia that were decorated in cheaply killed furs rather than those that hunters hid in the shadows of winter to obtain. Small tendrils of smoke curled through the lightly falling snow from the fire pits within the small Drixagh village, Kopvagr. Homely abodes rested here instead of the stone and marble apartments that lined the streets of Regalia, welcoming in the traveling woman, whose face brightened considerably as she crossed into the village.
Her hands rose from her belt, where her gloved palms had been resting atop the handle, ready just in case she encountered someone less than friendly on her travels since the shore. Instead, she lifted the hood from her head, snow cascading lightly down her back from where it had rested on the furred hood, allowing the village newcomer to see better around, pale blue eyes looking someone or something evidently- that was until she was suddenly stopped by a man stepping in front of her with folded arms.
"Who are you," the man asked, in Als-Tunge, examining the unfamiliar younger woman. She paused to do the same to him, glancing over the Northerne man in both an action to see if he were familiar from her last return home or if he was close to attacking her, for if he thought she was just some invader… who knows, he could take her as a threat since she bore her own Skagger axes.
"Siselle Ireneardóttir Haagenvig, I'm Valbrand Haagenvig's daughter," the woman stated, gesturing out past the strange man, as if to motion for her father, whom was absent from the scene. He gave a bit of a hum of thought, blonde brow lifting as she looked over her face again before turning slightly and gesturing her onwards.
"Siselle Ireneardóttir, where do you live then?" The Skagger woman offered a smile towards the village man and continued on her way, knowing she was being followed by him- knowing he wanted to see if she truly had family here or was simply rounding a lie. Of course, her story was proven true as she arrived for the ever familiar home of her family, step quickening ever so slightly.
"Pappa! Bestemor!" The woman called out as she swept open the door of her childhood home, pausing in the doorway as she nearly rammed over the older woman that was moving to exit. It took only a moment before the elder Velheimer swept her granddaughter into her arms, resting a hand on her hair as she held her close with a sigh.
"Oh, my dear granddaughter, your father has been telling me about all your issues in Regalia- why are you home? Did something else happen?" Worry creased lines into the face of the graying woman as she pulled back slightly, hands resting firmly on her kin's shoulders, examining her as if to make sure she wasn't injured.
"I… well, there were the issues with the Synod, but there's also been many issues in Regalia outside of my own private ones- a plague sent by the Kathar struck and… I simply wanted to get away from it for a while." The woman, who was more so a girl in the presence of her family, being one of the youngest of those present besides her absent younger cousin. "Where is papa, bestemor?" Siselle lifted a brow as she asked, lifting her palms to pat her grandmother's face affectionately a moment with a smile.
"He'll be back soon, don't worry, my dear. Your brother is away, though; will you be here long?" The question stumped the young woman, who fell silent, cocking her head to the right in thought. She stayed in such thought a moment before clearing her throat and giving a small shrug against her grandmother's hands.
"I want to find Synnøve and ask her… some advice, I suppose." She nodded her head as she replied, sighing.
"Synnøve? Your mentor from the lodge? - Why not just ask your pappa, he knows good advice, you know." Though she wished to interrupt, Siselle held her tongue until her grandmother completed her statement, biting her lower lip in thought before shaking her head.
"No, I want to ask her instead. Pappa might just try and tell me to not return to Regalia, he doesn't much like Regalia from what I remember, even when he visited."
"Are you sure?"
"Completely sure, bestemor."
And so with that, the topic was settled and Siselle didn't appear much like she'd change her mind on it. Her grandmother lifted her hands as if to show surrender on the topic rather than argue with her son's daughter. Turning about, she strode back to her spot that she'd filled before the calls of Siselle outside, continue her cooking and allowing more puffs of smoke to escape into the lightly snowing sky outside through the chimney.
When her father returned, a similar reunion followed, Valbrand embracing his daughter against him and asking the same questions as his mother had- why was she in Kopvagr? So a similar answer was granted and the family sat down to eat, Siselle digging in with a similar gusto as she had as a child, trusting nothing that her grandmother cooked would make her sick like the many milk and cheese filled treats of Regalia.
When it finally came to the topic of Synnøve, again, Siselle paused before asking her father of it.
