Speedy Arrival

[Wayfarer]

Many days had passed since they had met, and during that time the two that were traveling together had gotten to know each other alot better. Dautry had pummeled Anton with a great deal of questions along the way, and while Anton had answered best he could there were still plenty of things he wasn't sure whether it was his place to speak of. Sages were much better suited to answering questions, they had tended to have a way of explaining everything about the Wolfkin that Anton hadn't quite managed to grasp. Then again, that was part of what he wasn't a Sage, it didn't suit him.

 

But then, that was why today was an important one. Today, Dautry was going to see the Wolfkin settlement for the first time and he was going to go before the sages. Anton had also taken the opportunity during their trip to acclimatise the man's horse to the presence of wolves. There were a number in the area, and their scent was constant, he didn't want the horse going wild and running off. It was also why Dautry was leading the horse on foot now rather than riding in case the horse bucked.

 

Anton had already sent his thoughts ahead of him to speak of their coming, but it hadn't stopped the Rangers from checking on them as they came in. Burrich was a bit easier to pick out, despite his woodland training the man was a mountain, and Anton with his own training as a Tracker was able to spot him. Then again if Anton was as big as Burrich he wouldn't ever feel the need to hide. It hadn't been that long ago since the man had scored him with those weighted lathes of his after all.

 

Exiting the treeline, they had arrived at the stedding. Apparently it had been small before Anton's time, but it was a sizeable if modest community now. There were a number of houses and huts to be found, the Inn easily towered over the other buildings around it. But that wasn't where they were headed, they were going to the infirmary.

 

Waving to people as they walked by, not a single person said a word to the Wanderer, it was as if he wasn't there. Dautry seemed confused but it was simple tradition, he hadn't been accepted formally into the community so therefore he didn't exist to them. Something to be remedied soon enough.

 

Stopping before the infirmary, Anton took the reins and was about to say something when the door opened to reveal a young lad of about ten summers. "I'm to take the horse, Anton. You can go inside, Miryana will be with you shortly."

 

Nodding, Anton surrendered the reins before leading the way inside. The entrance room was empty, surprising because there was usually one person or another that needed tending to. Perhaps Miryana was finishing up with the last person now. Dautry had a bit of fear in him, something which Anton could sympathise with because he'd wanted to bolt when he had come to be seen to, and he'd already been to the stedding before that. "Don't worry Dautry, she will be here soon enough. She just needs to make sure you are alright, some people who go too far in the howling need special attention to bring them back is all. You'll be fine."

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Andular]

ooc: since we lost our posts can you please paraphrase the questions you had for Miryana? Thanks

[Myth]

well, let's see...

 

basically, Autry was reluctant to be probed and examined, but he realized this was the only place where he could learn to be somewhat normal.

 

so he began asking lots of questions, in a torrid rush, before stopping in embarassment.

 

he pasued then, and asked Miryana to tell him everything he needed to know, because he knew almost nothing about his life to come.

 

how's that?

[Andular]

Smiling at the new Wanderers barrage of questions Miryana patted the young man on the knee. “Patience there is much to learn and most of that will come during your training.”

 

Autry nodded as Anton brought them both a cup of tea. Thanking the tracker the Sage turned her attention back to her new charge. “Suffice to say that a whole new world will open up for you Autry. Things of wonder that you cannot begin to imagine or comprehend will fill you with wonder.”

 

Taking a sip of tea she considered what more to impart to the young man. “The world of dreams and a world of wolves are yours to learn and embrace. I know that this is a lot to take in but you have to trust me and the rest of the Wolfkin. We are your family now and will always be here for you if you let us. In a moment Anton will take you to where you can find a bed and a hot bath. You will be well fed and assigned a mentor who will be in charge of your training in the way of the Wolfkin.”

 

Rising Miryana sat her tea cup on the table nearby. “Anton why don’t you see that our new brother is settled in” Scrunching her nose as she addressed Anton. “You may want to have a bath yourself my friend.”

