i want the world in my hands
 She is mostly glad that Lagertha let Erebor go so easily. Mostly, because it might have been nice to have an excuse to start a war. But really, she isn’t necessarily looking to pick a fight against the Amazons. She thinks that Lagertha and herself aren’t entirely different. Different means, but the same goal. Lagertha wants Beqanna to remember the Amazons and what they are capable of. Straia wants the same for the Chamber.
The only real difference is the type of company they keep. Straia’s kingdom is full of the deranged and unwanted. Really, how many other kingdoms could tolerate Gryffen, or bunny eating, or snake eating? She was getting terribly good at looking the other way sometimes, and sweeping a few things under the rug.
It’s also probably scary to realize that she’s the voice of reason in the Chamber. Plus some of her army. They were mildly sane too.
But despite all that seems to be happening between the Chamber and the Amazons (mostly the Amazons stealing their members and debating what to do about the Chamber), Lagertha and Straia have never met. They debate war against one another, but do not know their enemy. Or perhaps, their friend.
They could be friends. Maybe not, given the kingdoms they rule. But on a personal level? Perhaps. At least in some ways.
So today, she decides to visit the warrior queen. She takes to the sky as a raven, landing well outside the Jungle border. Even here, this far from the kingdom, it’s hot. Horrible, compared to the cool mist of the pine forests. Oh well. She'll tolerate it.
She’s not looking to attract half of the Amazons though, and so she doesn’t shift back or come any closer to the kingdom’s border. Instead, she sends another raven (made of vines, because it seems fitting) to find Lagertha. To ask, not tell, the gray mare where Straia is. To ask, not tell, Lagertha is she would care to join.
She has to be very specific about these things with the ravens. Sometimes they take liberties, and commanding an Amazonian Queen to do something is about the worst way to actually get them to do anything.
And Straia waits. For her raven to find Lagertha (which would no doubt piss of Lagertha some, but it was the easiest way to get the Queen and not the rest of the Amazons). To see if Lagertha wanted to chat.
At the very least, she’d like to thank Lagertha for her son back. straia the raven queen of the chamber
 Use of mild power playing is allowed; no injuries without permission
 I am iron and I forge myself Had Erebor shown even an iota of disrespect, she might have kept him. Luckily for him (or unluckily, depending on who thinks about it), he neatly avoided giving the Chamber a reason to go to war. If Gryffen had his druthers, Lagertha is sure they would have been knocking at their door long ago, clamoring for Anguisette back. Lagertha would have stood in their way then, and she certainly would do the same now. No one knows it, but she does have a secret affinity for children. Unfortunately for her, that affinity doesn’t always translate into being a good parent, especially for boys.
If Sette could turn out the way Erebor turned out, Lagertha would go to war over her to. Rhy was right in her council and her meaningful stares. That’s what she’s there for, and she does a damn good job.
The horned Khaleesi stays vigilant for a couple of days after Erebor departs, but lets the rest of the guards return to their normal activities after a week or so, leaving just her to do some extra rounds. She’ll ask them to double again in a month or so, but until then, life as usual. Her eyes are not trained to the sky, so she doesn’t immediately notice the vine-wrought bird weaving through the canopy until it calls out to her, a harsh dissonance against the other noises of the Jungle. Her ears fly back against her skull and instinctively, she lowers her horns. Lagertha freezes and listens, and there is… nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary. Until the plant raven comes closer and a feminine voice comes out of its beak.
Those fucking magicians and their fucking voices! At least this one wasn’t planted in her head, but it still takes her back to when Eight came a-calling. So is it a trap? She’d just given Straia her son back, and after he spoke of innocents, would the Chamber Queen really go back on her word and risk the wrath of at least the Jungle and the Dale, and probably the (negligible) Falls? Probably not. And Lagertha’s reputation on and off the battlefield is nothing to sneeze at. Add in her personal arsenal (which she imagines Straia doesn’t know about, as she hasn’t used her abilities recently), and if they keep within a certain distance of the trees, Lagertha finally comes to the conclusion that if it is some sort of trap, she will be ok.
