The Crown Game (CutePhoenix/buttefly0408)

((Well, it's all based on the persons will. While it's weird and may not make sense, it's pretty well based on WHY the person does it. Like her. She's doing it to prove she can. That's she's not weak. He can tell this, and thus, she'll pass. But, if someone were to do it, simply to bum food off them or some such, or try and get in close to a hot female barb, even if they lasted for weeks, it'd be considered failed and their ass will be sent packing. As weird as it sounds, failing is not the same as not being accepted. Time spent doing it means little. If she had of got pissed and told him off for suddenly making her do it, he would have considered her passed as well. Yea.........I know it's weird as hell........but it's what I came up with. But, he will end it, cause like I said, he can tell she's doing it to prove something, so frankly, she'd only stop once her body could do it no more, which could lead to really messing herself up. He'll stop her when he believes she's passed, which is now.^_^ In the end, it's the idea I got in my head to show how things work amongst them. Courage and willpower is considered more valuable to them, than a strong arm and skilled sword.))

Throughout the days, Briag had kept an eye on her. It was impressed a female in her condition had lasted so long. While not the record for lasting the longest, he was satisfied she had proven himself. So, he stepped up to her and gently shook her shoulders.

"You pass there miss............you know, I don't think you ever did give me your name." he added with a smile.

((Now, it's your call whether she decides to stay or not. If not, I could see her perhaps agreeing to stay long enough to train in the way of the sword, after a scout comes reporting back about how the wildmen attacked and burned down another village. And during this time, is when she warms up to him and his clan as a whole.))

((No I understand the meaning behind it totally. I was just wondering if it was going to have to come to her passing out standing there or not))

She was in the zone of her state for the most part, but her hold on it was perhaps slipping for his voice penetrated beyond the walls she had place around her. It slipped by and yet it not seem to register itself fully as she kept on standing there with her eyes shut, not acknowledging him or answering his question of what he name was. She may have passed but did not realize it yet.

((Nah, won't happen. As you can tell, he's already got a bit of a thing for her. But, if she has passed out on her feet, she'll be taken care of, and informed of her passing when she wakes up.))

"Hey.........HEY!" Briag said again, raising his voice to try and snap her out of this little trance she seemed to be in, shaking her a bit harder.

"Hello in there. You passed!" he added, raising his voice and shaking her shoulders a bit again. This was the first time he had seen an initate so damn into it, they failed to respond to passing.

His shaking did the trick as her eyes shot open, looking at first wide awake then a bit red and puffy with her weariness. They seemed unfocused at first then locked onto his face and things seemed to sink in. She smiled slightly, "Told you I could..." she said before taking just one step, where upon her injured leg made itself known to her and made it known it was not happy being left on her feet for so long for it pained her times ten from when she had first gotten it and gave way right from under her as she hissed and went downward.

((I figure if she has to remain there for her leg to heal up, she'll take a liking to the place in that time.))

Thanks to his quick reflexes, her knees didn't even touch the ground as Briag caught her.

"Whether you decide to stay here permanently or not, I'd suggest remaining here for at least a few days to let your wound fully heal. Here, I'll carry you to the medical hut." he replied, gently scooping her up in his arms bridal style. For a guy of his size, he had surprising finess, and showed a good deal of gentleness, which she may find weird from a barbarian.

((OOO, that works even better.^_^ ))

There was not much time for her to think him weird or charming of handsome or anything like that for half way to the hut her head flopped back and the rest of her body gave out as her leg had done only moments before. She still had not given him her name or any indication as to if she did plan to remain here with his clan or not. She was some kind of mystery.

Briag looked at her now unconscious body, and chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

"Stubborn thing......." he said to himself as he reached the hut, carrying her inside and laying her on a comfy bear skin, whilst explaining what had happened to the medicine woman. Surprisingly..........he then sat down off the side, wanting to wait for her wake up, no matter how long, for reasons perhaps he even didn't understand.

The medicine woman looked over her leg and promptly scolded their leader for allowing her to stand for so long on such an injury. One day longer and she could have possibly lose all use of her leg. As it was, the medicine woman dubbed that he was to make she he kept off the leg for at least three full days to let it get the rest it was suppose to have been getting all this time. After that she was only to use it when necessary for the rest of the week. It seemed she was going to be staying there with them if she liked it or not.

Outside the hut, the people started to make ready for the fest in her honor that night though it seemed more and more like she'd sleep through it as she remained deep in her rest until just before sundown when at last she stirred and awoke.

"Sleep well?" Briag asked, still planted in his seat off to the side, having never moved. He was use to the scoldings from the medicine woman. Not only cause this wasn't the first time someone had done something like this, but because she also happened to be a close friend of his mothers, who he considered an aunt, despite not actual blood relation to her.

While she did indeed sleep through the planned feast, they'd no doubt still have some kind of celebration in her honor, to make up for it. That is, if she elected to stay permanently. Still, having passed, she'd find the others all kind and welcoming to her. At least, once she was well enough to leave the hut.

"I slept?" she said with her voice a little hoarse from it's lack of use over the last few days. Her eyes wandered around the space and realized it was an unfamiliar place to her before her gaze turned and settled her eyes on him, "Why did you stop me?" She asked him with her brow frowning a little, "I was doing just fine until you broke my concentration."

