Post by Skeith, the Forsaken on Feb 23, 2009 14:37:25 GMT -5
OOC: Here's a super old RP that was dont back in the day. I wanted to put it here so i wouldn't forget. This RP was done by Mehran, a lil bit of Kriggud and Myself.
Enjoy this tale from when personas had just begun and others neared their end.....
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A cold breeze blew into Skeith's tent, "Ugh...Morning already?" he thought as the sun gleamed in his face. Skeith is a large man with pale skin and many scars. He has been the lead ranger of Night's Watch for a year or so now and has seen many thing that are thought to be only in the dreams of men. Skeith rubbed his scratchy face and let out a morning yawn. He looked down at a bundled lump that was covered in a canvas and kicked it. "Kriggud wake up, we need to move."
Out from the lump emerged a scraggly looking medium sized man with long thin blonde locks. "Wipe your eyes and lets get a move on or we'll miss them." Skeith and his fellow rangers had been tracking a group of wildlings for a few days now. It's believed that there is a village near. If that is true that could mean either new allies for the watch or new enemies...
The watchmen gathered their supplies and rode off toward what seemed to be the trail the wildlings left. "Ballocks, Skeith did you hafta kick me so hard.", Kriggud said while rubbing his side. "You know it was only meant to wake you up, I bet if I was a pretty girl you wouldn't be so egard to complain." Kriggud smiled and laughed it off. "
Look at that, smoke!" Kriggud pointed off a little way to the west. "Lets go check it out, maybe there will be some answers to our questions there." Skeith dug his spurs into his steed's sides and rode toward the smoke. As they approached what looked to be a small housing village they dismounted and walked. "Kriggud you stay back and cover me from the tree line.", Skeith whispered softly. Kriggud fell back into the trees.
Skeith walked into the town square very slowly. In the wildling tongue he said, "Hello my name is Skeith son of Sigmundr." The villagers looked upon Skeith with looks of confusion, suspicion and uncertainty. Which was common for a newcomer.
Finally a rather large wildiling man approached Skeith, got right in his face and said to him. "Son of Sigmundr what is your business here?" "Look he bears the mark of the crows he's here to kill us!", yells a wildling woman from the now crowd of egard listeners. "Is that so?!", yells the wildling man and grabs Skeith by the neck of his tunic. "No!, I mean no harm I'm only here to ensure your compliance with the southern kingdom." Skeith says while kicking in the air.
"We are a free people who will not listen to a fat royal who has never seen the snow of the north!" Yells the angry man and raises his axe with one hand and holds Skeith down on the ground with the other. "I'm warning you!" Skeith says now with a fiery caution. "DIE NIGHT"S WATCH BASTARD!!!" Roars the wildling.
Suddenly the man stops in mid swing and notices a drip of blood on his nose. He looks up at his forehead to see an arrow protruding out. "GAHHHH!" He yells.
Skeith is astonished to see the man still man still moving. He stands up now wielding his war axe with two hands and brings it down toward Skeith. A flash of black and a warm feeling... Thats all that Skeith feels and sees for a split second. Skeith looks down at his hand and sees it covered in blood, "I'm not dead?" He looks up to see Kriggud's black cloak fluttering in the wind and his great sword covered in crimson blood standing in front of him, while the wildling's torso flew up in the air spewing blood.
"Could you have been a little bit less messy?" Skeith says facetiously. Kriggud lets out a maniacal smile and says with jest, "I saved you and the first thing you give me is a complaint? I'm not gonna save you next time you arse. Plus you know that's how I work." Skeith smiled back got back on his feet and drew his sword. "Anyone else wanna try?"
The smart ones fell back and tried to stop the stupid ones who were about to be slaughtered. Eight wildlings ran at the black brothers. Skeith skewered the first one though the throat and spun with a upward swing into a wildling that was jumping at him with tomahawks. They let out a gurgle before they died. Kriggud swung his mighty great sword and cleaved through one...two...three, three of the attackers. Blood sprayed like a glorious fountain of red wine and even managed to splatter on the wildling women and children who were standing back from the bout. He had a devilish grin on his face and thought to himself,"This makes me so hungry..."
Skeith was under assault by a large wildling who swung his blades like lightning. Dodge to the left, right, left! Skeith then bound his sword against the wildling's two blades and kicked his feet from under him. Skeith let out a HUH! then said, "You're lucky to gaze upon me as your last sight..." and cut the wildling's head horizontally across the eyes with a clean cut.
Two wildlings charged Kriggud with spears. One caught him across the check and the other sunk him spear head into Kriggud's arm. Kriggud grabbed the spear that was still in him and pulled his victim closer. With an intense look on his face, he head butted his aggressor in the face multiple times till you couldn't tell if it was a male or female. Then he glared at the other wildling with a look of a demon.
The last wildling stumble back with a look of fear on his face. BLAUGH! The wildling coughed up blood and looked down to see Skeith's steel ran through his gut. He looked back up at the other watchmen with a sense of dread.Then Kriggud let out a ROOOOS! and chopped the wilding's head with his great sword. Skeith put his foot to the decapitated wildlings back and pushed him off of his sword. Then the watchmen wiped and sheathed their swords. Skeith then turned to the wildlings that didn't put up a fight and said to them, "Now lets try this again, I'm Skeith and this is Kriggud we are rangers of Night's Watch and we're here to help you."
A haughty laugh pealed from the rear of the remainder group. A auburn-haired young man stepped forward. He was lithe, and thin, and his nose was upturned. He didn't have particularly fine features, but he wasn't heavy-set either. He turned a disbelieving gaze on the Watchmen. "Those who come to assist generally do not kill the major breadwinners of a village," he said, amber eyes twinkling. "I could be wrong, I suppose, but I think that's how the rules of etiquette work." He glanced down at the corpses on the ground. It was a particularly gory scene, but he'd seen worse.
