Quest Reliving the Tales

[Weylin Kyrel]

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The wind blew. The chill grew. Scales of metal and stone soared above the clouds. Hunger had awoken once more. Deeply it growled and it roared. It needed food. It needed treasure. It had found both. Far below a wagon pulled by giant ram was being driven by a dwarf and his son. They had treasures to sell. Gold and silver and gems from Belgrath. It folded its wings in and dropped like a bolt. Before any was aware it had them in its claws. High again it rose with beating rams entangled by their straps of thick leather. Small folk screamed in terror. Tiny glints dropped to litter a nearly invisible trail below. Back it went to its home. Back to horde its treasure and devour four poor souls.

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Too much had happened to Weylin in too few months. The only family he had left after an unknown tribe of orcs utterly destroyed his home was White, his ever loyal mountain dog. He had run into a new orc fort being built and fled. He visited a city for the first time and hated it. And now he was being forced to help giants hunt down a dragon after they had captured him on what should have been a normal hunt. Lady Luck just simply did not favor him enough...or perhaps favored him too much. No matter which he now had a quest upon him like one of the heroes in the tales he had naively enjoyed so much.

The dragon was likely around Lake Crobhear if the tale of The Great Hunt was true, but Weylin needed supplies if he was to help find such a beast. Supplies that he could not get from giants. So instead of heading South right away, he headed North to Glacen. How he hated that city. It was not a city so much as a large, walled town, but he did not care. It was the largest settlement he had ever seen and he didn't think his father's stories about Alliria were all that true. Why would so many people want to gather in the same place?

At the gate he was stopped yet again to pay the toll. Weylin sighed as he handed over most of the coin he had on him. It still felt like theft to him to have to pay to enter a town. Once inside he went and sold the hides and antlers he had managed to gather for the coin he would need for his supplies. They didn't give him as much as he felt it was all worth, but he didn't have time to haggle. The last thing he wanted was for Ragna to get mad at him. She likely would just eat him then go hunt the dragon down herself. He got a new pack, more arrows, some travel rations, extra water skins, and a thick bedroll. With that all of his coin was spent and it was time to head back to his giant overlords.

On his way out of Glacen, Weylin's attention was caught by a stranger yelling in the square. It was something about needing new sailors for a trip to the gulf. That was odd. After he finished another person began to yell about looking for hands to help get lumber from higher up the hills. Was this a thing? Did people just stand in the square and yell that they needed help with something and people would respond? The thought of that gave him and idea so he approached the square himself.

Weylin got up on the rised lip of the empty fountain. People began to look at him, so he cleared his throat a bit nervously. "Greetings! I'm looking for help hunting a dragon with some giants! There might be treasure if we find its den!" He waited to see who would approach to help like what had happened for the other two, but no one did. Everyone was silent for what felt like an hour to him then suddenly began to laugh. Hecklers began to call out all kinds of things and even a few sarcastically agreed to join his heroic quest to hunt one legend with another.

An older man stepped forward and yelled back at Weylin, "Go back into the woods with the rest of the crazy hill folk! No one has time to babysit you while you play out to be the Huntsman from the Great Hunt!" Weylin didn't know what to say. This was not the reaction he expected at all. He yelled out, "I'm serious! I need help to hunt a dragon with some giants! It has been killing the mammoths and they might blame it on us humans if we can't find it!" Someone threw a rotten vegetable at him and then someone else did the same. Weylin put his arms up to block his face as he fled from the fountain and away from the angry, mocking crowd.

Weylin tried to clean the filth off of himself while White just laid down nearby to watch. He frowned as he said to himself, "Great. What now?"

Bergelmir Rainie Vigil Faurosk

 

[Rainie]

Not far away from the formidable mountain range called The Spine lay a little town called Glacen. The white capped peaks of the mountains could be seen from within the city's walls, and the air was brisk and clean. The land was not without danger; for Orc clans laid claim to the valleys.

Lorraina Night was meandering around the town of Glacen, wrapped up warm in a fur-lined coat. Her leggings and leather boots were also lined with fine rabbit fur, and her long braid twisted with every particularly strong gust of wind. It was a big change from her home of Alliria, or even her new favorite city, Elbion. She couldn't complain about the cold, however. She found she actually enjoyed it. Snow was beautiful, and delightful to play with.

With her was a friend and unexpected traveling companion. They had bumped into each other upon mutually leaving Elbion and wandered the same way for so long they decided to pitch camp together.

Rainie, as Lorraina was called, had been sleepily inspecting the raw meat the butcher of the square had for sale. She was weighing the pros and cons and was ultimately deciding that having someone else cook for her in a tavern was a far better idea, when a voice called out a peculiar word from across the square.

