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“Concocting?” Hel echoed, giving Mot an incredulous look in return. “That would apply I’m still plotting, when right now friend, I am watching the results of my plotting.” She grinned lightly at him. “Why go against her wishes? We were given spare invitations, and I thought having company would be enjoyable!” Hel trailed off for a moment, and her brow suddenly furrowed as she stared up at the cowboil. “…Uh…” Yeah, about that train ride… “…We should get there by dinner time?” It was pretty early in the morning right now…needless to say it was going to be a long train ride.

“…You’re regretting saying yes now, huh?” Hel looked a bit downtrodden. “I thought…it’d be pleasant to have your compa—“

Then Freya was screaming at her.

The younger valkyrie stiffed as she stared at her older sister, and waved a hand at her. “Freya, sit down, you are making a fool out of yourself.” Was she taunting the older valkyrie? Yes. She caught that look she was giving the conductor. “Don’t even think about it. If this train is held up because of you, Mama and Papa will not let us hear the end of it!”

Herryk rubbed his forehead as he slumped into the seat across from Mot. He shoved the various pieces of luggage under the seat before turning to Freya.

"Freya, min sjel, please sit next to Herryk. Everything is going to be just fine, Freya will see." He did not in any way shape or form even begin to insinuate that Hel was right -- despite feeling exactly that.

"Hel and Freya are both not happy they have to go to this wedding. Perhaps with Mot and Herryk, this will be more ... bearable for the sisters, hmm?" He patted the seat next to him with a broad hand, blue eyes pleading up at Freya.

Hel’s gaze turned to snap at Mot, wide eyed and impressed. Did he just call her sister a baby and tell her to sit down? Holy Jack! Hel was damn impressed.

Herryk was in good spirits about it, or was trying to anyways, and Hel was thankful for that, and she narrowed her eyes at her sister when she hissed at her. “Of course I did~” It was the reaper’s turn to roll her eyes now as Freya just seemed to unload on Herryk, and it was at that point she reached out and kicked Freya in the shin.

It was a long train ride.

The usually energetic and talkative Hel was quiet through out the majority of it, just staring out the window as the train rolled along the tracks. By the time they finally arrived at their station, the pumpkin sun was just starting to set. The younger valkyrie led the way off of the train, stepping onto the platform and stretching before taking in a deep breath. This train station was smaller than the one they had started out in, and the scenery around them drastically different. Welcome to the country. There were a lot of sprawling fields and hills, farm lands, and the road connecting to the station was made out of dirt. There also really wasn’t any other buildings in sight, except for the houses on nearby farms.

This might be a serious culture shock to the city cowboil.

Hel looked left and right as she stepped down from the platform. “Bah…I knew it would have been too much to expect them to send us a ride…Oh!” Hel perked up as she caught sight of a wagon being drawn by skeletal horses coming their way from down the dirt road. “OI!” Hel called out, waving her arms wildly, as the wagon pulled up to a stop near the four. “Vidar! Good to see you, neighbor!” The young valkyrie greeted.

An older, yet humble looking grim reaper was the one driving the wagon, and grinning as his eyes swept over the four students. “Ah, Hel, Freya! Good to see yeh! Back from that there school for the wedding, eh? Yeh brought friends as well? Well, hop in, youngin’s, I was just on meh way back from the market…I’ll drop yeh off, that’s a long walk to make by yehselves!”

Hel was delighted, and she looked back at Mot, making a waving motion with her hand as she climbed up into the back of the wagon. “Thank you kindly, friend!”

Herryk narrowed his eyes at Freya before folding his arms over his chest.

"Herryk thought it would be a nice surprise for Freya. Herryk was mistaken."

In all actuality she'd responded just the way he thought she might, so why was he feeling so sour?

He missed Hel's kicking of Freya's shin because he was far too busy glaring at the backs of his eyelids. Now wasn't the time to plead his case. Perhaps when he was alone with Freya he'd have a chance -- if she even let him explain.

It was a long, long trip.

After they departed the train (with Herryk commandeering Freya's luggage, of course), Herryk's disposition only soured further at the sight of the wagon. He did offer a smile to the older gent that Hel flagged down, though. Forever courteous except when it came to smudging the truth to his ghoulfriend, it would seem. Following Hel, Herryk tossed the luggage into the back of the wagon before vaulting in, reaching down to help Freya up.

Hel looked a bit sheepish as she glanced at Mot. “Heh…yes…just a bit more friend, I promise. After this, we’ll be home!”

Her expression faltered once more as she settled onto the wagon, looking between Mot, Herryk, and then her sister. Everyone seemed…miserable. Had she done the right thing? She had hoped this would be better having some company, and she had expected Freya to throw a bit of a fit…but seeing it drag Herryk down…why did everything she try with the best intentions seem to back fire on her? Hel was pulled out of her downer thoughts as she felt a tug on one of her braids, and narrowed her gaze to regard her sister as the wagon started to move down the path.

