Fable - Ask The Great Den

[Molly Blackwood]

"That's good to hear. I can cook up some more for you. There's a fire already started by the den where I've been staying. And as for this?" Molly gestured to the fur she was wearing. "I woke up with it on me. Baraek must have made it. He hunted the bear yesterday and that's what we're eating now."

Molly looked to the two for a moment, satisfied for the most part. One down, two to go. "I'm going to look for the others. See how they're holding up." With a nod to them both she left their den in search of Godfrey and Samuel.

 

[Uhfred]

"That's good to hear. I can cook up some more for you. There's a fire already started by the den where I've been staying. And as for this?" Molly gestured to the fur she was wearing. "I woke up with it on me. Baraek must have made it. He hunted the bear yesterday and that's what we're eating now."

“Who’s Baraek?” He asked.

“The Alpha’s son.” Asha explained.

“Oh. Well, thanks for the meat Molly, and Ben sure to thank Baraek for hunting it down.” Thomas said to her.

Molly looked to the two for a moment, satisfied for the most part. One down, two to go. "I'm going to look for the others. See how they're holding up." With a nod to them both she left their den in search of Godfrey and Samuel.

“See ya later Molly.” He said with a wave. Then he returned to talking to Asha.

Godfrey and Samuel were actually together, sitting across from a pair of female wolves. It seemed as though every last male had left, only a few women remained in the den-village. So they were there, talking with them as Thomas had been. They waved her over.

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"Yes, I will." She continued on.

At last she spotted Godfrey and Samuel. Together. She took note of the other Lycans there with them on her approach. "Hello. You two alright? I can cook you some breakfast. It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

Molly wondered if they had been given the same offer that Baraek had given her. It didn't really appear to be, for all thrre of them were here and they seemed quite content, while she was troubled.

 

[Uhfred]

At last she spotted Godfrey and Samuel. Together. She took note of the other Lycans there with them on her approach. "Hello. You two alright? I can cook you some breakfast. It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

Samuel said, "oh yes please, noone here seems to know what cooking is and we weren't allowed to gather firewood to cook it ourselves. All we have is raw meat from a boar I think. And our cooking sucks anyway."

One of the females looked between them, "what is this cooking? And why is it a prerequisite for eating?"

"Because, Barbare," Godfrey explained, "humans can't eat raw meat, we have to cook it. We put stuff over a fire and make it warm so we can eat."

The wolves seemed confused. Samuel said, "perhaps you'd be interested in learning?"

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"Well there's no need for you to gather wood. The fire's already going." Molly watched the exchange between the four of them. She half wondered why no one smelled her cooking the night before, or when Baraek was doing so this morning.

"Follow me, bring some boar meat if there's any left and I'll show you." She gestured for them to follow, leading them back to where the den was that she was staying. The fire had dimmed down a little, so Molly stirred it up a bit and added another log. "I'm afraid that I only have salt to season it. But it's better than nothing."

 

[Uhfred]

"Well there's no need for you to gather wood. The fire's already going." Molly watched the exchange between the four of them. She half wondered why no one smelled her cooking the night before, or when Baraek was doing so this morning.

No one there had smelled it, the three females she’d seen, and all those currently near the dens had been out patrolling the previous night, so they hadn’t smelled the cooking. “That’s great!”

"Follow me, bring some boar meat if there's any left and I'll show you." She gestured for them to follow, leading them back to where the den was that she was staying. The fire had dimmed down a little, so Molly stirred it up a bit and added another log. "I'm afraid that I only have salt to season it. But it's better than nothing."

The four of them stood up and followed her to the fire, the two humans made sure that they had enough wood while the two wolves watched curiously as they prepared the fire and the food.

“No worries,” Samuel said to her, “salted meat is great.”

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly finished working on the fire. She didn't bother with gesturing for them all to sit down, for she was quite certain that they'd do so on their own. Afterall it wasn't as though she was some Lady at an estate or anything. She was just a commoner.

She took hold of more pieces of meat and slid them onto sticks. Once more she took out pinches of salt and sprinkled them onto the meat, before cooking it all on the fire. "Cooking by fire is easy. You just have to have patience."

