[Flashback, Wasteland] Warm Company (Solo)

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:25 pm

511 Spring, 36

OOC

Secret :

Setup

They hit the snow line three days prior, and each morning since awoke, shocked to find his body even colder than the morning preceding. Being Denvali, he was no stranger to the chill of the white rain, but never had he felt a cold that permeated his body so thoroughly. He couldn't warm up no matter how many layers he added, or how deeply he snuggled in his covers at night. This fight against the cold was always there, near the forefront of his mind, no matter what other challenges arose.

His guides, both Ventha, would be less than sympathetic to his plight. Or so he thought. As a result he fought the shivers quietly to himself for the first week of travel, saying nothing of his discomfort. All the while watching his Ventha companions with admiration. Waring their light leathers through the snow, and occasionally commented on the warm weather whenever the temperature rose above freezing, he felt childish in complaining.

His guides were married, and ran trips regularly between The Spires and Avanthal. He was lucky to catch them only a day before they departed for Avanthal, scheduled to take a small caravan consisting of only a single wagon northward. His fair was haggled down to only twenty gold rimmed mizans, which he felt was a good price, and after trading in his cooler clothing for suitable travel clothes they were on their way.

It took just shy of a week when the first tragedy struck. The wagon collided with an unforgiving boulder, and slid across the snow, injuring a horse, and spilling much of the wagon's content across the path. At the time he thought his journey had come to a premature end, but after some negotiation the caravaners took it as a sign to turn back to The Spires, accepting the loss. His guides were kind enough to offer him continued passage to Avanthal, with promise of a quicker route. Graciously he accepted, cutting their travel party down to three.

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:29 pm

Warm Company. Part 1.

He enjoyed the silence, most the time, staring into the embers of the small fires they made, willing them to grow warmer. He couldn't understand why his companions made the fires so petite. He didn't want to insult them by asking, of course.

This day, however, there was just too much silence. Early that morning Maevon, the gorgeous wife of Yurkiv the male guide, had announced while waking to the morning sun, which Oluse had still not grown accustomed to. "Today you get a day off, we have a long climb ahead of us tomorrow, and it's best you're rested. We can pick up the pace once your body learns to handle the tundra better." Her voice seemed to spill into the fresh air with a frosty crispness of it's own. Her thick Vani accent lending the words a majestic weight that hung heavy in his ears, long after she spoke. Authoritative, yet charming. Oluse wished she'd speak more often, if nothing else to improve his understanding of Vani.

She, and her husband soon after went out to do whatever they did in this vacant wasteland, leaving him at the camp to tend the fire, if you could even call it that. Rings later, the sun reaching well into mid-morning Maevon returned, with no explanation of where she had gone, or what she had done. And Oluse didn't ask.

Awkwardly he looked up at her, she gave in return a kind smile. "How are you enjoying your day off?" She asked, a gentle almost kidding tone to her voice.

The question made him feel guilty, he was cold and miserable, but he still wished he knew how to help the two. "It's um..." He looks around at the intimidating rock face to his north, and the rolling hills of white to the south. "Sunny." Sure enough, there was scarcely a cloud to be seen in any direction, something he didn't know to savour while it lasted.

She nodded, with a wide entertained smile. "Yes. Very perceptive," she fought a slight laugh,"But, that hardly tells me how you are doing."

She thought he was young, naive and cute. Oddly this didn't bother him as much as it usually would. She was an attractive women, kind gentle, and just a little motherly. A blush did find his cheeks, only managing to darken their already pink from the cold hue. "Oh I'm good." The last word of the sentence betraying his lie, with a quick click of teeth against teeth. He shook briefly trying to regain his composure against the cold, but it was too late.

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:31 pm

Her face dynamically shifted to a motherly concerned, onto an amused smile. "You're cold already." He wasn't aware of how much colder the wasteland would be getting before they reached Avanthal, and as so didn't understand her exact meaning. In his mind, days trekking through snow was plenty of time to get cold.

Crunching of snow under her feet, she moved over to him, looking down upon his form, and the small perch he had attempted to fashion out of snow. It was truly pathetic, having crumbled apart several times since day break, it's structural integrity and aesthetic beauty struck nowhere near the epic proportions Oluse has indeed when undertaking the project of fashioning himself a throne from snow. But, it gave him something to rest on, and that was enough for the boy.

