Frosthold-The Sanguine King

[Jeremy Davis]

Ty trembled under Hrists gaze knowing that she had placed her life in the warrior's unknowing hand. Hrist's words cut Ty to the bone and showed Ty that Hrist didn't know of the darker side of the world.

"Ty has made her decision, Mistress Hrist, and now submits herself to you."

Ty remained bowed before the warrior, and she closed her eyes waiting for Hrist's reaction to her whether it be a collar or the touch of steel against her skin. Only Ty's tail moved as she waited, the black-striped, white fur apendage seemingly having a mind of it's own.

 

[Ithica]

Verdandi grew cold at the exchange between Cahir and Forgall. Urd would not have had time to teach her son and the father apparently didn't respect her culture. She could understand Cahir not understanding but Forgall's comments felt disrespectful to her tribe and to his mother.

"I would remember, both of you, who's company you are in." Verdandi snapped. Reginleif stood up with her hand on the hilt of her sword "He is talking like that is something to be ashamed of instead of proud."Reginleif growled.

 

[rengadeirishman]

"You misunderstand me wise one, its just that when i was a child, if it was known that i was of Lough Orainn, i would have been at the least beaten, and possibly killed, and i could never have joined the army. I was orphaned at age 4, i never knew my father." Forgall said "It is not that I am ashamed, its just that i didnt have a place in the world outside of the battle lines."

 

[Ithica]

Hrist sunk down against the tree and looked at the strange girl. Today was just not going well. She was the leader of a tribe of warriors who freed slaves they didn't take them. The idea of her taking a slave would go against everything that she stood for and the hypocrisy that action implied would undermine her authority.

"Where is your home Ty?"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Ty, seeing that Hrist wanted to talk things out, lifted herself from the ground and sat back on her heels looking up at the warriors face. Her ears flicked a bit of stray hair from within them as Ty got comfortable.

"Ty has no home, truthfully. Ty has been a slave for as long as she remembers so Ty's home is wherever her Master or Mistress lives. Ty recently was a slave for a Merchant, but he was killed when the slavers raided his home and took the slaves he had."

As she talked Ty captured her tail in her hand and begain to absently ruffle the hair on it before petting it straight. She only seemed to do this when she was nervious. It was the way she coped with stressful sitations.

 

[Ithica]

Reginleif looked at Cahir and glared, "I guess I know now why we don't mix well with your kind."

"Be quiet and sit down," Verdandi told Reginleif. "Things are changing in our tribes views. Before you were born Reginleif, our views were similar to how they view us. We were very strict about how we interacted with the men of Frosthold. Things change and we have become more flexible and I was hoping that they had changed as well. Cahir's reaction is not encouraging."

 

[Ithica]

Hrist listened and watched as the girl fidgeted and talked. When she was finished she asked,

"So you don't have a home to go back to, then your choice is clear. You can go to my village and become one of us. You can learn a trade and start looking after yourself. You are free to decide what you want to do. Why would you choose to continue being a slave?"

 

[rengadeirishman]

"Unfortunately wise one, it will only get worse, Cahir's half-brother Cormach hates every one else." Forgall said and Cahir nodded in agreement. "When he becomes king, expect war to be on your doorstep within the year."

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Ty tilted her head slight as she listened to Hrist's words. She never imagined herself as anything else but a slave so such a notion never occured to her. The truth was that it frightened her, so much so that she visibly trembled as she thought about it.

"Ty was taught to be a slave from an early age, Mistress. It is all she knows of this world. Mistress is asking Ty to become a free person, but Ty couldn't. It would be like Ty telling Mistress Hrist to become a slave."

A sudden need of being with someone passed over Ty and she knee walked herself over to kneel beside Hrist. Unfortunatly just like an animal born in captivity, Ty wouldn't survive being freed and not owned. Ty only hoped that Hrist would see that.

 

[Ithica]

"When he becomes king, expect war to be on your doorstep within the year."

Verdandi nodded,"Yes, I realize that. We may not be under your king's rule but I know that what he does still effects us. Your quest, would you only stop at bringing down one king? What about the other?"

 

[rengadeirishman]

"Cormach first, then the Sanguine King." Cahir piped in "If i can defeat Cahir and take the throne, the people are already on my side. If i could take control i would have my fathers army plus whatever one I marshal with which to destroy the Sanguine King"

 

[Ithica]

The girl moved closer to Hrist as she thought about what Ty had said.

"Well, don't let anyone say that you aren't a clever girl. But I don't know what to do with you. I can't have a slave. If this is what you wish why don't you find someone that understands. Why pick me? You don't owe me anything."

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Ty looked at Hrist and smiled softly, her ears flicking against the side of her head again.

"You were the one who took Ty away from the slavers so by rights you are the one who Ty should belong to. In a way you did save Ty's life because who knows what type of Master or Mistress Ty would have gotten on the auction blocks."

