Male bonding time

[Anonymous]

This was going to be fun! Leon liked getting to scout, it meant getting to camp out in the woods, get away for a few days and he was taking along some new kid, Faolán. The kid seemed nice enough and Leon knew what it was like being young and pretty among a bunch of rough soldiers.

"So yeah! The woods are awesome! Have you been in them much? I never really did until I joined the army. I grew up in fields and stuff, ya know? Not many trees. But, see, magic beasts and stuff? They like to hide in these woods. I heard there was a witch here, see. And like...she will lay with beasts and then birth those twisted, Godforsaken horrors."

Leon nodded, strolling through the woods, enjoying the sound of his own voice, "I believe it too. And I heard from my brothers wife's sisters husband's blacksmith that in the next town over from him, there is a girl there with horns. And dragons feet and scales. Where else would a monster like that come from, right?"

[Rhindeer]

Faolán gaped at Leon. "Really? And they...do that? With animals?" He made a face, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "So...that girl came from a witch laying with a dragon? How is that even...?"

He trailed off, deciding he didn't want to know. Sure, he'd heard the jokes about farmers getting friendly with their sheep, but the idea that it really happened and that it produced such monsters?

"That's sick. So, hey, d'ya think we're gonna see any? Monsters, I mean? You seen any?" he asked without missing a beat, drawing closer. Not because he was scared, of course. Not him. Just, y'know, so he could better hear the older soldier. "I mean, I've never seen any myself, but I've heard stories, and a few years ago, when my brothers and I went hunting in the ones by my house, we heard some awful sounds. Like nothing no animal I've ever heard makes. Scared the daylights outta us, it did."

He paused, then frowned and added, "Not that it would now. I mean, I was just a kid then." Never mind that he was only sixteen now.

[Anonymous]

"That? Haha kid! Sex. Man, to be young again!" Leon laughed, reaching his arm out to tug the kid close, ruffling his pale hair. He left his arm around him as they walked, enjoying the nice weather, "And yeah, I mean, where else would these things come from? Unholy unions. Witches and magic uses with beasts and demons and stuff. I hear that is what it's like in other nations, where magic runs wild." Leon shuddered. Stories of Serendipity and Adela and others like them were told around campfires and they were rather disgusting.

"We'll probably find some monsters. That is what we're here for, ya know? But we just have to take note and report back. Scouting and such."

[Rhindeer]

Faolán felt his cheeks heat as he was teased, but soon enough Leon had distracted the thought away. He ducked his head when Leon ruffled his hair, making a laughing sound of protest, but he didn't shove him off. Try as he might to be brave, it really was his first time in a monster-infested forest and all this talk of witches and demons and magic-spawned beasts...well, it would make anyone nervous, wouldn't it? He made a face.

"How can people live like that?" He sure couldn't wrap his mind around living in a world where a demon might be your neighbor! A shudder ran through him. "They must have all gone mad."

But nerve-wracking as being out here was--for Faolán never had gone more than a few feet into the woods by his home before those freakish sounds drove him back out--it was also kind of exciting! And it would be his first time camping, too. A weird mix of nervous energy and genuine excitement coursed through him as he looked around, keeping his eyes peeled for signs of any weird creatures. He both hoped they'd see one, and hoped they wouldn't. His curiosity longed for the sight of one, while common sense yelled that that was insane.

"So where we going, exactly?" he asked, peering up at Leon. "We looking for anything in particular?"

[Anonymous]

"Naw, just get ta wander around the forest and stuff. Pretty easy job really, and nice when ya get a good partner. Beats sittin' around camp in someways." Leon wasn't all that worried, he had been doing it for years and was good at spotting the signs of the monster.

"Relax! I'm an old pro at this! Nothin' will happen to ya with ol' Leon around, ya here?"

[Rhindeer]

"Loud and clear, sir!" Faolán answered, relaxing against the other man as they went along, not minding his arm looped around his shoulders. He liked this guy; he was friendly, easy to talk to, and didn't intimidate him like some of the others. Not that he wasn't intimidating!

"So it's really just a big ol' camping trip disguised as official business? Not a bad deal. Hey, have ya fought any monsters before? Or seen any witches? What were they like? There was talk there was one in the village over from mine that ate babies. Or bathed in their blood. One of those! Do they really do that?"

[Anonymous]

"Ya got it son!" Leon grinned, squeezing Faolán against his side, "We'll have a blast. And man, I have seen some monsters. Killed some too. And witches." He didn't like the witch burnings much, they made him a little uncomfortable. But then, witches made him uncomfortable.

"Depends on the witch. But they are all pretty foul. And the monsters can be pretty damn awful. Best prepare for that kid. Slavering beasts, tentacles, spikes, rotted flesh, all kinds of nightmares made flesh."

It was always fun to scare the new recruits a little. Plus, there were awful things spawned by magic in the woods, best get the kid prepared for that.

[Rhindeer]

Leon's description conjured all sorts of nightmarish images in Faolán's mind and he swallowed hard and started to grab onto Leon's shirt before he realized that wouldn't be very...brave or manly. He let his hand fall away. Okay, so maybe he wasn't so excited about this whole catching a glimpse of a monster thing. The idea of seeing one was kind of neat, morbid curiosity and all, but his description of them was far beyond what he'd been picturing.