[Myth]

Sitting neck-deep in the hot, soap-sudsy water, Speed again thought over his present circumstances. His arrival here hadn’t gone as he had hoped, but it hadn’t turned out all that bad. The bath alone made sure of that! Splashing happily, he went over the meeting with Miryana again in his head.

 

The wise woman hadn’t answered all of his questions. In all honesty, she had barely told him anything at all, but he felt somehow safer and more at ease after her visit. Scrubbing vigorously at a particularly dirty elbow, Speed considered his situation to be more than acceptable. He knew he had a lot to learn, more likely he had everything to learn, but it beat the alternatives that he had come up with. Living alone and on the run from Lord Byron’s men or killing innocents were tops among the list of bad possibilities…

 

Dunking himself for about the thirtieth time, Speed pondered the possible future to come. He had no idea who this “mentor” was supposed to be, but he wasn’t worried. In fact, at the moment, he didn’t have a care in the world other than savoring every moment in this hot bath. Anton would be showing him around shortly, but until then nothing else mattered… taking another deep breath, he slipped once again beneath the surface of the hot water and let the warmth soak into his bones.

[WhiteWolf]

Owen seemed to spend more time more time in the infirmary, these days, than in the Ranger Barracks. It was not that he was ill, or suffered from injuries, just that his trainees had an annoying habit of injuring themselves and so Owen had to escort them to the Infirmary, especially those with head injuries. If he left them to their own devices they would more than likely wander off a cliff or fall down a hole and then he would be without any trainees and that would not be a good thing, not a good thing at all.

 

This day, one of the Guardians had fallen from the rope walk in Riverwind’s Folly and had not only banged his head but had broken his arm as he fell through the branches of the trees. Thankfully it had not been from one of the high walkways, otherwise Owen doubted he would have survived the fall. Leaving him in the capable care of the Sages, Owen was about to make his way back to the barracks when his boot nearly slipped out from under him. Looking down at the large puddle that was seeping under one of the doors, Owen reached out for the handle and opened the door.

 

At first he thought someone had over filled the bath tub, as there was water everywhere, but no person in sight, then just as he was about to leave, a young man emerged from under the soapy water and upon seeing Owen a sheepish grin appeared on his face.

 

“I take it you are having a good time in there, you certainly are making enough mess.”

 

The grin slipped from the young man’s face, much as Owen’s foot had slipped on the soapy water outside the door. Realising this must be a new Wanderer just arrived at the Stedding; Owen softened his tone not wanting to put a scare into him. Owen’s appearance was enough to do that, there was only one Albino in the Stedding and even some of the older members of the Wolfkin found Owen’s appearance to be unsettling.

 

“My name is Owen, I am a Ranger here in the Stedding” Owen reached for a towel and handed if the young man. “What do they call you?”

 

Owen

 

The White Wolf

 

Ranger Leader

 

OOC: Myth, introduce yourself and tell Owen a bit about your recent history, how you got to the Stedding, where you are from etc.If you have any questions for him then ask them now.

[Myth]

Dautry was enjoying himself for the first time in ages. The water’s heat had removed all the tension built up by weeks on the run and dreams of wolves. He felt like he had finally reached a point where he could begin to make a life all his own. While these wolf people were definitely strange, he figured he’d better get used to ‘em because they were his family now.

 

He rose from the depths of his bath tub paradise and felt his grin fall off his face. Standing in the doorway was the whitest man he had ever seen.

 

“I take it you are having a good time in there, you certainly are making enough mess.”

 

Unsure if he was in trouble, Dautry didn’t say anything. He just sat in the tub feeling his happiness drain away like water down a pipe.

 

The ghost-man broke the tension when he reached for a towel and handed it to him. “My name is Owen, I am a Ranger here in the Stedding. What do they call you?”

 

Smiling back at the apparition that spoke like a man, Dautry replied, “My name’s Dautry, but everybody calls me Speed.”

