[Viden] Check up and Rumors

[Wald Lowca]

Ashan 24th 719, Morning

Wald woke slowly this morning, the sound of flakes pattering on the roof of the tent. When Wald walked out, the land was snowing. It was light, nothing that could hinder vision. The rack that had been there for several trials, was down as all the meat was finished smoking. The fire pit that was enlarged was slowly consolidated. Allowing for Wald to use less wood in the fire. The heat from the ashes, was enough to make the flakes melt near instantly. All it took was a little coxing, and the flames were lit once again.

Ylfa moved from the tent soon after, moving towards Wald with that look. It was a look Wald has gotten use to. "We have plenty of supplies." Wald pointed at the wood. he was getting quite bored as well, he had not gone on a hunt for fourteen Trails. He could feel the laziness in his bones. It was not a good feeling, though he still had plenty of food. If he wanted, he could go a cycle well fed with the smoked meat. Though the six sacks were a gift, it was a curse as well. So much food had no place in his life. It invited sloth into his life, something that most would welcome. Though Wald was not most people, he had goals. But even he would not waist an animals life for no reason.

With a sigh Wald rolled up his sleeve, looking at the gash that was sewn up. It seemed to be almost completely healed, The stitch work the only sign of the severity of the wound. Hopefully Sybil would come to remove the stitch work, as it began to get in the way. Full movement of the arm was something to be desired. And the threads would get caught on his shirt. Wald looked to the powdered sky, with contempt. It was not relaxing him, everything made him anxious. He let his body fall back, into the cold snow. Allowing the flakes of snow to gather on his body.

[Sybil Malach]

Ashan 24th, arc 719

It was getting easier for Sybil to move about camp, as time inched along. Food and water were things being readily accepted without much hesitation anymore. Matter of fact, the student would often overeat in an attempt to make up for lost nutrition, ending with the pangs of regret. While it was a boon that Sybil had finally, slowly, began to shake off this mess of a mindset, it was something that was clearly not in the student's best interests to take too far. But between Tulias and Wald's watchful eyes, and the continued recovery process, this was something that was, in the end, something of a minor problem, rather than something that will persist for a long time. One could even start to see the changes in Sybil's demeanor, just by the simple act of not sleeping through a majority of the day. Such an act during the worst part of this entire ordeal would have been something of an impossibility, considering it all from afar.

But today was a new day, in the end. Something that Sybil could appreciate. Letting out a soft breath, the student simply rubs at the eyes, in some attempt at trying to wake up, just a bit more. Sitting along the fire, there was simply nothing going through Sybil's mind. Wald and his new wolf were doing something. Ylfa was a subject that confused the student to no end, but such was the nature of her existence. Such things had no place in Sybil's mind. The icy chill of the Videnese season began to bite at the student's flesh, making ample certain that comfort was always just on the very edge of allowance. After all, this was the Tundra. There was very little that could be done, if one struggled with the mere act of keeping warm, there could only be making due with it. Glancing to the side, Sybil simply tries to focus on the powdery layer of snow that rests upon the packed, frozen layer right beneath, as though it offered clarity.

A knit of the lips to the side, however, Sybil couldn't help but look back towards Wald. Something was clearly wrong with how he was acting. Something about him was different, in a way that proved to be slightly worrying. A budding anxiety, perhaps? It was easier to read, than before. It seemed that during their time together, the two had begun to talk more through expressions and movements, rather than through proper common. Pulling the cloak close, Sybil considered what this honestly meant, as the student's legs folded underneath. "You seem worried." Sybil finally speaks up, just getting comfortable next to the campfire. As comfortable as one could get, still somewhat exposed to the elements, tugging down the hood, in some attempt to try and block out the nearly lethal, frigid winds, "Is there something wrong, Wald?" The student simply asks of the larger man, no longer playing into the overwhelming silence.

