Outracing the Flames RPG

[Nogrod]

Soon enough, they came into a small clearing with fire going on, and Osmod and Fion were there! What a relief! Both of them alive –although Fion didn’t seem so well with the heavy bandage on his head. There was an old man tending his wound. Osmod was standing beside them. And there were others there too.

These are strange times indeed. I thought that out party was a motley crue of youngsters and old warhorses, but look at these people here! Four youngsters, a girl and a grandfather! Are these the survivors of that unhappy village?

Athwen dropped herself from the saddle and took to walking, greeting the people at the clearing. All the Bregowarians dismounted too and headed to see Osmod and Fion: to embrace them, to ask what had happened. After patting Fion to the shoulder in encouragement, Sythric turned towards Osmod. He embraced him warmly, and with a great relief. “I’m really happy to see you two alive! For a moment we really feared you dead. Now I just hope, we are among friends, and not enemies.” Before Osmod could answer, there came others, hugging Osmod and asking about things happened.

Sythric stepped back and tried to configure the situation out. The old man that had been tending Fion’s wound had drawn aside, and was talking to three other strangers some ten yards away. The Deer! It must be their kill? Sythric walked back to the horses, took the bloody blanket from Thydrë, whispered some comforting words to Eostre’s horse and untied the deer from his back. He took the deer and the blanket, and walked towards the four strangers. He stopped about two yards from them and addressed them.

“My name is Sythric, Sythric of the Skara, Bregoware, sergeant of the Rohirrim – not in active duty, as you can see from my age, I suppose.” He nodded politely to everyone of the strangers, Athwen included, for they had not been introduced to each other. “The other senior with us there is Raedwald, also a veteran of the rohirrim. We served at Croacht, under the warden Thygulf some ten years ago. I don’t know, what our leader Osmod, and this young Fion here have told you, but we are on an urgent mission to the king himself, and would not like to be distracted. So I find these latest happenings quite unfortunate. If you are good people, loyal to the king and Rohan - as I do believe - you should see, that it’s not wise to go on ambushing each other? Especially at times like these.” He studied the men quite boldly, except for Leod, for he had been raised to honour older people, and that lesson he had learned well enough.

Before they could answer, he threw the deer to their feet. “This must be your kill?” He asked, and then threw the bloody blanket after it, to cover the deer. The deer’s hind legs were sticking from under the blanket. Sythric lifted the blanket from the corner and kicked the legs under it. As he let the blanket fall, there were no parts of the deer to be seen: it was just a bloody body under a blanket. “This is what we found from the grass, as we were searching for our friends here. So please understand us being a bit upset. Thank’s to this young lady here, we didn’t attack your encampment and continue the misery you have started.” As he thought Leod to be the leader here, he then looked questioningly into his eyes.

[Arry]

Brand watched as the newcomers greeted their companions. He’d heard what Athwen said about them and what she thought they were doing so far from their homes. How on earth did we ever think they were Easterlings! He tsk’d at himself for having been so jumpy. One small crisis and your clear thinking turns all muddy . . .

His eyes flicked up toward Leod as the older fellow finished grumbling about the new happenings. ‘I agree,’ he murmured back. ‘And I’m thinking we’ll be on our way tomorrow morning, and they can continue on with their own journey.’ He paused for a moment, his thoughts rolling about in his head. ‘It is an out of sorts thing, isn’t it, for us to be traveling so far from our village; I’ll give you that. But then these seem to be out of sorts times, don’t they? Given my own wishes I’d be in the little rolling hills west of Wulfham. With my horse and dog to keep me company. Watching out over my woolies. Going home at night to the good company of my family and my dear mother’s cooking.’ He swept his arm in a short arc about the campsite. ‘Not here, in this unfamiliar place with these unfamiliar people.’ He rubbed at the raised pink tissues of his cheek. ‘And with my face scarred and hurting all the time.’ He shrugged his shoulders and took a deep breath. ‘But here I am. At the bidding of Wulfham’s Lord, until the task is done or I am dead.’ He looked wearily toward the west. ‘With any luck, he’ll set this all to rights and there’ll be an end to all this out of sortness.’

By this time, one of the newcomers, Sythric he called himself, an older man, had gone back to one of the horses, returning with a deer carcass. He’d thrown it at their feet and spoken in a harsh, accusatory manner, or so it seemed to Brand’s ears. Brand’s cheek’s reddened, his fresh scars burning with the sudden rush of blood to them. He bit back his first thoughts which were simply to tell them he would be more than happy to see the hind end of their horses as they rode out of the camp. The one young man, though, Fion, did not look in any shape to be traveling.

Brand schooled his tongue to some civility and apologized for the actions once again, the Wulfhamers had taken against the two scouts. He offered no excuses, as the man seemed not in the mood to hear any. To his own surprise, he found himself inviting the other group to stay for supper and to bed down with them for the night if they wished. ‘You’ve so graciously brought in the deer we killed, you might as well share in it.’