 

His adolescent head was filled with questions at the older man’s arrival. Was this the teacher he was supposed to meet? Why was he so ghostly pale? His only pigment was in his golden eyes. Was that going to happen to him, too? He had seen horses born pure white, but they were always stillborn. What was a Ranger? Where was he going to live now? What would his training entail? There was so much talk of dreams and going crazy and everything that he couldn’t quit thinking about how to prevent himself from falling into madness.

 

In his excitement and wonder, Dautry didn’t notice that he had been just sitting there in the tub while the pale stranger had grown increasingly amused. Reflecting for a moment, Dautry realized that he had been thinking out loud again, a habit of his when he was nervous.

 

Standing up boldly, he reached for the towel in Owen’s hand with his own amused grin. Pausing, the youngster proffered his hand toward Owen in a gesture of friendship; the handshake.

 

“Heh. Well, I tend to ramble sometimes when I get nervous. Owen, it’s nice to meet you, but I’m still feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of this. I have a lot to learn, and I just hope I’m up to it.”

[WhiteWolf]

Was this the teacher he was supposed to meet? Why was he so ghostly pale? His only pigment was in his golden eyes. Was that going to happen to him, too? He had seen horses born pure white, but they were always stillborn. What was a Ranger? Where was he going to live now? What would his training entail?

 

Owen could not but laugh out loud at the rush of questions from Speed, it was not unusual for a Wanderer to have so many questions, this was all so new and strange to them that they could not help themselves and no one would be surprised by their questions.

 

“Unfortunately I will not be teaching you, but do not worry there are many here who are more than capable of helping you learn how to get the most from your new found abilities. But I can help with the questions you have posed and I think the most immediate one concerns my skin colour, or lack of.”

 

Again Owen grinned, he did not want Speed to think he had caused any offence by his reaction to Owen’s Albinoism, Owen had faced far worse reactions than that during his life. “I doubt very much you will end up looking like me, I was born this way and it has no connection to you going through the Howling. As for what a Ranger is? There are several groups within the Wolfkin, each has there own discipline, and use to the Wolfkin. A Ranger is responsible for the safety of the Stedding, and the Wolfkin, we look after everyone here and make sure no two-legs cause us harm. It is not an easy task, but we do the best we can. Besides the Rangers, there are Trackers, Watchers and Sages. You have already met a Tracker and a Sage. The person who met you and brought you here is a Tracker. They are responsible for meeting all new members of the Wolfkin and bringing them back to the Stedding. A Sage, or healer, looks after our physical well being and is very skilled in the use of herbs and can heal most injuries.”

 

Owen stopped talking for a moment; he wanted to give Speed time to absorb what he had just told him before continuing. “As for where you can live, there are still a few abandoned homes, or you can build your own. For now though, you can stay here until you are ready to decide. If you do decide to build your own home, there will be plenty of willing hands to help you so don’t be afraid to ask”

 

Again Owen paused, this time though, he stuck his head out of the door and noticing a young Prentice standing around with nothing to do asked them to bring a pot of tea and two mugs. When they arrived, Owen poured out two mugs and handed one to Speed. Taking a sip he placed his mug on a shelf and answered Speed’s last question.

 

“Your training will include herb lore, weapons handling, how to cope in the dream, and how to use your new senses. Your mentor will teach you to the best of your abilities in each of these. When you have completed all your basic training, you can then choose to join one of the groups, or not. The choice is yours entirely.”

 

Owen reached for his mug and continued drinking while Speed absorbed what he had been told. When he finished his tea, Owen asked Speed if he would like a guided tour of the Stedding and the young man readily agreed.

 

Owen

 

The White Wolf

 

Ranger Leader

 

OOC Myth, respond to what Owen has told you, ask any more questions if you have them, then have us leave the Infirmary. I will then post taking you around the Stedding and showing you the different places,ok?

[Myth]

OOC: Sorry for the delay in my post. Here goes…

 

IC:

 

“Okay. So, I guess you guys are just like other people, except with the whole wolf thing, huh? That makes it easier for me to handle, I think. I was kind of afraid that this Howler thing would change who I am or something… is that weird? But it’s sort of like going through puberty again, only instead of becoming a man, I’m becoming a wolf man. Awhooooo! Heh.”