T'was 'dragons' that caught her keen ear. Whatever the statement was, it was garbled by various hecklers who soon laughed and jeered over the voice. Curious, her strange purplish eyes searched around for the source of the original voice. She soon found a scraggly young man, no older than she, wrapped in tattered cloaks and furs layered against the cold. He was clearly a hunter, travel worn and unaccustomed to civilization. Tilting her head, she ignored the taunting herd and strained to hear the hunter over the din.

"I'm serious! I need help to hunt a dragon with some giants! It has been killing the mammoths and they might blame it on us humans if we can't find it!"

Someone threw a rotten fruit at him. Rainie's eyes suddenly blazed, and she quickly found the person she'd identified as the perpetrator. A swift foot to the back of their knees and a yank on the back of their cloak sent them buckling to the cobbles, but a different harasser threw another.

The hunter raised his arms up in defense and fled, a white shape bobbing along his knees. Without a thought for her companion, she chased after the man. Once she had him in sight, she stopped her pursuit and blended in with the crowd. She noticed the dog heeled at his side, which was pure white and made for cold temperatures.

Obviously, her curiosity had been piqued. Never had she seen a dragon, but she had seen a giant before. Her intent was to follow the hunter undetected until she could either confirm or deny the proclamation he'd made at the fountain. It could come to nothing; but what was the harm in that?

Luckily, aside from the bow and quiver slung over her shoulder, she was a very unassuming girl. She blended in with the vapid, sheep-like populous with ease. She could act as if she were also leaving the city gates at the same time as him coincidentally, and then hide in the brush with the skill which came from years and years of practice. What was a day without a little stalking? She'd return to Faurosk once she'd confirmed the man's proclamation was false.

Faurosk

 

[Ragna]

Both giants had been eager to enter the fray once a name could be put to their foe. Their zealousness had been tempered by their human companion pleading for more time. He'd wanted supplies and they'd reluctantly delayed their quest on that account. Humans were fragile creatures and it was likely he'd perish in the wilds if they didn't let him.

He'd narrowly avoided having them accompany him into town. Weylin was no city dweller but he could guess the reaction two giants would get if they'd tramped up to the gates with him in tow. As such, Ragna had been convinced to stay off the road and in the forest, ideally out of sight.

Ragna was restless now she was down from the hills. It wasn't in her nature to hide nor to wait patiently. She spent her time breaking branches and building a fire, irritable at waiting. There wasn't even any worthy prey to hunt here. Most animals in the vicinity had scarpered once they'd heard the first thundering footsteps.

Bored, she found herself squaring up against a young tree. Towering as she was, it still stood higher. Ragna gripped the trunk with both hands and put pressure on it. She began to heave against it, testing her strength. The tree wobbled a little as a root gave way. She gritted her teeth and redoubled her efforts, feeling it give a little more.

 

[Bergelmir]

Bergelmir had taken to examining the various plant life that flourished here. Used to the harsh winds and driving snow, nothing green grew after a certain point climbing to the sky.

The human needed to get supplies, which was reasonable since more weight would keep him on the ground once he was walking in frost giant lands. Ragna had told him that humans did not fair well in the cold as either of the giants could.

"Are all humans that small?" Bergelmir asked suddenly, the thought coming out of nowhere as he finished flipping over what a human would call a boulder, waiting to see if anything scurried out.

With a disappointed harumph, he crushed the stone against himself. The stone breaking into smaller pieces he guessed even their human friend could lift.

 

[Faurosk]

The aspiring wizard had found his way into Glacen earlier that same day, hoping in part to escape the cold that seemingly pervaded every corner of The Spine. His silken robes were pulled close against the bitter air, padded out by the quilted clothing he wore beneath. He'd added a trim of fur around the neckline in the hopes of keeping out what little wind he could, and yet the elements still found some way to chill him in the least amusing of ways.

In spite of the recent downturn as to the weather, Faurosk was surprised that the last leg of his travels didn't seem quite so awful in retrospect. As a matter of fact, the recent trip from Elbion to The Spine had to be the recent memory he cherished most fondly, no doubt due to the fact he had company along the way. Still, traveling with a partner had its consequences, one of which happened to be feeding two mouths along the way. As such, he found himself plenty distracted at the town's meatmarket, peering over the array of salted meats and questioning whether he should splurge for the dried beef or not. He turned partway over his shoulder to address his travelling mate, though his eyes stayed on the row of products.

"What do you think, Rainie? I mean, beef sounds better than chevon, but I'll leave it up to you." He slowly turned more fully towards where he thought she would be, continuing his thought as he did so. "I mean, I wanted to pick up some of that fancy lilac soap I saw a few stalls down, so it might be good to save gold where we ca--"

It was at that moment he realized he was alone in the butcher's shop.