Sounds of sobbing began to fill the air. The young man looked over his shoulder to see a young girl gazing in horror at the carnage on the field. "Mehava, inside," he barked, voice slipping to a bit of a lighter timbre. The young girl obeyed, carrying a bark-doll along with her. She would be met inside by the old Auntie, who would comfort her. He looked again at Skeith and Kriggud.
"Very chivalrous. Charge in upon a village, kill all of the hard-working men, and leave women, children, and young men to fend for themselves." He looked with scorn upon the two black brothers. "Rangers. All the same, not a single one with a wit in their great, stupid heads." He was determined to keep his eyes off of the battle-side around him. In an an average person, hopelessness would have already set in, but in the young man, only anger resided.
He bent over and picked up a bow from a dead body on the ground. "Suppose this is mine now. Thank you, Brother." He turned a sharp eye and angry tongue back to the two men. "This is the problem with your ilk. Always barging and 'helping' where no assistance is needed. And then you wonder why the Free Folk hate Watchmen and South-of-the-Wall so much. Perhaps," he said coldly, "You'd be better off just to leave. I think you've done all the 'helping' we want here."
Skeith approached the young man holding out his black mole skinned gloved hand as a token of acceptance, "You must understand that our duty is to protect the realm from men who want to kill the innocent. Were we not innocents in this light when we were attacked? To me these men seemed...guilty but I guess my friend here did get a little bit messy. For this I am truely sorry." The young man looked down at the ranger's glove with a queer look. He then pushed Skeith's hand away and said angrly, "I don't want you here... no one wants you here, I told you that! We've heard the tales of men in black cutting down the strongest of warriors for what? Just because they wanted to find their place of glory?" "That's not true...", Kriggud barked in. "They died because they were fools that wanted to be kings. They must accept their fates and move on doing what they can." "Oh?", said the young man, "How do you know that their fate isn't to be king? I known of men your kind have slained and they were good people that I might have dared called brothers." Kriggud shut his mouth and swallowed the harsh medicine that was the young man's words. "You know our names but what is yours?", Skeith questioned. The young man looked him over and said, "My name is Phen son of Marin " "Kriggud get the horses so we may show our new acquaintance what we have to barter with them." Skeith ordered. Kriggud left and returned with their horses and the unpacked their goods. There was an assortment of silver bowls and utensils from the southlands along with a few pieces of jewlery crafted by Nikko the steward during his spare time. "We also have a few spare rations of salted pork and toasted bread." Skeith said waving the pork in his left hand."We may be able to relinquish some of our goods for your compliance with the watch." Skeith raises his eyebrow trying to seem as persuading as he can. "What do you take us for fools? We are not so fast to give our word to you for a small boar and old bread!" Phen yelled with a bit of offense in his voice. From the corner of his eye Skeith saw a little girl with a doll staring at the jewlery layed out across the blanket with wonder. "Pretty...", said the little girl. She walked up and leaned in closely to the gems. "Wow these rocks are pretty like the lights in sky." "Mehava! Get away from that.", barked Phen. "Here you go you can have this one.", Skeith picked up the piece of jewlery that the little girl was staring and put it in her little hands. She clutched it tightly and ran off giggling. Skeith looked at her with a smile of compassion it felt good to make up for the brutal thing he had done earlier to the poor youngling. Phen was shocked to see the what seemed to be a cold soldier do an act of compassion and charity. "Alright we will help, but this is ours." Phen grabbed the blanket from under Skeith and scooped up all of his loot. "Also we are in need of help, thats what your duty is going to be..."
"And what, exactly, does 'compliance with the Watch' mean?" Phen asked cynically. He wouldn't be caught by surprise by these men. Many times the stories were told of the Crows who entered unsuspecting villages in order to have relations with the Free Folks' women and then take the men onto the Wall. A Wall meant to "guard" the South; so Phen saw no reason why Wildling boys were expected to take positions on it. "Does that mean we must comply to whatever laws the South might see fit to send beyond the Wall? Because we will not obey." He heard angry chitters behind him; his people agreed. And why shouldn't they? No fat man in the South could ever bind a Free Folk, through laws or chains, or combinations of both. "Or does that mean we have to send whatever males we have left to the Wall?" He sneered. "If this oh-so-humanitarian aid comes with a price, I'd like to know what it is."
Mehava seemed delighted, however, and that counted for something with Phen. It was never easy to please the girl, but the Watchmen had done so with the gift. For Skeith's and Kriggud's sakes, Phen hoped they didn't end up breaking the little girl's heart. And still, Phen didn't trust the men. Sure, they had the resources to help the village they had so destroyed, and to a certain extent, a responsibility. But not all men would see it that way, Phen realized, and so he had no reason to believe that these men would either. And yet...Skeith had given Mehava the jewelry. Phen's eyes narrowed. Trust would not be won so easily. "Pretty tokens have no bearing on rational men's thoughts," Phen said, though less harshly this time.
Skeith could tell the situation was getting sticky. The tention in the air could be cut with a knife. "Though you don't know I am a paladin, defender of the light, my word is my law.", said Skeith in a rightious tone. "We don't want to enthrall you, we just want to make sure you don't destroy what we have worked for south of the wall. I understand, trust me I'm to the free people just like you." Phen gave Skeith a dirty look and said, "What do you know about being a free folk?! Also a paladin?! What kind of defender of the people destorys and doesn't save?". Skeith knew Phen was right he had given up his wildling heritage when he took the oath of black. "You can believe me or not, I'm tired off this game of boys. Don't waste my time, I'm here to bring good tidings to our people. I have agreed to help you what else do you want out of me?!". Skeith turned and threw his cape over his shoulder. "Come Kriggud we have better return before night falls or we'll need to make camp." Kriggud nodded and walked along side his Lieutenant. Phen gazed at the watchmen as they turned away. He could decide if he wanted to let them go or reach out to them.
