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It's Always Winter Here (DragonSong)

Started by Marakai Trin, December 25, 2016, 05:02:41 PM

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Marakai Trin

Deep in the Kilanthro Mountains, a small village is nestled amongst the crags. How survival here is capable, one could not know - nothing but hard packed earth and stone surrounds all, not a tree in sight.

This is Yuske, a village off mountaineers and true survivors, experts at living off the land. But one there is a cut above the rest, a true hunter, a trapper, a tracker. A true ranger of the wilderness.

Settled on a broad ledge overlooking Yuske is a small, one room cabin, a bare wisp of smoke curling from a cobblestone chimney. No windows or decorations adorn these walls - no view to the outside, but no means for anyone to pry, either. The oddest thing, however, may be a constant presence of snow, accompanied by a light but haunting melody.

When the tempo would increase, so would the wind, whirling fiercely about the cabin and causing snow to spiral about. When it would slow, the wind would stop. The snow would instead fall naturally, beautiful, glittering tiny crystals coming to rest on the earth.

What could be causing this phenomenon? The answer lies inside, a man sitting in a plain wooden chair at a bare table, before a flickering flame. Hair, black as pitch, falls over a slightly bowed, pale face. He holds to his lips a wooden flute, playing a melody reminiscent of a barren, frozen landscape, the varying tempo the wind, the sharp notes the shrieking of the breeze over stone. Eyes, oddly colored with two concentric rings of ice blue and violet, shine brightly in the flickering light.

He is broad but only of average height, a plain black tunic and long black pants his suited garb, a thick cloak of bears fur wrapped about his shoulders like a blanket, only his arms uncovered, fingers making their deft movements over tiny holes. His feet, just as pale as his face, are bare on the plain wooden floor despite the constant chill.

Outside, the melody continues, ringing clearly in the afternoon light.

DragonSong

Cold. So so cold. What in the name of God had possessed her to come so far into the mountains? Josephine hunched her shoulders against the wind as she trekked doggedly on through the snow, cursing her own stupidity silently.

It had made sense at the time. She needed to eat as far from large towns and cities as she could manage, and the mountains had seemed like a decent solution. And look where that had gotten her.

Beneath her, she could feel Bay shivering and hear his whimpers. Her heart broke and she paused to curl down around him a moment, nuzzling at him with a worried huff. The baby refused to take his human form, and he fought her so badly when she tried to carry the pup as a human herself that eventually she'd relented and taken her wolf shape.

But he couldn't take much more of this. Their canine shapes may have been better suited to the cold than soft-skinned humans, but Bay was still so young. He shouldn't be out in this cold at all, and it killed her that she'd done this to him. Whining softly, she grabbed her baby and lifted him by the scruff of his neck, ignoring his weak wiggles and tipping protests that he was too big for such treatment.

A sound reached them and her ears perked up. Was that...music? If it was, it was an instrument unlike anything she'd ever heard, as wild as the snowy landscape around them.

But definitely music. She listened a moment longer to confirm, then suddenly sprang into a run. Bay helped in surprise, curling his back legs up as the snow churned beneath her paws. Gradually, she made out the shape of the cottage.

Oh thank gods. She ran faster; one cottage, alone out here, meant shelter, but it also meant solitude. They could rest, regroup, and hopefully be off again before things could go wrong.

That is, if the owner would take pity on them.

Josie skidded to a halt just as she reached the cottage door and plopped Bay between her front paws. Her pup huddled back against her hind legs as she rwared up and planted her front paws in the door. She scratched desperately, then howled, the sound plaintive and desperate.

Marakai Trin

The very instant the man heard something scratching upon his door, the flute stopped it's haunting melody. Outside, the snow and the wind would cease entirely, and one might feel a small change in temperature.

Inside, however, was a different story. Having stood from his seat, he moved toward the door to pick up the longbow leaning upon it.

Some dog caught in the wild, no less, but it was best not to be caught unprepared.

Allowing the string to remain slack, the man made a small gesture with his other hand, and crystals of ice seemed to form from the very air itself, drawing together to form at first a vague shape, but then quickly solidifying to form what appeared to be a broad headed hunting arrow, crafted entirely of ice.

