Quest The Hunt

[Brenna]

Brenna couldn't sleep but then she had always had trouble with sleep. After the accident she would get searing headaches from the blow and they had followed her into adulthood. This time however it was the excitement of being reintroduced to an old friend and the prospect of another adventure. Her mother had hoped she would have had her taste of it after her journey south but it seemed as though it had only wet her appetite for more.

She could smell the storm easing before Kol spoke, so when her keen eyes picked out the words his lips formed she was ready to go. The final thing was to kick snow and dirt over the fire.

They do not like...

She paused. Sometimes it was automatic to used her signs.

"We are old enemies," she motioned to herself and then outside. Frost Giants and Nordenfiir had never seen eye to eye. "They might not like my smell," her lips twisted. The words too simplistic but she didn't know how to say more to say they would scent her and attack.

 

[Magrin Kor]

After the storm abated Magrin stirred, sitting up from where he'd leaned back against the hard stone that made the interior wall of the cave they'd taken refuge in. Reaching with his right hand he'd rub the back of his neck and crane his head to one side, working out a minor kink while looking between both Brenna and Kol.

When Kol mentioned that the Frost Trolls would be out, traveling across the new snow in search of food Magrin had but one answer..."Good."...before he rose to his feet, rolled his shoulders backwards and prepared to depart the cave. Only hearing Brenna's voice caused him to pause and look back towards the Nordenfiir at which point she'd likely see the thin smile touching the corners of his mouth as he regarded her..."That's the point isn't it?"...they were hunting Trolls, it would make it easier to find them if they could smell them. If they ran afoul other things, like Frost Giants then the Trolls would likewise be in trouble.

Reaching for his Axe Magrin would grip it high on the haft, underneath the head so that the cresent of the blade angled over his knuckles while the remainder of the lacquered wood extended beyond his grip. He'd hold the weapon close to his hip so that he could position it accordingly and easily when combat was joined.

Exiting the cavern the Nord discovered the snow was deep, past his knees as he moved out into it but powerful limbs seemed to carry him without a loss of mobility as he broke a trail for his companions up the Mountain. Now that the storm had ended the crisp air that filled his lungs invigorated him, he was ready...

 

[Kol]

Bait.

That was really the word that came into his mind as Brenna spoke. The little girl had been kind to him, but kindness did not often go far among his people. The Dark Gods seemed to grin down at him as he looked out after Magrin, his eyes setting on the snow that had fallen.

He waited a moment, letting Brenna break into the path ahead of him before The Sorcerer set off behind him.

Their journey onto the mountain was not a quick one, but they made more progress than Kol would have thought. Within three hours of their departure from the Cavern they crested a ridge, coming to a stop before a large crag.

The snows hid things well, but blood was easy to spot even from a distance. "There."

Kol pointed down into the crag, the corpse of a Snow Deer laying half eaten.

"Trolls, no doubt." Though why they had left half their kill he did not know.

 

[Brenna]

Bre blinked her wide sapphire eyes at Magrin's retreating back, her head listing to one side as she tried to puzzle out what it was he meant. Then it dawned on her. If they could smell her they would come searching for them. A soft huff left her but her lips kicked up at the corners still as she strode out of the cave after the tall Nord. Valthar would kill her for letting herself be bait but it wasn't like she was tied up against a tree waiting to be devoured... She wanted to find them. Right?

Whilst Magrin ploughed through the snow Brenna walked above it more like a ghost. The footprints she left behind were slight - an impression rather than a full print. It made the going quicker for her at the least.

The smell of a kill filled her nostrils way before they crested the hill; the group were downwind and it meant the scents in front of them were offered more freely. She could also smell the trolls and something else, darker and more vile than even their stench. She brought her scarf up to cover her nose with a disgusted noise.

"That way," the stench was so bad she could almost see it, further on into the crag.

 

[Magrin Kor]

After three hours the Nord's muscles started to tire and his pace slowed however the way Magrin moved indicated he had experience moving through this kind of heavy snow and rough terrain. Even beginning to tire he carried on with a stamina that was considerable as the group crested the ridge and came upon the crag.

As Kol pointed out the corpse of the Snow Deer Magrin agreed with a simple..."No doubt."...echoing the mans own words before nodding as Brenna pointed them in the direction that the scent came from. It smelt of death obviously and Troll but Magrin, keen senses and all might not have been as keen as Brenna; he could make out the Trolls and the filth that clung to them but Troll smelled like Troll to him and anything darker was largely lost on him.

Trudging down the crest into the crag the direction they were pointed in would lead them past the fallen Snow Deer. Magrin paused at the corpse, his axe still gripped tight in his right hand and close to his hip before kneeling down and extending his left hand to examine the body. The Nord frowned. Flesh had been torn away from the Deer revealing the ribs and many of the deeper organs, the body appeared gnawed upon in places, shredded in others and torn apart too. Trolls were not known for their manual dexterity however their voracious appetites were no mystery to anyone. Once he'd completed the short examination Magrin looked ahead, a trail of blood made it easy to follow the slayers; Trolls weren't known for their subtlety either but..."Bait."...Magrin frown.

The Snow was deep, doubtless the trail did lead onwards just as Brenna had indicated however deep snow masked dark things. Exploding outwards from underneath the corpse of the half eaten and eviscerated Snow Deer the snow erupted upwards and was replaced by a looming figure taller than a man. Leathery skin, awkwardly long limbs ending in clawed appendages, dark eyes and a mouthful of rotten teeth greeted the trio as Magrin reeled backwards. The Trolls were downwind but they'd buried one of their own under the snow, under the carcass of the deer. It was doubtless the perfect camouflage to lure in anything or anyone curious.

