A couple of days had passed, since I smoked out the Snowbolds and somehow, ever stronger enemies came in the vicinity, as if either the Snowbolds or the Guardian had kept them away before. Where before, I had to contest with young wolves, the occasional mature wolf or snowbold and a single, young bear, now I was getting ambushed by ounces, chased by packs of black wolves and even one tiger tried to get me. Without the concealment and mist-spells I'd have been dead for sure.

I had recreated my Frozen Shuttle multiple times and was always carrying a mist engraved icicle with me, but even like that, the critters were getting to me. My skills rose a little, my Ice-Magic by a lot, up to 34, the rest only one or two points each. I'd even gained a sneak-skill and it was rising slowly but surely. Killing things was almost impossible, as soon as I was making headway, they either fled or other enemies were interfering.

Another problem was that I had no real plan how to proceed, I had a quest but no idea where to get informations for it, there was a world to explore out there but I had yet to dare the first step.

It was another evening of hunting, I was concealed in the shadows, creeping along, listening to the now familiar sounds of the woods and hearing a pack of wolves howl their instructions to each other. Then I heard something that didn't belong. It was a laboured sound, a mix of heavy breathing and pained grunting that had me intrigued. I wasn't certain but I doubted that it was a normal animal that made those sounds. I turned towards them, cringing when I realized that the laboured sounds came from the same direction the wolves were howling in, but my curiosity had be piqued. I wanted to know who or what was out there. I crept closer, until I saw a moonlit clearing. Hiding in the brush, I became aware of the being that gave of those sounds. It was a tall humanoid, probably more than seven feet, almost double my height. She, and it was definitely a female form, had a blue skin, a shade or two lighter than my own and snow-white hair. Her muscular frame was bleeding from multiple wounds, some looked like cuts but most were bite wounds and scratches. Her leather garb was ripped in multiple places and the only thing that kept her up was the weapon she used as a crutch. I had never seen a weapon like that, it was huge, a lot taller than her, maybe 8 feet and at both ends were crescent axe-heads making it an incredibly brutal looking weapon. Still, I doubted that she had the strength to swing it any longer.

The longer I looked at her, the stronger a feeling of familiarity became, a feeling that I had to help her, save her. I was confused as I had never felt like that for anyone but I wasn't sure I'd be able to fight it. Then, the pack of wolves broke into the clearing, encircling her causing her to draw upon her last reserves and straighten up, meeting what had to be certain doom to her, with a fierce expression, her head and axe raised high. She'd go down, but she'd go down fighting. The first wolf charged her and it broke me out of my spellbound state. I started moving but so did a wolf in her back. She managed to strike at the first wolf, coming from the front but the second? It would take her wide open back and would sink it's fangs deep into her. Something burst within me, a feeling of intense hate, the will to crush those mangy dogs, to show them their place and to wear their pelts as a new coat. The Frozen Shuttle surged forward, striking the wolf and cleaving it in two. That one would never get up again. I was shortly behind the shuttle, closing in on the now prone form, I guess the last strike took everything she had in her. I reached her, standing over her form, surveying the surroundings and suddenly realizing that she was dying fast and would not survive much longer.

I observed her and got

Giantblood female, level 25, 22/489

“NO! You will NOT take her!” I wasn't sure where that fierce protectiveness came from but it was there, I would NOT let them take her.

Runes formed in my mind, Mist – Devour – Blood – Darkness – Devour – Blood – Regenerate. I knew it would take the vitality of the wolves and pour it into her. I activated Overflow and suddenly the runes appeared before me as if I was using the Rune Projection ability but that only worked for one rune but now all seven runes materialized around me and they were all shining with a red glow, mixed with a little silver and surrounded by a dark halo. Then the spell activated and a dark, black mist came pouring out. I heard the wolves whimper, cough and die, my Astral Power was used up and then suddenly the outward surge stopped and reversed, surging back towards me and the form below me. Then it flowed into her and I was able to see her wounds close at a clearly visible speed. Soon, it looked like she was simply sleeping. Now, I was able to see the surroundings again, the trees around me were all dead and the wolves were greatly weakened, some already dead.

I had my shuttle in hand and was shouting my challenge, knowing that it would still be a close one. But I felt Astral Power return to me, slowly but surely, if I kept the shuttle close to my body and didn't use too much speed I'd manage. I heard a wolf behind me, running up, then jumping. Half turning, I moved the shuttle into it's way, letting the wolf jump onto the shuttle, using it's own momentum against it. The shuttle got stuck in the snow and the wolf got impaled. Then I simply pulled it back out. The time that took had regenerated more Astral Power than it had taken, so I was net positive. The slow dance of wolf, dagger, shuttle and elf continued for a while, me dodging and using as little power as possible, the wolves slowly recovering from my spell. In the end, it was a close thing, I'd taken a couple of nicks here and there, but I managed to survive.

