Completed When Guiding Fools, Part 1

[Juniper Frost]

: : : 22nd Day of Spring, 514 AV : : :

.

Winter's melt was coming in force as the season of spring fell into swing. The snows, never too cold or common in Lhavitian winters as it was, melted quickly under the preserved heat of the skyglass city. The powdered clouds of winter made way for darker rain clouds, while warmer mountain mists washed away the mountains of yesteryear to make room for the those of a new year.

This day was no different than the overall season, with heavy rains pouring across Lhavit and giving no sign of letting up. The wind was there with the rain, but muted to a half-heard whisper under the dull chill of the cold downpour. Juniper sat with Regor inside her spartan cottage, enjoying the comforting warmth provided by the hearth's fire. Despite its warmth they were none the less swathed in thick clothing to deter any renegade cold from seeping into their bones. They had been conversing in a meandering fashion throughout the morning, the topics eliciting either laughter or strong debate or some mix of both. It had been near an hour since either spoke and they now enjoyed a leisurely and comfortable quiet, both staring out the windows at the aqueous onslaught. Regor was first to break the silence by clearing his throat.

"Hum... Juniper, I have a favour to ask of you." His voice was laced with opportunity as he continued. "There is a man in my circle of acquaintances who has gotten it into his head that he wants to be an adventuring hero. This man, Salam Sae Silth by name, feels that there are greater wonders in Mizahar than can be found in Lhavit. On this alone his logic is not flawed. An issue arises however..." Regor trailed off, waving about a hand in search of phrasing.

"The issue being that he is a city-grown Autava," Juniper offered to Regor's knowing smile, "and not wise in the ways of the wild." Juniper asserted, and Regor bobbed his balding head in agreement. Smiling warmly, Juniper asked, "What would you have me do, Regor?"

"Well," Regor started, considering whether or not to lather on flattery for effect and decided against it when he saw Juniper's knowing gaze, "you know these rocks better than some of the Okomo and wild mountain goats." Regor spoke truthfully, with no hint of flattery. " I would have you guide this fool on his fool's errand, lest he maim himself or bruise his knobby knees whilst begging for his fool's life."

Juniper laughed openly and pleasantly, as she often did with Regor, and stayed her outburst long enough to accept the offer. She did know the region around Lhavit within a distance of seven days, though she wasn't sure she could contend to the familiarity of the rugged Okomo.

-- -- --

Salam Sae Silth was an older man, but not overly so. He was not tall, not short. His hair was greying, but still retained some dull sheen of an older colour that Juniper could not pin as either brown or sandy or blonde. Salam was portly, yet showed signs of having some muscle in his limbs. His skin was weathered and looked just short of being leather. He also sported the largest and bushiest eyebrows Juniper had ever seen in her short life. Juniper's first impression was that Salam Sae Silth was likely a hardened man, but had a softer heart and a caring grandfatherly attitude. First impressions are never correct.

Salam Sae Silth said nothing beyond a brisk greeting when they met, instead deciding that time was of great import and rushed them down to and out the Amaranthine Gate. Juniper did not disagree with this approach, as they were both apparently packed and prepared, and led the older man out into the wilderness of the cold spring mountains. It would take three days to reach the meeting point by the appointed landmark designated by Silth, maybe more if they were not so lucky. The death of winter was fitful, and often the snow would storm well into early spring. This made traversing mountains more than fitful; this made mountaineering dangerous and potentially fatal.

At the end of their first day, the duo found a mutual discomfort in the presence of each other. Salam Sae Silth found Juniper to be an upstart youth who thought she knew more than Salam Sae Silth thought she should, and never failed to scoff and snort at her when she made suggestions or counselled him on their path. Juniper found Salam Sae Silth to be the most ignorant and self absorbed Autava she had ever had the displeasure of meeting, yet she would not renege on her deal to lead him to his meeting with the caravan. It didn't hurt that Salam had given her half payment before they left Lhavit. So it was, at the end of the first day, that Juniper and Salam Sae Silth sat around a feeble fire in a shallow cave, shivering under cold winter winds and feeling all sorts of unhappy as they silently chewed on cold rations.

