Fable - Ask Westward - A Tundra Tale P. 2

[Gylfi Runarsson]

Tyrfingr
​

"No," Gylfi curtly responded. His gaze set upon the open rock and left the stranger's invitation unanswered. "What brings you so close to Indeholm, stranger?" He looked back at the man, suspicion lingering behind his stoic demeanor. Hard as he glared down at the man, he couldn't sense an ounce of ill-will in the man.

Finally, he sat down on the stone. As he warmed by the fire, he remembered being scolded by his ward. A fierce slap on his arm and furious signs to follow it up.

You need to mind your manners!

He grimaced at the memory.

"I am Gylfi," he said, turning his attention back to the stranger.

 

[Ruvsá]

The Ruuk
Indeholm
Late in the Night

Ruvsá quickly and quietly traversed the streets of Indeholm from the Jorn's hall to the Ruuk. The Ruuk was closer to the gates of Indeholm than the Jorn's residence, but it would provide her a view eastward, over the lake, so long as the Ruuk Master would let her up again tonight.

Ducking into the shadows, Ruvsá slid past the sentries on their watches and patrols, then knocked at the door at the base of the tower. She'd snuck out to the Ruuk from the Jorn's hall often enough in recent weeks that the Ruuk Master knew her knock by now.

Not even a minute passed before he opened the door, ushering her inside before shutting it behind her.

"Evening, Harek," Ruvsá smiled in the way that always made the Ruuk master's face turn a shade red. He never touched her, though. Never came near enough to touch her. They both knew what would happen if any rumors spread to Jorn Aggar, and Ruvsá had gone to great pains to make sure that there would be no speculation of any untoward relationship between herself and the Ruuk master, for both their sakes.

Harek definitely had some affection for her, and Ruvsá tried not to take too much advantage of him, but having someone on her side the last several months had been something she'd become ever grateful for.

"To the top of the tower again, Jarna?" Harek asked, clearing his throat and glancing away momentarily.

"Please," Ruvsá answered, reaching into her cloak pocket to retrieve the papers there. She glanced at them, making sure to hand him the correct one. "And I've a letter for you to send to Hjerim, to my mother, in the morning, if you don't mind."

Harek nodded as he took the letter from her, then led her up the spiraling stairs in the tall, stone tower. The herrevan on their perches were mostly quiet, though the occasional one would squawk and ruffle its feathers as they passed in the dark, sometimes muttering a word or phrase of annoyance.

Then, a few minutes later, Harek opened the wooden door that led to the flight platform at the top of the Ruuk. Ruvsá pulled her cloak a little tighter to guard against the wind as she stepped back out into the open air. More perches lined the walls, though these were empty now as the herrevan were all under shelter at night.

With a sigh, Ruvsá tipped her head back, letting the wind tug at her hair for a moment before crossing to the eastern side of the tower. The sky was mostly clear and the stars bright, though the moon's light was shaded by a cloud at the moment. Boar's Head Lake was quiet and calm.

Ruvsá slipped her hand back into the pocket of her cloak, fingering the letters contained within, her brow creasing with no small amount of worry.

"What worries you, Jarna?" Harek's spoke softly behind her where he waited near the door.

Ruvsá snorted softly, breath puffing like a cloud into the air. So much troubled her these days, but she wouldn't make Harek implicit in anything further than she already had. It was more than enough to risk Jorn Aggar's anger if she were accused of infidelity.

"Nothing that my own thoughts cannot sort through, with time," she answered, hoping that the Ruuk master would take the hint.

"Of course, Jarna," he answered, a small amount of disappointment evident in his voice, but she heard the door creak again a moment later as he left her to her contemplations.

Ruvsá waited for several minutes, watching the movements of the sentries through Indeholm's streets, as well as the nearest shore of Boar's Head Lake, and the fringes of the forest beyond the gates. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and yet... she still couldn't shake this uneasiness. The sort of uneasiness one felt before battle. She just... wasn't sure why she was feeling it now. Or what she was supposed to do about it.

Eventually, she turned aside from her observations, and crossed the tower to a chipped stone in the wall. She pried the stone out of its spot, and reached into the space behind it, pulling out a stack of letters and documents. Few of them bore the seal of Jorn Aggar, since most were letters that had been sent to him. But some were notations and ledgers in Jorn Aggar's hand--documents that he'd ordered to be destroyed, but Ruvsá had saved them from the fires--and all combined, they shaped a damning picture of treason.