Oluse felt nervous as she looked him and his "throne" up and down. Not nearly as nervous as he looked when she spoke again. "All you need is to get your blood going. Stand up, the embers can handle themselves. I need your help with something."

He worried, the cold flaring up the more pacifistic (lazy) side of him, which did not take kindly to this idea of getting up. To add to his worry he had a slight flare of anger. What does she mean the embers can take care of themselves? He had been carefully moderating them for hours now! He couldn't believe she had lied to him about having to tend to the fire! At least she needed him for something now, that made him feel better.

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:34 pm

He stood up, faced her with what was intended to be a smile, though resembled more a grimace against the snow, along with his squinting against the sun. "What do you need help with?"

"Good to see you're eager to help." She replied with a smile,"Traps. I set some up last night. We should go check if we got any lunch." Her tone seemed to imply this would be fun... and foolish or not it got him a little excited.

"Ok!" He said giving a more intense grimace.

Shaking her head slightly under her hood she lead him off.

Oluse was more than a little impressed with the traps. They were almost impossible to spot, being partly concealed by snow, and constructed of thread thin enough to work for fishing. He couldn't believe she remembered where she had left them.

He watched carefully as she undid the first two, not understanding how they worked. "Why are you picking them up? There's nothing in them." He inquired.

She answered quickly, in a relaxed voice. Very patient with the question, without a hint of condescension. "After coming through here twice the animals wont come near the trap. All the animals are pretty wary of people out here. It's best that way, really. If they avoid us, and we avoid them, then neither get hurt. If you see any animals out here leave them alone."

"Except the ones that get caught in your traps." He kidded with a grin in response to her statement, somewhat dismissing the caution. She smiled, but Oluse missed it, concerned he might have offended her he moved on to a new question. "So, how these work?"

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:38 pm

For the next two traps she was careful to explain them as she took them down. "You tie this end down to something sturdy, and loops this end, suspending it up with some twigs or snow. Like this." She untied the knot, and retied it for him to see. He couldn't believe her patience with his questions, or that she could tie knots with gloves on! "There is a version that ties this end here to a tree branch. Notch a near by plant, and fit another notched piece into it, then..." She looks over at him, his eyes glazing over in confusion. "I'll show you later." She then stood, and headed toward another trap.

His head was starting to hurt, and he wasn't feeling any warmer. He was quickly developing a negative option of cold, however. Not wanting to disengage the conversation yet he asked a final question,"Why don't you use that kind of trap here?"

Again she responded in her professional and concise voice,"The snow falls from the branches at the slightest wind, and triggers the trap before an animal has time to find it."

"Oh," He spent the rest of the walk trying to picture it in his mind, but having not built one himself it proved impossible. He always was a kinisthetic learner.

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:40 pm

Returning to camp near noon, empty handed he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He knew he didn't set the traps, but he still would have felt a little proud if they had caught something.

His wish, in part, would come true. Waiting for them at camp Yurvik had his own catch to report. A young deer, more than enough food for the three of them. He seemed pretty proud of it though. Without having to be asked Maevon took on the duty of retrieving the deer, from surprisingly close to the camp, and when invited to help Oluse accepted, having enjoyed the earlier stroll.

The deer, however, proved to be a much more daunting task than checking the empty traps. Weighing only a little less than himself, bringing it back to the camp was definitely enough to get his blood pumping! Though, he still felt a chill to his bone he just could not shake. He had to admit he didn't put much stalk in this blood flowing raising your temperature theory of Maevon's.

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:43 pm

Standing over the deer Maevon gave a pleased smile to the slain beast. "You're beautiful aren't you? Yes, we are lucky to have you. Thank you."

The chatter made Oluse uneasy. Talking to the dead, person or animal, was just wrong. But, he didn't let it ruin his mood. He found her particular tendencies intriguing. He liked seeing what she was going to do next, she and her husband both seemed random to him. Not in the least Denvali.

Crouching down in the blood tinged snow she unsheathed her hunting dagger. As she worked she spills forth a long monologue about her endeavors. "This was a perfect shot here in the neck. We will cut out these parts, the bruising of the meat will have made it foul. If we are careful we can retrieve the arrow too. Then we'll skin it, and cut out the scavenger food."

"Scavenger food?" He inquired.

"Anything we can't eat or use goes to the wildlife, trust me they already know of the kill, and are waiting eagerly for us to leave some." She nodded her head slightly to the sky, where large black birds circled, periodically landing in near by trees.

