|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 5, 2007 22:07:07 GMT -5
The sun rose and we were covered by a heavy and damp layer of dew. Not the most pleasing of conditions to wake in but it sure beat not waking. I sat up and stretched and let out a grunt not to mention a few snaps and pops. I then got to my feet to try and re-awaken the other parts that were asleep from the night on the cold hard ground. I glanced toward the still sleeping Eyvind and did the thing most likely to wake him. I broke wind loudly and odiously.
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 8, 2007 21:57:20 GMT -5
My dream had faded but my sleep was intrupted by a loud noise and a unholy smell. I wrinkled my nose and rolled over. The grass was wet with dew and not any more hospitable.
I sat up and wiped the wetness from my face. I then gave Uruz an irrated but amused look, "I hope you don't plan on waking me like that often. It could turn me into a sour man."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 9, 2007 2:17:55 GMT -5
I gathered my gear that was pretty much consisting of my ax alone and replied mildly. "Of course not Eyvind" I then stood up once more and gave him a totally unrepentant look "I plan on being much closer in the future so you can enjoy the full affects." We had slept without a watch but well we had nothing anyone would steal so I guess it made little sense to have one go short of sleep.
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 11, 2007 20:21:44 GMT -5
I laughed at Uruz's response as I stood and gathered the few things that I had. "The first thing that I am doing when I have some money is buying a spice bowl. Then I can hold it near my nose and breath easier. Purhapse I will just tie it around my face as a precaution."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 11, 2007 21:29:43 GMT -5
I sighed and shouldered my ax and looked down the long road ahead of us. "Well, I would be happy for some sort of roof over our heads even if it is only a tent roof. " I looked at him and tried to not let despair creep into my tone "And the next meal is another real issue let alone spice." I looked down the road again "I am sure many have made it starting with less but Odin I am not sure how we could have much less."
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 12, 2007 20:57:18 GMT -5
I nodded, taking a more serious tone, "things will work out, we are two able bodied men we can find something. It may not be grand or something to show a lot of pride in, but I don't think we will starve to death." I felt like giving him a hug, but I didn't think Uruz would that very comforting. So, I simply picked up my bag and sword, placing both over my shoulder. With a confident smile I said, "would you like to head out and see what the future holds for us?"
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 13, 2007 4:18:57 GMT -5
"About all there is to do" was my grim response before I before I set off with a steady pace. "We can see how much distance we can make before our bellies force us to scrounge again. At least with spring starving should not be an issues like it would if it where winter."
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 13, 2007 14:38:24 GMT -5
Things would have been 10 times rougher if it had been winter, espcially near Skaldi. I nodded in agreement and set off with him, easily matching his pace our days of travel making ot an unconcious effort.
I did not say anything for a while, my thoughts ocupying my mind. There was one question that had been roaming aorund trying to bother me so I asked, "do you think you will try to ever go back to Skaldi?"
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 14, 2007 1:33:02 GMT -5
I heard the question and walked in silence as I pondered it "I honestly do not know. A lot depends on what fate has in store. It is my home of course, but at the same time I know not what would wait there." I looked to him then "I do know I do not plan on spending the rest of my days plotting the down fall of those who defeated me. In that direction lies only bitterness and madness."
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 14, 2007 22:05:10 GMT -5
I nodded and could not hold back a small smile, it was the sort of answer I was looking for. Mainly that he was not planning on enacting revenge. It was a dark road and one that would most likely only lead to more pain.
"I agree," I told him, "it is not a good road. Those who caused us such pain will have their rewards in the next life. Of that I do not question."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 15, 2007 10:51:41 GMT -5
I grunted and walked along in silence a bit. I then looked at him and added with a smirk “But do not think that makes me soft. If the chance presented its self I would gleefully cut a blood eagle on any of those who helped put us in this current mess.” I looked back up the road “I just do not plan on hunting such with obsession.”
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 15, 2007 21:42:01 GMT -5
I nodded in understanding, the blood eagle was one good way of getting your point across. It was bloody and not something I would do for sport, but I could understand Uruz's want for it.
"I don't know if any of them would venture into Terre d'Ange but I truly do not hope not. I would hate for our family battles to find their way there. The d'Angelines would think even less of us if they did."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 15, 2007 22:10:07 GMT -5
I grunted as we kept walking and I pondered his words "To be honest I doubt any of our people will venture this way for a long time other than short skirmishes. They really have nothing to gain." I glanced at him "I reckon that is pretty much the basics of life as we have always known it. It all comes down to gain in the end."
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 17, 2007 20:40:14 GMT -5
"Yes,"I nodded and then spoke the words on my own lips considering it's power, "gain. I guess that is what all people want when you come down to the basics. To gain something, rather it is money, power, rvenge, or in some cases love." Our people did seem to be more concerned with power and revenge than anything else at the moment but I was confident that not all Skaldi were consumed by it. Those who had worked with and sometimes lived with Uruz had been true. Uruz was, in truth, a good judge of character.
"I wonder what the d'Angelines hope to gain. I will have to admit that I did not pay much mind to the few stories that were told of them. I am sure some of them were false as well."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 18, 2007 3:50:34 GMT -5
I smiled at that "Not a matter of gain with them really I suspect. It is a matter of keeping what they already have. When one has what they want there is of course probably always going to be someone to try and take what they have."
I paused near a thick spot of brush that was riddled with game trails and looked it over. "Here might be a good spot to try and snare a hare and we are about due for a break. Though it will take some time for a snare to maybe connect and we need to find water as well." I looked up the road a ways "I have no idea how far it is till the next town."
