Trust, Heart, Determination

After Asger left the group he had travelled with for over a year, he went back to the lands that once belonged to his tribe. Starting the process of building himself a new house where he could live, and hopefully where his new tribe could be formed. Do to being relatively well known among the goliaths after helping with routing out as much of A’odon’s influence and followers as possible. It was not too hard to gather a small group that believed in him and was willing to follow him and his beliefs. Among the ones that joined him first was a woman named Hertha Tyra. Hertha joined Asger’s small “tribe” do to the fact that she believed that he could create a powerful tribe. A tribe that could bring a sense of stability to the lands she called home. Being a weary capable ranger and hunter, she quickly became the life line of the newly formed tribe, and the support that was needed to focus on building and expanding, not just survival.

After many nights and days, meals and drinks, songs and dances. The small, newly formed tribe had gotten very close and some more so than others. Hertha through all these days/weeks/months of observing Asger had realised that she saw more in him then just his goals and beliefs. She noticed how he worked just as hard if not harder than the ones “under” him, that he did not shun those who had no physical strength, that he saw the value of the mind and not just the body as so many goliath tribes did. He also did not seem to push others away for disagreeing with him but rather listened to them to see if they had a valid point to make.

One thing he did not accept was people lying to him about doing something they had been told not to do and especially if the result of that action led to problems for the whole tribe. And one day this happened. One of the tribe members suggested setting up a new fire place close to the food storage, but was told not to do so since it could put the food storage in unnecessary risk. He did not listen to this though and built a fire place when the others were out doing their respective jobs. As Asger had predicted when the man lit the fire the small gust sent embers towards the food storage and due to the cold temperatures all the wood was completely dried out and easily lit up in flames as the embers gave it the heat it needed. This of course led to the main supply of food to burn to ashes. The one responsible for this tragedy was met with the fury of Asger and nearly ended up dead if it weren’t for the other tribe members holding Asger back. After a bit of time everyone had calmed down enough to talk. The punishment for this ended with banishment with the reasoning being that not only did he go directly against what he was told, but also that his action could cause the deaths of all the others.

Due to the harshest of the winter months coming ever closer the tribe was facing a meagre problem. The snow and winds were too harsh to send anyone out to ask for help. The housing that was going to withstand the winter winds and hold the heat was still not finished, and now the food saved up for the winter was nearly all gone. Seeing as the housing needed to be completed before the winter storms there was only one person that could be sent out to get as much food as possible while the other worked over time to get the housing down and that was Hertha Tyra.

Hertha set out on her hunt immediately, but there was not a lot out there in the snowy mountains and it was difficult to see with the harsh winds. With no success finding any prey on the first hunt she headed home (3days). There was obvious disappointment amongst the tribe members seeing as there was only a week left of food to go around. This disappointment both from the tribe and from her self-led her to prepare to go back out that same day, but she was stopped. Just as she were going to leave again, she heard Asger say:

take a day to rest up, a tired hunter will not see their prey, they will overlook the dangers and will fail in their attempt. You should also eat something as an empty stomach, which will distract the mind and remove its edge.  

Hertha turned around and was met with a big warm smile by the giant of a goliath named Asger, and in his outstretched hand was a sizable bowl of warm stew. She grabbed the bowl with a bit of hesitation, and walked back to the camp fire with Asger.

The next day Hertha headed out into the forest once more, but was not met with much more luck than before, and each time she returned with nothing to show the tribe’s morale fell lower and lower. With the only one seemingly unaffected being Asger. Always handing her a bowl of whatever was cooked up, and giving her words of comfort and encouragement for the next hunt to come. The days went and hunt after hunt failed, close to two weeks had passed and the people were giving up hope. The storms were getting harsher and harsher and although the housing was nearly finished the storms picked up quicker than expected. With no food left and every one exhausted Hertha went out into the storm for one more try to find something to eat. After a full day out in the wilderness she found her prey, a large elk. Sneaking closer was made both easier and more difficult by the storm, but after some moments she was close enough to take the shot. Adrenaline rushing through her veins she lifted the bow of her back, gripping it with a firm hand. Pulling an arrow from her quiver, she knocked it to the string on her longbow, and took a long deep breath. In one fluid motion she pulled back the bow string, stood up and fired. The arrow pierced the large elk right through its eye.