"I see no boys here, so leave your tidings, and be off," Phen replied, waving a negligent hand. He couldn't care less of the promises of paladins, who served only a vengeful god and nothing of others, and cared even less for the promises of Watchmen. He watched the men as they left, keeping an eye both on his own people and the two retreating figures. They beared watching.
Night fell, and by that time, Phen had made his decision. Little known to the men, they had killed his father in the attack, and so Phen had nothing more to do in the village. He was a young, unattached person with no good prospects for marriage and nothing to give for a prospect. Already, the people of the village had begun to turn a distrustful eye on him, and he felt it and knew why. He didn't blame them; in the Wild, every man was for himself, and there were few alliances, even among the Free Folk. Phen had returned to his house and packed the paltry amount of the items he could bear on his little pony, and left. The pony, one of six in the village, was tethered outside, waiting for Phen's weight to grace its humble back. It wasn't really a pony, but a small horse. He stood at fifteen hands, about the size of an Arabian, and was perfect for the use that Phen intended to put him to. The young man attached the satchel to the horse's back and mounted. Then they were off.
Like most Wildlings, Phen was well-versed in tracking, and it wasn't long before the young expert found his quarry. The two men were camped, not far from the village they had massacred. He quietly >harrumphed< at the horse and stopped him, and tied him to a tree. As Lore grazed, Phen continued to watch the men.
Days passed in this manner, and a few times, Phen was sure that Skeith knew he, or someone, was following them. But the older man never went to investigate. So on they continued.
"You did what was right you know.", Kriggud said to Skeith as they sat by a flickering campfire. "I can tell you're feeling guilty about something. You always get that dismal look on your face." Skeith smirked because his fellow ranger knew him too easy. "You're right, I am feeling bad about the incident that happened back at the village." "Don't we were doing our job, besides you'd be dead and we'd need to find a new lead ranger if you would have been offed. I mean we could find better than a bum like you but, it's so much work." Kriggud laughed and patted Skeith on the shoulder. "Thanks brother I can tell you care." Skeith said with a grin on his face. "You're right I just need to put this in the past and move on, I've seen way worse hardships. Maybe I'm just getting old." The two brothers laughed and exchanged friendly banter and tales about whores and epic battles for a while.
The fire was dim now and the two watchmen slept. Bright eyes gazed at the two men from the trees. It was Phen, he creped into the small camp to get a better look at what he could "borrow" from the watchmen. "Hmm... I think I'll need some of this bread, and some water." Phen thought to himself as he grabbed supplies and put them in his satchel. Phen felt a sense of accomplishment for being able to sneak into the ranger's camp so easily. He looked down at Kriggud after he had gathered all the items he had need. Phen wanted revenge, Kriggud's was unguarded now and could be killed so easy. The thought of what he did to his father angered Phen so much. He died a death fit for a weakling. Phen drew his steel from his side. The sword glowed against the night sky. Phen held his sword up into the air, as if he was raising it to the gods themselves. A cold miasma rolled in around Phen's feet. Phen felt a shiver run down his spine. HEESSSSSSS..... Cold beads of sweat began to form on Phen's face. Kriggud rolled over exposing his bare breast to Phen. If there was a chance for revenge it was now. Phen thrust his sword downward toward Kriggud's heart. CLANG! Phen's blade had stopped right above Kriggud's chest. No matter how hard he pushed the sword wouldn't move. Phen felt a unnatural force throw him to the ground. He was bound to the ground by something not of this world. Looking up, he saw a figure appear into thin air. A ghastly figure with a blue green glow held him down with a sword to his throat. The apparition was covered in white bandages, which looked to hold his figure together. The figure also wore a black cloak with a pendant of a raven. "Intruder, you dare try to kill my kin?" Hissed the figure.
Now Skeith had risen to his feet with readiness and Kriggud was wiping his eyes from a nice dream yawned. "You!", shouted Skeith. Phen knew he was in a world of trouble and felt trapped, trapped behind enemy lines. "Good work Arc, I knew it was a good idea to keep you on watch.", said Skeith with a hint gratitude in his voice. "Now as for you wildling...", Skeith said with an anger in his voice. "You get to answer our questions, you're our prisoner now."
Something had felt immediately wrong when the literal fog rolled in. Chill had descended, and it was not the chill of the North, but almost a chill of death. Phen was wrong to ignore it; his current surroundings indicated that. Now on his back on the frozen ground, his situation looked tight.
There were few options for a man in such a position. He could beg for his life. >Never.< He could fight back, and surely fail. >Stupid.< He could play it off and act like he didn't care. He warmed to the last option. "I dare to kill your kin, yes. He dared to kill mine." Phen laid on his back, half-smiling, arms underneathe his head. Skeith rose, shouting.
"You get to answer our questions, you're our prisoner now!" he yelled, righteous fury ringing. Phen's lips pursed, and he almost giggled--not because of any supposed humor in the situation, but because of nerves. The tall man was very, very intimidating when angry.
"I get to do nothing but what I will. And I will not answer any question unless I see fit." Phen smirked. "If I die, I'll die with my own honor intact. And you'll have no trophy to bring home to your Shelf," he said, using a popular euphemism for the Wall.
