Training 1 - Helhund & Skaldi, Duran & Higatami

It is a cold morning in Roenden, as the winter is approaching quickly. Snowstorms will soon take place more often, trapping animals and travelers with their white and deadly cloaks. In the already fallen snow, a little caravan made up by humans and Reoseans is moving as quickly as possible. The mountains casts a dooming shadow over them, but it is not the dark they fear: they heard about some bandits in the area. 

The puller Duran is dragging the heavy cart, while the shadow coated Tyrian, Higatami, keeps watch, with a snarl on her snout.

"See anything up there?"

Asks, one of the humans. Higatami isn't really keeping tracks of their names, as she doesn't really care: it's just a job, and she was invited as a bodyguard by Duran. She shakes her head, as the human wouldn't understand her speech anyway.

"No."

She answers, plainly. There is only snow around there, white deadly snow. With her dark colors, it is nearly impossible to hide somewhere.

She just hopes to never need to hide from something.

"How you doing Duran?"

"Ugh... My paws are numb."

The puller answers, with a tired voice. They have been traveling for days, and they still have to cross the mountains.

"It is a stupid job, this one."

"Not really, 'Tami. The people in the villages over the mountains will need food."

"Umph. Let's just hope there aren't any... Enemies around that could spot us."

"Relax. There is nothing here."

The Tyrian huffs, and keeps crawling in the snow, not daring to take off when it is bright.

 

Huge, heavy paws stop before a trail of prints in the snow. They belong to a massive Vayron, a male that stands easily twice as tall as the average Puller with chiseled muscle crisscrossed with gnarly scars. 

The male stares down at the footprints with bright, pupilless eyes, his clouds of breath swirling on the wind as a growl rises in his chest. 

The prints are fresh, the edges still crisp and hardly any snow has begun to fill them. 

This is not the usual route for merchants and traders, but it is also not too far off from there. And these tracks lack the obvious signs of carriages or heavy loads. Whoever these belong to, they preferred to stay light on their feet. 

The beast lowers his head to the trail, drawing in through flared nostrils, and confirms his suspicions. 

Scents of oily poisons and freshly-tended blades, the tang of flammable powder, sweat and anticipation.. 

Bandits. 

He raises his head and follows the trail with his eyes, noticing that it's keeping just outside of sight range of the main trade route.

Not long before, he knew a group of travelers had passed through the area, likely unaware they are being followed. 

They are in danger.

 

An arrow is the first thing the caravan notices. There is an arrow sticking from Higatami left wing, one that a few second before wasn't there. Silence falls, then it is broken by the loud snarl that the Empyrian emits. The human merchants screams, and more arrows are shot.

"Fall back! Fall back!"

Duran huffs, hearing the merchants scrambling away, conveniently forgetting that she is tied to the cart with chains, and not soft and easy to chew leather.

She can't count on Higatami either, as she is busy trying to not get turned in a pin holder.

"Quick! Get the goods, shot down the two Reoseans!"

The bandits approach, armed with spears and bows. The archers are fighting with the angry Higatami, and the one with the spears get close to Duran.

There are a few reoseans runners and pullers along them, but they doesn't seem to mind the slaughter of their own species.

Duran growls, showing her white fangs to the semi-human closest to her. 

In the meantime, Higatami is trying to knock out the archers, with little results: there are five of them, two of which are Noverians, night elves. The tyrian hisses, as red blood coats her shadow fur. The battle is desperate, as she is cornered by the long-ranged weapons, and can't go help Duran, who is stuck with the carriage.

 

A hominid with their head and face wrapped in scarves pins down one of the travelers, holding a blade to their neck. 

The helpless traveler draws in a shaking breath, but before she can scream, a heavy chain suddenly flies out of the wind and wraps around the bandit's neck.

A choked snarl sounds before they're quickly ripped away. 

The traveler rolls over onto her elbows in time to see a very large and very angry looking Vayron clutching the bandit in his claws and holding them aloft in front of his gnashing fangs. 

He roars, terrifying the bandit into dropping their blade before he slams them head-first into the snow. 

With more eyes on him, the beast lunges into the fray, leaping over the stunned traveler. A dangerous-looking chain, heavy with spikes on each link, drags the ground alongside him from where it is attached to his spine, the very chain he had used to dispatch the first bandit. 

His next target is the archers..

 

The commotion has drawn more attention in the form of a raven flying high overhead. 

It surveys the battle, then swoops off to the west and vanishes over the hills.

 

--

Perched on the mountainside, overlooking the forest, is the village of Ryggard. The homes are built of dark oak and stone, and all their windows are aglow with firelight. 