Jonari Hunting Wolf died You gain 500 EXP For killing an opponent 18 levels above you you gain Bonus EXP For killing an opponent without a Traveller in your party, you gain Bonus EXP For killing a greatly weakened opponent, your EXP was reduced . . . You reached level 30 Skill increased You increased your skill: Ice Rune-Mastery [30/100] Skill increased You increased your skill: Darkness Rune-Mastery [37/100] Skill increased You increased your skill: Blood Rune-Mastery [26/100] Skill increased You increased your skill: Ice Magic [36/100]

Interesting, I guess the cold had already done them in for the most part and I was only getting partial EXP. Still, it was enough to get a level up so I'm happy, not grumpy. But hunting wolves? That was probably not good, but other things were more important now.

Now I finally could get a closer look at the being I had just rescued. She wasn't a beauty by normal standards but there was something about her. Her features were rather rough and masculine and I was not sure her very prominent musculature would be considered anything but butch. Well, I had her now and possession was nine-tenths of the law, right? I used some of my Astral Power to create a stretcher, moved it below her and used my Ice Magic to raise it. It took more power to keep her aloft than I thought but as long as I simply used my body to push the frictionless stretcher my regeneration was able to keep up.

Luckily, no curious critter felt like I was meals on wheels, or rather meals on frictionless magic stretcher, so I managed to get back to my cave without trouble. Out of habit, I refreshed my mist cover and after putting my guest into my bed, I also spread a dark mist, causing disorientation and madness to improve my protections and placed a concealment spell on my entrance. That done, I went back in and spread my own cloak on her, then I started to cook something, having a feeling that my guest had been chased till exhaustion.

During the last few days, I had tried to make myself some cookware and managed to make a rough stone bowl that I could use as a pot and a couple of wooden bowls that I could use either as bowls for soup or cups for water. I filled the bowl with snow and placed it upon the fire, then I added some meat and sliced roots I had found and taste-tested to the water, creating a rather thin but hot soup.

I busied myself cooking, only from time to time looking at my guest until at one point, two clear, icy-blue eyes were staring back at me.

What do you say to someone you don't know when she's waking up in your bed, without memories how she got there? I simply ignored the overall-situation, poured some soup into a bowl and handed it to her with a smile, saying “Here, have some warm soup. It will help you warm up.”

She looked at me askance, answering in broken speech “You strange speaking” Why had I assumed that talking would be possible? Well, I guess it's true what they say about assume, it's making an ass out of you and me. Then she continued “Speak of ancestors”. Er, what? Speak of my ancestors? Why would I do that? Still, she took the soup and, after taking a sip, made a bit of a face but drank it down as fast as the temperature allowed and handed me the bowl back. I gave her a new bowl when she spoke again “Need leave, hunted”, I guess she wanted to tell me that she was hunted. I answered “Don't worry, I killed the wolves. They won't hunt you any longer.”

She made a pained face and spoke again “Wolves not true hunter, only jakthund” I wasn't able to understand the last word but from her face, I'd guess the wolves were only the hounds for something else. Then there was a strange look of recognition on her face and she spoke again. “I just gained the original Jötun-Language Ability, the tongue of my ancestors. Why do you speak Jötun, even with an horrible accent?” Ok, so not only traveller gain skills, natives do so as well? “I don't know but it makes communication a lot easier. Let me introduce myself, I'm called Morgana, I'm a traveller who made her camp in these woods. It's nice to meet you.”

She gave me a tight smile, answering “It is indeed. I'm called Sigmir. So, you are a Traveller? The System told us about those, you came in the night of the falling stars, didn't you? Truly bad luck to land here, in the middle of nowhere. Could you please help me for a moment?” she stretched an arm out and with my help she was able to stand. Then she went down on one knee I thought she was simply too weak and wanted to help her stand again but she stopped me. “Ancestors, hear me! I, Sigmir, Daughter of Gromir, formerly of the Jonari Tribe, acknowledge my life-debt to the Traveller Morgana. My life will be hers to command, my blood will be hers to spill, from now, until I leave this world, I will be hers.”

You received an ancestral Oath

The Giantblood Sigmir has sworn to obey you in all things and her ancestors will curse her should she go against her oath. She is now your Oath-sworn. You can only break this bond by killing her.

Fut the Whack?!