BiFrosts | Birds of a Feather

[Morrigan]

It was easy for a kitten as small as Morrigan to get lost within the great halls of the palace, exploring every nook and cranny she could possibly stick her nose into. Her curiosity came inherent, just like any kitten, but Morrigan wanted to believe it burned deeper than just that. She was like her father, she figured, always craving more knowledge. More experiences. The world now still managed to be big, even just restrained to tall palace walls. But it was growing smaller each day that Morrigan grew a little bigger, bit by bit.

She had just finished another expedition around the palace, this time managing to stick her nose into the armory with a bit of a mischievous glint. It wasn't long before she was ushered back out, and reprimanded briefly for trying to get her paws on sharp objects. Morrigan still felt a little indignant as she was wordlessly led back to her family's shared bed chambers, whiskers twitching with agitation. It wasn't like she was going to poke herself with anything deadly. She wasn't stupid.

Once she was dropped back off in the room, she sat, a firm furrow in her brow. The room was mostly empty, except for a certain cat. On her paws again within moments, Morrigan was prodding the dozing Even awake.

"Even. Ven. Ven- wake up." She whispered urgently, despite not needing to whisper. "I found a cool spot that we aren't allowed to go." Morrigan nosed her cousin again. "Do you want to see?"

[Even]

Even’s days have consisted of long bouts of adventure, bugging the other kittens her age, and naps that her tiny body needed. Today wasn’t any different for her, and at this time, Even is preparing for her nap of the day. While not fully asleep yet, the calico kitten’s eyes are bugging out, a fight between alive and asleep. Her head jolts up from time to time.

That is, until Morrigan intrudes. Even doesn’t notice at first, but her cousin’s words have her standing back up, still in a daze. ”Wha…?” she slurs, suddenly shaking her head to push the sleepiness away. ”Yeah,” she agrees, although she isn’t aware of what she’s being asked to do yet.

”Lead the way, birdbrain.” Even snorts before pushing the older kitten forward with her head.

[Morrigan]

Morrigan snorted as Even's head lolled to the side slightly, before perking back up. "I'm not the birdbrain." She protested, tail curled over her back. "That's Morana." She gave a half-hearted look around the bedroom, squinting in hopes to spot her familiar. It took a moment before she spotted her round shape, and Morrigan trotted over to where she was buried in blankets to scoop her up and place her atop her head.

Morana nestled sleepily into the thick fur on Morrigan's head as the kitten made her way back to Even. "Have you seen the armoury yet?" She asked, despite knowing the answer. If Morrigan had been escorted away, then surely all her siblings and cousins would have as well. No. This was new, and thrilling.

"They have swords in there. And other pointy things. And shields." And that was only what she managed to see in the few moments she had been in there!

Morrigan twitched an ear. "You think you'll learn how to fight, Ven?"

[Even]

Even is ashamed to shake her head, but she does so. "Nuh-uh," she replies. "But now I wanna. Why were you over there anyway without me?" The kitten seems very disappointed at the thought, big ears drooping against her fluffy head. She can't be behind, especially not behind Morrigan. Well, she wouldn't wanna be behind anyone else either...

Without much thought or direction, Even decides at the last minute to be the leader, sliding ahead of Morrigan. "Ya, I'm gonna learn how to fight!" Even boasts. "My papa is the best fighter in Stormr, did you know that? So, that means, that makes me also the best fighter in Stormr. And also, that means, I'm better than you."

Already finished with the talking, Even scampers forward in the direction opposite from the armory. "Lesgo now!"

[Morrigan]

Morrigan gave Even an incredulous look, her chin jutting up. ”Orm’s my uncle, egghead.” She wrinkled her nose. ”Of course I know who he is.” Her tail lashed behind her as Even tried to take lead. ”You’re all talk, Ven. I could beat you up in seconds.” Morrigan tried to keep pace, before skidding to a halt once she realized what direction they were going in. She furrowed her brows.

Promptly she sat, and waited for Even to realize. Wrong way, smelly.