It took a full day to drag the large elk back to the tribe. As she came close to the village, she noticed that the housing was complete. With no one outside she headed to the newly finished housing and opened the door. When she did, she was met with the hopeless eyes of the tribe, but on her face was a grin larger than the elk she had killed, as she moved out of the whey so everyone could see a wave of cheers and nervous laughter erupted. They did not waste any time in preparing some of the meat from the elk, and soon there was a tiny feast. Every one ate till their stomachs were full, and this time Hertha was the one that could hand Asger some food. When she did so, she felt a rush of pride as she had for now at least saved the tribe. However, with her mind now more at ease she saw that Asger had become scary thin, and she realised that the bowls of food she had gotten was not for her but for Asger. Hertha’s portions were already given to her in the rations she had with her on the hunts. His now skinny form making sense, Asger had not eaten for two weeks and she was the reason. Noticing the change of excretion on Hertha’s face Asger simply said:

A rested mind with its edge in tack is the most important tool for a hunter. I always believed you would make it work, and give us what was so desperately needed.  

She simply gave him a concerned smile, grabbed another plate of meat and sat down next to Asger making sure he got his fill. Throughout the night they continued talking both about mundane things like what the village might look like in the future and some gossip about the others in the tribe, but as the night started so settled and people began to fall asleep. The conversation flowed into their respective pasts and childhoods. Asger talked about how he was placed in a boat and sent off into the ocean to survive the attack on his tribe. In return, Hertha told her story of how she was thrown out of her tribe when she was just 14 years old, for not agreeing with the chieftain and the wars he was waging on any who stood opposed or neutral to A’odon. She described how she was able to make a simple bow and arrows, even though she had only seen it done and never actually done it before.

It felt like I was meant to wield a bow and arrow, and as I did, my connection to nature and the world around me seemed to grow. With the shadows of the forest not seeming as dark and the sharp cold of the winds seeming gentler.

She continued describing that even though she missed her family and brothers she never felt more at home than in the vast mountain forests. Though the winter months were rough, the rest of the time things usually went without too much trouble. In the end both Asger and Hertha fell asleep in the corner of the newly built main hall, leaned up against each other.

The next few days were spent putting the finishing touches on the new building, but the problem of food was still there. Due to the now harsh winds and extreme temperatures most could not venture outside for any significant time. This was due to the fact that most of Asger’s tribe at this point consisted of outcasts from other tribes, a large majority being elderly or families with young children. Of the ones that could travel out of the village only two could actually leave so as to not weaken the defences too much. So, they decided that the two that should go out on the hunt in the harsh weather were Hertha and Asger. Hertha due to her unmatched skill as a hunter, and Asger due to him being the strongest member of the tribe. Gathering the necessary equipment and rations, the two headed out on what would end up being a long and argues hunt filled with close calls and missed opportunities.

The first two days were not too bad. The winds were calm, the sky was clear, and the sun was bright. The only thing they were able to catch though was a small white rabbit that would only add a bit to their rations. On the third day of the hunt Hertha was able to shoot and kill a reindeer that had been separated from its flock, at a distance of 160m. But when they reached the halfway mark to collect the reindeer a pack of wolves appeared from between the trees, and seeing their opportunity they rushed out and grabbed the carcass, dragging it after them as fast as they could. Succeeding in stealing the reindeer the wolves would eat well that night while Asger and Hertha were left empty handed.

With nothing to show, and dusk creeping in, they found a large uprooted tree and set up their camp at its base. Gathering twigs and branches from the dead trees in the area Hertha starts a campfire, while Asger digs away the snow and creates a small burrow for them to sleep in. As dusk started fading into night, the breeze that had passed between the trees throughout the day began to pick up speed. Breeze, turned to gale, gale turned to, storm and the storm turned into a raging blizzard as the winds lifted the loose snow from the ground. Huddled together in the burrow with their blankets draped over them to protect them from the snow. All they could do now was wait and hope the snow wouldn’t lay on so thick as to trap them beneath.     