Originally, she'd come with the intent tonight to leave her latest acquisition with them in this hiding spot, but as she set the newest letter on top of the pile, an urgency welled up within her.

I should take them all with me now, Ruvsá thought. I can hide them in my saddlebags instead. It will be easier to get to them there if I need them, rather than at the top of the Ruuk.

Her decision made, Ruvsá removed her cloak and bundled the letters and documents inside of it. It wasn't really so cold that a cloak was necessary for warmth, especially for a Nordenfiir, after all. Only when the wind picked up.

Clutching her newly-packed bundle to her chest, Ruvsá returned to the eastern side of the ruuk, her eyes once more tracking along the edge of the lake.

 

[Tyrfingr]

Tyrfingr just probed the firewood with a stick after the curt no. A question followed soon and he could feel the nordenfiir's suspicious gaze burning into him like a heated poker searing runes into wood. The answer was simple and innocent so no reason to lie. Not that he was likely to be believed regardless of if he lied or not.

"Boars. Looking to hunt one for parts." Tyr said in a friendly yet matter of fact fashion. "How about yourself? After the boars as well?"

Then things got quiet once more. But thankfully it didn't seem to last. The man had sat down and introduced himself. Tyr just smiled to him. "Tyrfingr."

Now all he could do was wait and see what the nordenfiir named Gylfi had to say if he said anything at all. Man seemed to be one of those stoic types, which was as welcome as a talker to him.

Gylfi Runarsson

 

[Solveig Odasson]

A snuffling squeal as he tried to pick up a piglet was VERY quickly drowned out by a near roar of the mother boar.

Solveig turned and cursed loudly. The boar pawed the ground once and charged.

A few things occurred to the Godsworn smith then. Death. Losing his bet with Brenna . How painful this was going to be. On and on. But an iron will reared up in him and he managed to remember his father's instructions as they groomed and fed the molvaniir he rode. At the last second, he slid to the side, the tusk still cutting a fairly good slice across his chest, which he grunted at but mostly ignored. With a grip of the bristled mane of the she-boar, he swung up and lay flat along the boar. Barely enough room existed in the cave to do such, and the mother went mad trying to shake him off.

Luckily, Solveig had a good grip, and she did not succeed. A moment later she barrelled out of the cave squealing and jerking about like a bucking bronco. Solveig,managed to press his knees along either side of a front shoulder blade and dig in tighter. His screams turned to a mad sort of laughter as he held on for, literally, his life.

Eventually the beast stopped, standing still, and the smith stood up, smiling down at his friend. Lathered and panting, the boars eyes were still wild and crazed. As he opened his mouth to say a word to Brenna , the boar reared on it's back legs and came crashing down again, then took off at a breakneck pace through the trees, roughly back towards the camp.

Feck...

 

[Gylfi Runarsson]

Tyrfingr​

"The Molvaniir are not to be underestimated," he flatly stated. What they have to offer is valuable but not so easy to take.

Gylfi gave Tyrfingr a subtle once-over. It wasn't unheard of for even the best hunters to grow complacent and blunder while on the hunt for the great boar. It tested Gylfi's pride, sitting in front of this man who so casually declared his intentions. Indeholm's people prided themselves on the hunting, taming, and training of the boars. They would loathe having a stranger to their traditions hunt one for parts.

"I am merely returning to my home," Gylfi said, bottling his irritation. "I would suggest you do the same, outsider."

The young man abruptly stiffened and looked back towards the treeline as he finally picked up the same scent that his ward had some time ago, and it only grew stronger as time passed. If that is what Brenna had set off for, then it absolutely was Gylfi's concern. The nordenfiir rose from the stone.

"Bless your luck. One draws near." He disdainfully snorted and hurriedly stomped towards the camp.

 

[Maude]

"As much as an outsider can be." Well, that was probably not true. He was no scholar, nor had he really spent much time around the Witches tent listening to her stories. Braum probably knew more than he did.

Ivar slowly stepped in front of Maude, deciding that if the woman was going to pierce him with an arrow she already would have done so.

The moment he was ahead she would notice the way he walked change. His footfalls became a bit more quiet, his eyes flickered low in search of tracks. It was clear that he was an experienced hunter, even without carrying a bow. "My father used to tell me stories."