"Papa, do you happen to know if Synnøve is still at the lodge?" She lifted her head from her meal to look towards Valbrand as she asked, lowering her hands from her face to pay attention to his answer rather than risk missing something by multitasking.
"Synnøve, your mentor. Mm, still there, fairly certain. Why?" He narrowed his eyes questioningly towards his daughter, rubbing his knuckles against his mouth a moment as he awaited an answer.
"I wanted to ask her something, I wanted her opinion is all- not that you-" She was interrupted, and swiftly fell silent when such happened. While she wouldn't dare interrupt her grandmother, she didn't have much say when her father did such towards her- she was a child towards both of them, of course.
"I understand. She's still there, don't worry. Heading out soon?"
"I planned to go the day after tomorrow, if I could stay tomorrow and rest from the journey from Regalia?" A snort escaped her grandmother and Valbrand waved his hand, offering a smile towards his only daughter.
"Are you asking if you can be home? Why would we send you away, Ellie?" Siselle paused at her father's answer before giving a small chuckle at her own thoughts, nodding. Of course, her own family would never send her away unless she did something truly disgraceful.
Following their dinner discussion, the family continued about their business and soon all was quiet as they curled for rest among the cots and beds of the village home, fireplace crackling still with dim embers to keep warmth flowing, battling back the ice outside. While it wasn't truly winter yet, snow always falls sooner in Drixagh than it would ever do in Regalia, yet it still flicked a bit of excited for the Velheimer, Regalian winters always being her favorite time of the year.
==+==
The days that Siselle was staying passed too quickly along and before she knew it, it was the day after tomorrow and she was expected to be off to find Synnøve. While, of course, she was excited as ever to go back and find her childhood mentor during her years of living in the Skagger lodge as a student, she couldn't help but fear leaving her family again. What if this time she didn't come back? The Synod or the State could always get rid of her because of her mistakes… though, she was convinced to continue her travels not soon after her worries invaded, and soon enough she was sent back off into the Autumn snow to find her way, now at least having a meal for her travels.
As she marched through the snow, retracing her now vanished snowy steps back out of the village, she turned herself about and lifted her arms, waving towards her father and calling, "Farvel, pappa!" He waved his hand towards her, though if he shouted any similar farewell, it was lost on her as she turned back about and continued her way. She, out of benefit of keeping herself happy, liked to believe that her father had shouted back to her, 'Stay safe, Ellie!', but who could know.
She took her time making her way through the snow, following the far and few signs written in her comfortable mother tongue of Als-Tunge. She knew, even as a child she'd known, that the lodge wasn't too terribly far from her home village. This had been a benefit not many others had, allowing for her to leave often as long as she came back soon after, keeping her in touch with her kin in Kopvagr. The Velheimer woman pulled on her fur-lined hood, covering her blonde hair and protecting her face more from the cool breeze that blew with the snow drift.
Soon enough, after a few hours of marching her way through the familiar snow in her high Regalian made boots- rather than the usual ones of a village Velheimer- she could see the top of the Skagger lodge through the snow, welcoming for her even though the majority of its occupants were war-trained Skaggers- if not trainees to be such. The graduated Berhednar called a greeting as she approached the lodge, being treated with the original suspension as she had in her own village by the stranger before she explained whom she was looking for.
Another moment paused occurred between Siselle and the lodge occupant before they sighed and waved her in, stating with a matter-of-fact tone that she should wait there, just inside the building, while they went to fetch the Skagger mentor. Several more minutes of silence passed, Siselle leaning back against the wall with her palms resting on her decorated axe handles, humming a soft tune as she waited ever patiently.
Finally, after what seemed nearly a quarter hour, a woman dressed in traditionally fine furs crossed the corner and paused in place, folding her arms as she examined Siselle without word before a soft smile appeared on her usually stern face.
"Ah, so it is not-so-little Siselle Haagenvig, it's been so long since I've seen you," her rough voice was welcoming towards the younger woman, who opened her arms towards her childhood mentor and was soon given a brief, but firm, embrace from Synnøve. Once the embrace ended, Synnøve patted her student's hair before withdrawing her hands and lifting her right slightly, gesturing as she questioned, "Why are you here, Siselle?"