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 21, 2007 20:16:43 GMT -5
I stopped with him, "some food would be good and a hare would be great." I looked around, "if we follow these tracks far enough we may find water as well."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 21, 2007 20:43:00 GMT -5
I inclined my head and began following a game trail "Keep your eyes peeled for any spring mushrooms or catches of nuts from last fall. Too early in the year for berries." The game trail made a dog leg and went over a log there I found a suitable sapling right at the funnel point. I dug out my dagger and cut a length of leather from the bottom of my shirt.
I then looped the length around the sapling and bent it over. The spring was about right so I then used my ax to lop several smaller limbs off a nearby tree. These I cut to length and then used to peg the ground end of the snare. For finishing touches I camouflaged it with natural vegetation. "Lets go find water and see if that connect in the mean time. Maybe if we are lucky the water might have some fish assuming we can find any."
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 24, 2007 14:55:51 GMT -5
I nodded and looked around as Uruz made the snare. There would be enough dry vegetation and branches to create a large fire if we did catch something to eat. My stomach grumbled at the thought and I made a small prayer to the gods in my mind for some good meat.
Once he was finished I walked with him toward a logical direction for water. I looked around as went seeing if there was anything of interest.
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 24, 2007 16:50:57 GMT -5
At last I heard running water and soon a small stream came into view. It was nothing large enough to hold fish but it did have rocks a plenty in it. I tilted my head and thought “You know if we tumble some rocks we might be able to find some crayfish to cook up?”
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 24, 2007 23:33:46 GMT -5
I smiled at the suggestion, "crayfish would be great! They are a pain to get to sometimes, but they are so very tasty. Though at this point I could probably eat a hundred of them."
I walked to the edge of the water and slipped off my boots. "Even if we don't find any crayfish my feet will enjoy a little cleansing." I smirked and added, "though if your going to drink any of this you might want to stay upstream of my feet."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 25, 2007 11:14:34 GMT -5
I left my boots on as rocks tended to hurt my feet and I waded in “Well there is one problem that is something to put them in to boil though I suspect the first few will get ate raw.” I began rolling rocks and looking under them. The water was still quite cold with the spring but one does what one has to, to survive.
Sure enough I found several pretty quick and captured them before they could pinch. Not wasting any time I stripped and ate their tails raw then pinched their heads and sucked out their brains with a loud slurp.
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 25, 2007 14:22:37 GMT -5
I stepped in, a little slowly at first as the cold water bit into my skin. It felt good though, my feet quickly becoming numb. I would possibly regret it later, but the water wasn't cold enough to give me frost bite so I didn't worry about it.
I started to move the rocks and was pleasantly surprised to find that the crayfish did indeed live in the stream. I started to catch and eat a few, having to take a little extra precaution due to my bare feet.
After eating enough so that my belly didn't rumble I looked around. I stepped out of the water and started to grab sticks that were near the tree line of the woods. I made a makeshift cage by stabbing them into the ground in a tight circle. I gave it some size and when I was done I smiled at my small accomplishment.
"We can throw a bunch of them in here," I told Uruz, "then we just have to figure out how to properly cook them."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 25, 2007 16:21:55 GMT -5
After taking the edge off my hunger I began tossing crayfish into the little pen myself. It was the spring and there were a lot of rocks so we were in luck as they were plentiful. “Well, if we come up with something to put them in they will not be hard to boil. It is not like we were issued a cook pot when we fled though.”
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 29, 2007 0:51:32 GMT -5
I nodded my head, "sadly no." I thought for a moment as I threw in a few more crayfish. In truth I was probably gathering more than we really needed to eat, but hunger was speaking and I found it hard to shut it down.
"to bad tortoise did not hang around small streams, a shell would make a shallow and poor pot but it may work."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 29, 2007 8:39:11 GMT -5
I grunted an affirmative as I thought on the matter. “I got it, we will dig out a small hole in the ground and build a fire in it. Then we can cover it with small sticks to make a grate over it. Cover the grate with some of this moss” I kicked at some in the stream “pile on the crayfish then more moss. With a little luck it should steam them.”
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 29, 2007 21:53:07 GMT -5
I nodded at his ideal. I had not realized how easy things were when you have a house, cooking pots, and a established fire pit. I would be more greatful when we were able to once again establish ourselves. For now we would simply have to make due.
"Hopefully the moss does not create a unpleasent after taste. Though, in all honesty, I probably would not worry about it that much."
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 30, 2007 8:58:21 GMT -5
I set about gathering moss while leaving Eyvind to dig. I made a growing pile on the shore and then waded out of the frigid water to gather wood and sticks for the grate “I suspect it shall smell terribly similar to Loki’s arse while he is having a bout of extreme regularity but it should not seep through the shells.”
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Oct 30, 2007 21:00:01 GMT -5
I made a sour face as Uruz mentioned Loki but I continued to dig. "let us pray that you are right," I said. I finished the hole and leaned back from it a little, "it should work well enough," I said admiring my work. Maybe I should get into construction, I thought, I was enjoying this minor creating of things.
|
|
|
Post by Uruz Teiwaz on Oct 30, 2007 22:11:46 GMT -5
I knelt at the side of the hole and pulled my dagger and made a little pile of shavings of one twig. "Well at the end of the day an empty belly does not care" I had already lost some excess weight and this might in fact aid my physical shape. I then pulled my flint that I always kept with me and sparked it into the shavings several times using the back of my dagger as a striker. When the embers seemed to catch I leaned over to bow on them.
|
|
|
Post by Eyvind Loevess on Nov 2, 2007 18:29:54 GMT -5
I nodded, I would eat the crayfish regardless of what they tasted like. At least they would be cooked, which would be preferable over the raw meat.
I waited until he had the fire ready and I then handed him a small hand full of the sticks he had collected. "Either way, I am hungry and my belly is starting to growl. I dare say I'd probably just eat the moss if there wasn't a tastier alternative."
|
|