 

Owen’s glare cut him off short.

 

“Er, sorry about that. Just having a bit of fun.” Speed cleared his throat and looked around the room, hoping he hadn’t gone too far with his jest. He began pacing as he thought things over. Don’t be a bloody idiot! Play it cool. Owen seems like a nice guy, and he’s trying to help. So don’t go sticking a burr under his saddle running your big mouth. These folks are your kin folk now, and you know how weird kin folk are. Just learn what you need to know, then he says you can make a decision as to what’s best for you. No worries there, right? Just keep your nose clean, and the rest of you too, now that you seem to smell things a lot better, and everything will be fine. It’s just like when you were learning to read, only there’s no books this time.

 

Pausing, Speed looked back to see Owen with a big grin on his ghostly white face, and realized he had been doing it again. Thinking out loud. Slapping himself in the forehead as his face became as red as his horse, he sheepishly asked, “Did you hear all that?”

 

When Owen nodded, Speed’s red face quickly was joined by his ears and neck as his embarrassment grew.

 

“Well, I’ll just have to work on it, I suppose. Like everything else. And I’ll tell you, if it is sort of like going through puberty, it’s not gonna be a bed of roses, because I’m not exactly happy about all this hair sprouting everywhere and my voice squeaking sometimes. At least I don’t have many pimples. What’s so funny?”

 

Owen seemed to be dying or something he was clutching his ribs and face so hard, but he insisted he was okay.

 

Shrugging, Speed continued, “And you didn’t mention what a Watcher does. It sounds spooky. Hey can I see Red, when we go out for the tour? I’m ready now, if you are. And if you’re not going to be my teacher, then who is? I might as well get started, if I’m not going to get any crazier than I already am, that is.”

 

Owen seemed to be having some sort of seizure as he ushered Speed out the door.

[WhiteWolf]

Laughter was a great way to relive stress or depression and Speed was a great source of amusing moments, or so Owen thought. It was not very often that a Wanderer seemed so at ease around any of the older members of the ‘Kin, never mind someone like Owen, and Owen thought this bode well for Speed.

 

“Well Speed, the Watchers are a secretive lot, and if I told you about them I would then have to kill you, and that would be rude of me seeing as you have just arrived.” Owen’s whole demeanour changed as he said this, and to emphasis his words his hand idly stroked the hilt of the sword he wore at his waist. Seeing the look on Speed’s face, Owen did his best to keep his face straight, not wanting to ruin the jest just yet. “Shall we go and speak to them now, and then we can decide your fate?”

 

Speed obviously believed everything Owen had just said and indicated that he would rather not die just yet, and did so in such serious tones that Owen could no longer contain his laugh. “Take no notice Speed, I am just messing with you.” Owen just about managed to get out between laughing. “The Watchers are responsible for our trade, they procure supplies for the Stedding and help us to keep informed about events in the world outside the Stedding. If you ever get chance to meet Leila you will see that she is just as normal as the rest of us, actually she is far more level headed than I am, but then again so are most of the Wolfkin.”

 

Without looking back Owen led the way out of the Infirmary and started to show Speed around he Stedding. The buildings, what there was of them, had been built so that they did not intrude on the overall appearance of the Stedding. Many used living trees as part of their structure, and almost seemed to blend into the surroundings. It was something that the Wolfkin had decided to do when they had first made this place their home, as they did not want to disturb the natural beauty of the place. There were the obvious places that any community needed, stables, a smithy, and in the center a large open space where celebrations were held to mark significant dates and events. Also this was used as a meeting place when there were matters that needed discussing. As they walked along the paths many of the Wolfkin who were out and about came over to meet the new arrival, and they wished him luck in his future amongst them and offered to provide any help they could. “Is everyone as friendly as this Owen?”