You don’t get to be General without weighing all your options and keeping an exit strategy available.
Would she join Straia? Yes, yes she will. Lagertha gives a curt nod to the raven and follows it to the border, stepping out of the protection of the overgrowth without of a hint of her previous reluctance. This is a meeting of equals. It could be a very… interesting conversation and a potential turning point. When there is no horse waiting for her, she turns her gaze to the smaller, less dense smattering of trees that precede the wall of greenery. Of course, she’s probably in raven form. Her women would not hurt her, even if she were to arrive in horse form and with full fanfare.
No, Straia is safe and Lagertha is sure in her confidence that she could take on anything they could throw that her. So with boldness in her blood, the iron lady calls out to the empty air, “Straia. How unexpected.” It is. There’s no use hiding it. Nevertheless, Lagertha’s here, and willing to talk. Rhy would be so proud of her.
Lagertha warrior queen of the amazons
i want the world in my hands
i am the violence in the pouring rain i am a hurricane Erebor, thankfully, has inherited a prettier tongue than either of his parents. Straia could play the diplomat, but she had never much cared for it. Being blunt and to the point has always been easier, and sometimes blunt with Straia is also rude. But her son was so well composed, that when he spoke, he was very to the point and very truthful. He fought with the same thought, the same composure. She still had no idea how she got so lucky to have given birth to such a perfectly formed child. Because really, neither her or Warship could take much credit for the boy. He just sort of popped out like that, and finally just grew into his body.
Anguisette was another matter. One that Straia wasn’t sure she cared about. The girl had no real connection to the Chamber. She might be Gryffen’s child, but she had never stepped foot in the Chamber. She did not serve it. So why should the Chamber go to war for the girl? They may be antsy, but she wouldn’t have her kingdom either a) burned to the ground or b) burning someone else to the ground, for a problem that simply wasn’t hers. Gryffen would have to offer more of a reason than that, or learn to take better care of his brood.
She spies the raven first, Lagertha on her heels. She’s already shifting back as Lagertha calls out. Straia isn’t afraid of the Amazons. No, they wouldn’t hurt her if she posed no threat, and today, she truly didn’t. Instead, she smiles as the feathers on her skin turn back to her usual tri-colored coat. “Forgive the strange meeting, but I was rather hoping to keep it to just the two of us.” Because if Straia had arrived with the usual fanfare of any diplomat, Lagertha and her wouldn’t get to talk about anything interesting at all.
“For starters, I wanted to thank you for the safe return of my son.” She says, meaning it, closing the distance between them until they are within a reasonable conversational space, though she doesn’t cross over any personal bubble either. “And second, I admit, I wanted to meet you. There’s so much tension between our kingdoms, though really, I have nothing against the Amazons at all.” Their steals had been justified, and Straia hadn’t even tried to recover Killdare. It wouldn’t kill him to spend a year in the Amazons, after all.
In truth, they’d done little to antagonize one another. Some steal attempts from the Amazons, certainly, but nothing over the top. Yet their kingdoms talked of war like it was inevitable. But only because Beqanna is bored, and because the Amazons and the Chamber are two very powerful enemies. It would be a fun fight.
“Is it just me, or does Beqanna need some action? Because if you agree,” and Straia thinks that the Warrior Queen probably does, “perhaps we can come to some sort of mutually beneficial way to give the people what they want.” Maybe. She has an idea, though she honestly isn’t sure if it will work. But might as well see how Lagertha feels about it. Maybe she’d have a better idea even. straia the raven queen of the chamber 
Use of mild power playing is allowed; no injuries without permission
I am iron and I forge myself “Understandable,” Lagertha replies with a slight twitch at the corners of her mouth, knowing that sometimes it’s best to just hole the responsible parties up together until they make a decision. Intermediaries are fine, it gives everyone something to do - but when it came down to it, sometimes it’s just best to meet face-to-face to hash things out. “Sometimes two heads are better than four.” She settles herself down, even going so far as to cock a hind leg, while she waits for Straia to continue.