Skeith smiled at the balls this man has, he liked that kind of attitude in a person. "He reminds me of my father.", Skeith thought to himself. It took a minute for Kriggud to realize what was going on, but when he did he was furious. "YOU SON OF A MACHINE GUN!!!!", Kriggud screamed and kicked Phen with a hard blow to the ribcage. Immediately Skeith responded with a sharp blow to Kriggud's Jaw. Kriggud fell on the ground and wiped the blood from his lips. "I WON"T tolerate abuse, he's our prisoner now and we'll treat him like one. Not like a slave..."Skeith said in a very serious tone. Phen was surprised by Skeith's actions but however he was not shocked. He would expect this out of someone with some sort of chivalry. Kriggud gave Skeith an angry glare and knew what he did was wrong in his commander's eyes. "I'm not sorry for my actions but I won't let it happen again."
Through all the commotion Phen almost forgot the sharp blade that was to his throat. It frightened Phen but gave him even more reason to get the dreadful being the watchmen called Arc off of him. Phen gave Skeith a cocky look and said, "What are you going to do with me if you won't kill me or enslave me?" "What am I going to do to you?" Skeith said with a sadistic emphasis on the I. "It's not what I'm going to do, but what is the Lord Commander going to do with you." That gave Phen a scare. He was now on a destination toward The Wall. "Oi! 'Ew! Pink Skin!, how do I get out of this one!", he thought to himself. "I refuse to go with you! I'm a free folk, I'm under no one's rule!", Phen shouted. "Your fiery tongue won't get you out of this one boy." , Skeith said. "By mid day tomorrow you will be in MY land and will see MY laws. Arc keep our guest comfortable while we pack up, it's almost morn anyway." The wraith hissed and nodded toward Skeith. Then threw Phen over onto his belly and tied him up like a hog ready for the skewer. Phen grunted and knew in his mind that they would pay, not now but they would pay...
Morning came and the men set out back to their home base of Castle Raven's Keep. Kriggud riding Phen's mount and Skeith riding his might warhorse with Phen bouncing along on the back. While the eerie one known as Arc seemed to wisp in the trees surrounding them. From many miles away you could see the huge frozen structure known as The Wall. It was many different hues of blue and sparkled against the sun. A truly beautiful sight for the watchmen's eyes, but an ill omen to Phen. "Home!", yelled Kriggud. Phen frowned realizing that he might not ever see his again. Skeith glanced over his shoulder noticing the sad face on the wildling. Skeith knew that inside Phen felt like he was being treated like an animal. "Cheer up wildling, you wouldn't want to look like a bad guest would you?", Skeith said as a jest. Even though it was in good manner, to Phen it felt like Skeith was poking him with a hot rod. Phen spit on the back of Skeith's head in response. Skeith wiped the spittle away and said, "Fair enough!" laughed then commanded his horse to speed up.
When the watchmen got close enough, the sentries on the wall blasted a loud horn once. This meant that the rangers have arrived back from their ranging. "One for a brother, two for an enemy and three for the others.", Skeith said as if he was talking to himself out of habit. They approached a mighty gate and waited for it to open. The gate gave passage slowly as the ice fell of of it. The gate was large and mighty, it looked to have been older than all the men combined. "Get ready wildling.", Kriggud said smiling to Phen. "Now come to test that willpower of yours.".
Phen took the kick to the side like a man, with no sound and little grimace. All he did was sneer as Kriggud took one on to the face from his own Lieutenant. There was little he could say, and even less he could do to get out of this situation. Really, it had been quite a stupid thing to get caught with a sword drawn to the enemy's chest, and deep down inside, Phen was shamed. He should've known better, but his emotion got the best of him. He ignored it.
"It's not what I'm going to do, but what is the Lord Commander going to do with you," Skeith told him, and Phen was quite dismayed. >The situation looks rather bleak,< he thought to himself, and then snickered at the literary device. >Education has failed me.< "I'm a free folk, I'm under no one's rule," he stated angrily.
"Your fiery tongue won't get you out of this one, boy." Skeith sounded smug, but Phen had a comeback for him.
"I see no 'boys' here, Lieutenant." Phen's upper lip curled into a smirk again. But soon, he found himself tied up and bound for the Wall. "Damn!"
They travelled through the night, and when morning came, they were speedily approaching the Wall. Phen had had no sleep, being as jostled on the mount as he was, and was grumpier than ever. His face must had intimated his thoughts, because his despicable captor spoke with cheery words. Phen, feeling very needled, pulled as much spit and mucus as possible from his nose and throat and spat it at the back of the Lieutenant's head. "Fair enough!" Skeith said, and as punishment, he made the horse speed up, which made the chaffing between on Phen's posterior even worse.
"You'll pay," he muttered. He didn't know when, or how, but byGods, they would. Especially crazy Kriggud. >Disgusting, man-eating Kriggud. Sick.< Phen almost vomited at the thought of it. A large horn sounded, interrupting his thoughts of retaliation.
"One for a brother, two for an enemy, and three for the Others," he thought aloud. Phen ignored it; the comment was not meant for his better knowledge, and anyway, he didn't care. Kriggud needled him some more, and all Phen did was manage to look as murderous as possible. It wasn't hard to tell that the men were getting under his skin and bothering him, as ticks do. But every dog has his day, and ticks can be burned.
They entered the large gates and went through a collapsible tunnel. Phen was rather bewildered at the experience, but tried to hide it. It was always good to put your best foot forward in the face of the enemy, and he would not appear weak or afraid, even though in his heart of hearts, he was. He tried to ignore his fear, but he knew that if his heart pounded any harder on his ribcage, Skeith would be able to hear it. "You can't keep me here against my will," he said, even as he realized that they could, and probably would. "I'll find a way to get out," he continued, even as he knew he couldn't, and wouldn't. "I can and will." Skeith only smiled, and Phen knew how futile the bluff had been.
