Ragey Misunderstanding

It's pretty much official that Winter is in retreat, and Spring is near. While snow is still abundant in the shadows of the forest, the well used paths and trails are muddy, with the snow melting away in the sunnier places.

Murder's camp, well establish now, has had most of the snow pushed to the edges. Mud has been covered by larger, flat stones, making paths leading to the camp's different features.

The most prominent one, after dark, is the firepit. A bright light beckons to those nearby, along with the smell of something savory cooking. The Gobbo herself is not currently visible.

By this point, it has been noted where the gobbo's camp is. And among his patrol of the woods, a silverscaled makari breaks free of the tree line, his halberd in hand. There is no sound of a whinnying horse like before, instead, himself is hoisting a buck that has been speared through the midsection. "Murder!" Skielstregar calls out, rumbling warmly to himself. "Thisss one brought a gift!"

He draws in closer to the camp, looking around. "... hrmm..."

The sound of running can be heard, somewhere outside of the camp. The reflection of the fire can be seen in a pair of eyes that get closer and closer. A little green form jumps over the fence, clad in a large wolf pelt.

Murder breaths heavily, and moves to sit near the fire. "Skiel! Just in time, I have some stew almost done." The Gobbo's hair is plastered to her head, and her feet are bare as she stretches them towards the fire. "Come and sit!"

Skielstregar blinks as someone comes running, him turning to face them. He tilts his head to the side. "Ah. Murder. Peassse on your nessst. Thisss one brought thiss for you," he offers the game, setting it down carefully nearby.

"Thisss... one isss not interrupting anything? You ssseem busssy," he asks, taking a seat beside the fire and inhaling the scent of the stew. His halberd is left aside to stand on its own. It's got a different feature this time around; a jagged crack down the axe blade.

The Gobbo gasps, and runs to look the buck over. "Oh gosh! Thanks Skiel!" She makes the mistake of hugging at the Sith from behind, without thinking. He just may feel her struggling to pull herself off. "Ow. Yanno... sometimes this sucks.", she grumbles. There's a grunt or two, a few ripping sounds, and a few noises of pain. Another tug and she is free, moving to sit by Skiel, her feet pointed at the fire. "You've got some uh fur stuck on your armor back there... and uh some skin."

She huffs and shrugs, "Was just bathing... more like a quick jump and splash... before dinner." Which, judging from the smell, is a spicy stew, the meat's texture looking like beef, and a mix of vegetables including mushrooms."

Skielstregar blinks as he's about to get hugged. "Wait, don'-" A sigh escapes him, and he pivots to put his back on the fire to help defrost the gobbo. "Thisss one wasss going to warn you!"

He looks to his back, then shrugs, letting his back get warmed to remove it. "Erm... are you well? That sssounded... painful."

He peers at the stew. "Ah! That isss well. Thisss one will gladly have sssome!"

"It'll heal.", she says quietly, steadfastly keeping her left side out of view. "I am happy to share! I bought the meat in Alexandria, and the vegetables too. But the peppers are mine. I hope you like it." Bowls are retrieved, as well as spoons, and she kneels at the pot to scoop them both a full bowlful.

"So are you travelling to Mictlan?", she wonders as she hands him a bowl with her right hand. "Or back to Alexandria?"

Skielstregar looks on in worry briefly before shaking his head and taking a bowl once its offered. "Thisss one looksss forward to trying it!"

With his hands full, he shakes his head. "Thisss one isss keeping patrol, asss usssual." He chuckles. "Thisss one isss recently returned from a fight with a monssster." On his shoulder lies the scowling head of a bluescaled lizard; a cryohydra.

The Gobbo stands up and peers at the head, her head tilting back and forth. "What creature is it? A dragon? And uh..." His weapon standing at attention has caught her eye. "Your axe is cracked!" Murder's only distracted momentarily from her dinner though, as she returns to it, and begins scooping spoonfuls into her mouth. There's not a whole lot of chewing going on.

"Cryohydra," Skielstregar rumbles proudly. "Many headsss, healsss fassst. We had to stab itsss heart to kill it. Warrior Andelena finissshed the job."

