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The Crown Game (CutePhoenix/buttefly0408)

butterfly0408

butterfly0408

Singularity
Joined
Jan 9, 2009
Location
An Alternate Universe
Aleda sat beside the small fire she had built up not that long before, stoking the flames with a long stick. This little flat spot among the trees was going to be a fine spot for her to spend the rest of the day into the night. Maybe even tomorrow as well. There was a stream on the other side of the line of trees that she could fish for her dinner and it was far enough off any pathways or roads that she should be left in peace until she picked herself and moved along again. Move to where was a good the question. To Aleda it felt like she had been wandering the land now for months. In reality it had only been about two weeks but when you were alone in the world, time seemed to pass differently. No one to talk with or laugh with and no place to go.

She knew something was wrong when she saw the smoke rising high up over the trees. The smell of it was more then the smell of wood. It had been the smell of death. She had spent the night away from her village, feeling danger rested there and when she returned the next day she found she had been right. The place had been attacked, the signs pointing to a band of wildmen from the bodies of the women left with there legs still spread from their raps before the slitting of their throats. Most of the buildings had been left in ashes. Aleda wished she could have done something, even if it were just bury the dead, but there was a chance the men could return and she knew it was to much a risk. And so she pack up whatever she could find and carry in two large sack and head out into the world on her own.

Her best bet was to find a new place to set up her life but no matter how hard she tired she could not bring herself to decide where to go. And so she'd keep on wandering. It was not like she couldn't take care of herself? She had always been quite good at it actually. In fact she was about to prove it right then. She was going to go and catch herself a fat fish for dinner and cook it for herself and live another day. Or at least she thought she was.

As she crossed to her bags and started to sift through them looking for the things she's need to fish. A sound caught her attention. A rustling in the bushes that made her reach for the dagger at her side slowly to not alarm whoever it was that was coming towards her that she knew of their approach. Perhaps the wildmen had found her. Casually she turned, towards the stream, took two steps before she heard her opponent come charging from the bushes. She turned quickly and raised her dagger for the fight. But it was not as she expected. It was no wildman. It was not a man at all. It was a wolf and a rather large one at that. She had raised the dagger up to dig into a man so since the animal came at her low, it charged and tackled her at her feet, knocked her to the ground.

But the wolf was not going to get the best of her. She had survived this long and was not about to let some dumb animal be the end of her as she engaged it in battle.
 
Little did she know, the wolf wasn't the only thing there. And this wolf appearing here wasn't mere coincidence. Someone had chased it here.

An hour earlier.......

"Hmmm, what's this? Heading one way, then suddenly off in another. No way another hunter is chasing this thing. Must have caught a whiff of something extra good to run off after it in the middle of fleeing for it's life." said Briag Kyron, member and leader of the largest barbarian trip in the south lands. Despite what many thought, barbarians and wildmen were not the same. Wildmen were savages. Acting like littlre more than big animals. Barbarians lived off the land, living where they wanted, the way they wanted. But, they generally followed a code of honor, never attacking innocents like wildmen. They only ever attacked those they saw as enemies.

Present time.....

"Hmph, this girl really gonna fight this thing. Could be interesting......" he said to himself, hidden amongst the forest and shadows as he watched the wolf attack this girl. He had been hunting this thing, and was moments from killing it, when it attacked the random girl. Now, he did not look down on women in general. Far from it. Some of his clans best warriors were women, his mother especially. But, this girl did not seem like much of a fighter. She was easy on the eyes.........VERY easy, but she didn't come off as one who could really put up a fight like this.

Still, she did have the guts to at least try, which intrigued him enough to watch how this unfolded, and perhaps step in if the wolf got the better of her.
 
The wolf tired it's best to get the better of her alright. It was almost as if the creature thought much of the same about her as the man watching the fight did. She was just a woman, what kind of threat could she be to a big powerful wolf. And sure, the wolf did get in a few good claw slashes to her arm as well as her leg but it was slowly proving to be hard for him to actually get his teeth into her pretty flesh he yearned to devour. No, Aleda was quite fond of her flesh and was not about to let this animal take out a chunk of her.

The fight was like a wrestling match really as the animal and the maiden rolled around, the wolf seemed to be getting the best of her until with one might push, the girl had turn him over and pinned the mighty creature to the ground. Her dagger sunk into his throat and the wolf gave a mighty yelp before she pulled the dagger out to then plunge it down into the names heart. The wolf twitched with life a few moments longer before it went limp in death.