To the Raven Queen’s thanks, she simply nods and lets her keep going - but her second point has the iron gray mare quietly chuckling. “There is, isn’t there?” She’s sure some blabbermouth like Killdare, or even a raven spotted Magnus coming to the Jungle. What she said to him, though, was soft and quiet, and between the two of them. He (and hopefully the rest of the Gates) knew her feelings on what the Chamber had done, but this is a game of thrones, and she must do what is best for the Sisters. She is no warrior in shining armor to come to a maiden’s rescue. She’d rather give the woman a sword and some lessons and see how she fares with it. “I can’t tell if I’m jealous that you attacked my initial raid target first, or if I think the burning was too much. Either way, what’s done is done. The Gates should have had more allies in place to prevent this sort of thing.”
And there it is - the honestly mixed feelings she has towards the act. If someone had tried to hurt their spirit, she’d authorize a full on witch hunt for them. It was akin to attacking a kingdom’s soul - more than the King and Queen and more than its members. And then there was that needling little jab that Straia had done exactly what she’d wanted to do. Straia has also been sitting on a throne for far longer. But still. To attack again just makes them seem like a bully. So now who is left? At the same time, you don’t attack Kingdoms with powerful allies. That will come back to bite you in the ass. Hard. She had no affinity towards any other Kingdom aside from the Dale, and that was simply because her son was there, and because she values Joscelin. Lagertha doesn’t know Ramiel like she knew Tiphon.
The Khaleesi doesn’t even bother to mention Gryffen. These are big girl matters, not petty, under the skin differences.
And to Straia’s third topic, Lagertha brightens. Her ears swivel forward and a sort of cold fire glints in her eyes. The half-smile she’s already wearing becomes more a mischievous grin. Has no one else considered that instead of going head-to-head, that the two might unite? If she is hearing correctly, the want the same thing; the only difference might be how they are willing to achieve it, and what their people are willing to do. In the end, she might want to launch a full-blown takeover, but she couldn’t maker her women fight if they didn’t want to. “Beqanna has too many waves of complacency. A competitive atmosphere is best for everyone.” If you think about it, it really is. It pushes everyone to recruit, to steal and challenge. It distinguishes the wheat from the chaff and lets those who are natural leaders excel. Not to mention, gives everyone something to do besides fall back into the corners of the Kingdoms.
“I am always up for some fun. Did you have something in mind?”
Lagertha warrior queen of the amazons
i want the world in my hands
i am the violence in the pouring rain i am a hurricane She can’t help but laugh slightly at the comment on the Gates. Straia appreciates a blunt honesty, which Lagertha seems to have. They can accomplish so much more if they get straight to the point. Because really, they are talking of war here. They are talking of losing lives, injuring their own. But of course, all the horses of Beqanna seem to be clambering for such, and all monarchy must give the people what they want. At least some of what they want.
Because let’s face it, Straia isn’t about to let Gryffen run wild. Dear god, he’d start a war all on his own.
“I never would have let them burn it completely.” Mostly, yes. Completely, no. She’d tear all of Beqanna apart if they touched the tree in the Chamber. She wasn’t about to rip out the figurative heart of another kingdom. Not completely, anyway. Just enough to let them struggle to regrow it, certainly. But hadn’t the Chamber done just that when their entire kingdom burned? There was no magic to regrow it then. And look, the Chamber is so much stronger for the struggle.
Really, in some ways, maybe she gave them a gift.
As she suspected, Lagertha is open to ideas. “I admit, I would love to put us on the same side. We would be rather unstoppable, don’t you think?” She grins, pausing for just a moment before continuing. “Though the rather upstanding members of the Sisterhood may not agree with me there. Yet they want a raid, war, something. And neither one of us really want an army knocking on our doorstep.”
It has to be true. Yes, Lagertha has the upper hand in her homeland, but does she really want the fire and poison of the Chamber ripping through her Jungle? Probably not. And Straia really likes her trees. Standing. Not burnt to the ground. So, perhaps they can orchestrate something. “So I was thinking, perhaps you can kill me.”