[Even]

It takes Even far too long to notice that Morrigan wasn't following her. She's far from sight as she explores her surroundings... but in confusion, Even traces her way back to her cousin, head tilted. "What?" she asks, before deciding to go the correct direction. "Okay, lesgo!"

A bit out of breath, Even is still rambling on. "You wish you could beat me up! If it was just you and me, I'd beat you up millions of times. Like- bam, bam, bam! Bomp!" She throws her paws in the air to emphasize. "So when we get there, what are we going to do? Just look at stuff? Or are we gonna fight each other?"

[Morrigan]

Morrigan watches as Even disappears, ears twitching. When she returns, the molly rises to her paws slowly, cocking her head in the direction of the armoury. She let Even to work herself out, trailing after her as she sped in the opposite direction. Her tail was kinked over her back, chin held high.

"Sure." She meowed dismissively, watching distractedly as Even punched the air. She continued on, in the direction of the weapons and shields that she saw. Morrigan thought excitedly about the other things she might stumble across, with a bit more scrutiny. "We aren't allowed in there." The molly meowed after a moment, peeking around a hallway corner. "That's the fun part. They have swords and stuff in there, but we probably shouldn't touch them." Her gaze flicked back to Even after a moment. "We can fight each other later, but if we make a mess in that room, they'll definitely know we were in there."

Morrigan continued down the long sprawling hallway after she was sure no other cat was around. Almost there...

[Even]

Even scrunches her nose in dismay. "How are they gonna know if we touch them?" she asks slyly. "What if we, like, used them and then put them back like we didn't touch them?" Too preoccupied with finding the armory, Even doesn't care much about being found out, leaving all of the scouting up to Morrigan. She's the leader, after all, and leaders never look back! That's a saying she made up herself, just now.

Her heart's pounding fast. Paired with the running and the anticipation of finding a room that she's yet to see before, Even's excited. She makes a turn and patters through the hall, stopping at every room's entrance and doing double-takes to see if they match the criteria. Eventually, she happens upon the armory, and with bright eyes, storms in without waiting for Morrigan.

"Woah..." she whispers.

[Morrigan]

Morrigan considered her cousin's words with a slight crease in her brow. Could they do that? That would definitely get them in lots of trouble if they didn't put them back perfectly. Morrigan couldn't help but imagine Ivar's disappointed look.

But... that would only happen if they were caught. And this time there were two of them, which meant one could keep an eye out for other cats this time. Maybe... just a small dagger wouldn't hurt, right?

Morrigan broke out of her thoughts when she realized they were in the right place, and she veered to the familiar door right as Even cut her off. The grey kitten's tail twitched in irritation, but she puffed out a breath and stormed in right after.

Unlike Even, Morrigan wasted no time to take in the room. She'd seen it already, and she already knew it was cool. She padded in the direction of silver, glinting even in the low light of the armoury. Shields, daggers, swords and the likes lined the walls. Heavy looking pieces of armour were displayed on shelves and training dummies, some dustier than others. Morrigan felt a jab of nervous apprehension in her gut, but her excitement and, admittedly, pettiness kept her there.

"Ven, look." She whispered over her shoulder, beckoning her cousin to the displayed rack of knives. Some looked engraved with writing, and Morrigan wanted to lean in closer to look at them. Maybe read them, if she could figure out runes in the next few seconds.

[Even]

Even, unlike other times, isn't bothered by Morrigan now being ahead of her. She's taking in every grain of the room, as if in an instant they'd both be scooped up and taken away. She doesn't want that to happen, not if she has anything to do with it.

Finally taking a few steps forward, Even peruses the weapons and gear, every shiny piece catching her curious attention. Her jaw is open the entire time, unknowing of how odd she looks at the moment.

She's snapped out of her daze when Morrigan calls, and with her competitive nature creeping up again, Even slides over to her cousin's side. She pushes her out of the way, immediately trying to see what was in front of them:

Knives. Even likes knives. She lets out a giddy laugh and looks at her cousin. "Wow, look how sharp they are!" she squeaks, probably too loud. When Even hears her echo down the hall, she hushes herself. Waiting. She waits for the slightest sign that they're being followed. When it doesn't come, she continues.

