Einar sees a carefully camouflaged nest on Izoze's tree. After several attempts involving a Kunia as a weight on the end of a silk rope, he manages to knock it down. It lands in a mess of twigs on the ground. In the mess, there is a glittering grappling arrow and a shiny 12 inched iron bar lined with small plates and spikes.
’He is probably right, we weren’t prepared for that kind of assault, no reason not to explore a little.’ Einar nods his head in agreement with Mister Whiskers, ”Ya you are right mein Freund, I vill check out zee other side of zee bridge und be along qvickly .” Going to the other side he spots an odd nest, using his Kunia as a weight he knocks the nest out of the tree, finding an odd arrow and silvery tool. ’Those are interesting.’
Returning to the lodge with his newly acquired items he lays them on the table so the team could examine them. Then he also sets the MW shortsword on the table beside them. ”ven vee go back to zee town, vee can sell zee fancy shortsword und purchase more usable items, ya.”
The party reaches town uneventfully. At the edge of town, the barricades are begining to take shape. Gammel, a middle aged man, hails the party as they approach. "Weren't expecting you guys to be back that soon, how goes Borderwood? Nothing's come out of the woods today, seems those reformed bandits at the lodge are doing what they're supposed to do."
The party heads to the inn for a late lunch. They are served a salt baked whole salmon, a large pot of mutton cous cous, pan fried venison steaks, a large bowl of cranberry spinach salad, a pot of minestrone soup, and a large plate of Tulumba for desert.
'Back in town, I would have rather crossed the bridge.' Going straight into the inn, Einar flops at the table and barely picks at his food. 'We need to get done and get out.' Finally he points out. "I am not as vell versed in zome of zee alchemical items as some of you are, Zo I am going to leave zat part of zee selection to you." Nodding to Cadence he recommends. "Cadence you are much stronger zan zat little bow reqvires, vy don't you take zee bigger bow und zee arrows, und I will purchase more javelins und sling bullets, I can put my full strength behind zem, ya."
Once inside, Mr. Whiskers sheds his winter outwear, shakes out the snow, and places it near the fireplace to dry. Wish I had prestidigitation today! I guess this is why I had to learn how to do things without magic. You will not always have the magic you need.
He goes over to the map and is studying it when Einar, Cadence and Crummock enter.
When shown what Einar found, Mr. Whiskers quickly checks each item to see if it is magical. The arrow seems strange.
Before leaving, he briefs Erlis on what happened with Izoze. "If she comes back, be ready to retreat into the lodge. Without magical weapons, it is very difficult to hurt her. I don't think she would come in here, she couldn't fly out of reach."
"We hit a creature for which we were not prepared. Erlis looks to be able to handle the lodge, but we need some things before going deeper into the forest." Mr. Whiskers replies.
All through lunch, Mr. Whiskers seems lost in thought. When Einar makes mention of alchemical supplies, he suggests "Smokesticks and tindertwigs to light them would be useful. It would prevent the long distance attacks." Once everyone is done with their meal, Mr. Whiskers excuses himself. "I am going to ask Madame Theodora about that wand and try to find a way to expand the spells I have available. When shall we meet back here?"
At Madame Theodora, Mr. Whiskers asks about Izoze. Having seen and fought the creature, he can tell her quite a bit about and is hoping she knows what it might be.
Menander asks Einar, concerned, as he picks his food. ”Is there anything wrong with the food? I mean usually you’d be walloping everything up.”
” Yuh trouble todeh, Mr Whiskas” Mother Theodora observes as he enters the shop. As he describes and asks her about Izoze, she thinks hard about it. ” Terra, mi need yuh help” A green toad hops from somewhere around the counter into her palm. She sprinkles a fine brown powder over Terra, who sneezes, then chants, ” Spirits of di earth grant mi insight dat mi seek.” She carries Terra in her palm to a shelf of books. When he approaches one of them, he gives a loud croak. ”Ribbit.” She takes the book labelled, “Fantastical creatures and where to find them”, lays it on the table, then begins to leaf through the pages, her finger suddenly getting stuck at a particular page. She lays the book out on the counter for Mr Whiskers to see. ” Ahhh…we’re looking at a spirit of air an wata, a mean spirited one. An Ice Mephit.” The book gives a detailed explanation of their characteristics and abilities. They are little, blue and mean, cruel and aloof. Full description
” Since dem spirits of di air dem nuh very well once dem grounded. Yuh might wa fi tink bout dat.” She suggests. ” Dis wand wi let normal weapons harm dem,” as she reaches for a wand in one of the drawers under the counter. She passes Mr Whiskers his purchases, and takes the payment.
