YvtW: story post
Jan. 4th, 2004 08:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tanithryudoArg! And just when I got my next story post figured out. *glares at CBR* Stupid server... and we shelled out money for it too. Hmph. Oh well, I guess I'll just write up a rough draft of my post here, in the grand tradition of journal-using fic writers everywhere.
When last we left off: Our party was gathered at the root of Yggdrasil intersecting Helheim, and was prepared to climb (or fly) our way up aaallll the way to Asgard. (Which actually isn't that far, since the MU Asgard is right above NYC, so we'd only have to reach the Midgard plane, really.)
(Note: stuff in "//" are in whatever language Ratatosk speaks. I guess I should note here that Elladan and Elrohir are speaking English for the most part, thanks to the Noldor gift with languages and the fact that non-YvtW'ers don't have restrictions against info-to-mind downloads. Since technological translators wouldn't work around Amber, I'd've made sure that they'd be able to communicate with the rest of us there, at least. The translators do work elsewhere, though in a limited basis in the afterlife realms, subject to realm/plot-enforced restrictions, which is why it would work with the Greek dead, but not with Ratatosk.)
***
However, actually climbing the great trunk of Yggdrasil was not as easy as it sounded. No matter what the party tried, be it levitation using their native powers, or flight using the FBH clones' transport, or even physically grappling with the wooden breadth, they found their way upwards mysteriously barred. It was as if some barrier stood in their way, corralling them inside the land of the dead.
Unbeknownst to them, there had been one who had tread their path once before. One living and empowered who had used the same path upwards to escape the realm of Hel. (1) Since then, the ruler of that land had ensured that no other would escape her domain by that path.
After an indeterminably long time, the group had resigned itself to periodic half-hearted glares at the World Tree, having given up on their original plan to ascend it. Suddenly, Mattias jerked his head upwards, sensing something beyond the others' ken. Soon, the others noticed something amiss as well, for the thin root-strings that forked out from the main root began to shiver ever the more strongly, as if agitated by some approaching force.
It was the sharp sight of the half-elven that first spotted and gave name to the disturbance.
"'Tis a squirrel!" Elladan exclaimed, his bright eyes piercing throught the gloom. (2)
"Aye. A giant of a squirrel!" exclaimed his twin, "as large as an oliphaunt if I do not misjudge our distance."
They all backed away from Yggdrasil as the large furry form stormed downwards toward them. As the creature came even with the plane of Helheim, however, it suddenly stopped. Two beady eyes stared out at the people gathered nearby, and it shrieked in a high and grating voice.
Mattias raised his energy shield, and the FBH's readied their weapons as they regarded the threatening form before them nervously. But Elrohir raised a hand to stop them.
"Wait!" he cried. "It means us no harm!" At the incredulous looks sent his way, he explained. "It is only curious of our presence."
"You can understand it?" Tanith asked.
"Aye. For our part," replied Elladan. "'Tis not too unlike some of the more obscure Silvan dialects of Elvish," he mused. (3)
"And it's... friendly?" CBY asked dubiously, still staring at the giant squirrel.
"Aye."
"Intelligent?"
"Enough to converse."
Tanith took her eyes off the squirrel and grinned at the two half-elves. "Then you two get to ask it for directions. It seems to be able to go to and from this plane. Maybe it will share its secret."
The twins looked at each other dubiously. But as it was still a better idea than nothing, they turned and approached the giant squirrel cautiously.
//Do you have a name, master squirrel?//
//Ratatosk I am known. I have heard every worthy gossip along the great tree, from the eagle at its height to the dragon at the roots. But the likes of you I have not seen for quite a while. You are neither gods nor dead, yet you walk the lands of Helheim. What, then, are you?//
//We are travellers, searching for one who is lost. We do not know how we came by this land, but we wish to depart it for higher ground. Can you help us?//
//None of human blood may ascend Yggdrasil from Hela's realms. The dread lady has commanded it after the last empowered human escape that way, or so it is whispered by the wind and the roots. But I am not human nor of human blood. Her ban does not stop me as it stops thee.//
//But know you of another way to depart this realm?//
//Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. If upwards is barred from your path, then the only way that remains is down. Down to Niflhiem where reside the dishonored dead, where old Nidhoggr gnaws at Yggdrasil's roots, old Nidhoggr who tells me such secret things and such raging insults for the eagle--//
//--but of what little we know of this realm, Master Ratatosk, Niflheim would be just another layer upon this cage that holds us. Is there no way to leave this realm entire?//
//Well, well, well, well, well. Perhaps I have heard of some thing that might show your way. Perhaps I have heard some secret thing from the old dragon Nidhoggr. But why should Ratatosk tell his secret? Why should I risk Hela's wrath should she ever find out? You are lucky indeed that *she* is not in Helheim for the moment, lucky indeed. Whatever plots that lured her up to Asgard has surely saved your lives.//
//Surely if we do not reveal that you are the one who aided us, she will not learn.//
//Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps I will give you some hints if you give me fair trade.//
//What do you wish of us in return for your aid?//
//Gossip is my trade and my life. Tell me a tale from your land. A good tale. A long tale. Something worthy of being sung in the Halls of Vahalla. And I am hungry and thirsty. I smell some tasty morsels in those packs you carry. Share with me your repast and tell me a grand tale, and I shall help you.//
Noneplussed, but with no other choice, Elladan and Elrohir agreed to Ratatosk's deal. From their packs they withdrew several loafs of lembas, and a flask of miruvor. Elrohir gave a hurried explanation to the others who were waiting upon their conversation, before he and Elladan turned their attention to weaving their story.