The blizzard pact on the snow quickly. To prevent the snow from caving in on them Asger held the blankets up on his back holding the snow above in place. After a while the snow had piled on so tight that it had frozen in place, turning the burrow into an ice cocoon of sorts. Locked away from the outside in all aspects except for the low hum of the blizzard above. In the complete darkness of the cocoon, the thought of this turning into the final resting place for them crossed both their minds. Asger and Hertha were silent for some time just listening to the winds above, but the silence was broken by a gentle and soothing song from Hertha. The song was a tale of strife and peace, of vast forest with plentiful life, and winters cold, with only snow around. A song from nature neither romanticised or degraded, only a story of nature’s beauty both harsh and kind, giving and taking, loving and uncaring.

As Hertha finished her song Asger could only wonder if this beautiful song was a song she learned as a child or a retelling of Hertha’s own struggles from her long travels alone. As the silence set once more Asger could not hold his curiosity any more. He asked where the song had come from and indeed it came from Hertha’s own travels. Expanding more on what she had already told him about her story, she went in depth about who she was and how she was forged, revealing all of her scars and trophies.

As Hertha finished her story, she started wondering who this man she now had entrusted with her life. The man she believed could bring some peace to the goliaths. Who was Asger Haldor at his core, what was driving him to work so hard? The question just slipped out, and although not on purpose, she was both relieved and intrigued when Asger started talking. Asger talked about the life he had as a child in his tribe, a life he wished to create for the future generations. But this part of his story was not a very long one as he started describing what befell his tribe and the memory of seeing it burn as he drifted away in the small boat he was placed in. The story continued with the description of a lush forest greener than anything he had seen before. He explained how he tried to recreate the coming-of-age ritual that his tribe practised, how one was supposed to hunt down a predator to show your strength if you wanted to be a warrior and protector. The one Asger hunted was a brown bear. He described the encounter in vivid detail, in the end he succeeded with the hide to prove it still on his shoulders, but it was not without its price. The bear had left its mark on Asger in many small scars across his body, but mainly a large slash left on his torso. But that scare was now gone, replaced by an even bigger one that covered both his torso and lower back.

He continued his story, on how he first left the forest properly and how he met a strange but incredibly skilled group of people. People he would later go on to call his closest friends. He described all the different places he travelled to, all the people he had met, and all the good and bad things he had done. As he talked about how he ended up leaving his group of friends to stay in order to try and take back, and rebuild the place he called home. He went silent with a sudden sharp breath and an aura of uncertainty.

As the silence lasted Hertha decided to cast dancing lights to see what was going on. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she was met with the view of Asger holding back his tears, with one rolling down his cheek. Placing her hand under his head and wiping away his tear with her thumb.

I am glad you told me about all this, about you. I might not know if your decision was the right one or if there even is one, but I know that no matter what, you need to believe in yourself, the same as your friends have done in all your travels. Do not look back on the things you could or should have done. Look at what you can do now, and go for what you think is best.

Silence fell again as neither one had more to say in the moment. Laying there in silence, only looking into each other’s eyes as if their souls were reflected in them. As the light started to dim, letting the darkness take over one’s more, and just as the light went out, they shared a kiss, to seal their fears and give hope to the future.

The hum of the storm had gone completely silent and with the darkness as thick as magic there was no telling what time of day it was. They decided that with the hum of the wilds gone the best thing to do was to break out, as they did not have the luxury of not taking risks. Asger tried pushing the snow and ice off of them but was not able to do so, as the ice had become quite thick and the snow firm. Hertha then had an idea, asking Asger to just trust her. Casting Enlarge on Asger, he quickly became too large for the small cocoon and as he grew the ice started to shatter. With the extra strength the spell provided he was also able to clear away the snow and pull Hertha out of the burrow. 

Now standing above ground again they could feel the warmth of the sun and breathe the fresh air around them. Looking up at the sky it was clear that the day had just begun. Both of them let out deep breaths of relief as they realised that there was no better timing that could be had for breaking out of their cocoon. As they looked more around, a feeling of uncertainty and dread came over them. The blizzard that had been raging on had toppled over trees and moved massive amounts of snow around, making the terrain around them unrecognisable. 