 

“Many of us have suffered at the hands of the two-legs Speed. Here we have a place that is safe from that sort of prejudice and abuse, here we do not have to hide away from what we are. It is one of the few places where we can relax and be ourselves. You will find many of the Wolfkin did not have an easy time when they changed, that makes you appreciative of the simple things in life, such as friendship and a sense of belonging. Also you will find that many here have no family other than those who live here, so in a way we are all kin to each other. So yes you could say that everyone here is friendly and well meaning. That does not mean we do not have arguments just as any family would and if they get too serious then they are taken to the Council who rule on them.”

 

Suddenly they came to a large open space where many people were practising with their weapons, some using swords, some with bows or quarterstaffs. “This is the Ranger training grounds, there is a large space out here for weapons practice, we have our own barracks, a weapons store and over there.” Owen pointed to an area on the opposite side of the open space. “That is out of bounds to anyone who is not a Guardian or Ranger. If you go in there on your own I cannot guarantee your safety. If you do not heed my warning.”

 

“What is in there?”

 

“It is where we practice our skills, there are many traps and areas that can only be navigated by those of us who have chosen to defend the Stedding.”

 

Owen left it at that, only those who chose the path he had would know the full extent of what was concealed in that forest, every Wolfkin knew to stay away, and only the foolhardy, or suicidal would ignore a warning such as Owen’s. “Anyway, there is one last place that I have to show you, and it is possibly the best place in the Stedding.”

 

“Oh one last thing, if you ever meet Mikala and she offers to cook for you, make sure you have a prior engagement, and that is all I am saying about that.” A wicked smile appeared briefly on Owen’s face and then he was off, leading the way towards the newest building in the Stedding.

 

It was on the far side of the Stedding to where they were now, but they soon arrived at the lakeshore, and in the distance there was one of the most amazing buildings anywhere. It seemed to grow out of the bank, and looked just like it belonged where it was, the perfect setting for the Hole in the Wall, the Wolfkin’s very own inn. The inside was just as impressive as the exterior and the two men made their way inside and sat down on two tall stools at the bar. Everything about the inn looked right and almost seemed to represent everything the Wolfkin stood for. It was a place for laughter, a place to relax, a place to enjoy a good meal, good beer and good company, it was home.

 

“So then Speed what will it be?”

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

[Myth]

Basking in the pure radiance of feeling at home for the first time in ages, Dautry was at a loss when Owen posed his question.

 

“So then Speed what will it be?”

 

Staring at his older guide, the 15-year old newly accepted wolf-man was momentarily speechless. But as Dautry’s normal exuberance emerged, speechlessness didn’t last long.

 

“Uh, what do you mean, Owen? What will what be? This place is amazing! It looks to have been formed by wind and water rather than made by men. Did an Ogier come down from the mountains and make it? Don’t they live in stedding? Or do you mean what do I want to become amongst the Wolfkin? I don’t know yet, because everything sounds so interesting… except for the part where you said you would kill me, of course. Oh, did you mean where will I stay? Can I really have a place of my own? I don’t think I’m up to building a house, so maybe I could use one of the abandoned buildings.”

 

Pausing for a breath, Dautry quit staring around at the golden-eyed folk inhabiting the other booths and tables and noticed that Owen was wheezing with laughter again. Scratching his head in confusion, the boy was about to ask what was so funny when he noticed a woman standing at their table. Staring at her open-mouthed for a moment, he slapped himself in the forehead, realizing what Owen had meant.

 

“I’ll have some punch if you have any, and the biggest slab of the juiciest steak you‘ve got. I’m hungry!”

 

For some reason, Owen laughed even harder at this. Shrugging, Dautry admitted that his slender body, small for his age as he was, didn’t look too impressive. But if he was going to be a real wolf man, then he’d better start eating right. Besides, this was the first time he’d be eating something that someone else had cooked since Anton had nearly poisoned them with that rabbit. Laughing at the thought, and at himself when he realized he’d been thinking aloud again, Dautry smiled broadly at Owen who smiled back just as widely, his white face matched by his gleaming white teeth.

