Hex: the Icy Quest [Samheen 18th]

[Maeve]

Hex did not wish to follow Lirahn, she had seen enough, heard enough and had her mind made up about her next move. Warmed breath coiled from between clenched teeth. "Lirahn, if you could look after Ellena for some turning of the moons, I would be grateful." Walking up to Ellena and taking her hand, "Ellena, I have some things I need to do and some places I need to go and these are things and places that I need to do alone. Lirahn will take good care, I will cut his heart out if he doesn't.' Hex winked and was off, her braids shaking with the force of her walk.

Back at her tent the mood was dour. Hex told of the many happenings that had transpired and of her plans to seek out the Queen. She rebuffed shouts and tears of frustration. Calls of her thick-headedness could be heard echoing inside the tent. She was determined though and was firm in her position. From her father and brother she asked for a good suit of double chain to protect her from the Trolls and for a Glaive polearm to fend them off. She spent the next days gathering a month and a halfs dry provisions. Assembling her gear on a small one person sleigh, she also gathered a change of winter clothing, small tent and jar of bear fat.

The morning of the 18th drew quickly but Hex greeted the day with a vigor she had not felt since she stepped on a pirate ship headed for parts unknown so long ago. Her body greased against the cold, her muscles loose from training over the past three days and her spirit high, Hex started out to pass through town on her way to Gymir's Talons.

The weather was cold, but no colder than was usual for the area, and the sky was as blue as the IceQueens eyes, the sunlight making the snow, which covered large patches of these fields even during summer and now stretched as far as the eye could see, impossibly white. The six trained dogs that pulled the sleigh were playful, snapping at each other now and again as they put in a fair speed.

Hex made good time and far on the horizon she could see the grey mountains that local folklore called Grymir's Talons. Still a days ride away, and common knowledge had it that you would not want to cross the mountains in the dark for fear of the different creatures that hunted in the night. Yet that made it desirable to make a camp that was able to withstand the same dangers of the snow field.

The terrain was slightly curved, becoming more so as the road continued, turning into hilss, with a tree here and there, but mostly plains.

[Hex da`Bergliin]

The cool air passed in and out of Hex's lungs as she ran along the rear of the sled. As she left the settlement she left behind a jumbled mess of emotions and predicaments. Her family as always had been understanding and as always they had been concerned. They had said goodbye before but this time they knew where she was headed rather than into an unknown.

For Hex though there was an inner driving force that drove her on into situations that most people tried to avoid. She felt bad that she had left her friends in some unusual situations with the untimely death of a priestess and unrest within the community. There was nothing she could do about it even if she wanted to, it was time for her to go.

Now as she ran along with the dogs she felt the pressure to explain her every action lifted. She realized she still had quite some way to go before she was able to be fully comfortable in civilized company. Here in the wild she was more at home. Her survival instincts kicking in as she constantly watched the horizon for a threat.

The dogs were a nice gift as she thought she was going to have to pull her sled herself. Hex moved the dogs at a good pace until late afternoon. She wanted to give herself enough time to make a good camp incase of bad weather. Kicking herself for not studying more she looked to the sky for any indication on the future of the weather.

Hex found shelter closer to the base of the mountain chain in the foothills. By tomorrow she should have made good time and be into the chain. Tonight though she constructed a small lento out of the sled and a tarp. The dogs would huddle together and keep warm but she had no such luxury as company. Dogs in general had keen senses and she was grateful for an extra set of eyes in the night. After camp was set hex did some drills with her pole arm to keep her muscles loose after a long days run. Supper was not soon after and the setting sun gave Hex time to stop and reflect on a long passage home and the quest ahead of her.

[Maeve]

The sky had been blue, though hazy at the edges, suggesting the night might bring mist and who knows what else. The air smelled of snow.

No wolves or Trolls showed themselves, but Hex could hear them calling in the distance. The ears of the dogs twisted each time a creature howled. However they settled in after supper, laying close to each other for warmth, only the tip of their noses showing in the ball of fur.

