Following the runes

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald never believed that the gods would speak to him, never did he think that he would ever be called upon. Obviously when the omen came, he was not really paying attention, the two ravens had come down from the dark cloudy sky, the wind blowing furiously, filling their sail, driving them homewards. The two birds seemed undisturbed by the wind as they came to rest on the ropes securing the sails, they squawked at Onan, but he thought nothing of them as he waved them away. After a few more squawks they flew away, spiraling up into the cloudy sky. It was when they beached their long boat and the huge man wielding a massive hammer stepped forward, that Onan had to take notice. The sky blue eyes, the golden hair and beard all crackled with energy, lighting seemed to dance all over the hammer.

"Onan Thorvald"

Onan paused, then stepped forward, he looked in awe as the man towered over his own 6"11' frame. The blue eyes bored into his own, almost a reflection in color, but from the stranger's eyes shone a light which commanded respect and obedience.

"I am Onan Thorvald."

The man nodded,

"You have been called upon to journey to the East, there lies the Stones of Velha. You must return them here."

Onan felt a sense of dread, the Stones of Velha was a mere myth, lost in the shadows of time and lore.

"I must look for stones from a story?"

First the man seemed angered, then he burst out in merry laughter,

"Many of the heroes of old had said the same things. You will search for these stones and bring them home, only then will the coming winter be bountiful enough for our people to survive."

Onan shook his head,

"Who are you? Why do you jest so?"

This did anger the giant man and the clouds overhead grumbled loudly as the light from the hammer grew more intense.

"I do not jest, I am the son of Odin, the god of thunder. Thor."

Onan blanched under his tan and took a step backwards from the anger radiating from the god before him.

"Of course, I hear and obey."

He knelt down on one knee and bowed his head in reverence,

"Good. Now rise and prepare yourself, the journey is long and time is not on your side."

With a bright flash and loud clap of thunder the god vanished, leaving a shaken warrior and astonished onlookers behind. Onan stood up and looked up at the sky, then he turned to the others,

"It seems like the gods have decided to use the Thorvald family once more."

The older warriors nodded, Onan hurried to the long house where his gear was stashed. Packing as fast as he could, he was ready two hours later, his weapons ready, his provisions on his back, his white blonde hair braided into a warrior's braid and his beard shaved clean, a mount at the ready. Little words was said as he bid his farewells to his family and friends, swung unto the horse and rode off into the swirling snow, heading East from his Westbound home.

 

[Cherubian]

[A biography of Verialyn can be found in the third post of this thread]

Verialyn Kallidis quietly hummed a little tune as she rolled out her bedroll right next to the moss covered three yard high remains of the sandstone wall. The rays of the setting sun bathed the scenery in a warm orange light. Nature by now had reclaimed most of whatever there ruins represented in a former time and age, and as a result the ground was covered in lush grass over soft earth, even that close. Which would make for a soft and comfortable place to bed herself, just as she liked it.

Truth be told she would have liked it even more to rest in a real bed, but such was the price of travelling a less frequented route. Which on the other hand had the benefit of a few days of solitude as she traversed these sparsely populated lands, on foot even. Less than a day’s march by her estimate and civilization would fully reclaim her, with all its comfort, but also its hectic. Now all she could her was the chirping of the birds, the rustling of the leaves, and the purling of the clear nearby rivulet which promised a refreshing bath in the morning. It was not so bad a resting place all things considered. She had protection from the wind, running water, and the region supposedly was not home to any dangerous species.

Which was also why she was travelling as lightly as she did. Not even a weapon did she carry with her except for the dagger in her bag. Should trouble arise against all odds she would have her means to deal with it, and a more harmless exterior usually led to a more interesting travelling experience.

The bedroll finally spread out fully and her travelling bag placed at one end as a cushion replacement, it was time to get ready for her night’s rest. Which meant swiftly slipping out of her sandals, dropping her belt and sliding her travelling dress off her shoulders to let it drop to the ground around her ankles. For a few moments she stretched her arms outward, enjoying the soft evening breeze on her naked body, before finally crouching down and slipping into the bedroll. Once she was surrounded by the soft comforting cloth she placed one cheek on the makeshift cushion and waited for the night’s sleep to come.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald

He had his wolf cloak down to cover his head and face as he rode, it was strange that the gods would call on him. He was a warrior and from a clan name which had been rumored to have been champions of the gods. But never had he thought that he would be called upon. There was a change in the weather and a peek upwards proved the clouds to be thinning out, the wind decreased in force and glancing back, he saw that the clouds hung deep and threatening over his country. It was growing darka nd he decided to find a camp site. A faint trail led away from the road and he followed it, he knew that he had nothing to fear in the wild, the only thing he did fear was the anger of his gods and not being able to gain Valhalla.