 

“I think I’ll like it here.”

[Asfaloth]

Now that Wall had decided to forego his Tracker duties for a time and stick around Burrich's duties at the inn had lessened considerably. Not that he'd minded looking after the placebut it was nice to simply work the bar every once in awhile instead of having to take full responsibility for the place as he'd done when Wall was gone. He found he had a lull and decided to help the girls out bringing food to the tables. The next one who came out of the kitchen found herself twirled around the big man as he relieved her of the tray. As she reached to take it back he raised it above her head reach and shook his head. With a rueful shake of her head she gave in and pointed out which table it was to go to. With a bow and a flourish he set off the echo of her laughter keeping the smile on his face.

 

He saw Owen sitting at the table with a young man. He'd heard there was a new Wanderer arrived today, Speedy the wolves had called him. As he neared the table the boy jumped at his shadow and flinched away when he saw him. Sighing at a reaction he'd almost gotten used to, Burrich spoke to Owen instead, "I assume this is the new Wanderer I've heard the wolves talking about?"

 

Getting an answer in the affirmative Burrich set the food on the table and held out his hand, "The name's Burrich, or Mountain Fury if you prefer. Welcome to the Stedding. I understand you like to ride? Not many here do, and not many horses can abide the smell of wolf so often, but once your horse gets over it I'd be glad to show you some of the trails around here. I've actually got a horse big enough to hold me if you can believe it."

 

OOC: Hey Myth, here's a chance to meet your mentor before you actually start your training. I'll post sometime tomorrow for that thread.

[Myth]

Dautry couldn’t help but flinch at the size of the man who walked up to them. He was the biggest man the youngster had ever seen! He couldn’t help but stare as the giant greeted Owen like an old friend. When he turned toward him and offered his hand, Dautry couldn’t help but focus on the size of it. But as the stranger’s words sank in, Dautry’s natural exuberance overcame his initial trepidation.

 

“Hiya Burrich,” the 15-year old newly accepted wolfman said with a wide smile as the talk of horses warmed his opinion of the behemoth before him. As his hand was swallowed by Burrich’s, he continued enthusiastically. “I bet your horse must be a Dhurran, because I’ve never seen another kind that would be big enough to handle you. My name’s Dautry, but everybody calls me Speed. Say, you want to go for a ride? I haven’t had a chance to look in on Red since we got here, and he can be stand-offish with strangers. He’s a Tairen bloodstock racehorse, and he could probably stand a god workout.” As another thought struck him, he reflexively asked, “What kind of nickname is Mountain Fury?”

 

Looking up at Burrich, Speed saw the pole-axed look on his face, which was probably how he had looked when he first saw the giant. The boy couldn’t help but wonder what made the big man look so stunned until he heard Owen’s laugh.

 

“He’s an excitable young lad, isn’t he?” Owen said between chuckles.

 

Smiling from ear to ear, Speed relaxed a bit. “Sorry about that Burrich. Sometimes, when I get excited I tend to talk in a rush, and all this is so new and strange to me, that I keep going back and forth between being nervous and excited.” Pausing he added a little jab. “Hopefully, I didn’t scare you too bad.” Laughing at his joke, Speed could only imagine himself frightening the large man before him. He laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair.

 

Seeing Owen and Burrich join in, made him feel even happier. His new home wasn’t going to be that bad a place.

[Asfaloth]

The boy sure could talk. He spoke faster than anyone Burrich had ever met. It was a struggle sometimes to catch all the words as they tumbled out of his mouth. What an interesting fellow. After they calmed down and stopped laughing Burrich answered the boy. "Well, to answer your question, Mountain Fury is the name the wolves gave me after watching me fight and train a few times. Think of a volcano, a huge mountain that is usually calm and innocent. But every once in awhile it explodes, causing catastrophic damage to all in the area. You'll see that I am a very calm and easy-going man most of the time...but I admit I do have a bit of a temper. Training to be a Ranger is helping me to control it though, so you needn't worry."