Mr. Whiskers thanks her and is about to leave when he turns around.
"I have never studied the other planes, and it now appears that gap in my education could prove deadly." Mr. Whiskers notes. With a hopeful note in his voice, he requests "Would you consider lending me a book on the subject, so that I might try to fill this hole in my knowledge?"
"No problem, mon."Mother Theodora takes out another book labelled, "The Hitchikers Guide to the Planes." There is a funny looking green ball with spiny arms, holding a toolkit on the front cover."Kip it, mi ave a spare."
Creatures like that exist outside childhood horror stories? Still, I've heard that both Adams and Rowling are reputable scholars.
Mr. Whiskers looks puzzled by the creature depicted on the cover, but quickly recovers and says "Thank you! I'll be sure to read them!"
The party sees a caravan draped with fetishes and feathers enter Heldren. The caravan leader, a dusky man with short curly black hair, intricate tattoos, wearing a leopard fur coat is riding on a brown horse. He stops the caravan once it has reached the centre of town. ”I am Abasi. Master of the caravan. We have come from far away, across the ocean. We seek trade. We have exotic spices to offer, and look for colourful dyes,” he announces in the centre of town in heavily accented Common.
'I hate turning back, we could have made it.' Einar stopped poking at his food when Cadence spoke up. Raising an eyebrow, he lifts his arm slightly as she reached for it, standing and joining her arm in arm, nodding, "Ya, a valk vill do me good, Vat shall ve speak of?"
Ziva tries to look appropriately stern and professional at her temporary task as caravan guard, although truthfully, she feels a little bored. For some reason, the area seemed ridiculously colder than usual - far colder than the lush, slightly warmer jungle of the Mwangi Expanse that she was more accustomed to. Signalling quietly with a single hand, she pulls Vernai into visibility where the giant mantis had been hanging towards the tail end of the train.
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She takes his hand. "Einar... Some of the things you've said. The way you've reacted to my family... You haven't told me much about where you've come from. Everytime I leave my family, I feel a little ache in my heart. Do you miss your family? Do you have brothers? Sisters?"
She wants to get to know him, and figure out why he acts so weirdly around her family. "I know we've only just met, but I've been feeling --"
She breaks off as the Caravan comes in. "Wait, I know that girl! Ziva!" She lets go of Einar's hand. "That's an old friend of mine. I have to say hello!" She waves. "Ziva! Over here!"
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somethings I’ve said or not said… yeah, I reacted poorly didn’t I… Do I miss my family? I miss my dad sometimes. Oddly I don’t miss my mother. I wonder how much of a spell she had me under. Do I have brothers…had’ As Einar walked with Cadence hand in hand, as she asks questions difficult to answer, the small distance between them seemed like a great expanse.
’Doesn’t she read Runes, how could she even ask.’ The scar on his neck burning, he tugs on his collar as they walk toward the edge of town. Not looking up from the ground, but not releasing her hand, Einar started to stammer. ”I had a mother and father.” ’Of course you did you idiot, everyone does.’ He rolls his eyes at the ignorance of his opening, and continues.
”My father, Bjorn, was a proud warrior a famous raider who earned the title of Carl. Our Earl, to honor him, gave him my mother who was a slave. She was also a Sorceress. She used her spells to convince my father to divorces his wife, and marry her.” Einar looks at Cadence quickly and then back at the ground. ’Well you’ve started you may as well go on.’