"What do you think they say? The written thingies? 'Beware, don't touch these or you're gonna get cursed!'"

[Morrigan]

Morrigan grimaced at Even as she attempted to shove her away. She only wobbled for a moment, before delivering a short shove back, nostrils flaring in indignation. Then, her expression is pulled into a sharp wince, ears flattening against her head. Morrigan was deadly silent for a few moments, head craning to try and make out if any cat heard Even's shout. When she hears no distant paw steps, or dubious voices, the grey fur on her back settles, just barely.

"Keep it down, you're gonna spoil it!" She hisses through a clenched jaw. Quickly after, she composes herself, setting her shoulders straight and glancing back up to the weapons. Her excitement returned full force once the previous tension had died out. Morrigan squinted at the runes, hoping to make out... something. Her lack of reading abilities was frustrating, at best. She'd have to sit with Ivar and beg him to teach her more. "Why would they keep cursed stuff in the armoury?" Morrigan tilted her head to Even, tone incredulous. "That means that all our talons would be cursed. Probably."

Grey stormy eyes move back to the inscribed weapons. "Maybe its their name. The weapons name. Like Odin's spear, Gungnir. I wonder if all weapons get names like that." Oh, if only she could ask Ivar. But then he'd definitely know they were snooping here. When she got her own knife, she knew what it's name would be. Maybe she could even ask someone to help her inscribe it.

[Even]

Although she was previously concerned over her own loud voice, Even lets out a disgruntled 'hmph' at Morrigan's hiss. She rolls her eyes, silently pouting to herself as her cousin continues to study the discovered weapons. She debates not answering the question, or even continuing the conversation out of pure pettiness... but she gives in.

"I dunno. 'Cause cursed weapons are cool, duh," she explains, as if it were obvious. "But names are cool too. You know what I'm gonna name my weapon? Destroyer." As soon as Even speaks the name, she immediately gasps. "Don't steal it. It's my name."

The pale kitten quietly debates for a moment. "So... are we gonna touch 'em?"

[Morrigan]

Morrigan wrinkled her nose, face warped into a faint grimace once more. "Yeah- don't worry. I'm not stealing that." She muttered, ears twitching. She was thinking something a little more graceful than that. Something with meaning, and grandeur. Something worthy of Morrigan.

Her attention focused back on the blades, and her body tenses at Even's question. Well... they were in here. It felt especially forbidden to actually be touching them, though. They might as well have been cursed, with the uncomfortable tension that suddenly made its way into Morrigan's gut. But she didn't like stepping down from a challenge. And more importantly: She wasn't a big baby.

"Yeah." The molly stood, taking a tiny step closer, watching the reflection of a torch dance across the silvery surface. She glanced momentarily to her cousin, before she was back on the knives. With a gentle paw, Morrigan reached forwards and pressed her paw down the length of the blade, on the flat side. It was cool to the touch, and a ripple of exhilaration broke through her body. She quickly sat back, as if expecting something to jump out. Only silence followed. Morrigan laughed, a simple giggle to herself. Wow. "Be careful, don't touch the sharp parts." She motioned for Even.

[Even]

Even waits with anticipation for Morrigan's go-ahead. It's not like she relies on her to do things, but if they're going to get caught, they both need to be in trouble. It's the least the cousins could do- go down with the ship together.

There was more hesitance with Morrigan than with Even. If anything, the brown kitten is pumped to finally hold some daggers within her paws, getting to swing them around in her jaws. She's gonna be just like her papa, defending the queen with the ferocity of a bear while holding the weaponry of the best smith.

When Morrigan finally touches the blade for the first time, Even quietly gasps to herself, a vocal release of all that excited tension building up in her chest. She squirms where she currently stands until she can't wait anymore and pads close to where the knives were placed.

