A Bride For A Barbarian

Aurora sat in silence after that, looking into the dancing flames of the fireplace as the wood burned away slowly. It was so nice and warm, perfect place to rest. Though when Garik stood she did not look at him, though she became alert. Even more so as his hand graced her shoulder for a mere moment before pulling away and saying goodnight. She turned to watch him go for a second, her eyes curiously looking for some sign as to why he had been so kind in that moment. Though with the manners she was taught she was not going to let it pass without a reaction.

"Good Night, Garik." She said softly, though she was not certain if he heard her or not before he left the hall and her completely alone.

She only sat there a moment or two longer before she stood, picking up the pillow and placing it back onto Garik's throne neatly. With that done she went off to bed, tip toeing in silence as to not wake anyone up. Before crawling into bed to rest, she set out her clothing for the next day and what little other things she wished to take with her. That night she rested the best she ever hand, probably thanks to such a heavy and filling dinner.

She entered the hall that morning rather awake and aware of things, wearing a much thicker looking dress for warmth's sake along with some boots, though not exactly designed for snow travel they were better than her simpler shoes. She set her sake against a wall, planning to reach for her own personal cloak only to be approached by Garik. She turned and paused in her tasks, looking up at him slightly nervous as he held out a new cloak to her. He was giving her this to wear? Why? Well, probably just because it was better than her own...that was all certainly. Looking from him to the cloak for a moment she stepped over to him and got into the cloak, as it seemed his was offering assistance to put it on.
 
Garik was patient while Aurora hesitated toward accepting his kindness, slipping the thick cloak onto her shoulders gently once she drew close. Gently, despite his brutish size. When she turned around again, he fastened the ties on the cloak, keeping his gaze lowered. "Remember," he said softly while his fingers worked the animal hide ties, "tell me the moment you start feeling cold." For a brief second, his gaze met with hers but all too quickly it was gone again and he withdrew to check on the rest of the group.

There was no speech before leaving, such things would be left for when it mattered most. Daylight was burning and they still had a long way to travel to get through the pass to the training grounds. Many tribe members gathered in doorways and on the sides of the dirt road leading through town, all of them there to see the young men off. Garik walked lazily so that his long legs wouldn't take him too quickly and cause problems for the rest of the group. As the gate opened, he tugged up the scarf that hand been loosely hanging around his neck to cover his mouth and nose from the gusty morning air. Flexing his hands in his animal skin mitts, he stepped forward and took up the lead.

They traveled this way all day, stopping only for bodily needs like food and the like. By the time the sun began to set, not a single boy was able to keep their teeth from chattering. The adults seemed undeterred, some simply unaffected by the cold this early in the trip. Garik of course was one of them.

As they came through the pass and stood looking down at the valley opposite, there came a noise from the bushes. It wasn't a very loud one, but enough to catch their attention nonetheless. Heads swiveled and everyone watched a large, wild boar snorted and sauntered his way across the path. There was a pause where six pairs of youthful eyes stared intently at Garik. "Well?" the barbarian said through his scarf and jerked his head toward the bushes. "Do you want to eat tonight?"

That was all he needed to say before all six tore off through the knee-high snow on the path and clamored into the sea of trees. The adults chuckled at their enthusiasm a moment before two broke off from the group, leaving their packs behind, heading in the opposite direction as those boys had. The rest seemed to know the drill, wordlessly moving off the path a few feet to begin setting up camp. The sun was very low in the sky and it would be dark soon.
 
Aurora only blinked and looked up at him once as he spoke, barely catching the stare he gave her before he pulled away to check on the others. Her hands went up to the ties on her cloak for a moment before she put on a small pair of gloves. It wasn't much but it would keep her hands warm for the most part. She took her pack and slung it over her shoulders lightly, letting it sit on her back as she waited for the others to prepare. They were carrying much more than her, but they were also a lot stronger. She would probably be the first one to get tired out of all of them. She would do her best though...she had to after all.

There wasn't much ceremony about the departure, only people looking on from doorways and giving simple waves or call outs to the young men. She had to work a bit to keep up with them, being as she was much shorter, but didn't tire herself out. Her pace was steady and as they reached the gates she pulled her cloak tight around her body and face as heavy winds started to hit them the moment they were open. The stops were few and far between, mostly because they had so much distance to cover. She did her best to keep up to them all, only having to stop the group once after falling face first into a ditch of snow she did not see.