His voice was quieter as he spoke.

"Men who could turn into bears, women who could tear you limb from limb." He could remember Sivrik telling him those tales. They had seemed almost as fascinating as the Frost Wyrms back then.

Maude

Hm. Maude felt a jolt of prideful humor to his words and it manifested in the air as a puff of fog spilling from her lips over a silent snicker. Sometimes it was striking how little outsiders knew of her people, but the Nordenfiir had been insular for generations longer than she really knew. It was not with intention of being secretive, merely secure.

"High tundra tales," she replied with an exasperated snort, "told to children to frighten them into good behavior." Perhaps she was taking too much amusement out of spinning the mistruths, but she rather liked the notion that people didn't really know. Nothing wrong with a bit of mystery or surprise.

"It is good to know they still-" her words cut off abruptly as a very distant and faint sound hit her ears. The smell came next, utterly unmistakable. Maude prickled on the spot, turned, and without any warning pushed off through the snow, back the way she came.

 

[Ivar]

He heard the crunching of snow behind him in rapid succession, turning to se Maude suddenly breaking off into a run.

For a few seconds he blinked, his head whirling around to see if she had lead him into some sort of ambush. When no arrows came from the snow or trees he let out half a breath. Ivar was no fool, he knew the danger of coming here.

He was always going to keep his eye open.

A second passed before he broke off into a run behind Maude.

Minutes ago she had been paranoid about being in front of him, now she turned away like it mattered not at all. Had she seen something? Heard it? Ivar didn't have the nose of a bear nor the ears, so he could only follow after the Queen in a rush.

Maude

 

[Tyrfingr]

The nordenfiir seemed irritated, but knowledgeable. Between his first and second comments it wasn't hard to piece together he was a local. One who didn't appreciate outsiders stomping around his kind's land. Rather typical of a response from a nordenfiir. At least Gylfi was honorable enough not to just go straight for violence.

But his third comment was like a knife in Tyr's heart. Returning home was the whole point of why he was out here. Not that this bear needed to know or cared to know about any of that. So he just gave the man one of those angry smiles as he said, "Don't underestimate my kind either friend."

Before any sort of brawl, yelling match, or stoic storming off could be had between them Gylfi began to sniff the air. Bears, both kinds, were known for their sense of smell. The comment that followed turned Tyr's smile from one of frustration to one of joy.

As the norseman picked up his spear from where it laid, he said, "Luck is one of my greatest skills." He shoved dirt quickly over the fire, hoping it would put it out, and then followed after his new friend. Time to see if these rumors held true about these boars or not.

Gylfi Runarsson Brenna

 

[Brenna]

For a moment all Brenna could do was stare at the hole the boar had made through the thicket of the forest. Branches hung by a splinter, bushes had been trampled into the snow and soom roots ripped up altogether when they had gotten in the mother boars way. Her mouth hung slightly open but she snapped it shut when she regained her mind. That had not been... quite what she had hoped Sol would do when she had alerted him to the boars presence but then, perhaps she should have know better.

Bull-headed son of a...

Without another thought she grabbed up his scattered belongings and then shifted. She would have far better luck catching up to the thing on four legs instead of two. Petite human footprints became the tracks of a large bear as the golden blonde svalen took off through the trees after her friend and the boar.

 

[Solveig Odasson]

The beast exploded past collected clumps of his fellows as he tried mostly in vain to rein it in. A tent on the outside of camp was ripped off it's stakes and flapped from them as it snorted and roared. It bucked. It heaved. It squealed and rammed sideways into a tree, and Solveig cursed as he felt bruising or breaking of ribs. And as it reared to ram the tree thus again, he pulled back his fist and punched the beast. Once. Twice. Thrice. Right above it's eyes, in full view of the camp.

With shock, the dire boar stood still, eyes wild but unfocused, likely mildly concussed.

That wasn't exactly in his father's advice, but it seemed to have...

Nope.

With a roaring squeal, it charged through a fire being built and back the way it came. Then back through the camp. Outwards in another loop. For the moment, the smith just clung with wearied determination. Eventually, with more than enough time passed, it stood in the middle of the camp, lathered and shaking. Solveig still sat atop it, battered and bloodied. Most the camp had gathered, and with a nudge of his knees he guided the boar over to a tree, intent being to tie it off. Slipping down, he did that, and as he passed behind it, the best let out a great phbbbbttt and covered the smith in a foul stench, a steaming pile of boar dung covering his shoes as he stood staring at his new mount.

