Haaken lays out his bedroll, and while sitting crosslegged oils his temple sword taking the utmost care with each small movement, and upon finishing the task smoothly sheathes the blade, placing it beside him, and shifts slowly through several postures over the course of a 1/2 hour until he is laying, quietly breathing, into slumber.
Morning came far too quickly and no amount of fire or blankets was enough to stave off the cold.
Stiff and ill tempered the four roused themselves, seeing the forest for the first time in the daylight.
The gossamer strands and the snow sparkled more brightly in the sunlight that streaked through the trees. The alternating light and dark of the shadows and sunlight gave the place an otherworldly quality.
The trail wasn't much more than a suggestion.
Thorgar rises and stamps back and forth working the feeling back into his limbs. Then he stokes the fire and sits beside it to hone his blade, finding a piece of wood with a curve in it he places some wandermeal upon it and uses the hilt of his blade to smash it up a little before adding some snow and melting it near the fire to create an awful soupy gruel, which he then eats with every sign of displeasure. The only advantage of that was that I got top put off eating this bloody awful stuff.
"I'm going to hunt as we move today, I can do so and keep pace. The mouse has small legs," he informs the group.
Haaken awakes and sits crosslegged. Meditating, he sips from his waterskin, and slowly rises, proceeding to move through basic stretching exercises and transitioning into a series of motions known as the "Three Treasure Step".
Afterwards he joins the group, relaxed, focused and at peace.
He sits near Thorgar, curiously observing how dissatisfied he is with his wandermeal gruel, while nibbling on his own spartan biscuit.
"Have we any idea how much farther to our goal we are?"
As the party travel Thorgar ranges off through the woods, seeing little game and growing tenser at the ominous silence. Finally he catches sight of movement in the snow ahead and bursts into motion.
Even as the fox notices him exploding towards it, it darts away, but Thorgar's Javelin is already flying forth striking with a dull thump and sending the fox sprawling, its blood vivid red against the white snow.
The big man races up, ignoring vulpine snarls, reaches down - almost tenderly - and snaps the animals neck. Small bones break so easily, hardly more than twigs encased in flesh. I am death, I am red raw, of all our strange group I am most a monster, and least human.
Thorgar stomped back toward the rest of the group, making his way back to the path and holding up his kill for them to see.
He'd only taken two steps when the ground surged and a grey and white something unfurled a mass of legs to lunge from beneath it's cover and sink it's fangs into the meat of his thigh. A sensation like frozen metal began to spread beneath his skin and the muscles in his leg began twitching and trembling.
Pain, pain is nothing, I am nothing, so I am pain! Thorgar's roar rings out through the icy forest, as his blood thunders and the rage takes him, the power of his fury brushing aside the strange metallic weakness - for the moment at least.
Then the fox is dropped to the icy earth, as he drags his greatsword from its sheath, wraps both hands around its hilt and drives it down into the creature with all his weight and ire.
In a blur of steel, Thorgar's blade whips down and cleaves the creature across the middle. It squeels and thrashes for a moment then it's legs curl into stillness.
The spider had been the size of a wolfhound. Thorgar had killed it with one blow, before most of his companions even had the chance to react.
Thorgar places his foot upon the spiders carcass and draws his blade free with a wet slurp, his senses returning and leaving him staggering with sudden weakness and fatigue.
Wiping the blade clean on the fox's fur, he shakily he reclaims his kill, and stumbles his way back to the group,
"I caught this," he shakes the fox, "and we know what the web is now to - maybe. Let's move, get out of this accursed forest."
Thorgar snorts, glancing down at the mouse,
You certainly are distracting. But let's hurry, that spider thing's venom is disagreeing with me, I'd rather be somewhere a mite more hospitible for the night - though we're not like to find such a place."
Raven comes upon the duo and the slain spider.
"Is everyone alright? Does anyone need aid?"
Running to Thorgar, sword drawn, Haaken slows when he realizes the barbarian has put down the spider. "You truely are fearsome, friend.",Like a troll cleaving an ox. Haaken reaches for the fox. "Even so, you're wounded. Let me lighten your burden."
Looking to the others, "Thorgar's correct, we should find a haven if we can, and tend to him."
Thorgar shrugs, relinquishing the fox, and glances down at his wound,
"Its only a nip, but I feel a bit weaker than normal. I'm sure I'll sleep it off."
"I have a healing kit when we are settled in."
Raven begins searching for a good place to camp.
Thorgar nods,
"Glad you are more prepared than me. What kind of fool does not even bring a light? Speaking of light, we should press on while it lasts."
Days are short this far north. The light would not last more than another few hours, so they pressed on.
The forest wound and weaved and rose higher and higher up the foot of the mountain. The snow got thicker and the canopy thinner until it felt less like some kind of etherial cavern and more like something being slowly choked to death.
The wind became fiercer and checks and ears began to sting in earnest. Raven's wings fluffed around her, practically doubling in size.
It began to get dark, and in the distance they could just make out the sound of running water.
"Aye, I suppose we might as we fight wet beasties as any other kind," Thorgar replies with a barked laugh. He waits for Raven to pick out a suitable camp, and sets out his bedroll, bringing out his whetstone and setting to work on his blade again.
"I'll take last watch if there are no objections, might be of more use then."
Thorgar finishes once his battered greatsword is wickedly sharp again and admires the blade for a moment. Never understood how men could be satisfied with those fancy knitting needles, sure they are swift, but when it comes time to kill I choose a blade that weighs as heavy as sin everytime.
Gesturing to the fox he asks Raven, Think you can do anything with that? I can char meat, but little more, I'd not say no to something cooked with a touch of finesse?" His words gruffer than his tone.