Sure enough the stars slowly disappeared in mist, and the dark foreboding outline of Gymir's Talons was no longer visible. Indeed a nearby tree was swallowed up by the whispy fingers as well. The world around Hex became small.

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex had set her small fire deep in the snow. She did not want the light to be too visible and really just wanted some heat to warm her face and heat some water. As darkness approached Hex let out a sigh of relief. The days hard push had been good physically after a few days rest and Hex was thankful that she had always kept herself in shape. Sitting now quietly with her polearm across her knees, Hex let the wind carry the sounds of the night to her. She knew the dangers of her quest and needed to quickly climatize herself back to the wild of Trothgard to survive.

She was warm enough in her skins as a light snow developed, just a few flakes visible in the dieing light of the ashes of her fire. Hex then did some thing she had not done for a very long time, sing. Only softly as to not wake the creatures of the forest but Hex sang to herself many of the children rhymes that her mother would sing to her. A small tear crept down her cheeks as she started to allow herself the time to grieve the passing of her mother. She had reset her internal compass on this trail, a compass that was sent into chaos upon her return home and the news of her mothers passing. She knew that after this journey that her life would never be the same again.

A few of the dogs had been able to snatch down a rabbit and now Hex made sure that the leader was well tethered to keep the pack close. Bones buried and fire out, Hex sat down to let sleep gently take her. She hummed a few more songs and felt the comfort of the polearm on her lap. Adventuring alone in the wild meant that one would not get the same kind of sleep as in the comfort of an inn or a warm bed, but with time her body would adjust to having one eye open and one ear to the ground. Casting a glance to the sky, she looked to see if the stars told of the next days weather.

[Maeve]

The stars had disappeared in the clouds and mist that started to surround Hex, whisps dancing around the small circle of her and her dogs, who slept noisily, occassionaly whining as if dreaming. Her rythmic singing, the trusted sounds of Trothgardians out in the wilderness, did put their minds on ease some and they sank in a deeper sleep, their bellies full. Hex's sense of weather told her that more snow was coming before sunrise.

Something made Hex restless, unable to catch sleep. It was more a feeling than any noise heard. Something was out there, hidden by the mist. It circled the small camp in a large perimeter. Yet the circle became smaller.

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex could see her mother now, holding her back as she went to wail her tiny fists upon her brother, his big laugh echoing in her mind. "But Mama..." Little lips trembled as she began to cry. She glanced back over at her brother. "One day I will show you!" Cheeks blushed the color of her hair. Mother was there though, her kind round face smiling as she wiped away Hexs tears. "Come child, leave your brother be and come be with me..."

Memories faded away as hex opened her eyes. The stars were gone, replaced by encroaching mist, and a thing. Hex pulled all her senses sharp, clearing her mind of the normal sounds of the dogs and the wind, straining for the sound of the unknown. Her eyes deceived her within the mist, forms blending into nothing before her. Not wishing to make noise Hex steadied herself as she slowly brought all her limbs to life. Fingers and toes protesting the disturbance from slumber, legs and arms coming to life.

The mist made it harder to tell what time it was but she had been asleep on and off but never in deep or at ease. This is going to be a long journey... Hex grumbled under her breath as she scanned the mist for the unknown visiter to her little camp.

[Maeve]

Hex had noticed the presence before the dogs. The mist had muzzled their scent into one moist disaster, but it had not prevented Hex's intuition from calling out. At the first sound of cracking snow however the dogs leaped up and howled. By now the scent was finally reaching them. Hex saw a large shadow appear through the white curtain, about the size of an average Troll.

The sounds became louder as the creature moved towards the Trothgardian woman, the snow now shouting its approach, and it abondoned any attempt at subterfuge going straight for its target. The dogs ran forward, gnarling.

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex was a little better off for this encounter than she was the last time. Since when did the Trolls get so smart? The Troll had broken her camp and her mind reeled with all of her possible combat options. She planed on using the straight charge to her favor.

It was one of the nice things about a pole arm. You can keep things a poles reach away. As the creature charged in Hex waited until it was almost within reach. As it crossed that threshold Hex spun to the left swinging her Glaive low to catch the creature just behind the knee of its left leg. If she was successful in that strike and crippled its' movement , she was going to whittle that thing down like it were an ice sculpture.