"Guess we know our opinions of the other. Wench."

The beast had the gall to hike a hind leg and break further wind in Solveigs direction, and the smith nearly gagged. Had he at some point seen Maude in their mad dash? And Gylfi Runarsson with someone else. Brenna was likely worried to the point of rage.

This would take explaining.

 

[Maude]

Maude returned to the campsite with wide eyes and breath steaming before her like a seething dragon. The absolute disastrous results of the boar's jaunt were immediate, but the reason was not.

"What is all this, then?" she asked sharply, gesturing around the detritus of equipment and campfire. The boar gave an exhaustive snort from its tree and her green gaze cut immediately to it, blazing like a hellfire had been lit behind them, "What...who is responsible for this. Who?!"

 

[Ivar]

Ivar lagged behind Maude only a bit.

He was weary of following behind her fully, if only because he had no idea what he was actually running into. The Barbarian very much doubted that the woman was luring him into a trap, but a lifetime of not trusting people weighed heavily on the mind.

The scene that they came into was one of chaos and confusion. Ivar came to a halt just a few feet behind Maude, somewhat marveling at the sight. "What th-"

His words were drowned beneath the Bear Queen's shouting.

Almost involuntarily Ivar took half a step back and away from Maude, deciding that it was probably best not to be anywhere near her.

 

[Tyrfingr]

The norseman followed his new nordenfiir "friend" back to his camp. What met them was a very clear sight that explained itself: a boar had ripped through the camp. Another fellow was riding atop it, but it seemed the boar wasn't tamed. Likely the one on top would be in big trouble for this little stunt. A prophecy that came true when a woman stepped forward with the fury of a Northern storm.

As an outsider to this group Tyr knew it was best to stay out of this. Better to head back to his camp and not direct the ire of a group of angry bears his way. That would be the smart and best course of action for himself right now.... But he knew the kind of man he was. This was the kind of action that might get a man kicked out of his group and he didn't have the heart to watch it happen to someone else.

So the norseman walked up to the very angry woman that while being shorter than him towered above him in presence alone.

A smile crossed his face and he got an apologetic look going. "That would be me. Out here to hunt some boars and this one got to chasing me. Didn't know your camp was here. Not for your man on the beast things would have been worse."

Tyrfingr began to glance around the camp and took into account all the damages and repairs that would need to be done. "Sorry for that. I'm a craftsman as well as a hunter so I'll fix everything that got damaged good as new and leave what little of value I have then depart."

His gaze went back to the angry woman and he waited to see if his offer would be accepted or if he was about to end up with another bear on top of him trying to tear him limb from limb yet again.

Maude Solveig Odasson Brenna Gylfi Runarsson Ivar

 

[Baise]

With a roaring squeal, it charged through a fire being built and back the way it came.

Valthar looked down at the trail of muddy footprints where his fire had been. He turned his head and followed to trail of chaos leading away from him.

There were - he decided - enough people giving chase already. It wasn't an invader, but a wild animal.

"Guess I'll start again then," he sighed, putting his flint back into a pouch.

 

[Hugi]

There was the sound of a skirmish at the camp he had left earlier. A strange skirmish at that given the sounds he caught on the wind.

The bundle of kindling and firewood was dropped in light of speed. The large clattering sound of timber falling in the distance as Hugi huffed and ean towards camp.

He arrived after the fact, frowning before moving to retrieve the abnadoned firewood from earlier. Returning, he had arrived in time to catch Maude raising hell over the scene.

For which he could not blame her.

 

[Gylfi Runarsson]

Tyrfingr's comments would have earned the nordenfiir's undivided (and particularly unpleasant) attention were it not for the disturbance at the camp.

As he walked closer to the chaos, he was stunned. Gylfi knew better than to step towards the enraged beast, nor would he interfere with Solveig's attempt to break the boar. Whether one failed or succeeded, they did so on their own. Even if his tent was sacrificed, he would honor his people's tradition. Begrudgingly.

He flinched at Maude's voice after the commotion settled, and as the stranger stepped towards her he snatched at his arm to stop him but grasped only air.