"So what happens if one--"

It was at that moment that a rabbit was startled out of a nearby bush and went bolting in front of their path. Before he could help it, Faolán jolted and let out a sharp gasp, and grabbed a fistful of Leon's shirt. It took a second or two for his eyes to catch up with his brain, for him to register the flash of the rabbit's white tail as it bounded to safety.

Eyes wide and body pressed up against Leon's, Faolán let out a long breath which turned into a shaky laugh halfway. "Hehe, wow. That was exciting!"

[Anonymous]

Whoa! Leon jerked back when the rabbit darted out, a little surprised when the rabbit suddenly appeared. And was even more surprised when the kid cling to him, gripping his shirt. It was kind of nice, getting to be all big and manly. Leon always enjoyed the rare times it got to happen.

"Aw, relax kid. I'm here, remember? We're not gonna just trip and stumble inta some monster. And, by the way, that was just a rabbit. Not gonna hurt ya none."

[Rhindeer]

Faolán felt his face heat up with embarrassment, abruptly realizing he was clinging onto the other soldier over a rabbit. Yeah, he must look just so brave right now, sheesh! Clearing his throat, he let go of Leon, stepped away from him, and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt at nonchalance.

"Er...yeah. Heh, I knew it was just a rabbit! Just, uh, testing your reflexes and whatnot, sir!" he said with a sheepish grin. "And lookit that. You've got great reflexes! So yep, totally safe with ya."

Yikes. So maybe those monster stories had affected him more than he realized.

[Anonymous]

Damn. The younger boy pulled away and Leon's fleeting moment on manly protector went with him. It had been nice being clung to for protection. His pretty face and laid back, somewhat slow nature made Leon a little bit of a joke among the other soldiers, so getting to show off for the young recruits was nice.

"Riiiight. Sure, sure. Rabbit. Though, in spelled woods, ya gotta be careful. Who knows if a rabbit is just a rabbit."

[Rhindeer]

That made Faolán freeze, eyes going wide as he considered the implications of those words. His eyes wandered, moving over to the place where the rabbit had disappeared into the bush. "You mean like..." He swallowed audibly. "Witches and stuff? Hiding as forest creatures?"

Then another thought struck him and he stared back at Leon. "These woods are spelled?"

[Anonymous]

"Or it could be a familiar or something the witch was hiding as a rabbit. Oooor." Leon struggled to keep a straight face. Teasing Faolán was so much fun. The kid ate it all up, "It might be some poor solider, that got on the wrong side of a witch and got himself turned into a forest creature!"

Faolán's question had Leon nodded, "Oh, aye. They are home to some very dark witches I heard. That's why we're here. To make sure none of them are making an mischief."

[Rhindeer]

Faolán gave an audible gulp, eyes widening and skin paling. Could witches really do that? He'd heard they could, but before it had always been something that happened to other people over there. To be in an actual spelled wood where animals might be actual people, victims of some malicious witch...

Needless to say, Faolán found himself pressing closer to the older man again.

"We're not gonna, uh...hunt here, are we?"

[Anonymous]

"Only if we need too. I know some tricks, don't you worry." Leon flashed Faolán another smile, "Just make sure ya stick with me kid. I'm an old hand at these things. I've taken on a few witches in my time."

[Rhindeer]

Faolán gave a little frown. He was more worried about the whole eating animals who might really be people thing, but...it felt silly to voice that. And he needed to regain some points, here, too! They enter this wood and he turns into a gaping ninny, seriously! But then again, who wouldn't be nervous wandering within spelled woods?

"Really?" Curiously, he peered up at Leon, then gave a small laugh. "You say that like it was nothing!"

[Anonymous]

"Well, they're tricky alright, but when you're as skilled as I am, well, ya learn how to handle them." Leon basked in the kids awe. He almost never got to brag like this and it was awesome. "Stick with me and soon you'll be able to take them on with no problem."

Though he didn't want to hog all the spot light. Save some stories for later, "Enough about witches though. Where ya from?"

[Rhindeer]

"Huh? Oh, just a small village down south of Uthlyn," Faolán answered with a wave of his hand. This new subject was boring compared to all this exciting-but-creepy witch talk, which was partially exciting because it was so taboo--yet it was also kind of a relief, too. He knew he was getting a little too scared when he was jumping at rabbits.

"Kinda out in the middle of nowhere, not really known for much 'cept we've had a number of Mordecai come from us. We got good blood, I guess, lotsa old families. Oh! And I think we've got haunted woods, like I said."

Peering up at Leon, he gave him a curious look. "What about you?"

[Anonymous]

"I'm from a fortress city, one of the ones in Matron's Hallow. I've never been to Uthlyn. You get to go there? I bet it's really fancy." Leon always liked to trade stories about where people had been. He had always wanted to travel. He was actually thinking about wintering with Alexander this year. He had never actually visited his friends village yet and it had been a while since they talked.

"So I hear ya got a girl back home! What's she like?"

[Rhindeer]

Faolán laughed. "Everyone always asks me that. But nope, never been to Uthlyn, though I hope to see it sometime! Oh, well, okay, so technically I was there once, but I was just a babe then so I don't remember it none."

The girl question, however, made Faolán pause, color rising to his cheeks. "Oh, ya heard, huh? Heh, yeah, well..." He rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. "She's a sweetheart. Known her since we were kids, y'know? She's really pretty, funny, a great cook...I'm gonna marry her one day."

Then he paused and gave Leon a worried look. "Er...just...no one tell her I've flirted. I mean, that was just harmless and stuff."