“I won’t let them.” She hissed back softly to her sister. “As for Herryk, he is strong, he can handle himself, I am sure.” Oooh yeah, trust Hel, she knew that Mot was potentially in for a world of harassment…but she’d be on it to make sure nothing happened.

The ride down the dirt road was uneventful. Vidar simply chatted to them all whether they responded or not about the current events on the land, their fields, and what his reaper boys were up nowadays. After some time, the wagon eventually came to a stop in front of a decently sized rustic stone cottage with hearty wood trim accenting it. After all the kids were off, the older reaper wished them a good evening, and told them he’d see them at the wedding. Hel thanked him for the ride, and then turned towards the cottage.

This was home.

Her hands suddenly started clenching the strap of her bag as she stared at the cottage. It was brightly lit, obvious that there was activity from within, and if one looked at the windows, there seemed to be an awful lot of shadows moving to the door. “Ah…this is it, friends. Welcome to our home…!” No sooner had Hel announced that, did the wooden front door of the cottage bust open, and soon it was raining valkyries upon them. Hel immediately stepped in between Mot and the incoming flock of winged ghouls. The sounds and greetings and excited shouts of six energetic ghouls filled the air as they all swarmed on their target.

Herryk.

“Oooooh look at what Freya has brought us, yeh?”

“Oh a new face, such a strapping one too!”

“Look at those muscles!”

Cooing, complimenting, touching, and feeling was what the poor (or maybe not so poor) draugr was subjected to at the moment.

Hel couldn’t believe her luck. They didn’t even notice Mot. Yet. But still, this was good in her books. Regardless, she kept rather close to the cowboil, standing between him and the mass of six older valkyries. In the door way of the cottage, another valkyrie stood leaning against the door frame, watching this interaction with a cool, collected smirk. “Oh father, mother.” She called back into the house sweetly. “It would appear Freya and Hel finally made their appearance. With their guests.”

This moment, this one right here, was officially Herryk's new definition of awkward.

For a split second, Herryk almost let himself get carried away on the ocean of beautiful, buxom blondes. It was almost as if each of them were an exact clone of Freya, though their ages spanned what Herryk could only guess to be a year between one and the next. A sea of Freya. Minuscule differences between this sister and that sister.

All of the Freya-clones. Touching him. Rubbing him.

Pinch Herryk, for he must be dreaming.

Turning to peer over his shoulder, Herryk caught sight of his Freya. It was surreal, how quick his expression changed from one of heavenly delight to that of a man terrified.

"No, no, oh, thank you sister of Freya. Oh yes, no, thank you. Oh, yes, Herryk's muscles. Ohh, sister of Freya thank you -- THANK YOU SISTERS, BUT HERRYK IS FREYA'S BOILFRIEND AND ALL OF THIS TOUCHING MUST STOP THANK YOU SISTERS."

8C

Hel could only stare as Herryk continued being mobbed.

Better him than Mot, that we her opinion! Speaking of…”Heh…good to see you all, sisters!” The younger valkyrie chirped, and immediately reached for Mot’s wrist. “We’ll go on it and get settled now, yes?” The youngest valkyrie then yanked on the cowboil’s arm and leading him through the gate and up the cobble stone path to the cottage. The ghoul paused though as she caught sight of who happened to be standing in the door way, leaning against the door frame. Hel tensed, and Mot could feel her anxiety on the way she tightened her hold on his wrist.

“Dearest youngest sister~” Came the coo from the oldest.

“….S...Sif!” Hel returned after a moment. “Very good to see you again, sister…ah…congratulations…”

The oldest Brynhildr sister raised a delicate, finely trimmed brow as she stared down at Hel, and her icy blue gaze them swept over Mot, calculating.

Hel gulped.

The oldest was quiet for a long moment. “…Ah…dearest Hel…how childish of you. I told you to bring a guest, and instead you dressed up a scarecrow and brought it along. Have you not made any friends at the Academy?” Hel spluttered, and was about to try and protest, until another voice boomed from inside the cottage. “Hel!? Come in ‘ere, my child!” Sif just smirked, and stepped away from the doorway at her own pace. “Mother is calling you. You’d best heed her call…introduce her to your scarecrow.” Sif chuckled, and Hel then pulled Mot into the cottage, passing through the living room to make her way to the kitchen.

---

Outside still, all the sisters stopped what they were doing, and just stared at Herryk.

It was oddly quiet as some crickets chirped, then everyone erupted into obnoxious laughter.

“That is a good one!”

“Yehr so funny, Herryk!”

“Freya with a boilfriend? Ha!”

Though ghouls were starting to calm a bit though, and now took to clinging to his arms, shooting him questions about where he came from, how many battles he fought, and quite a few questions about if he was in the market for a wife. Hey, they were single!