Gylfi did not like the outsider's attitude or comments, but ignorance could be forgiven. He spoke how humans did, with honeyed words, excuses, and compromise. And lies.

Gylfi folded his arms across his chest and he venomously glared at Solveig. If that fool wouldn't own up to his mistake, then Gylfi would not hesitate to speak what was on his mind.

 

[Brenna]

Brenna skidded into the clearing with all the good intentions possible to help Solveig with his stunt to ride the boar. However, when she saw just how many people had gathered, and who in particular she almost turned around and left again. If it weren't for the fact she was a towering bear in that moment she might have even been able to get away with it. Instead she drew herself up short and then shifted back, casually dumping her friends things behind a tree and giving the assembled group an innocent smile.

Sometimes there were benefits to being deaf.

 

[Solveig Odasson]

Eyeing the beast carefully, Solveig nodded to Maude, ignoring whoever it was that seemed to think he needed his help to shield him from the wrath of his Queen. One, Solveig was used to things going awry. Two, this was his actions and he would own them. It was the only choice really.

"Was I. Though not by design. Brenna and I were out walking, and spied the tracks near here. My first thought was to trace it to see how far away the den was, and if it was active. So I could warn you if need be. Finding the den, I went inside to check how long abandoned it had been. The beast came back and saw me between her and her piglets, and charged me. My choices were to cling to it, kill it, or die. Once on it by clinging, I couldn't exactly dismount safely, so the choice became ride it until it tired or I was thrown and likely died. One man alone can't kill these things Glyfi may dislike me, but he will agree even."

Shaking his head, he smiled.

"I may have chosen poorly, but I chose no worse than anyone might have in that situation. And for my part, I will spend the better part of the evening, once this beast is secure, helping rebuild the camp. Along with other punishments. And there are piglets you may want to retrieve. I have heard rearing a mount from suckling age is easier than the route I just went down. Or, if you are so inclined, the seven in the den will fetch a pretty price in town."

As if to confirm their antagonistic partnership, the beast hiked it's tail and flicked it at Solveig, as clearly a middle finger as any human could gesture.

 

[Maude]

If there was one thing Maude couldn't stand, it was a liar. Be it of any race or caste, her ire would be no greater or lesser. Had Solveig elected to go along with the tale spun by the unknown human, she likely wouldn't have questioned it. But here she was, standing between two men with two different tales. Her instinct was to trust in the words of Solveig first and foremost - namely because he was a known entity, but also because he was of her people. It took a moment of silent pause in consideration before she spoke again, her expression unchanging.

"Brenna," green eyes the color of molten acid turned upon the young woman and her hands shortly cut through the air to catch her attention before signing a silent inquiry to her.

[What is the truth?]

Her gaze then traveled pointedly from Sol to Tyr and back to Brenna. She need only point to the truthteller, though Maude couldn't say if she'd caught all of the human's story.

 

[Ivar]

Ivar decided to take another step back.

It was now clear to him that the woman he had met upon the road was some sort of figure of authority, though just who she was exactly still escaped him somewhat. His hand came to rest upon his ax, fingers floating over the half moon blade in unease.

He doubted that anyone would attack him now, it seemed that all attention was on Maude. Still, he felt like she was going to rip everyone nearby apart.

Best not to say anything at all.

Briefly Ivar considered stalking away and simply making his way towards Indelhom himself, but he figured the woman was just as likely to turn and eat him the moment he took off.

So the Northman simply stood in place, waiting for all of this to die down.

 

[Brenna]

Brenna swallowed the lump in her throat as the Queen turned her gaze upon her.

She had never been good at lying. Once, when she had been very young and her father had still been alive, she had broken one of his arrows during practise in the yard. She had stuffed the broken ends back into his quiver and prayed he wouldn't notice until he had left on one of his missions again. In the end though the guilt had eaten her up alive so badly she had woken him in the middle of the night to confess.

She got horrific flashbacks to that moment right then which turned her palms into a sweaty mess. With an apologetic glance to Sol she launched into the truth.

I spotted the tracks when we were walking and I knew Sol had said he wanted to tame one of the things so I went and got him. We followed them to this cave and I bet him a bottle of meade he wouldn't survive trying to tame one and then HE said he would bet me a kiss and then marched off into the cave like an idiot. Then the mum came back and I tried to warn him but he was too late. I tried to catch up but...

