marbleglove | Methos in Valdemar with a White Horse

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Methos in Valdemar with a White Horse

Methos was, once upon a time, Death on a Horse, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In a very disturbing fashion, he wore all white, rode a white horse, and killed people. And enjoyed himself immensely while doing so.

Then he got bored and decided to stop doing that.

So let us say in his wandering hither and yon, he stumbles across the quaint little kingdom of Valdemar which is ruled by a king but protected by the Heralds. Who wear white. And ride white horses (aka Companions). And generally try to avoid killing people when at all possible although it's not out of the question. But even with that difference in attitude, you might see a reason for Methos to have a few rather nasty flashbacks.

He tries to stay away from the Heralds whenever possible. He's decided he likes brown horses. Brown is a good color. Doesn't mean much of anything to anyone, really. It's not black, white, red, or green (and I'm fairly sure that's just an odd translation in my bible, but it does say that pestilence rode a green horse, I kid you not. In another translation, it says sickly, but who rides a sickly animal into battle?) Anyway...

Heralds are actually chosen by their Companions. The Companions live out in Companion Field near the royal palace. When they come of age, they go off questing for their Herald, their rider, with whom they form a psychic connection. Sometimes they just pick someone because the personality match is there and the person is a good and virtuous individual. Other times, they pick someone because, in addition to all of the above, this individual has some skill or ability that is or will be needed for the protection of the kingdom.

So I can imagine a time when Valdemar is having trouble with some great empire and needs a clever diplomat and politician. And who better than Methos?

So Methos is confronted by a white horse who says, come, wear white and ride on me...

Methos takes one look and sprints the other way.

The Companion gives chance and finally manages to corner him, which at least gets a proper answer even if the answer is a firm and final "No."

The Companion persists. It's for the good of the kingdom, for the good of mankind, to help me. Please? And Methos, who does love horses and loved his beautiful white horses from way back when who were still nowhere near as lovely as the Companion, agrees to help. He just knows he's going to regret that.

He still refuses to wear white, though. His first few outfits were quickly stained in the laundry and as fast as the magic bleaches his Companion white, it still can't keep up with the fanciful designs Methos paints on him.

And the good Heralds of Valdemar all have to get used to dealing with someone who's a bit more cynical than they had previously thought possible, but who still has the Companion seal of approval for being good and virtuous underneath it all.

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well that one I would also love to see.
If only so Methos can argue with a horse and wish for Silas to be around to explain to the animal, what NO means.

and see how long it takes for the wily diplomat to decide to leave the kingdom alone

The horse (and Methos would definitely call it "horse" despite it being a Companion that only looks like a horse and having a perfectly good name) probably does make Methos miss Silas. But in a good way, and so maybe Methos gives in a bit because Silas would have thought the horse beautiful.

And I'm thinking the wily diplomat or court officials of the other kingdom are pretty taken aback by such such a wily diplomat from Valdemar while all the other Valdemar diplomats are a bit taken aback themselves. Methos fits in better in the other kingdom and the other kingdom tries to recruit him. But really the only reason Methos is in politics at the moment is because his horse wants him to be (not that he would ever admit to doing anything just because someone else wanted it) and his horse is entirely loyal to Valdemar.

It's possible that one of the other kingdom's people tries to assassinate his horse. (The horse survives. So does the assissin, for that matter, though it's not at all a happy or pain free life in his case. The other Valdemarians are horrified. Methos goes, "what? He's still alive." The foreign emperor falls a little bit in love.)

Oh yes... times with the horsemen couldn't have been all that if they all called each other brother and he always liked Silas, he would respect horses because of that (not to mention the fact that he rode them a very long time so he has to be good with them... cars are way to recent for any immortal over 100 not to be an expert horseperson.

Oh yes he would most definitely shock everyone with his ruthlessness when compared to the others. AndI really pity the assassin who gets sent after something he cares about. Trying to recruit him or buy him away would be an emperor's dream, he can be such a resource!

I have the vague sense that after all the negotiations are done, the emperor decides he's bored with being emperor after 60+ years, abdicate his thrown in favor of his heir (who was just waiting for the emperor to die), and goes to spend his last years as Methos' guest. And the people of Valdemar go, wait, what? that wasn't exactly how we were hoping this would go. I mean, the negotiations were great, but um...