Making sure his sword was also close at hand, he opened the door, and, immediately upon seeing the canine creature just beyond it, drew that frozen arrow back, prepared to fire it into the creatures face.

He noted, too, the smaller pup, and prepared to do the inevitable act.

DragonSong

Josephine's eyes widened and she scrambled back, knocking Bay off his paws in her haste to put the pup behind her.

She'd been hoping perhaps they'd be mistaken for stray dogs, long shot as it might have been, and perhaps they'd be able to get through this without risking further detection.

In a flash of silvery fur and with a sharp cry of pain, her form shifted to human. Her hands flew up in an instinctive gesture as she huddled naked in the snow, desperately shoving Bay behind her. "W-wait, please!"

Marakai Trin

What... came the first thought, as the odd-eyed man witnessed this transformation from beast to human. The draw on his bowstring again lessened, and he released the arrow, allowing the icey projectile to disintegrate again into the air as it fell toward the floor.

He lowered his bow, the arrow now gone, and took a step back.

"...a lycanthrope? .....If you need shelter from the cold, you may come inside if you wish. Best not head to the village in your state of undress."

He had, of course, noticed her nakedness as stated - he was, of course, a man. But more importantly, she had to be freezing, and her pup, too.

He stepped back and opened the door fully, undoing the clasp on his bearskin cloak as he moved aside to allow her entrance. He held it out to her.

"Come. I've no clothes for you, but you can use this. There is a small fire you can warm yourselves by."

DragonSong

She nearly sobbed with relief. Staggering to her feet, Josie scooped Bay up and cradled him against her chest with one arm, feeling him shiver against her as she stumbled forward into the cottage.

"Thank you," she gasped, swaying on her feet. "Thank you, thank you." She only hesitated a moment before taking the offered cloak, wrapping it around both herself and Bayard. Holding her baby in one arm and clutching the cloak around them with the other, she simply stood there for a few moments as violent shivers wracked her frame.

"I-I- wh-wh-who are y-you?" Perhaps not the politest way to greet someone who had possible just saved their lives, but she was too cold and tired to come up with anything better.

Marakai Trin

The man stepped around her, shutting the door. He hung his longbow on its hook, and turned to her. He gently laid hands on her shoulders, steering her toward his chair in front of the fire.

It was obvious he didn't often speak, his eyes thoughtful as he remained silent until he was able to get her before the fire.

When he spoke, his voice came out softly, almost too quiet to hear.

"Gaelio. Just a hunter, nothing more. You?"

He pulled out another chair, and set it a few feet beside the first, and took a seat.

"And...why were you walking out in the cold?"

DragonSong

"Josephine." She cuddled Bay a little closer as she settled by the fire and looked up at him, eyes very tired. "We- I was..."

She shook her head and looked down at the pup when he whimpered and shoved his head up under her chin. "I thought the mountains would be safer," she whispered. "I...didn't realize. I thought we could find somewhere to stay..."

Bay whimpered again and suddenly wriggled, then shifted in her arms, taking his human shape. She quickly adjusted her hold on him and bent forward slightly, murmuring soothing nonsense as he fussed.

Marakai Trin

Gaelio looked at her for several long moments, the blue part of his eyes glowing slightly, several strands of jet black hair fallen over his pale face.

"Well...i suppose i could put you up for today and tonight. I don't have much to offer other than shelter, and I'll have to go hunting tonight for food for the three of us. And tomorrow, if I can get some extra, I may be able to trade for some clothing for you."

He glanced down at the young one, then, regarding him with a look. "So...your child, is he? What is his name? I'm not sure if I will be able to find something for him, as there's no children in the village."

DragonSong

Josie stared up at him in quiet shock for a moment. "...thank you," she murmured. "Truly. I- I have no coin, but I'll think of some way to repay you."

A very small smile twitched at her lips when Bay finally settled, eyes closing as he curled against her chest. "This is Bayard. Bay, usually. If- if you could find fabric, I could perhaps make something for him..."

Marakai Trin

Gaelio gave a small nod, and stood.

"I might have something here. You're welcome to look, if you want. Just leave my sword and bow alone...."