 

[Uhfred]

She took hold of more pieces of meat and slid them onto sticks. Once more she took out pinches of salt and sprinkled them onto the meat, before cooking it all on the fire. "Cooking by fire is easy. You just have to have patience."

The two men each took one stick and held the meat over the fire, and Samuel said, “thanks Molly.”

The two wolves watched curiously as the meat cooked. Then Godfrey asked, “So what do you make of this situation Molly?”

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly sat down, keeping herself slightly apart from the others. She drew her knees up and rested her arms on them as she watched the two trying their hand at cooking the meat.

After Samuel asked his question, she was silent for a moment, mulling over her answer in her head. "I'm not sure.....I'm conflicted. What options were you given?" Molly was curious as to whether or not they were offered the same as she was. And what they chose to do.

 

[Uhfred]

After Samuel asked his question, she was silent for a moment, mulling over her answer in her head. "I'm not sure.....I'm conflicted. What options were you given?" Molly was curious as to whether or not they were offered the same as she was. And what they chose to do.

Samuel said, “To go and open the gates for them, or to wait for this to be over. They said that once the people are gone we can take equal portions of the treasury. Then we’ll be sent on our way. I for one think it’s quite generous, and I’m legitimately considering taking the deal.”

“As am I,” Godfrey tells her.

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"A lot of innocent people are going to die and lose their homes. I suggested that they try to negotiate, but Baraek didn't quite understand how that'd be a good thing. And as much as my family could use the money, I'm not so sure that I'm really comfortable with it."

Molly gestured for them to turn their meat over so that the other sides could cook.

"But if you want to take them up on it, then be my guest. Surely don't need all of us to do it. I'm sure that I'd be well guarded here." Mostly to ensure that she doesn't escape, she was certain.

 

[Uhfred]

"A lot of innocent people are going to die and lose their homes. I suggested that they try to negotiate, but Baraek didn't quite understand how that'd be a good thing. And as much as my family could use the money, I'm not so sure that I'm really comfortable with it."

Molly gestured for them to turn their meat over so that the other sides could cook.

"But if you want to take them up on it, then be my guest. Surely don't need all of us to do it. I'm sure that I'd be well guarded here." Mostly to ensure that she doesn't escape, she was certain.

They nodded somberly, “Well, most of these people have only settled here recently, it’s just a simple motte and Bailey castle in which he’s held. So they aren’t attached to this place and they probably have opportunities back in the original cities.”

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"Maybe. I don't know. We can only guess. People don't just move out of their cities on a whim. Or for the fun of it. I know that I'm not out here because I want to be. I would rather be with my siblings."

Molly shrugged her shoulders a little. "You both can go if you'd like. You don't really need me for the task." She stared into the fire. "I was hired to stop poachers. Since there aren't any, there's no one for me to stop. So it's alright that I don't get paid. I'll find work elsewhere when I'm free to go." And send that money back home. She prefered honest work, which wasn't entirely what Baraek had offered.

 

[Uhfred]

"Maybe. I don't know. We can only guess. People don't just move out of their cities on a whim. Or for the fun of it. I know that I'm not out here because I want to be. I would rather be with my siblings."

"That's true, but the same can be said if these people, these wolves. They can't just up and leave because someone decided that they wanted their lands. So really, who's right in this situation?" Samuel said.

Molly shrugged her shoulders a little. "You both can go if you'd like. You don't really need me for the task." She stared into the fire. "I was hired to stop poachers. Since there aren't any, there's no one for me to stop. So it's alright that I don't get paid. I'll find work elsewhere when I'm free to go." And send that money back home. She prefered honest work, which wasn't entirely what Baraek had offered.

"True, but if we fail, who's to say how long this war will last? Because this is a war. And the fact that they called them poachers means that they knew they were here, and so soon after this place was settled? I'd say that they intentionally left out details." Godfrey added. "So that we'd kill off this pack and they wouldn't have to bother with it themselves."

 

[Molly Blackwood]

As far as Molly was concerned, no one was right. War in and of itself was a failure. There were never any winners because people died on both sides.