.

[Juniper Frost]

: : : Juniper Frost : : :

23rd Day of Spring, 514 AV

Crisp snow layered the rugged mountains in a white sheet, but had stopped falling from the grey sky during the night. At the explicit demand of Salam Sae Silth, they broke camp quickly that morning and were trudging through the snows once more with Juniper leading the way. It wasn't hard for Salam Sae Silth to follow where Juniper went, the snows were almost knee high and he was able to move through the trail she left for him when she scouted ahead. This did not stop Salam from griping at every opportunity when he would snag on a hidden jut of stone, or bemoan the paths that Juniper laid out as being safe to travel. Juniper carried on throughout the day in stoic fashion, inwardly worrying about the possibility of metaphorical death from how much salt she'd been taking with Silth's tirade.

-- -- --

Warmth washed over their cold faces as the sun broke through grey clouds. It gave them a reprieve in their trudging trek, and they both turned to face the warmth of the spring sun while it lasted. Based on the sun's position, Juniper decided a quick break was warranted and dropped her backpack. Salam Sae Silth grunted his displeasure at having to stop, but he was rummaging through his rucksack for a bite to eat just the same.

Leaning against a slice of mountain wall so dark it could have been black when compared to the snow around it, Juniper gnawed on half frozen jerky and surveyed the landscape. She noted at least five potential paths, three last resort trails, and subconsciously noted over fifty potential hazards - not least of which was the snow. Snow covered the ground as far as she could see. Trekking the mountains was dangerous enough, but trying to navigate it when every hole and rock slide field was obscured by snow was near suicidal. To their good graces, Juniper knew how to spot the signs of danger in the mountain snow and could traverse around them. She chewed on the cold jerky absentmindedly, ignoring Salam Sae Silth as he groused over snow in his boots and the condition of his rations.

"Girl." Salam spat out. Juniper remained blissfully unaware.

"Girl!" Salam called out again, with more insistence. Juniper paused in chewing her food, and slowly turned her head to look at Silth. Her gaze made Salam Sae Silth immediately and intensely uncomfortable; days later he would attribute it to the dead look behind her blank eyes. He cleared his throat with a small cough, gathering himself.

"How is it a young slip of a girl like you knows these mountains so well?" He queried with no lack of disbelief. "I would expect a seasoned hunter or mercenary to know these lands," Salam twisted his face into a sneer, "but I would never expect that you would know anything beyond the fancy walls of some court or dance hall."

Juniper blinked once, her face an impassive mask.

"Well?" Salam demanded. Juniper reached up and scratched at a piece of jerky stuck in her upper canine, truly the image of a lady who was not at all ladylike.

"We should get moving," Juniper remarked, ignoring his question, "dark still comes early in spring and the mountains will be worse still when we can't see."

Seeing Salam roll his eyes, Juniper added, "As well, there are hungry wolves nearby."

Salam Saw Silth choked back a yelp, opting to swallow it down in a gulp. Juniper smiled, having made him uncomfortable. Neither knew that Juniper's claim held more truth than she let on.

[Juniper Frost]

: : : Juniper Frost : : :

23rd & 24th Day of Spring, 514 AV

Groaning loudly enough to be heard over the heavy wind, Juniper caught herself toying with the idea of leaving Silth to face the elements and die. Shocked by herself, Juniper stopped midstride and turned to face Salam Sae Silth. The Autava was wallowing feebly in a large snowdrift, apparently having left the path cut by Juniper and straying into a rockfield. Juniper sighed inwardly, and pushed back through the storm toward Silth. The weather was cold and windy, but it would get worse soon if they didn't hurry to the safety of a sheltering cave not too far off.