Again, she pauses, really just for dramatic effect here. Why? Because it amuses her.
“Not really though. I can fake dead easily enough. We meet on the plains, you can call me out for destroying the Gates or whatever you want. I promise you the Chamber will fight back. We just have to figure out a way to get both kingdoms to the plains, rather than in either kingdom. They might be a little pissy when they figure out I’m not really dead. But I can pass it off as the Chamber decided to keep me around easily enough.” She rolls her shoulder in something of a shrug. It is not an airtight plan, by any means. But it is an idea. They get their war, their kingdoms stay intact, and no one really needs to get all that injured. Just somewhat.
Honestly, it might be a terrible idea. But they have to start somewhere. straia the raven queen of the chamber
“I wonder if we both underestimate how upstanding the Sisterhood may be. Given the opportunity to rise to the top in a way that we haven’t recently, they may change their minds. I imagine you have some similar subjects - hungry for power, but without a taste for blood.” She does not fault the kindest of her women. There are some, she knows, that will follow her into the depths of hell if need be. Others, she has asked to think for themselves and put the Kingdom first. It is what makes them an appealing kingdom for many, for they have as many personalities as blooming flowers. As it is, Lagertha’s thoughts dart back and forth, wondering what Rhy and Tantalize would say, and even touching on Sette, who thinks too well of her.
She waits for Straia to finish her proposition fully, though once again, her mind is working in overdrive the minute the Raven Queen said perhaps you can kill me. And once the idea is out there in the air, Lagertha takes a long silence to mull it over. Her long, gray, tangled tail whips sharply back and forth as she glances up at the sky to collect her thoughts. When her gaze comes back to Straia, she is ready with a myriad of questions and observations. “You are full of surprises, Straia. That is the last proposition I was expecting. My first question is about the immortality while ruling. Would they think of it, and doubt I had killed you? Second, and more importantly, an enraged kingdom is a dangerous one. Desperate soldiers are either fearless or foolish, and often both, and yours are incredibly loyal, which means I would be unleashing an actual firestorm upon my Sisters, if I have heard correctly. Third, issuing a challenge may draw the other kingdoms in. Which could be… even more fun, though if they ever found out we did this for fun and some died because of it, they would have my head.”
The horned woman pauses briefly, and then continues. “That’s not to say that I don’t have faith in the prowess of my warriors, or in our alliances. Getting the kingdoms to the Plains would require an official challenge, which would spread quickly, and send at least two kingdoms to our side.” That would leave the Chamber and the Valley to stand alone, as they have done so many times before. For a moment, let’s discount the magicians - the only one reliably around at the moment is in the Desert, and she is a pacifist. Though from what she can see, a challenge isn’t going to be a deterrent for the Chamberlings, or Straia. So it is definitely a viable option.
“It is something to think about. What about becoming allies and taking on our own challenge. The Desert? Tundra? Falls?” She could easily call Malka back, and even though her unborn child (not that Straia knows about that either) is the son of a Brother, she would march on them without hesitation, for there are no other ties without Kratos around. She imagines Rhy would feel the same way. The only risk in the Desert is if Camrynn reappears. And then against two magicians, unless their own show up, they’re pretty much fucked.
This could be a long talk. But Lagetha is clearly open to many suggestions. If they could figure out a way to not get anyone killed as long as they’re not suicidally idiotic, this Khaleesi is game for just about anything.
i want the world in my hands
i am the violence in the pouring rain i am a hurricane Straia is rarely what anyone expects of her. It always makes her wonder what exactly has caused the whispers of the Raven Queen. Kushiel expected some mysterious mare, cloaked in secrets. She was nothing of the sort. Straia was blunt and to the point, keeping on secrets that she must. There were few of those, honestly. Only Weed. He was not a secret, necessarily, but she simply wasn’t the kind of mare to run about speaking of boys. It didn’t suit her, and never would.
