(no subject)

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Time: July 5 2000
Place: The Manor Gardens
Status: Public (Complete)
Summary: How’d that jet get here?



The plane startled the horses.

Loki had been just about to try whether he could pull himself onto the big white gelding’s back unaided so he took it rather badly. The damn thing was flying much too low and it didn’t look like a normal plane either.

The noise grew painful as it came closer and headed straight for the manor! Loki did his best to calm the horses and cover their ears while he watched in horror. If that thing crashed into the manor ...

It didn’t. It stopped on the lawn.

Loki and the horses stared some more, but nothing else happened, so Loki decided to investigate more closely.

Up close the plane turned out to be an army jet. Apparently undamaged except for some smashed glass in the cockpit which explained the lack of a pilot. A second look revealed the smashed basement window said pilot must have ended up in.

Loki stuck his head through the window, but the room below was empty.

“Well,” Loki told the jet. “Any landing you can walk away from ...”

The lawn didn’t look like it had been all that lucky, though and just what was a jet doing in peaceful Lower Tadfield in the first place?

Comments

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War strode out of the front doors of the Manor and round to the side, where she'd crashed the jet. She walked around it, looking at the bodywork and peering underneath to check the undercarriage. None of it seemed to be damaged, except the broken cockpit window, and nothing was leaking anywhere, just as she'd thought.

When she'd completed a full circuit of the jet, she straightened and grinned. If she could find a way to fix the broken glass - and find fuel, she reminded herself - and find a better place to land the thing, maybe she could have her very own fighter jet.

Her orange eyes were focused on middle distance, seeing herself in the jet, looping and diving through the sky, when she heard a noise nearby. Very nearby: in fact, it sounded like it came from inside the cockpit. She hadn't seen anyone in there when she'd glanced in as she surveyed the plane, but... Turning sharply, one of her throwing daggers appeared in her left hand.

She stepped quickly and silently from the wingtip over to the side window of the cockpit. Standing just beside it, her back flat against the side of the jet, she pulled a pistol from her belt with her right hand, and reached up, pointing it through the broken window and down into the cockpit.

"Who's there?" she shouted.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Whoa! Calm down! I was only looking at it."

In fact Loki had found the cockpit quite comfortable and been considering taking a nap in it, but she didn't have to know that.

"Is this yours?"

At least the woman was familiar, even though Loki didn't know her name. He'd often seen her around when he'd gone on business trips with Odin in the old days and he thought they'd even spoken once or twice on tedious trips on Viking ships. She'd always preferred Odin, though.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War looked up at the man who had just uncoiled himself from a cockpit floor. Not a man, she dedided, but another immortal. A god. But who? There was a sense of familiarity about him, as though she'd seen him - or worked with him - before. But on the other hand, she didn't particularly remember any dealings with bald deities.

Dropping her weapons down level with her waist, but still holding them ready, she stepped away from the jet.

"That's as may be. But for your information, yes, it is mine" - well, it was now, as far as she was concerned - "and I'd appreciate it if you didn't mess around it there." she said, with a hint of steel in her voice.

She racked her mind again for who this stranger-god was. She knew she'd seen him around... A seagull cried out overhead, and suddenly she remembered. The Viking longboats - the pillaging... she grinned, suddenly.

Though she couldn't remember his name at that exact moment - she knew he wasn't Odin, she would have recognised him - she said, "Long time no see. It's, what - several centuries now?" She paused, then added, "I'm War. We spoke a few times on the longboats, if you remember?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Ah, you're no fun." But he did swing his legs out of the cockpit and jump down. He had to lean against the jet for a moment afterwards until the world stopped spinning. Not good.

"Yes, I remember." Only vaguely, but enough to pretend. "You never could sit still for the trip. We had the fastest ships of that age, but it was never enough for you. I can see why you'd replace them with a jet."

War, yes another personification. She reminded him of Polly, even though they looked nothing alike. And thinking of Polly reminded him of the question he'd been meaning to ask his new friend whenever he saw him again. He wondered whether War might answer him as well.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"On the contrary - I find I manage to keep myself perfectly enterained, most of the time."

She laughed at his next words. "You know, you're right. I'd forgotten that myself. I remember watching birds of prey circling, with their hooked beaks and sharp claws, just waiting to attack, and wondering how long it would be until humans managed to copy them. And now they have." She stroked the side of the plane, then said, "Your boats might have been the fastest at the time, but they weren't nearly as swift - or as agile - as this beauty."