As they arrived at the pass, Valley in perfect view, A boar crossed their paths. The poor animal seemed to be this evenings target meal, as the young boys looked to Garik for permission almost before darting off after it. She let out a small laugh, watching them all stumble through the tall snow, before she followed after the adults and started to help set up camp, or at least try and start a fire large enough to cook something such as a boar. She paused though in her work at one point as she looked over the open valley, catching a small glimpse of homes in the white snow.

She hoped the valley was having a lighter snow than they were, and much warmer as well as she gave a shiver at a gust of wind. This was no time to dilly dally, they needed that fire up...or else their cook would freeze up into an ice cube.
 
A good portion of the time was spent packing down the snow around where the tents and fire would sit for the night. Next came the assemblage of the tents, sqaut little things made up of wooden poles thatched together with rawhide string and covered with animal skins. Garik tightened down the last corner on his tent and lifted a hand to give the little shelter one last test of strength. He gripped the frame and rocked it, finding a satisfying amount of resistance.

Happy with his work, he set his pack inside the tent and then turned back to the rest of the camp. All of the other tents were just about done being assembled, though this wasn't really any of Garik's concern. Each tent was for personal use and it happened to collapse during the night, that was the owner's problem, not his. The fire, though, was something that all of them would cooperate on, as it was something shared. The fire was the dining hall and the recreational space and therefore valuable to all members of the travelling party. He was pleased to see a fire already started and though it was small now, it would be bigger with a little time and care.

Moving along the trampled-down path through the otherwise deep snow, Garik joined Aurora by the fire and crouched to stoke the coals with a stick and coax the flames to burn a little hotter. The air was growing quite bitter again now that the sun was just about ready to drop down below the horizon for a long, long night.

"Prepare a pot for stew as well," the babarian told the farm girl, poking at the coals one last time before setting the stick back in the snow. "If the boys succeed, we will use the water for a hot honey drink instead." He cast his gaze elsewhere then, lifting one arm from where it rested elbow on knee, and he absent-mindedly rubbed a thumb against his jaw to lightly scratch at the beard growing in. "We'll share my tent. You'll be safest next to me."
 
Aurora had gotten a good fire started, though it certainly wasn't going to stay that size for the whole night. It would need to be much bigger for cooking and for producing enough heat to warm all of the young boys and men there at the moment. She was working on getting the cooking arrangements set up over the fire so she could hand pots or place them close over the flames. She would have to build the fire up a bit more to be of any use but for now it would at least give her a place to start. She didn't flinch as Garik approached, but she did not look to him either.

She turned to him at his request before pulling out one of the few pots she brought along, placing many hand fulls of snow into the pot before hanging it over the fire. There was no reason to use drinking water from their leather pouches when there was frozen water everywhere around them. When he mentioned sharing his tent she blushed a bit and nodded her head, adding some more snow to the post as the other snow melted quickly.

"Of course...I understand." She said softly as she went about her work, a few of the men bringing over more wood which she used to expand and grow the fire as much as possible.
 
She was still as talkative as a rock, that girl, but Garik had already given up getting annoyed by that fact. There was no point. Grunting to show he'd heard her, he pushed back to his feet and moved away from the fire.

The snow had stopped falling, which was both a gift and a curse. While it was good that they, or their fire, would not be buried, it would mean a very cold night. Sleeping was bound to be uncomfortable.

Garik stood on the ridge of the pass, gazing back down at the ground they'd covered. He could easily spot the fortress and the tiny little town further down into the valley. They'd made good time. Satisfied, he turned around and walked along the path to peer down into the opposite valley. No doubt the boys were down there somewhere...

And then he heard a cry. Not one of pain, but of victory. Several followed and they quickly changed to sound more like the howl of a wild wolf. Garik chuckled, his breath rising into the now dark sky like a thick cloud of cotton. Turning on his heel, he headed back to the camp to inform the others of the boys' success.
 
Aurora watched Garik get up and leave out of the corner of her eye before she relaxed a bit. She knew she should at least not get so up tight around him but she couldn't help it. Her body just seemed to do it without thinking now. She had gotten over his first attack, knowing that he had been sorry since he did stop upon seeing her cry...that and Eyvin did threaten his life according to the other women. Shaking her head a bit, she tended to the growing flames, the fire now rather large. A decent size for cooking.

The boys just needed to catch something now.

And with a dry of success, it seemed that they would be having dinner that night. A smile played at her lips as all the boys started to get rowdy, their yells being heard easily in the camp. She started to pull out her other utensils and get a prep area for cooking, A small knife in her hand as she got to work on a couple root vegetables to give the men a little extra to eat as they waited for the meat to cook over the flames.
 
