Troth: The Reign of Witches

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex smiled and welcomed the men to the fire. Hex nodded as the men made their offer.

"We will gladly speak to you of what little we know of Rimmerhold and of the south. I am sure that you will find our news most limited."

Hex made an offer of hot tea for the men, she did not want to appear to be a bad host after all. Hex sat across from the men as they sat together opposite her.

"I have not been known as one to hide my words. We were very unsure what nature of man was coming down the mountain to meet us here in our camp. We recently have had unpleasant dealings with men from foreign lands and we also made a discovery of a dead body just before we made camp."

Hex spoke clearly for she did not any miss-understanding of her words. As she spoke she looked directly at the men looking for any reaction that may give her an indication where they stood even if their words spoke otherwise.

"You are clearly not men from anywhere but here, or you have become men from here, this is no concern or business of mine. The death of the miner behind us is also not a concern, rather a curiosity and I speak of it to see if you can or wish to speak of it."

Hex poked the fire as she paused.

"I will begin though with an offering of information about myself. You said that you have curiosity as to who come out this far. For myself, I am to find the palace of the Queen and do her bidding to the north."

Hex looked at the men and smiled her wicked little smile.

"Do not say I am crazy, are you not here?"

[Ashilda da'Svafa]

Ashilda was content for now to let Hex handle the men. If they had truly been living wild, then they would be more likely to respect strength than mysticism, she reasoned, and Hex was by far the stronger of them. So she sat, bow and quiver beside her where she could get to them quickly if she needed to, and watched and listened. She had always been good at watching and listening.

Her eyebrows rose slightly as Hex spoke of the body they had found, then further still as she spoke casually of finding that palace of the Ice Queen. If anyone could do it, she could, she thought with a small smile. Hex would challenget the mountains themselves if they got in her way! She looked with interest towards the three men, curious as to what they would make of these pronouncements. It had taken her a while to get used to the warrior's moments of wildness and odd humour, but now she was used to it she couldn't imagine her companion being any other way. She could remember, however, how disconcerting it had been at first.


OOC: Sorry so short. Writers' block bites.

[Vanadius]

There was little reaction to her declaration that she wished to find the Ice Queen's Palace, but clearly there was a reaction to her mentioning of the body they had found. It was not a reaction of words or gestures, but the look on their faces told a story that they knew more they what their words were saying.

"A dead body? Out here?" It was the first time Kaarl had spoken, and his voice was nasally and thin. "May we see it?"

"Later..." Skaali said. "The dead can wait, but the living need to eat and drink. The body will keep. My thirst will not."

Naug brought forward a skin with his hulking arms and handed it over to the apparent leader. Skaali took a long, deep drink from it and handed it over to Hex.

"So tell me..." He began. "These men from foreign lands. How was it that they came to this land? We have watched the great Ice Sea, and we have seen no sleds or caravans. Are they in the settlements? Where are they from?"

Skaali was obviously curious about the invaders, but Kaarl was the one that seemed ill at ease. He stared off into the night, in the direction of the body of the miner. He seemed to fidget and worry, his hands clenched and unclenched and he seemed restless and unable to relax.

Naug was a curious creature. He seemed to care little for the conversation and was more curious about the dogs and the sleds. He was not rude or suspicious about it, he simply watched the dogs and examined the condition of their gear in curiosity. He seemed... almost simple minded.

[Ashilda da'Svafa]

Ashilda noted the way the men reacted to the news of the dead body, and pondered it. Were they once a group of four, and wonder if this is their missing companion? she asked herself. Or were they responsible for his death? It was a difficult, sensitive question. Deciding that there was no subtle way to ask it, especially when the leader of these men seemed inclined to dismiss the issue for the time being, she let it lie. If they did go to see the body, perhaps in the morning, then perhaps more could be learned.

When Skaali asked about the invaders, she decided it was time to contribute to the conversation. "The men came by ship. We had one as our captive for a little while, and he told us the ships flew through the sky to come here. I'd be inclined to think it a childrens' tale, except for the fact that we found this ship in the middle of the plains. Short of dragging it behind them like a sled, there's no other way it could have come there." Her lips twisted in a wry smile and she shrugged. "As for where they came from... they were not too specific about it. It was definitely far from here, though - they worshipped a strange and arrogant god."