Ty thought about the auction block for a moment and though she was happy that she was not put on it to be sold, she knew that if given the chance she would bring a pretty bit of coin to the slaver that sold her there.

"Mistress Verdandi helped Ty make up her mind though. While she was attending to Ty, she seemed to have a vision or went into a trance and told Ty that you were going to be Ty's Mistress."

 

[Ithica]

Hrist chuckled and said sarcastically "I'm glad she helped you out with that." Hrist looked around and caught sight of Verdandi talking with the men and took pleasure in the fact that both Verdandi and Reginleif looked very displeased. She turned back to Ty and knew she was grasping for a way out and said,

"What if we were to re-train you into not being a slave?"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Ty followed Hrist's gaze to the group of people talking. She too saw that Verdandi did not look too pleased with their conversation and frowned. Ty had developed a liking for the older woman and probably would have submitted to her if she hadn't told Ty that she was to belong to Hrist. Ty looked back at Hrists as she asked her question. Ty fought hard not to break into laughter at the abserd request, but she couldn't help herself.

"Foregive me Mistress, but I don't think that it would be possible. Slavery is something that is embedded into me. It would be like telling a tiger that you are going to make his stripes spots."

 

[Ithica]

Hrist smiled at the girl's laughter, "Why argue with a cat over the cut of its coat, huh? It still doesn't change the fact that I cannot..."

Hrist paused as a thought came to her and she changed her tactics and asked, "So if I were to be your Mistress, you would have to do as I say?"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Ty learned to read people really well since she was little. She could tell the demenor of her owner just by their body language, so knowing where this conversation was heading was easy for her.

"Ty would have to do whatever you say, Mistress, or at least to the best of her ability. Ty would do whatever you asked as well as she could and hope that her best effort would be pleasing to you."

 

[macmillian]

The Journey Begins

I have said my goodbyes to my mother, father and brothers. Together with my lifelong friend we lead our horses to the meeting house in the center of town. There Connnor McKay, my grandfather, waits to send us on our way.

My bow and a quiver of arrows is slung over my shoulder and I am carring my staff. Connor asks for Angus's staff and looks at it closely, examining the few runes there on. He hands the staff to his chief steward and in return hands to Angus his own staff. He leads Angus towards the main gate.

"Listen carefully" connor said, "there are more runes here on my staff, and you know them all. Use them wisely and remember that there is always someone with stronger or have greater magic than you. Learn all you can. That top rune you do not know, but it is there in case we are in need of your return."

Goodbye Grandfather, and we hug and slap each other on the back. He also says goodbye to my companion, Raff, in the same way. We leave the village to the sounds of goodbyes and best wishes. We lead our horses, good sturdy stock and they do not tire easily. Men and horses are well matched.

We will head east to get out of the Dragontooth mountains and slightly south to keep us away from those that lay father west and who are not our friends. This heading will lead us into Arkland, an area ruled by the High Orcs.

 

[Ithica]

Hrist changed her attention towards the group Verdandi was with. Reginleif was standing up ready to cut someone down and Verdandi was looking like she would let her. To top it all off Cahir looked at Forgall like he had just become a leper. None of which was encouraging, Hrist decided, seeing how they have to work with the two men. Cahir's step-brother could not be allowed to become king and it would be easier to take him down now rather than later. Hrist started to make plans on who would go with Cahir to see the orcs and went over what supplies they would need. They couldn't bring too big of a force with them. Just enough to discourage attack but not enough to threaten the Orcs. Hrist was still distracted and asked Ty,

"So could I order you not to behave like a slave? Not all at once of course but perhaps in little bits like one day you stop kneeling and the next you don't call anyone Mistress and after that you don't walk behind and so on."

 

[Mantra]

((OOC Note: ** denotes words spoken in Orcish))

The group crept forward, as quietly as possible, in the dark. The target was a small human fort down in one of the many dells in the Dragontooth mountains. It was just a simple, log and mud structure but it could still prove a barrier to the group.

So they were just going to have to remove the barrier.

There was a whirring sound in the darkness and a sudden 'plunk' which caused the sentry standing at one corner to drop out of sight. Another whirr and plunk, and a second guard fell. A moment later and a single lone orc emerged, standing high on a stone as he looked across at the fort. He wasn't very tall, not by huiman standards, and he wasn't handsome either, especially by human standards. His skin was deep green which seemed oddly fitting given his broad, boxy stature. Even his head and jaw was thick and broad, with an upward jutting tusk at each corner of his lips. Two thin braids of coarse, black hair dangled astride his chin and the hair on his head was equally coarse, but short cropped and crudely cut. His ears were large and flat against his head, with three gold rings adorning each lobe and one matching ring piercing his wide nose.