Inside the longhouse, the Elders are discussing winter preparations. 

Whether the crops have all been counted, the amount of meat in stock, and plans for their Solstice celebrations. 

Skaldi, a shadow Runner with long, black hair that shines in the light, sits reclined on a pile of furs while listening to the drone of their voices. 

This is the less glamorous part of leadership, but necessary for the survival of the clan. Especially with the dark winter approaching. 

"The growers have promised a good haul this season," a haggard older male states.

"Our herds will be fed, and will not become too lean, as long as we can keep the grain from infestation."

"Our stores have been checked and sealed up," another speaks. "But we have youth that will be on watch."

"Mm," another male hums his assent, "That will be good stealth and agility training for the little ones. They must learn to hunt as early as possible."

Skaldi nods in agreement, but then a familiar flutter catches her ear. She looks up and spots her raven companion as it flaps in through the open window, and she perks. 

Something must be wrong, if they are back so early. 

"What is it, Sýn?" Skaldi asks, as the bird touches down beside her. 

The raven croaks, meeting the leader's bright eyes, and Skaldi's vision is filled with the chaotic images from the battle raging to the east. 

A soft gasp falls from her maw, and she rises immediately. 

"Welůn, Bjorn, to me! Bandits are attacking suppliers to the east!"

Moments later, Skaldi and a pair of formidable males in armor are charging through the trees and away from the village at the guidance of Sýn flying overhead.

 

The raven reaches the battle zone quickly, followed by the three reoseans. There, they can see how a group of organized bandits are fighting against a tied up puller, a ferocious empyrian and a very large vayron who's charging at some archers. 

The five archers looks quite intimidated by the new enemy, who looks like he's been brought to the frozen lands by Oris himself. He is large, to the point that even the Empyrian looks a bit thin in comparison.

"Forget the puller! Shot at that thing!"

Screams one of the elves, reading his bow. Higatami huffs and crawls away from the archers, leaving the newcomer to take care of them. After all, Duran is still stuck with the carriage, even if she doesn't really seem that scared: she is still snarling, and has bitten the head of a spear off, splinters now coating her pink tongue.

"You good?"

"Yeah. Who's..?"

"Dunno. I'm not going to ask and neither will you."

"That's rude, Higatami."

"Don't care. The merchants will need to take care of themselves!"

While saying that, the Empyrian snaps the chains, pulling the low quality iron apart from the loops. Duran looks disappointed, but a peak at the wings of the shadow colored empyrian changes her mind. She looks, unfortunately, like a pin holder.

Now... How to help the big, dark Vayron? Or, well... Does he need help?

He isn't near them, and the bandits are surrounding him. Two reoseans, a runner and a puller, both brown and with dark and matted manes, are growling at him.

 

The huge Vayron is relentless, on the full offensive and willing to take whatever damage the smaller opponents throw at him. He bleeds, but he does not slow, the icy ground turning red all around him. 

His chain is a unique weapon, but even more so is the braided end of his tail. The multiple, knotted strands have metal barbs woven into them, and he lashes his foes with devastating accuracy even when they are at his back. 

By the time Skaldi and her males rise over the hill, the big brute is surrounded by bodies and looking rather terrifying. 

To the newcomer, it is easy to assume that he is the cause of all this chaos. 

The two armored males charge ahead with battle cries.

Skaldi hesitates, but follows after them with a growl. There is no time to read the scene. 

The big Vayron looks up, noticing the charging males, and he braces for more of a fight. 

Skaldi turns her attention to the two Reoseans that are close together, calling out to them as she approaches,

"Are you wounded?"

 

Duran opens her mouth to answer, but Higatami beats her on the time.

"Yeah, yeah, we're fine. Ergh..."

She looks at the two males charging at the other one, hissing softly.

"Probably you should stop them, that guy is kind of a... Ally? I guess."

Duran sighs, and after giving the Empyrian a playful shove, avoiding the arrows sticking from her wings, she faces Skaldi.

"He helped us. The enemies were bandits, they wanted the... Goods the merchants were transporting."

She says, watching their savior and hoping he doesn't get hurt by the new party, but also that he doesn't send them to the afterlife.

 

Before the others could even finish talking, Skaldi was already turning around and barking “HOLD!” over the sound of the biting wind. 

The guards slide to a stop within feet of the stranger, who stood there bristled and growling before them. 

The pair hesitates, not wanting to take their eyes off of him. He looks even more threatening up close, especially when stood among so much red. 

None of them seem willing to take eyes off of the other.

“Check everyone,” Skaldi’s next command is to her raven, who tucks a wing and swoops away to do as he is told. 

There are a couple hominids that have already risen from where they lay in the snow, but many more don’t appear to be moving.

