Fate - First Reply Break Bread With Me

[Mikaela Ryurik]

Indeholm was barely half a day away from her, but somehow Mikaela’s had the back luck of being robbed that very morning. Not that a lot of things had vanished. The most important things she always wore on her skin - two daggers and the layers of furs against the cold. Still, losing the sword her father had given her for this trip and the key meant for later travel really left her feeling enraged. Worst of all was the faint smell lingering in her self-made camp: foreigners. Of course it were foreigners, she bitterly thought while plowing through the knee-high snow. Nordenfiir didn’t take from each other. In fact, she was convinced that they didn’t take from anyone without offering something back. Unless it was war. Then everything became fair.

Carefully raising her scarf over the tip of her nose as to cover it from the cutting wind she found something disturbing in the pristine snow ahead. Even from where she was standing the sight of blood was obvious. The smell, however, was even clearer. Boar mixed with foreign blood. She couldn’t tell for sure if it was of the same kind as the one who had stolen from her, because her smelling ability wasn’t as good as of those whose Svalen had already awakened. One thing was certain, they were no Nordenfiir. Hence, without any hesitation, she took out one of her daggers.

Shining silvery in the sunlight, the blade was razor-sharp and she planned to use it. Especially if she would come across whoever had taken her supplies and belongings. The young “bear” was hungry both for food and a fight.

Silently zigzagging between thick tree trunks Mikaela’s lean posture did help her with hiding from sight. The layers of clothes were loose enough for her to move in freely even though they were somewhat heavy. A good thing she was used to training, hunting, and fighting in all the furs - the climate demanded it from the Nordenfiir.

Soon enough the dead boar was in sight. A huge chunk of it was missing. A hind leg and a piece of its side, from what she could tell without leaving her cover. No signs of a fire or anyone else. The tusks were left on the boar. This, obviously, was the work of someone who didn’t have the proper hunting skills and completely lacked any respect for animals. A part of her wanted to finish the job properly, but her curiosity got the best of her and she moved on. Gradually following the smell toward a small self-made hut, all types of things were playing through her mind. By now she wasn’t sure what or who she would find there. It left her standing still in the shadows of ancient pine trees.

There could be one.. there could be more.

She neared the hut with her heart beating faster and faster. Narrowing her eyes she pressed against the wooden wall and listened. Someone was there, she was pretty sure of that. Someone else, though, was out in the woods, though. The crunching of snow betrayed them. Whether they belonged together or not was yet to be seen.

Mika clutched her dagger a bit tighter.

* * *​

 

[TTamark]

Mikaela like many others would have smelled, and heard Steve coming long before he came into sight. The smell of potato stew that hit like a wall as it magically seemed to penetrated through the snow, and air as though one was standing beside the pot. Accompanying the smell was the sound of cow bells ringing frantically, warning of Steve's approach.

The man in the hut let out a sound of audible confusion before an explosion suddenly went off. Then the sound of the other man crunching through the snow turned from running before a crash and then silence. Once both men had fallen silent a laugh, that could only be described as maniacal, rang through the air. Steve had finally come into sight. Steve rode upon a sleigh pulled by eight undead cows, and rode alongside a dozen skeletal chickens. He however was not the only thing that moved through the snow. The man who was in the hut, or more accurately his body, was dragged from the hut still holding the boar leg. All that remained of the leg was bone. The mans face a mess. From where the sound of the crunching snow had been emerged the dead boar Mikaela had seen before, now carrying a second man a deep gash in his chest.

Steve turned to Mikaela, and after looking her up and down spoke,

"Did you know those two? What was your relation?"

There seemed to be surprise in his tone, like he might be embarrassed depending on her answer, though as he spoke his expression changed as if he did not know if he should look stern, concerned, or happy, mostly culminating in erratic eyebrow movements.

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

Everything happened so fast and so sudden that Mika had some difficulty putting the events in the right order. Where she had been focused on the sounds first the smell of - oddly enough - potatoes hit her like a brick. Unsure if there was magic at play she inhaled slowly and deeply as to stay calm. Her mind had to be clear for this, especially if this was to be an enemy. She thought to be ready but when the scene unfolded she found herself confused and somewhat frozen.

“They might have robbed me.. I was about to find out,” she stupidly said, eyes narrow but shocked at the sight of the dead walking as if it was nothing new. This was the first time she saw this type of magic and while it caused her to tense she was still curious how they did these types of things. No matter the curiosity, she didn’t let go of her dagger.

“What are they to you?” Of course she wanted to know that. And not only that.

“What’s with the chickens?”

Surely he couldn’t use them to eat. Aside from perhaps cooking broth.. but even that. The rotten skin on bare bones wasn’t to say quite appetizing. And then there was the potato smell. Heavily it hung around them as if they were swimming in potato stew. Only the heat was missing.

“Are they,” she made a circular motion with her dagger toward the group. “smelling like cooked potatoes?”