Thorgar finishes once his battered greatsword is wickedly sharp again and admires the blade for a moment. Never understood how men could be satisfied with those fancy knitting needles, sure they are swift, but when it comes time to kill I choose a blade that weighs as heavy as sin everytime.
Gesturing to the fox he asks Raven, Think you can do anything with that? I can char meat, but little more, I'd not say no to something cooked with a touch of finesse?" His words gruffer than his tone.
"Shouldn't be a problem." she says as she begins to work on the animal.
Lady Angel can I have the fur please? I would like to make a nice scarf for Lady Fiona when I return.
"Sure little one. When I am done you may have it."
The camp site would be idyllic if not for the wind. The trees were sparser here. They could see the rise of the mountain in the distance. The wind was sweeping down and rushing along filling the air with it's howling.
A little work piling snow into drifts and pulling a blanket across two trees to create a wind-barrier made things a lot more tolerable, but it was obvious that the group was unprepared for the viciousness of the cold.
They bedded down as close to the fire as they could, numb at the tips of everything.
Thorgar shivers, but he's used to such harsh conditions, don't deserve to be warm, cold suits me.
I already did a survival check for that task.
Gain a +2 bonus on all Fortitude saves against severe weather while moving up to half your overland speed, or gain a +4 bonus if you remain stationary. You may grant the same bonus to one other character for every 1 point by which your Survival check result exceeds 15.
"Thorgar, keep a small space between your inner and outer clothes. It will keep you warmer."
"Little One, don't get so close to the fire. Let your body do more of the work. Let the fire supplement your own heat, not take it over."
The morning came without incident, though it wasn't much of a morning. They were fully in the shadow of the mountain now, and they were far north. It was essentially dusk, and would be until sometime in the early afternoon. Then they would have maybe four hours of good light before it started to get dark again.
After a breakfast of dry tack and a bit of leftover fox, they continued down the meager trail and after cresting a small rise, found themselves looking down on an attractive river rushing from the snow runoff. In the distance they could see the falls coming of the side of the mountain.
The river cut directly across their path. The trail led to an old bridge near the falls. It was dilapidated and caked with ice from the spray of the water. Snow covered the planks and the one good railing. It was pretty, but obviously hazardous.
Thorgar scowls at the bridge, feeling a little stronger after a night's rest,
"I don't like the idea of finding death like a fool. Raven, can you cross with a rope? Will your wings be enough to save you if you should fall?"
Thorgar scowls at the bridge, feeling a little stronger after a night's rest,
"I don't like the idea of finding death like a fool. Raven, can you cross with a rope? Will your wings be enough to save you if you should fall?"
"I should be able to fly without much difficulty."
Stretching her wings for the short flight felt good. She was just touching down when a gravely voice rumbled, Aye, now! That ain't no fair!"
From beneath the bridge a massive form unfolded itself. It was man-like, but with long arms that hung nearly to it's knees and pale blue-white skin. A long, unkempt beard rolled down it's chest and it hunched, staring at the winged woman, standing barefoot ankle deep in the freezing water.
It seemed impossible that such a creature could hide at all, let alone fit beneath a bridge that was practically smaller than it was.
"You git back over there, an' try t' cross the bridge, proper like!"
"Um.. lady? What?" the massive man-thing said, scratching it's head as it looked over it's shoulder.
Looking back at Raven, the brute shook it's head and lowered it's brows. "You ain't gonna trick me, miss flappy-flap. I ain't no dummy. Everybody knows mice don't talk!"
Thorgar scowls at the beast, and growls
"And just what are you supposed to be?"
"Um.. lady? What?" the massive man-thing said, scratching it's head as it looked over it's shoulder.
Looking back at Raven, the brute shook it's head and lowered it's brows. "You ain't gonna trick me, miss flappy-flap. I ain't no dummy. Everybody knows mice don't talk!"
"Trick you? You have a lot to learn about others."
Thorgar scowls at the beast, and growls
"And just what are you supposed to be?"
"I'm the fella who lives under this here bridge, an' I ain't about t' let some winged smart-ass cheat me outta my job!" the man-thing roars.
"Now, you gonna git back on th' other side of the river so's we can do this right, or what?"
Thorgar raises an eyebrow,
"So you are saying you want us to go all the way to the other side of the river, then cross so you can do you job properly? I suppose we could, but you might scare the mouse some, back up a couple of hundred feet."
|
Upon hearing Thorgar mentioning the word mouse.
Thordan puffed up his chest
Hey you big blue ugly whatever you are!! I am Thordan Silentail the Neverfail!! I lead an army of 500 hundred mouse and they are just right behind me. They come in many colors such as brown, orange and the feared black mouse!! So let us pass and I will spare your life!!
Shaking his head at Thorgar, the man-thing seems a little tired and maybe a bit sad. "Can't leave my bridge. What if you lot cross and I'm not here to challenge you? That just... wouldn't be right, y'know?"
The big brute laughs at Thordan's claims. "Bring 'em on, talky mouse! We'll see how many die b'fore I do!"
Thorgar nods,
"Very well, but since you issued the challenge I should get to decide what the challenge is. I name riddles. The first one who cannot answer the other's riddle looses, if we win we may cross, if we loose we will leave never to bother you again."
Thorgar nods as if it is decided,
"I shall begin. Two trolls guard two identical looking bridges over a deep and icy river. One bridge is sound, the other will fail to hold even the lightest of men and pitch him to his death in the icy waters below. One troll always lies, one troll always tells the truth - but you do not know which troll is which. What single question can you ask to be sure you select the correct bridge?"