He soaked in the information hungrily. He had no inhibitions about seeing flesh rended or blood being spilled, something he had grown accustomed to at home. If anything, seeing an animal on the inside was fascinating to him, he wondered if humans looked the same. And, when offered the knife he took off his gloves and did the best he could.

The skinning was difficult for him, though good practice in having a steady hand for medicine work. Strongly cautioned against cutting too deep, for fear the meat being spoiled by the taste of fur, he erred too often on the side of caution, nearly cutting himself several times at the knife abscessed the skin outward. He much preferred removing the entrails and organs. He asked what they were called, but Maevon only knew a few.

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:45 pm

The sun beginning it's decent toward the rock face, some time had passed before the small deer was ready for preparation. Oluse was excited, he had never skinned a deer before, but he had cooked venison many times in the past! Cracking his knuckles, holding them out a moment to the warm fire he told Maevon and Yurvik he would cook. They happily agreed.

The warm fire made a great substitute for the warm blood he had been working in prior. At least his hands had been somewhat warm during the day. Nimbly they worked to hack the meat apart into smaller peaces, using some of the herbs he brought from The Spires he began a simple meat heavy stew. He wanted a heavy taste, something bold and spicy, anything to warm his belly in the cold!

Maevon inspired yet another heavy blush across the boy's chilled features as she commented on the smell of his cooking. "You have to teach Yurvik to make food that smells like that. It would be a welcome change from the bland dried rations we usually cook."

With a smile Yurkic replied in his own defense,"We already have our little slave here to cook for us, I say we just keep him."

It was the first time Oluse had heard any praise from Yurvik, and in that moment decided he would cook for the two every chance he got between there and Avanthal.

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:48 pm

It wasn't till after the sun was nearly set, resting on the edge of twilight that the food finally began to hit the three.

Maevon whispered something softly in Yurvik's ear to which he replied out loud,"You'll change your tune tonight when you have to sleep in the same tent as me."

Playfully she struck him, and with a tone wavering on the cusp of a laughter said,"If you think so I'll just have to sleep with Oluse tonight!" They all laughed, though it was a nervous laugh for shy Oluse, as he pulled his blanket from his pack and wrapped it around himself.

Maevon kindly cocked her head slightly to the side, a gentle expression crossing her face,"Have you still not warmed up at all, Oluse?"

"I'm um... a little warmer." He tried to lie again, in vein.

"Ok, I have one more great method for warming up!" An excited smile crosses her face, that same expression that kept getting Oluse excited to all of her ideas.

"Oh here she goes." Yurvik joked.

by **Oluse** on January 3rd, 2012, 10:58 pm

"Shush you." Maevon exclaimed as she stood up, and walked around the fire to Oluse. "Up, take that blanket off." Her voice playful, yet still holding that authoritative quality that made Oluse obey without question, dropping his blanket to the side, and rising. "Good." She continued, in more of an instructive tone, much like when she was explaining the traps, and how to skin the deer. "Now stand like this." Her form effortlessly took a strong, yet elegant stance.

Oluses brow knitted neatly together in question, but he obediently followed the command, taking the pose opposite her, a little confused if he was mirroring her or the opposite. With a smile she reached over with her leg, pushing against his own and guiding it into a better position, then reaching out with her arms and moving those as well.

"Good so you will always start in this stance."

He couldn't take the confusion any more, he had to ask,"Are you teaching me some kind of martial technique?"

Both Yurvik and Maevon laughed. "Oh dear, no." Maevon responded with a light trilling laugh. "This is traditional Vantha dance!"

Oluse's expression showed in pure transparency his shock... his wilderness guide what teaching him dance?! He felt as if the universe was playing tricks on him. He looked to Yurvik, trying to read if it was a joke. He was laughing, but he felt that Maevon was probably telling the absolute truth.

"I had aspirations of being a dance instructor when I was young. It's not often I get to practice my art in the wasteland."

Oluse just blinked at her. He had nothing to say at first. Then after a long moment asked,"So whats the next step?"

With a joyous grin Maevon continued the lesson. They both bobbed and weaved, Maevon with considerable more grace. Neither for a moment risking unbalance in the slippery snow, due to the sturdy Vantha style.

He couldn't place what it for sure, the good food in his belly, the dancing, or maybe just the sound of Maevon and Yurvik's chuckles across the popping fire but, for the first time in days he felt warm. Warm all the way to his core.