Looking at Hex, she asked, "Did you, in your travels, learn the name of the land where they follow this 'One God'?" The title was laden with sarcasm and contempt. So far, everything she had learned of that deity and his followers had done little to endear either of them to her.

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex looked to Ashilda with a smile. Reaching for the skin, Hex took a long, but not impolite draw from it. Hex passed it back with a nod of her head.

"I am afraid that my tea does not pack quite the same punch." Chuckling Hex moved on to answer the question put to her.

"Yes and no. The pirate ship took me many places but I never got off the boat as it were. I finally disembarked in Dort were I met many people from many lands. I learned that there are many gods, many ways of thinking that are nothing like our own. In all that time I am sure that I met people who prayed to this One god, but they were never like these. Religion never came into question. I have heard of no land that is devoted to this god. I cannot fathom where these [i]ships/i] are from or why there go the places they go. Indeed, this ship that came here was apparently lost."

Hex waited a moment.

"I froze the ship solid and broke it. It sits like a dead tree back before the valley. I also agree with you Skaali, the dead can wait. If he was not with you or put upon by you then he is truly a mystery. It appears as if he too fell from the sky." Hex looked up and then winked at Kaarl.

"Tell me, what do you watch for with all of your watching? What has you so ill at ease? I know I am not a thing of beauty but I never thought to make a man of Trothgard that uncomfortable."

Hex smiled and laughed at herself. The wine had indeed tasted better than the hard biscuits and tea she had become used to. Now though she sipped her tea and waited for their responses. Hex wanted everyone here to be calm and relaxed, not nervous and looking with worry.

[Vanadius]

The handsome Skaali laughed heartily at Hex's jest as she made fun of Kaarl and his sour demeanor. His white teeth gleamed like pearls in the firelight and he appreciated the way these women carried themselves. His mirth was contagious in this frozen and difficult land.

"Worship requires many things of a man, yet is a snowflake in the midst of a blizzard of prayers. Religion is the opposite. Religion seeks to take the blizzard and make it into a single flake. I would say that makes them lost indeed."

Naug stood suddenly and sniffed the air. The men took cautious note of this, looking around warily until the large man sat down once more, his curiosity seemingly satiated for the time being once more. Skaali took it as a sign that he should answer Hex's question about what they were watching for.

"A fortuitous omen." He said slyly. "Tis a simple thing really. We are watching the south. Watching for ones such as yourselves that venture to the north. There is one who is coming. One that shall pass through. No one shall be able to pin him down, no one shall be able to call him back. But it is not either of you. It is a man we are looking for. A shaper. Our wise ones have seen him in their dreams. Their visions are clear."

All three men spoke together, a well rehearsed and often memorized phrase from somewhere yet unknown.

"Over the great sea of ice he will come. A shaper. A runemaster. He shall set free that which has been frozen. He shall let loose, that which has been caged. He shall be the bringer of the Last Battle. His horn shall sound the downfall of Sjovolkor." They all intoned together.

Skaali laughed again.

"When we saw your sleds and heard your song, we came down to see if you were this shaper."

[Ashilda da'Svafa]

Ashilda chuckled along with Skaali, finding his laughter infectious. Hex had a way of asking questions that put a person neatly in their place when she wished it. The mood was broken when their huge companion leaped to his feet and began sniffing the air, and she put her hand out towards her bow as she cast her eyes around the edges of their camp. Had he sensed something out there?

Apparently not, as he sat down again and relaxed. She shook her head, still looking around warily. As if I wasn't already on edge! she thought in annoyance. She pushed the thought away as Skaali began speaking of the omen that had brought them there. Her ears pricked as the three of them recited what sounded like a prophecy of some sort.

She grinned at their leader's laughter and shook her head. "No," she agreed. "Neither of us fit the strictures of your words, not least in the fact that neither of us is a man." She grinned and shrugged. "I'm afraid I can't even suggest to you who it might be... There are very few men who feel the call of the runes, and I can't think of any who would also fit the description of a 'shaper'."

