Of Beasts and Knights

"...still want to kill me?"

"Oh yeah... *Shrugs* Well i can't so."

"Not what I asked"

"Why want something impossible?"

"...right"

"Plus thorgar'd kill me..."

"Those the only reasons? Still pissed about my little honor comments?"

"Say it again and i will break your spine across my knee."

"Guessed as much. Just trying to figure out where we stand."

"Now you know."

"Alright big guy... alright."

"...I think im going to go jump in the river. Tell Vorstan to stay alive for me. If anyone kills that sorcerous bastard it'll be me."

"Not if I have anything to say about it"

"You're quite attached to the bastard, aren't you?"

"First person who's given a shit about me in a long time. The last one before him got split in two from head to two by a doombull."

"You have a poor choice in friends when it comes to survivability."

"It worked fine for a while. Before the beasts ruined my life."

"Ruined your old one, and started a new."

"I'm not sure my new one's better than my old. I had more friends in my old one. Less people on 'my side' wanting to rape me."

"But now you're blessed by the gods, and surrounded by others also blessed."

"and I have to carry three hidden knives when I sleep so I can kill anyone who tries to take advantage of me"

"You've slept next to one of two chaos champions since you arrived. Who's going to challenge them?" *he chuckles*

"have you seen how the marauders look at me?"

"Terror? Fear? The story of you fighting the beast lord spread rather quickly."

"No. I know the look in their eyes. I know what they want to do to me."

"Kill the next one who looks at you like that. Make fear the first thing they feel when they see you."

"Last time I walked past a group of marauders I think maybe three didn't look at me like that."

"Killing one will do the trick."

"Pick the biggest one"

".... The difference between you and my old friends is startling"

*He laughs* "Do tell where the differences lie."

"For one thing worrying about being raped wasn't even a problem..."

"Your main problem was, well people like us."

"Pretty much. That and hiding my gender."

"Ah, southerners don't let womenfolk fight."

"Yeah. Need us to do stuff back in the cities. I signed up cause my family was starving, and there was no job I could actually get."

"leave the weak behind. It doesn't matter what they are. Plenty of womenfolk stronger than men."

"It's pretty rare."

"About a quarter i'd say."

"Maybe. I had to steal and kill to feed my family.,,,, my little brother..." *she goes pale*

"You've a brother? Left him behind when you joined i assume?"

"Yeah... I think he was...Ten years old when I last saw him. I don't know how long ago that was....before I went off on campaign.... before I got captured"

"He'll be a man now."

"...maybe.... The pay I got for fighting was the only thing keeping him from starving. Before I signed up I'd have to go out and rob people. Sometimes I'd go days without eating just to keep him fed. It was hard....but it was worth it. But without me there....*she goes even more pale. her grip on her weapon loosening*"

"C'mon lass. Get your shit together."

"...have you ever starved?"

"Plenty. Whole villages starve in norsca come winter. The strong survive, hunting what prey there is to be found."

"....and did you have family you cared about?"

"...." *He tilts his head a little to one side, thinking.* "I had a sister..." *nodding to himself* "My father left... Never came back. My mother was sick... So i went hunting... Brought back a stag. Kept us fed for a few weeks." *He sounds like he's remembering this for the first time in a long time.*

"If my brother didn't somehow look after himself, he's dead. Starved or something else worse. And he was the only thing that kept me going all this time. Until thorgar cut me loose. and I actually thought about what probably happened to him."

"He either found work, joined the army, or is living, or died a beggar."