The leader returns her attention to Duran and Higatami. 

“You say this male is your ally?” she questions. From the way they worded it, it didn’t seem like he was a part of their caravan when they started.

 

"Well, I... Think so?"

Duran answers, unsure. He helped them, and if he hadn't, they would have been in big trouble, probably even dead by now.

Higatami hisses, annoyed.

"We don't know him. He just beat the bad guys, that's it. Can we go? I'm freezing my wings off."

She looks irritable, and it is mostly because of the arrows sticking out of her wings: they hurt, and while they are not a bad or particularly bloody injuries, they still sting with the cold air and at every movement.

The puller looks at her companion, sighing softly.

"You need medical attention, 'Tami."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No. I. Do. Not." The Empyrian hisses, like a pup that doesn't want her cuts to be treated because they will sting while cleaned. All that bickering right before Skaldi and their unnamed saviour, of course.

 

Skaldi listens to the pair, her glistening hair swaying in the wind. After a moment of silent considering, she speaks up.

“Welůn, Bjorn, fall back. Help Sýn gather up the survivors and load them into the carriage. We’re going back to Ryggard.”

She then turns her attention on the pair before her, “The pass is too dangerous for you to carry on like this. We’ll get you patched up and repair your cart so you can head out again in the morning.”

Then she turns to the big male, who appears to have relaxed a bit. It is reassuring that this deadly stranger seems to know when the threat has passed.

Slowly she approaches, but keeps her head up and tail out, appearing confident as a leader should.

“I insist that you join us, stranger. I would have the healers look you over after you helped these travelers.”

 

The male stares down at this much smaller Vayron before him, and finally nods once in silent agreement. This satisfies her, and he watches her turn away to help the others. 

Deciding to lend more aid, the big brute approaches the carriage. Like hell would he dare to try and drag it with his chain- his back aches just thinking about it. But he could hold onto the torn straps and pull it easily. 

It appears that the wheels are still intact, and the carriage itself is not damaged, so it would only be a matter of bringing everyone uphill in it.

 

While Higatami looks ready to snap at Skaldi, with a 'I don't need no patching!', Duran is way more relaxed and grateful. The night is approaching, and she doesn't really want to spend it in the middle of the snow. 

While the big Empyrian crawls behind the group, sulking and grumbling, Duran goes to see if the big black Vayron needs any help with the carriage, since the terrain is not kind with them, and the wheels keep sinking in the soft snow.

But, unexpectedly, the other is pulling the chains and dragging the heavy load with ease. The puller looks at him a bit surprised, but then she shakes her head: looking at the chain that is stuck in his back, he is far from a normal Vayron.

Duran turns, joining the poor Empyrian who is hissing and growling at every movement.

"Does it hurt that much?"

"No."

"Liar."

"Shut it, go speak with that lady an' leave me alone."

Higatami hisses, stumbling on a rock. Her eyesight is bad, but that usually isn't a problem as long as she is calm.

Duran sighs, then trots to the leader of the group. She can see some of the merchant following, a bit distant, as if they feel bad for running as soon as trouble appeared. 

"...I have to thank you for the help."

The puller says to Skaldi, while constantly checking over her shoulder how the Tyrian and the big Vayron are doing.

 

Skaldi offers a small smile to Duran, keeping her ears flicked back toward the group as they make the trek over the hills and through the trees. The mountains loom ahead, and the smell of smoke from their fires is on the wind.

“Many villages depend on traders and suppliers for their survival. It is the least we can do, to keep the roads safe and your caravans moving.”

She spares a glance back at the massive stranger hauling the carriage behind them. 

“So you say this one helped you. You do not know him?”

 

"No, we do not. To be honest, I also didn't even notice someone around in the area, and neither did Higatami. Her hearing is quite good too."

Answers Duran, as she walks. She can hear how Higatami huffs and puffs as she walks in the snow, grumbling under her breath. She feels sorry for the Empyrian, but the merchants will pay her well at least.

"I was still tied to the cart, so I didn't see much of the fight. Higatami was nearby, she probably knows more."

The puller says, before sneezing. Well, she did have a nice and fluffy coat, but not enough to keep her warm when the Sun goes down.

"Are we... Close? From your home I mean."

Her bear ears flicks, as she hears the rattle of the chains attached to the carriage. She hopes the stranger won't have too many difficulties  dragging it on the side of the mountain.

 

Skaldi looks back at the stranger pulling the carriage, dragging that threatening-looking chain alongside him. 

A creature that size would surely have a difficult time staying hidden. How could he have been in the area,  totally undetected even by her ravens? 

She would need to have a talk with this male.