The trail led through the trees, winding and vanishing only to pick up again, he used all his tracking skill and attention to follow the trial. Then the horse's hoof struck a cobblestone and he looked u, finding himself admists ruins. He guided the horse around the walls, in the half light he could not make out much, but he loosened tje thongs securing his sword as he dismounted and pulled the wooden shield from the saddle. Securing the shield in place he tied the horse to a wooden pole which seemed secure enough, then he moved towards the ruins, he wanted to make certain it was safe before setting up camp inside the ruins.

 

[Cherubian]

All of a sudden Verialyn's sweet dreams were significantly disturbed by the image of one single gigantic horse, the earth shuddering every time one of the humongous hooves slammed into the ground. And just like that she was awake again... thanks to her honed senses and instincts.

Yes. Her sharp ears confirmed, there was indeed a horse approaching, now its hoof hit a cobblestone. And now it was silent, the sounds replaced by an indefinite rsutling, followed by ... approaching steps...

As quickly as she could she extracted herself from the bedroll. She knew not who was approaching, and facing an attacker wrapped up in that thing was about the worst possible position from a tactical point of view. Crouching next to her belongings, her breasts pressing against her knees, her hands swiftly searched the bag for the dagger, and a brief smile graced her lips the moment she found it and lifted it into the night's air. She was about to rise when, almost as an afterthought, her empty hand grabbed her dress from the ground and pressed it against her chest, part of it hanging down between her legs. Maybe there were no enemies to fight but only the curiosity of a chance passerby, and in that case even the bit of modesty granted by that cover would be welcome.

Thusly prepared for all eventualities – or so she thought – she got to her feet. Just in time even, by the sounds she heard the visitor should round the corner any second.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald

He heard movement and drew his sword, slowly as it could be human, but also it could be something completely different. peeking past the ruined wall he saw a crouched figure. He blinked and looked again, then the surroundings started to distinguish themselves and he could make out bags, a human form and then the gleam of a weapon caught his attention, but by the looks it was just a dagger or knife. He arched an eyebrow, here he was, a sword, an axe, daggers and a shield, but then again the person did not know that. He sheathed his sword and stepped from behind the wall, raising one hand in greeting,

"Evening, I am Onan and wish to use this area to get out of the wind and rest my horse."

On closer examination he started to realize that the person he was addressing was in fact female.

 

[Cherubian]

One of the perks of Verialyn's "special condition" was the ability to have her sight capabilities be largely independent of external light sources, and as such she immediately got quite the clear picture of who was stepping out from behind the remains of that wall. Tall, broad shouldered, muscular, and judging by his hair color, hair style and her general intuition stemming somewhere from the wild lands to the west. And he was armed to the teeth.

Not aggressively so, though, his intentions seemed peaceful enough, and as a consequence she relaxed as well, leaving her crouched stance and choosing a more casual, upright position, still making sure the piece of cloth clutched to her chest covered her most intimate areas. Her free arm now dangled loosely at her side, the dagger only held very lightly between her fingers, like an ordinary item, and no longer wielded like a weapon.

Eventually she nodded her head in greeting, and replied to his addressing her. "A good evening to you, Onan. I am Verialyn. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable then."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald

He grunted,

"No ordinary woman are you?"

But her words rang with sincerity and he thought about it a bit, there was no other room or place to make camp. He could make out naked shoulders, but cloth obscured the rest of her body, obviously she was sleeping.

"I collect my gear, you can try to sleep, but I want to eat and make a fire to prepare said meal."

He felt no need to explain himself any further, so he turned and went over to the horse, unsaddling it and rubbed it down with a bone comb, making sure there was enough food for it to feed on during the evening. He carried his gear back into the ruins and dropped it, then started to hunt for dry wood in the faint light. He returned with kindling, started a fire and fed it until a small camp fire crackled merrily as he rummaged around, withdrawing a piece of bread, goat cheese and meat packed in leaves to preserve it and prevent it making a mess.