[Wald Lowca]

Wald looked towards the student, as he laid in the snow. He sighed once more and stared back into the sky. The clouds moved they way the always had, moving in from the sea, and gathering near the mountain. He looked down to his body, it had not changed, no new scratches or marks from a hunt. ""My body aches to move. Wald looked back to the student, his expression was that of boredom. The time stood still had been getting to him. He was use to roaming from camp to camp for a long time now. Though now the amount of food he had, made things more complicated.

Slowly Wald rose from the snow, powder and flakes falling from his back. The could seemed to fad as fast as it came. With a sigh, Wald looked to Sybil with an idea. "Can you trade off those sacks of dried meat." Wald smiled slightly, as if those were the source of the anxiety he had gathered. Wald would likely get bent over if he tried to sell still, as many of the merchants would of heard the rumors of Wald. Being known as a killer that paid off the court, can not help you in trades sadly. "I will lend you the cart and Ylfa. That way you wont have to walk the distance, nor be unprotected." Ylfa seemed to sulk at that prospect. Though Wald's word was law in this case.

Wald got up and cleared the cart, putting five of his six sacks of dried meat. This would at the very least let him hunt for food again. Without that he had nothing to do in the tundra. "Try and get Hay, and anything else you think is useful." Loading the cart and getting the donkey attached was easy enough. And Ylfa would listen even if she did not want to.

[Sybil Malach]

Ashan 24th, arc 719

Giving an unsteady stretch of the arms and legs, Sybil couldn't help but stare at Wald, as he suggested what he did. A slow blink of the eyes crossed the student's countenance, before simply pausing. A moment of thought is given, as Sybil tries to search the man's face, from a distance. Something was, indeed, wrong. He never brought up the city, unless there was something bothering him. The man tended to avoid it like the plague, choosing to, instead, live among the carcasses he dragged home, and the snow. It was a sort of life that Sybil couldn't understand. The student was accustomed to the din of the city. Of people moving to and fro without a care, and weaving among those people with ease. There was something calming about being able to blend in with the people that surrounded the streets of Viden. But Wald, he was not born into that sort of life. This was something that Sybil was intimately aware of. What brought Sybil comfort, inspired a nearly psychotic level of anxiety within the hunter. Almost as though the two were polar opposites.

"You ache?" Sybil asks of Wald. Blinking blankly for a moment, Sybil's brows raise. This had been one of the few times that Wald had admitted to some physical shortcoming. Even if it was as minor as pain, he had a nasty habit of simply remaining stoic, and requiring the student to decipher it. Eyes glancing about the man, as Sybil rises to a stand, slowly wiping off the accumulating snow upon their body. The student had been remaining still for quite some time now. The crunch of the snow beneath the student's foot was audible, landing into an unpacked segment, somehow missed by the soles of the two's shoes. Slowly blinking, "Let me see your wound. I haven't seen it in quite some time, no?" Sybil instead offers, rubbing at the eyes with a snow caked, yet clean, glove, "You're not going to send me away, while you're in pain, you realize." Sybil says.

[Wald Lowca]

Wald seemed to be a little surprised at the student moving towards him. "OH... Right." Wald undid his shirt that why his arm would be exposed better. Though the ache was not from the wound, the ache was in his joints. No need to correct the student that hard, as Sybil still needed to check on the wound. Taking the shirt away, Wald moved his arm up to take a look himself. The wound looked more then fine to him, though maybe the student could see something else. Wald gave a soft smile. "The ache is more because of the lack of movement." Wald presented the arm to the student, as he talked. "My body and mind, are use to moving from place to place. Mostly to continue with new hunts. But with the last one... A hunt..." A small sigh came over Wald. "A hunt right now is a waist... With how much food i have, I need to get rid of the meat away." Wald pointed towards the cart, that has been readied.