Well, he was alone aside for the dog sitting by his side and the somewhat worried looking butcher, but Lorraina had most certainly gotten off to somewhere. Cutting his losses, the mage grabbed three packages of salted goat meat, paying without another word and leaving the market as quickly as he could manage. A crowd was dispersing some small distance away, having gathered near the fountain for some unknown reason. Part of him wondered what exactly it was that he missed, though a substantially larger part of him decided it was best not to get involved. And so he went off down the road, heading back to the agreed upon rendezvous point at the local inn and keeping his eyes out for his friend along the way.

 

[Vigil]

Loud thumps. Cracking of wood, and the general rough sounds that could only mean something bad was happening. As much as I wanted to stay away, as much as every fiber in my being told me to gather my belongings and to run for the hills as though the dark ones were on my heels, the magical side of me, the one that wanted to investigate every possible thing, Led me to pick myself up from my mess of a bed, and moving towards these sounds within the forest.

I slowly moved through the underbrush. Very glad that I wore boots with no soles. Rather, just thick layers of leather to allow my feet to still have support, but not make that much sound. A voice up ahead of me that was not kept silent, but rather booming almost. Something about humans. I was slightly confused at the mention of the abundant species of people. Were these elves? Orcs? I stayed low. Keeping myself out of sight. I couldn't even see who it was at all. But the sounds. They felt.. different.

Keeping my hand firmly grasped upon the long-knife at the small of my back, I stayed hunkered down. Gingerly, I reached out and pushed aside some of the dense foliage to see not people about my own height. I saw the bottom half of large beings that could rival castle walls. Even seeing that one of them was testing the resilience of one of the various trees in the area. So that was making the cracking sound. Their size would make sense to their thumping around. It was movement in general that these beings were creating.

Once again, part of me wanted to back up, head back to my gear, gather everything up, and high-tail it out of there. On the other hand, I had never met Giants. Never seeing those kinds of peoples. Let alone interacting with them. I wanted to meet them. Find out why they were here and what they were doing. I sighed as the decision weighed heavily on my mind. Would they attack? would they pulverize me right from the start? A slow release of the grip of my blade answered my question for me.

Standing up, a few steps brought me closer to them. I spoke up enough so they knew my presence was there. Yes, garbed with various knives on my body, and Long-knives, I kept my hands easily down by my side. I had no intention of causing harm. Just questions.

"I didn't expect giants to be roaming around the forest so close to a Village"

It was true. I thought Giants kept to themselves or stayed away from other forms of civilizations? They were so massive and daunting, a mere passerby could be easily frightened. Yes, I too was scared of that fact of their size. They could easily hold me in their hand or crush me under their boots like any bug they had come across with.

I just had to hope and pray to any god that would accept me, that they didn't do just that.

 

[Ragna]

Ragna at least had journeyed somewhat in the lowlands. To Bergelmir even the Spine's lower slopes were a mystery and he was enjoying his new surroundings and environment. The plant life in particular seemed to interest him, discerning which ones were almost palatable.

She grunted in answer, "Some are even smaller" she said, moving her hand to indicate the height. "That one is a tall one but they can be taller too". She brought her hand up to a higher point, "Elves and orcs are taller still usually". She gave up on the tree for a moment after giving it another kick. "Something even half our size is considered giant amongst their kind".

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

With his recruitment plan ruined Weylin decided it was time he got back to the giants. He had his supplies and would just have to handle the hunt with only the two giants. Hopefully Ragna wouldn't be too upset at how long he took and only gave him a stumbling tap instead of one that knocked the wind out of him. That was something he really didn't enjoy happening.

It didn't take Weylin long to get to the town gate again. His new backpack was slung across his shoulder with his supplies inside of it and the new bedroll tied to the bottom. White tagged along without a seeming care in the world. He began to wonder how she would feel to reek of rotten fruits and vegetables right now. A pet of her head was her reward though. She bopped his thigh with her head happily begging for more attention and his bad day got a little better. A slight smile replaced his earlier frown.

Weylin and White were now on the road just outside of town and heading South. It surprised him that Glacen didn't also try to make people pay to leave just so they could steal that extra bit of coin from people. What use even was coin though in the Spine? It wasn't as if they had some unified kingdom or even multiple scattered ones. All they had was some settles spread out far and wide all over that had to be completely self reliant or create a very close network to survive. Seemed odd then that shiny bits of flatted soft metal good for nothing but looking pretty was so valuable. But who was he to complain? His mother had used those worthless discs to travel around and end up meeting his father.