With a snarl of her own, Hex executed her manoeuver.

[Maeve]

The creature may have been as large as a Troll, but surprisingly as it emerged from the mist, it was not. It was white and hairy and as Hex attacked it with her pole arm it gave a gutteral sound raising up his hands as if he could ward her off. However, the warrior woman struck true and a wail that cut right to her bone emerged from the white haired creature.

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Trolls are not white and hairy...

The thought did not have time to register in the mind of Hex. All of her training had told her to finish a swing and focus on the combat.

My Ice Queen, you do test me as does your land.

Hex felt the blade make contact but had now lost her edge in the combat as she her mind was thrown by the emergence of the wrong creature from the mist. She recovered her balance but did not let down her guard.

"I know not of who or what you are but you are not what I was expecting to find wandering into my camp. You came with your hands raised...can you even understand me?"

Hex moved back to give the creature some room. If the creature wished her no harm she did not want to appear as if she was going to kill it in the next moment, if the creature did have ill intentions she wanted to have room to maneuver.

She waited for a response as she hushed her dogs.[/i]

[Maeve]

"Underrrrrrrrrrstand," the beast growled, as it looked up at the threatening pose of Hex. The creature was still sprawled into the snow, and was now clutching its knee. Then it let out a series of low rumbles and slowly, so as not to scare the lady warrior, it scrambled up "Peace, daughterrrrrrrr of the Ice." His voice was heavily accented, with gutteral noises in between that Hex could not understand. Yet with great difficult the creature spoke human.

The white hairy monster looked at the dogs who by now were surrounding them, growling deep in their troath in a sound that was remarkable similar to that of beast they threatened, barely contained by Hex hushing reassurances. It started to make soft whining noises, and the dogs responded by sitting down on their haunches.

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex looked upon the creature sprawled upon the ground and shook her head. Sometimes I wonder when my temper will stop getting me into trouble.... Hex firmly placed the shaft of the pole arm in the snow so that she could grab it quickly incase any other visiters decided to grace the confines of her little camp this night.

Going into her bag for her precious resource of her first aid kit, Hex moved towards the creature.

"Alright, you know I am a Daughter of Ice, and who may you be? Better yet, what are you and are there any more nearby? When I goto hit something I mean to hit it. I thought you were a Troll so I was hoping to take your leg off. Now let me look at that. I can not do much but maybe I can stop the bleeding a bit. Do you have a camp nearby?"

Hex was not a stupid woman and she knew that with her two daggers she was as deadly up close as she was from afar now. The creature had made no threating moves and could speak common. If it was from this area perhaps it could be of some use to her on her quest...if she could patch up that nasty cut on its leg.

[Maeve]

The creature listened to the stream of words that came out of Hex' mouth as she started to administer first aid, its head slightly tilted as it listened. Through all the white hair Hex could see a rough face that could be described as apelike, with a low portruding forehead. Far larger than a human, and larger than any of the creatures Hex had seen on her travels, safe of course for the Trolls. It did not wear any clothes. The fur all over its body hardly made it necessary despite the cold, and presumably modesty was not an issue.

It allowed her to approach and check its wound, a flesh cut that had not hit bone. It bled profusely creating a bright red splattering on the snow. The metallic smell of blood filled the air, making the dogs twist their ears, their hunter instincts wide awake.

"Guarrrrrrdian," it said proudly as it pointed to its chest, while Hex treated the wound" Guarrrrrrrrdian of the Ice frrrrrrom beyond the Wall." It frowned for a moment "Wall of Ice brrrrreached. Guarrrrrrrdians failed."

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex was unsure of a lot of things at this moment. Her life of sailing the high seas looking for adventure had come to a crashing halt on the shores of her homeland. A land it seemed, that was under the grip of some invisible threat. A threat the seemed to not be so much of a physical manifestation but one of the mind. What is wrong with people? The question swirled within until her dissatisfaction with answers and put offs could be taken no longer. There was also the inner drive pulling her on this quest, a quest to see a queen. She will probably think my head full of ice and decapitate me...oh well...