Deciding he wasn't much of a threat, at least not at the moment, she tucked the weapons away again. She looked at him, and said, "You know, you're a bit tall for a fighter jet. A big guy" - though on the skinny side, she added silently - "like you ought to be looking at flying a bomber, where you can stretch your legs out, not a fighter jet".

She turned her orange eyes on him, and noted that there was a certain air of weariness about his face. It couldn't hide his eyes though.. his eyes! There was no mistaking the mischievous glint, even if it did seem a little dull just then. He was the trickster god - just what was his name?

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki considered that. "Nah, big, heavy and slow ain't my style. I like the jet. It's agile as you said. I like agile. Beats strength every time." He patted the jet lightly. "You could cause a lot of chaos with this baby."

"Then again, big guns aren't my style either. You should discuss weapons with Odin. Or Uriel for that matter. I'm more into words and tricks."

He paused. "Say, there are a lot of personifications around here, aren't there? I met a guy called Pollution not so long ago and heard a few others mentioned. Didn't see any of them, though."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War looked him over. He certainly didn't look very strong at the moment, so it was probably best words and tricks were his game - after all, the sneaking was just as much a part of warfare as the violent combat.

"I'm more into words and tricks" - as she'd guessed, he was the trickster god... Loki! That was his name.

Cursing herself for not remembering sooner, she said, "It'd be good to see Odin again." She decided to ignore the question of Uriel, for now. The last conversation she'd had about the archangel (http://community.livejournal.com/outside_omens/4992.html#cutid1) hadn't exactly disposed her feelings about him in his favour.

She answered his next question without too much deliberation - after all, he already seemed pretty well informed. "Yeah, there are a few of us around. Me, Pollution, Pestilence, Famine - oh, and Death too, though I don't think he's always here much - he doesn't really have the option of scheduling his work to fit his plans. Bit odd that you haven't met the others yet, though - especially Pestilence, now he's stepped off the pace a bit - officially, anyway."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Death! Loki quickly forced himself to relax hoping War hadn't seen him flinch. That was one personification he rather wished would stay far away for now.

Then again, if what he'd been reading lately was anything to go by he'd be wishing for Death to come and get him soon enough. Loki was scared. He didn't want to think about this.

"Pestilence?" he asked trying only to concentrate on the name he'd originally been aiming for. "Never heard of him. Maybe I've seen him around, though. I wouldn't recognise him. Can you describe him?"

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War saw Loki twitch, briefly, when she mentioned Death. She also noticed him controlling himself swiftly. After centuries of watching captured soldiers under interrogation, she was too good at picking up involuntary reactions to miss it.

Now why would a god be scared of Death, she wondered. Maybe it was because of the memory of Balder's death - or then again, maybe it was something to do with how weary and thin he looked. On reflection, she dismissed this last thought. He was a God, after all, and Gods weren't supposed to get sick.

Pestilence would be the one to know, though, she supposed. As she mused, she heard Loki mention him.

"Pestilence? He's got fluffy white hair, fairly short. He's fairly short too - only about 5'5". Thin, with pale grey eyes. Tends to dress in white. He's pretty distinctive, if you do see him."

"Why do you want to know?" she asked, curious.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like he could be Polly's father." Loki joked. Anything so he wouldn't have to think of Death anymore. "But then, do your kind have parents?"

"Oh, just asking because you mentioned that he's likely to be around. Thought maybe I'd seen him. You know him well?"

He had to keep her on topic. If she drifted off the only way to get back to Pestilence without seeming suspicious would be to ask after all her colleagues and that would mean talking about Death.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"As well as I know any of the Horsepeople, myself excepted. We tend to drift in and out of contact, but we're always around. Although, Pestilence has been retired for a good few years now. Pollution took over from him - stepped up into his place, as it were, so I guess they do have a few things in common."

She frowned. "Actually, I don't feel I know the others all that well, a lot of the time - or at least, I'm not in tune with them. Their work is a bit different in nature to mine - more insiduous and sneaky somehow, a bit more underhand. Now I don't mind spies being used in warfare, and a bit of sneaking, but the end result is never really subtle. People always know where I've been pretty much straight away - you can't really say the same for, say, Pollution. He sets things in motion and the real effects only come out a few years down the line."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"I like Polly." Loki offered. "We had a bit of fun together."