Even's quick to touch the hilt, then part of the blade, then finally- Ouch! She pricks her paw on the edge, as clumsy as she was supposed to not be. It's only a simple wound, and the immediate pain soon fades to just a lingering sting. She wipes the smallest amount of blood on her fur.

"That was cool..." Even manages, eyes bright with glee. "We're gonna be so ahead of all the other birdbrains. We're gonna be the best, Morrigan, we're gonna- I dunno, we're gonna rule the world." She glances down to her "injured" paw, then to the daggers, then... she thinks of something. "Hey Morri..." The kitten then starts to pick at her wound, then squeeze, anything she can do to irritate it and cause more blood. "Prick your paw, let's make a blood-pact! Like, we'll slap our paws together and give each other our blood. I dunno what the pact's gonna be for, but..."

[Morrigan]

Morrigan winced when she saw the way Even drew back, watching as a bead of scarlet red blood formed on her paw pad. She was pretty sure she'd never seen blood before. It looked like rubies. The pale grey kitten couldn't help the face she made when Even smudged it into her fur. Hopefully that wouldn't be hard to clean out later.

Her ears perked on her head at Even's excited words, and a smile formed quickly after. "Yeah." She breathed. "Yeah- we're gonna rule the world. We're gonna be the first cats in Stormr to do something legendary." Morrigan gave the other molly a look of fiery certainty. "We're gonna show everyone else." It meant a million possibilities in Morrigan's brain. They could do anything. They would do anything.

Her eyes followed Even's own, catching on the smeared crimson there. Watched in silent fascination as Even pressed on the wound, coaxing more red to the top. Morrigan's gaze flicked back up to Even's with a burning intensity.

"Okay." She meowed, with far less hesitation than she'd expected of herself. Morrigan moved to one of the blades, pressing her paw against the tip until she felt a sharp blossom of pain. The kitten grit her teeth, pulling back to see her handiwork. Nothing much, but it was enough. She turned to face Even expectantly.

"We're gonna have each others backs, right?" She asked, voice rich with zeal. "We're gonna be better than everyone. Both of us, right?" That sounded pact worthy to Morrigan. She awaited any other terms that Even had as she extended her paw forwards.

[Even]

Even nods her head determinedly, eyes narrowing with a newfound confidence. "'Course," she says. "We're already, like, super awesome. That means we're gonna be awesomer when we're older." The idea of a blood-pact was absolutely genius, and Even watches with bated breath as Morrigan is convinced and approaches the set of knives once more.

The kitten holds her paw out, ready whenever her cousin seemed to be. Yes, right, they needed some terms. "Mhm," she hums. "Have our backs, become super awesome fighters... if you catch anything big you gotta give me the first piece, aaand... Destroyer is my name, you can't take it."

The last part was a joke, totally. Even grins, her baby fangs peeking out as she looks into Morrigan's eyes, then below at her bleeding paw. "Ready? Ready." She slaps her cousin's paw, sealing the deal, and leaving her own paw sore. "Okay, okay, let's get out of here before we're caught..."

She glances behind her, at the weapons and gear. "But we're coming back for you guys."

[Morrigan]

Morrigan's paw ached slightly from the pressure, mixed with the wound, but she didn't flinch away. She gripped Even's paw for a moment, not letting herself relinquish their grip yet.

"I'm definitely not taking Destroyer, and I get first dibs on your catches too." She paused. "Tyrfing is my name, you can't steal it when you realize how much cooler it is." With a little grin, Morrigan shook Even's paw and sat back, satisfied with their pact.

She gets to her paws after the deal was sealed, following Even's glance towards the weapons. Determination filled her lungs, offering her a renewed sense of vigour. They'd be Stormr's strongest warriors one day. Soon. Eldur and all the other cities would fear them.

Morrigan had her name for a reason. A raven took flight somewhere outside the palace.

Yeah. They'd be back here.

"Let's go." She nodded, before quickly slipping out of the armoury with another goal that lay in the stars.