He stepped away from the older man, leaving him to speak with Leod. ‘I’m Brand, from Wulfham,’ he said nodding in greeting to the other older newcomer. Brand pointed round to his little group, naming each. Eostre was greeted next, and then Meghan. ‘Please do stay with us the night and share a meal,’ he said taking them all in with a glance about. ‘A simple journey meal . . . plenty of meat, I think, to satisfy hunger. And whatever else we can pull together from your packs and ours.’

[Undómë]

Meghan


Meghan was more than glad to see her two companions all in one piece. When Athwen had spoken about the ambush, Meghan had gotten the idea that while the two were still alive, they were quite battered. She grinned widely at the two and ran to see them.

Osmod seemed fine. She looked at him appraisingly. No nicks or big bruises. She smiled a little wondering if the incident had ruffled his feathers a bit though. Best not tease him at this point . . . she told herself. Not in front of anyone, at least.

To Fion she spoke gently. He’d taken the brunt of the pummeling, it seemed. ‘We should have all stuck together,’ she told him. ‘Taken them on as a group.’ She rested her hand lightly on his arm. ‘You were very brave to scout ahead for us, Fion. Thank you for taking that on.’ She leaned in close to whisper to him. ‘Sometimes I curse the ill luck that set me on this journey to the King. Honestly, I don’t know how I’ll stand up to an attack, if one comes my way. Sometimes I find myself thinking I’d just run off like when my little flock scatters at the first hint of danger.’

She was about to say more when one of the other group’s men came walking over and began to introduce himself to Rædwald and the others of her group. Brand, he said his name was. From Wulfham. She frowned for a moment, the village name rousing some dusty memory in her thoughts. She could not quite catch the connections and shrugged it off as just some odd passing thought.

Meghan’s belly rumbled as he mentioned eating. Her eyes lit up at the thought of roasted bits of deer meat, sizzling hot from the fire. ‘Well, I for one would like to accept your invitation.’ She turned to Rædwald. ‘Didn’t you say you’d brought a little sack of oats? We can make oatcakes to fill in the empty spaces.’ She looked about the entire group. ‘I’m sure someone here will give me a hand.’

She stepped a little closer to Brand, her gaze traveling over his cheek wounds and those on his arms. ‘What happened to you?’ she said, her voice sounding genuinely interested. ‘I hope whatever did that is dead now!’ Her hand traveled up toward his face, but was quickly recalled as she realized he might take the action amiss. ‘Sorry!’ she murmured, her cheeks coloring. ‘I didn’t mean to be so bold.’

[Nogrod]

"I’m Brand, from Wulfham", Sythric heard Brand introducing himself just after he walked out from the situation. From Wulfham? Wasn’t old Griawan at the riders from Wulfham? A good man he was indeed. Raedwald would surely remember him. But why this oldtimer and the girl? Are these the only survivors of Wulfham? Wulfham burned down with only six survivors!

He had been angry. He had had justification to it. They had been over-jumpy and attacked clearly innocent people – with possibly disasterous results, if Fion could not continue. Where could we leave him? We couldn’t wait anyhow... And the bloody blanket there at the grass just had kicked him into the belly with a force of ten bulls. Now this Brand was clearly offended by him. That should have to be repaired, and hopefully soon. We are all in this same mess, all thrown asunder by these rough times, and would have to co-operate. Maybe we should take the swift riders of them with those of us able to ride fast, to tell also the story of Wulfham, and the slower ones would try to join the next refugee village together?

He heard Brand inviting them to eat and overnight with them. It sounded promising to his ears. But still he was faced with the old man – and the other young man and the girl. They had said nothing – they were all listening to Brand making the invitations.

Sythric addressed Leod: “So you are from Wulfham? Are there any other survivors? These surely are dark times! I knew a Wulfhamer back in the riders, Griawan was his name. He was a good man, and so I trust you others to be as well. Forgive me my anger. It’s not so much us who talk and act like that, it’s the times and the disstress, that talk and act through us with that impatience. I think we all will have to talk about this, maybe at the fireside, with some roast deer to go with it?”

[Valier]

Vaenosa had tried to stay quiet and tend the fire, but she was becoming restless. Now there were even more strangers in their midst. She did not like the look of the lot and was getting more irratated with every second that went by. The last straw came when she heard Brand offer these people a meal and for them to spend the night in their camp. How can he do this? Is he daft? There is a young girl in this camp, as well as three other females. How can we be safe? The look of these men! I swear, I will sleep not while they sleep near!
Vaenosa shot a look towards Brand, then whistled for Nay. He had finished playing with the tree bark and was about to come bug her for attention anyways. Grabbing his reins, Vaenosa stalked towards the small river. She didn't care to tell anyone where she was going or what they would think of her.

Stooping Vaenosa picked up a handful of rocks and began to chuck them into the water with great force. She was as stressed as She had been in a very long time. She was prone to harsh actions and words as if they would protect her, but now she was scared that with all these strangers she might let her guard down and be hurt in some way. I think I'll stay here for awhile. I am sure they can cook the meat by themselves. I did not come here to make friends, only to save my Mother.