She continued to stare into the fire as she sorted through it all in her mind, weighing out her options. "And whose to say you'll fail? You're just opening a gate, right? How hard could that be?" Or was there more that Baraek wanted them to do, but she just wasn't told...

 

[Uhfred]

"It's not likely, but possible. There will be guards and we have to get there to actually open the gates, so it is not quite that simple." Godfrey explained. "But yes, failure is unlikely."

Samuel spoke up. "But in the case that we do fail, what do you plan to do? Wars last a long time and you likely won't be allowed to leave until it's over.

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"I don't know yet....Either way my family won't be getting the money that they need."

Molly chewed the inside of her cheek as she sighed. She wasn't entirely pleased with her situation. Either she risks her life in the war, or she just sits and waits here. "And what's to say that they'll let you go after you open the gate for them?"

 

[Uhfred]

"And what's to say that they'll let you go after you open the gate for them?"

This time it was one of the wolves' turn to speak. She puffed in outrage, "well honor for one. We aren't brigands nor criminals, a wolf is worth no more than their word. If we say they will be freed, they will be freed."

The other wolf calmed her companion and said, "and what reason would we have to keep them after the war is done? You are being kept because you are a potential threat, you know where we are and how many, information we cannot let out. So once the war is over, there will be no reason for us to keep you, no reason for us to kill you and the contents of the human settlements are useless to us. It's simple logic."

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"I don't mean any offence, but we're the ones being held against our will; not you." Molly was glad that the wolves had honour. So did she. But it wasn't like they had reasons to trust her. Or anyone else that wasn't one of them.

"So even after they open the gate, they'll still be kept here until the war is over?" It seemed like no matter what happened, they had to stay. Molly grew to dislike taking this job more and more. But there wasn't much work out there for her besides being a maid. Yet she was too stubborn for that too.

 

[Uhfred]

"Yes, but since they'd be opening the gates of their main stronghold, and we'd be rid of the snake's head, the war will be shortened considerably, going from an estimated year or two to only a couple of months. You tell me which you'd prefer." The second wolfess explained.

 

[Molly Blackwood]

Molly sighed a little. "I'd rather there not be a war at all. But that's just not an option either side wants...So I suppose the latter." She just wanted to go back home and away from here. It wasn't that the company wasn't nice or anything, for they truly were, despite holding her captive. She just wanted out.

"When the others return, keep a watch out in case they were followed. It's not that hard to pick out your kind's tracks."

 

[Uhfred]

Molly sighed a little. "I'd rather there not be a war at all. But that's just not an option either side wants...So I suppose the latter." She just wanted to go back home and away from here. It wasn't that the company wasn't nice or anything, for they truly were, despite holding her captive. She just wanted out.

"Exactly." The she wolf said. "A swift and decisive end to the conflict is preferable for everyone involved."

She scooted over to Molly, "I understand your distaste for conflict, which I can respect. Noone is making you participate. And think of it this way, the castle is the primary defensive structure for the enemy, and is where they are strongest. If we take that away from them, not only have we avoided a lengthy siege, we would reduce the duration of the conflict to a mere fraction of what it would be otherwise."

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"I know, I know....I get it." But that didn't mean that she was happy with it. She was just supposed to hunt down poachers, not fight in a war. Molly wasn't a soldier. She wasn't trained in military strategy or anything of that ilk.

"So when is this all supposed to happen? The attack on the castle, I mean." Who knew what Baraek and the others were up to at this moment. Scouting, perhaps?

 

[Uhfred]

"So when is this all supposed to happen? The attack on the castle, I mean." Who knew what Baraek and the others were up to at this moment. Scouting, perhaps?

"Should be tomorrow evening after sundown. Unless the plans have changed." She explained. "Or unless something happens."

 

[Molly Blackwood]

"What do you mean, if something happens?" Molly raised an eyebrow, unsure of what was meant by that. She was a stranger to the strategies of war. And although the plan that she had been told of seemed rather sound, she wasn't sure of what could happen to deter it.

Unless of course all those that had left the camp today had been killed....