She finally answers Duran's question as she straightens again, "Not much farther. Look up to the mountainside, and you'll see Ryygard overlooking the forest."

 

At the back with the carriage, the large male with his many scars and strange markings is fully aware that the others are giving him odd looks.

He keeps quiet, except for the occasional soft growl that he seems to unknowingly do with deeper breaths. 

There is no way of knowing what he thinks about being so easily accepted into a protected village after simply appearing out of the cold. 

 

Eventually the group passes through the heavy wooden gates at the edge of the village, and they are welcomed by the sight of warm fires and the smells of smoked meats.

Some curious heads poke out of doors to watch as the carriage is dragged through by the frightening-looking Vayron. 

"I must speak with the elders," Skaldi announces, turning to face the group. 

"Welůn, see the wounded to the healers. Bjorn, take the accused to the cellars and chain them. The rest of you, follow me to the Hall. There will be food and clean water there while you wait."

Sýn swoops down and lands on Skaldi's shoulder as she turns her attention on the humans that don't appear hurt. She gestures with a swing of the head for them to follow, and nods as they come.

 

Duran sighs, looking at the big Empyrian who is behaving again like a unruly pup.

"I'M FINE."

"Go to the healer."

"I don't-"

"If you don't go, I'll put something in your food. Something that WILL make you NOT FINE. Got it?"

Higatami looks startled when Duran snaps at her, but she then quietly shuffles toward the guy who will take her, and a few merchants, to the healer. She still looks angry and disappointed, but the puller won't let her skip treatment, especially with the arrowheads still embed in the skin.

Duran then turns, and joins the group that follows Skaldi to  the Hall. At least, it will be warm and it will have food ready.

Her stomach grumbles, and the puller suddenly is reminded of how hungry she is.

Quietly, with nails clicking, she walks with the others hoping to see soon some food.

 

The huge male follows Skaldi as she leads the group into the cover of the largest structure in the village. 

The Hall is built from great oaks with vaulted ceilings crisscrossed by heavy, wooden beams. Lanterns hang at varying angles from the beams, illuminating the rows of tables that run the length of the Hall. 

Running down the center aisle are fire pits sank into the floor, with pots and spits cooking around the clock for anyone in Ryggard to come and enjoy. 

Skaldi looks over her shoulder at Duran and the stranger and says, "Stay close, and enjoy the stew. The Elders will want to meet with you and your friend to hear your sides of what happened. I'll be back."

She disappears into a doorway beyond, leaving the scarred brute standing there with Duran, the warmth of the fires slowly thawing his achy paws. 

He doesn't seem to react much, even with every set of eyes warily catching glances of him at every opportunity. 

He just turns and approaches the spit, eyeing the boar slowly turning over the coals, and uses his teeth to pull a leg straight off. Juices hiss as they fall into the fire, and the male devours the entire thing in a few loud crunches.

 

Duran was trying to enjoy the stew, with her paws wet from the snow still a bit numb, when she heard the crunches of the boar leg.

She turns, eyes wide, and looks at the stranger. 

"That's... Quite an appetite. When last did you eat?"

She questions, sipping some soup. Her round ears flicks from time to time, as she tries to not loosen her guard too much. After all, they are still strangers and Duran, Higatami and the merchants were transporting not so cheap stuff.

In the meantime, the unlucky vayron that has to pluck every single arrow from the Empyrian is having a tough time: the tyrian keeps knocking stuff off the shelves and tables, whipping her tail like an annoyed cat.

"Are you done? I want to eat too!"

She hisses, smelling in the air, even with closed doors, the nicely cooked food.

 

The stranger runs his tongue along his jaws before he answers in a deep, gravelly voice.

"Long time.."

In truth, even if he had attempted grace and manners while eating, it would look even more ridiculous. He's quite large, so that leg was a little more than a morsel to him.

He takes another leg, then finds a spot near the end of the table to settle.

 

"huh... I see."

Duran turns her head, looking at her soup. The boar looks pretty nice, but she isn't sure eating it would be a great idea, as her stomach is a bit unsettled by the whole situation. After all, she is still in the home of a unknown reosean, surrounded by other unknown reoseans and... Oh, she is starting to think like Higatami.

Duran scrunches her eyebrows, looking at the soup as if it could transform in something else. 

'Naaah, they wouldn't poison it. They have no reason to do so, of course. I must be tired, I never think like this.'

The puller shakes her head, picking up the bowl and downing it in a few gulps. She watches the stranger, with the corner of her eye.

She thinks about asking at least his name, but the question dies on her lips the moment Higatami crashes in the large room, opening the doors loudly.

"Fooooooood."