Now it was Mikaela’s turn to move her eyebrows - something skeptical made it across her face. Of all things the dead smelled like - in her mind - edible food was the last of those that came to mind.

At least the man himself looked human enough. Perhaps that was the only real reason to why she decided to introduce herself. “Mikaela Ryurik from Nordengaard,” the tall, lean cub spoke after pulling her scarf a bit down so they could see each other’s faces clearly.

* * *​

 

[TTamark]

Hearing Mikaela's words Steve's expression quickly turned into a smile so large and, genuine looking it was hard to imagine him wearing any other expression. Steve swiftly threw himself off the sleigh, in a cannonball formation sinking a ways into the snow, his chickens also hooped off, but were able to refrain from sinking. After he crawled his way out his hand shot out for a handshake while his smile was so large his eyes were pretty much closed with how high his cheeks had raised up,

"Nice to meetcha Mikaela Ryurik, I am Steve son of Will, a member of the Eternum.

as for who they were: they were criminals guilty of committing an assault with a deadly weapon on dear Porkers here. I swear you turn an animal to bones: people smash it, you let it rot: people burn it, you preserve it: people try to freaking eat it... Speaking of which here is you leg back Mr. Porkers."

Steve stuck the bone of the leg back where it was supposed to be. The boar, apparently named Mr. Porkers, tested it out before letting out a puff of air through its nostrils. Afterwords Steve went to his sleigh and began pouring multiple bowls of stew, handing them out as he introduced the animals.

"As for the chickens... well sure I guess it would be rude not to introduce you to them after introducing Mr. Porkers already.

This first one is Partridge, you can always find him riding on Pear Tree a real nut him, this is Turtle Hen, this is French hen, this is Calling Hen, Gold Feather, Hen A-Laying, Hen A-Swimming, this one is Maidhen, Lady, Lord, Piper, and finally Drummer.

As for the cows they are: Axen, Vomet, Basher, and Lancer, Blitzing, Putrid, Danger, and Cancer. Anyways here is your stew, take it from everyone who has ever tried it, it is to DIE for, HAHAHA. Oh, but not like that guy, he never had it he just... you know, tried to eat my friend."

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

Usure if he were to attack she tensed. Him disappearing into the snow before popping out in a comical manner only furthered Mika’s confusion for she had not met anyone like him before. Especially when he mentioned the Eternum. Something that should have been obvious from the start left her shook now. She accepted his hand if only to be polite. Though she wasn’t sure why she actually thought it was necessary. This man.. mage.. creature. Whatever he was - Nordenfiir didn’t like them. They didn’t like bones walking across snowy paths when they were supposed to be buried beneath them.

What threw her off guard the most, probably, was the fact he had actually given all of the dead a name. Well, to some degree it made sense. People who died didn’t quite lose their names either.. they just died. Here, well, she was at a loss for words when he moved on to the cows.

Holding her dagger, now in the other hand, she was still cautious. Especially when he offered her something in a bowl. It appeared to be steaming and the way he mentioned it being to die for.. Mikaela politely shook her head “no”.

“Very kind of you, but I have already eaten.” A lie, but she was not planning on accepting food from a foreigner who had managed to bewitch the dead. Even if he himself looked very much alive - she wasn’t willing to risk throwing away her life without a fight.

“What brings you here?” she wanted to know, uncertain if it was a polite thing to ask.

Was he gathering dead on his way to.. Indeholm? Was he going elsewhere, the mountains perhaps?

“Oh, perhaps.. you’ve seen someone on the road nearby, someone shady enough to steal?”

Now she thinking aloud. Not a smart idea, perhaps, considering he was a complete stranger. Still, she really wanted that sword back. The key.. well, with some work she would get herself another. The blade, however, was a gift from her father.

* * *​

 

[TTamark]

Steve looked hurt from Mikaela's refusal,

"I swear you Nordenfiir are the most paranoid people I have ever met. You guys also never seem to think things through: if I really wanted to kill you do you really think I would kill you by standing before you and offering you stew? Poison is the weapon of cowards, do cowards tend to stand before their enemies? Is there a reason that someone from far away would wish you dead, and send me? Is it possibly more likely that I make some dope ass stew, and know that the way to persons heart is through their stomach? HAHAHA, only the sneaky and underhanded think the ways you Nords do, because those that scheme fear those that scheme against them, and those that fight others with the sword relying on their skill fear meeting their match. So shouldn't it be I who fears you poisoning me then? HAHAHA. Well aren't you here to find your lost items? Come on in!"

While Steve had been making fun of her he had made his way into the hut, poking his head out again to call out to Mikaela. Steve himself did not remain inside long though quickly leaving after only a quick scan of the room, leaving everything where it was. Instead he got down on his knees as he began to shape a chair out of the snow, like a child playing with his mittens.