"Nay what do you think of all this? I guess you could care less, the more people the more trouble you can get into eh?" Vaenosa said as she stroked Nay's mane. "Well you will have to sleep with me, my friend because there is no way I shall doze long and if someone approachs you will let me know." Nay answered her back with a snort and a tug on her hair. "Oww you creatin! I hate it when you bite my hair! It leaves it all crusty with your drool!" Trying hard not to bite him back, Vaenosa resumed to whipping rocks into the water tring to regain her calmness, so she could return to the camp before someone came there to find her. She was almost certain no one would come to find her, they probably wished she would just stay behind or get lost on the journey..

[Farael]

His friends were all there, and as they made arrangements for what promised to be a good dinner away from home, Osmod drifted back into his silent self. Some of the men were busying themselves with the deer carcass and Meghan was asking Rædwald for some oats while Osmod and Fion rested for another moment. Then, Mother Nature made her call felt and Osmod excused himself from the rest of the group. He found a suitable clump of bushes close to the river, and then he decided to wash himself before dinner time. It was far too cold to take his clothes off and get into the river, but he kneeled on a big flat boulder on the riverbed and washed his hands and his face.

…plock.. sounded once. plick… plock… sounded again.

Osmod looked up to see the cruel woman –he could not force himself to think otherwise- throwing stones onto the river. For a moment, he thought that stone-throwing must be a popular skill wherever these people came from -looking at what they had done to Fion- but he disregarded that thought as silly. Dying himself as best as he could with his cloak, he walked over to the woman. Her horse was nearby and not knowing a better way to start a conversation, he approached the stallion and patted his neck slightly. He was bitten for his effort. ”Brute..” He muttered to himself, before regaining his composure and addressing the startled woman. ”Oh, I’m sorry… I did not mean to scare you. I saw you here and thought we never got a chance to talk, you know, after our… meeting. Sadly, your horse surprised me before I got a chance to say hello. I am Osmod, as you probably know, and I used to lead the Bregoware group. After my last mistake, I don’t know who could possibly follow me into yet another ambush.” He shook his head ”But that is not something you need to concern about, would you walk with me back into the camp? It is getting dark and we should all stay together.” He tried to smile, reassuringly and did his best to hide his feelings from this woman. She had threatened Fion’s life and that was not something he would forgive easily. But in any case, the other people in her group seemed civilized enough, and if she was with them she must have been useful in one way or another.

Osmod just hoped she was not useful as a cold-blooded killer.

[Valier]

Vaenosa was busying herself trowing rocks when someone approached from behind, startling her. It was the man they had netted, Osmod she was pretty sure was his name. He appologized for scaring her and asked if she would walk back to the camp with him. He gave a weak smile, which Vaenosa knew held more then what he led on. She was sure he had came to seek vengence for the way she had treated them. No man in her mind would be able to let the shame of a woman beating them go unjustified. His words were a front, she was sure. But why would he even approach her? Was he just letting her know he had not forgotten her or was he mearly attempting to make friends? Well she would be weary every second she was alone.

" I was just about to head back myself, since I know how wandering off goes unappreciated with most of these people. I see no harm in you joining me in the quick walk back." Vaenosa said as she smiled coyly. "Just watch Nay if he's behind you...He likes to bite!" With that Nay bumped Osmond from behind as she said it, giving him a slight push. " So you were the Leader of your group then? Why do you say were? Have they all mutanied against you?" Vaenosa could not help herself, she always felt the need to try and belittle men. She intended this time to put on a smile and keep her enemies close.

Vaenosa flipped her long, slightly matted hair off her shoulder and looked back to the man who followed behind her. She looked to see if Nay was following still and sure enough he was, but he seemed to have other plans as well. He slowed almost to a stop then pounced towards the man landing him squarely in the back with his head. Osmond gave a slighty yelp as he was taken by surprise and fell forward onto the earth.

Vaenosa held her sides for a moment at the sight of the man on the ground with a crazy prancing, pouncing horse romping around him. She tried hard not to laugh, but let out a quick "Ha!" Vaenosa leaned over and offered her hand to the man. "Sorry, he just....he thinks he's a Dog... or maybe a goat...I do not know, but well sorry!" She waited to see if the man would erupt with anger and retribution or would he let the moment go and not be angered at his vulnerability.

[Eowyn Skywalker]

It was impossible for Eostre to help but falling into her traditional silent state, observing and taking everything in, but saying nothing. Her horse had carried in the fallen deer; walking back over to him, she rubbed him gently between the ears. "A slightly different situation, eh there? All these strange people?"

Leaving her horse to whatever he chose to do, Eostre sat down on a nearby stump. Of course Meghan would fit right in, making friends with everyone and probably winning all the men's hearts while she was at it. Friendly, chipper, naive... was everyone like that? Was she the only one who saw life and just knew it would turn around and bite you in the behind?

Hah.

She examined those who had previously been the rest of her party. Fion seemed to have taken the worst damage, but all in all, everyone was in tact.

Perhaps we'll be able to eat, then.