✼ Heeded Highbound: Reboot ✼ {RP}

[Kitty]

“Of course. Do you...want to come sit down or something? I’m sorry. I don’t know what good manners are for inviting someone into your haven. I don’t even know if you want to be here. Sorry.” She frowned slightly at the mossy ground, as if it were somehow responsible for the necessity of navigating social interaction—albeit social interaction with a person she actually did want to get to know better—even in her sleep.

"I do not mind being here" he said. The small bird on his shoulder nodded, chirping. "However, I would still like to see if there are any local mages nearby. It would be polite to meet them if there are. And I would like to see if there are any dangers nearby. The villagers did mention something of the sort." He paused. "Would you like to come along?"

[Ragnarok]

Axel woke up, and slithered out of his extremely safe crate.
Time to see what was going on.

":sweden: I do speak Icelandic actually!" Elin said lightheartedly, "My dad was from Iceland, he moved to Sweden because that's where my mom was and she had an important job doing some sort of important thing. My mom wasn't around as much as my dad so me and my brothers all learned and spoke Icelandic from him."

":iceland: See, I'm speaking Icelandic right now!" Elin teased, "You have no clue what I'm saying!"

Elin didn't have to think long to come up with a response, ":sweden: I'm not sure I could go back to school, I don't do well in still and quiet places, I get... jittery. Maybe I could just work in a candle shop until I learn how candle making works," Elin's eyes lit up, "Or maybe I could be one of those people who tosses flaming torches and catches them again and stuff!"

She sighed, ":sweden: Probably not, but still, I could probably work something out that's not military. This trip is kinda like, me seeing if I really could go back or not in a way. This isn't a normal life but it's definitely not what I was doing before either. I dunno, I just kinda needed a change and quick,"

Elin took a deep breath, she didn't feel like she was going to tear up when she spoke about... needing change... anymore, at least not right now. She looked to Anne, ":sweden: If you get a normal job when we go back, what do you think you'd be doing?"

Axel listened quietly, not wanting to intrude.

[Nellie McEnt]

"I do not mind being here" he said. The small bird on his shoulder nodded, chirping. "However, I would still like to see if there are any local mages nearby. It would be polite to meet them if there are. And I would like to see if there are any dangers nearby. The villagers did mention something of the sort." He paused. "Would you like to come along?"

Sanni hesitated. "Can I?" she asked. "I can't leave the boundaries of my haven. At least, not that I know of. Not without permission from other mages to enter their havens."

[Kitty]

Sanni hesitated. "Can I?" she asked. "I can't leave the boundaries of my haven. At least, not that I know of. Not without permission from other mages to enter their havens."

"From my understanding, you are free to leave your haven. However, I believe you are unable to walk on water, and to enter other mages' havens without them letting you inside" he said. "I can walk on water, however. You should be able to follow if you walk on my footsteps."

[Nellie McEnt]

"From my understanding, you are free to leave your haven. However, I believe you are unable to walk on water, and to enter other mages' havens without them letting you inside" he said. "I can walk on water, however. You should be able to follow if you walk on my footsteps."

"Yes. Alright. But how will I get into the havens of any local mages?" She tried to cover up her bewilderment about the phrase *walk on water,* hoping to appear at least somewhat knowlegeable.

[Kitty]

"Yes. Alright. But how will I get into the havens of any local mages?" She tried to cover up her bewilderment about the phrase *walk on water,* hoping to appear at least somewhat knowlegeable.

"We politely wait until they allow us inside. If they don't, we turn back" he said.

[Nellie McEnt]

"We politely wait until they allow us inside. If they don't, we turn back" he said.

She shrugged. Nodded. "That works. Lead the way?"

[Kitty]

She shrugged. Nodded. "That works. Lead the way?"

"I will" he said. He exited her haven, completely unaffected by her barrier, and stepped on water. He made a few steps, and waited for her.

[Nellie McEnt]

"I will" he said. He exited her haven, completely unaffected by her barrier, and stepped on water. He made a few steps, and waited for her.

Eyes wide, but with an eager smile spreading across her face, Sanni set off after him. "I wonder why Icelandic mages can pass haven barriers, but we can't," she mused, only half-expecting an answer.

[Solokov]

It seemed jack had fiiiiiiinally finished up the one song about an airship that crashed somewhere back in time in france and picked to follow up with something much more upbeat than before.... well the tempo certainly is anyway

[Kitty]

Eyes wide, but with an eager smile spreading across her face, Sanni set off after him. "I wonder why Icelandic mages can pass haven barriers, but we can't," she mused, only half-expecting an answer.