"So, you completely forgot the part of how I had to shake you to snap you out of her little trance to tell you that you passed. We can start it again and I can do nothing and let you starve to death, if you'd prefer. Can't say I believe that a wise course of action, but hey, it's your choice." Briag replied with a little grin, obviously being sarcastic. Though, he wasn't surprised she had forgotten. Couldn't help teasing her though.

She half pouted in his direction at first before sighing and moving to sit up, "No, that makes sense to me now. I remember it. And while doing it all over again sounds like such a lark and such fun, I have passed your little test and so now it was told to me, I will collect the things I should need to be on my way." She started to swing her feet to the side of the bed but couldn't move her leg without the sharp pain shot through her. "Oooooh that's not a good feeling..."

"Yea, you might want to consider postponing that a day or two. I won't stop you from leaving now, if you want. But, it won't be my fault when you become crippled. If you'd actually like to be able to walk to wherever you want to go, you're gonna wanna consider spending the next two days resting and letting your leg heal." Briag explained to her. With how stubborn she obviously was, he seriously didn't know if she would stay and heal, or try and muscle through the pain and leave.

She sighed and laid back on the bearskin, looking up at the hut's roof. "I don't think I have a choice... I can't even move it to stand let alone walk on it." With another sigh she turned her face towards him, "Thank you for the hospitality until I can be on my way." It had not seem to sunk into her mind that she was not a guest to these people anymore but one of them.

"You're welcome. You shouldn't be too bored laying up in here for the next few days. After passing, there'll no doubt be plenty of people coming in to see you and welcome you and all that. Though, if you'd prefer things quite where you can spend the days resting peacefully, I can keep people out." Briag replied, sitting up a bit straighter, leaning back against one of the supports on the inside of the hut, which kept the place standing.

She didn't see why people would want to come talking to her when she was a total stranger among them. The only person she had even spoken to was him. Aleda did not really think it was going to be "plenty" of people as he said and so she shrugged her shoulders, "If people want to come say good job on standing for a day or so, who am I do deny them that?"

"Well, you passed the initation, so whether you realize it or not, you're considered one of us." Briag replied. Though, he wasn't surprised by her response. He figured it would seem odd to an outsider for them to suddenly treat her like family, without even knowing her personally. But, that's how things were with them. Chances are, she'd either continue to find odd, or warm up their hospitality.

It still did not sink into her little head the warmth she was going to be given in this place so soon after just arriving there. "If you say so," she told him as she felt her stomach start to protest much as her leg had. It grumbled as if to say 'remember me' to her. She smiled a little, "If I am one of you now does that mean I get a little food?"

"Hehe, that it does. I'll go get you a good meal." Briag replied, standing up then going to the exit.

"Be right back." he added with a smile before going out the door. He returned not long after with a homemade plate containing two big, juicy turkey legs, diced up potatoes and an almost salads worth of leaves of lettuce, as well as deerskin water pouch. He wasn't sure what she'd like, so he just got plenty of meat and a few other things, incase she happened to not like meat. He made sure to get plenty, as he didn't just how hungry she might be. For all he knew, she could end up downing all the food with ease, and still be hungry for more.

"Here you go. Doesn't look like much........but it is good, I can tell you that much." he said, coming over to sit next to the bear skin she was laid out on, holding out the plate to her, while holding onto the water pouch himself, so she wouldn't have to worry about spilling it while trying to handle the big plate.

"Doesn't look like much?" she asked as she took the plate in both hands and playfully pretending like the weight of the plate was pulling her down towards the ground. "This is not much for your clan to eat in one sitting? This is two days worth of food in my village." Her face sunk a little at the memory of her home that was not ashes in the wind. She put the plate down on he lap and nodded her head to him, "Thank you. It's more then necessary but I am so hungry I may just make a pig of myself this one time."

"Heh, nice one. But I meant it may not look good taste wise, but it is quite scumptious." Briag replied, laughing.

"I made sure to get plenty, cause I didn't know when the last time you ate was. So, since you didn't get to go to the feast in your honor last night, you can still have a mini feast here." he added, with a light chuckle.

"Ooooooh, I see how it is now," she said as she raised some of the potatoes to her lips to munch on them. "I did all the work and did not even get to participate in my own fest. So that's your game. And I suppose you bowed to me while I was sleeping as well to fulfill that part of the deal as well."

"Well, I had thought you would have been awake. But, just after I picked you up, you went out like a candle and were asleep ever since." Briag replied.

"But, you missing it did provide some revelations. Such as........I had no idea a lady could snore as loudly as you could." he added, obviously just joking around and teasing her, since she didn't actually snore or anything.

She gave him that same skeptical frowning of her brow as she took picked the meat apart in her hands and just took a small piece to her lips rather then the entire leg of turkey, "I do not snore. Perhaps you just snore so loud yourself that you confused your own snoring for my own."

"Heh, just a joke. No offense meant." Briag replied, raisig his hands like he did when they first, when he showed her was unarmed.

((Since she's gonna be laid up for a few days, I think it could be a good time to switch to one of the other houses's and intro them. Then, when we come back to these two, it's days later, where she's gotten time to like the place.