 

[Cherubian]

Try to sleep, a good joke that one. With the adrenaline still coursing through her veins Verialyn knew all too well that sleep would not come to her for at least an hour. Plus, while that Onan guy seemed harmless enough one never knew.

For some reason the thought of briefly disappearing behind a corner and getting properly dressed did not occur to her at that moment. So instead she just sat down on her bedroll with her back to the cool wall and watched him go about his business. As she did so she used the opportunity to stow away the dagger in her backpack once more, and that done pulled her feet close enough to her that her knees would stand up and allow her to rest her lower arms on it. It did not bother her that this way her bare legs were exposed, the cloth of her dress barely covering her breasts and groin.

"Say Onan" she finally spoke as he had settled down for his evening meal "it is rather rare to meet a traveler in these lands. What brings you here?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald

He glanced up at her, she was a pretty one, the firelight not a good way to judge her looks though. He continued to set up the frame to hang the meat from to fry, when that was done he sat back on his haunches, dagger in hand as he looked up at her.

"The gods sent me East. This is the shortest route."

He flipped the meat over as it roasted over the open flames,

"What brings you this way? It is not every day one sees a single female alone in the woods unless they are a ranger and where I come from..."

He smirked,

"You don't see female rangers."

 

[Cherubian]

"The gods sent you?" She was unable to completely hide the doubt in her voice at that announcement. What was it again the barbarians consumed for their visions? Mushrooms? Weeds? She was not sure, but some of that must have played into his mission.

"Me? Just traveling east as well, to Gondalion." In fact she was. Following the generous invitation of a rich merchant whom she had helped about a month ago. Likely his main goal was to finally score with her, but she could always say no. And a few weeks of comfort and luxury would certainly be welcome.

"And these woods are better than their reputation." she shrugged her shoulders, causing that cloth tucked under her arms to slip half an inch "Nary a dangerous beast seen in years, which makes them safer than the main road, with all their robbers and bandits."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald

He heard the slight doubt in her voice and grinned,

"Yes, the gods. They have sent our thundergod, the god of war, the protector of mankind to send me on this quest. I saw him, as did the whole village."

He grunted at her further comment, removing the meat and settled down to eat.

"Where prey flourishes in peace hunters will soon follow. It is the way of nature, I will know as that is the way we hunt."

He ate in silence, pondering the woman who sat opposite him, the glow of the coals casting mysterious shadows over her face, from what he could see, she had quite a lovely frame on her and the top of her breasts promised full globes. Not that he was bothered about it now, he also did not know just how much weapons she really had and how fast she could get to them. He knew he would have to wait

 

[Cherubian]

Way of nature her cute ass. No species in nature turns on itself on a regular basis. That was a quite human - or rather humanoid - invention. Those were Verialyn's immediate thoughts, but she saw no benefit in sharing them and so just stayed quiet.

Besides that, though, the man seemed harmless enough. A bit surprising, considering the tales about his people and their relationship with foreign women. But she would not complain. And ever so slowly she felt how her body calmed down and became ready once more for sleep. Not a dire need yet, but she knew to get her beauty sleep when she could get it.

And so she voiced "All right, I think I will hit the sack again. has been a long day." And with that she turned away and prepared to climb into her bedroll once more. Even with her back facing to him it was a bit of a complicated affair of getting inside while leaving the dress outside without showing him too much bare skin. He might have seen a bare buttock flash here or there, but eventually the cloth of the bedroll enveloped her once more.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald

He watched her as she got into bed, she was trying to be modest about it, but he was only a man, he did notice the flashes of naked skin and he wondered if she would look as enchanting in the morning as she did in the fire light. He finished his meal, wiping his hands on his beard and carefully doused the coals. He placed his weapons at the ready and rolled into his blanket, his hand resting on the hilt of his short sword.

The rest of the evening passed swiftly and uneventful, as the first rays of the sun started to kiss the horizon, Onan was up, getting his gear ready. He saddled the horse, tied his gear to the saddle and then went back inside the ruins, starting another fire, feeding it small sticks for it to burn out, but still chase away the early morning damp.

As the fire crackled merrily, he scouted the area, the structure was one he had seen in his own country, it was a missionary station. Searching some more he came across the graveyard. Well how about that, judging from the age of the stones and the marks on some of the still preserved beams, this building was raided long ago. But if it was his people he could not say. Maybe if a Jarl or two brought mounted raiders out this far it would make sense. He shrugged and moved back to the ruins

 

[Cherubian]

It was right then that he met Verialyn again, who just returned from what she called her "morning gymnastics", a series of exercises best performed in solitude to further hone her body coordination. She had risen even before the Westman and found a secluded clearing in the forest ideal for her purpose.

