"My, but you are an impetuous one aren't you!" Gamana exclaimed, but even without being able to see her face, Careena knew that she had both impressed and pleased the Elven Ritualist. "Polite and impetuous, what a delightful combination!"
But then she grew serious. "Careena, I will not hold you to that vow until you know what it would mean. Once you know that, if you wish to be bound and to serve me in this, then swear it again upon iron and I will know the quality of the iron in your soul, and you will know me for a fair and just person."
Careena started to speak, but Gamana held up her hand, "Wait, let me speak and then respond?"
Nodding, Careena gestured for Gamana to continue.
"Very well." Gamana sat and gestured for Careena to do likewise. At this, Rhuddli spun on his heel and stormed off into the forest. Careena started to rise and follow, but at another gesture from Gamana, she sank back down. "I told you that he is not worthy of you and nor is he fit to teach someone of your ability, but that is not the talk that we have now - that is for later upon our journey together." As she spoke Gamana made gestures indicating wrapping something up and placing it to one side.
"Now is the time for speaking of my message," as she said this, Gamana withdrew a silver tube from within her robe and placed it upon the ground between them. "I know that you are worthy of my trust Careena, so I will be as honest with you as I may."
"I do not live here on my own through choice. My sister - Utamara - is the Chief of the nearest tribe of Elves - my tribe, but we had a ... falling out ... many years ago, and I lost the fight when we drew the circle to see who would lead the tribe. You do not know our ways, but you may come to learn them, if things that I have seen come to pass ..." Gamana's voice trailed away
Collecting herself, Gamana continued, "I lost, so I am exiled never to return to my tribe. But things have changed. These past weeks I have seen many Varou moving through the Deep Wilds close to my home. At first they seemed to be small hunting parties perhaps. But then I began to see their females and young accompanying them. This they do not do. These are no hunters. They were scouts for a migration. My sister and the tribe must be warned, but I may not speak to them, so I have created the message contained in this tube, and I ask that you travel to my tribe and deliver it to Utamara."
"Wait," she said as Careena began to speak, "I have not finished. I must move my home while you are gone and Rhuddli has agreed to help me." She paused. "After a good deal of unnecessary complaining, I might add, but probably shouldn't."
Gamana drew forth a silver tube from her robe. "This tube contains the message. It also, has a powerful spell upon it and if anyone but the Chief of the tribe that was mine should open it ... well let us say that their family would regret their actions. I added the spell when I created the message, knowing not who would carry it and it cannot now be removed."
"It is some days' walk due west to the village of my tribe. If you agree to carry the message, when you get close to the village you will be accosted by the tribe - speak my name and they will take you to the Chief, whether or no it is Utamara. It is many cycles of the seasons since I left that she may have passed to the Otherlands." This last was said by Gamana in a bitter tone of sadness. "If the Varou migration happens as I believe, there may well be many of their warriors between you and the tribe - the journey will be perilously formidable I believe."
"So, now that you know what you should, do you still swear that you will carry my message, Careena Dwarf-daughter?"
Careena rose so that she knelt on one knee, fished out the coin that she wore around her neck and held it in her hand as spoke, "I Careena Dwarf-daughter - for so you have named me - do swear on the iron in my hand and the iron in my Dwarven soul, that I will carry this message to the village of which you have spoken, my lady Gamana." Knowing what she now knew, Careena would not have been Careena had she done otherwise. The safety of the Elven tribe rested upon her shoulders - all knew that the Varou would suffer no others to live near them, as fiercely territorial as they are.
As Gamana and Rhuddli would need Sammay to move all the Elf's worldly possessions, Careena set about loading her backpack with the supplies and gear she would need for her journey. As she did this, Gamana explained how Careena would find be able to find them when she returned from the village.
I'm going to do a couple of moves now as it seems ages since the last one, and then go straight to the action ...Careena had no idea that the Varou had even been there, until it stepped out behind her and swung its spiked club at her head.
