The Valkyrie Witch

(Hunter Schaeffer, 28/850, Amarantha Silverthorne, Female (she/her), cauldron made, dark witch) Underneath the sparkling sky, did you see HUNTER SCHAEFFER being tipped by the Cauldron? No, that's just AMARANTHA SILVERTHORNE, who is the VALKYRIE from NIGHT. I heard that on most days they're GENUINE and SELF-AWARE but if you catch them on a dark night, they can be INDIFFERENT and MANIPULATIVE. But if you really get to know them, you'll know that they vibe with LIGHTING CANDLES FOR A RITUAL UNDER THE NEW MOON, A MIDNIGHT SWIM UNDER THE STARS, THE SEARCH FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND HER. 

[flreclouds]

she does not like the idea of sacrificing another fae. any fae. whether she likes them or not. so she will not participate in the sacrifice of another fae, made or not. and she will work against any such attempt. no matter who supports the idea. there has to be another option, if that’s what this scroll means. she shakes her head, “you shouldn’t have to thank me for believing we shouldn’t sacrifice someone. but i will speak to my high lady, as well,” she says, as if it’s the obvious choice, not to sacrifice someone. she nods, when amarantha starts to pace, watching her. “i don’t either. if anyone does like it… insanity.” she mutters the last word. “yes, that is what it seems like.” she shakes her head, rubbing her eyes in a rare moment of visible discomfort.

[darkwitchbitch]

The shadows call to her, and she can feel her eyes darkening along with them. Amarantha turned toward the archives, she reaches out with her power, feeling for anything familiar. "Well, what do you think? Shall we go in, then? It seems it wants us to find...something." She was unsure, but needed to stay strong. Courage was one of her most valued traits and she could not falter now. Not when she might have a chance to find some answers. "Unless...I'm a little worried that someone wants us to go in there." What if it was a trap? Her power sizzled beneath her skin and she reminded herself she was a powerful, Made warrior and she could handle anything that was thrown at her. In any case, she was glad she had a couple daggers strapped to her tonight. "We should definitely stick together, in any case."

[penelopexluna]

Penélope was a far newly made fae than Amarantha and her powers hadn't been trained properly, only her strength. She rarely used her powers and was always shocked when other wielded them in front of her. As she watched Amarantha, she kept her hand at the hilt of her sword, drawing it as soon as she watched her being pushed back and pointed it forward, although she couldn't see anything.

She stepped in front of Amarantha with a threatening posture towards— nothing at all. "Are you alright?" She asked, her body covering the other's. The Valkyrie hated anything she couldn't see. If she could see it, she could fight it, whatever it was but this? It was driving her mad. "This must be the limit, right?" She wondered out loud, seeing how she couldn't push her blade not far longer. As if there was an invisible wall pushing it back.

[darkwitchbitch]

Staring at the barrier with curiosity, Amarantha felt out with her magic, poking at the barrier, but it just zapped her. "Ah!" Her hands rose to either side of her temple and she massaged them, the headache already pulsing through her brain and setting it alight. "I..I think I am." Taking another step toward it, she felt out her hand. "It doesn't seem to hurt us, just keep us in. But magic...oh it doesn't like magic. It fights back." A snarl ripped from her mouth then, and she summoned all the strength she had and tried to punch through the wall. She knew it was a silly idea, but she knew she had to try anyway.

"I wonder if it goes all the way around. How do you feel about splitting up for a few moments?" Her heart ricocheted off her ribcage at twice its normal rhythm. As much as she absolutely loathed leaving Penelope alone for any amount of time, given what was happening, they would cover more ground this way. And Penelope can take care of herself. You taught her, remember.

[flreclouds]

astoria re-reads the pages again, just in case it helps her think of anything else. “we will not allow someone who was made to be sacrifice to this,” she shakes her head. she tries to think if she knows anyone who was made, and she’s not sure. regardless, even in her own cruel selfishness, she won’t sacrifice innocents. especially when this single piece of their scrolls is seeming to send amarantha into a panic. making someone just to kill them… that is a cruelty she couldn’t imagine. if the fae who was made chose it… then that should still be the last resort after all other solutions are exhausted. she watches amarantha as her eyes darken until her black eyes looking back at astoria, and she nods. as distrustful as she is to the world, and as much as tia’s safety is her priority, she does not think her high lady would want someone taken unnecessarily either. “i won’t either.” she replies. “so we will just have to find another way.” she says, and gestures around the archive. “we got into here, perhaps we can find more information.” she suggests. “figure out what else this might mean, and if we can figure out what else might work, if they truly mean to demand a sacrifice.” she tries to stay calm, so that one of them is. “i… i know we don’t really know each other, there is no reason for you to trust me, or me you. i have spent my life protecting those around me. i will not stand by and watch someone be harmed just because they are made.”