”When I was born, My father declared me his sole heir, leaving my three older half-brothers with only what he had given them already.” Einar, looking straight ahead, almost pulling Cadence forward, as his story move unrelenting. ”My father moved my mother and I into the mountains to a hunting cabin they both loved and I grew up there.” Einar smiled ever so briefly, then shrugging his shoulders.
”My father died a ripe old age, having taught me how to hunt and fight and explore, he loved to explore the old cairns from ancient peoples hidden in the mountains.” Einar stopped for a moment, releasing Cadences hand, still looking away. ”A little over a year ago, while I was out hunting, on a night not so very different from this one, there was a fire. When I returned to the cabin, it was burned to the ground. My mother was dead. Everything I owned, except for the cloths on my back gone.” Einar looks at Cadence the starts walking again.
”There were tracks, the men who had done the act left tracks in the new fallen snow. “ He shrugs his shoulders as he walks. ”I don’t know If they thought I was home also and dead in the fire or what.” Einar turns and looks at Cadence. ’How do I tell her I hunted down my brothers and killed them and their families, their wives their children, their slaves, the rage the taint, how do I tell her about that?’
Looking up the road, just out of town, Einar sees the caravan the same time Cadence does, breathing a heavy sigh of relief as she runs to greet her friend Ziva.
"Candence!" Ziva shouts back, joy evident on her face as she ignores whatever defensive position she is meant to be taking as she charges through the snow to meet up with her old acquaintance.
"Its been ages since we last met up, what brings you here, last I heard you were still in Oppara?" Ziva asks curiously, eyeing up the man next to Cadence as she accesses the situation before breaking out into another smile. "Oh, surely you remember Vernai, shes here as well!"
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The story of the death of Einar's mother hits her hard. "She was burned... to the ground?" She squeezes Einar's hand, wishing she could give this steadfast friend more to comfort him. "That must have been so difficult for you."
She looks up at him, her stomach flopping. "I've had nightmares of something like that happening to my family, and me not being there to take care of them. Everytime we go out in those woods, I'm terrified that the fey will pour through and hurt my family. They're a part of my soul, Einar. What if the fey come and I'm not there to protect them?"
Cadence runs up through the snow to hug her friend. "I was in Oppara, and then I came back to visit my family." A pang of guilt hits her. "But I've hardly seen them since I came home, because we've had this crazy weather and bandits and..." She breaks off. "I should let you catch up, first, huh?"
She kneels down in the snow to greet Vernai. "Of course I remember Vernai! How can one forget the cleverest giant mantis I've ever met? Vernai, how are you?"
Vernai soars over before landing abruptly in front of Cadence. Normally a stealthy, silent creature, she hisses happily at the sight of Cadence.
Ziva observes this with a hint of amusement before continuing onwards. "Well, i'v been busy here and there with various expeditions - you know me, Vernai and I like to travel the world - but just recently I got hired as a guard for this caravan. It seemed like it was going somewhere interesting so I tagged alone. Super boring though, nothing much attacks when you have Vernai here looking scary!"[/b]
Coming out of Madam Theodora's shop, Mr. Whiskers sees the caravan has arrived. Noticing Einar standing alone off to the side, he comes up to the big fellow to talk.
"Hello Einar. I hadn't realized a caravan was coming into town. Any idea who the woman speaking with Cadence is?" While asking this, he is looking over the caravan. "I'm guessing they arrived from even further south?"
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Cadence grins at the hissing mantis, and then gives Ziva a significant look. "You want danger and challenge? You should come see what we've been facing with these fey. They fly, and shoot magic missiles and..." She pauses. "Actually, why don't you join us? We could use the help."
She takes Ziva's hand and drags her back to the others. "Einar, Crummock, Mr. Whiskers! Come meet Ziva and Vernai! Ziva claims that she's been bored with caravan work. Want to share with her some of what we've been doing?"
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’Thank the gods’ Einar breaths a heavy sigh of relief as Cadence runs toward her friend
Jumping slightly was Mister Whiskers approaches from behind, Einar turns quickly then gathering his wits, he shakes his head and answers. ”I have no idea mein Freund, ve vere talking und she sqvealed und ran forward hugging Die junge Frau.”
