Herbalists' Cache κ

nearer the cache but not really going in, set after skorpa leaves here
@Dark Fang

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a white fang knew when to hold, and so pulling a halt the bearman surveyed a thronged clearing. even from here he smelled the scent of blood, of saliva reeking on tufts of fur.

a bad omen.

rolling shoulders beneath the bearskin, skorpa called out that he had come to speak with sun eater, if it was able.

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a voice. one he did not know—but was that rare? a few days he had walked with his brother's clan. dark fang only let himself know the most important, others faded easily and swiftly into the background.
but this voice is heavily accented, contorted by speech he does not recognize. it is outlandish, in a way. the hunter sets out in a stalk, though fairly quick footed, leaving the area of sun eater's inhabitance.
there, a man clad in bearskin. fur grizzled, smelling of carrion. dark fang shows no outward signs of disgust as he lopes closer, tail high now, flying arrogantly above. you.
why you would speak to sun eater? a demands. eyes narrowing sightly upon this bold stranger.
dark fang leers impatiently, feeling the rise of hackles; of guard hairs that sat comfortably at his shoulders before, now spiking with authority. he could not have this.
we kill you, a threat bitten off his red teeth, soon if you no go.
all were a threat now, deemed by dark fang. no stranger could walk the cache.

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a man came, bristled, stiff-legged. he barked at once a threat and the bearsword loudly scoffed with as much impulse. "you are stupid fool. i come to peace. am not darukaal," skorpa snapped, though his posture remained rigid and still where he had stopped moving forward.

"his wife. in plain," the words went on. "with my wife. she say sun eater fate not his own. hm?"

"can speak?"

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dark fang does not react to the insult. instead, eyes narrow; looking from red crown to scoffing teeth. dark fang only hardens in his stand.
no! it is said brusquely, adamantly, eyes snapping at once to glower upon this man's face. you fool, he says, if you think we trust to you. it is matter of fact.
his shoulder stance widens when he takes a stern breath, past nostrils ringed by wet, and jerks his head once in the direction from which skorpa must have came. his wife traitor. she go heal sun eater’s try slayer, no go to him.
gesturing with a wild paw, angry and flippant. no trust. i no believe you if you speak to her. go now. i no say again.
it is crucial in these moments that dark fang protects the integrity of his brother. sun eater would live, dark fang would ensure this. and no one could be trusted, especially if not even the mother of his children would stand at his side.

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"do not trust me." skorpa shrugged. "i will go. i will go," he said, backing some sauntered steps to indicate he would hold his word, "and your chieftain not know what i learn of glacier."

hamstring themselves.

some steps more, and unless the reindeer-man moved to stop him, skorpa had finished his time in negotiation.

but this meet had said two things: sun eater was not available for discussion, and the story of what had happened took another turn. he put these details aside, prepared to wait elsewhere for ayovi.

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It is not her younger brother that breaks the northerner's path, but the phantom Meleys. Her eyes hard on the great stinking beast. What gain. With words. She struggled to speak the language. Unlike her brother, she did not care to learn much of the common tongue. She spoke words of the caribou people, at least two of them, granted interactions with the Muradoii were slim to none, and some pigeon speech with the sea hunters to get by with trade. She didn't need common tongue. She was Lanzadoii. Stubborn.

skip w permission!

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the bearman had taken two strides in shedding himself of this place when a woman's accented voice sounded. he turned to take in a powerful warrior with half her face dipped to white.

he watched her, then accepted audience. "your man? rude. you want talk?" skorpa asked with what he felt was unceasing patience. "take me to camp. give me meat. then i tell what i know."

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