[darkwitchbitch]

It took what felt like days for her heart to slow a little after Astoria said those words, but still... Her head was cloudy, heavy, and she was so unsure. Fear was a foreign concept to her, at least since the day she'd been forced into that cauldron, but holding this scroll... She read the words again, letting Astoria's sink in. We will not allow someone who was Made to be sacrifice to this.

Amarantha could breathe again, just barely, but it was enough to get some fresh air to her brain. Her features softened as she gave Astoria a grateful nod. "Thank you, that is very kind of you. I hope the other High Lieges feel the same." Shaking her head, she began to pace, trying to get out some of the little zaps of energy pinging in her brain. "I don't understand what is happening here," she started, in a low voice. "But I don't like it. I can...feel something. There is something powerful here...something coming." The stress must have been pressing down on her a lot lately, cuz it wasn't until she was standing here, reading those words, that she felt the power. It surged from all around, and she couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was. "It's not good, none of it is good," she said tightly.

[wingcfvaldez]

BOY, WAS THAT AN UNDERSTATEMENT OF A MILLENNIA. Isabel still couldn't quite put her finger on what was really going on around Gláta. The ruling family seemed so... out of place. Their reassuring smiles couldn't put her to rest easily - not when she'd noticed the sparks of uncertainty hiding in their once-sparkly gazes.

it was a trying time for anyone, she figured.

But, shouldn't the ruling family know something, in the very least? Still, as Amarantha spoke, Isabel agreed with a nod and a hum leaving her lips. "Yeah, if the High family can't deal with it, perhaps the witches could." it was a sad thought that the court of Spring looked rather unfavourably towards them - or she would have picked up on some spells along the way. Lips pursing in thought, Isabel frowned.

maybe they should.

"I mean, no one said we aren't allowed to look for answers, right? If you're up for a team-up, I think we should be able to find something. Anything." she offered. "Even an obscure, random discovery is better than nothing at all, right?"

[darkwitchbitch]

Frowning out at the trees, Amarantha considered her current position. Would she be able to get some information for the rest of them? Could it possibly be that someone here is messing with them? Do they want something, or is there another reason? Were they doing it just to torture them all for some perceived wrong? She sighed. "I agree. I think maybe we should gather them...er, well. The trustworthy ones, at least. And maybe surround the palace, up against the barrier? See if we can work together." Her musings were muttered, but audible to the fae ears. Still, her mind was distracted, and she couldn't help thinking back to the voice that had echoed in the hall.

"What do you think that Midas thing was? I've heard that name before, I know I have." She continued to frown, lost in her thoughts. She had the faintest idea that something like this had happened before. Not the winter situation, no. But the curse. The rot. Amarantha shook her shoulders out, forcing herself to untense as much as possible. "Have you seen or heard anything of help yet?"

[flreclouds]

she listens to amarantha’s words, and then holds out her own scroll though. “so if we put them together…” she knows that there are fae here who are made, and wonders if this some sort of threat against them. and if it is, is it against someone specific, or just any of them? “the plague…” astoria murmurs, eyes glancing over the scrolls again. “are they… perhaps they — whoever is behind this — is bringing it back, or warning of its return? and are requiring some sort of sacrifice to avoid it?” her frown deepens, because as cruel as astoria can be, she would not want to sacrifice an innocent life. “or using it as a threat to get something else they want?”

[darkwitchbitch]

Lips drawn into a tight line, Amarantha stared at her scroll, and then at Atoria's. Though she felt like she was suffocating, she forced breath into her lungs, trying to seem like she wasn't freaking the fuck out. Her eyes scanned the pages again and again. "The plague...it was gotten rid of by sacrificing someone who was Made?" Her throat felt as if it was closing, but she continued to force air through. "They Made someone so that they could sacrific them." The last words came out as barely a whisper, but they were sharper than all the swords in Winter right now. How dare they. Thoughts racing, head stuffed full of hate and fear and hate, she tried to ground herself. Reaching for her power, she wrapped a hand around it, and the shadows began running toward her, feeding her. Amarantha looked at Astoria with black eyes, an aura of shadow around her. "I won't let anyone take us." They didn't know each other too well, and Amarantha learned at too young an age not to trust anyone. If a single person at this party tried to touch her or Penelope for any reason..they'd sorely regret it.

