Fable - Ask The Great Den

[Molly Blackwood]

((Yes, just didn't have much time to get online. I have most of the decorations put away at least))

"Oh there's not a whole lot of places that I've been too, yet they are different. Some villages are small and are mostly made up of houses with a courtyard for the market. Yet others are much bigger with buildings of stone, plenty of pubs and shops filled with an assortment of goods."

Molly tilted her head to the side a little when Baraek asked her what her favourite meat was. There wasn't a lot that she could afford these days, as she'd take most of her earnings home. Nor could she carry much with her. So chicken was what she had the most. But that wasn't his exact question. "I suppose that my favourite would be pig. It's a lovely meat that can be served both sweet and salty."

 

[Uhfred]

“Pigs? As in boar or human livestock swine? I like boar myself. I really don’t know what cooked pig tastes like. Honestly this is the first time I’ve even heard of the work cooking.” He said to her. Then he looked her in the eye, “I’m surprised at you. We’ve basically just taken you prisoner and here you are teaching me to cook as though you know me well. Might I ask how it is you remain so calm.”

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"You can try it now. Should be ready. And it's pig that I mean. Although boar is nice too."

As Baraek posed his question on her about how she was acting in regards to her situation, Molly thought about it for a moment before giving her answer. "You put trust in me to not run off, so I'm putting trust in you to not kill me. That's why I'm so calm. You seem the type that is true to their word. And I am too. Only a break of that trust would cause me to run and no longer be calm."

 

[Uhfred]

"You can try it now. Should be ready. And it's pig that I mean. Although boar is nice too."

He wasted no time in sinking his teeth into such delicious food. The meat was gone almost instantaneously.

"You put trust in me to not run off, so I'm putting trust in you to not kill me. That's why I'm so calm. You seem the type that is true to their word. And I am too. Only a break of that trust would cause me to run and no longer be calm."

He nodded his understanding as he chewed his meat. “Fair. And I hope that you aren’t too uncomfortable during your captivity. Perhaps you might come to understand our way of life. And while I can promise that I will do you no harm, I will say that it is in your best interests to stay off of my father’s bad side. He is quick to anger which is not easily quelled. I give this to you not as a threat but as a warning.”

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly cut off some more chunks of meat, put them on the stick and seasoned them with salt before putting it to the fire to cook one more batch.

"How do I get on his bad side? It's not like I'll be wandering or snooping about. Of course I could always bribe him with some of the cooked meat." She laughed a little to herself, though her situation wasn't a laughing matter. So it didn't really last. Instead she focused on cooking.

 

[Uhfred]

"How do I get on his bad side? It's not like I'll be wandering or snooping about. Of course I could always bribe him with some of the cooked meat."

“It’s a lot easier than you’d think.” He said somberly. “He’s absolutely furious about this new lord that we’re having to deal with, and he’s often taken his fury out on small villages or trade caravans. I would not at all be surprised if he took some out on you or your friends, despite the fact that you are technically under our care. Bribing him with some cooked meat might help calm him down, teach more of the pack how to do it themselves and you’ll have too many friends here for him to really do anything without adequate cause.”

Then he had an idea. He looked at her. “Hey, would you consider working with us to oust this invader? We have no need of his treasury and we only need him and his people out of our lands, not entirely dead, though casualties are basically guaranteed. If you would consider helping us, not only would you be somewhat safer from my father’s wrath, but you would get to keep a large portion of the lord’s treasury, if not all of it. Does this sound reasonable to you?”

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly's jaw dropped slightly. "He takes his fury out on innocent people? That's not fair or good! They didn't cause any harm, they don't. Does he kill children too?" Such a thought brought out a bit of her anger. She hated bullies, especially bullies that masqueraded as a righteous people. There were better ways to handle such situations, yet she was certain that neither side would listen to reason.

"Teaching the pack might make him think that I was turning them against him and challenging his authority. It'll be better just to keep us apart."