’Ah here the young ladies come, hopefully Cadence will forget the conversation we were having.’ As Cadence was introducing her friend Einar clicks his heals together and gives a quick bow. ”A pleasure to meet you Verpassen Ziva” smiling he adds, ”Ve have all been bored vit zee caravan work ya, Mister Viskers” He then looks to his rodent friend smiling.
Ziva brightens slightly at the unexpected opportunity. "Of course I'll help, assuming you want me, I'm always looking forward to a little rough and tumble! Vernai enjoys it as well, as it happens."
Mr. Whiskers smiles up at the woman and says "Greetings, Ziva and" looking over at the giant mantis that is as large as he is, Mr. Whiskers hesitates for a moment. "Vernai?"
Well, I certainly hope it is well trained. It looks quite formidable!
"Although I appreciate serene times more than my friend Einar, I must admit we have met some quite unusual creatures. If it is a fight you are looking for, the woods will certainly provide that!"
Looking again at the giant mantis, he asks with some concern "Do you have some way to protect Vernai from the cold?"
A large crowd of curious Heldren residents have begun to gather, attracted by Abasi's annoucement. "But how do we know if we like your spices?" The crowd asks.
"Come. I show you." He gestures for two of his tribesmen, to bring over a large pot, start a fire, and start boiling water. He takes a few bundles of grass, smashes it with the flat of a knife and adds it to the pot. He also adds a caramel smelling brown disk to the pot. Once the contents of the pot have boiled, he starts pouring them into wooden cups and handing out samples to the townsfolk. "Good, no? We call it Serai." He asks those who have tried his drink. There are appreciative smiles among the townsfolk and the caravan is soon swamped with orders.
"Would you take this bag of Qadiran kafe for some of that spice and the disk?"
"I've got some chocolate, would you be willing to accept that?"
"What other spices do have for sale?"
Ziva frowns a little at the question the ratfolk asked her, thinking for a moment before cheering up a moment. "Sure, I have a spell I think that should to the trick and protect Vernai from any nasty weather - should it be required. Hopefully thats the only thing I would have to worry about.".
Mr. Whiskers looks relieved that she has a way to protect Vernia. "I'm glad, because the woods are much colder than here in the village."
Offering his paw up to Ziva, he continues "As my friend Einar said, I am Mr. Whiskers. I am a practitioner of the arcane arts. The four of us" gesturing to Cadence, Crummock, Einar and himself "have been attempting to resolve the problems with the weather here."
Looking towards the woods, he says "We have had to fight several winter fey and creatures from the plane of ice."
Looking back to Ziva, he asks “Other than the obvious” gesturing towards her sword and Vernai “do you have other skills we should be aware of? You made mention of spells.”
Ziva frowns, looking distasteful at the renewed discussion about spells. "Don't make the mistake in relying on my spells - they are all nature themed and I rely on them in very few occasions - they mostly just attempt to give an edge against a tough opponent. I'm not a mage, just a hunter with a friend", she finishes, smiling up at Vernai
After a suitable pause, Ziva wonders what plans the other four had for the rest of the day - clearly there wasn't much point her guarding the caravan at the present.
"So, are you planning on heading back out today to drive any of them away or are you taking a bit of a breather?
Looking uncertainly towards Einar and Crummock, Mr. Whiskers says "I would like at least until tomorrow morning to prepare. I have some scribing that I would like to do first."
Crummock shrugs.
"We should be tryin' not to be leavin' things o'er long, though... I'd say tomorrow morning, at the latest."
With more confidence, Mr. Whiskers turns to Ziva and says "Early tomorrow morning then! We have three pack dogs that Crummock trained. Will you need them to carry anything for you?"
'Good, at least back tomorrow, I hope that little blue bat is still waiting, I want a rematch.' Hearing that Crummock and Mister Whiskers plan on being back at it in the morning, Einar's appetite returns. He smiles and nods his head, turning to the four companions he asks. "Ya gut, vee shall leave in der morgan. Shall vee return to za Inn und zee large pot of mutton cous cous? Mein Appetit ist zurückgekehrt, pardon, is returned, ya." He then begins to head back to the Inn and the meal he will now heartily finish.