[penelopexluna]

Lucky for Penélope— and honestly anyone else who's corss her at this point— Amarantha's plan was to take her away from people and into the night. "I've heard that some faes tried to leave and they were sent back to the front of the palace without knowing how they got there." She whispered as they walked together through the Winter garden's, cold seeping through her bones under her armor. The Valkeryie was tired of this weather as well, she hated it.

With a hand on her sword, she followed Amarantha, looking around them in case anyone dared face them. "Do you think there could be a way to see? or sense? what's been keeping us in the palace?" Penélope asked, keeping her voice steady. She was more anxious to find something out than anything else.

[darkwitchbitch]

Amarantha furrowed her brows. She didn't like all the stories she'd been hearing about fae that had been trying to leave. "There's also some sort of barrier around the place, it seems. In some areas, at least." She continued walking, opening her magic to the world, trying to call out to whatever magic had them trapped. The copse of trees they'd wandered into was quiet, which was great for her focus. Holding a hand up, she motioned for Penelope to be quiet. Sensing some power coming from their right, she slowly turned that way. Shadows danced at her fingertips and she moved silently toward the call of the magic.

Whispering, she lead Amarantha into possible death. As if we haven't been here before. "Be very careful. There's something powerful straight ahead. I can feel it. I just don't know what it...oh!" Bouncing backwards suddenly, Amarantha stared ahead. "Incredible. It's completely undetectable by even fae eyes. How can this be?" She reached out a hand, feeling the thrum of power coming from the barrier.

[flreclouds]

her wings are closed, held tightly against her back in the chill of the winter court. even with the magic keeping them warm inside, she is uncomfortable with the frost. and yet she’d been told that winter should have been her home, with how frosty she can be. but the wandering, the attempt to get to her rooms, but ending in a narrowed corridor, a dead end revealed by claw marked walls… the footsteps behind her — @darkwitchbitch — and then they’re inside some secret archive, a scroll hidden under the cushion… “They promised it. Vowed as they perished, seeping deep beneath the soil in our garden where the offering still lay. We can breathe freely again and the air no longer tastes of sweet rot. We are saved. This ends the testimony of Valtimor Aléron, the last true heir of the Shadow Coves. We have no hope. We had no other option. We wish our descendants to not judge us too harshly. The rot will not be suppressed forever, but for as long as it is lost, that blood will seal it.” she reads it aloud. she re-reads it, silently trying to make sense. “what are the shadow coves?” she finally asks, looking at amarantha. “does this mean they’re looking for something? whatever is lost?” she furrows her brow. “so… something is buried… somewhere? and because of some offering, we’re free? is this cryptic instructions or something that already happened?” and maybe she is too literal. apollo had pointed it out. and he’s not wrong. she is very literal. it makes it hard when someone is cryptic.

[darkwitchbitch]

It started with death. It always does. It started with a cover of rotting leaves in our forest and the blight spread to our castles. We cannot get out. The rot seeps inside, laughing at us, taunting us. It calls itself The Midas, but I feel there's more to it. We cannot hold much longer. We brought the Made thing from our court, the one we've Made mere days ago. It has no special power but the call of the Cauldron. We had it slain. We had to. We had to. The rot fed on the blood and vanished. They will not return unless another is Made and offered.

Her hands shook as she held the scroll, and she barely even registered the words Astoria uttered. The rot fed on the blood and vanished. Amarantha's head spun, her fist clenching the scroll in a crumbled lump as she tried to breathe. Unless another is Made and offered...

She was Made, and so was her protege, her only family. They mustn't mean to kill one of us, right? They can't. Finally, Amarantha looked up and met Astoria's glare. "It seems we must have two different scrolls. Or...rather maybe two parts of the same one." She just hoped they were the only two. "Mine also mentions the Midas. That's what the rot was called. The plague, I suppose." She read her scroll out loud to Astoria, her fingers still trembling with outrage and fear equally.

[penelopexluna]

Penélope made a face like the child she was in comparison to Amarantha. "I'm not scared!" She really wasn't. She couldn't remember the last time she felt scared. Or rather she could remember it well because after what happened to her, she never feared anything again. "I'm tired of spending time with this problem. Here. With everyone." The Valkyrie huffed and crossed her toned arms across her chest, with all the alcohol in her body, she was ready to start looking for people to blame and maybe even stab at this point. "Please! Let's check things out." She said as she started to move from where they were, a little aimless but it was fine as long as she was doing something.

[darkwitchbitch]

Sighing softly, Amarantha followed, her long, black dress trailing behind her through the snow. But it didn't bother her. Neither did the cold, though it wasn't what she preferred. She, like Penelope, was not afraid of a single thing. After facing the cauldron, nothing could ever scare you again; it was the most intense, mesmerizing, traumatic thing that could happen to a person. And they'd both been forced into it, against their wills, by people who loved them. Sort of.