She turned the meat over, listening to Baraek's suggestion, mulling it over in her mind. "You'd have to go after the Lord himself, not the villagers that work for him. If you put enough fear in him a deal might be able to be struck. Then at least some lives could be spared." What she needed was a map.

 

[Uhfred]

Molly's jaw dropped slightly. "He takes his fury out on innocent people? That's not fair or good! They didn't cause any harm, they don't. Does he kill children too?" Such a thought brought out a bit of her anger. She hated bullies, especially bullies that masqueraded as a righteous people. There were better ways to handle such situations, yet she was certain that neither side would listen to reason.

"No, not children, and generally not women either. He only kills those who can defend themselves." He says. "He has a sense of honour despite his ruthlessness. And there is a rational reason too, to deprive him of needed resources, and make his position weak."

"Teaching the pack might make him think that I was turning them against him and challenging his authority. It'll be better just to keep us apart."

He shrugged. "I don't know about that. But I won't press the issue."

She turned the meat over, listening to Baraek's suggestion, mulling it over in her mind. "You'd have to go after the Lord himself, not the villagers that work for him. If you put enough fear in him a deal might be able to be struck. Then at least some lives could be spared." What she needed was a map

He shook his head. "I was thinking more along the lines of infiltration. Where we send you in, under the guise of having escaped us, and you open the way for us to get in, so that we can deal with the lord. We will order the people away once he's dealt with."

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly shook her head, disagreeing with Baraek's Father's strategy. "It's not weakening his position. Instead you are just giving him more reason to have armies brought here. You are giving him cause to bring war here." Scaring the Lord was one thing, but slaughtering his people was another. Especially for the sole reason that they could defend themselves.

It certainly wasn't giving her reason to stay. However she wasn't so quick to run away yet.

Hearing of his plan, Molly frowned. "Deal with him? You mean to kill him, don't you? I want no part of that. I'm not loyal to him, but there are certain lines that I won't cross. If you want the least amount of resistance and violence from both the Lord and the innocent villagers, than strike a deal with them. Don't be a monster in a fairy tale."

 

[Uhfred]

"It's not weakening his position. Instead you are just giving him more reason to have armies brought here. You are giving him cause to bring war here."

“He already has.” Baraek sighed.

"Deal with him? You mean to kill him, don't you? I want no part of that. I'm not loyal to him, but there are certain lines that I won't cross. If you want the least amount of resistance and violence from both the Lord and the innocent villagers, than strike a deal with them. Don't be a monster in a fairy tale."

“If we chase him out he will just come back.” He said calmly. “If we don’t end it here completely, then it will not truly end. You do not know nobles all that well do you? Greedy and insatiable, the only thing they can be trusted to do is consume and destroy.”

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly huffed and got to her feet. "You haven't seen their armies yet. Their numbers are vastly larger than your own. You'll all die." Or at the very least, she figured that most of them would.

She still held onto the stick of meat, even while folding her arms defiantly across her chest. "I didn't say to chase him out. I said to strike a deal. You say that Lords are greedy? Well fine. Use that to your advantage during negotiations. I want no part in a slaughter. I was hired to stop poachers. That's all." And now she was being held captive. At least until all of this was over.

 

[Uhfred]

Molly huffed and got to her feet. "You haven't seen their armies yet. Their numbers are vastly larger than your own. You'll all die." Or at the very least, she figured that most of them would.

“Armies are useful only against other armies.” He said to her. “We don’t field armies, we don’t have enough of us to do so anyway. We skirmish, attack and withdraw, repeat until victory is obtained.” (IRL this is why the Romans never conquered Scotland.)

She still held onto the stick of meat, even while folding her arms defiantly across her chest. "I didn't say to chase him out. I said to strike a deal. You say that Lords are greedy? Well fine. Use that to your advantage during negotiations. I want no part in a slaughter. I was hired to stop poachers. That's all." And now she was being held captive. At least until all of this was over.

He chuckled humorlessly. “Poachers, he called us. And what do you think he’d have done if you found us? What do you think he wanted you to do? Bring us in? Even if you did that do you honestly think he’d have shown such magnanimity? He would not have spared us even if you had.”