Such thoughts loomed through her head as she tended to the Guardian in-between "Sorry". She had no real training in the healing way and really she was going on what she could remember her sister doing to her as she practiced. Right now it was key that they slow the bleeding and stich the wound closed.

Hex cut the creatures white hair from around the wound to try and prevent infection. Stitching the wound closed as best she could she realized that she had done a crude job. her bandages were not even straight like her sisters.She thought it would be sufficient but it would leave a nasty scar. "Sorry, I have marked you." She pointed out some of her many scars as she spoke hoping to convey her meaning. "Come we must move. You lie still, the dogs will work." Hex fixed up her small sled so that the Guardian would be able to sit up and keep on the sled. The dogs would have to work a bit more but with distributing the weight between her shoulders and the creatures lap she hoped to move far enough away in the next hour or so to cover her traces. Creatures other than her dogs would smell the blood on the snow.

The blowing snow was not helping matters from her perspective. Hex was not an virgin of the wild though, and while she was not a veteran she at least knew to make her camp in such a way that she knew the directions based upon her set up. That done and the dogs hitched she musshed the dogs into action. As they slowly set off..

"Guardian, my name is Hex. Do you have a name? I wish to know more about you and this wall of ice and what has happened. My land has changed and I seek answers. I seek a palace of ice beyond the mountains for there ...[pausing] ..for there I seek a queen. Come, tell me of your self..."

[Maeve]

The creature that called itself the Guardian, for some reason Hex got the impression it was a man, allowed the warrior to tend to his wounds, whimpering softly as she cleaned the wound, and then obediently sat down on the slede.

As the dogs put the caravan in motion and Hex ran beside the sled, the Guardian observed her wearily, his features slightly hidden by the snow that blew harder and harder.

"Do you hearrrrrrrrr wind Daughterrrrrr of Ice? Do you feel cold?" the Guardian shouted over the noise of "It is She, she crrrrrrries. Her childrrrrren have been violated. She is distrrrrrrrraught. She will not pay attention to the Eterrrrrrrrrrnal task of guarrrrrrrrrrrding wall."

The Guardian howled against the wind for a moment, overcome with grief, and the dogs responded with their own cries. It was answered in the distance. Wolves.

"We guarrrrrrrrd Wall for She Who Is Of Ice, Eterrrrrrrnal Sleeperrrrrrr. She was set this task, not to let Darrrrrrrrrrkness roam beyond mountains, beyond Wall, wherrrrre once was City of Seven Towerrrrrrs."

Perhaps Hex had misunderstood what the Guardian said. The blowing wind and the creatures yapping and gnarling accent made it not so easy to follow this conversation. Was he alluding to the stories of her earliest childhood that told of the great trek of people, the trail of tears, over the mountains because a large fair city had fallen?

OOC: I have some OOC info that may help you keep track of this story, but of course Hex will only know the outline of the general story, and not the details of this diary: https://tazlure.nl/board/viewtopic.php?t=790

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex jogged along side of the sled as the dogs pulled on. She may not be the swiftest of trackers or the most knowledgeable of scouts but the dog's ears indicated that they were not the only ones out this night. The wind and snow were getting worse and Hex feared running in circles out in the snow. She whistled the dogs to a stop and took a moment to catch her breath. As she did she listened to the sound of the wolves in the distance. Wolves she did not mind, she may need the furs. Her eyes were narrow slits as steam rolled off her head. Her breath seemed to hang in the air but for a moment before being whipped away.

Hex closed her eyes to think about what the Guardian had said. She could see her mother holding her as a small child.How she squirmed against her to get to her brothers. Her mothers cool voice holding her still. Stories of long ago gently rocked her to sleep.

Her eyes opened with snow sticking to her long lashes. There was little point in pressing on. The wind was obliterating all points of reference. Pitching her camp so that she and the Guardian would at least be out of the wind she took another look at her inflicted wound. And I am looking for what exactly Hex? You can chop them up but you are not so good at putting them back together are you now... Hex could not really tell much of anything but she thought that for the most part the blood had stopped.