For some time since Weylin had left Glacen he had gotten this feeling he was being watched. His instincts kept perking up at every odd snap of a twig, brushing of leaves against something, or crunch of odd patch of snow. The wind shifted a bit, as it often would everywhere in the Spine, and suddenly White stopped in her tracks. She got very alert and looked off in the direction he kept imagining things from. The dog sniffed the air so he gave it a try as well. His sensitive nose picked up something unfamiliar to the wilds. It was, oh what did his mom call it again, perfume. Someone wearing perfume was following them. Perhaps he wasn't imagining things after all.

Turning towards the trees, Weylin called out, "Come on out. We know you are following us. No point in hiding." His hands instinctively found their way to being on his bow and quiver. Hopefully he wouldn't have to do more than that. He hated fighting.

Rainie Bergelmir Faurosk Vigil

 

[Rainie]

Rainie felt the wind shift and instantly froze, her stomach swooping unpleasantly. For a long moment, she stayed crouched where she was, gnawing on her bottom lip anxiously. And then a voice called, "Come on out. We know you are following us. No point in hiding."

Several expletives sprang through her mind, some slipping through her grit teeth. She debated only for a moment what to do before her shoulders slumped and she sighed. Sheepishly, she poked her head out from behind the tree she stood behind. She held her hands up, showing her empty, gloved palms, trying to show she meant no harm.

Smiling apologetically, she approached the hunter and slowly lowered her hands, but kept them visible at her sides so no one's fingers got twitchy. "My apologies, sir," she began, a smile in her voice. "I only meant to..." Stalk you. "Well, I wanted to see with mine own eyes if what you said in the square was true."

Her nose and cheeks were reddened from the cold, and she hastily pulled her furred hood over her red head to hopefully shield her ears. "I know of giants, but are dragons not exceedingly rare, considered a myth? Do you truly suspect a dragon in these mountains?" Then she added, more urgently, "Have you seen it?"

Weylin Kyrel

 

[Bergelmir]

The frost giant watched her as she explained the heights of the humans. His surprise evident when she said some could be smaller. That even one half of their height was considered a giant among them.

"One cannot fathom how they have survived this long being so small, easy to squash. They seem so...breakable. The beast you slew might have killed the wee thing even." Bergelmir seemed amused at the whole idea. Humans were strange, varying in height, though it seemed they were adaptable.

A voice from behind him had him slowly turning his gaze, the runes on his chest glowing brightly as his hands up to his forearm glazed over with snowy frost. His teeth bared and expression mean as he spotted the source of the noise, a low rumble emitting from him at being surprised.

A strange looking human had come upon them without their human they had let go into the town ahead.

"And who are ye' to be sneaking about the woods?" His booming voice angry and clearly heard for a ways away. He did not step towards the strange looking human, but his whole body rippling with harsh intent as he readied himself.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

Well the person who poked their head out of the trees and stepped out was not who Weylin expected to see. He thought it would be some city cutthroat thinking him an easy target or one of those hecklers coming to make fun of him some more or maybe a very concerned guard. What he was given was a young woman around his own age. A cute one at that in nice clothing. He just blinked as he stood there and nearly blushed given the difference in their appearance. The urge past though as White made a low growl with her ears pinned back and some teeth bared.

Refocusing himself, Weylin watched Rainie very closely as she spoke. She called him sir and then paused while explaining why she was following him. That was odd. Was she hiding something? Also wasn't sir what people outside of the Spine called those metal clad warriors known as... oh what was that word again? Knight! That was it. Knight. Anyways knights and people who had some weird right to be in charge based on their family. Strange, like this cute young woman before him was.

Weylin let his grip relax on his bow and how his hand rested on his quiver. It wouldn't be hard for him to still take a shot but he definitely didn't have any intention of using it right now. She was very interested in his mention of dragons even if she was familiar with giants. Maybe some had attacked Glacen or something before. From what she had said though it seemed like all of this was just some city folk thing. They sure did get curious about things. With a bit of a sigh, he moved his hand over from his quiver to pet White so she would stop the threatening behavior.

"No I haven't seen the dragon. All the signs just point to it having to be one." Weylin said to her. "You can just ignore me and head back to town. The wilds are very dangerous. I'm just reliving an old tale."

Weylin put his bow up and was about to continue on his way but stopped himself. She would need to pay to get back in and it was kind of his fault she was out here. He did yell all of that stuff that must have sounded crazy. No, it did sound crazy. He would have ignored himself before he got captured by those giants too. Sliding his fingers into his coin pouch and felt how many coins he had left. Just enough for the toll. He walked over to her as he pulled them out. With a hand held out for her to take them he said, "Here. For the toll."