Aleda pulled her dagger out of the animal and stood up, a bit shaken from the encounter and breathing heavily from the activity as she looked down at the dead animal at her feet, it's blood covering her hands and the only clothing she had.
 
"Sloppy, but you got the job done. Wins a win." Briag said for her to hear, as he came out of his hiding place, into full view of the woman. He had his weapons sheathed, and held his hands up, so she could see he had no intention of hurting her. Though, he figured chances are she wouldn't believe that. He could tell alot about her without even talking to her. That's the benefit of being a master tracker and hunter like him. The ability to learn all kinds of things just from a few details.

Briag was a specimen of pure manly. Big, dark, ruggedly handsome, with a voice that commanded respect, but also had an almost gentle hit to it. The fact he wore little, as typical of Barbarians, let her get quite a few of his impressive physique. If he were to be wearing fur, one might easily mistake him for a bear with how he was built.
 
She certainly didn't think he was a bear as she turned with her dagger raised up in defense once again, but at the same time her mind was working to fast to take in all the signs that he did not mean her harm. As she saw was big, built, man and all she thought was wildman. It couldn't be much of a surprise since she had wildman on the brain at the moment and it was an easy mistake to make between a wildman and a barbarian.

Aleda said nothing at first as she held the still bloody dagger between them. "It's only sloppy because the beasts blood had to go and get all over the place. If you come and closer I'll have to add more blood to my clothing," she threatened him.
 
"Yea, I'm sure you'll try to stab me with that butter knife you have, but you won't be able to hurt me with it." Briag replied, grinning as he kept his hands in the hair.

"You're welcome to come at me and try and run me through if you think you're capable. Though, all it'll end up doing is getting dirt on your face." he said, motioning with his raised hand to come and try is she wanted.
 
"Butter knife?" she scoffed at him as she started to adjust her stance. Not to attack though, but to defend herself from an attack. Her body language was clear. Aleda was prepared for an attack she did not think may happen. She was prepared for an attacked she seemed she knew would happen. No signs she planned to go after him until he came after her first. "This knife cut into that beasts thick skin pretty easily. Your skin looks just about as thick. Should be just as easy."
 
"If you believe so, then here, try it on my arm." Briag replied, pulling the sheath of his sword off his back and dropping it behind him on the grass, before taking a few steps forward and holding out his exposed right arm.

"Go ahead. I promise not to cry." he said, quite serious in letting her attempt to cut him, if that would make her feel better and put her at least a little bit at east, seeing his big bear of a man laying down his weapon and pretty well giving his life to her hands. If she did try and cut him, she probably wouldn't succeed. He was a barbarian after all. They lived in the harshest of environments. Hell, they thrived. So, their bodies were stronger than normal mens in pretty well every way. If she tried to cut him, she'd find it like trying to cut a tough steak. It took a fair bit of strength and aim to be able to mortally wound a barbarian. Chances were, this girl possessed neither........for the time being.

Still, he wasn't interested in her body. It was her courage in facing the wolf head on as opposed to running that caught his eye.
 
She still held the dagger in a stance of strong defense, but mad no change or move to attack. First off, Aleda was not stupid. She knew should could not bring this man down. He'd snap her arm or her neck before she could get the knife into his muscles. And my their were a lot of muscles on the man. No, it was not about killing him, it was all about seeming confident in her ability to do so if he gave her reason to. Backing up a few feet, she moved with a limp in her step from the crawling her left leg had just gotten. The movement was a test for herself. She didn't think she could run on it if she had to. It was painful and she knew it needed tending that was going to be sadly delayed until this brute backed off. Her arm was thankfully not a bad it seemed.
 
Briag easily noticed the limp, even without looking at her leg.

"You really need to tend to that wound. It seems little more than a hindrance now, but it being a wild animal, it could easily become infect before the sun rises. Then, you could be in serious trouble. I've got some herbs that'll help. You can either put them on yourself, or you can hold that little blade of yours to my throat while I do it. Either way, unless you wish to die a slow, painful death from infection, you need to use them." he explained, taking his arm back and pulling a pouch off his waist and opening it up, showing her the inside so she could see he wasn't lying about the herbs at least.
 
Damn that beast. And she didn't mean the wolf. The beast of a man before her was right and from glancing into the bag, as far as she could tell they were indeed healing herbs. Wildmen didn't tend to carry healing herbs on them. They didn't think about those kind of details when diving into raids of the innocent. "Who exactly are you? And how did you come across me?" If his answer was good enough, she might just lower the dagger between them. Lower it, but not let go of her grip on it.
 