Undertake a Journey: Travel to the Elven village (dangerous), prog 0/10; 5 +3 [wits] vs 7,3; strong hit, mark progress
Undertake a Journey: Travel to the Elven village (dangerous), prog 2/10; 1 +3 [wits] vs 10,8; miss, perilous event, Pay the Price
Well the most obvious negative outcome is the Varou, so that's what it'll be ...
Enter the Fray: 3 Varou - formidable - prog 0/10; 2 +3 [wits] vs 9,4; weak hit, take initLuckily for Careena, though, some intuition had warned her of the attack and by reflex, she ducked the Varou's attempted strike and swung back at it with her walking axe, the strike becoming stroke-that-kills without conscious thought, and the Varou fell to the ground clutching at its stomach, its guts blossoming outward in a shower of gore.
Strike: will take -1 mom for +1 harm (Sunderer), now -> 4 mom; 3 +2 [iron] vs 6,2; weak hit, harm = 2 [axe], +1 [keen], +1 [Sunderer], lose init; prog 4/10
Shocked at the lethality of her unthinking actions, Careena merely gaped at the dying creature and was barely able to assume the low guard before its 2 companions were upon her.
Clash: -1 mom for +1 harm (Sunderer), now -> 3 mom; 4 +2 [iron] vs 6,4; weak hit, harm = 2 [axe], +1 [keen], +1 [Sunderer], lose init, prog 8/10, Pay the Price - 3 harmThe second of the Varou fell to Careena's axe, now dead atop the first, but the last of the dogmen had spilt Careena's blood as well ...
Endure Harm: 3 harm, health -> now 2; 2 +2 [iron] vs 7,1; weak hit, press on
Clash: 6 +2 [iron] vs 7,4; strong hit, +1 mom -> now 4, harm = 2 [axe] +1 [keen], prog 10/10The last Varou fell to its knees, Careena's axe wedged firmly in it skull. As it toppled forward, Careena wrenched her axe free and stepped back out of the pile of gore. Then, the battle-heat draining from Careena as if a candle had been blown out, she dropped to her knees and began to weep - she had killed living, thinking people and it hurt in her soul to know it ...
End the Fight: prog 10 vs 9,1; strong hit
This is a momentous event for Careena, time for her to ...Even as she wept, Careena felt the iron in her soul reform and thought to herself, "This is what it means to have iron in my soul. I am a Dwarf. We endure. We continue, we never surrender, we struggle until we conquer or die trying."
Endure Stress: dangerous -2 spirit -> now 3; 6 +3 [spirit] vs 3,2; strong hit, -1 mom -> now 2, +1 spirit -> now 4
So, Careena has managed to ...Careena stood, removed her pack, withdrew some bandages and bound her wound.
Reach a Milestone: I will learn what it means to be a Dwarf - now 3/20
Heal: 2 +2 [iron] vs 8,3; weak hit, +2 health -> now 4, -1 healing supply -< now 4Once she had finished and sure that there were no more Varou in the immediate area, Careena's practical (and pragmatic) nature asserted itself and she began to loot the Varou's corpses
Resupply: 5 +3 [wits] vs 7,3; strong hit, +2 supply.Since I'm now using Extended Supply, I'm taking that as +1 Food & +1 Ammo supply types, both now at 5. Careena doesn't need/use the Ammo, but I want to try the Barter move soon, so this gives her something to tradeAlthough the Varou were carrying plenty of meat as Careena couldn't determine its source, she decided to leave it and took only the dried apples and some fine arrows. Once they were safely stowed and her pack on her pack she set out to continue her journey
Careena has now encountered the Varou and learnt that she can beat them - even 3 at a time, so that is significant progress on the vow, time for:It was late, soon to be dusk, but Careena, wanted to get away from the scene of the fight before she thought about stopping for the night.
Reach a Milestone: I will deliver Gamana's message, now 2/10
and we'll pick up Careena's trek in the next post ...