Not for nothing were the sons of Elrond the children of one of Middle-earth's greatest loremasters. When at last they were done, Ratatosk was well pleased with their end of the bargain. As well, a full belly of lembas and the flask of spirits also served to loosen its tongue in satisfaction.
//Take the root downwards, my friends, down where no ban is set. Under this root before thee is Hvergelmir, the Great Well, from where all rivers spring. Go through the water, through the well. It will take you as you wish from the lands of the dead to some higher plane upon the World Tree. Perhaps even Asgard proper, if luck and fate be with thee.//
//Many thanks, Master Ratatosk, for your aid.//
//Have care as you go, young storytellers. The Great Well is not unguarded, and yet you need to hasten. It will go ill with all of you should the mistress of these lands return with you in it. It is whispered in the wind and the leaves that you did not come here by chance. Whatever it is you seek, the matter touches on more than you think. With that warning I must depart. Old Nidhoggr still awaits the eagle's latest taunt!//
And with that, Ratatosk disappeared down the root into the gloom of Niflhiem.
***
Footnotes:
1. See Mr. Grimm during in the beginnings of the Asgard/Meddler arc.
2. Presumably, their close encounters with Earendil's Silmaril will have given them slight upgrades in that area.
3. A tribute to the fact that Tolkien based the elvish language partly on Finnish. (I think?)
When last we left off: Our party was gathered at the root of Yggdrasil intersecting Helheim, and was prepared to climb (or fly) our way up aaallll the way to Asgard. (Which actually isn't that far, since the MU Asgard is right above NYC, so we'd only have to reach the Midgard plane, really.)
(Note: stuff in "//" are in whatever language Ratatosk speaks. I guess I should note here that Elladan and Elrohir are speaking English for the most part, thanks to the Noldor gift with languages and the fact that non-YvtW'ers don't have restrictions against info-to-mind downloads. Since technological translators wouldn't work around Amber, I'd've made sure that they'd be able to communicate with the rest of us there, at least. The translators do work elsewhere, though in a limited basis in the afterlife realms, subject to realm/plot-enforced restrictions, which is why it would work with the Greek dead, but not with Ratatosk.)
***
However, actually climbing the great trunk of Yggdrasil was not as easy as it sounded. No matter what the party tried, be it levitation using their native powers, or flight using the FBH clones' transport, or even physically grappling with the wooden breadth, they found their way upwards mysteriously barred. It was as if some barrier stood in their way, corralling them inside the land of the dead.
Unbeknownst to them, there had been one who had tread their path once before. One living and empowered who had used the same path upwards to escape the realm of Hel. (1) Since then, the ruler of that land had ensured that no other would escape her domain by that path.
After an indeterminably long time, the group had resigned itself to periodic half-hearted glares at the World Tree, having given up on their original plan to ascend it. Suddenly, Mattias jerked his head upwards, sensing something beyond the others' ken. Soon, the others noticed something amiss as well, for the thin root-strings that forked out from the main root began to shiver ever the more strongly, as if agitated by some approaching force.
It was the sharp sight of the half-elven that first spotted and gave name to the disturbance.
"'Tis a squirrel!" Elladan exclaimed, his bright eyes piercing throught the gloom. (2)
"Aye. A giant of a squirrel!" exclaimed his twin, "as large as an oliphaunt if I do not misjudge our distance."
They all backed away from Yggdrasil as the large furry form stormed downwards toward them. As the creature came even with the plane of Helheim, however, it suddenly stopped. Two beady eyes stared out at the people gathered nearby, and it shrieked in a high and grating voice.