 

Burrich grabbed a chair from a nearby table with his foot, pulled it over and sat down. "If you want we can go for a ride now, it'll give us a chance to get to know one another better. I'll be the one helping you learn about your new abilities, but that can wait till morning. Finish your meal and we can go for that ride, it's been awhile since I've given Midnight the exercise he deserves.

[Asfaloth]

The boy sure could talk. He spoke faster than anyone Burrich had ever met. It was a struggle sometimes to catch all the words as they tumbled out of his mouth. What an interesting fellow. After they calmed down and stopped laughing Burrich answered the boy. "Well, to answer your question, Mountain Fury is the name the wolves gave me after watching me fight and train a few times. Think of a volcano, a huge mountain that is usually calm and innocent. But every once in awhile it explodes, causing catastrophic damage to all in the area. You'll see that I am a very calm and easy-going man most of the time...but I admit I do have a bit of a temper. Training to be a Ranger is helping me to control it though, so you needn't worry."

 

Burrich grabbed a chair from a nearby table with his foot, pulled it over and sat down. "If you want we can go for a ride now, it'll give us a chance to get to know one another better. I'll be the one helping you learn about your new abilities, but that can wait till morning. Finish your meal and we can go for that ride, it's been awhile since I've given Midnight the exercise he deserves."

[Myth]

Listening to the mountain of a man talking to him, Speed rapidly got more and more excited.

 

“Wow! That’s a wild nickname. And the wolves gave it to you? Really? I can’t wait to see if I get a nickname. I hope it’s as impressive as yours. You want to go riding now? Great!”

 

Speed couldn’t help bounding up from the table with joy. “I’ll go get Red saddled right now. Oh yeah, I forgot.”

 

He sat back down, and began hurriedly gobbling down his food. In his joy at getting to go for a ride in the stedding, he forgot his table manners. Asking questions with his mouth crammed full of food, he began,

 

“Tho yur horth is culld Midni', huh? I geth he’th black, den… Ith he uh Durran? He’d problee hav t’ be thinth you ur tho big. How long hav yu ‘ad ‘im? Red ith uh full-blooded Taren. We wer da fathteth pair in Tear befo we left cuz o’ da wolf inthide o’ me an dall o’ dat.”

 

Gulping down his punch with a satisfied “Aaahh…” he finished and rose to his feet. It was only then that he realized Owen and Burrich were staring at him as if he had gone crazy. Dautry took a deep breath and swallowed his last mouthful of steak. “What?”

 

Their laughter was loud enough to be heard on the moon.

[WhiteWolf]

Owen thought that if he laughed any more his sides would split, and with that thought came another, if Speed continued to eat at the pace he was then Owen thought they would have to both widen the doors and commit more time to hunting. It had been an awful long time since Owen had met a Wanderer who seemed to be so at ease so soon after his arrival in the Stedding. It was both refreshing and invigorating, renewing Owen’s faith in what they were doing, and what they could achieve together.

 

“Well as much as I would like to sit here and spend the rest of the day chatting with you Speed, I am afraid that I have duties to attend to. But I have no doubt you will be well looked after by Burrich here, he does show some promise as a Guardian. Maybe one day he will become a Ranger, but I think that day is a long way off yet.”

 

Owen did not mean what he said, Burrich showed a lot more skill than Owen was going to let on, it was always better to keep people striving to be better than to have them think they were the best and start to stagnate in their skills. Owen had begun to think that Burrich would become a Ranger sooner rather than later.

 

“If at any time you want to stop by and have a chat, or go for a drink, I can usually be found in one of two places, the Barracks or my home. It is easy to find, just look for one of the largest trees in the forest, and then look up. It was good meeting you Speed, may all your days be easy ones.”

 

With that Owen bade goodbye to Burrich and then left the Inn, jogging back to the Barracks to deal with his duties there, all the while chuckling at the image of Speed stuffing food into his mouth as fast as he could.

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

[Asfaloth]

continued here: http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=316228#316228