He then looked towards a large armour in the corner, and nodded towards an object sitting atop it - a small wooden chest, completely encased in clear ice. Underneath it, one could see an elaborate decoration, a blue diamond set inside several blue concentric circles - like an ice crystal inside a rippling pond.

"...and that. I don't mean to be rude....but if you touch that, you'll be out of here faster than I could put an arrow in you. No offense. Everything else, though...that's fine."

He bent down beside her, picking up the wooden flute he had discarded earlier, and sat down again in the chair. This time, the melody he played was low and quiet - and not accompanied by snow and ice. His eyes were closed, fingers slowly moving about the holes.

It almost sounded like a lullaby, slow and melodic, beautiful even.

DragonSong

"Of course." Josephine nodded quickly. "I'm far too grateful for your hospitality to test it," she murmured.

She might have moved to get up, but the music stopped her. It was lovely, and she found she just wanted to pause a moment and listen to it.

Of course, one moment blended into the next, then the next. Her exhaustion had set in and the idea of wen standing up seemed suddenly impossible. Almost against her will, her eyes slid closed and she leaned back in front of the fire.

Between one breath and the next, she found herself sprawled out in front of the fire, Bay curled into the curve of her body and sleeping peacefully. She kept her arm curled around him as her eyes drifted shut again.

She dropped quickly into sleep, unable to keep herself awake a moment longer.

Marakai Trin

Finally the music came to a stop, and Gaelio gave a small smile. He stood, setting his flute upon his seat, and moved toward the pair.

She was really pretty with that peaceful face. Sleep could do wonders for the weary. Very gently, he bent down and picked both her and her son, curled up against her, still wrapped in his cloak. As carefully as he could, he took the two to his bed, awkwardly drawing back a thick blanket and sheet with one hand, and lying them down upon a large down pillow.

Hoping she wouldn't take offense at uncovering her, he tried to roll her out of his cloak. He'd need it outside - if he were to hunt, he'd need some way to keep waem. Besides, the blankets were warmer, and they would need them more than he.

DragonSong

Normally Josephine slept lightly, and the slight jostling of being transferred to the bed would have woken her.

As it was, she barely stirred, just murmured quietly and shifted a bit in her sleep when he pulled his cloak back, instinctively curling into the warmth of the blankets as she cuddled Bay tighter against her chest.

The child seemed slightly more alert than his mother, blinking awake with a yawn and rubbing tiredly at his eyes. He stared up at Gaelio for a moment, mismatched eyes wide. For a moment he seemed to be about to cry, face squinching up as he wriggled against Josephine.

Then he suddenly settled again, giving another yawn as he rolled onto his side and curled up.

Marakai Trin

Gaelio looked worried for a moment when the child stirred, and even more so at his scrunched up face. Finally he was able to relax, letting out a pent up breath when the boy settled himself. That was close - literally the only experience he had with children was his own childhood. He didn't relish the idea of having to soothe him back to sleep, though he certainly would have tried - Josephine clearly needed the rest, and he was loath to wake her.

He wondered briefly about those eyes though, but shrugged it off. Most people thought the same about him - both of his eyes were clearly two very different colors. A band of blue, encircled with a second band of purple. THAT was something he'd never heard of.

As quietly as he could, Gaelio strapped his broadsword across his back, tying the leather straps together over his chest. The hilt peaked over his left shoulder. He then grabbed his bow, putting his arm between the beam and the string to hang opposite his sword.

The hunter thus armed, he swept his cloak about his shoulders, tossed as much would as would fit upon the fire, and stepped outside. He made sure to close the door as much as possible, and walked out into the crags.

_______

Over an hour later, the hunter found himself at the foot of the mountains, just at the start of the trees. He was crouched in the brush, listening for the telltale sounds of an elk.

He'd been tracking the beast over some distance, following sign in the form of tracks, gouged bark, and dislodged stones. At last, he'd found it - a large stag, serenely picking at the beginnings of fresh grass that had managed to push it's way up between the stones.

Gaelio brought his bow to hand, and began to draw the string back. Three seconds later, he had a perfect arrow formed of ice, aimed at the beasts heart.