"I know what you mean about ... not fitting in." he added after a moment. "I ... I've never quite belonged anywhere either. I mean, the Norse pantheon is where I belong. They've adopted me and they stand by that decision, but if O ... one of them ... lets say Odin ... If Odin had to choose between me and one of his own blood. I suppose the choice would be easy. I'm not quite the same as a real brother."

He'd said too much he realised. In avoiding mentioning Death or seeming too eager to hear about Pestilence he'd revealed too much about himself.

"But then," He smiled at War. "People like you and I, we don't really need others. It's nice to have someone to talk to, have fun with, but at the end of the day we take care of ourselves. As it should be."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"A bit of fun"...? War mentally raised her eyebrows, then chastised herself silently for having been in too many cheap bars in the past few years. Pollution was with Famine, and that was that.

She thought about what he'd said. Reflectively, she mused, "You're right, you know. But you have got family of some kind, even if it's only blood kinship. Us horsepeople - well, we just are. And my work is lonely, too. The others seem to work with people a bit more. Pestilence certainly did, of course. But there are wars all over the place, and I'm never on any side - I'm just above it all. At least the soldiers have their comrades."

Realising she'd spoken aloud, she turned her orange eyes on Loki, hoping to distract him a little, and said "Like you said, though, it's not like I need it. It's just nice sometimes to have someone along for the ride. When it comes down to it, it's every man - or being - for himself."

Though not if you can help it, she thought to herself. Despite everything, she couldn't help feeling that no one deserved to be alone, even if they could and did take care of themselves.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"The humans have forgotten that," Loki commented. "The importance of being strong and self reliant, I mean. They cling to each other now. Pathetic really."

How he wished to be human sometimes. What? No scratch that. He did not want to be human. He just didn't want to have to deal with crazy gods like Czernobog cursing him while too drunk to know what they were doing. And he'd like to have his family around. Yes that was it. He wanted to be able to tell Odin about his problem and Odin to hug him and say that it was okay and to make it all better.

Of course Odin couldn't make it better anyway. Odin might have some healing powers, but if even Czernobog couldn't take his curse back it was way beyond Odin.

"Odin's here by the way. Playing at honest human in the manor."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

A part of War wanted to say that the humans clung together because it was the best way they had of fighting - fighting to survive. But instead, she said, "Well, we don't have to worry about that - cling together and fighting to survive, I mean. We just exist. We don't need anyone else."

Maybe we do sometimes, though, she thought. The humans caught up in the wars - it hurts them, but they've got each other. Her mouth twisted a little. That was the reason she wasn't exactly given a warm welcome when she came to town. Still, it was lonely, sometimes, not having anyone to talk to about the constant warring and fighting. But then, she wasn't meant to need that - she was a Horseperson, and existed solely to do her job. She was good at it, she knew that - no, not good - brilliant. But she doubted that her nature would have let her be anything else.

On the other hand, her nature shouldn't have let her be thinking like this. The first rule of war was "Attack!" Or was it "Know thyself"?

She jerked her thoughts back to the current time and place when she heard Loki mention Odin.

"Odin's here - and playing human? Are you serious? You can't be telling me no one's noticed - or that he's left off writing runes all over the place?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Yes, and it just hurts too much when they die or disappear or betray you ..." Probably not the best thing to say either.

"Well, he seems to have some of the staff fooled." Loki shrugged. "The angels and demons probably have it figured out, though and of course he hasn't abandoned his runes. Guess with the clientele here it doesn't even stand out."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Betrayal"... War's mouth twisted. She wondered if he had really meant to say that out loud. There had been a few times when she'd become too involved with one side of the war, because she'd been interested in their plans. Some of those times, that side had been betrayed with those plans. And though the bloodshed was still there, just as much as it would have been, it had still struck her somewhere inside. She'd always ignored it, because she wasn't supposed to mind: and on one level, she hadn't, because it had only made the battles go on longer.

"..but it was still there, that feeling..." she said, then winced imperceptibly, not having meant to say anything aloud at all.

She tossed her hair back over her shoulders, trying to clear her mind. "I suppose it wouldn't. I'm not sure how many people know exactly who I am, but I've got a feeling it's a fair few. Odin will recognise me, of course - or he had better, at any rate. Did the two of you turn up at the same time, then?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Were you ... lovers ... then?" It didn't seem to be quite the right word. Lovers were women you felt something for and Loki doubted Odin felt anything for most of the women he bedded.

"Nah, he just walked out on me one day and decided he needed to see England." Loki grinned at her. "When he didn't comeback after a few months I figured I'd better check upon him. It's not like him to stay in one place this long."