A frown creased her brow and she murmured their words to herself under her breath to think of anything she knew that might shed light on it. Finally she shook her head once more and sighed. "No, I'm afraid I don't know of anyone who might be the one you seek. This 'Sjovolkor', though... is it a person or place? I can't say I recognise it."

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex looked back to her friend and then to the three man who had come into her camp. Her face one had mirth but now it was of all seriousness.

"If I am not mistaken Sjovolkor lies beyond the wall of ice. It seems my dear that the Queen has more in store for us then even I had thought possible. On this road we have met with one who was known as the Guardian for that is what his kind does, they guard the wall. He had ventured south in hope of finding help for they had started to fail at their task. You speak of the Last Battle, if your wise woman is true in her visions, may this man come upon us soon for I have little intention on waiting on anyone, and my path leads straight to that wall. Hopefully by way of the Queen's Palace, but my fate lies over the mountains."

Hex paused to sip her tea and crack a smile.

"I see that you smell for him, does he smell that bad? In the light of the morningtide we shall all stride back to the body of the one we found to see if it is this one you seek. May it not be. So, how long have you been sitting here waiting for this man to pass you? Are these visions recent or are they of the past?"

Hex laughed and shook her head.

"I suspect that you and yours may be the last we see of any others as we cross the Talons, let us not dwell on duty and things that will be done, come, pass that wine and tell us of yourselves."

[Vanadius]

"Naug smells blood like the dogs do. Sometimes this blood has been spilled, sometimes it still flows in the body, but either way, he smells it keenly."

Skaali seemed proud of his companion, and clapped him on the shoulder in affection and friendship.

"Bears." Naug said. Dismissing his earlier action. "South and west of us. They are moving away."

Skaali's face turned grave and dire.

"We've been waiting for yahren for this man Hex." Skaali answered in all seriousness. "For yahren. Once we went looking for him. The Wise Ones laughed, saying it was difficult to find what had yet to walk the ice. The visions have never changed. Despite the yahren, despite the dreamer, the visions are always the same."

Kaarl looked down, as if saying the words revealed some secret shame of his. He drank heavily from the wineskin before passing it along. Skaali continued to speak on their behalf.

"We are men of Snow and Ice. We have been searching for this shaper longer than I care to admit. Perhaps it is folly to continue the search, but we look anyway. Naug is a warrior, brave and true, and we've used his abilities and skills to track and hunt. Kaarl is a poet and a shaman of sorts, although he would like to tell you otherwise. We use his abilities to stretch and see beyond what the drifts and the wind might tell us. And I--..."

"...-- You are a true believer." Kaarl interrupted. "You are a dreamer that dreams of ruling the world by the edge of your spear and the strength of your arm. Find the shaper, shape your destiny..." The sullen Kaarl trailed off.

"Quiet fool!" Skaali hissed at him. "No one cares for your drunken ramblings..."

Kaarl stood and drew his knife, his eyes full of murder. A sudden backhand from Naug sent him sprawling to the ice, clutching his head. The fallen man spoke words that sounded feeble and weak, but their meaning was deep and carried much weight given the circumstances.

"One may defeat a million men in battle, but it is the one who overcomes himself that is the highest victor..."

Skaali stood and glowered menacingly at him. "Save your mumblings priest, I grow tired of them. You make my head hurt."

Naug gave Kaarl a swift kick to the ribs and sat back down. Kaarl rolled in the snow in pain.

"There then. That was perhaps enough of us to last several lifetimes..." he said to the women. He seemed almost embarrassed. "Perhaps we should speak of something else."

The firelight gave Skaali's eyes a fervent gleam as he spoke.

"This wall you speak of... What is it protecting?"

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex raised an eyebrow when she learned of this ability to smell blood. She lowered her cup and looked back in the direction of the bears, paused and was about to ask why he could not smell the man they had found when more interesting things happened.

Hex watched as the group seemed to momentarily self destruct before her eyes. Hex glanced back to Ashilda to make sure she was not getting spooked by all that was going on. What had once seemed like a threat was almost on the verge of becoming entertaining if these men were not so unstable.