Faurosk Ragna Bergelmir Vigil

 

[Rainie]

As she listened to the young hunter her brow grew more and more furrowed. She couldn't understand why he was contradicting himself. Was there a dragon, or wasn't there? Were there giants, or weren't there? She sighed through her nose, frustrated. And then she realized the hunter was just trying to put her off. Her face scrunched up in confusion. Did he want help or not?!

When he offered her coin for the toll, she frowned and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, we were-" She was about to tell the hunter about their intended departure of the city, but she stopped abruptly. Her face went very blank for a second. And then she cursed aloud, foully. She'd forgot her wizard! She whipped around and stared at the city walls, remembering clearly now her and Faurosk agreeing to meet by the Inn if they got separated. She could picture him and Nota standing there patiently waiting, arms crossed and foot tapping, for her idiotic self to turn back up.

Groaning, she threw her head back and covered her face with her hands. How could she be so stupid?! Huffing angrily and blowing out a cloud of steam, she whirled back on the hunter, who was staring at her. Her face turned as red as her hair and she promptly lost her temper.

"Look, my companion and I can help you. Just tell me if you're telling the truth! And so help me, if this is some stupid trap to try and rob me," she broke off with a slightly hysteric laugh. "Trust me, you'll regret it!"

Weylin Kyrel

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

The young woman seemed upset by Weylin offering his coin to her. Why? Then she said something about we and started to curse. She turned to stare at the town walls and he was left to just there dumbfounded with his hand will the toll money still held out. He had no idea what was going on right now.

Rainie finally turned around to face Weylin again and just burst out emotionally. It reminded him of this time his dad was giving him some fatherly advise concerning women that led to him getting the back of his head smacked twice by his mom. Maybe his dad wasn't so wrong. She had said she and her companion, so the we wasn't a husband then, could help him and threatened him if it was a trap. He still just stood there looking dumbfounded. Nothing had really prepared him for this. For a moment he just stood there staring at her cute face feeling like he was facing the giantess again.

"Yes.... Yes I'm telling the truth." Weylin responded slowly at first. "How could you help though? You look like a merchant or tavern owner. This is very dangerous you know and I don't want to get you killed." He paused for a moment as he just stared at her some more not knowing what to do. He felt like a squirrel stuck in the only tree in the meadow watching a hawk baring down on it. "Probably shouldn't have asked for help back there now that I think about it. Who around here would want to help giants hunt a dragon if they didn't have to?"

Faurosk

 

[Rainie]

If Rainie had been frustrated before, she was furious now. A merchant or tavern owner?! Firstly she looked like neither of those things, and secondly, what did one have to look like to garner some respect around here?! Apparently, you had to look like a scruffy kid who hadn’t taken a bath in a month and have a big growly dog! A pretty dog, though. Quite fluffy.

With a remarkable amount of effort, she regained her composure. Taking deep breaths, she told herself this kid didn’t know her, and one of her most useful attributes as a thief and a spy was her looks. A hawk was flying high overhead, and she watched its idle glide through the blue sky as she calmed down.

Breathing deep and even, she suddenly whipped out her longbow and had an arrow notched within a fraction of a second. Fletching of the arrow brushing her cheek, she measured speed and distance, calculated for trajectory, took aim, and loosed it. She let out the breath she’d been holding.

The hawk was struck midair and flailed for a second, then dropped like a stone, landing with a crunch of snow about a hundred feet behind the hunter and his dog.

Rainie looped her bow over her shoulder and cocked a hip. With her arms crossed over her chest, she drawled, “As long as I’m not getting in a fist fight with the dragon, I should be fine.” She stared at the spot the hawk had fallen for a few more seconds. “Anyways, you wait here. I’ll be right back.”

With an assured nod, she turned and started to jog back to the city gates. She slowed down once she approached the guards, breathing out clouds of steam. Walking up to the guards, she quickly begged, “I’m so sorry, I just left and I forgot something at the inn!” She didn’t have to try too hard to look harried and pathetic. “I’ll just be a moment; can I please get back in?” She turned wide eyes between the two of them.

The guards exchanged a look.


With a wide smile, Rainie walked purposefully up the cobbled street, heading towards the inn. Once she spotted Faurosk and little Nota, she called out, “Hey! Faurosk!” And punctuated it with a sharp whistle.

 

[Faurosk]

Faurosk was found with his back against the wall, leaning a few feet from where the tavern's door stood closed against the cold. His nose had been buried comfortably in the spellbook that usually clung tight to one of his numerous belts, though hearing his name called from down the street drew him out of his reading. He casually placed the book back on his hip as he pushed off of the wall, waving a hand over the leather of tome's binding and causing it to connect seamlessly into his outfit. All the while, he gave Rainie a grin of relief.