The two men whom had left at the same time as the boys returned shortly after, a few dead rabbits swinging from their hands. They dropped the extra food down by Aurora and left to go rest with the others who were already laughing as they listened to the boys' recounting of their hunting trip.

Garik was among them, chuckling with hands on his hips, shaking his head with a grin on his face. They'd done well for their first hunt, though it'd taken six boys to corner one boar. By the end of the training, he hoped each boy would easily be able to hunt boar and deer by himself. "Rest now," he ordered of the boys, ruffling hair and patting a shoulder or two.

While everyone took up residence around the fire, leaving a space for Aurora to work, Garik moved back to the woman's side. He drew out one of the knives strapped to his side and crouched down to begin skinning the rabbits. That woman had her hands full anyway, so it was only natural for him to pick up the slack.
 
Aurora congratulated the boys softly as they brought her the boar, taking it and started to get to work on gutting and skinning the animal. She kept the kidneys and heart and other bits that she thought would be good, only getting rid of what she knew that they couldn't eat at all. She took the organ meat to another pot that was sitting right near some coals of the fire, full of water. She tossed the bits and pieces into the pot while another one worked on a warm drink for after the meal.

As that got to cooking she returned to the boar and started to work on cleaning up the skin and meat. She took apart the rips and legs and head, taking the large ribs and pushing some sharpened stick she had made before taking them to the fire as well. She pushed the stick into the earth, leaning the meat into the fire, before she stepped back and started to prep the remaining meat.

She had not spoken to Garik as he worked on the rabbits, but she was glad for the help. As she worked as gave a small sigh before taking up the legs and working on removing the hooves from the legs.
 
Strips of rabbit meat were spread across the fire on racks and Garik took a moment to clean up the mess and then wash of his hands with a little bit of stolen hot water poured onto a cloth.

The rabbit strips cooked quickly though, giving them all some meat to eat with Aurora's vegetables and once the woman had finished preparing the boar and had washed off her hands, Garik gestured at the spot next to him by the fire and handed her a bowl filled with food. She could keep an eye on the cooking boar while relaxing her feet and legs.

One of the older men was telling a story now, a story about demons and a brave warrior. It was just a myth, but it kept the boys enthralled for a while, faces bathed in orange glow from the fire as they leaned close together when the story grew spooky.

Garik smiled. He already knew this story well and had fond memories of being scared witless the first time he'd heard it as a young boy. Just remembering that had him smiling softly to himself, gazing distractedly down at the empty bowl in his hands.
 
When Aurora finished up with the boar and cleaned off the blood from her hands, she took a seat near Garik as motioned to do. She accepted the bowl of food silently, eating slowly as she listened to the story that was being told. It felt strange to be sitting around a fire and listening to a ghost story, but it was also very nice. It felt strangely comfortable, even in the cold winds of the evening.

She only reached out to turn the meat slightly every couple of minutes, being silent as to not interrupt the story. As the meat cooked the night when on, vegetables and rabbit meat only being the first course to the large meal they would eat that night. However, it felt strange to sit so close to Garik, mostly because she was still a little uncertain of things.

It was hard to get over being assaulted, especially by someone of Garik's height and strength. She would adjust though, eventually. She just needed a bit more time. She felt that she could at least work with him at this point without much issue, but it was those quiet moments when it was just them that she was still jump and nervous. Sitting back, she set her empty bowl to the side and stood once more to turn the meat, still listening lightly as the story continued on and the young boys all looked to be sucked into it deeply.
 
It was getting late, and after eating a good share of the boar, the boys were ushered off to bed. They'd wanted to remain awake and hear more stories but the adults knew better. The less rest everyone got meant that the next few days would be that much more difficult to get through.

Once the meal was cleaned up and properly stored, the rest of the group headed off to their tents to sleep. It was agreed that two men would keep watch during the night in shifts because not only were they in the forest with wild beasts but the smell of the fresh meat and blood would most certainly draw the attention of anything in the area.

Garik volunteered himself for the first watch. He and the other man sat with their backs to the fire, keeping their eyes adjusted to the surrounding forest blanketed in darkness. A crossbow rested casually on the log next to him while he took up a carving knife and a block of wood. It was the best way to the pass the time until his shift was over. He just hoped that by that point, Aurora would have already fallen asleep.

She was a reason for his decision to take the first watch of the night. He could tell that she was still very wary around him, still convinced that he would attack her again. It frustrated him that she could not understand his way of thinking, that she couldn't allow herself to relax in his presence.