-- -- --

Fitful and full of spite for existing in such cold, their campfire was mostly brush, twigs, and warming stones. Salam Sae Silth huddled around the meagre warmth of the fire that Juniper was steadily feeding with her half frozen fingers.

"It will be warmer soon," Juniper remarked more to herself than to Salam, "and this cave in a bit deeper into the mountain so the warmth will stay longer." She finished by laying a larger stick of wood into the hungry flames.

"Spit on your cave," Salam Sae Silth muttered under his breath, not really caring if Juniper heard or not. He was too busy shaking with cold to care. A long time passed before either of them spoke again.

"Regor is an old fool for entrusting my life and task in the hands of a girl," Salam spoke, emphasizing the last word with as much venom as he could muster. Juniper stood immediately, towering over the huddled old man with her eyes sharp and dangerous with sudden life.

"Curse me all you wish, Salam, but speak of Regor as such again," she paused, letting the silence strengthen her implication, "you will find your way through this storm alone."

Salam Sae Silth stared dumbly at Juniper, never really expecting her to lay threats at his feet. He did not speak another word that night.

-- -- --

Wind whipped snows about in great clouds on distant cairns, and Juniper made sure to thrice thank the moon and Leth for sending the storm away. The upper clouds seemed frail and wispy, a sign that the spring was bringing heat to the lands. This was both good and bad news for Juniper and Salam. The good news, they wouldn't be as cold as they progressed. The bad news, the snow would be melting and made their trek through the mountains all the more dangerous.

Juniper smirked at the thought. Danger meant risk, risk meant challenge, challenge meant opportunity, opportunity meant learning, and Juniper loved learning almost as much as she loved her parents. They broke camp in the deep cave, breaking their fast with a sparse breakfast of dried fruits, jerked meat, and a bit of coffee that Salam felt was a necessary treat. Juniper didn't bother to look into it.

By mid-day the skies were beaming with the radiant warmth of sunlight, the snow was glistening with a wet layer of melt, and the cloaks and scarves of both Juniper and Salam were a little less bundled. Juniper was grateful for the visibility, she could see for leagues in any direction, which made her job easier. Scanning the landscape, Juniper noted a hazard in their path she had not seen earlier in the day from a summit point. She paused and bade Salam to wait while she scouted ahead, advising that he settle into a small clearing nearby that was relatively sheltered and flat. Salam Sae Silth grunted an acquiescence, and waved a dismissing hand at Juniper who was already skipping off to scout the area ahead.

-- -- --

Enduring a stubbed toe from mindlessly bad footing, Juniper made her way back to Salam Sae Silth. The narrow cliff-path they had been following was at once both a game trail for mountain goats and the mountain lions who stalked them, and a mountaineering path for travellers who dared the wilds. It stretched around several mountains, branching into many other trails from the central trunk. Juniper had been shown this particular narrow mountain highway by her father Taevin who, unlike most travellers, took to the mountains rather than the more commonly used river that reached the Amaranthine Gate of Lhavit. Juniper was familiar with this path as if it were a friend. So it was saddening to discover than a recent avalanche had not only obliterated a large section of the path but left a large scar in the mountain face. It was disheartening in a weird kind of way, but one she found to be fitting.

With no small amount of searching, Juniper found a relatively easy route through the avalanche so long as their footing stayed true and they didn't plummet a thousand screaming feet to irreversible inevitability. Juniper was nearing the sheltered spot where Salam Sae Silth would be when she was torn from her morbid musing by barking laughter.

[Juniper Frost]

: : : Juniper Frost : : :

24th Day of Spring, 514 AV

Four men surrounded Salam Sae Silth, armed with spears and swords and armored in mail-hauberks and boiled leather. Their faces, though outwardly amused at the cowering Salam, were hardened and serious with sharp eyes that spoke of steel and blood. The largest of them, sporting a conical helmet with a weathered plume, was chuckling as he held naked steel at Salam's throat.

"P-please," Salam Sae Silth whimpered and stuttered, "take what you wish! If you spare me I will tell you of another who was with me! She is not far off and has valuables that you can sell, I swear!"