They made their ways to the treeline, testing the limits. "We should see if there are any ways out of here, as well. I know everyone's been looking, but if we can find what's holding us here, we can find a way to release it." She considered her magic, taking in her surroundings, and wondered if there was something she could try. Calling to the darkness, she tried to ask it for guidance.

[penelopexluna]

Penélope's eyes opened wide and she blinked a few times, surprised at the initiative. So far, no one she encountered seemed to want to do anything about the situation they were currently on, expecting someone else to fix things or find anything out. She nodded enthusiastically. "Please, let's get into some trouble." She begged, grabbing Amarantha's hand with both of hers and pleading eyes. "You really think someone broke in? Fuck, I knew it. I knew that being locked up here wasn't at all about safety. We should have been trying harder to get out." The Valkyrie whispered through gritted teeth.

[darkwitchbitch]

Folding her other hand over Penelope's, Amarantha let slip a tiny wisp of power to soothe her slightly. "Relax, my dear. I won't let anything happen to you. We have been trying, but sometimes, stepping away from a problem is just as important as spending time on it." Leading her outside into the frigid air, the valkyrie finally could take a full breath. With the shock of the cold wind and her friend right beside her, the fog in her brain had started to clear. "I don't understand what's happening." She scanned the treeline, looking for any sign of movement. "Shall we check things out?"

[penelopexluna]

Oh Mother, no. Not something else. Just like most faes, Penélope looked around as if she could see where the damned voice was coming from but nothing. The Valkyrie had been drinking all night and, she was truly inebriated by this point so she was ready to pull her sword on anyone who dared come close to her or even go out picking a fight if she had to.

Lucky for her, what she did find in her way was Amarantha. "Alright? Probably not. I'm fuming." Her hand remained in the grip of her sword, although now more for comfort than nothing else. She loved Amarantha and would never hurt here, not even for fun. "This is so tedious. I want to get the fuck out of this place and I was not expecting some new fuckery happening tonight." She grunted like a petulant child and in a way, in front of her mentor, she was one. Over six hundred years separated them.

[darkwitchbitch]

Once her eyes had finished their perusal of Penelope's body, and she was satisfied that she'd not come to any harm so far, Amarantha relaxed slightly. Turning to face the rest of the room, she reached for her power, the cauldron's power, ready to strike at any moment. But it seemed her friend, her mentee, needed her right now, and so she needed to focus on that. Listening intently, Amarantha placed a hand on Penelope's shoulder. "I understand, child. It's very troubling, I agree." She looked around, ensuring they had some privacy. "I think we need to take a look around the grounds, you know? See if there's anything lurking. Anyone, really. I'm concerned that the borders have been breached. We may not be able to get out, but that doesn't mean no one else can get in." The thought had chills crawling down her spine. She hoped that wasn't the case.

[wingcfvaldez]

THE HEALER-SLASH-VALKYRIE OF THE SPRING COURT HAD MADE IT A HABIT OF FAE-WATCHING. While she was a bubbly person and she generally liked being around others, the recent events ( that went on for longer than just coming to Gláta - she meant the whole thing with her mother as somewhat... recent ) had made her a bit more closed off, turning inward instead of outward - but, she did not mind the solitude.

she seldom minded being on her own.

Isa had been contemplating whether or not she wished to be surrounded by others right now. These past few days, the whole week, actually, had been a chaos incarnate. She'd never seen something like it before, at least when it was unrelated to a blight. Last such chaos came over four centuries ago, when a blight decimated her home court. She had not been born yet, but she'd heard stories of it form her mother and recently from her mentor and trainer, who had a more... sinister look on it - or the more devastating truth for the source behind it.

When the familiar blonde approached and spoke, Isa instinctively stepped to the side. "I wasn't even aware I was blocking to door, sorry." she apologised with a soft chuckle. "Would you mind if I tag along? I don't think I can stomach such a large crowd tonight, not after everything that's been happening these past couple of days."

[darkwitchbitch]

Grateful and comforted by the friendly face, Amarantha simply nodded, a small smile spreading across her face. "Of course, dear. I'd love to have the company." She opened the door gracefully, gliding out into the frigid night without even the slightest shiver. All at once, the fire of the burning cauldron went out and she could feel all the tension leave her body. Had she been alone, she might have even slumped a tad. But with someone else here, Amarantha couldn't admit any weakness or discomfort. She must be steady and strong. Always.