It frustrated him even moreso that he disliked appearing before her as the cruel, heartless barbarian that her people knew all too well.

Just what the hell was she doing to him? The word "soft" popped into his mind, although it definitely wasn't the first time. And yet it didn't quite feel right. He was still the strict and intimidating man he'd always been and he had no qualms with scaring others. He just didn't like scaring her.

"Do you love your wife?" He has spoken quietly, hoping it was enough to keep from waking the others who were sleeping not twenty paces away. Next to him sat a smaller built, blonde haired man who was lazily puffing smoke out of the end of his pipe.

Jormund was his name and he was, next to Ropil, one of the few men Garik knew was not interested in being the alpha male. He was only medium in build, but that didn't mean Jormund was any less of a warrior. He was faster than most, more fluid with his movements than the rest. Garik saw the man as a very valuable asset, but not just for his fighting and hunting skills. Jormund was also learned. A bit of a philosopher, if it were even possible for a barbarian.

"Of course," the man replied, and although he kept his gaze toward the forest, he still offered Garik a small smile. "I wouldn't have married her otherwise. Would have been content with the maids."

A chuckle rolled in Garik's chest and he shook his head with a smile. "So a warrior can fall in love and not be weakened by it?"

"There are many weaknesses even we barbarians harbor. Love is just one of them. Avoiding it will not make you invincible."

"No one is invincible. Not even the gods," Garik muttered and received a nod from Jormund. He fell silent again, mulling over his many thoughts. His mind was not used to so much deliberation; life had been filled with simple yes or not equations before that damned siren had come into the picture. "I think it's time for a shift change," he voiced and stood to put away his knife and carving. Then he gathered up the crossbow and visited the tent of the next guard, waking the man kindly and handing over the weapon.

Then he headed for his own tent, quietly entering and tying closed the flap again as quickly as possible. It was blistering cold at the moment and the interior of the tent was only a little bit warmer but it was still a difference that he wanted to keep. Kneeling, he prepared his bed, though he couldn't help but glance a few times at the sleeping Aurora to his side.

Was she sleeping? She was so silent. And she looked as though she were trembling from the cold, but maybe that was just his wishful thinking.
 
Aurora could not sleep, no matter how much she wished that she could. She wanted to blame it on the cold, even with her socks and her warm fur cloak over her blankets it was just to hard to ignore. However, Aurora knew better, her mind was on Garik. She just couldn't get over the attack, the pushing and forcefulness. It just been embedded into her mind. She knew he would not do it again, but her body just reacted on it's own, pulling back in fear of him. Though, her heart would ache at that thought, as if she was lying to herself. She was not sure why but she felt that she was not saying what was the truth, even though she thought that was the only reason for her pulling back.

What else could there be though? Why else would she keep pulling back from him? She honestly did not know. Turning on her side, she looked over where Garik would eventually fall asleep, when he returned from his watching shift that is. It felt strange to see it not full, she honestly had expected him to have others do the watch. In a small moment of honesty with herself, she wished he was there, if only for the fact to keep her company and remind her she was not out here alone in the cold.

With the ruffling of cloth she shut her eyes, her body shivering a bit as she was hit with the wind. Garik returned, had it already been so long? It certainly didn't feel like it. She was torn at that moment, she wished to see that it was him but she didn't want him to see her awake, he might question her about it or maybe assume she had stayed up to try and make sure he did not pull anything as she rested. That was hardly the case. She peaked her eye open once, when his back was turned, only to close it again quickly when he seemed to be turning to look at her.

Shivering again as she was taken by another hit of cold, she dared to peak again, this time only opening her eyes as he turned to look at her. Caught like a dear in the head lights, she blinked, curled up like a ball with only her eyes peaking out from under the blankets.

"Ah...You are back?" She asked softly, staying curled up for warmths sake, acting as if she had just awoken...though she doubted that she was pulling it off very well.
 
He'd thought it was his imagination at first, that he was just hoping for her to be awake and because of that, he was seeing her eyelids flutter in the corner of his vision. But no matter how many times he told himself to ignore the urge to look back at Aurora, Garik just couldn't fight it. Finally he caught her, after what must have been the twentieth time he'd glanced her way, and immediately his mind went blank when he searched for the appropriate reaction.