Juniper made a small sound of disgust upon hearing Salam's wavering voice trail off. Typical, she thought, the craven man has likely never left the heights of Lhavit, let alone faced danger. Juniper slowly and carefully leaned out from the crevice she was using to hide in and looked once more before sliding back unseen. Two spears, four swords, several daggers, boiled leather under chain hauberks. Juniper was no fighter, and certainly not competent against four hardened brigands by herself. She stifled a sigh that threatened to escape loudly.

"Well then," came the hoarse voice of who Juniper assumed was the leader, "you go on an' tell us where she went now, eh? Mayhaps we'll be in a mood to leave ye here wit'chyer undercloth." Juniper imagined him ending with a gap toothed grin, which seemed appropriate. Peering out a little once more Juniper caught sight of Salam Sae Silth motioning off to his left, further down the path with an unsteady hand.

"Right," the leader looked over his shoulder to the other brigands, "Haemi, Yuren, go find this lass. Bring her back unhurt, or yer teeth'll get knocked hard!"

Two of the men nodded and made a brisk pace down the trail Juniper had left by earlier.

"Dweryn, keep watch. 'Tis time to relieve this man o' what he's got." The helmeted man moved toward Salam Sae Silth, who whimpered but offered no resistance.

The one named Dweryn turned from the robbery to scan about the area, almost looking directly at Juniper before she slid back into hiding. Juniper's heart was beating fiercely as her thoughts raced about, trying to formulate a plan to save Salam. He'd surely die in the cold if Juniper did nothing, if not from the brigand's blades. There were only two left with Salam now, and one was distracted. She only had one set of extra clothing, and she was already wearing it to ward off the cold. The man named Dweryn had a spear, which meant he had reach. Would it be best to leave Salam to his fate? No. No, that wouldn't be good at all. he may have been craven but he was trying to stay alive.

Juniper's gloved hand thumbed the hilt of her rapier, Pechi-roza. She was reasonably well trained with her sword, but her skills may not weigh up when compared to skills of seasoned cut-throats. Juniper bit her lip without knowing it, and felt a familiar sensation swell up inside her mind. She began to sweat, despite the cold weather, as she fought down the ghostly emptiness that threatened to overtake her. She would not sit this out, she would fight! Her father taught her how to handle herself in a fight, and he taught her well! Juniper's right hand absently gripped at the rock wall she leaned against, and drew her attention to a sudden idea. She had a plan.

-- -- --

Dweryn rubbed his left eye, mildly bored though still alert from the previous thrill of confronting the lone man. Torrigan was busily rifling through the old man's pack, grunting at what he found and occasionally tossing threats at the old man to keep him cowed.

Click, tack, tck tck tck...

Dweryn's eyes snapped open at the sound and he gripped his spear tighter. The clacking sound of rock on rock was not unusual in mountains, but more often than not it spoke of movement. Movement meant an animal... or a person. Narrowing his eyes to focus through the glare of reflected sunlight on snow, Dweryn scanned the rock and snow for signs of life. Nothing. He turned back to Torrigan, thinking to alert him, but decided against it; Torrigan was in a rare good mood and Dweryn didn't want to spoil it. Shrugging his cloak slightly off his shoulders a bit, Dweryn lowered his spear and moved toward the break in the rock wall where the sound came from.

The snows did not crunch underfoot as Dweryn moved through the ravine, which he was grateful for as it would have alerted whoever was moving out there. He was sure it was likely nothing more than a bird or a goat, but there were winter lions that roamed the mountains in search of prey. Dweryn's face tightened as he quelled the small fear in his gut. Mountain lions hunted goat and smaller prey, not men with coats of steel. He smirked, finding sudden confidence as he moved deeper into the ravine.