Thoughts twirled around in Hex's head like flakes in a snow storm. What Hex really wanted to know was who these men were. Were they an off shoot of the clans that never moved south? As far as she knew there was rumours of a lost enclave of elven-kind in the wilds, not a lost clan.

Hex looked to the now sullen group, she needed to craft her words carefully. Smiling she began...

"It is good to have dreams and goals. Skaali, I come north to find a people of the south. I too wish to unite my people and lead them in a new direction. It is good to dream, and better to follow those dreams. It seems to me that if you have been sitting on that out crop for yahren, than I am surprized that you have not killed each other off yet. It looks like a lonely spot to sit for so long."

Hex winked and laughed at the three men.

"The wall...well what I know of it is a wall of ice that holds the line between us and evil. That is a duty of the Ice Queen given to her by the gods, a deed passed on to us, her people."

Hex once again paused to sip some tea.

"So, these wise women of yours, are they in the mountains yonder? Perhaps we could all stop by for some more tea."

[Ashilda da'Svafa]

Ashilda watched in amazement as the group of men fell to bickering and hitting one another. It's just like watching a group of small children! she thought. I wonder, is this how all their people behave? How do they manage to survive out here if it is? She caught Hex's eye and gave a small shrug, one hand shifting slightly so that it was closer to the knife she had been lent - if the men's dissension spread to include the two of them, the knife would be more practical in close quarters.

The arguing died down, and Hex began to talk of her dreams and goals. It was a good way to diffuse the situation, as the warrior had a dream far beyond the scope of what most people would even consider. She couldn't help smiling as she listened, the way Hex mixed seriousness and levity to keep the conversation from becoming too tense.

At the comment about stopping in to have tea with the wise women of the mountains, she hid a chuckled behind the rim of her mug. Bringin herself back under control, she added, "Yes, it would be good to meet with these women who have dreams of prophecy. We may not be the ones spoken of, but perhaps if we were to all combine our knowledge we could shed some light on the matter?"

[Vanadius]

Skaali seemed puzzled by her answer.

"Evil? What evil? Black hearts and minds lie in the southlands, not further north in the ice and snow."

Kaarl groaned and fought to sit up. Both Skaali and Naug eyed him suspiciously. The definition of their relationship was fairly clear now. Naug was essentially Skaali's bodyguard, and the priest Kaarl was a bit of an outsider among the three.

"Well... go ahead... Spout your ramblings... Get it over with..." Skaali prompted the outsider. The handsome leader seemed irritated by the fact that he almost needed to let the man speak.

"No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place..." Kaarl said, somewhat cryptically.

Skaali looked perturbed and annoyed.

"Yes... yes..." He replied impatiently. "We met these two for a reason. Yet if that is the case, how come the Wise Ones did not mention these two?"

"We are not to question them, any more than they question the Gods themselves..."

"Bah!" Skaali made a dismissive gesture, waving off Kaarl's words like shoo-ing away a bothersome gnat.

"Well then. If you wish to meet the Wise Ones. We shall take you to them."

The silent Naug chuckled ominously. Kaarl looked stricken and wounded. Skaali simply sat and stared at the flames, suddenly introspective and lost in thought.

[Ashilda da'Svafa]

Ashilda watched the exchange between the two men with growing concern. There's no love lost between them, she thought. I wonder if that will cause problems for us? Would they seek to use us to gain advantage over each other? She wasn't sure, but she knew it would be almost impossible to relax around them until she knew for sure that they weren't going to become tools in someone else's game.

The exchange ended on a rather ominous note, and she looked at each in turn before glancing at Hex. Wanting to find out more before they walked into a dangerous situation, she decided to use a tactic that had often worked at home: charm.

Giving their leader an innocent smile, she asked, "Do you think the Wise Ones will not welcome us, Skaali? Surely they'd be as eager as you for news of the south?" She thought about the argument the two had been having and added, "It could be that they knew about us only recently, too recently for you to have learned of it. I get the feeling you've been watching and waiting here for some time now, haven't you?"