So he just stared instead, not that it was any kind of intense stare. It was a soft one, maybe showing a little of how tired he was. Usually stubborn, he had always refused to let very little of his weaker emotions show. He did not particularly enjoy being "an open book". But perhaps that was the way to go about dealing with the woman who was currently staring back at him from within her cocoon of blankets and fur.

Only when she spoke did he continue on with his task, as though her soft, warm voice had melted the ice holding him in place. "Would you rather I not return?" he asked just as softly as she had, the question a murmur on his lips. For the sake of not waking the others, of course. A brief second passed before Garik realized how cold his words had sounded and he quickly cast a gentle smile at the woman. "You have not slept at all tonight." This one was a statement rather than a question. Did she think she was good at pretending? "What keeps you awake?"
 
A small lush appeared on Aurora's cheeks as Garik pointed out that she had not slept, as if he had known from the very beginning before she had played the game of closing her eyes and peaking at him. However, she was sort of glad to see him, just to know where he was. It made her feel...well, safer. Though the feeling was strange considering the rough beating that his presence brought to her heart. When he asked what was keeping her awake, she glanced away for a moment and looked up at the simple tent that kept them only slightly warming than the outside air.

"The cold...I am not used to it. And my mind it thinking about many things that I am not certain of...I am not sure why though." She said softly, speaking the truth at that moment for she saw to reason to lie to him over something like her simple emotions.

Looking to him, she blinked once or twice before turning under her covers to face him better, curling up more as to keep as much of her warm around her as possible. He didn't seem to be himself, or at least the grumpy barbarian that she was used to most of the time. Maybe it was the cold, or maybe he was just tired still thought, it concerned her a bit, he didn't seem like a man who would let things bother him...

"Are you alright?" She asked softly.
 
It was oddly satisfying to hear the woman speaking more than just a word or two. She was making full sentences, speaking a little bit of what was on her mind and not just a simple "yes" or "no" or "if that is what you wish" like she was some kind of sl-- ...But that had been the deal, hadn't it? Possession of her until the old man could pay the required taxes.

She'd mentioned the cold keeping her awake. She was uncomfortable then, and the barbarian leader then knew that he hadn't been imagining her shivering after all. He could have easily offered to keep her warm, but considering how she'd reacted towards him ever since that incident, he figured she would not easily accept the offer. Surprised he was though when he learned that her mind was also tripped up on thoughts they ought not to be.

What was that mind of her's pondering? The days until she could return home? If he would attack her again? Or was it something else, something he couldn't fathom? Suddenly there was a little spark of worry in his chest, worry that the young woman would never allow him close to her. And damn it, why was that possibility so irksome?!

She was more than just a lowly servant girl to him, wasn't she? Garik was starting to understand his emotions now, starting to realize just how far under his skin Aurora had gotten in such a short time.

"Are you alright?"

Garik snapped his attention back to the present, blinking down at the subject of his thoughts a moment while he considered. "Why wouldn't I be?" Normal, grumpy Garik would have said something more along the lines of, "Why would someone like you care?" But not the man he was at that very moment, and he certainly felt a little different than usual. "How cold are you, siren? Can you feel your toes?"
 
Garik avoided answering her questions, but she could still see that there was something off...Something bothering him. Then again, maybe the close was starting to effect her mind and make her see things that really were not there. Either way, she decided to drop her questions about his current state as he seemed to be more interested in her's. She shook her head a bit as she laid there, curled up in a ball of blankets as she continued to lay upon her side.

"I am not very cold, the winds though...the small gusts hit me and wake me. It makes it hard to sleep. I suppose my blankets are thinner...than I thought." She said as she looked down at the ground for a moment before glancing back at him.

Looking at him once again, she stayed silent to see what he would say. He was such an...interesting individual, having changed much since the incident. He was a lot more quiet now, not nearly as snappy in his words towards her. Blinking she figured that he was trying to avoid upsetting her, a notion that touched her heart. It seemed that even Barbarian's knew when they crossed the line. Her heart started to beat a bit faster as she looked at him, thinking of not only his changes but her own. Thought it wasn't noticeable, she was very aware of the world around her know, and certainly more knowledge of how to act around men...at least men like Garik.

"I shall be fine though," she continued on. "I will have at least rested a bit if I do not fall completely asleep. You should wrap up thought, before the cold chills you too much."
 
The winds were indeed starting to pick up and Garik suspected that by morning the campers would have to dig themselves out again. No sooner had Aurora mentioned them did a strong gust knock against the side of the small but sturdy little tent. There was indeed a noise that he supposed would wake someone who wasn't used to hearing it and he had to bite back a teasing remark about how delicate the woman was. It would do no good to upset her now after having finally gotten her talking.