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"Ziva, is it okay if I take Einar away for a moment? There was something I wanted to tell him. I'll be back in a few moments, okay?"
Cadence intercepts him on the way back to the Inn. She takes Einar's hand one more time, and then hesitates a moment, and touches the brand at his neck. "I know there's a story, here." Who had he killed? A cousin? A brother? Had there been an argument? She puts a finger to his lips. "But it's not a story for now."
She kisses him full on the lips before she can second guess herself or change her mind. It's not a timid kiss. She throws everything she has into it, and she takes her time. When she pulls back, she looks him in the eyes and says, "I want you to have a reason to come back to me, someday. Einar... I've been torn up inside about leaving my family this time around. I've been having nightmares about them all alone without help. Now that I see Ziva, I know what my dreams have been telling me. They've been telling me that I should stay to guard the homefront... and that you and the others should go wherever this mystery will take you."
She touches her hand to his face. "You have no idea how much I don't want to let you go, right now, but I think that are paths are taking us in different directions for a while."
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’Glad she didn’t press about the story, we five will be on our way with Ziva and her pet’s help we should be able to crush that little blue thing, I’m feeling better already…’ Einar stops walking as he feels Cadence touch his hand, turning looking her in the eye, ’I could get lost in her eyes, forget revenge, forget rage, forget the taint…Ah the story ‘ As she touched the scar, ’But there is that reminder..'
Relieved that she isn’t ready to hear of his sins; Einar returns the kiss. Tentative at first but quickly matching her intensity, wrapping her muscular frame in his long arms, ’Is this what love feels like? Caring for someone without concern that it’s caused by a spell she has cast.’ He releases her as she pulls away.
Looking into her eyes as she speaks softly. ’Ahhh so this is what goodbye tastes like. How can something so sweet be so bitter at the same time?’ Einar nods his head, trying to look like he understands. ’It is just as well. Feelings are a lie they do not last; but the taint does, the rage does.' As she reaches to touch his face, his smile reaches his lips but not his eyes. ” ich verstehe,” ’At least I don’t have to lie to her.’ ”I understand, I still have Albträume, um, nightmares, about leaving meine Familie.”
Looking into her beautiful face, his blue eyes becoming pools of ice his smile unconsciously waning, as he nods his head in agreement. ’It’s just as well, what do I have to offer her; revenge and death. How many members of her family would I kill in a fit of rage? It is better to be alone on this journey I am on.’ ”Ya, different directions for a vhile." 'We will pass through the porthole, I will never see her again.' Einar smile again as he lies to her. "Vee vill find zee cause of zee storms, you vill guard your Familie. Zen we vill see ya.” Einar turns and walks away, digging his claws in to his palm, discreetly wiping the blood on his legs so no one will notice.
The party spends a peaceful afternoon in town, with Einar eating everything in sight. Menander heaves a sigh of relief, as he realizes there’s nothing wrong with the cooking and Einar is now acting normally, polishing off everything.
Mr Whiskers asks Beatrice for permission in getting Freya to provide the components for his scroll, to which she agrees. He then goes to the Carpenter, getting a rocking horse delivered to Freya, who sends an imperial dragon flying into the air in delight on seeing the rocking horse. Mr Whiskers bounces up to catch it in to a magically prepared piece of paper, like one would catch an errant butterfly.
Mr Whiskers runs then around the town on an extended shopping trip. For his shopping trip, he ropes in Einar to help him to cart his numerous purchases. He first goes to the Willowbark apocathery, purchase his smoke sticks and tindertwigs and copy from Tessaraea’s formula book, he then collects blessings onto a scroll from Father Natharen, as well as mentioning about a wand for Erlis’s Sentinels, of which Father Natharen promises to work on it. He then finishes his shopping trip by heading to the general store getting his supplies. He spends the rest of the day sequestered in his room in the Silver Stoat copying the spells, with Einar making a happy glutton of himself downstairs, hungry after serving as Mr Whisker’s porter.