With a smile at the young student once more, Wald stood there for Sybil to examine. "If anything happens on your travel, I will know immediately." Looking over to Ylfa, with a nod. "And she will at the very least keep you safe. Even if you can't see her in the city, she will be there with you." Ylfa nodded, she knew she could not disobey Wald's orders. She also learned just how fast of a learner that Wald was, though fighting with him so much the past few Trails. Though that was a little secrete between the two of them. As that all happened when Wald was still wounded badly, and Sybil had just patched the man. Who knows what would happen if Wald was careless enough to reopen the old wound. For sure he would likely get a earful from Sybil, at least that is what he though might happen.

[Sybil Malach]

Ashan 24th, arc 719

Sybil can't help but let out a soft sigh, as the man shows the skin, in which the wound was located upon. Exposing his bare flesh to the elements, perhaps, wasn't the smartest idea. But Sybil was the one that said it, and Wald took it literally. The student didn't know who in particular to blame for this utter travesty. Sybil's lips knit to the side, almost in a sort of cringe fashion, as Wald's exposed skin is revealed to the bitter, biting cold of the Tundra. In all honesty, it pained the student to see someone do that in the dead of-- Well, it wasn't Cylus anymore. A quick glance up at the sky would confirm such a notion. But it's not like seasons really matter outside of the city itself.

A slow glance, however, is given across the wound. It was from afar, but there were clear signs that Sybil knew to look for. Redness, and strange streaks down the body. In truth, it would have been better to touch the wound, but at this point, Sybil simply wanted the man to put away his skin, and save himself the frostbite. From this distance, the stitches seem to be a little worse for wear, but the actual wound seems to be healing. Perhaps that merchant was indeed lying about the quality of the thread, but that hardly mattered. The wound didn't, at least, from here, appear to be in any risk of souring within the time it takes to leave here, and come back from the city proper. Right?

A glance is cast between Ylfa and Wald. They're obviously glancing at one another. Like it was some joke that Sybil wasn't let in on. Letting out a soft sigh, the student simply relented, and offered a slow nod of the head, "... Alright. Anyone in particular you wanted this traded to? Did you want something in barter, or did you want coin?" Sybil asks of the man, very clearly alright with either prospect, as it's his goods. The student pulls the cloak a bit closer, eyes glancing across Wald, before shifting down to the wolf companion. Ylfa was still an anomaly to Sybil. A creature that barely spoke, but it was very much clear that the two communicated in some way, like beasts.

[Wald Lowca]

Wald put his shirt back on, then gave a good stretch to move his muscles. "It is up to you, I usually barter for hey and grains." Looking over to the large amount of meat. "Though, I usually don't barter with this much goods." With a smile, he scratched his head. "I might need to find a more permanent solution to the meat problem." Wald laughed for a moment. "You don't happen to be a businessmen are you." A soft smile came from Wald, as he knew that there would be issues in the future with this as well. He would need a place he could bring the meat regularly. Though that was an issue for another time. For now he would just need to make due with how he could now.

Wald went to the fire, tending to it as he kept his body ready. Since once the student left, he might need to run in a moment's notice. Though no matter how far the student would go, he knew exactly where the student was. The smell of a frozen rose would lead him to them. It was a comforting feeling. Knowing that he could always find his way to Sybil, even if they were a vast distance away. Wald took a moment to relax, the warmth of the fire brushing his face. He knew where the student would be, as the smell seemed to tell distance as well. Everything will be fine right? as long as Ylfa is there nothing will happen. Wald would begin to worry about the student, It was almost like a father would worry about his child leaving for their first hunt. Though, not every father sent their son out into the wilderness alone at twelve, but Wald had no reference to a normal family.

[Sybil Malach]

Ashan 24th, arc 719

As Wald begins to shift away, Sybil's gaze slowly moves away from him, and towards the distance. The student had guessed that was the location of the Citadel of Viden, but it was hard to tell, without straining the eyes against the painful white light reflecting from the snow. Sybil was bad at hiding emotions, and was even worse than lying. It would be hard to say that the student wasn't feeling any level of anxiety about this. Leaving the camp, alone, to go trade for something that they hadn't really even thought through about. It wasn't exactly an optimal situation. Made far worse by the reality that, the last time the student had meandered around in a caravan, that it had ended in the deaths of several students from the Academy, and the eventual attempted conviction of Wald's involvement. The memory was still fresh, even though days and days began to slowly push itself from the event.