Can you imagine it?
they would create a refuge for the retired and cunning to spend their last days with games of little consequences, witty conversation and lots of beer. And everyone else goes "wait... what?" while powerful overlords retire and villans decide to give the refuge a try.

and the people around them just have to take it, because who wants to tell them to move?

And it's possible that after that, they start getting other politicians and revolutionaries and counselors etc coming by just to get advice or learning. The university in Valdemar finally gives in and says, "fine, we'll have a political science department" that quickly becomes the jewel of the land, drawing students from around the world. Which actually protects the kingdom because in a couple of decades half the rulers in the known world consider Valdemar their alma mater and wouldn't dream of hurting it. And the King/Queen of Valdemar wonders what they ever did to deserve this.

Oh yest it would become the foremost department in the World, one which nobody would think of hurting... because you don't want to mess with the people who have interests there...
after all they might try to use you for an academical demonstration of technique best used for methods of revenge. Strictly for academic purposes of course.

and since it is such protected place it would also turn into a great vacation spot. Learn a little and rest a little... then return to world politics

Valdemar would be like Vatican City. A principality that is tiny but extremely powerful, everyone knows about it, and no one would dream of attacking. It makes me laugh. All because one horse wanted Methos as a rider.

A thousand years later, Methos blinks, and goes "what? I'm just a guy."

I can see that just so clearly... and someday some goes "hey you look like the statue of the PS department founder from Valdermar" and he is like what? No I don't

And all the Companions out their field, who are mystical magical forces for good, snicker. And sometimes coerce him into riding them even if his own Companion died of old age long since and he never really did forgive any of them for being all white.

Yes... but he only condescends to ride because it means so much for them... and can a mystical magical force be considered Holy Ground?

Hmm. Good question. As I recall that universe, to the extent that Valdemar has any religion, it's that the Heralds are good and the Companions are mystical-magical good. And there is a special Companion Grove in the center of Companion field and super special Companions sort of appear there without have been born before hand.

So I'm thinking, the Grove is probably holy ground, possibly the field is as well. I'm not sure whether or not simply riding a Companion would count. Hmm.

well ate least there are large streches of Holy Ground to ride the companion on...

And there are probably a few other immortals wandering around looking at Methos rather dubiously since, aside from Darius, who stayed strictly out of the Game, they hadn't thought immortals were capable of being virtuous enough to be Heralds. And Methos doesn't exactly come across as good and virtuous.

well the 7 heavenly virtues are:
1 -Temperance - or self control, and he has that
2-Chasity - doesn't have much of that but if he had been returning from a sojourn in a monastery the companions might overlook this
3-Charity - nobility of thought and action... well nevermind this one.
4-Diligence - or persistence... and he is very diligent in making sure his goals are achieved and he remains alive.
5-Patience - he managed to deal with Caspian form 1000 years, if that doesn't denote patience I don't know what does.
6-Kindness - kindness can be cruel... see how he *didn't* kill the guy who wanted his horse dead... see kindness
7-Humility - he keeps saying he is just a guy...

5 out of 7 isn't so bad... they are just warped versions of the virtues...

Heh. Well, in comparison to MacLeod, he's chaste. And charity, well, it all depends on your definition of "noble" I suppose. The nobles back in the day certainly weren't all that noble.

And now I see Saint Peter praying that Methos never dies because that would mean going over *all those records* and tallying everything up and trying to figure out where to put him. And it would just be a major mess.

Ohhh can you imagine the paperwork?
and he is a text book definition of "Heaven Don't Want Me and Hell's Afraid I'll Take Over" I wonder if that how he manages to stay alive... the people on the other side don't want him there and so intervene so he would be alive!

Once you're done reading "Good Omens", you should read "Ruffled Feathers" by Rhiannon.

http://rhi.moonlit-eyrie.com/stories/ruffledfeathers.html

There, the representative Angel and Devil both want Methos to go to them because of all the good work he did for them back in the day, and neither of them want the other to get him. So Methos is happily staying in limbo here on Earth. :-)

Bookmarked it!
our boys does keep some odd friends hidden away then... and these ones Mac can't kill!

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