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There's more but from this point on the story just kinda dies down...if you took the time to read this I hope you enjoyed. I'm sure if you want to know what happens next you could ask Mehran or I.
Enjoy this tale from when personas had just begun and others neared their end.....
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A cold breeze blew into Skeith's tent, "Ugh...Morning already?" he thought as the sun gleamed in his face. Skeith is a large man with pale skin and many scars. He has been the lead ranger of Night's Watch for a year or so now and has seen many thing that are thought to be only in the dreams of men. Skeith rubbed his scratchy face and let out a morning yawn. He looked down at a bundled lump that was covered in a canvas and kicked it. "Kriggud wake up, we need to move."
Out from the lump emerged a scraggly looking medium sized man with long thin blonde locks. "Wipe your eyes and lets get a move on or we'll miss them." Skeith and his fellow rangers had been tracking a group of wildlings for a few days now. It's believed that there is a village near. If that is true that could mean either new allies for the watch or new enemies...
The watchmen gathered their supplies and rode off toward what seemed to be the trail the wildlings left. "Ballocks, Skeith did you hafta kick me so hard.", Kriggud said while rubbing his side. "You know it was only meant to wake you up, I bet if I was a pretty girl you wouldn't be so egard to complain." Kriggud smiled and laughed it off. "
Look at that, smoke!" Kriggud pointed off a little way to the west. "Lets go check it out, maybe there will be some answers to our questions there." Skeith dug his spurs into his steed's sides and rode toward the smoke. As they approached what looked to be a small housing village they dismounted and walked. "Kriggud you stay back and cover me from the tree line.", Skeith whispered softly. Kriggud fell back into the trees.
Skeith walked into the town square very slowly. In the wildling tongue he said, "Hello my name is Skeith son of Sigmundr." The villagers looked upon Skeith with looks of confusion, suspicion and uncertainty. Which was common for a newcomer.
Finally a rather large wildiling man approached Skeith, got right in his face and said to him. "Son of Sigmundr what is your business here?" "Look he bears the mark of the crows he's here to kill us!", yells a wildling woman from the now crowd of egard listeners. "Is that so?!", yells the wildling man and grabs Skeith by the neck of his tunic. "No!, I mean no harm I'm only here to ensure your compliance with the southern kingdom." Skeith says while kicking in the air.
"We are a free people who will not listen to a fat royal who has never seen the snow of the north!" Yells the angry man and raises his axe with one hand and holds Skeith down on the ground with the other. "I'm warning you!" Skeith says now with a fiery caution. "DIE NIGHT"S WATCH BASTARD!!!" Roars the wildling.
Suddenly the man stops in mid swing and notices a drip of blood on his nose. He looks up at his forehead to see an arrow protruding out. "GAHHHH!" He yells.
Skeith is astonished to see the man still man still moving. He stands up now wielding his war axe with two hands and brings it down toward Skeith. A flash of black and a warm feeling... Thats all that Skeith feels and sees for a split second. Skeith looks down at his hand and sees it covered in blood, "I'm not dead?" He looks up to see Kriggud's black cloak fluttering in the wind and his great sword covered in crimson blood standing in front of him, while the wildling's torso flew up in the air spewing blood.
"Could you have been a little bit less messy?" Skeith says facetiously. Kriggud lets out a maniacal smile and says with jest, "I saved you and the first thing you give me is a complaint? I'm not gonna save you next time you arse. Plus you know that's how I work." Skeith smiled back got back on his feet and drew his sword. "Anyone else wanna try?"
The smart ones fell back and tried to stop the stupid ones who were about to be slaughtered. Eight wildlings ran at the black brothers. Skeith skewered the first one though the throat and spun with a upward swing into a wildling that was jumping at him with tomahawks. They let out a gurgle before they died. Kriggud swung his mighty great sword and cleaved through one...two...three, three of the attackers. Blood sprayed like a glorious fountain of red wine and even managed to splatter on the wildling women and children who were standing back from the bout. He had a devilish grin on his face and thought to himself,"This makes me so hungry..."
Skeith was under assault by a large wildling who swung his blades like lightning. Dodge to the left, right, left! Skeith then bound his sword against the wildling's two blades and kicked his feet from under him. Skeith let out a HUH! then said, "You're lucky to gaze upon me as your last sight..." and cut the wildling's head horizontally across the eyes with a clean cut.
Two wildlings charged Kriggud with spears. One caught him across the check and the other sunk him spear head into Kriggud's arm. Kriggud grabbed the spear that was still in him and pulled his victim closer. With an intense look on his face, he head butted his aggressor in the face multiple times till you couldn't tell if it was a male or female. Then he glared at the other wildling with a look of a demon.
The last wildling stumble back with a look of fear on his face. BLAUGH! The wildling coughed up blood and looked down to see Skeith's steel ran through his gut. He looked back up at the other watchmen with a sense of dread.Then Kriggud let out a ROOOOS! and chopped the wilding's head with his great sword. Skeith put his foot to the decapitated wildlings back and pushed him off of his sword. Then the watchmen wiped and sheathed their swords. Skeith then turned to the wildlings that didn't put up a fight and said to them, "Now lets try this again, I'm Skeith and this is Kriggud we are rangers of Night's Watch and we're here to help you."
A haughty laugh pealed from the rear of the remainder group. A auburn-haired young man stepped forward. He was lithe, and thin, and his nose was upturned. He didn't have particularly fine features, but he wasn't heavy-set either. He turned a disbelieving gaze on the Watchmen. "Those who come to assist generally do not kill the major breadwinners of a village," he said, amber eyes twinkling. "I could be wrong, I suppose, but I think that's how the rules of etiquette work." He glanced down at the corpses on the ground. It was a particularly gory scene, but he'd seen worse.