But even so, why did it feel like it was only yesterday? Why where the memories and the dreams so clear, yet so unfocused? Why was it that they felt like they were from another life, but just as well, from yesterday?

The thoughts slowly began to melt away. Whatever Wald had done with Sybil's blood. Certainly that was enough. Letting out a soft sigh, Sybil simply meanders over towards the tent, and begins to collect the satchel that was simply left by the flaps of the tent itself. Usually the student isn't so careless with their belongings, but this camp was starting to feel like home. The deep layer of snow was like carpeting. The only thing that really made this entire ordeal unbearable, was simply, the fact that there was nowhere to get properly warm. "... Alright. You sure the wolf won't just run off?" Sybil asks, slinging the satchel over the shoulders, before looking back towards Wald, approaching one of the animals. Whichever seemed more approachable, the horse or the donkey, "And... If I was, a businessman, I mean, I would be living in the Amber Prism, not with students." Sybil offers a light chuckle.

[Wald Lowca]

"Ylfa will not leave your side. Even within the city she will be there unseen." Wald looked right towards Ylfa. "Right, Ylfa." Wald's eyes narrowed towards the wolf. His stern look would tell her he was not joking with the wolf.

The wolf looked to Wald then back to Sybil, and nodded towards the student. "I would not disobey orders, master."

Wald pointed towards the wolf. "She just said, she would not disobey orders." A soft sigh came from Wald, as the donkey butted Sybil's hand gently with her nose. "It would be easier if you two could speak with each other." Wald thought on it for a moment, though nothing came into his head on how to fix that.

Ylfa looked back to Wald, "Only Karem's pack can speak to me, Master." It was obvious that Ylfa could not understand common, even if it seemed to be as such. The only reason she understood Wald was some magic translation the mark did. Though how could a wolf speak common without a proper vocal cord.

A laugh came out of Wald as he contemplated biology. It may have been one of the more advanced subjects he understood. Even if the understanding came from tearing apart animals. Though that is how research first started on the subject. It is one of those sciences that require death to be learned. "Just have some fun in town, don't worry to much she is smarter then she looks." Ylfa gave a dagger stare to Wald as if insulted.

[Sybil Malach]

Ashan 24th, arc 719

A slow glance is spared towards Ylfa. Something about her wasn't entirely present. As though she was some sort of thing that wasn't entirely what she appeared to be. Though that much was obvious, between the glances that she and Wald shared between one another. Slowly, Sybil's gaze shifts towards Wald, as he begins to attempt to explain what it is that is going on. Nothing left the Wolf's blackened lips, that could be discerned as Common, but it seemed that Wald could understand her, in despite of that. Nothing really made sense about this interaction, in despite of it being explained. Perhaps it was simply explained in a way that Sybil couldn't entirely understand, or perhaps the student was perhaps a bit more dull than expected when it came to adapting to new circumstances like these. With half lidded eyes, Sybil simply offers a nod towards Wald, not bothering to ask a thousand questions and get a nonsense answer.

This was the supernatural, after all.

"Alright, so you wanted..." Sybil began to take a slip of paper from the satchel itself. The quill that was pulled from it as well, seemed to be snapped in half. Not that it really affected Sybil any, considering how little the aesthetics of the quill even mattered. "Hay, and... Grains." A slow nod leaves the student's head, as Sybil simply attempts to dip the quill into a leather waterskin containing some ink, before writing it down, using the flank of the donkey as a means of writing. The student simply, with the offhand, giving the beast a slow pat along the ribcage, near the stomach. The student considered what else could be traded for. In all honesty, there was very little need to do this in the city. Well, bartering happened commonly, but Sybil simply managed to rely on coin more than anything. That, and being a student helped with getting rations. A glance back towards Wald, "You sure you don't want anything else?"