A Walk in the Park

[BetaWolf]

Nar Burgahz-Kull.
Traversing the Ramr River.

Burgahz and small group of his smaller brethren(no more than eight, if even that many) waded through the water at the shallowest point they could find, carrying their leg armor to prevent rusting. They splashed through the icy knee-deep water and thundered over the sandbar in the middle of the low point in the river, then once again traversed the water before making their way up onto the far bank. They built a large fire to dry and warm their legs, and made a thin watery soup to expedite the cooking process(much to all of their displeasure's.) The sun was low in the sky but quickly passed the treeline in height, warming the unsettling mist that lingered seemingly everywhere.

The air was brisk, but the light breeze was more forgiving and rustled their hair and ragged clothing. They unrolled their bunched up pant legs and strapped on their greaves(at least those who had them did so), they stood and prepared themselves for their journey ahead. Horns rattled and metal clanked and chimed out as they riled themselves up to get their blood flowing, growling and snorting the whole while. They crashed through the undergrowth and ran at a steady pace between the sparse trees until a trail of downtrodden dirt became noticeable, the group changed direction to follow it to its source.

Burgahz and his troop jogged down the nearest road once they discovered it, unsure of their present intent. Either they would be raiding farmhouses and waylaying travelers, or buying and trading goods, all of which was dependent on their moods and tiredness when the moment came. Burgahz personally preferred to go for the peaceful route in an attempt at responsible actions, as he did not want his Tribe branded a threat and exterminated, but he also needed to make sure his comrades saw the battle they needed to live happily. For now they would just keep traveling until they encountered something of interest.

[Tismri]

Ruby stood outside the small cave her companion had entered, her silver eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of trouble. These days it seemed hardly safe to travel anywhere, with between aggressive Urgals, the growing population of wild dragons, not to mention the army of the Shade Rider. The young Shadeslayer was always alert for danger, holding her scythe close.

"Are you finished yet?" she called out, somewhat impatiently. The cave was not that large. Surely Serena would have discovered by now whether or not there was anything of value inside.

"Oh, yes! Sorry!" The young mage exited, not looking up from a large, dusty tome that she was already well into reading. "It's fascinating. I never expected to find an elven account of the arrival of humans out here in the middle of nowhere." Ruby glanced at the pages, recognizing the flowing glyphs of the elven alphabet. Her father had made sure each of his daughters could read and write in both the ancient language and standard human script. In truth, it was an activity that bored her greatly.

"I'm surprised you can read the Lidhuen Kvaedi," she commented, retracting her scythe as they made their way toward the road. "I understand that even most of Du Vrangr Gata don't take up study outside of standard human works."

"True," Serena replied, still absorbed in her reading. "I just couldn't help but learn. I've studied in Ellesmera for several years, as well as the other capitals. Aberon is very similar to Ileria. Tronjheim has a wealth of information. Their library is so vast! And Freia is--"

"Shh!" Ruby called, suddenly alert. She felt small tremors in the ground beneath her, and in the far distance heard the sound of crashing feet. She scanned the horizon until she spotted the approaching force. Serena glanced up for a moment, only able to see a small cloud of dust far away.

"What is it?" she asked, very hesitantly lowering her book as Ruby drew her crossbow scythe, sighting down the edge to get a clearer look.

"Urgals," she replied. "A fairly sized band of them. I can't tell if they're friendly or not."

"Do you think they're with Katriana?" Serena asked, concerned. She'd never had any sort of encounter with the Shade Rider's forces before.

"We won't know until they get here," Ruby replied. They moved to the side of the road, to let the approaching band pass if they didn't take any notice of the two young women. Ruby kept her scythe ready, and Serena drew her long, jagged sword, though her eyes soon found their way back into the tome in her other hand.

[BetaWolf]

Nar Burgahz.

Burgahz and his Urgals thundered down the road, sweating and snarling as they went. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, again and again it went. Dust rose and fell in their passing and wake, leaving numerous broad footprints in the earth. Burgahz got a strange feeling in his gut, something felt amiss. He chose to ignore it as it didn't feel like a strong pull, it could have just been indigestion for all he knew. Burgahz took notice of a large rock formation on the left side of the road, it was large enough to contain a cave or two and perhaps would be a good place to establish an outpost in the future.

He decided to wait on investigating the place for a later date, for now he would continued to travel. They soon reached the formation, and were in the process of passing it when Burgahz raised a closed fist into the air and skid to a halt. There, off the side of the road, were two women. One of them held a book which they seemed to be reading, perhaps a sorceress looking for a spell? The other one looked to be a Warrior and brandished scythe, her features were too refined for Burgahz's liking, reminded him of Elves.

Burgahz kept his weapons where they were and made no move to draw them, instead he let out a loud snort and approached the two, his warriors hanging back. He appraised them with his bright yellow eyes, they didn't seem too dangerous yet.

"Greetings... travelers? I am Nar Burgahz, Warchief of the Durhadhr Tribe" he said as he looked down at them.