He was wearing heavy leather with metal rings and studs sewn into it. A wide and thick belt fastened around his midsection and heavy shod boots covered his feet. A fur cloak hung off his shoulders with a fox head looping over each shoulder, so the teeth bit down into the fur like a clamp to keep the fur in place. As the orc looked on, he raised a heavy mace in each hand high up over his head and held there for a single breath, then brought them down in one sweeping motion towards the human settlement.

**"Smash'em, bash'em, crush'em, kill'em!"**

With a roar, the orcish raiders rushed forward. The first eight ran, bearing a large tree trunk between them. The lone orc likewise leapt from his vantage point and charged forward. As a whole, they all swarmed to the base of the human fort. Inside, the humans were rousing to the threat they faced, but it was too little, too late.

The tree trunk crashed against the wooden gates with a boom. Wood splintered and cracked, but the gate held, but the orcs sinply reared back and slammed the tree into the gate again and again as the other orcs pounded on their shields with their weapons or hacked at the log barracade. One orc fell, pierced by arrows fired brom above, but other orcs fired back at the humans with slingstones or thrown spears and axes. Finally, the battered gates cracked and then splintered. The ram team dropped the log, drawing weapons and throwing themselves bodilly against the ruined gates even as other orcs, waiting by, pressed in using sheer muscle to breech the gate.

Then the killing began in earnest.

**Take the goats! Take the pigs! Take everything and burn the place. No more humans!"**

The battle was over in less than an hour and the night sky was brightened by leaping flames. They left not a single thing of value, nor did they spare a single structure, but they did not kill everyone. There were a few females and whelps in the fort. These were spared and sent back down out of the mountains and towards other human lands. The others where not so fortunate.

"You no stay!" The orc leader bellowed to them as they ran. "No hoomans here! Dees mountains Orc land now!"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Ty again gazed over to the group of people talking and hoped that they wouldn't come to blows. She had seen too much fighting for one day and didn't want to see any more. She quickly turned her attention to Hrist and listened to what she was asking.

"You can ask Ty to do what ever you please, Mistress, and no matter what that request is Ty would have to follow it or else face your punishment. However, Mistress, Ty is going to have a tough time following such an order because of it being in Ty's nature. "

Ty looked deeply into Hrist's eyes searching them for an answer to a question that Ty didn't even know yet. This world was very new for Ty just as Ty's world must be new for Hrist. They will be teaching each other that was for sure, however would they grow with each other and find the happy medium or would they fight one another?

 

[Ithica]

Hrist thought over what Ty said. She had to admit that there was some appeal in taking up the challenge of changing this girl. But there was still the chance that her leadership maybe called into question and her own beliefs were telling her that this was so wrong. She had to respect other people's choices but how could she encourage this behavior and then in the next minute condemn the same actions in someone else. What was she thinking? She had to start planning for a war and didn't have time to deal with this girl. Hrist stood back up and tried to get back into being a leader and let go of the casual way she had been talking to Ty. She looked around at what everyone was doing. She looked over at the group of slaves and wondered how many of them were just as confused as Ty.

"Ty, please go find out how the other girls are doing. Find out if they need anything before we move out."

 

[rengadeirishman]

"I can't believe you Forgall!" Cahir said. "You have lived a lie." Forgall roared and turned to the prince "Do not DARE impugn my honour princeling, I have told no lie, merely allowed people to assume. No one ever asked who my mother was, and lets not forget, I owe her warrior blood for my own prowess. Who taught you how to fight? who taught you how to act a man? If you care to continue impugning my honor, then do so with your weapon in hand and challenge me to a duel as I taught you!"

 

[Ithica]

Verdandi and Reginleif were both standing up now. All thoughts of helping were being extinguished. A crowd had started to gather now and it was looking less and less like it would remain peaceful.

Verdandi put a hand on Reginleif's shoulder to hold her back. She turned to the nearest warrior and said, "You, go get Hrist." She pointed out where Hrist was and the warrior ran off.

Hrist had been watching this new development with shock and was starting to walk over and was met by the woman Verdandi had sent her, who had filled her in on the little that she knew. She got through the group and yell,

"What's going on here? Don't you have work to do? Get to it!" The group slowly dispersed and Hrist turned to Forgall and growled, "What is going on here?"

 

[rengadeirishman]

Cahir looked at Forgall in shock, He had never really been chastised by Forgall before. Cahir started waving his blade around in a traditional display of challenge. "Princeling is it?! I am Cahir MacCernach, son of Cernach MacEamon, son of Eamon Swiftspear, Clann O'Dochartaigh, and I challenge your honor in combat!" Forgall looked at Cahir incredulosuly then drew forth his gargantuan sword. "I am Forgall MacFionn, son of Fionn MacDonnchadh, son of Donnchadh of the Thundering War-hammer, clann Fiamhain, and I accept." he said lowering his sword into guard, "COME ON BOY!"