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex caught the glances from Ashilda and gave the girls a smile in return. This relationship between the men was most interesting indeed. Why would they send out a group that had so much animosity between them to wait for something so important? Why did Skaali need a bodyguard? Hex though had her mind working on a slightly different path at the moment.

"You say that evil hearts and minds lay southward. I am intrigued by such a statement. The evil I speak of is not in the heart of a woman or a man but rather a greater evil beyond our scope of imagination."

Hex paused and put down her empty mug.

"I am curious though why you feel that evil lies to the south? I would hope that you do not belive us to be evil? Does not your shaper come from the south? It seems to me that you have more riddles to your questions than you do answers. I think that Skaali would like to ask those questions, am I wrong? I do not intend to be rude but why should you not question the wise ones? I ask this because I will question and I do not wish to offend. What goes on here interests me a great deal. I am glad that you have agreed to take us to the wise ones, are they in your community?"

Hex sat back and watched the reactions to her words. She spoke in part to see who would react and in what ways so that she may be a better judge of what to say, and what not to say to whom and their factions for indeed they seemed to be a group divided.

[Vanadius]

Skaali's eyes travelled from the flames to Ashilda.

"Some time indeed." He answered. "And it would be just like them to send us out on some fool's errand. I wish I could explain to you how I tire of their endless ramblings and their messages of doom."

"This one..." He pointed at Kaarl, "...is one of their mindless followers. He wishes to be one himself one day. So they send him along to threaten and pester me. As if that were going to stop me."

He gave the man a hard, sidelong glance, threatening and sinister. Then Hex spoke of evil and the south. He turned his gaze to her.

"The Empires and Kingdoms are what lie south. That is the scope of my imagination. Those that would rule us. Those that would end our ways and occupy us with theirs. Soft and lazy days of too much wine and courts of stone and fire."

He spat in disgust.

"Yes this shaper comes from the south, and yes I do want answers to those questions. My questions of the Wise Ones have fallen on their deaf ears. They speak of him and only him. Not of the truth of things. I am likely to put a spear in this shaper and leave his rotting corpse for the bears."

He looked into the flames once more.

"I am hoping they will have new answers to old questions with the sight of you two."

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex listened carefully to the words being spoken.

"Ah yes, His horn shall sound the downfall of Sjovolkor, that is the doom of which you speak, yet it seems to me we all have a different opinion of what Sjovolkor is."

Hex paused to think about the vision of the south as it was presented to her. For her, it was not far off from her own, she did not see it as evil though.

"I see to a vision that is not unlike yours. I find it hard to draw that line between good and evil amongst women over such a wide span. I do though find humour in that I come from the south to rid this land of the evil you speak of and from the south comes the man that may unleash the evil I speak of."

Hex paused and looked to the dogs and back.

"Heavy words for a late night. There is much for us to do upon the first night. Shall you share our camp and then in the light of the new day we can proceed together."

Hex gave Ashilda the wink that the girl could take as Hex not getting much sleep right away...

[Ashilda da'Svafa]

Ashilda listened to Skaali's bitterness as he spoke of the Empires of the South. It was true, going by the stories she had heard, that they lived a life very different to that of Trothgard. But how could they think that they could ever impose that life on the hardy folk of this snow-bound land? she thought with contempt. We are a people as much shaped by the harshness of our environment as we are by its beauty and the bonds which make us Clan. Surely the Queen would never accept us turning from her ways to become soft like the southerners - we'd all perish in the first hard blizzard!

Yet even as she thought this, something gave her pause. There was already a "court of stone and fire" in Rimmerhold, wasn't there? That inn that had been built to house southern traders. She knew that several of the young folk of the settlement had started spending time there as well, even the ones who did not have to work there. A small frown creased her brow. We trade instead of raiding, now. We welcome traders to our shores with a building such as they are apparently used to. The Kona sends her own close kin to be bonded with the southern ruler - and if their people consider women to be of lesser worth than men how does she fare there? Does she just meekly accept her lot? The years between them meant that she had never been close with Aesa, but the young woman she remembered was unlikely to be meekly accepting anything! So what repercussions would that have on their land?