The next day at dawn, Cadence and her family sends the party out of town, this time forming a choir, with Cadence as the lead singer.
”Many nights we've prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts, a hopeful song
We barely understood
Now we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we knew we could, oh yes
There can be miracles when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe.”
The party passes through the lodge lands, and this time the grounds are in use, with Erlis yelling at the bandits to aim properly, having a pile of arrows sticking on the ground near the targets, with only a few actually hitting the archery target. The party continues on their journey, across the now deserted bridge, without being pestered by a certain blue menace.
The forest stands deathly quiet here. Even the wind has grown still as snow softly falls through the stark branches overhead. Tracks, human in size but oddly misshapen, mar an otherwise unblemished trail through the trees. As the group approaches, 3 skeletons in ancient Qadirian gear and covered in ice claw their way out of the ground to block their passage.
Crummock waves farewell to Cadence.
"'Twas a brief acquaintance, but a memorable one. Best of luck, ychydig fenyw."
He then trudges purposefully back to the Lodge, relying on his surprisingly sturdy jury-rigged snowshoes to ease the journey.
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Mr. Whiskers was so distracted by all the things he had to do in town that he didn't realize that Cadence wasn't joining them until they were ready to leave.
He goes up to her, Nivean riding on his shoulder, and asks "You are staying with your family, miss Cadence?"
Hearing her explanation, he nods. "Family is important, especially when it is somewhat small like yours. We will miss your songs. Please take care of yourself and your family."
Waking up early and gathering his gear, bear cloak on his shoulders, and glaive in hand, Einar joins the party as they exit the inn. Hearing the sound of the singing, Einar fights the desire to speed away, measuring his pace, so as not to seem in an inordinate hurry. Stopping for just a moment he looks up, making eye contact with Cadence giving her a nod, he lowers his gaze and leads the team out of town.
Taking the lead on the trail Einar is the first to see the walking dead, 'Three of them, shall we call them Bjorn, Wulfgar and Ivar?' moving quickly forward, as he smile to himself, he attacks the first one thrusting and twisting with his glaive, calling out.
Even though a glaive is not the best of weapons to use in smashing bone, Einar's strike is so powerful that it shatters the skeleton and it explodes, sending out icy shards flying in its immediate vicinity. Fortunately for Einar, he is far enough such that none of the shards touch him.
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She hugs Ziva fiercely. "You take care of yourself and Vernai, as well as them."
With Mr. Crummock, she shakes his hand. "It has also been a pleasure working with you, however brief it was."
She kneels down to shake Mr. Whisker's hand. "Oh my friend, how I've loved your conversations. Keep safe, stay smart, and may the gods watch over you all." Then she decides the handshake is not enough, and hugs the small ratfolk.
Cadence comes to Einar that evening with two gifts. One is the Cloak of the Yeti, which she wraps around his shoulders, and all the other things the party picked up together. The other...
"I wanted to be able to say goodbye properly." She looks a question to him, looking at the still open door. "May I spend one last night by your side? I know you're shy, and if you're not ready... I won't push. But I would love just once to wakeup in your arms."
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Having eaten and drank his fill Einar goes to bed early, partially to be rested for the coming trip, partially to avoid his companions. Hearing the knock on the door, he climbs out of bed wearing only his trousers; he cracks the door, looking out into the hallway only seeing Cadence.
’I thought the kiss was goodbye, I am not who she thinks I am.’ Giving a smile that doesn’t touch his cold blue eyes, ”I thought you could use the cloak in the defense here, but I will take it to remember you by.” looking down, ’Not that I will ever forget, but what do I tell her, I would love to have her stay but I am not who she thinks I am.’ Looking her in the eyes again, smiling slightly, ”Not that the Kiss will ever be forgotten.”
Taking the cloak, through the crack door, he looks to the ceiling for a moment then looks her in the eye. ”Before we go on, the story must be heard. It’s not that I am shy, I am cautious. There are many party girls in the north, be they free or slaves. But one is cautious to treat their friends and colleagues with the proper respect.” Holding the cloak between the two of them he continues.