As his gaze traveled over what little of her face was peeking from under her blankets, the barbarian sensed that she was expecting a reply from him, that she was waiting quietly for him to say something mean like usual. His heart would not allow it. He did not want to see her unhappy. So instead of speaking, he moved around to the other side of her and situated their packs so that they would give her a little more insulation between herself and the tent wall.

When she spoke again, Garik eyed her for a brief moment while he set the second pack in place. "The body is not the only part of you that needs resting, siren," he replied. He'd moved back to his own bed and was now shedding his cloak. "The body needs a well-rested mind in order to function."

His movements slowed though when he considered her last statement. She was worried about him? This was the second time she'd spoken of some kind of concern for his well-being and he was just as confused about it as he had been the first time. What more could he do than reassure her that he was not doing himself any harm? "The cold does not affect me so much, see?"

Slowly he reached out, as if she were a skittish wild doe, and cupped her cheek with one bear paw of a hand. Not even his fingers were cold yet, even though he'd exposed them after entering the tent. Aurora, however, was cold to the touch, remarkably so against his warm hand. He furrowed his brow, but chose not to make anything more of the matter, withdrawing his hand and flopping down to wrap himself up in his blankets.

If she got so cold that she couldn't stand it, he believed she would speak up eventually. Regardless, he would check at least her fingers and toes for signs of frostbite come morning.
 
Aurora watched quietly as Garik placed the packed between her and the wall, creating a bit of a barrier. Was he doing this to help he warm up? It certainly wasn't something she was expected but she was thankful for it. In that moment she was starting to feel a little warmer, at least with the wind no longer coming up and surprising her anymore. She uncurled a little bit as he spoke a bit more, saying that he would find and that the cold didn't effect him.

With that, he reached out to her slowly, Aurora only pulling back slightly as she wondered what he was doing. As his hand made contact with her cheek, she was surprised to find it so warm. She was ice compared to the heat coming from his own hand. She didn't flinch though as she glanced at him, watching him pull away his hand from her before falling back onto his own sleeping mat. He was right, it seemed, but she still hoped that he wouldn't get cold like she had gotten.

She settled back into her blankets and curled up once more, closing her eyes for a small moment she started to relax herself and prepare to at least try and sleep once more. Peeking at him one more time, she shuffled around a bit so she was laying on her other side, looking away from him as she spoke.

"Goodnight, Garik." She said softly as she curled up once more and started to breath slowly.
 
Her words were muffled by the wind still beating against the tent wall, though Garik was certain he'd heard correctly. The small "goodnight" put a smile on his lips, though it quickly faded away again after. He was tired and it was time to get some rest, or at least that was what he kept repeating to himself while he lay awake listening to Aurora's breathing. She wasn't loud, but he had a hunter's hearing, and the wind had softened considerably.

And no matter how tired he told himself he was, no matter how tired he actually felt, it did little to settle his thoughts. It wasn't as if he'd never experienced the softness of a woman before; he'd had his share come to his bed at night, nor had just the miniscule touch of a hand upon a cheek ever affected him as he was right now. For a moment he recalled the earlier conversation with Jormund and wondered if it really was something of the heart that he felt for the quiet young siren from the valley or if it was just a strange fascination for a creature so unlike what he was used to.

With no clear answer in mind, Garik let out a sigh and put his back to the girl, closed his eyes, and wished for sleep.

In the morning, the meal was a quick one, and just like the previous morning, the group set off down the path. The walk this time was much easier, considering their path took them downhill now. By late afternoon, they'd reached the training grounds and had settled in. The rest of that day Garik spent apart from Aurora while he took up the responsibility of the boys' first lessons and trials. Only one man was left alone with the young woman, Jormund, at the the camp while the rest of the group vanished into the woods. Once in a while, sounds of metal clashing and shouts would ride the wind back to camp but it wasn't until the sun had nearly set that the group returned.

The boys looked worn down, their feet dragging, a couple cuts and bruises to show for their hard work. "Eat well tonight," Garik told them, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze stern. "Always eat when the occasion allows it. You never know when you might eat next."

This night was not as merry as the first. The boys were far too tired, most of them slipping off to bed after filling their bellies. Eventually there were but three people left by the fire, two of them taking care of the food and the dishes, the other pensive while he puffed on his pipe. "How are you feeling, siren?" Garik asked Aurora as he wrapped cooked boar meat in cloth. "Still have all of your fingers and toes?"
 
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