He didn’t stand up, while she stood higher than he sat, his head was at her shoulder even when sitting down. “And I never said that you had to take part, it was simply a suggestion to avoid such mass slaughter. If such things do not sit well with you, than you are at liberty to refuse. If so you will remain here until this war is over.”

 

[Uhfred]

(Sorry for the wait. Life got crazy.)

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"They could surround you on all sides and just move in." Molly was only throwing guesses out there. In her mind it was the numbers that counted. Not to mention armour and weapons.

Her shoulders slumped, even as she still kept her arms folded across her chest. Baraek was right. The Lord probably wouldn't of spared them. Either way she was caught inside of a violent middle. And that was not a good place to be.

"And how long do you expect this...war to last?" She had her family to think about, afterall.

 

[Uhfred]

"They could surround you on all sides and just move in." Molly was only throwing guesses out there. In her mind it was the numbers that counted. Not to mention armour and weapons.

“Only if they catch us out in the open, which they will not.” He said calmly, “besides, it’s extremely difficult to surround two different groups at once, especially on such rough terrain.”

"And how long do you expect this...war to last?" She had her family to think about, afterall.

“As it stands now?” He asked, “several months. Most of which will consist of whittling their numbers down while minimizing casualties on our end. It will be long, it will be hard, but it will end eventually. I had hoped you would be willing to help us shorten that to only a month or two, and avoid such slaughter.”

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly frowned as she was feeling the weight of the situation being pressed onto her shoulders. Death was going to happen, regardless of whatever she did. And some innocent people were going to be chased out of their homes. So where would they go?

She held out the stick of meat for Baraek to take. "Here....I'm not hungry anymore." In truth she had lost her appetite. Whether he took it or not, she wasn't going to bring it with her. Molly turned on her heel and started walking back to the den that she was first taken to. She needed to think, she needed a plan, and she wanted to be in the dark in case there were tears.

Once inside she found a little spot for herself and laid down on her left side, curling up into a small ball and using the crook of her arm as a pillow. Molly didn't close her eyes, she just stared at nithing and kept quiet.

 

[Uhfred]

"Here....I'm not hungry anymore."

He grimaced and took the stick, “I’m sorry that you got mixed up in this.”

He didn’t eat the meat immediately, he waited for a while before he began to slowly bite chunks off of the meat. Once that was done he began to tend the bear’s skin, keeping the fur on it but making it much tougher, more leather than rawhide. He would work on this until he was certain that she was asleep.

Once that was done he’d set the bearskin aside and sat down outside of the earthen den, and slept.

 

[Molly Blackwood]

It wasn't Baraek's fault. She knew that. Yet she was being held, regardless. Even though she had expressed her desire to just be kept out of the whole mess, she still wasn't allowed to leave. Attempting to do so would just get her tied up and she didn't want that.

Molly was thankful for her layers of clothing. It helped to keep her somewhat warm in the den, yet she wished for some hot embers in a pot near her, as that would help too. She wondered how the others were doing as well. Were they being treated as nicely? Or? She guessed that it all depended on how stubborn they were too.

And just when was the war going to start? She might still have some time to decide on what she was to do, for right now she just couldn't choose.

Releasing a breath that she didn't even realize that she was holding, Molly finally closed her eyes and fell asleep.

 

[Uhfred]

The morning came, and the dew clung to the grass and leaves. Baraek was outside, with a fire, cooking more of the bear meat from the previous evening.

She would wake up covered by something heavy, but not so much as to be uncomfortable, and warm. If she were to look, she'd see it was the bearskin. It had been treated, and laid over her as she slept so that she might not freeze.

Baraek seemed to have eaten a good chunk of the bear already, and was cooking more, while not the best (he held it over the fire for several minutes too long) it was a start.

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly was a little startled upon waking. She was in the midst of a bad dream and for a moment had forgotten where she was. Her fingers ran through the fur of the bearskin, puzzling for a moment as she didn't remember it being in the den earlier.