’Stop stalling and get on with it.’ Holding the cloak in both hands, as tight as any weapon. ”The other reason I am cautious is because of the rage, the demonic taint that runs through my veins. I do not want to hurt those I travel with.” He lets the look linger. ”Those I care about. You have seen the rage, the two skeletons and the thief I killed in the lodge” Looking down, ”It was not my first kill.”
Looking back into her eyes, a grim determination on his face. ”You asked about my family, how I got the brand.” Not breaking eye contact, his eyes widening, his pupils dilating. ”I killed them Cadence, I killed all of them. I followed the tracks back to my oldest half-brothers house, Bjorn. I lit it on fire. As he and his teenage daughter, his wife and all their servants came out of the house I killed them with my bare hands.”
Stopping for a moment, letting the reality sink in, he continued. ”It would be easy to blame the rage but then I followed the prints back to my middle step-brother’s house, Wulfgar. I caught his house on fire and waited as they came out; I shot all of them with my hunting bow, cold and calculating. He, his wife and their young twins.” Keeping Cadences attention with his eyes, he squeezes the cloak harder.
”Then I went to Ivar’s home, he was the youngest, the poorest, he lived in a hovel with his mother. It was he that the divorce took the most from. Wulfgar and Bjorn were grown men when I was born. Yhe loss of their inheritance was minor in comparison to what it did to Ivar. It was he who planned the raid, he had gone to his brothers houses to talk them into helping him and they had refused. I learned at my trial I had killed two innocent men and their families; one in a hot rage, the other in cold blood. I did not stop there, I went into Ivars house and killed him in his sleep, then I killed his mother; my father’s first wife.”
Keeping the same cold look on his face, he continued. ”By that time it was dawn, the Earls men found me there in that hovel. They took me to the Earl for judgement, He branded me as kin slayer. He told me that he let me live because of his great love for my father.” E inar’s eyes seem colder and his lips form a snarl. ”But I know it is because he knew I had cause, and he wanted my land. I will gather strength and resources and return to the north and reclaim what is mine, even if I have to kill the Earl to do it.”
His look softening, he releases the cloak with one hand placing it on the door, still blocking entry. ”As you see, my family experience is very different than yours. When I saw your sister she reminded me so much of Bforns’s daughter.” Einar exhales looking down. ’I still remember the surprised look on her face when I ripped her throat out with my claws.’
As his eyes return to Cadences. ”It would never work between you and I. I will never be what you think I am. I will always have the rage, the taint, this demon in me. With this strength I will return to the north someday and have my revenge.” He pauses for a breath. ”Or I will die trying. That is not a life that you want to live. You were right to stay here with your family. You were right to tell me goodbye in the light of day with a sweet memorable kiss. I am not one you want to be with in the night.” He gently closes the door, not giving her time to speak or ask question. He tosses the cloak on a nearby chair, going back to bed, sleeping fitfully; adding one more memory to his nightmares.
I have enjoyed the roleplaying, I was not planning on making him this brooding; I think Cadence and her family brought that out. I didn’t think that Einar would get this deep, this three dimensional, this quickly. Thank you for the flavor that you have brought to him. good luck in your future gaming!
Crummock hustles forward through the heavy snow.
The skeletons clatter forward. Einar takes a swipe at one of them as it approaches.
His strike is even more devastating then the first and the skeleton is shattered into a billion pieces.
The last skeleton approaches and takes a swipe at Einar.
It manages to swipe at Einar's side but does not seem to have done more then a simple gnash. It is not the gnash that is that serious, the more serious problem is that the claw is supernaturally cold and freezes the Einar's flesh.
Ziva mutters to herself as she shoves her feet through the snow before slashing with her Greatsword, giving a short sharp whistle as she does so, signaling Vernai to follow up.
With a small surge of relief, Ziva watches the sometimes temperamental Mantis soar fowards, lashing out with both claws in an attempt to slash the creature apart.