Chapter 3: Meeting The Natives

Elspa wakes to the realization that her muscles are frozen stiff. It takes her a moment to will movement back into her limbs, and when it feels like her body relaxes, the barbarian is awash in dull, deep aches. Elspa grunts, rolling to her side to prop herself up.

She squints, shielding the sunlight with her hand while she looks at Rygnar. "You sleep any?"

Jarveena's eye flutters open. Eye, not eyes. She reaches up to touch her face and runs her finger over the familiar scars. Of course it was just a dream. She rises awkwardly and regards Elspa and Rygnar wordlessly.

Seeing Elspa battling with the sun, Rygnar steps in front of her to block it "Sleep isn't my concern, my concern is your safety; that is all my cares." While his face and words are directed at Elspa, his eye subtly flick between her and Jarveena.

"Ye should rested, ye big lout! Wot good are ye if ye keel over midday?" Jarveena says sourly, but she does a poor job if hiding her sincere concern for Rygnar. She shakes her head "I still doan' know how I'm not in th' ravine...an' not dead."

"Sleep is not what fuels me, the safety of my loved ones is. As long as there is danger I watch, I fight, I protect; when my protection is no longer needed then I can rest, in one way or another." Rygnar stands tall as he speaks despite the multiple, semi-fresh punctures across his body.

"This island does strange things," Elspa says to Jarveena, as if that simple explanation is all the woman needs. "If we want it to stop acting strange, we have a job. Are the others still alive?"

"Frick wen' down but Ygne an' Moss were still alive when I last saw 'em." Jarveena replies. "Could'n'a lasted tho, cause we was overrun by 'em spooks." she shudders at the memory. "What job?"

"Can we not talk about that here, I do not like this cave, talk about it as we move. We go to the village, see if anything is left. If not we take what we deserve. If they're still standing, they owe us a feast; magic rodded or not."

Jarveena nods, and gets her gear ready. She tries to wash some of the dried-up gore off of her but much of it is caked in her hair and the clothes the villagers gave her. She considers changing into her own clothes but decides against it for the time being.
"Alrigh', I'm ready. Les' go."

Moss, not being one that gives in to lying, looks at the Seventh directly in the eyes and takes a few seconds to carefully word in his head what he was about to say...
Lifting the amulet, In respect to your gift, I will be honest with you. I did not know what this was and what it would be used for. Had I known, I would not have given it to the girl (...I would have kept it for myself, Moss thought...). So here is what I will swear to you...I will bring this where it came from, and should I come into possession of an artefact destined to somebody in the village, I swear to bring it to you or She Who Has Been Beyond the Reef. Or the new Spirit Mother when she arrives. Are you satisfied with my oath ? Moss opens his hand in front of him waiting for the Seventh to drop the amulet in it...

"Moss can go get sand up his arse alone. I ain't goin' with him," Ygne grumbles to Frick in between mouthfuls of food, noticeably avoiding eye contact.

Her next few bites are interrupted by the nearby gossiping children. She attempts to ignore it, instead focusing on her food, but eventually the tall tales become too much for her to bear. "Hey!" She shouts, some bits of porridge dribbling down her lip, "Keep talkin' like we ain't hearin' you and I'll stuff your tongue down your own throat with my damned fist!" She holds up her clenched hand to demonstrate before she begins lifting the bowl to her mouth to scarf down the rest of the food. She grumbles as she gulps it down, "Killer of Shit That Needs Killing. More like Breaker of Promises; Man Who Gets Stabbed And Leaves His Friend Alone With Someone Like Fucking Moss." She still avoids any eye contact with Frick, even if she may as well be speaking directly to him. Ygne tosses her bowl down onto the cave floor, scoops up her rum and begins to exit the cave.

Elspa packs up her belongings and settles her gear. "Auntie Zilla!" she calls out down into the cave. "Thanks for the roof over our heads. We'll be going now."

After acknowledging their host's hospitality, Elspa is ready to leave.

"Who th' fuck's that?" whispers Jarveena.

"Auntie Zilla," states Elspa, matter-of-fact. As if that's all she needed to answer, the barbarian turns and heads out of the cave.

Jarveena shrugs and follows. She peers at Rygnar's wounds. "Ye alrigh'?"

"You two are safe, that's all I need; do not worry yourself over me." Rygnar walks in the back, keeping watch over Jarveena and Elspa.

Frick is totally confused by Ygne's reaction. He's used to her being rough, but it's usually harmless fun; he senses this is different and follows her out. He keeps a good ten paces behind, but doesn't let her out of his sight.