Her eyes darted around inside as she sat up, looking for Baraek. However he wasn't to be found. The smell of the fire wafted through however, so Molly got to her feet and with the bear skin wrapped around her shoulders, she cautiously poked her head outside.

To her surprise Baraek was nearby and...cooking? She approached, speaking while she walked so as not to startle him. "Good morning. Are you making breakfast? It looks ready now."

 

[Uhfred]

To her surprise Baraek was nearby and...cooking? She approached, speaking while she walked so as not to startle him. "Good morning. Are you making breakfast? It looks ready now."

She came out of the den, still wrapped up in her new bearskin blanket, and commented that the food looked done. He sniffed it, it did seem a little crispier than what she had cooked. So he pulled it off the fire and handed it to her, “since you didn’t have dinner last night, I figured I’d make you something to eat. I’m sorry, I don’t think it’s up to your level of skill.”

Once she took the meat he picked up his sword belt, and secured it to his waist. “I will be back in a few hours, probably this evening. If you need something, just ask anyone passing by and they will help you.”

With that he joined a group of armed Lycans a ways off, and they turned to leave. Not many people were left, if she were to run, now was the time.

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly took the stick of meat. "Thank you. It looks good. It's better to have it cooked fully, than not enough."

She nodded as Baraek set off. Did it start already? Or were they just going on patrol? Molly sat back and ate, watching nearly everyone depart. There was hardly anyone there and for a moment she thought she'd make a break for it. But then she remembered his words of her being hunted down and kept on a leash. No. She couldn't risk that just yet.

After finishing her breakfast she started cooking some for the other prisoners. They would need some meat too. And hopefully they were being treated well. Molly waited until the meat was all ready, all the while watching to see if Baraek's Father was around. There was a good chance that he left with the others. Yet again he might of stuck around to see what she would do.

Keeping the blanket around her shoulders, Molly started to walk through the camp, carrying the meat on a stick and searching the dens for her comrades.

 

[Uhfred]

Molly took the stick of meat. "Thank you. It looks good. It's better to have it cooked fully, than not enough."

"I will try to improve." He said with a chuckle.

Keeping the blanket around her shoulders, Molly started to walk through the camp, carrying the meat on a stick and searching the dens for her comrades

She would find one of her compatriots, (you choose which), chatting with a female wolf. The wolf was, true to form, bigger than the humans, but still not as big as the males were, and she appeared to be well built. She had at her right hip a quiver of arrows and slung over her back was a huge bow.

She wore segmented armour of hardened leather, buckled at the front.

She was sitting beside the smaller man and chatting surprisingly cheerfully, given the situation, with the smaller human. Molly would probably hear her explaining some of the Pack's culture, specifically regarding the carefully arranged grouping of skulls outside each den, usually on the southern side.

"You see, we believe that one's ancestors are watching us, and aiding us as they see need, and in order to maintain our ancestors' spirits, we keep the skulls, and tend to them with great care."

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"Practice makes perfect." That was about all of the advice that she could give Baraek.

It was Thomas that Molly found inside of the den that she had poked her head into. He looked....quite well. And that wasn't a bad thing. She gave a small nod to the lycan sitting with him and held out the stick of meat for Thomas. "I brought you something to eat." Whether or not he was already fed, she didn't know.

And she also didn't know if he was given the same offer that she was. "You seem....okay. That's good to see."

 

[Uhfred]

It was Thomas that Molly found inside of the den that she had poked her head into. He looked....quite well. And that wasn't a bad thing. She gave a small nod to the lycan sitting with him and held out the stick of meat for Thomas. "I brought you something to eat." Whether or not he was already fed, she didn't know.

And she also didn't know if he was given the same offer that she was. "You seem....okay. That's good to see."

Thomas looked up from his conversation with the lycan and smiled at her. He was handed the cooked meat and he bit into it. He chewed it up and swallowed, "hmm, thanks Molly. And yes, I'm doing quite well. Asha here has the hands of a healer, it hasn't fully healed yet but it's definitely not an issue any longer. You seem to be doing quite well yourself. What's with the bear?"