"I was hunting that animal you killed. I had wondered why it's tracks suddenly went off in a different direction, and now I see the reason for that was you. Something about you seemed to attract him." Briag explained.

"And as for who I am, my name is Briag Kyron. I lead clan Warbear, the largest clan of the barbians in the southlands. I am not one of the wildmen that attacked your village." he continued.

"I know about your village, as my hunting party came across it about it a week ago. And with a young woman like you wandering around this area without supplies or companions, I can tell you're from that village." he explained further, anticipating her asking him how he knew so much, before tossing her the bag of herbs.

"Just wad up a few in your hand, and it'll create a paste. Rub that directly onto the wound. It smells wierd, but it'll keep your wound from becoming infecting and ease the pain." he stated.
 
She grabbed at the bag as he toss it to her, making sure it didn't hit the ground. For a moment, she kept her dagger up before she lowered it and with that her guard. Everything about his explanation made sense and for the moment he had her trust. That could always change however from moment to moment. Aleda kept the dagger at her side as she took a seat upon a rock and pulled up her skirts to get to the wound. The creature not only left it's blood on her clothing but left holes in it too. She's have to use up some of the thread she had on those as well as use from of the hem of her skirts to wrap her thigh and her arm. Not to mention then to wash them in the stream. It was a good thing she had planned to remain here a day or so, she'd need the time now.

Her one slender leg was revealed from under her skirts, the claw marks looking bloody and while deep not deep enough to do real damage in the long run. She took out the herbs as he has sad and crushed them, "In return for the herb you can take that animal with you. I can't carry it with me."
 
"I figured as much. But, I also have a proposition for you. One that gives you a place to stay, and a chance and eventually getting to the men that attacked your village, and killed everyone you knew." Briag replied, as he headed over to the dead wolf. There wasn't much damage done, so he could make use of it. The fur was his primary target, useful for many things in his clan.

"As I was saying, the proposition I have for you is to come back with me, and become a member of my clan. Agree to do so, and all we have, will be yours as well. We take care of our own. Whether your born in, or an outsider, any who show courage are welcome. Pass the intiation, and you'll forever be considered one of us. You'll have a warm bed to sleep in each night, be trained to fight, and be part of a family that won't hesitate to die for you." he explained, back to her as he went about preparing the wolf to take back with him. He knew his back was to her. It was intentional. Another show of him not wanting to harm her, by giving her the perfect chance to attack him.

"Your gender also matters not. Some of our most famous warrior were women. Hell, even I was born after my mother bested my father in combat and things got hot and heavy afterwards." he continued on, laughing at the story.
 
Aleda shifted her attention back and forth between her leg where she worked on her scratches to him, constantly making sure he still meant her no harm. The thought of attacking him with his back to her did not even cross her mind. She was not a violent person by her very nature. It was only necessity that made her skilled in ways of battle. His talk of his parents getting hot and heavy with one another made her crinkle her nose slightly at the topic. Not over his parents having sex. Sex was a natural thing. It was over his freedom to go talking about what is a private affair that made her do it, "And just exactly what kind of initiation would I have to go passing? I'm not a barbarian like you. I don't fight in combat. I fight to protect myself." She was not however turning his offer down yet.
 
"Heh, don't worry. It's not a test of combat prowess. It's more a test of will power and your resolve. There's no combat involved. In fact, all you have to do is stand still." Briag replied.

"You get put in the center of camp, and are not allowed to move or speak. Just stand. Not sit, not lay down.......stand. Speak, and it's over. Move, and it's over." he elaborated. It may not sound like much. But, he didn't say how long she had to stand there. THAT was the test. To do so as long as one possibly could, without any clue as to how long they should do so to get accepted. It tested physical and mental resolve. Physical, in that they would not be allowed to eat or drink, and would have to stay standing for days on end. Mental, in that they couldn't speak, and noone would speak them. The lack of human contact could easily drive weak willed people completely insane. But, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. When an initate was considered to have passed, there was a grand freast held in their honor, where even the leader Briag, would bow to them, with all the benefits joining clan gave.
 
She ripped off the hem of her skirt and wrapped it around her thigh, her slender leg still exposed though looking much nicer now that it had been cleaned up. "You expect me to stand with my leg like this? I am afraid I would not be able to stand there for very long with it like this." Tightening the cloth onto her leg, she let her skirts back down over it as she looked to tending to her arm.
 