Many expect some blood thirsty, impossible Queen. Certainly, she longs for power for her kingdom. But what good monarch doesn’t? Her kingdom asks for chaos, and so she is happy to work toward that end. All of Beqanna has grown restless, even those that won’t admit it. Straia and her kingdom are simply happy to play the bad guy, to give everyone what they want. Of course, she will only do so if they have a chance of coming out on top. She will not send her kingdom to slaughter. She doesn’t long for death. Not for her kingdom, or any other.
She seems to have surprised Fiasko some as well. Straia is not un unkind jailor, assuming the captive deserved kindness. Not that Straia is kind, but Fiasko is safe. The ravens watch over the ex-queen and her children, and the Chamber members are not allowed to touch her. Gryffen had his moment, yes, before the ravens were in place. But she will do what she can to make Fiasko’s life comfortable enough. But for now, keeping the mare serves a purpose.
And now, she seems to have surprised the Amazonian Queen as well.
“Immortality does not mean I cannot bleed to death. Only that I won’t die of old age and brittle bones. They wouldn’t be able to see internal bleeding. I’d need a few well place cuts somewhere important, but it would be easy enough to think you’d damaged my organs. As for your other concerns, I admit, I have no easy for them. But no matter what the cause of the war, Beqanna is looking for a war, and death is a possibility. But yes, I admit that, particularly without me, some of my kingdom members might try to burn Beqanna in retaliation.”
Though at the same time, some of them were reasonable. Warship and Erebor and Killdare all head solid heads on their shoulders, and wouldn’t necessarily destroy the world over the loss of their Queen. They would know they were outnumbered. But at the same time, war had a way of bringing so many out of the woodwork. Perhaps the Valley and the Chamber would be perfectly fine against the other kingdoms. Really, the only potential other threat was the Deserts, and even they were growing quiet.
And then, it is Lagertha’s turn to surprise Straia. She grins, that quirk of her lips and a mischievous gleam to her eyes. “If you tell me the Sisters want to ally with the Chamber, I believe an alliance could be arranged. The Chamber would be happy to have such a powerful friend, and in truth, half my heritage is from this kingdom. I don’t really have any desire to go against you.” Except of course if they find a mutually beneficial way to do so. But either option could be tricky, really.
“Starting a war would not be hard. The Gates is already rallying for help, as you know.” Of course Straia knows that Magnus is here, and she knows what they want. They want revenge, and probably Fiasko back. She wouldn’t mind being on the leading side of that war though. “I could see the Deserts, Fall and Gates siding against us easily enough.” She isn’t against attacking the Tundra either, but it doesn’t seem like the logical choice. There’s nothing up there, and the brothers are near silent. And besides, she’d already lit a few embers to start a war. It wouldn’t be hard to make it a full on fire. straia the raven queen of the chamber
I am iron and I forge myself They are of the same ilk; born of former monarchs and wholly dedicated to their respective kingdom. Respected, if not loved by some of their subjects(though those that love Lagertha do not love her in the way that some of Straia’s subjects undoubtedly love the exotic Raven Queen). Intimidating in different ways, but intimidating nonetheless. If they worked together, Lagertha has a feeling that they could move mountains - between the two of them, they have a wide variety of very useful tools at their disposal. All the Iron Lady needs is the fucking key to the driver’s seat.
“Well said. I will give the Sisters the vote on whom to ally with. There are too many who could go one way or the other, and a Queen is not a Queen if she has no followers.” She shrugs in an off-handed way. It is the truth of the Jungle. They are usually neutral, like the Dale, Falls, and Tundra, harboring both good and bad within their borders. And like any non-magical monarch, if they united, they could bring her down with their displeasure. So long as they serve the Kingdom, this Khaleesi doesn’t care what their personal philosophy is. “I will bring you an answer soon. But either way, I have a feeling we will have our war.” If they ally, they can easily storm another Kingdom . If they end up enemies, they will surely meet upon the Plains. A crooked, mischievous half-smile spreads deviously across her mouth. Oh, this will be fun. Lagertha nods decisively, but before she turns to go, she sends the tobiano mare off with a simple. “Thank you for coming, Straia,” and then plunges back into the emerald depths.
There is work to be done.
Lagertha warrior queen of the amazons
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