"Almost went looking for you," he said, making his way over to her and casually flexing his hands back into maneuverability against his chilled joints. "... Almost. Where'd you get off to, anyhow? Either the windchill has you looking red, or I missed out on something exciting."

Nota, as the dog had come to be known, ran a happy little circle around Rainie's feet before thudding down into a sitting position partway between her and its owner. It looked between the pair of people, muzzle lightly dusted with the snow it had been eating to keep itself entertained mere moments before.

 

[Rainie]

First and foremost, Rainie stooped down to fluff up little Nota’s fur, squishing the dog’s cheeks up to make it look even cuter. “Hi, baby~!” she cooed fondly. She also checked the little pup to make sure it was still warm enough. Still, Nota didn’t even shiver, just wagged its little tail.

Standing back up straight, still smiling, she gushed, “Sorry, but I think I found a guy who-” then she stopped, another thought occurring to her. “We’re done in the market, right?” Her pack was about ten times heavier for all the potatoes. She was also in charge of carrying the massive metal cooking pot, since Faurosk was weighed down by heavy spellbooks. At least, that’s what she’d assumed when she put it in her own pack. She didn’t mind.

She was already inching back towards the entrance to the city, eyes sparkling. “Just a little detour, alright? We weren’t planning on doing much more than camping for the next few days.” She grinned hopefully at Faurosk, and added, “If it turns out to be a bust, we’ll leave and go right back on track.” She knew they were traveling together just for convenience, but she enjoyed the wizard’s company and hoped he might be up for a little adventure. She also really liked his dog.

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

Once again Rainie looked upset at Weylin. Very upset this time around. What exactly did he say or do that would make her so mad? He said she looked like a merchant or tavern owner. That was the wealthiest someone could be. Should he have said how pretty she looked in her far nicer clothing as well? Maybe. It also could have just gotten him slapped though. He had seen a few guys get slapped already for telling a girl how pretty she was and curvy her hips looked in a dress.... Okay maybe the pretty part wasn't what got them hit.

The young woman just seemed to got out of her way to not look at him. Weylin wasn't sure how to take that. He just let his arm fall to his side with the coins still in hand and watched her. She looked up at a hawk that was search for a meal and just seemed to stare at it for awhile. He understood why she would do that. The local hawks were very pretty with their gray and white feathers during the winter that shifted to a gray and reddish brown in the summer. Their idle circles were relaxing to watch as well and sudden bursts of motion when in the hunt exciting. Maybe he should watch it himself....

Then she pulled out her bow and notched an arrow. The shot was fired, the hawk hit, and it quickly met the ground. He looked back to where it landed and frowned a bit. Her skill and form with the bow were excellent he had to admit. He just wished she didn't have to shoot the hawk to show it off to him. His attention was back on her after the briefest second. She made her case for skill then told him not to leave because she would be back. A nod from him was all she got before she was gone.

Weylin didn't watch her leaving for long before he turned around and headed over to the dead hawk. White padded up to him as he did, glancing back towards where the young women had left every so often. He knelt down by the felled beast and closed his eyes. A single hand was placed over its body as his head was lowered. He offered a quick prayer and thanked it for its part in his life. Once he was done he opened up his eyes, lifted his head, and pulled the arrow tenderly out of its body. The best of its wing feathers were plucked, six of them total, and placed into a pocket in his cloak. He then picked up the bird and walk toward the river.

The hawk was buried in the softest, but not actually soft, dirt he could find and covered over by stones. With that done he wandered down to the riverbank. He was hoping to find some colorful rocks. It was not unusual for them to wash up on shore. The mountains of the Spine held many treasures after all and many of them were natural. He picked through the rocks, but wasn't having much luck. There was a certain color he wanted to use which was a little rare. It took a few minutes but he eventually found one that and it happened to be the right size. He headed back to the place on the road he was told to wait as he got his knife out and started to work on the feathers.

Faurosk

 

[Faurosk]

As his partner in crime took a moment to play with his dog, Faurosk gave his book a good tug to make certain it wasn't going to fall off at any point along their walk. The action distracted him to the point that, in the moment, he wasn't exactly certain who the "Hi, baby~!" was addressed to. He opened his mouth to respond, only then noticing that she was, in fact, squeezing his familiar's face up into a cute little smile.

As such, when she stood up and started talking, Faurosk did his best "Look at me, I'm good with people" impression and cocked his head to the right with a small smirk. "Well, I think I've gotten everything I needed, but how about you tell me who this 'mystery man' you found is?"