She realised that Hex was speaking, and forced her mind away from her troubling thoughts for the time being. There would be marks enough to ponder such concerns while they travelled, and perhaps she would be able to find the time to speak privately with Hex about it. She remembered that Hex had hinted at similar worries about the direction the Kona seemed to be leading Trothgard.

The idea of the men sharing their camp bothered her a little, although she returned Hex's smile. Actually, to be accurate, the idea of Kaarl sharing their camp disturbed her. The other two seemed to have peaceful enough intentions towards them, but Kaarl set her teeth on edge as much as he did Skaali's. And I hardly even know him! she thought. Still, the offer had been made and it would be awkward to speak against it. If they were to travel together on the morrow, it also made sense. That didn't mean she had to like the idea.

She managed a smile and added her invitation to the warrior's. "Yes, the morning will be better for such talk, as well. There's not much point in your hiking all the way back up the mountain in the dark."

OOC: Sorry for the delay, guys. I didn't get a reply notification, but was still getting them for my other PC so I didn't realise there was a problem. Good thing I decided to browse, or I'd still be thinking I was waiting on you two!

[Vanadius]

The night was clear and cold, and boring. Skaali was content to stare wordlessly into the flames and Naug slept in the midst of the dogs, snoring softly. Kaarl thrashed about on the ice sheet for a few burns before drifting off to his fitful sleep.

As with most Trothgardian mornings, the day dawned crisp and cold, the sun's rays casting rainbows and slivers of light as they shined over the ice and snow. Naug had left early, before any had awakened, but neither Kaarl or Skaali seemed affected or concerned.

They set out for the Wise Ones in an unexpected direction, nearly identical to the one Hex and Ashilda had come. It was perhaps a good deal more east in the long run, and Skaali had them turn due east after theyhad travelled for a few burns. Naug rejoined them soon after they turned east and he reported that the bears had been active in the night. They had caught and eaten something, and the blood was still on Naug's boots and gloves as he made his report.

They travelled until well after tradetide began and towards a thick copse of trees. That grew near the vast ice sheets. It was when they reached these trees that signs of life could be seen. Traps were set at the bases of many, and nets hung with captured game. There was no smoke, no fires, and no sign of people until a furry head popped up from a small opening dug into the snowy ground. It was a pit and was about a man height deep. The figure smiled when he saw them and he climbed out quickly afterwards. He wore a fur hood and jacket and was heavily wrapped against the cold.

"Nice to see you back. What brings you?" He asked.

Skaali was quick to reply.

"There are some women who wish to see the Wise Ones. I thought we'd stop and get some warm food before heading up there. Where is everyone?"

"Fishing at the pond." The man simply stated. It was an answer that seemed to sit well with Skaali.

"Good. Very well then. I'll be in my shack. I'd like to speak with Kira when she's about."

"Aye." Came the man's simple response.

Skaali's shack was a lean-to built next to an outcropping of rock. It was warmer inside and he stripped of his outer coat quickly. Naug followed him inside, and it was soon apparent that the big man lived here as well, as there was a large pallet that he sat ungainly sat on. Kaarl did not join them, and retreated to whatever home he held here.

"Can I interest either of you in sharing tea?" He asked casually, as if they were in some stuffy Inn in the middle of a city, rather than a ramshackle hut in the middle of the wilderness.

[Ashilda da'Svafa]

It had been a restless night. Too wary to relax into a deep sleep, Ashilda had napped in between being woken by Kaarl's thrashing and shifting. As a result, she greeted the morning with less than her usual enthusiasm. Looking around the camp, however, she realised that sleep must have finally gotten the better of her since Naug had left without her noticing. Silently berating herself, she glanced at Hex to see if the warrior had noted his going.

After breaking their fast, they headed off back towards the mountains. It was a much slower journey than the pair of them had made alone, since their companions were afoot. And even if we could probably take Skaali and Kaarl, Naug would need a sled to himself! she thought with amusement as the big man rejoined them.