He rounded a spur of rock to his right and stopped, spotting a series of tracks in the snow that lead to the concealed side of the jutting rock. He gripped the spear shaft firmly and peered around, ready to strike. Nothing still. Grimacing with curiosity and mild disappointment, Dweryn rounded the jutting rock wall and inspected the tracks. Definitely not a bird or goat, and certainly not a lion. Dweryn's eyes followed the trail from further down the ravine to where they stopped at the jutting rock. The snows on the rough rock face to his right showed signs of being climbed, and his eyes followed the snowy patterns up the cliff. His eyes reaching the top, Dweryn had enough time to suck in a breath before having his face crushed by a falling boulder.

-- -- --

Torrigan stopped looting the old man, his attention immediately drawn to the sickening sound of a fleshy crunch. He panicked momentarily, and his cold grey eyes darted around the clearing. Torrigantoranstrix - as he was known in his homeland - stood and unsheathed his longsword, not bothering to question the disappearance of Dweryn as he was confident the sound came from what was left of that particular idiot. Haemi and Yuren were a good ten minutes gone, and would take at least five minutes getting back at a hustle. Torrigan cursed under his breath and kicked the old man, making sure he stayed cowed and wouldn't move while Torrigan went to investigate the sound.

Spotting and following Dweryn's tracks into a nearby ravine, Torrigan gripped the longsword with his right hand, keeping his left free and ready as he entered the small canyon. He would have preferred to climb above it, as the ravine was an obvious advantage for ambushes. He would have preferred to have a spear rather than a sword. He would have preferred to have two more men with him, instead of going alone into an obvious trap. He would have preferred that a lot of things went the way he wanted, but Torrigan knew this was not how the world worked. Thus he gripped his sword's hilt and gritted his teeth as he saw the tracks curve around a jut of rock ahead, the distinct smell of blood and death rank in the air.

-- -- --

Ambushing the first brigand was a matter of fortune and timing, one that Juniper was grateful for having worked. Her stomach rolled and churned angrily, threatening to heave up her breakfast after watching the man's head crush and explode like a dashed melon. She fought down the bile in her throat as she climbed back down into the ravine to do a quick search of the brigand for anything useful. Juniper froze stiff as she heard a yelp of pain in the distance, then hopped the last three feet to land lightly in the snow.

Juniper heard the leader's approach before she saw him, and she used this to her advantage as she burrowed herself behind another outcrop of rock opposite of the dead brigand. She could not have timed her stealth any better as she saw the plumed helm of the leader walk into the ravine with sword in hand and a grimace on his bearded face. Covering her mouth to mask her breathing, Juniper backed up further behind the outcrop until she was nestled into a shaded nook in the rock face. She narrowed her eyes and hoped the darkness would do well concealing her.

An eternity passed in seconds. Juniper began to sweat and her heart beat furiously in her chest. Her eyes darted from the edge of the rock outcrop to the crumpled heap that was the dead brigand, and back again. This thrilling sensation inside her stomach unnerved Juniper. It was nothing like the feelings she had when she hunted as a fox. Juniper was hunting men now, not voles and groundhogs and birds. She was trying to slow her breathing when it caught in her throat, her eyes fixated on the longsword and the hand that held it as the brigand leader came into view. His helmeted head turned to the side, and he groaned in disgust at the sight of the dead man. Her heart beating so fast and hard she swore it was audible, Juniper did not waste the opportunity. She dashed from her hiding spot, drawing Pechi-roza at the same time. Ten feet. Five feet. She was close enough to see the grey in his beard.

Time seemed to slow to syrup speeds as Juniper watched the brigand turn his helmeted head toward her. Her grasp on the rapier's hilt tightened as she thrust up. The brigand leader's eyes locked on Juniper at the exact moment the rapier's tip poked up and into his neck, sliding effortlessly through the skin and muscle into his windpipe and further up still into his mouth. Juniper screamed out with a fury she would never recall having and punched up harder with all her might, the rapier pushing through skull and brains and skull again.