All the while the cows and Porkers ate from the bowls before them. The chickens pecked at the stew with a few exceptions. Lord leapt all about playing in the snow, and Drummer stomped on the ground, he jump, jump, jump, jumped moving all around, he was jumping all around. When Steve finished two chairs he took a seat in one, folding one leg over the other slowly,

"Now, what do you mean what brings me here? Didn't I say I was here for those hoodlums? And if you wouldn't mind clarifying what you meant by: 'Perhaps you’ve seen someone on the road nearby, someone shady enough to steal?' So two things: What does someone being shady have to do with how likely they are to be stolen, and second why on Arethil would I want to steal a person? You see I have heard about people doing such things before, but it never made any sense to me. I mean if you hate someone you don't usually go, 'You know what is a good idea let me force this person into my company because I hate him so much!'
And if you like someone they would join you anyway, or you would accept that they wish to do their own thing. I guess there is a third option where you are strongly neutral, but then... I mean why would you bother if you don't really care about them? So since you seem to know more about people who steal others, well enough to mistake me for one, maybe you can fill me in, eh?"

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

Whether she had truly offended him or he was exaggerating wasn’t really obvious by this point. She, of course, felt slightly annoyed by his accusations. The way he thought his idea of them being cowards made sense was beyond her understanding. It elicited a quiet growl from the Nordenfiir. Magic was poison too, in a way. She didn’t see how it could be compared to fighting with steel and claws. Especially not when one could use dead to fight for them. She wondered if she should raise that topic, but after a brief consideration she decided to let it be, for now.

A look into the hut told her that this hadn’t been the one who took her belongings. She didn’t stay longer than was necessary, in fact, she let her eyes wander the place from the porch. And when Steve walked past her again the tension in her muscles increased as she was ready to fight should it become necessary. It didn’t. The cloud of cooked potatoes rushed further to play in the snow. An extraordinary scene. She felt a little lost again.

“Any specific hoodlums?”

The seat created was a cold one. Worse than stone, perhaps. She sat on it regardless. The thick furs and leather protected her - meanwhile she wondered if the same went for him or he was in fact dead and only disguised as a human, as far as she could tell that is.

What was more complicated than his appearance together with the dead chicken, was the way he spoke. For a moment silence hung between them. Stealing a person hadn’t even come to mind.

The confusion was probably quite visible on her face. There was the frown, the narrowed eyes, the curling of lips that soon turned into a thin line. Either he was making fun out of her or he was mad.

“Stealing things from others, not stealing others..” the Nordenfiir pointed out, eyes still quite narrow. She wasn’t good at reading people simply because her kind was open enough amongst each other. When something was amiss they communicated about it. Brawls were sorted out in their own ways.

Foreigners were always odd. This more so than anyone she’s met before. With the cows nearby she almost felt as if she had stumbled upon an ancient battlefield where the bones were meeting the sky once again because of the field’s erosion.

“To bring someone along against their will is slavery. That’s different.”

* * *​

 

[TTamark]

Steve's eyes grew wide as the realization hit him. His mouth followed along growing into a wide smile as he threw his head back in laughter once more.

"OH... HAHAHA, So you meant to ask if I had seen any suspicious characters who looked like thieves. HEHEHE, Please tell me what does a thief look like? What makes a man look shady? I will admit there are some traits that guilty people will share, but usually it is given away through their action. Like tensing up when walking past someone. Hmmm? HAHA.

I came for the hoodlums that hurt porkers, I think I got them now. You seem to be having trouble with this concept, you ok? These guys hurt Porkers while he was out playing out of my sight. They took his foot, I helped him onto his feet before coming here, and now here I am. You got it?

But, yeah slavery... that is... different alright. Are you a slaver? Is that why you were asking about people shady enough to steal, and know so much about stealing people? HEHE

So little slaver, who are you going to hunt now?"

 

[Mikaela Ryurik]

His laughter wasn’t helpful at all. Obviously he hadn’t met anyone on his way who might have been robbing people on the road. At least this meant the side he came from wasn’t a direction she would have to head in if she hoped to find the thieves. Or thief.

“Porkers was already with you before he was dead, then?” she asked and immediately wondered why she was even trying to have this conversation. It made no sense at all, and this creepy stranger was incredibly confusing. Aside from that, whoever had taken her things was probably gaining on distance right as the two of them spoke.

“No, I’m not a slaver, so don’t call me that.” There was a mixture of disgust and anger in her voice, she almost growled. For the Nordenfiir were against slavery. Some, like Borvenir, had thought it to be a right, an advantage, a cost - others, like their current queen, frowned down upon it. And so did Mikaela.

Shaking her head heavily, the young Nordenfiir got up from the snowy seat.

“Time for me to head further down the road.” A short nod was offered to the mage of sorts. She passed one or two chickens, carefully making sure not to step on anyone. Even while bones weren’t supposed to walk, here they already did and she would let them.

* * *
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Ooc: Heading out again unless stopped/ can be followed