Neverwinter Forest porcine

He had done his due diligence: sought out each and every wolf-scent within the boundaries set by Solharr, so that he knew who was permitted here, and so his teeth did not find the wrong throat. It did seem that his initial study of the man was accurate. He was alone save for the daughter. Their scents twinned together often and thoroughly, to which Glaukos held no opinion except aversion.

There were signs of the underwood being disturbed in numerous places as well. This brought to mind foxes first, although their musk was not here; fallow deer second, however without further proof of life that was quick to dismiss. It wasn't until several hours of patrol had gone by that Glaukos found the stomped-over pathways of boar, and to his mind came the conversation with Solharr over the tusk.

The soldier, flanked by the neverwinter, considered where next to go.

boar.

she should have rallied @Solharr! instead she followed it, examined the clearing marks left in the creatures wake. eventually she stumbled upon another that she nearly mistook for a bear at first glance.

admittedly she was not fully convinced it wasn’t still.

his strength would be a boon if she wished to slay this creature. its fur could be gifted to her betrothed, its meat would fill caches in preparation for colder days.

have you hunted them before?

she might make him do such with her anyway!

It did not take long before someone found him. It was not Solharr this time; he thought it might be by scent alone, so strong was his musk. Then when he turned and saw the pale shape of a wolf, he thought it was the witch he had spoken of. When she spoke he was not fully convinced it wasn't still.

Fire licked at her face, her ears. There was an effeminate, almost fey-like quality to much of her features, and something familiar there, but also a more broad tone to the shoulders. Youth tucked her belly and balanced her posture. No, not the witch. The daughter.

Many times. As a boy. He answered in his sullen way.

as a boy.

it is with a longer look that she examined him now. he did not seem so old and yet he spoke as if it was lifetimes ago! perhaps it was.

maybe he had walked long and far.

the scars on his body aged and not the freshness of a boy who had just earned them.

then you know how to pass on the knowledge. she told him plainly. teach me and i will make you things from the beast.

The woman must have been born out of the witch, with her demands. Her barter was met with a brief but pointed stare, and a small cough which made his teeth click softly. I have no need for such things. He was here to serve Solharr in keeping his claim secure and his people fed; there was little interest within Glaukos for anything more than that. He certainly did not desire to make deals for the witchblood to manipulate.

If you hunger I will find a boar and kill it. If you want work to keep occupied with, find your husband. Another huff, this one a little more obvious as he flaunts what knowledge has been shared by Solharr.

defiant?

this man was a bear, it seemed.

and husband! they were not properly married yet! but they had promised to one another and she did not cower in the face of such a title. instead she only seemed to puff up. surely not as strong as her husband might have looked.

so that i might tell him you refuse your seiðkona? the boar is needed for more than just its meats.

My what? He didn't know the word.

Again, he would state the obvious: I am a soldier, I am here to guard, or to kill. Point me after something to kill and I will do it. Solharr wants this land for himself and so I walk it for him, in his name. Just because she was married to the man (or to-be-married) didn't earn her voice any strength or her authority any creedence.

She looked bothered by his disinterest; good, thought Glaukos. A lesson for the witchblood, then. If she was accustomed to telling men what to do, then he would be obliged to enlighten her.

I do my work for the sake of the work. I don't need trinkets from you, woman. That was as clear as he could get about it. Why was that so strange? Did everyone with witch blood grow up learning to barter? Glaukos wanted to be done with contracts; they had only ever amounted to problems.