Time sped back to its normal pace, and Juniper faced the brigand leader face to face. He stared at her with confusion written plainly across his face, as if he could not fathom being dead quite yet. He grasped at empty air with his left hand a few times before dropping the longsword from his right. Blood began to pour from his open mouth and from the small wound where the rapier entered his neck. His eyes darted about, searching, seeking some explanation or way out before finally looking up. Juniper followed his gaze to see the tip of her rapier poking through the top of his skull and balancing the plumed helm atop it. So it was that she was caught off guard when the man crumpled to the bloodied snow like a sack of potatoes, not that Juniper knew how a sack of potatoes crumpled. She almost went down with him, but let go of her sword at the last second.

She stood there for a long while, staring at the dead men and the blood on her hands.

-- -- --

Rain fell lightly, tentative as to whether or not it would stick around. Juniper was startled from her shocked state by a grasping hand. Blinking repeatedly, Juniper turned to look at Salam Sae Silth with a daze in her eyes.

"Come now," Salam spoke quietly, "let us be gone before the other two return."

Nodding numbly, Juniper took in a deep breath through her nose and let it gust out of her mouth. Salam Sae Silth turned to go but Juniper grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"We should look over their bodies," Juniper's voice was quiet and soft as she spoke, "they may have some useful things."

Salam nodded briskly before adding, "Let us be quick."

They spent no more than five minutes at the task, with Juniper moving at a mechanical pace and Salam stopping every so often to look about when the wind blew. They stripped the two men of their packs and weapons, leaving them with their armour. Salam relieved the brigand leader of his boots, which were a better quality and fit than those that Salam wore. Juniper rummaged through the pack of the brained man and found at least two more days of rations, a ratty blanket which she left, a dagger made of strange metal, a pair of leather gloves, an iron head hatchet, and an empty glass bottle that smelled of wine which she also left in the bag.

A quick search of the man's body revealed two belt pouches, along with several types of coin and currency tucked away in a few places. Emptying the first of the belt pouches, Juniper found sundry items which she left in the snow. The contents of the second pouch made Juniper's nose wrinkle in disgust, and she dumped the herbal drug known as Rez into the snow.
She tucked away the items into her own sack before tying the man's waterskin, longsword, and scabbard to her backpack. She left the spear where it lay.

Standing up, Juniper shrugged her backpack over her shoulders before retying her white-grey cloak. With the gruesome business done, Juniper did her best to ignore the dead men and instead helped Salam back into the small clearing where she had left him. Juniper noticed Salam looking upon her with an entirely different set of eyes. His eyes were no longer hard and skeptical, but rather sad and soft with a hint of fear. Not really understanding why, Juniper hated herself a little. She had killed two men - two men who likely would have raped, looted, and killed her, yes - but she felt as if she had killed a small piece of herself along with them. Salam broke her small reverie with an subtle cough.

"Juniper," he spoke, using her name for the first time, "I am not needing any of what the man had beyond, perhaps, his rations and blanket. Here."

Handing over a bundled blanket with the leader's plumed helm resting on top, Salam lowered his head in what could have been a nod.

"He didn't have much, but what he had you should keep... for what you did for me." Salam sniffed. "Let us be gone, and quickly."

Juniper nodded, not bothering to mention overhearing Salam Sae Silth selling her out to the brigands. Some things were best left alone.

-- -- --

Quietly, the rain died away as the sun began to set behind distant cliffs, spreading an orange and gold light which broke with long shadows across the mountains.

A second light filtered through the evening air, one which Salam Sae Silth was confident belonged to the camp fires of his sought caravan. Not wishing to risk staying out in the wilds with two men likely seeking blood and revenge, Juniper and Salam made for the firelight.