Sounds of sobbing began to fill the air. The young man looked over his shoulder to see a young girl gazing in horror at the carnage on the field. "Mehava, inside," he barked, voice slipping to a bit of a lighter timbre. The young girl obeyed, carrying a bark-doll along with her. She would be met inside by the old Auntie, who would comfort her. He looked again at Skeith and Kriggud.
"Very chivalrous. Charge in upon a village, kill all of the hard-working men, and leave women, children, and young men to fend for themselves." He looked with scorn upon the two black brothers. "Rangers. All the same, not a single one with a wit in their great, stupid heads." He was determined to keep his eyes off of the battle-side around him. In an an average person, hopelessness would have already set in, but in the young man, only anger resided.
He bent over and picked up a bow from a dead body on the ground. "Suppose this is mine now. Thank you, Brother." He turned a sharp eye and angry tongue back to the two men. "This is the problem with your ilk. Always barging and 'helping' where no assistance is needed. And then you wonder why the Free Folk hate Watchmen and South-of-the-Wall so much. Perhaps," he said coldly, "You'd be better off just to leave. I think you've done all the 'helping' we want here."
Skeith approached the young man holding out his black mole skinned gloved hand as a token of acceptance, "You must understand that our duty is to protect the realm from men who want to kill the innocent. Were we not innocents in this light when we were attacked? To me these men seemed...guilty but I guess my friend here did get a little bit messy. For this I am truely sorry." The young man looked down at the ranger's glove with a queer look. He then pushed Skeith's hand away and said angrly, "I don't want you here... no one wants you here, I told you that! We've heard the tales of men in black cutting down the strongest of warriors for what? Just because they wanted to find their place of glory?" "That's not true...", Kriggud barked in. "They died because they were fools that wanted to be kings. They must accept their fates and move on doing what they can." "Oh?", said the young man, "How do you know that their fate isn't to be king? I known of men your kind have slained and they were good people that I might have dared called brothers." Kriggud shut his mouth and swallowed the harsh medicine that was the young man's words. "You know our names but what is yours?", Skeith questioned. The young man looked him over and said, "My name is Phen son of Marin " "Kriggud get the horses so we may show our new acquaintance what we have to barter with them." Skeith ordered. Kriggud left and returned with their horses and the unpacked their goods. There was an assortment of silver bowls and utensils from the southlands along with a few pieces of jewlery crafted by Nikko the steward during his spare time. "We also have a few spare rations of salted pork and toasted bread." Skeith said waving the pork in his left hand."We may be able to relinquish some of our goods for your compliance with the watch." Skeith raises his eyebrow trying to seem as persuading as he can. "What do you take us for fools? We are not so fast to give our word to you for a small boar and old bread!" Phen yelled with a bit of offense in his voice. From the corner of his eye Skeith saw a little girl with a doll staring at the jewlery layed out across the blanket with wonder. "Pretty...", said the little girl. She walked up and leaned in closely to the gems. "Wow these rocks are pretty like the lights in sky." "Mehava! Get away from that.", barked Phen. "Here you go you can have this one.", Skeith picked up the piece of jewlery that the little girl was staring and put it in her little hands. She clutched it tightly and ran off giggling. Skeith looked at her with a smile of compassion it felt good to make up for the brutal thing he had done earlier to the poor youngling. Phen was shocked to see the what seemed to be a cold soldier do an act of compassion and charity. "Alright we will help, but this is ours." Phen grabbed the blanket from under Skeith and scooped up all of his loot. "Also we are in need of help, thats what your duty is going to be..."
"And what, exactly, does 'compliance with the Watch' mean?" Phen asked cynically. He wouldn't be caught by surprise by these men. Many times the stories were told of the Crows who entered unsuspecting villages in order to have relations with the Free Folks' women and then take the men onto the Wall. A Wall meant to "guard" the South; so Phen saw no reason why Wildling boys were expected to take positions on it. "Does that mean we must comply to whatever laws the South might see fit to send beyond the Wall? Because we will not obey." He heard angry chitters behind him; his people agreed. And why shouldn't they? No fat man in the South could ever bind a Free Folk, through laws or chains, or combinations of both. "Or does that mean we have to send whatever males we have left to the Wall?" He sneered. "If this oh-so-humanitarian aid comes with a price, I'd like to know what it is."
Mehava seemed delighted, however, and that counted for something with Phen. It was never easy to please the girl, but the Watchmen had done so with the gift. For Skeith's and Kriggud's sakes, Phen hoped they didn't end up breaking the little girl's heart. And still, Phen didn't trust the men. Sure, they had the resources to help the village they had so destroyed, and to a certain extent, a responsibility. But not all men would see it that way, Phen realized, and so he had no reason to believe that these men would either. And yet...Skeith had given Mehava the jewelry. Phen's eyes narrowed. Trust would not be won so easily. "Pretty tokens have no bearing on rational men's thoughts," Phen said, though less harshly this time.
Skeith could tell the situation was getting sticky. The tention in the air could be cut with a knife. "Though you don't know I am a paladin, defender of the light, my word is my law.", said Skeith in a rightious tone. "We don't want to enthrall you, we just want to make sure you don't destroy what we have worked for south of the wall. I understand, trust me I'm to the free people just like you." Phen gave Skeith a dirty look and said, "What do you know about being a free folk?! Also a paladin?! What kind of defender of the people destorys and doesn't save?". Skeith knew Phen was right he had given up his wildling heritage when he took the oath of black. "You can believe me or not, I'm tired off this game of boys. Don't waste my time, I'm here to bring good tidings to our people. I have agreed to help you what else do you want out of me?!". Skeith turned and threw his cape over his shoulder. "Come Kriggud we have better return before night falls or we'll need to make camp." Kriggud nodded and walked along side his Lieutenant. Phen gazed at the watchmen as they turned away. He could decide if he wanted to let them go or reach out to them.