"I do have a theory" he said, walking ahead. "From my understanding, what Finnish people worship are the spirits... Not gods per se, but forces of nature. Personified somewhat, but not too much, because looking at them like people would distance them from what they are supposed to be - nature. Meanwhile, our gods are flawed, have more character and live in a divine place, separate from mortals. They still represent some concepts, or occurrences found in nature... But they are far more human." He paused. "So if we say dreams are halfway between life and death, that means all mages are drawn towards death, while normal people stay safe beneath the waters. I believe this is the Finnish Bird's Path...?" He waved in the direction of the shiny stars in the sky. "And if we are drawn to death, we should be drawn to it in a manner that would represent our patrons. Your gods reside in nature. They live in the same world as you do. That is why you sink into the water. They are calling for you to return to the land of the living. My gods are, meanwhile, in Valhalla. Their call keeps me afloat. Your gods want you to return to them, so they give you means to protect yourself - your barrier. You also draw a lot of magic from yourself, unlike me. I have nothing without them. My gods offer me powerful magic, but in this state, I am quite defenseless. My haven has no protections, and if attacked, I can only pray to gods to give me magic again. As I am also able to walk through all protections as if they are not here, it means that gods offer me refuge with people like you - or that I am nothing more than a spirit fated to die and join the others."

[Nellie McEnt]

"I do have a theory" he said, walking ahead. "From my understanding, what Finnish people worship are the spirits... Not gods per se, but forces of nature. Personified somewhat, but not too much, because looking at them like people would distance them from what they are supposed to be - nature. Meanwhile, our gods are flawed, have more character and live in a divine place, separate from mortals. They still represent some concepts, or occurrences found in nature... But they are far more human." He paused. "So if we say dreams are halfway between life and death, that means all mages are drawn towards death, while normal people stay safe beneath the waters. I believe this is the Finnish Bird's Path...?" He waved in the direction of the shiny stars in the sky. "And if we are drawn to death, we should be drawn to it in a manner that would represent our patrons. Your gods reside in nature. They live in the same world as you do. That is why you sink into the water. They are calling for you to return to the land of the living. My gods are, meanwhile, in Valhalla. Their call keeps me afloat. Your gods want you to return to them, so they give you means to protect yourself - your barrier. You also draw a lot of magic from yourself, unlike me. I have nothing without them. My gods offer me powerful magic, but in this state, I am quite defenseless. My haven has no protections, and if attacked, I can only pray to gods to give me magic again. As I am also able to walk through all protections as if they are not here, it means that gods offer me refuge with people like you - or that I am nothing more than a spirit fated to die and join the others."

Sanni nodded. "That...makes sense," she said quietly. "I hadn't thought about it much before. Well, I hardly know anything about Icelandic mages. I thought I learned a lot about you in school, but...seems not." She turned her attention back to the ripples in the water left by Rúnar's feet, making sure she didn't fall through. She was worried--worried that she knew too little--not just about Icelandic magery, but about everything. It was frightening to realize that their might be more gaps in her knowledge. She had much to do and she needed to be as prepared as she could.

The water streched out on all sides, glittering with the light of the stars that formed Bird's Path, and fell away into fog and darkness. It was very quiet.

"Rúnar," she said after a moment. "Did you go to school?"

[Kitty]

Sanni nodded. "That...makes sense," she said quietly. "I hadn't thought about it much before. Well, I hardly know anything about Icelandic mages. I thought I learned a lot about you in school, but...seems not." She turned her attention back to the ripples in the water left by Rúnar's feet, making sure she didn't fall through. She was worried--worried that she knew too little--not just about Icelandic magery, but about everything. It was frightening to realize that their might be more gaps in her knowledge. She had much to do and she needed to be as prepared as she could.

The water streched out on all sides, glittering with the light of the stars that formed Bird's Path, and fell away into fog and darkness. It was very quiet.

"Rúnar," she said after a moment. "Did you go to school?"

"Yes. To several" he said. "If you need help with anything, you can simply ask. I will answer every question I can."

[Nellie McEnt]

"Yes. To several" he said. "If you need help with anything, you can simply ask. I will answer every question I can."

Sanni smiled widely at that. "Thank you. Not yet, but I might. Will. Probably." She trailed off, letting her gaze fix itself back on the dark water.

[Kitty]

Sanni smiled widely at that. "Thank you. Not yet, but I might. Will. Probably." She trailed off, letting her gaze fix itself back on the dark water.

He nodded.

"By the way, the music comes from our new friend, Jack. It appears he is a very skilled violinist."