Within half an hour they trekked from the steeper ranges into the foothills of the mountains, moving closer to the firelight as the skies darkened to blues and purples. Sounds of conversation and laughter filtered through the cooling night air, and Juniper found herself longing to sit by the fire and talk with these worldly people. Salam shouted out to the caravan, offering a code phrase so as to not be shot with arrows. A guard replied in a language Juniper did not understand, and they were soon met by three armed men who led them both into the circle of wagons. They were greeted warmly and offered drink and food, which Juniper politely refused as she was sure her stomach would not allow it. Salam convened with a large Isurian man with several minutes before they seemed to agree on something and he returned to Juniper.

"You may stay the night here by the fire, under the protection of the caravan," he smiled warmly as he spoke, "and in the morning I leave with them to the east."

He paused, allowing time for Juniper to respond. Looking into Juniper's blank gaze, Salam Sae Silth cleared him throat after some time and nodded. He reached into his robes and withdrew a small leather pouch, then placed the pouch within Juniper's hand.

"Here is the rest of your payment for guiding me, with a bonus payment for saving my life." Salam looked into Juniper's eyes expectantly, "I owe you more, but please take it."

Juniper looked down to the little pouch with her due Kina, then slid it into one of her new belt pouches.

"Salam," Juniper spoke, for the first time since leaving the summit where she had killed two men, "thank you for allowing me to guide you. Trouble befell us, and I did what I could. Your extra payment was not necessary, but is appreciated. Thank you."

-- -- --

Night fell, though the caravan's fires stayed lit. Salam and Juniper found spots to sleep in the backs of the covered wagons, and were offered extra blankets to stave off the cold. Conversation petered out, the guards made arrangements for watch, and the caravan drifted off to sleep. Winter winds wailed in the high up mountain peaks, blowing rains and snows south in spite of the spring melt. The howling of distant wolves carried on the winds, and brought a dozing guard back to scared alertness. The wind died off, and an echoing quiet layered the foothills like an invisible fog. The caravan slept, two guards watched the night, and Juniper lay awake thinking of the blood on her hands.

[Juniper Frost]

: : : Juniper Frost : : :

TIMESTAMP

Continued in When Guiding Fools, Part 2 where Juniper returns to Lhavit.

Note for the Grader:
I have a small list of the items I deemed reasonable for the two brigands to have, and I will happily supply you with it if needed. Juniper obviously did not take everything, and left a lot with the bodies, but I can provide you with the details or let you decide

[Brandon Blackwing]

Juniper Frost

XP Award:

• Observation +3
• Mountaineering +2
• Leadership +2
• Intimidation +2
• Wilderness survival +1
• Stealth +1
• Tactics +1
• Rapier +1

Lore:

• Salam Sae Silth: Wannabe adventurer
• Salam Sae Silth: more than annoying!
• Snow is dangerous when mountaineering
• Caves: places where to find shelter
• Wilderness survival: making a fire to counter the cold
• How to shut up Salam Sae Silth
• Putting up with Salam Sae Silth
• Tactics: Ambush
• Bloodstained hands

Loot:

• Two Days Rations
• Dagger (Steel)
• Sheath (Leather)
• Gloves (Leather)
• Belt Pouch (The one that didn't have Rez in it)
• Waterskin
• 8 Gold Mizas
• 12 Silver Mizas
• 14 copper Mizas
• 6 Kina
• 19 Travel Coins (Gold Pieces)
• Rucksack
• Copper Ring
• Longsword (Steel) x2
• Scabbard (Wood and Leather) x2
• Nasal Helm

Notes: Great thread Juniper! Have I ever mentioned before how much I like your style? This was really well-written and thought out. The ambush and the brigands were nice to read about, as was Salam’s attitude. Keep this up!

Now, I have been speaking with Mirage about the loot, and Mir stated that it was highly unlikely that a brigand would have an ornate dagger, so that’s why it’s a regular steel one instead. As for feedback regarding Job threads: very well done, I don't see any problems, except I think I might have read somewhere that one couldn't actually be paid in the job thread, as you receive payment at the end of the season by DS. Though that might have been my imagination. In non-job threads you can be paid, however.

Please edit or delete your request in the request thread.
Comments, questions or concerns regarding your grade? Pm me.