[Tismri]

Ruby appraised the Urgals as he halted, even as the warchief eyed her and Serena. They seemed to be travelling on their own, and since it was a party of only their kind, she grew more confidant that they were not part of Katriana's forces. The Shade Rider was known to put odd groups together. Still, even with that knowledge, she felt cautious. Not all the Urgals joined Nar Gharzvog in their alliance with Nasuada.

This Kull before her seemed a fearsome brute, towering over her less than average stature. Despite this, she felt no real fear of him; after coming face-to-face with a Shade and emerging the victor, there was little that caused her true fear anymore. Caution, however, was often a companion of hers, and she kept her scythe ready.

Next to her, Serena looked up from her book, her brown eyes widening as she took in the size of the Kull before them. Amazingly, she closed her book and gave her attention more fully, raising her chin, as she remembered was a sign of respect for them. It was odd to her, until she considered their great horns, and that lowering one's head would be to show them threateningly.

"Greetings to you, Nar Burghaz," Serena said, a smile crossing her face. There were only two races she had yet to truly study: dragons and Urgals. The fact that nearly all of their history she knew was based on the biased accounts of elves, dwarves, and humans never ceased to bother her. Perhaps she had found a chance to learn of history from the Urgal perspective! The thought excited her more than the account of the human arrival in her hand, which she had learned of from many other sources at this point. "I am Serena Meerasdaughter, a student of Du Vrangr Gata, bibliophile and historian. And this is Ruby."

"Ruby Shadeslayer," the half-elf completed. Though she appeared relaxed, she was still wary. She offered no more information to the strangers. "What brings you and your companions out here? Surely this is not your whole tribe." She gazed for a moment at his few followers. Not a female among them; no, this was not his whole tribe. She rather hoped they were not planning on attacking any nearby villages or farmers. This area had recently been ransacked by Katriana's forces, and the few people that remained were barely getting back on their feet, still mourning the many dead left in the chaotic wake.

[BetaWolf]

Nar Burgahz.

He looked back and forth from the two smaller beings, the one in the process of book reading seemed to take little notice of him which he found humorous. The other one, the warrior, seemed to be approaching the situation with caution, yet when he looked into her eyes he saw no fear. This was interesting to him, as most smaller beings would be quaking in their boots from his past experiences, on the hardened individuals stood unwavering(but seldom without even the smallest hint of fear.)

He looked over as the book-reader withdrew from the pages of the dusty manuscript she was so enamored by, the tiniest hint of a smirk catching the corner of his mouth as he observed her realization of his size. The fact he was one of the biggest things someone could encounter never seemed to fail in amusing him, or more aptly, the reactions of others coming to this understanding amused him. Though the irksome thought of all the times he had heard 'at least it's not a Dragon' in recent years, whether being referred to as 'it' or not being the scariest thing in the woods was the cause of his annoyance or not was debatable. He inward annoyance didn't seem to show, but his control over his expressions was not as iron willed as he liked to pretend.

He was surprised when the reader closed her book, and practically shocked when she lifted her chin. He returned the gesture, the fact that she knew about this custom was more than enough to warrant the same respect being bestowed upon her, but the fact she observed the tradition warmed his heart. He listened as the reader introduced herself and her friend, Serena's friend tacking on her apparent surname(though he found it sounding more like a title to his ears.) "It is a pleasure to meet you, Serena and Ruby" he said with an acknowledging nod.

He turned his gaze back towards Ruby as she spoke, her question seemed double edged, best to be handled with tact and caution. "You are quite right, this is only a small fraction of my Tribe," he said to make the Tribe sound overly formidable "We're out in search of supplies to... augment our stored goods, the winter will not be looked back upon as kind I suspect once the snow has thawed some months from now" he said.

"And what brings you two out in the cold? These parts can be quite dangerous" he said with genuine concern lacing his words.

[Tismri]

Ruby continued to be guarded, though she sensed the honesty in the Kull. He even seemed to be friendly enough, although she doubted everyone who had interacted with him could say as much. She retracted her scythe to its carrying form with a mechanical noise and latched it onto her belt, her long red cloak all but hiding it from view. She was still ready to pull it out again at a moment's notice, but for now, it seemed wise to not appear as aggressive.

"I came with a few others of Queen Nasuada's army to try to repair the damage of the recent attacks," she replied to Burgahz's question. "Forces came from the desert and laid waste to all they could see. An entire village has been razed, and neighboring towns have brutally suffered as well. Many crops of the local farms have been burnt." She paused feeling anger at the Shade Rider and all her followers. She had a feeling that she was responsible for the one that killed her mother some years ago. Where else could it have come from? "I fear if it is supplies you are searching for, you had best look elsewhere. The locals have naught to give."

Serena sheathed her sword and pulled her expensive, though slightly frayed, coat around her. Burgahz was right; it was growing cold. She'd heard that in Carvahall and Gil'ead, snow was already falling, and it would likely reach down here. She imagined what it was like farther north, on the other side of Du Weldenvarden. Ismalia always experienced harsh winters, she knew. They were used to the cold. It seemed strange to her when the people themselves seemed so graceful and elegant.