With a twang of string and a grunt of pain, it stumbled forward a few paces, and fell dead to the ground. Perfect kill, at nearly fifty yards - an impressive feat for any hunter. Bounding forward, he set to the dirtier work of skinning and packing the meat in the beasts own hide, and began the trek back up the mountain. On his way, he thought about Josephine and Bay, wondering what needs they would have, and why they were seeking safety. Also, wondering about a more permanent settling for them...even for one typically as anti-social as him, life as it was could be lonely.

Toying with that thought, he pulled his load steadily onward as night began to fall, and the cold began to set in.p

DragonSong

Eventually, Bay's fussing brought Josephine back to consciousness. She blinked and groaned, sitting up quickly when she realized that specific cry- he was hungry.

"Oh, alright, sweetling, alright." She shifted the child onto her lap and rocked him absently, looking around.

Vaguely, she realized she was naked and assumed their host must have retrieved his cloak for his own use. he was probably out then; she certainly didn't see him in the cottage. She bit her lip, debating the merits of looking for food.

A sharp wail from Bay made up her mind and she stood, settling him on the bed. "Sit still, alright? I'll get something to eat, just stay here."

Bay shook his head, pouting, and reached for her as she tried to wrap him up in the blanket. "Mama," he complained. At least he wasn't crying.

"I know, I know. I'm not going anywhere, alright? I'm just going to look for some food." She knelt next to the bed and ruffled his hair, leaning forward to kiss his forehead.

Marakai Trin

It was at that time that the door crashed open, allowing a cold gust of wind and an abominable snowman to enter. The snowman was dragging behind him a wrapped..... something.

And then he shut the door, and dropped the snow covered cloak on the floor, revealing Gaelio. Despite being covered head to toe in snow, he appeared as if it wasn't bothering him at all.

Glancing about the room, he was startled to see Josephine knelt over the bed, and quickly averted his eyes, trying his very best not to stare.

"Um... I got some food...sorry about taking the cloak from you, I er...needed it."

DragonSong

"Ack!"

Jo jumped to her feet and skittered backward into a defensive stance, hands starting to raise. Then she realized who the "intruder" was and forced herself to relax, blushing.

Well, that was a but of an overreaction.

"Oh no, don't apologize," she muttered quickly. For a moment she couldn't understand why he seemed to be trying not to even look in her direction.

Then she remembered, and her face went red. "Ah- sorry." Quickly, she grabbed for the sheet and wrapped it around herself.

Bay had crawled to the edge of the bed, hunger evidently momentarily forgotten as he stared at Gaelio with wide eyes. Suddenly, he held his arms out. "Up. Up."

Oh dear. Josephine bustled forward to take him. "Sorry. He probably smells the deer on you."

Marakai Trin

Gaelio was glad he'd kept his eyes averted when she'd jumped backward. He may not get many chances to see beautiful naked women, but he also knew how to respect people, despite rarely interacting with them.

"You're fine...but we'll have to do something about your clothing situation if we can. I've only got the one set for my bed, and the one cloak as well."

When Bay seemed as if he wanted picked up, he stepped backward a bit, rather relieved when Josephine came forward to take him instead.

"... he's fine, too. I just...don't know anything about kids. Not to mention I'm covered in snow..."

He dragged the bundle of meat and hide over toward the fire, using its light to see so he could work.

"...are you hungry now, or would you rather wait for morning? I was able to get enough for all of us."

Hearing his own tone, he winced - he'd definitely need to work on this whole talking thing if they were-

Oh, yeah.

"I was also wondering...if you have nowhere to go...you two could stay as long as you like. It's cold, but I can hunt and keep a fire going...and you two don't need to be wandering around the mountains this time of year."

DragonSong

"Oh, thank you." She beamed and nodded quickly. "I'm starving, actually." She hadn't eaten in a day and a half, only really able to hunt enough for Bay as they'd trekked into the mountains.

Recognizing that food was in the future, Bay beamed and wriggled around in his mother's hold, trying to get to the ground. She huffed and suddenly found herself holding a squirming wolf pup. "Oh- Bay!" She frowned. She really needed to figure out how she could help him control his shifts...

She was distracted enough that it took a moment for her to register what Gaelio had offered. She froze, blinking at him.

"We- we can...stay?"

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