Her hands slowed to a stop and she blew out a sudden breath of relief, conscience clear.

 

[Maude]

So a tall tale from a human, a story of stupidity and bravery - leaning on the stupidity - from her Smith Representative, and an honest admission of several poor choices from a deaf-mute.

Maude's jawline visibly tightened, as did her grip on her bow. The antics of the group had been mostly harmless along the way despite a journey fraught with danger. Maude had let most of the play go without remark, and perhaps that was her fault for not instilling a greater sense of ... sense into the younger party members. Younger though they were, it was not so much younger than she.

But many of them were sorely lacking in the department of true battle, warfare, and the dangers of traveling the far reaches of Eretejva. Brenna had no idea the danger she'd placed herself in, following boar tracks, but Solveig absolutely would have known. Not only had he not stopped her, he'd purposefully placed himself in a situation that endangered not only lives but his very important mission to the South.

The Queen locked eyes with Solveig and her gaze hardened.

"There are few things I mark more disgraceful than lying, and the ones that I do often stand upon a foundation of lies. You will release the boar back to the wild. You are restricted to camp and you will help rebuild. I will decide on your other punishment later. As for you-" the woman turned to face Tyrfingr and gave him a look of heated disgust, "I do not know who you are or where you come from, but you have started off with me in a very bad way. You will also help rebuild this camp and you will stay until I figure out what to do with you."

A stinging glare landed on Brenna, with whom she was most disappointed for her poor judgement but no words of admonishment came for her. Lips pressed thin, Maude took a slow, deep inhale through her nose and closed her eyes as she released the tension from her body.

"Once the beast is freed we will move camp to the southern edge of the lake, away from its foraging grounds. Hugi, Arnor, see that this is done and that our new helper does as he has promised. Gylfi," that gaze finally landed on him, the pleasantry of being able to address him for something other than being the center of trouble carried across a level, softened gaze, "if you would please educate Brenna on the dangers of her curiosity about the boars and see to it she does not make another mistake like that again..."

"Valthar..." a brow lifted at the man still trying to salvage the fire and mind his own business, "let them take care of that. You're coming hunting with me and our new friend here, Ivar."

 

[Hugi]

Hugi came when called, sparing a glance to the newcomer before shaking his head at the other lot gathered. To be fair, he had been under the same scrutiny at some point in his life and likely caused the same coal to burn in someone's chest at the aforementioned actions.

He was just thankful his days of thinking with the wrong brain were mostly behind him now.

He helped gather up the remains of camp, twin axes clanging softly as he led the move to the southern edge of the lake, softly humming an old family tune as they worked to keep them steadily moving.

"This yer first meetin' with her uh? Oof-da you'll have a hill ta' climb now." He punctuated the statement with a sigh, having cut the soft humming off with the question while assembling someone's tent. "Granted she won't make you cross the channel by any means. Gylfi and Solveig are still 'ere after all." Hugi chuckled to himself.

He paused after a short bit more of humming once more, hands tight with a rope line before looking to their new guest in earnest.

"What brings you this way?" He hadn't been dropping eaves to hear about their guest, and had been out gathering more wood when the camp came under impromptu seige by boar, missing out on the fun things in life.

Now seemed an appropriate time to do a small bit of gabbing.

 

[Baise]

"Valthar..."

He winced at his own name, glad that he was still facing the fire. Valthar had been silently brooding, hoping to avoid the Queen's ire. He didn't want to be overbearing towards his sister when she was finally finding some adventure.

Adventure was a thing that seemed to want to seek him out and not the other way around. People listened to their queen. Her admonishment might sink in. Nothing he had to say would matter now.

Valthar stood up and turned around, approaching the group. Looking at the boar, he decided he would rather go hunting than join in the fun of convincing the beast to leave the camp now.

"I'll get a spear," he said. Valthar was curious as to how they had started collecting newcomers out here. The Queen had her bow. He expected his job would be to carry back anything she managed to kill.

 

[Solveig Odasson]

Quiet, Sol set about the tasks of helping, eyeing Maude only briefly, and offering only one quick, serious word, meeting her gaze with no shame in his or any bend to his spine.

"There is a difference in lies for self, and lies to spare another the consequences of your own poor judgement. But, as you command, my Queen."

With that, he marched on about his work.