The dogs had dug in to ride out the storm and she did likewise.
"I hear her Guardian, I hear and feel her rage. I did not know why she is the way she is now. I can feel a change. You said ' Her children have been violated'. I do not understand this. Do you speak now of the fallen city? I was made to believe that she has a palace over the mountains, is it in this city?" Hex shook her head. "At every turn a new set of questions a new riddle laid before me. Sleep friend, tonight a daughter of ice watches over you."

[Maeve]

The white haired creature looked confused for a moment, and then smiled as if he had gotten her obscure references "No, Daughterrrrrrrrr of Ice, the fallen city is no morrrrrrrrrre, home of king one calls Charrrrrrrrrrlesmagne, burrrrrrrried deep in trrrrreacherrrry. Mistrrrrrrress of Ice, she was charrrrrrged with watching wall against evil afterrrrrr trrrrrrrail of tearrrrs. She built herrrrr own palace at the wall."

The wound of the Guardian didn't not fester at this moment, and the creature appeared comfortable, chatting away despite the chill, as if it didn't touch him at all. Indeed he had no remarkable need to come closer to her fire.

Wolves in the distance still howled and were only kept back due to the fire that Hex had made for her camp. The hounds had curled up and were sleeping now, completely comfortable in the creatures presence.

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex smiled as her eyes and ears kept a watch over the wolves. Feeding her small fire.

"Do I understand that you tell me that the Ice Queen has forsaken her task for some reason that you do not know?" Hex's smile slipped into a grin. "Well now have all the evidence I need to pay her a visit." Hex laughed against the wind. Chuckling she poked the small fire causing it to flare for a moment.

"Do you know of this palace Guardian? it is there I go. Will you come with me? As it is I know only to go over the mountain. If you could even point me in the right direction it would be very helpful. I am truly sorry about your leg. How do you feel? Would you like some tea?" Hex had resinged herself to little sleep this night. Tomorrow would hopefully bring them deep into or over the peak of the mountain chain and there would be time to rest later...she hoped.

[Maeve]

"Yes Daughterrrrr," the Guardian nodded " She is distrrracted, and the guarrrrdians arrrrre lost without herrrrr. We cannot protect the wall. She no longerrrr heeds our calls. So we went forrrrrth to find one who could help us so that we might rrrrreach herrrrr."

The Guardian stared into the darkness, in the direction of the mountains "I know not how I came herrrrre, stumbling thrrrrough the mountains for so long. Yet I shall trrrry to be of help, Daughterrrrr of Ice. Perhaps you arrrre the one the shaman forrrretold." He eyed her over the fire "The palace.. it is no place of humans, Daughterrrr. There is dangerrrr. I shall stand with you."

The hairy creature fell silent, unwilling to divulge more for several moments, before giving her a gentle smile, which looked strange on his apelike face, splitting his face in two. "Go sleep, Daughterrrrr. I will wake you when therrrre is need."

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex looked around her in the blowing snow, the day's adventure was starting to take it's toll and the thought of sleep, now that it entered her mind, was a very inviting thought.

"You are not alone in being ignored my friend. Many where I cone from are being ignored, or have forgot how to listen. I sometimes wonder if it goes two ways, the more we belive the more powerful she is. The more powerful she is the more we believe. " Hex sighed and felt the heavy leather chord on her pole arm.

"My friend I take you up on your kind offer to show me what you know. I will do my best once we find her to get her focus back on Trothgard. I fear nothing and no one. I know I go where I should not but it is there that all answers lay. For now I will take you up on your offer of sleep." Hex stood and patted the Guardian on the shoulder. Soon her dreams were troubled not only by what she knew, but what she imagined she didn't.

[Maeve]

OOC: I have updated your skills, reflecting the personality that I know see in the threads. Please let me know if you think I missed something. The goal skillwise is to make Hex into some kind of priest, with faith magick. She'll need a breakthrough in her quest first, to grant that. So.. this is an inner journey as well as a real quest.

I'll start a new thread for the following day.