He blinks, and looks up to his halberd. The axehead of the polearm is indeed cracked, but looking at it now... it curves upwards slightly? Like that of a jagged smile. A sigh leaves him "Sssa. Malefic cracked in the fight. But thiss one... thinksss it iss fine?" He shrugs, then starts to eat in a similar fashion.

The halberd turns to face Murder. It stares. Stares. STARES. There's a metallic creak as the axe head splits. Clicks. Cracks. Grins.

The Gobbo stares back at the axe, and then grins toothily. "Dunno what yer smiling at, axe. But I'll thank ya ta not stare." She hmmphs and looks away, scooping more stew into her maw. "Cryohydra. Oooh... it spits cold at ya? And good on Andelena for finishing it off! Are they mighty like you? Built tall and strong and silver?"

Skielstregar raises a brow at the halberd. "... you are being ssstrange, Malefic." He shakes his head, turning back to Murder as breaths a bit of frost out to cool his mouth off. "Ah. Yesss. It ssspitsss cold, ssso thisss one isss suited for it. Andelena isss a softssskin. Thisss one... thinkss they are tall? And ssstrong. Not sssilver, more red. They are a ssservant of the Dragonfather! And quite a good one at tha-"

"I am not strange!" a growling, rumbling voice comes from above.

Skiel halts his spoon to his mouth. Slowly. He turns.

Malefic has suddenly appear /very/ close to Skiel. He startles.

Murder seems enthralled at hearing about the Dragonfather servant. "A priest? And I'll bet the hydra was annoyed that you didn't get as cold as the others, yes?" The sudden appearance of the axe has the Gobbo hissing and standing up. "YOU SIT DOWN!", she hollers, shaking her fist at Malefic. "Weapons are supposed to behave themselves!" She slowly turns to peer at Skiel. "I've never heard a weapon talking out loud like that... w.what did you call it?"

At Murder's posturing, the weapon stands more rigid, and its metal maw clacks and growl. "You do /not/ command me, small one," it hisses.

Skiel, bewildered, blinks and shakes his head. "Malefic. Calm. Pleassse. Um... sssome do? But thisss isss... new?"

The halberd simmers. Silent for a beat. "I behave well enough. It is you that needs be calmed. Thirty seven bites later and you dare insult me?"

The Goblin continues to hiss and growl at the weapon, her eyes beginning to glow a bright red, and her musculature stands out a little more. "If you know what your master is, I am built a similar way. This is my camp. You. Will. Sit. Down." She stamps one of her little feet to punctuate the last three words.

GAME: Skielstregar rolls will: (6)+7: 13

Malefic continues to grate its jagged, metal maw. "I will not be told what to do with-

"MALEFIC," Skielstregar, good, precious Skielstregar, suddenly snaps. Eyes crimson, double fangs present. Black ichor dripping.

The weapon shuts up abruptly. Turns away.

Skiel lets out a shuddering sigh, letting the undead features meld away. "... Thiss one apologizes. Please. Thisss is a friend."

Malefic makes a motion of sighing, then turns back. "Do not insult me, is all that I ask."

The Goblin lets out a snarl, and then the lights in her eyes go out. She's barely able to stumble back to where she was seated. Slumping down, she pulls the bowl into her lap. "Is my camp.", she mutters, looking over her shoulder to glare at the axe. "My home. Think about that before you go looming overhead and staring, yes?" She pats the log beside her. "Sorry Skielstregar. Hate weapons that talk. And that one... does creepy things."

Skielstregar rubs his face. "No, no, it isss my fault. Malefic isss kind, they just do not like small jabsss. They apologize, Murder."

Malefic calms down, it's movement spotted as it suddenly melts into a black pool, only to shift and reconstitute itself next to Skielstregar. "I am not creepy," it rumbles, it facing off to the woods beyond.

"You are not creepy," he reiterates before turning to Murder. He's still... baffled Malefic is talking. "Why do you not like talking weaponsss? Thisss... thisss is good for thisss one! They have much to ask of them."

Malefic is silent.