He tucked a gloved hand into his robe, pulling out a small vial of a fine orangish-red powder and popping the cork off. "You know, just so I'm sure you're not leading me off to my death or anything like that." His tone was one of obvious jest, but he still cast a glance to her from the corner of his eye while he spoke. As they went along, he took a small pinch of the powder before snapping it between his thumb and middle finger. Immediately, a small amount of warmth began emanate across the party as they walked. It wasn't much in the way of protection, but it served to make the coming wind just the slightest bit more bearable. Curiously enough, not even a speck of the powder fluttered to the snowy street below, as the pinch was consumed wholly by the spell.

Rainie

 

[Rainie]

Thankfully, Faurosk seemed willing enough. He followed her, anyway. Delighted, she brought up the left side, Nota trotting along between them. He curious about who the ‘mystery man’ was, and Rainie realized with chagrin that she had no idea. She stayed silent, biting her lip subconsciously.

"You know, just so I'm sure you're not leading me off to my death or anything like that."

Rainie tossed him a mischievous look, fluttering her lashes. “As if anything non-life-threatening would be worth my time.” She threw her head back and laughed, attracting attention from one or two passerbys. “Besides!” She added. “We wouldn’t let Faurosk die, would we Nota?”

The smart little pup gave an energetic yip.

Rainie felt the cold on her face abate a little, and realized Faurosk had snapped his fingers a moment ago. She looked over at him and smiled. “Thanks.” He must have been cold, too. He had looked a bit pink earlier, she supposed.

Once they reached the gates, and she remembered who exactly they were going to meet, her mood dimmed considerably. “Well,” she said glumly. “I think the guy is a bit of an arse. I’m trying to get over it, though.” Tilting her chin up in determination, she led the way to where she’d left the hunter. “I mean, if it ends up being worth it, it will be worth it,” she reasoned. A dragon, can you imagine?

Faurosk Weylin Kyrel

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

It wasn't that long after Weylin had returned to his spot that White suddenly began to look down the road towards Glacen. He looked as well and saw a pair of figures heading his way. After a moment they were visible enough he could identify one of them as Rainie and so it was safe to assume the other was her companion. The pup between them however was a surprise, but a welcome one. Animals always were.

As they approached Weylin, he would walk over to the young woman. Without a word he held a piece of jewelry for her. It was the hawk feathers arranged three on each side of the colorful river stone all attached to a strip of sturdy yet soft leather from a hare. The leather section was long enough she could easily tie it around her neck or one of her limbs, whichever she preferred. The stone in the center was a similar shade of purple as her eyes. He looked to Faurosk and gave him a nod in greeting. Then he just waited for her to do whatever it was she was going to do.

White was next to Weylin and stood all the way up to his hips. Her ears were pinned back, but she wasn't growling. Her body language however was making it very clear she was on guard and didn't trust either of them. If she noticed the pup or not was unclear. She was likely just too focused on guarding her human.

 

[Faurosk]

Being ever the kindly mage, Faurosk gave the two guards at the gate a polite nod as they left the city. He decided not to think too hard about why one elbowed the other and pointed after the pair as they walked; After all, maybe his robe just looked a touch more magnificent than usual.

"If my choices are to either put up a brave face and follow you 'once more unto the breach' or, say, die of boredom in that little hamlet, well... I suppose adventure has always suited me. Who knows?" He stuck an elbow out, giving her a light knock on the arm and a cheeky smile to match. "Maybe we'll get the chance to do something impressive." Oh, if only he knew...

As they pair went walking, he became keenly aware that they were being approached only once Weylin was within about forty feet of them. He gave the stranger a polite wave, assuming that he was in fact the 'bit of an arse' that they had come to meet. When Rainie was presented with the necklace, Faurosk took a step to the side, looking to his companion and tilting his head in a nod towards Weylin.

"Well, isn't that kind. Handmade-- and pretty well built, at that." His words were hewn of genuine admiration to the craftsmanship, though the nonverbal glance he gave Rainie couldn't any more plainly say "Ooh, looks like someone's got an admirer."

 

[Rainie]

Lorraina automatically reached out and took the gift, baffled into silence. She took in the white and grey feathers, and the purplish stone worn smooth, all neatly arranged on a strip of leather. Her brow furrowed in confusion, blinking down at the trinket. It looked as if it was meant to be jewelry.

The feathers were from the hawk she had shot down. Many emotions swooped through her in rapid succession: surprise, suspicion, offense, and then guilt. At first she thought he meant it as an insult, but she quickly realized that was ridiculous. And then she felt guilty for thinking that, and also for calling him an arse earlier.

Rainie breathed in sharply when she realized she had been standing stock still the entire time, and quickly shook her head to refocus. Faurosk made a comment about the admirable craftsmanship. She met the hunter’s eyes, confusion still showing in her own, and quietly muttered, “Thank you.”