"I wanted advice from you, if I could ask for it? I traveled from Regalia to Kopvagr and then walked from Kopvagr to here through the snow, if that shows you how urgently I need advice." The Haagenvig nodded her head as she spoke as if that confirmed her words, folding her arms as she looked down just slightly at her mentor- having grown quite a bit since they'd last seen one another.
"Advice- from me? It's been a while since I've needed to give you advice, of course, I'll take up the offer. Come sit this way, we'll talk." The woman waved her hand for Siselle to follow, turning to pace down the hall and into a room with another lively fire, reminding Siselle again of her grandmother and father in Kopvagr, who she still slightly wished that she could stay with instead of ever returning to Regalia again. Though, the whole purpose of this questioning was for otherwise.
"Should I start now?" Siselle asked as the two finally settled down, the younger woman resting her hands on her knees as she'd always done when ready for a long conversation- a habit she still had despite it being more common, apparently, for women in Regalia to cross their ankles and fold their hands. Not something she was interested in, no matter how Regalia might change her.
"Please do," Synnøve stated, raising her hand again as if to beckon her pupil to speak more. So Siselle began, starting from her marriage to the Viduggla to the issues with the Synod, not forgoing to add the interrogation she'd received from the Inquisition- which had brought shudders along with bad memories of her bruised face.
Synnøve listened intently, not even turning her attention away to stoke at the embers as if to sent the fireplace back into the roar that it had long finished. Though Siselle had half expected it, her mentor didn't even bother to interrupt her and it struck her a bit on perhaps where she'd learned to wait to speak. Though, she didn't seem to have mastered yet the ability to hold her tongue and avoid being walked over yet by others, unlike her elder before her.
When her story had finally concluded, retelling of the plague in Regalia being half the reason she'd decided to finally chance the journey home and then the march through the Drixagh snow to get to her lodge, Synnøve still sat in silent a moment, considering all that had been laid before her with a hum.
"So, you're basically afraid of what's to happen to you in Regalia if you stay or return, little Siselle?" The woman finally asked, clasping her hands together as she questioned. The Haagenvig paused before more or less nodding her head, a hesitant nod as if she was almost certain that's what she meant, but even she wasn't entirely sure of herself.
"I believe so, Synnøve."
"What are you afraid of? That you will die unfairly and miss life- that you will miss something important or disappoint someone?" Put like that, Siselle nearly agreed in a second- though she remembered to consider the words said to her rather than diving too quickly into an agreement. After a second of thought, sure that's what she meant, the woman nodded again.
"I think so. I don't… I don't want to die like a coward, without any sort of fight. And I don't want to abandon my friends and family, I don't want to disappoint my papa, or even Frejnir, who I was suppose to be a wife to already if I hadn't been such a fool, I suppose." She grumbled a moment, rubbing her hands against her knees in an anxious manner until Synnøve leaned forward and patted her hands against the tops of Siselle's.
"You should never be afraid of death, Siselle. Never. You would not die without fight either if the Synod killed you, look how fair you've come to try and survive? You did not run away, or you will not be running away as long as you return. You're here to seek advice on how to survive this fight against the immoral laws of the Unionist men. If you die, you are a victim to their cruelty, you're not a coward."
Put like that, the Haagenvig couldn't help but blink in silence, considering this option as she glanced upwards at her mentor's face, listening in that same intent manner as she had. Her head cocked in thought as it had the day before, before she sighed as if in relief.
"I think," Synnøve continued after a moment of allowing her words to soak in, "that you should pray more to the Gods. Have you been shying away from them? There is never any good of turning your cheek thinking that you can move without them there to guide you, you were created to follow their word, were you not?" Siselle pressed her lips together, swallowing hard at that consideration. She had been forgoing her prayer, it seemed, too busy fretting over herself and not considering if the Gods themselves could help her along a better path.
"But who do I pray to in this circumstance, Synnøve? Not all of them would help me much, I think…" A small sigh escaped Siselle as she spoke, lifting her left hand to rub to scratch at her own cheek, lightly, in almost an embarrassed manner, as if she was ashamed to not be a master yet at who did what in her religion, though she was just older than a child and had been thrusted into a life of those against her worship for the past two years.