"It took all of what I had to not grab it and try to break it. Maybe I shouldn't poke at it, but I will not be bullied by it." she sets her bowl, still half full, down, and pulls all of herself under the wolfpelt she wears. "I am.. I have good reason to hate them."

Murder glances over at Skiel, letting out a sigh of breath. "Some of my scars were made by one. It laughed... or I think, it laughed through its wielder." She holds out one of her arms, showing a jagged scar that healed poorly.

"But I can't smash something of yours. Especially if you're doing good things."

Skielstregar worriedly looks at the scar. "Thiss one is sorry that happened to you." He sighs lightly. "Malefic once ssserved the Dragonfather. They are good. They are right. They ssstopped thiss one from doing much harm to othersss and themssselvessss."

He looks up to it. "Malefic isss good. Jusssst... learning how to express themssselves."

Malefic is silent.

"I remember when you first came to the area. You seemed broken. I am glad that you have found yourself and your purpose in life. If he helped you, and if he served the Dragonfather, then... then I guess I can say he's not evil." Murder stands slowly, legs shaking. "I'm going to go lay down a while. Please help yourself to the stew, as much as you like."

Skielstregar half stands. "Let... let thisss one help you. It iss the leassst they can do for your hossspitality."

Again, the rumbling voice pipes up. "She." Pause. Still looking off and away into the forest. "And you do well to defend your territory. Forgive me."

The Gobbo pauses, turning slowly and taking a few steps towards Skiel. One nand, the forearm and her cheek all appear as if they've been dragged along something rough, like tree bark or rough stone.

"She?", the Gobbo wonders. "I dunno how to tell, honestly."

Skiel offers a hand to support Murder, the long talons looping under an arm to help keep them on their feet. His support like a sturdy tree branch. A freezing one at that. The makari looks to the weapon. "She. Very well." He looks to Murder. "Ssshe isss... it isss hard to explain. There isss much a weapon tellss you. From itsss weight, heft, movementsss. You know thisss, yesss?"

Malefic turns to face the duo. It's ominous presence there. But it doesn't draw close, it stays there. The split axe head continues to move, like a maw speaking. "I would not know either. It is hard to remember. I was proud."

Murder wobbles a little, leaning heavily in Skiel's grip. "Yeah. How it will hit, how it will move through the air, how far it's momentum will carry you.. it's balance..." She glances at Malefic. "You've been asleep then, for some time?"

The Gobbo looks up at Skielstregar, squinting. "How did you find her?"

"Hibernating. I believe. For... nine years, six months, and twenty one days," Malefic rumbles, maw barely moving. "Before then, I do not know. Save for the graciousness of the Dragonfather's light."

Skielstregar blinks, counting on his fingers. "Five... eight... nine and... wait." He looks down to Murder, dead eyes wide with revelation. "Thisss one found her when... when they came back from death. They... they remember waking up in agony and... ssstumbling off a battlefield. With Malefic in hand. Thisss one thinkss they were... bessside them? They do not remember well."

"I don't remember either. Your stint in the woods is when I first began to... feel," Malefic adds.

Skiel stares. Then looks incredibly ashamed, looking away.

There's a soft sound, one of pain, but then a tugging at Skiel's arm. "It is done. No looking away.", she says softly. "Keep moving forward, that's all we can do, right?" For a few moments, Murder darts away, disappearing into the leanto she uses for shelter. The Gobbo returns with a cloak. Several wolf pelts sewn together with leather strips. She does her best to wrap it around the icy Sith. Then she wraps her arms as far around him as she can manage, squeezing.

Skielstregar turns his head to look down at Murder, him blinking to focus on her. "... r... right," he rumbles. Seeing what she has upon return, he kneels down so she can place them upon him, and he returns the hug with a light squeeze in appreciation. "Thank you."

He looks up to Malefic. "And do you remember that ssstint?"

Malefic is silent.

"Malefic?"

Malefic is silent.

Skielstregar sighs. "Well, that iss... good development thusss far. They've spoken before, but they weren't sure if they did. Anywaysss... here. Let'sss finisssh this ssstew. Malefic will watch the woodsss for us."

Malefic, stalwart, is silent.