He wouldn't mention Adam's manipulations to her. Much as he liked to warn people about the creature, telling War that Odin had been manipulated was just wrong.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War laughed out loud. "Lovers?!" She smirked. "I think lovers would be stretching the point rather. If, however, you are asking if we ever slept together, then yes. His taste may have run more to blue eyed blondes, but when he and I were working together, as it were, what reason was there not to?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Surprised?"

"I don't normally stay in one place this long myself. Not that I've been here much recently, but still, it's been my base. Are you staying on just because he's here, or are you planning to move on anytime soon?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Surprised?" Loki laughed. "Not in the slightest." He'd expected it really.

"I'm staying. Not so much because of him," he stretched the truth* a little. "I've got ... business in the area and ... Well, having him around's always nice."


*It couldn't qualify as a lie by Loki's standards.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

She grinned. She hadn't expected him to be surprised - in some ways, she missed the old days, when she hadn't been expected to be quite so much of a lady all the time. Not that she acted particularly lady-like ever nowadays.

"I always enjoyed spending time with him. So, business going well, then?" she asked, in a tone that had less of an edge than usual. Loki seemed a bit fragile, and not just physically. And didn't she remember something about his children and Odin?

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Oh, pretty much as usual," Loki lied fluently. "Sometimes great, sometimes a little harder, but all in all I'm doing fine. Your business is thriving from what I hear, though it has changed much from the good old days of swords and spears."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

He didn't look like he was doing fine, thought War, but she wasn't about to mention it given he was clearly steering away from the subject.

"It's always thriving somewhere. Though you're right - things have changed a lot. The way they think about it, the way they fight, the things they use to fight. Half the time, they think they aren't actually at war, because there aren't any weapons and battles o their doorstep. Occasionally, though, you get a bright one who asks someone if they think they're at peace. Half the time they'll answer no, and then realise that they must be at war. Makes it more interesting, but I do miss the intense fighting, and the anticipation in the build-up to battles." She smiled at the god. "Remember how it used to feel on the long boats on the way to a big raid?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, boring." Loki laughed. "Except when we stirred things up a bit of course. But I also remember the landing, the rush of battle, the screaming and shouting and then the confusion in the aftermath. Yes, battles should be fought up close and personal. These modern missiles that are launched at the touch of a button are just boring."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Boring is maybe not the right word. They're shiny, and beautiful, and sleekly destructive, and intriguing... but you're right. They don't have the same thrill as hand to hand combat weapons, or even the catapults and mangonels."

War looked at him speculatively. "Mind you, I'd have thought the modern fad for fighting wars through words and statements and declarations and nedia releases would be your sort of thing - making the enemy look at one thing while the real actions happening somewhere else?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Oh, there sure is some fun to be had with it, but it just isn't the same sort of chaos you got back when messages traveled slowly by word of mouth or not at all. The media might be good to spread lies, but you get a totally different brand of enjoyment from twenty different rumours spreading and contradicting each other."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War laughed. "I think they call it the internet nowdays! But your right, it's not the same as sending messengers chasing across continents, riding their horses to death, just so they can contradict each other and send armies into battle who should never have got within 20 leagues of each other."

She paused, thoughtfully. "Bit like this place, really."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Oh, the internet can be quite fun, but never it's just not the same sort of chaos."

It wasn't that Loki didn't like the internet, but he just couldn't share it with Odin the way they had those old wars. Battles, deaths and chaos had been the perfect mix for them. Today's wars still had their chaotic battle zones, but the high command was usually far removed from the chaos and surprisingly often on top of events despite it.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"This is very true, old friend."

War thought back over the past few months, travelling round the world from one conflict to another, and stretched wearily. "To be honest, I think this place has more good-old-fashioned-chaos in it than any of the modern battle zones. I'll be glad to stick around here for a while again."

She flexed her fingers absently. "Might as well start as I mean to carry on - or carry on as I've already started, after the whiskey just now. Fancy joining me to see if I can find any food?"

You look like you could do with a decent meal, she thought to herself.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

He wasn't really hungry, but he knew he should eat and he certainly enjoyed her company.

"Sure, let's see what the kitchen has to offer." War certainly was as good a protector as Freki and Geri.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War grinned. "Let's go, then," she said. She gave the jet an affectionate pat on the wingtip, then headed off towards the Manor, with a glance over her shoulder to check Loki was following.