She had been trying to stay alert as they travelled, staying on guard for any signs that something was amiss. Still, it came as a surprise when a head appeared from a hole near the trail and she barely supressed a yelp of astonishment. One hand hovered near her bow uncertainly as the man emerged from the hole and spoke with Skaali. So, this is not where these Wise Ones live, but it seems to be where many others live... Interesting... It doesn't sound like we're going to get fed when we go to speak to the Wise Ones, either. A small frown creased her brow. There was a lot here that seemed strange and mysterious.

Following Skaali into the hut that was apparently his, she also followed his example and shed her cloak inside the door. She couldn't help smiling at the way he offered them tea - it was so mismatched with their surroundings. Quickly covering her amusement by masking it as a smile of acceptance, she replied, "Tea would be welcome, thank you. And perhaps while we drink it you can tell us a little more about where we're going and what we can expect there?" She remembered his comment to the man outside and added, "And who is Kira? The Kona of your people?" Given the way he had casually asked to speak with her, she doubted that this was the case. Still, it would be less of an insult to assume higher status and lower.

[Hex da`Bergliin]

OOC: Ok I guess I was waiting for myself to post

IC:

Hex took in everything that happened along the way to their destination. How people move and act often says more about them then what they say. Picking up a few tricks about what people that live out here do to survive would not hurt either.

Hex only grunted when they arrived in the small thorpe. Hex smiled at these people who where able to live on the land, away from all the unpleasantness of the life in a city. Here one could feel connected to the land.

Hex through was not about to let her guard down, regardless of how comfortable the scene was made out to be. She unnecessarily fussed with the dogs, checking their paws and so forth. What she was really doing was pulling back to recon the entirety of the place, try and take in numbers, anything that would give her further information on who these people were and how long they had been here.

She was glad to see Ashilda take the initiative in conversation, it gave her the opportunity to sit back and be a bit more at ease, a bit more at the ready. The tea was appreciated though.

Hex did not think ill of these people, nor did she think that they meant her any harm, she just wanted to be cautious. Ashilda and her were the outsiders here. Two women with bold plans and bolder demands. Demands it seemed were going to be fulfilled. It was going to be worth the loss of a few days but Hex was in no mood to let this tea drag on too long.

[Vanadius]

Hex's subtle reconnaissance allowed her to gather some valuable insight into the lives of these people and how they lived. They had been here for many yahren. There was simply too much development of this small village for it to be recent.

Their numbers were small. Not more than twenty huts and treehouses could be spotted, which meant even if they were sleeping as many as four to a room, they would not number more than a hundred. They knew a great deal about earthwork and mining as tunnels had been dug throughout this small hamlet and connected many of the huts themselves. This would make this place very difficult to assault. They could move from hut to hut undetected, and ambush any enemy that attacked by using these tunnels disguised as snow drifts and rocks and mounds of earth. This gave them a huge tactical advantage in defending and meant that they meant to stay even if attacked.

They were also fisherman as Hex could spy several hanging lines with drying fillets and the scales had been used in their clothing as ornamentation judging by the one person she saw when they first arrived. She could not see the sea or lake that they were fishing from, but there was something nearby as blubber and skins from sea creatures was also seen in their huts and foodstuffs.

All in all it was a crafty, cunning little place. Likely any that saw it from a distance might think it a small outpost of traders or miners, or a way station for such things. In truth it was an iceberg of its own kind. Something innocent on the surface, but something profoundly more stern and strong underneath what the naked eyes could see. These people were truly living off the land and their wits here, and had been for a good long time.

The tea was surprisingly strong, and disappointingly luke warm. Still after the chill of the air outside, it was better than nothing.

Sipping slowly, the handsome Skaali went about answering her question about Kira.

"No, no. Kira is...my concubine for lack of a better word. She and I are not married, but we are intimate with one another. As for the Wise Ones, I expect that visiting them is not much different than visiting your village elders from wherever it is that you hail from, or seeing the priestesses at the Temple in Rimmerhold. They live in a cave not far from here. There are three of them and they keep their own counsel more often than not. They bicker and argue over the signs and omens that they see, and they constantly see them in every little thing."

Naug snorted in derision.

"Indeed." Skaali seemed to agree. "Kaarl fancies himself as their disciple. He was sent with us to bring back news. I suspect he's already gone on to tell them of your presence here. Word will spread quickly of your arrival here. We call this place "Sjalfradr" or "Freehold" if you prefer. It is our home, and you are our guests."