"Thank you for your concern, Nar Burgahz," she told him. His concern for them seemed genuine. She knew from her studies that Urgals were not the monsters everyone believed they were. They were a people, with their own culture and traditions, though granted it was often more violent in nature than the other races. Even the violence often had a reason behind it. Most of what she actually knew of them came from her studies in Ellesmera and Bromsland, and she knew even with that, her knowledge was likely inaccurate. She desired to know the truth of it. "Since you are worried about our safety, would you mind terribly if we travelled together for a time? At least until we reach town of relative safety..."

[BetaWolf]

Nar Burgahz.

Burgahz listened intently, Nasuada's army eh? When the peace treaty between them and Urgals came to be, Burgahz neither accepted or declined, he simply remained neutral. If the peace was to last and the treaty wasn't turned around on them, then he would go about joining it somehow. He didn't want to jump headlong into something at the drop of a hat(in his opinion) like the majority of the Urgals did, since it could have potentially meant their enslavement if any back stabbing was to be had. It had been quite some while though, and nothing adverse had occurred. He'd decided that nothing bad likely going to happen, but he was still hesitant.

"That is unfortunate, until very recently my Tribe has remained secluded. I was unaware of these happenings...." he said, this was troubling news indeed. Not only were these happening nearby to where his Tribe was dwelling, but they endangered his back up plans for resource gathering. How were they to use burnt lumber? How were they to eat long ago slaughtered livestock? How were they to pillage villages that had already been razed to the ground? Unacceptable!

Burgahz considered the proposition for a brief moment as he scratched his chin, then grunted with a nod "Aye, I would alright with that. Lead the way my new traveling companions" he said in his deep, rumbling voice.

[Tismri]

Ruby gave Serena a faintly annoyed look as she took the lead, walking westward away from the desert and toward more secure areas. She would still be helping the townsfolk with the others if the young mage hadn't wandered over asking about any nearby caves or ruins. Though she was mostly capable of taking care of herself, Ruby couldn't help but worry that she would run into any remaining Shade forces, creatures that likely could easily overpower her. She'd felt it was her obligation to see her back to safety, although Serena seemed to hardly take her seriously. After all, Ruby was a full year younger than she was; however, she had much more battle experience, and that was something the mage could not ignore.

Serena fell in line close to the Urgals, half-reading, but often glancing up at Burgahz. Oh, how much there was she wanted to ask him! She wished to learn about life in an Urgal village, if they had any sort of courtship and coming-of-age traditions, (and compare them to the stories she had read about) and most importantly, she wanted to ask about their history, what events of the past had brought them about to be the people they were now. But she could not bring herself to ask the questions. From what she could tell, they were very private people, rarely inviting outsiders to even see their villages. And how could one go about starting a friendly conversation with someone so tall that they made you feel like a dwarf, so strong that they could crush you to death with a hug, with horns so large they could behead you with a quick jab? Standing this close to him both excited her for the chance to learn, and utterly terrified her.

Walking among the heavy Urgals was difficult; the ground shook with their every step, and Serena was afraid of losing her footing. But she couldn't walk slowly for fear of being left behind. It became such an exercise in concentration that, between that and the distraction of her fascination with the Urgals themselves, she finally gave up on pretending to read, however reluctant she was to do so. She closed the book and clutched it to her chest as she attempted to focus on maintaining her balance.

[BetaWolf]

Nar Burgahz.

Burgahz and his Warriors followed the lead of their two new travel companions, heading farther from the desert and into 'greener pastures' so to speak. There seemed to be a slight tension between the two smaller beings, possibly due to their current additional company, but it could easily have been a number of things. He however chose not to address it, as it seemed mild and was frankly none of his business. He was a respectful person(usually), and tried not to pry unless absolutely necessary(or if it came to annoy him enough.)

As they marched Burgahz happened to notice the glances from Serena, at first he assumed she was unused to Urgals(as many were.) But as their match went on, he noticed it more, and wondered if something was amiss? He saw nothing out of the ordinary, and smelled nothing strange either. After awhile it dawned on him that she was a historian as she mentioned earlier, and it was unlikely she had been able to get so close to Urgals before.

Was it possible someone was actually interested in the Urgals point of view? Everyone seemed to disregard their recounting of events, especially the Elves as they were not favored in them, which often annoyed the Urgals to no end. He noticed when she clutched the book close to herself, and slowed his(and thus the other Urgals) pace so as to allow the smaller ones to keep up, he often forgot they were not as fast or tireless as himself for he was Kull. After a long moment(and upon another glance from Serena) Burgahz spoke "Is... is there something you wish to ask me?" Burgahz said, slightly unsure of himself briefly for once, as he was not the best at spoken relations with Humans.

[Tismri]

Serena was silently glad when the Urgals slightly slowed their pace, though she hated to feel like a hindrance to anyone. The quaking of the earth was no longer as frequent or impactful, which allowed her to maintain her balance more easily. She blinked in surprise when Burgahz spoke to her.

"Yes," she replied, a bit cautiously. She cleared her throat and hesitated. "I just...I want to know more about you. Or, about Urgals in general. All I really know is what I've read about, and those are not from your own people. They have a bias that makes the information potentially inaccurate, and I wish to know everything that I can as correctly as possible."