Mattias raised his energy shield, and the FBH's readied their weapons as they regarded the threatening form before them nervously. But Elrohir raised a hand to stop them.
"Wait!" he cried. "It means us no harm!" At the incredulous looks sent his way, he explained. "It is only curious of our presence."
"You can understand it?" Tanith asked.
"Aye. For our part," replied Elladan. "'Tis not too unlike some of the more obscure Silvan dialects of Elvish," he mused. (3)
"And it's... friendly?" CBY asked dubiously, still staring at the giant squirrel.
"Aye."
"Intelligent?"
"Enough to converse."
Tanith took her eyes off the squirrel and grinned at the two half-elves. "Then you two get to ask it for directions. It seems to be able to go to and from this plane. Maybe it will share its secret."
The twins looked at each other dubiously. But as it was still a better idea than nothing, they turned and approached the giant squirrel cautiously.
//Do you have a name, master squirrel?//
//Ratatosk I am known. I have heard every worthy gossip along the great tree, from the eagle at its height to the dragon at the roots. But the likes of you I have not seen for quite a while. You are neither gods nor dead, yet you walk the lands of Helheim. What, then, are you?//
//We are travellers, searching for one who is lost. We do not know how we came by this land, but we wish to depart it for higher ground. Can you help us?//
//None of human blood may ascend Yggdrasil from Hela's realms. The dread lady has commanded it after the last empowered human escape that way, or so it is whispered by the wind and the roots. But I am not human nor of human blood. Her ban does not stop me as it stops thee.//
//But know you of another way to depart this realm?//
//Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. If upwards is barred from your path, then the only way that remains is down. Down to Niflhiem where reside the dishonored dead, where old Nidhoggr gnaws at Yggdrasil's roots, old Nidhoggr who tells me such secret things and such raging insults for the eagle--//
//--but of what little we know of this realm, Master Ratatosk, Niflheim would be just another layer upon this cage that holds us. Is there no way to leave this realm entire?//
//Well, well, well, well, well. Perhaps I have heard of some thing that might show your way. Perhaps I have heard some secret thing from the old dragon Nidhoggr. But why should Ratatosk tell his secret? Why should I risk Hela's wrath should she ever find out? You are lucky indeed that *she* is not in Helheim for the moment, lucky indeed. Whatever plots that lured her up to Asgard has surely saved your lives.//
//Surely if we do not reveal that you are the one who aided us, she will not learn.//
//Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps I will give you some hints if you give me fair trade.//
//What do you wish of us in return for your aid?//
//Gossip is my trade and my life. Tell me a tale from your land. A good tale. A long tale. Something worthy of being sung in the Halls of Vahalla. And I am hungry and thirsty. I smell some tasty morsels in those packs you carry. Share with me your repast and tell me a grand tale, and I shall help you.//
Noneplussed, but with no other choice, Elladan and Elrohir agreed to Ratatosk's deal. From their packs they withdrew several loafs of lembas, and a flask of miruvor. Elrohir gave a hurried explanation to the others who were waiting upon their conversation, before he and Elladan turned their attention to weaving their story.
Not for nothing were the sons of Elrond the children of one of Middle-earth's greatest loremasters. When at last they were done, Ratatosk was well pleased with their end of the bargain. As well, a full belly of lembas and the flask of spirits also served to loosen its tongue in satisfaction.
//Take the root downwards, my friends, down where no ban is set. Under this root before thee is Hvergelmir, the Great Well, from where all rivers spring. Go through the water, through the well. It will take you as you wish from the lands of the dead to some higher plane upon the World Tree. Perhaps even Asgard proper, if luck and fate be with thee.//
//Many thanks, Master Ratatosk, for your aid.//
//Have care as you go, young storytellers. The Great Well is not unguarded, and yet you need to hasten. It will go ill with all of you should the mistress of these lands return with you in it. It is whispered in the wind and the leaves that you did not come here by chance. Whatever it is you seek, the matter touches on more than you think. With that warning I must depart. Old Nidhoggr still awaits the eagle's latest taunt!//
And with that, Ratatosk disappeared down the root into the gloom of Niflhiem.
***
Footnotes:
1. See Mr. Grimm during in the beginnings of the Asgard/Meddler arc.
2. Presumably, their close encounters with Earendil's Silmaril will have given them slight upgrades in that area.
3. A tribute to the fact that Tolkien based the elvish language partly on Finnish. (I think?)
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Date: 2010-09-12 12:04 pm (UTC)