And then she saw the mage’s cheeky look and grit her teeth, a muscle working in her cheek. She called him a few unkind names in her head. Taking another deep breath, she drew herself up and swiftly made introductions.

“Well, my name is Rainie, this is Faurosk, and the pup is Nota,” she listed without her usual energy. Her gaze trailed down to the massive white dog, which stared back at her fiercely. Rainie’s eyes widened and a chagrinned smile leapt onto her face. She quickly looked down and away from the dog’s eyes, trying to give off a non-threatening energy.

She hitched her pack higher on her shoulders. “So, we’re about ready,” she declared, looking from Faurosk to the hunter. Preemptively, a smirk crept onto her face. “How far away are these giants?” She kept the feathered leather band hidden gently in her palm.

Weylin Kyrel

 

[Weylin Kyrel]

The gift was taken without the fuss Weylin kind of expected. It seemed to have caught her off guard as well. She stood still for awhile not moving or saying anything. Did she like it or feel insulted? He honestly didn't know. She, like everything lately, was a mystery to him. She was nothing like the people he was use to being around at all. And her companion also was like that for him too. His attire was as rich as hers and he had a similar air about him. What new mystery would he present?

Weylin was getting a little concerned for Rainie , which showed on his face, but she seemed to snap out of it. A quiet thank you left her lips. He smiled slightly and nodded to her as a way of saying she was welcome. The introduces were made for their side, which made Weylin realize he had forgotten to give them his name. After the past few months he had forgotten how important that was. The wilds just seemed to have a way to seep into your soul.

White was still being all protective so Weylin reached down to pet her head as he said, "Weylin. This is White." He gave the both of them another welcoming nod. He was always a little awkward with strangers and the near isolation hadn't made that any better it seemed.

After she asked about the giants, Weylin just smirked a bit, "Far enough they won't be seen from town." He then motioned for them to follow and turned around. He began to walk down the road and took a few steps before he stopped. Turning back to face Rainie, he said, "Oh that necklace should protect and guide you during the journey. At least if the tales are to be believed." He frowned a bit to himself as he paused for a brief second. "Tales keep coming true lately too."

Weylin looked to Faurosk and said, "I don't have one for you. If you can kill a hard to hunt prey though I can make you one too. Won't be as pretty. I added the stone because it matches her eyes. Took awhile to find, so should bring her luck too." He motioned towards the young woman with his head and added, "You as good a shot as her?"

 

[Faurosk]

The smirk which the mage had adopted faltered at the mention of giants, and it was completely gone by the time Weylin confirmed of their existence. He'd only crossed paths with a giant twice before, and he almost shuddered at the memory of how one particular giantess tore through orcs as if they were made of nothing but straw held together with spit and rage. In spite of- or perhaps because of -this moment of remembrance, Faurosk put on that brave face he'd mentioned earlier, giving a marginally self assured nod when asked whether he was as good of a shot as Rainie.

"While the knife I carry is mostly traditional in nature, I think you'll find my talents quite useful." He glanced between the hunter and the bard for a moment, nodding a concession to the latter. "Granted, I'm afraid I can hardly keep up in terms of archery."

The mage rubbed his hands together, suddenly filled with an eager sort of anticipation. "So. Giants, eh? I dare say we'd best not keep them waiting any longer." In his eyes, there were two distinct possibilities; either he was about to come face to face with multiple giants for the first time in his life, or he was about to be mugged. Either way, he found it best to be prepared for whatever was waiting beyond the bend.

 

[Rainie]

Weylin, as the hunter was apparently called, told her with the utmost sincerity that the necklace he’d made would protect and guide her, as the tales were told. Rainie shook her head incredulously, wondering if this guy was for real.

And Faurosk didn’t have the reaction to ‘giants’ that Rainie had been hoping for. He only frowned, but did not look visibly worried. Pouting slightly, she kicked at a pebble in the road. She cheered herself up by remembering that giants weren’t even the worst part. She smiled once again, probably looking a bit mad.

She preened a bit at the compliment about her archery skills, and shot Faurosk a wink when he admitted to his lack of ability with a bow.

“Don’t worry, darling,” she purred teasingly. “You can keep up with me in other ways.”

And so they were off, on their way to meet several giants, or fall into a most inconvenient trap. Rainie was part optimistic, and part suspicious. She always said a bit of paranoia was healthy. While they walked, she hummed to fill the silence. She seriously considered pulling out her flute, but it was surely buried under potatoes.

Without really meaning to, her humming turned into a ballad.

“Oh the hero comes
I can hear the drums
and our horses run to the kingdom come.
Through the pale moonlight
our hearts ignite to the call.

Oh, claim your prize
for of crown of stars
in the name of love
be the sacrifice.
You and I will stand and fight
our backs to the wall.”