"I see no boys here, so leave your tidings, and be off," Phen replied, waving a negligent hand. He couldn't care less of the promises of paladins, who served only a vengeful god and nothing of others, and cared even less for the promises of Watchmen. He watched the men as they left, keeping an eye both on his own people and the two retreating figures. They beared watching.
Night fell, and by that time, Phen had made his decision. Little known to the men, they had killed his father in the attack, and so Phen had nothing more to do in the village. He was a young, unattached person with no good prospects for marriage and nothing to give for a prospect. Already, the people of the village had begun to turn a distrustful eye on him, and he felt it and knew why. He didn't blame them; in the Wild, every man was for himself, and there were few alliances, even among the Free Folk. Phen had returned to his house and packed the paltry amount of the items he could bear on his little pony, and left. The pony, one of six in the village, was tethered outside, waiting for Phen's weight to grace its humble back. It wasn't really a pony, but a small horse. He stood at fifteen hands, about the size of an Arabian, and was perfect for the use that Phen intended to put him to. The young man attached the satchel to the horse's back and mounted. Then they were off.
Like most Wildlings, Phen was well-versed in tracking, and it wasn't long before the young expert found his quarry. The two men were camped, not far from the village they had massacred. He quietly >harrumphed< at the horse and stopped him, and tied him to a tree. As Lore grazed, Phen continued to watch the men.
Days passed in this manner, and a few times, Phen was sure that Skeith knew he, or someone, was following them. But the older man never went to investigate. So on they continued.
"You did what was right you know.", Kriggud said to Skeith as they sat by a flickering campfire. "I can tell you're feeling guilty about something. You always get that dismal look on your face." Skeith smirked because his fellow ranger knew him too easy. "You're right, I am feeling bad about the incident that happened back at the village." "Don't we were doing our job, besides you'd be dead and we'd need to find a new lead ranger if you would have been offed. I mean we could find better than a bum like you but, it's so much work." Kriggud laughed and patted Skeith on the shoulder. "Thanks brother I can tell you care." Skeith said with a grin on his face. "You're right I just need to put this in the past and move on, I've seen way worse hardships. Maybe I'm just getting old." The two brothers laughed and exchanged friendly banter and tales about whores and epic battles for a while.
The fire was dim now and the two watchmen slept. Bright eyes gazed at the two men from the trees. It was Phen, he creped into the small camp to get a better look at what he could "borrow" from the watchmen. "Hmm... I think I'll need some of this bread, and some water." Phen thought to himself as he grabbed supplies and put them in his satchel. Phen felt a sense of accomplishment for being able to sneak into the ranger's camp so easily. He looked down at Kriggud after he had gathered all the items he had need. Phen wanted revenge, Kriggud's was unguarded now and could be killed so easy. The thought of what he did to his father angered Phen so much. He died a death fit for a weakling. Phen drew his steel from his side. The sword glowed against the night sky. Phen held his sword up into the air, as if he was raising it to the gods themselves. A cold miasma rolled in around Phen's feet. Phen felt a shiver run down his spine. HEESSSSSSS..... Cold beads of sweat began to form on Phen's face. Kriggud rolled over exposing his bare breast to Phen. If there was a chance for revenge it was now. Phen thrust his sword downward toward Kriggud's heart. CLANG! Phen's blade had stopped right above Kriggud's chest. No matter how hard he pushed the sword wouldn't move. Phen felt a unnatural force throw him to the ground. He was bound to the ground by something not of this world. Looking up, he saw a figure appear into thin air. A ghastly figure with a blue green glow held him down with a sword to his throat. The apparition was covered in white bandages, which looked to hold his figure together. The figure also wore a black cloak with a pendant of a raven. "Intruder, you dare try to kill my kin?" Hissed the figure.
Now Skeith had risen to his feet with readiness and Kriggud was wiping his eyes from a nice dream yawned. "You!", shouted Skeith. Phen knew he was in a world of trouble and felt trapped, trapped behind enemy lines. "Good work Arc, I knew it was a good idea to keep you on watch.", said Skeith with a hint gratitude in his voice. "Now as for you wildling...", Skeith said with an anger in his voice. "You get to answer our questions, you're our prisoner now."
Something had felt immediately wrong when the literal fog rolled in. Chill had descended, and it was not the chill of the North, but almost a chill of death. Phen was wrong to ignore it; his current surroundings indicated that. Now on his back on the frozen ground, his situation looked tight.
There were few options for a man in such a position. He could beg for his life. >Never.< He could fight back, and surely fail. >Stupid.< He could play it off and act like he didn't care. He warmed to the last option. "I dare to kill your kin, yes. He dared to kill mine." Phen laid on his back, half-smiling, arms underneathe his head. Skeith rose, shouting.
"You get to answer our questions, you're our prisoner now!" he yelled, righteous fury ringing. Phen's lips pursed, and he almost giggled--not because of any supposed humor in the situation, but because of nerves. The tall man was very, very intimidating when angry.
"I get to do nothing but what I will. And I will not answer any question unless I see fit." Phen smirked. "If I die, I'll die with my own honor intact. And you'll have no trophy to bring home to your Shelf," he said, using a popular euphemism for the Wall.