"I believe you'd best find comfort in the guidance of Haella and Valfal at this time; pray for patience in life from Haella, that you'll have the ability to wait for safety even if it takes a bit to earn again from the Regalians. Pray to Valfal for fortune in this battle you have against them, though it's not physical for the most part, it still is wearing against you, isn't it?" The mentor's hand rose to press to her student's cheek, sighing finally before she shook her head. "Did I help? There's not much I can offer besides words, Siselle."
The young Berhednar inhaled deeply again, keeping her worry at bay- breathing in the familiar smell of walled away winter storms and gentle smoke billowing from the embers. Her head tilted downwards finally, nodding as she released the breath, "Yes, Synnøve, it helps. What do I do about the Synod, though?" At these words, the older woman raised her hands to press them firmly to Siselle's shoulders, much like her grandmother had done two days before when she appeared in Kopvagr, though now the motion was filled with a commanding energy- commanding that Siselle pay attention to the words that would come- rather than the worried emotion for her granddaughter that had spilled from Valbrand's mother.
"Do you believe in your Gods- with all your heart, Siselle, do you believe in them?" Synnøve's gaze held Siselle's, waiting expectantly for an answer and, despite the fact that the Haagenvig was near three inches taller than her teacher now, she felt again like a child who had come for a lecture.
"Of course I do, why would I not?"
"Then you know that no matter what words you say, that your faith in heart matters more, don't you know that, girl? A heart and mind is stronger than any tongue, isn't it? Find peace through lie, if you must, the Gods will find you protected so long as you keep to your heart." With her words finished, Synnøve abruptly released the shoulders of her student and rose from her spoke back to her feet, nodding in a manner that one would when no arguing could change their mind.
Synnøve lowered her hand for Siselle's, helping the younger woman off the floor and smoothing her sleeves once they were both to their feet again. "Do you promise I can do well if I keep to your advice?" Siselle asked as her coat was straightened. The mentor snorted and shook her head, stepping backwards from Siselle and folding her arms.
"I don't promise things, ever, Siselle, you know this well. What happens to you is between you, your wrongdoers, and the Gods. I can simply give you words I hope help and pray for your protection." That same gentle smile reappeared on the woman's face before she turned away and began back out of the room without word, Siselle following instinctively after. "That's all I can offer at this time though, I think you have somewhere to be getting back to now, anyways, isn't there, Siselle?" The woman nodded her head, still trying to fully note her conversation with Synnøve as she was lead back to the door of the lodge.
"You believe in me, don't you?" Siselle finally asked as the door was opened for her, snow dusting across the floor of the lodge. Synnøve waited a moment to answer, gesturing Siselle out the door and then lifting her hands to pull her pupil's hood over her head once more, protecting her again from the biting cold.
"Of course I believe in you, I always believe in you, as long as you don't give up on yourself." The door was beginning to close by then, a goodbye still not given as her final words finished for Siselle, the conversation drawing with a close along with the door. With the final inch of the door crack remaining, the graduate managed out her final words, exclaiming them.
"Farvel, Synnøve! May the Gods protect you!" Yet no answer came to her as the door thudded close in her face, conversation now cut off and over, words left rattling in the Haagenvig's head, as if she had said everything she needed, but still felt as if she forgot something. As nothing but silence answered her farewell, Siselle gave a low sigh that was lost in the wind and turned to begin her travels away, back the way she'd come- past Kopvagr and to the coast for a ship to sail her away.
From a crack in the wall where the logs didn't meet, Synnøve leaned and watched her bright student go and a small sigh escaped her once the woman had vanished far into the white. "Gods, please, watch over you, Siselle Haagenvig. You've got a bit to go before you're safe again, I fear."
==+==
OOC
I mostly wrote this story to introduce where and what Siselle's been up to since I shelved her, mostly because I plan to start playing her a bit more again. I also thought it would be nice to introduce a bit more of the people that affected her as a child: her mentor, Synnøve and her grandmother, mostly.
@OliverTheQu33n @BeashSlap @Jouster
OOC
I mostly wrote this story to introduce where and what Siselle's been up to since I shelved her, mostly because I plan to start playing her a bit more again. I also thought it would be nice to introduce a bit more of the people that affected her as a child: her mentor, Synnøve and her grandmother, mostly.
@OliverTheQu33n @BeashSlap @Jouster
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