Knowing that they might not find their way home, but that the people there still relied on them to find food for all of their survival, they decided to press on and worry about finding their way later. Unsure of how much time they had spent buried beneath the snow, was an unnerving thing for the both of them, and it made room for the feeling of time running out, and them already being too late. Even though both of them harboured this feeling, not a single word was spoken of it as the only way to keep going was to have hope that there was still time. 

The snow had become so deep that Hertha now struggled to move through it, and on the other hand the snow was too weak to hold the weight of Asger as he just fell right through. Seeing no other way they decided that Asger would plough a path in the snow like an elk would. This was not something that he could keep up for hours on end without rest, so they travelled much slower than they would have liked and made more noise that could scare away any animals that heard them. 

This day saw nothing else than Asger ploughing away the snow and Hertha looking out for any prey that might show up. All though the day was uneventful it was a tiring day for them both. Asger felt like he was burning from the heat as the sun was beating down on his back and the physical excursion it took to move the snow was intense. For Hertha it was a different story, the light winds carried with them a frigid cold that wiped out the sun’s heating rays. With nothing else to do but look for life in the forest and conserve as much of her energy as possible it felt like the cold was snuffing out all the heat in her body. 

As dusk started to settle, the winds stopped completely, and a light silence was laid down upon the snowy mountains. The night sky was clear as could be and the stars were as bright as ever. Laying down on their bed rolls, and looking up at the sky a feeling of calm and peace started to cement itself in the two tied goliaths. Falling asleep with some peace of mind as the weather was finally tolerable and no immediate danger seemed to be looming.

Waking up to the earth shaking beneath their feet and the sound of tree after tree falling over and hitting the ground with surprising force. Looking around in sock, awe and terror they grabbed their respective weapons and stood back to back. Bewildered at what could possibly be making the earth tremble as it did they scoured their surroundings as thoroughly as they could but that ended quickly when Hertha saw what was happening to the stars. 

The sky it’s tearing itself apart. The stars are disappearing from the sky like they never existed, and the astral plains are being ripped apart and scattered. Tell me that you are not seeing this Asger. Tell me that I cannot trust what I see, that my eyes are deceiving me. Tell me that everything will…

The world around them was shifting fast, hills erupted from the earth and cracks in the ground parted the stone and tore it like paper as sinkholes swallowed whatever they could reach. The sky and astral plains lit up the sky in magnificent colours as they tore at each other and at the fabric of reality. Yellows, blues, reds, and eathers, dancing like the flames of creation over the skies. The destruction of the earth, and the flames of creation across the skies was like a symphony of life, death, and rebirth. With nothing to do but watch and listen in stunned silence, the two knew that if they survived this. It was a sight they never would forget, and a sound so terrifying and beautiful it could never be described. 

As the world around them started to settle down and the feeling of air reaching their lounges again hit them. They woke as if they had been put under a trance not knowing for how long they had been standing there. On one hand everything happened so fast that it could have all been over in a few seconds but on the other it felt like they had been standing there from the beginning of time just watching everything unfold around them.  

Asger’s heart was beating visibly in his chest and his veins pulsed in harmony with it. Not knowing what happened, what was going on, what caused this, and what he would make of it. There was only one thing he knew and that was why he was in the forest to begin with, gathering food for his tribe and people. Picking up what he could find of their stuff Asger whispered a small prayer to Helm and started traversing the changed landscape in search of prey. To feed the once he cares for, the once that rely on him, and the one he loves, Asger would do whatever it took. 

Seeing the determination in Asger’s actions, Hertha snapped out of her stunned state and followed after him. As they walked she could not seem to focus on what they were doing prayer to what would be called the merging. Her mind raced with thoughts about what she saw and heard. Recreating the flames from the skies in her mind as best she could. The flashes of yellow, blue, and red were easy enough, but the colour of eather was not something that was easily comprehended. 

All though Hertha was caught up in her own thoughts she realised that it was still the dead of night as the only light around, was the remnants of the flames of creation or the winter lights as they would later be named.