Fully dressed again now she greeted the man with a smile. "Good morning Onan, I see you have slept well?" Seeing him in the daylight for the first time he gave quite a good impression, if only he would not suffer from religious delusions.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald

Onan looked her over, she was a bit pale, not paler than the women from his own country. She was a bit too perfect, but why any man would worry about that?

"Morning Ver...Vari..."

He sighed,

"Verialyn, I did sleep well, I have to. Never know when it is my last."

He moved into the ruins, picked up the saddle, then paused.

"Since we are both headed East, would you be interested in joining forces and travelling together?"

He carried the saddle out and started to saddle the horse, he returned inside to gather his shield and attached it to the saddle. He shifted his weapons into a better position and adjusted his cloak.

 

[Cherubian]

Verialyn just lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug as her face turned to a bemused expression and her eyebrows rose as well. "If you want to slow yourself down ... as you can see I am traveling on foot." As if to accentuate this she briefly lifted one sandal clad foot towards him.

She was not sure what to make of this stranger yet. He seemed unusually desinterested in her as a woman. Was that because of his divine quest? Or was it just because he preferred the company of other men? Or was he just hiding his darker side particularly well?

As it seemed clear Onan would continue with his travel preparations so did she, although her workload was much smaller, basically rolling up her bedroll and tying it to the bag she would sling over her shoulder. Once that was done she placed her sweet behind on one of the lower walls still remaining, and with her hands leisurely folded in her lap continued to observe her future travel companion, shooting him a wide smile every time he looked into her direction.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald

He patted the horse's neck,

"He is a well-bred horse, from your stature and tread he will carry us both."

He looked at the sky, the signs was clear for any sea fearer, the light clouds and almost dusty air

"More wind today, we will have to get going as fast as possible, I am sure a horse will come along for you. The gods will provide."

He swung into the saddle and waited for the woman to decide if she was ready for a ride with him or not.

 

[Cherubian]

If there was any god it never had provided anything for her. But then even the most mundane events were open to the wildest of interpretations if one only twisted the own mind enough. So if her newest acquaintance felt that way and it made him happy ... The horse did indeed look quite sturdy, and she was far from a heavyweight, but all the more thankful for a quick lift.

One hand creeping up to her own hip she stepped closer, with a certain spring in her step. "Why not, let's see how strong this horse really is." And with that her hand moved further unto the horses back behind Onan, the palm planting itself firmly for support, and then with one dynamic move a stretched out leg came up, stretching the lower skirt like section of her skirt wide as her uper arm pushed her upwards, the combination of those two moves causing her to end up straddling the mount right behind Onan.

"Ready when you are" she good naturedly commented as she took hold of his shoulders and lifted her buttocks around, shifting into a more comfortable position.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Onan Thorvald

He was surprised when she jumped onto the back of the horse, what surprised him was not the jump it self, but that it was a woman who did it. Normally it is a trick used by light, lithe warriors to gain higher ground, it was a sneaky move to gain advantage over your foe. It was those warriors who flanked an enemy, found weakpoints and struck, usually in the back. He did not think the woman to be a sneaky warrior, but it showed that she had some power at her disposal. Without a word he steered the horse down the faint trail back into the road and headed East, at times he could detect her scent, but the leather armor he wore under his cloak and covered in wolf's fur he could not feel her, so he basically felt like he was travelling alone, only when she spoke up to mention an aproaching horse, did he become acutely aware of her again. He could not hear the beast at first, but then he heard the hooves and he grunted,

"You have Faery hearing."

When the rider drew into sight Onan grinned, it was a light mount, built for speed and it's rider wore the clothes of a messenger. He glanced over at the woman behind him,

"The gods will provide."

The messenger rode up to them, bold under the unsaid law of not harming a messanger.

"Hail good fellow and lady, where do you..."

His words was cut short as Onan grabbed him by the throat and crashed his huge fist solidly into the man's face, knocking him unconscious. He kicked the body to topple limply from the horse and grabbed the beast's reigns to keep it steady.

"There you go. A horse of your own, did I not tell you that it will be provided?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Withdrawing from this thread