"The simple length of time is not important. It's the will you show in doing so. You could stand for no more than a few moments, and still be accepted in, as long as you show the will that's required for our clan. I'm guessing you're thinking that how can someone tell how strong your will is just from you standing around. Trust me, alot can be told of someone in such a manner, if you know where to look. A simple try is all I'm suggesting. Even if you fail, you won't just be dumped into the woods to die. You'll be given enough food and supplies to make it to the next town on your own." Briag explained, swinging the wolf over his shoulder before going and retrieving his sword and sheath.
 
Adela ripped another chunk of her skirts hem off and wrapped her arm before she looked up at him. Something about him and the proposal he was making to her made her just want to prove to him she could pass his little test, even if she didn't wish to be a part of his little clan. "And if I pass... am I free to leave with the food and supplies should I so choose it?" She reached out her hand to hand him back the small bag of herbs, even thought she knew that meant he would need to get close to her to take it back.
 
"As a member of the clan, you're free to take anything you want with you if you choose to leave. As I said, becoming a member of the clan, all we own is shared amongst each other. You'd be free to take every pound of food and every weapon we have if you so desire." Briag explained, taking the herb back and putting it back on his belt.

((Of course, she'll end up passing. You read my mind, as I was expecting her to end up actually lasting a good while in the test, just to be stubborn and prove she could do it.^_^ In the end, I was thinking she decides to stay based on a starting attraction she has for him, as well as how the other clan members gladly accept her and treat her like family. I could even see her and him getting quite drunk during the mentioned celebratory feast and having a wild night of sex, that she's upset about in the morning, but states she doesn't regret it, which is why she elects to live with him.))
 
She paused a moment. "Very well, I go with you then, but don't think I go to join your clan. I could use the supplies in my travels and have no money to purchase anything. Seems like a fair trade. Pass you test then be on my way." She moved to her bags and backed up the things she did have. Tossing one of the sacks like a back onto her back the the other she slung over her shoulder. She looked amusing to him likely. A little thing like her seemingly carrying her whole world on her shoulders.

((We shall see. She might still be intend on leaving. He might need to persuade her a bit more to stay.))
 
Briag just watched her, rather impressed, before starting off. The camp wasn't far, but it was the dead of night, and she could no doubt hardly see. He was at home in this type of place, so he could get through just fine. But, he went slow, so as she could keep sight of him and follow him. The sign of them nearing being seemingly normal animal noises, like a coyote in the distance, or chirping bugs. It was in fact sentries from his clan, who guarded their perimiter of their camp, reporting to each other that their leader was back and with a guest. Going through a last layer of thick foliage, they came out upon a large clearing, filled tents and other makeshift shelters. Fires were lit amongst them, lighting up the whole camp. Most children were in bed by this time, but one young girl did come running out of a tent, hugging and latching onto Briags leg while he laughed and spoke with her a moment before prying her off. The young girl looked up at this strange woman a moment, as if examining her. Then, with a ear and ear smile, lifted up a homemade doll in her hands, as if proudly showing it off, before returning to the tent from whence she had originally came.

He then motioned for Adela to follow him, soon reaching the center of camp.

"You can put your bags down. Your test starts now." he said quite casually before walking off to talk to a group of men off to the side, with her being able to hear how he was explaining the current situation.

((Well, just throw a wrench in my plans, why don't you?:p I hate you now.))
 
She had just been about to ask him where she stood to get this test of his started when he was already walking away from him. It sort of surprised her that he did not offer to let her rest before starting this test. He truly was a barbarian. No manners shown to a woman. He wanted her to prove herself. Well then fine she'd prove herself. She tossed the one bag over her shoulder down before slipping the one off her back to join it before she took a few steps away from them, firmly planted her feet in the earth beneath her. Took a deep breath, closed her eyes to concentrate, and began this test. She started to hear his talking but quickly tuned out the sound and all other sounds as well.
 
((How long do you plan to have her last? I ask, because whether it's a couple hours, or couple days, it'd probably be best to do a time skip summary post, as opposed to playing it out, as all it will be is her standing there, while he goes about his business.))

After Briag explained the situation, various men and women went about preparing for the grand feast. So, whether she lasted days or hours, it'd be ready for her right at the get go, so she could relax and fill her body. Even if she failed, she'd be given a good meal before being given the supplies to make it to town.
 
((A few days. I don't know how one is either dubbed pass or fail. Would it be when she ends it or would Briag step in and end it))

The food of the feast could very well go cold it seemed as she stood there through the night, through the next day, and through the following night as well. The whole while she stood still with her eyes shut as she blocked out the world around her. When the sun was rising upon the next day of her test, Aleda was still standing there though it looked like time was starting to take it's toll on her from the ever so slight sway of her stance.
 
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