She ignores the poor guy who is trying desperately to stop her, as there are still a couple of arrows in her wings, and the bendages aren't sitting right.

"I crave food. Where is it?!"

She hisses, with all the smell in that room and her blindness, it is hard to identify the exact position of the boar and everything edible.

"Higatami... Ufff..." Duran shakes her head, and putting down the bowl, she trots to the tyrian who is snorting and hissing.

"Why do you have arrows still in?"

"Not something that matters to you, Duran. Where is the food?"

"...Higatami-"

"Oh, don't start. I stood there like, an hour. I'm starving, he can continue plucking stuff after I'm done, if he is soooooo interested in doing that."

Then, the Empyrian reaches a table and snatches a whole boar, carring it outside as if she owns the place.

Rude.

"...I hope that doesn't get us in trouble."

Duran whispers, looking at the door left half-open. Her companion is always like that, hissing, rude and a literal pup.

"Ergh... Sorry about this."

She says to the stranger. Probably, he would have preferred to eat in peace.

 

The large male doesn’t seem bothered by it. He appears relaxed enough as he consumes his meal while Higatami carries on. 

“We won’t force you to remove your tokens of battle, Higatami,” Skaldi interjects. “Our priority is getting you on your way, safely.”

She had returned while all eyes were on the snippy empyrian, and standing at her side is an elderly Vayron with silvered fur that creates skeletal silhouettes on his shadow pelt. 

The old male’s voice is deceptively deep, rumbling from beneath the heavy, leather hood that conceals his eyes quite completely, as it doubles as a blindfold. 

“Indeed.”

Even though he can’t see, the Elder’s hooded head slowly turns to face the big stranger. They remain there, going still and silent for a few breaths before Skaldi speaks up again.

“We have ordered the repairs for your wagon, and you will have your escort. We have also sent for bounty hunters to track down the remaining bandits so they may be brought to justic-”

“I am curious to learn of these bandits, Skaldi,” the Elder interrupts, and she turns to look at him with raised brows. He carries on, “But I think it would be best if we get these supplies to the people that need them, don’t you?”

Skaldi hesitates, glancing between him and the others, and then slowly she nods. “Yes.. Right, Elder. We should not delay, and I can get your statements on the journey.”

The tension has quickly become familiar to the stranger. He knows the old man wants him out of their village more than he cares about punishing the bandits, and that’s just fine.

 

Duran notices some tension in the air, and after seeing the Elder interrupt the one that supposedly is the head of the clan, she realizes how much unwelcome they are. 

She turns to Higatami, who is currently wrestling another boar off the fire.

"Higatami.. We should go."

"Ufhff? Gfo Fwere?"

"Tomorrow morning we leave as soon as the sun is up. I don't think we are welcome here."

She whispers, worried that the Elder might not only be upset at the presence of the other Vayron, but at their as well. They were strangers, after all, and Duran knows how many elderly reoseans behave in the most secluded villages. It was better to leave quickly.

"Mfff.'K. Feef youf tomoffor."

Answers Higatami, before stealing the boar and marching out, to their designed 'bedrooms'. Duran bows a bit, then scurries out of the room after Higatami, fearing that her companion could start a fight over something stupid.

 

Skaldi watches the pair go with a frown. This was not the reaction she had expected from everyone. 

Her eyes go to the big brute of a vayron with the frightening chain and many scars, and, after a few tense breaths of thinking where she internally battles every other question she wants to ask of him, she finally settles on something:

“Just tell me, why did you decide to help them?”

He gazes back at the female with her raven feather tattoos, swallowing his last bite of food and licking his maw clean. He rises slowly, sending ripples of tension all through the room. Everyone had gone silent once the Elders spoke up.

His answer is simple.

“Because it was the right thing to do.”

He ignores the old vayron’s scoff, then thanks them for the meal with a low bow and turns to leave. In the firelight, his midnight blue coat is highly glossy, making his many black scars stand out. The scarified runes and symbols carved into his hide seem to radiate with an unseen aura only visible at the corner of her eye as he moves.

Skaldi sighs as the sound of his chain dragging along vanishes with the closing of the great hall’s heavy door. 

They would likely never see anyone like him again, and she never even got to ask his name.. but perhaps the Elder is right to send them on as soon as possible. 

“I’m surprised at you, Skaldi,” the haggard Elder grumbles, cutting through her thoughts. “I thought you would be stronger, not so easily swayed by such things..”

“Such.. things?” she asks, turning a raised brow on him.

“Mmh,” he nods, limbs quivering with either his own rising emotion, or perhaps old vayrons like him just shake. “Don’t you recognize a demon when you see one?”