Skeith smiled at the balls this man has, he liked that kind of attitude in a person. "He reminds me of my father.", Skeith thought to himself. It took a minute for Kriggud to realize what was going on, but when he did he was furious. "YOU SON OF A MACHINE GUN!!!!", Kriggud screamed and kicked Phen with a hard blow to the ribcage. Immediately Skeith responded with a sharp blow to Kriggud's Jaw. Kriggud fell on the ground and wiped the blood from his lips. "I WON"T tolerate abuse, he's our prisoner now and we'll treat him like one. Not like a slave..."Skeith said in a very serious tone. Phen was surprised by Skeith's actions but however he was not shocked. He would expect this out of someone with some sort of chivalry. Kriggud gave Skeith an angry glare and knew what he did was wrong in his commander's eyes. "I'm not sorry for my actions but I won't let it happen again."
Through all the commotion Phen almost forgot the sharp blade that was to his throat. It frightened Phen but gave him even more reason to get the dreadful being the watchmen called Arc off of him. Phen gave Skeith a cocky look and said, "What are you going to do with me if you won't kill me or enslave me?" "What am I going to do to you?" Skeith said with a sadistic emphasis on the I. "It's not what I'm going to do, but what is the Lord Commander going to do with you." That gave Phen a scare. He was now on a destination toward The Wall. "Oi! 'Ew! Pink Skin!, how do I get out of this one!", he thought to himself. "I refuse to go with you! I'm a free folk, I'm under no one's rule!", Phen shouted. "Your fiery tongue won't get you out of this one boy." , Skeith said. "By mid day tomorrow you will be in MY land and will see MY laws. Arc keep our guest comfortable while we pack up, it's almost morn anyway." The wraith hissed and nodded toward Skeith. Then threw Phen over onto his belly and tied him up like a hog ready for the skewer. Phen grunted and knew in his mind that they would pay, not now but they would pay...
Morning came and the men set out back to their home base of Castle Raven's Keep. Kriggud riding Phen's mount and Skeith riding his might warhorse with Phen bouncing along on the back. While the eerie one known as Arc seemed to wisp in the trees surrounding them. From many miles away you could see the huge frozen structure known as The Wall. It was many different hues of blue and sparkled against the sun. A truly beautiful sight for the watchmen's eyes, but an ill omen to Phen. "Home!", yelled Kriggud. Phen frowned realizing that he might not ever see his again. Skeith glanced over his shoulder noticing the sad face on the wildling. Skeith knew that inside Phen felt like he was being treated like an animal. "Cheer up wildling, you wouldn't want to look like a bad guest would you?", Skeith said as a jest. Even though it was in good manner, to Phen it felt like Skeith was poking him with a hot rod. Phen spit on the back of Skeith's head in response. Skeith wiped the spittle away and said, "Fair enough!" laughed then commanded his horse to speed up.
When the watchmen got close enough, the sentries on the wall blasted a loud horn once. This meant that the rangers have arrived back from their ranging. "One for a brother, two for an enemy and three for the others.", Skeith said as if he was talking to himself out of habit. They approached a mighty gate and waited for it to open. The gate gave passage slowly as the ice fell of of it. The gate was large and mighty, it looked to have been older than all the men combined. "Get ready wildling.", Kriggud said smiling to Phen. "Now come to test that willpower of yours.".
Phen took the kick to the side like a man, with no sound and little grimace. All he did was sneer as Kriggud took one on to the face from his own Lieutenant. There was little he could say, and even less he could do to get out of this situation. Really, it had been quite a stupid thing to get caught with a sword drawn to the enemy's chest, and deep down inside, Phen was shamed. He should've known better, but his emotion got the best of him. He ignored it.
"It's not what I'm going to do, but what is the Lord Commander going to do with you," Skeith told him, and Phen was quite dismayed. >The situation looks rather bleak,< he thought to himself, and then snickered at the literary device. >Education has failed me.< "I'm a free folk, I'm under no one's rule," he stated angrily.
"Your fiery tongue won't get you out of this one, boy." Skeith sounded smug, but Phen had a comeback for him.
"I see no 'boys' here, Lieutenant." Phen's upper lip curled into a smirk again. But soon, he found himself tied up and bound for the Wall. "Damn!"
They travelled through the night, and when morning came, they were speedily approaching the Wall. Phen had had no sleep, being as jostled on the mount as he was, and was grumpier than ever. His face must had intimated his thoughts, because his despicable captor spoke with cheery words. Phen, feeling very needled, pulled as much spit and mucus as possible from his nose and throat and spat it at the back of the Lieutenant's head. "Fair enough!" Skeith said, and as punishment, he made the horse speed up, which made the chaffing between on Phen's posterior even worse.
"You'll pay," he muttered. He didn't know when, or how, but byGods, they would. Especially crazy Kriggud. >Disgusting, man-eating Kriggud. Sick.< Phen almost vomited at the thought of it. A large horn sounded, interrupting his thoughts of retaliation.
"One for a brother, two for an enemy, and three for the Others," he thought aloud. Phen ignored it; the comment was not meant for his better knowledge, and anyway, he didn't care. Kriggud needled him some more, and all Phen did was manage to look as murderous as possible. It wasn't hard to tell that the men were getting under his skin and bothering him, as ticks do. But every dog has his day, and ticks can be burned.
They entered the large gates and went through a collapsible tunnel. Phen was rather bewildered at the experience, but tried to hide it. It was always good to put your best foot forward in the face of the enemy, and he would not appear weak or afraid, even though in his heart of hearts, he was. He tried to ignore his fear, but he knew that if his heart pounded any harder on his ribcage, Skeith would be able to hear it. "You can't keep me here against my will," he said, even as he realized that they could, and probably would. "I'll find a way to get out," he continued, even as he knew he couldn't, and wouldn't. "I can and will." Skeith only smiled, and Phen knew how futile the bluff had been.
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There's more but from this point on the story just kinda dies down...if you took the time to read this I hope you enjoyed. I'm sure if you want to know what happens next you could ask Mehran or I.