He raised his cup to silently toast them. He then drank it down and grimaced.

"So then. Tell me what you know of Sjovolkor, while you warm yourselves. Once you are ready, we will visit the Wise Ones."

[Hex da`Bergliin]

So who are they expecting an attack from? Hex mused over the thought as she looked at the defenses of this settlement. These people were more than mere hunters and gatherers, these people had a reason to be here.

Hex raised her tea back in thanks, both for it and the hospitality.

Ah yes, Sjovolkor, the former Valley of the Hippogryphs, now home to the grave of the Guardian…

If one were to be a dice player they would have had a hard time reading Hex’s face as she spoke. She kept her emotions in check, her body loose and her voice never changed.

“As we told you we encountered a flying boat.” Hex paused at the stupidity of that sentence and made the gesture Back there if you don’t believe me…

“Only these men did not know where they were. They had left all their priests and wizards with the boat while the troops went to the valley. We killed the priests and followed the legion of men to the valley. There I could feel that the Queen was withdrawing her favor. We discovered the men encircled by the broken bodies of what appeared to be the main thrust, if not all of the bull Hippogryphys. No females. We lured some of the men to the woods to kill them while our companion, the Guardian boldly rushed the remainder of the defenders. It is his valley now as the Queen has withdrawn her favor and snow falls upon the valley floor. That is what I know.”

Hex paused for more tea.

“You seem well prepared to defend this place, whom do you suspect of attack or are you this prepared for the Trolls and animals?”

Hex was casual in her question, after all it seemed to her like a not out of place thing to ask.

[Vanadius]

Skaali and Naug exchanged confused looks. They were hearing Hex's words about the valley and the encounter she and Ashilda had there, but something along the way struck them as out of place and different. Naug looked on, totally perplexed, but the much sharper and more intelligent Skaali seemed to catch the direction of her words and identify the problem.

"Yes. I see. A difference in meaning for the word has us a bit confused for a few flickers there. Out here it means something a bit different than in the settlements. You mention Sjovolkor as the valley of the Hippogryph, but I was more referring to the Last Battle as it were."

"Here in the snowy wastes, the word Sjovolkor takes on it's original meaning and relates to the coming of the Elder Gods and the war that will end all other wars. The Battle of the Gods. I was wondering what your opinion of this would be given your struggles against the outsiders. There are many signs and omens that our Wise Ones heed that speak of invasions and foreigners coming to our shores as the opening skirmishes in a battle that will escalate into Sjovolkor, the Last Battle."

He sipped his own tea and glanced back and forth between the two women.

"That is why we prepare. That is why we have chosen to live as we do. We will not be caught unaware by this 'shaper' and his encroaching armies. We will be ready to fight."

[Hex da`Bergliin]

Hex paused from drinking her tea. A slow smile crept into her face. She had been so preoccupied with other things that she had not been paying full attention to what exactly was being said.

She looked to Skaali to reply.

"Oh, you do not mean my last personal battle.." Hex laughed.

"As far as the last battle, well I am not so sure. I belive that I am being pulled to the wall by the Queen and it was the Guardian that came looking to us because he and his kind needed help guarding the wall. I know that something is going on with that wall and well, that in the end is where I shall be."

Hex shrugged.

"I do not know the nature of the evil beyond the wall only that the other gods have asked the I ce Queen to guard the wall. We, her people, have been given the task by her to assist her in this task. We all will be called when the time comes, some early and some later, my time is now. In but I few tides I have gone from looking at the pretty snowflakes to transforming them into touches of death."

Hex paused.

"As I will do the bidding of my Queen, I will then return from the wastelands and turn my wrath upon any whom is not from this land and wishes us ill through thought or deed. I will have no mercy upon any invader from any land. I welcome the last battle for it shall shake the crust of civility from the eyes of the people in the south and remind us of what our purpose is and who we once were."

[Vanadius]

OOC: Was waiting for Ashilda. Didn't want to skip over her twice in a row... Let's give her a bit more time...