Making her way toward the rail overlooking the garden, she sighed, crossing her arms and looking out at the sky. "It has been such a strange couple days, hasn't it? I almost wonder if we should gather all the witches and see what help we can be. There's got to be something we can do to find answers." Though she wasn't speaking quickly, she felt as if the breath were leaving her longs quickly, and soon she almost needed to gasp for breath. But she kept composed, minus the tiniest intake of beath that gave away the fact that she was not okay. But only those closest to her could possibly know that, right?

[darkwitchbitch]

A pulsing pain began to form in her head as Amarantha studied the room around her. The energy was turning so anxious, she just needed to find a way to get out of here. Making for the doors, she walked with purpose, and people moved out of her way because of it. She'd learned a long time ago that you needed to show your strength at all times, lest someone come along and...

No, nevermind, she couldn't think of that now. Those days were long gone, and Amarantha no longer had nightmares about being shoved into the cauldron, those dark, spindly, strong hands holding her down beneath the surface as the cauldron tore at her and burned her...

Shit, she went there. And now it was feeling even harder to breathe in this room. Head held high, no one would even notice a change in her expression as she sunk back into the trauma of her youth, for she had long ago mastered the art of keeping her composure.

As she approached the door, she saw Isabel, someone she'd run into a few times. And she was blocking the door. Keeping her voice steady, she politely said, "Pardon, would you mind? I need a little air."

[darkwitchbitch]

Amarantha stood, straight-backed and calm as the voice finished, hands clasped in front of her. Filling her lungs, she centered herself, taking a few calming, energizing breaths. Something was not right here, she could feel that even if there hadn't been lost memories, a body, and some random ominous voice speaking from the ground. Her eyes scanned the people gathered, many of them panicking but trying their best not to show it. Amarantha, though not happy with any of these events, was also not one to panic. It was unproductive and, frankly, a waste of time. It was best to get right down to business...

But first... Her eyes landed on Penelope and her face softened slightly. First she needed to check in on her protégée and friend. Making her way over, Amarantha simply stood next to her, still watching the crowd as she spoke. "I take it you're alright, yes?" It was probably the closest Amarantha would ever come to showing any kind of affection in public, but Penelope knew that. She knew her better than anybody, probably.

@penelopexluna

[darkwitchbitch]

Female (she/her) || 28/850 || Hybern || Valkyrie

Cauldron-Made Witch of Hybern

(Hunter Schaeffer, 28/850, Amarantha Silverthorne, Female (she/her), cauldron made, dark witch) Underneath the sparkling sky, did you see HUNTER SCHAEFFER being tipped by the Cauldron? No, that's just AMARANTHA SILVERTHORNE, who is the VALKYRIE from NIGHT. I heard that on most days they're GENUINE and SELF-AWARE but if you catch them on a dark night, they can be INDIFFERENT and MANIPULATIVE. But if you really get to know them, you'll know that they vibe with LIGHTING CANDLES FOR A RITUAL UNDER THE NEW MOON, A MIDNIGHT SWIM UNDER THE STARS, THE SEARCH FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND HER. 

Who is Amarantha?

Unimportant. She hails from the Night Court, a cauldron-made witch who was turned fae against her will at a young age. She then used her power to destroy the people who put her there. Once turned, she began training immediately, on her own. She studied the valkyries and their techniques, and one day, she marched herself into the High Ruler's palace and demanded a place in their armies. It was granted, once she proved herself.

Before the Cauldron

She was an ordinary girl from an ordinary family. But one day, a strange man came to their house. He was very interested in Amarantha—he'd seen her at the market earlier with her sisters. Eventually, after many meetings, her father sold her off to the guys who had been coming around, and she was taken away from her family, never to be seen or heard from again as a human.

The Power

Once she was turned, she used her newly taken power to destroy the people who had taken her away. They had other kids there, too. Younger and older than her, all there as a sort of experiment, to test the cauldron's powers and strength. Many were unsuccessful. She was one of the last.

The entire palace burned down around her and she emerged from the ashes—naked and without a single centimeter of burned flesh.

Training

Shortly after being turned, she found solace at the Night Court—in Velaris—and began to study the art of war and training of the valkyries. Every day, before and after work, she would spend every spare second training her mind and body to be better than everyone else. Unfortunately, she never had a mentor in the magic department—anyone who tried ran screaming once they saw what she could do—so she had to teach herself that, too.

Where is she now?

Amarantha is now a highly regarded member of her court. She has some friends in her court and others, but she still spends most of her time to herself and keeps a lot of secrets. Trust is basically non-existant in her world.