"Clever."...was all Magrin managed as he fell backwards onto his haunches, he had to admire the bestial cunning of the creature even as one of its large clawed hands reached out to strip away his flesh. Only the timely swing of his axe saved him, batting the hand of the troll away and ripping several of its fingers off as it leaked black ichor. The Nord howled back at his companions then..."Are there more!?"...his eyes were focused but he saw the Troll was looking elsewhere already, maybe at Brenna. She had said they might not like her smell after all.

 

[Kol]

There were more.

Trolls were not smart, not like a man, but they had a certain cunning. The beasts hunted in packs, and each pack had their own tactics. In the Lost Isles the creatures tended to hunt in groups of three, using two of their number to flank whatever they chased.

It seemed that out here they preferred more...subtle tactics.

This was their territory, and the three of them had stumbled into it. Just as Magrin fell back from the first troll, two others suddenly appeared within the snow. They had been folded down against the ground, and as their pack-member rose so did they.

A guttural call went up, and Kol scowled. "Kill them fast, before the rest of the Tribe arrives."

His fingers balled into a fist, black flecks drew together from nothing as the rune-marked blade appeared within his hand. Then the Sorcerer launched himself forward at the closest troll.

 

[Brenna]

Of course for Brenna there was no noise, merely an odd silent performance of a troll leaping from the snow followed by two others. She had felt the rumble of something shifting under her foot rather than heard the warning from Magrin and moved just in time to avoid being snatched up by the creatures hand. It definitely didn't like her smell nor her its, from the way it recoiled as it realised what exactly she was. One hand was still pushed firmly over her nose and she gave the thing a look of disgust and annoyance. For a moment the pair stared at one another for what could have only been a second but which felt like a lifetime. Then chaos.

The troll dove towards her as Brenna threw herself to the side, hitting the snow and rolling back to her feet. At the same moment her body shifted in a flourish of light. Gone was the young girl and in its place a large bear with golden copper fur. The troll opened its mouth in what she assumed was a scream but Bre lunged. Her speed in her human form was quicker as a bear and her teeth found the precious, tender bit of skin at the creatures throat.

 

[Magrin Kor]

As the Troll dove towards Brenna Magrin, hearing Kol urge them to kill their attackers the Nord didn't waste any time. He chose one of the Troll's that had risen from beneath the snow following the initial attack and lunged at the creature as a guttural sound tore itself from his throat.

Magin's eyes changed as he threw himself into the Troll, becoming more feral in the process while he bared his teeth. As he collided with the Troll the impact would actually throw the two of them backwards into the snow again. The Troll slashed with its claws and Magrin brought his axe down in a series of chopping motions. It took a trio of blows, swift and hard before the Nord heard a hideous crack as one of the Troll's arms came free below the shoulder, cleaved from the rest of the body.

A clawed hand swung, rotten teeth snapped. The stench was formidable. Black ichor painted the snow. At one point the Troll took the advantage, reversing its position with Magrin so that the Nord was on his back but he'd force the haft of his axe into the jaws of the creature and throw it back off. Another fall of the axe would see it lodged in the skull of the troll causing the creature to go limp, finally before Magrin put a heavy boot on the things face and used the leverage to dislodge his weapon. Laying another hand over his side it soon became clear the Troll's claws had landed at least one blow in the melee and that some crimson was leaking from the Nords side, over the ribs.

Turning his gaze outwards Magrin looked for Brenna and for Kol to see how the both of them were faring. The Sorcerer may have had to hold his own for a moment but Magrin had spied the rune covered blade that appeared in his hand and knew it was for more than just show. As for Brenna, well she was an enormous Bear now; she didn't need protecting...

 

[Kol]

Brackish red blood splattered upon the snow as Kol tore the rune carved blade through the trolls chest and up towards it's neck.

A loud howl escaped the beast, it's hands desperately trying to claw at the Sorcerer at it's back. The blade tore through flesh and fur, casting entrails onto the ground as the creature let out another guttural cry of pain and panic.

Kol let it fall to the ground, whirling around to see the last of the beasts rush towards him.

The beast rushed forward on it's haunches, lurching as fast as it could in an attempt to trap him and bring him low to the ground. No curse escaped The Sorcerer's lips, instead a black ichor rushed from his palm. It dripped to the ground as muted words fled from his lips.

Then suddenly the brackish blood that had fallen from the first troll jumped up and formed a pike. In an instant a crimson pillar of ice lanced out from the ground, impaling the charging through through the chest and stopping it in it's tracks.

 

[Brenna]

Bre's fight unravelled like a silent movie in her mind. The creatures jaw opened and she felt the forced of it's roar through her claws and teeth as she dug them deep into the stinking flesh. The troll attempted to pull and push at her but when he found that to only tighten the bears grip he threw himself down in an attempt to smash the animal with his own weight.

Their journey southward had taught Brenna many things and one of those was how to use both of her forms. As the Troll began to fall she shifted, girl replacing bear, and swung herself round to the creatures back. It was too late to stop himself tumbling and he smashed into the icy ground with a loud holler. Bre didn't waste time in enjoying the thrill of executing her tactic but drew her blade from her back and slammed it down into the back of the creatures neck.

Black blood sprayed across her face but she dug it deeper until her sword bit snow on the other side. She maintained her position, twisting the blade ever so slightly, until the creature grew still beneath her. Only when she was sure it was dead did she hop down from it's back and wipe the blood from her cheeks, throwing the two men a wide grin and throwing her blade across her shoulders.

"Did they hear?" She asked in that odd flipped manner, tilting her head.