Baldy Mountain, Manitoba

[THORKICH BJORNER]

Date: 2008 October 04

A very large shape loomed through the tall trees of Baldy Mountain. The heavy crunch-crack-crack of each step accompanying the 'shape' as it travelled down the mountain. Trees fell every few yards, followed by a rumbling "Dammit!"

The source of the voice, Thorkich, the welsh hill giant and resident of Baldy's summit, showed a mixture of frustration and slightly sadness. He had stopped on a slight slope, surveying the tree line. He didn't enjoy knocking over trees, and surveying his own aftermath made him feel worse. Not unless he needed wood, and only then he'd take only sporadic ones instead of clearing a whole area. He shifted the large hatchet, which would be a strange looking halberd for a human, against his shoulder as he walked into a clearing.

His stomach had been grumbling for some time and with his metabolism, he'd need some food quite quickly. Hopefully he'd find a large moose, somewhere. He hadn't seen any groups in a few weeks, so it was looking like he'd go hungry again. The elk were scarce around here, so he couldn't go and eat all of them. He'd have to shrink down, but that'd leave him without clothes. The cave that he'd made camp at was quite a ways away, plus it was too cold to be small AND naked. Looks like he'd have to trudge his big ol' self back to camp.

Todays hunt was a disappointment. But the day wasn't over just yet, there was still an hour or two till sundown. Maybe something interesting would happen.

[kahndranegahl]

The Forest Greeting

GOOD hunting! — aye, good hunting,
Wherever the forests call;
But ever a heart beats hot with fear,
And what of the birds that fall?
Good hunting! — aye, good hunting,
Wherever the north winds blow;
But what of the stag that calls for his mate?
And what of the wounded doe?
Good hunting! — aye, good hunting,
And ah! we are bold and strong;
But our triumph call through the forest hall
Is a brother's funeral song.
For we are brothers ever,
Panther and bird and bear;
Man and the weakest that fear his face,
Born to the nest or lair.
Yes, brothers, and who shall judge us?
Hunters and game are we;
But who gave the right for me to smite?
Who boasts when he smiteth me?
Good hunting! — aye, good hunting,
And dim is the forest track;
But the sportsman Death comes striding on:
Brothers, the way is black.

Paul Laurence Dunbar


In the forests of Canada, if one were quite still, you could hear life thriving. Birds chirping, elk doing their thing, bears roaring over some territory or another. All that ambient sound, filling the slightly furred ears of one Kahndra Negahl, a Karesh from the far Eastern mountains, a foreigner here in Canada. Deep in the forests of the area, where man has yet to venture for more than a week or so at a time, one could spot a white-ish blur stalking in the underbrush.

If one was careful not to be spotted by this preditor, you would see a rather large lanky figure, 12 feet long from nose to the tip of the tail, standing three foot tall at the shoulder while on all fours. This creature, intelligence glittering behind her blue eyes, was not from around here, as the humans would say.

The odd thing about this creature, other than body shape and fur patterns, is that she, for it was definatly a she, wore what appeared to be scraps of cloth as well as various glittering items of metal. Three upon each ear, and one large mass of golden metal upon the tip of her tail. The cloth was wrapped around the chest like a harness, as well as a well formed piece around the hips and upper thighs, protecting those areas from the brush.

All the sounds that permeated the area stopped suddenly as a tree fell a mile or so away, followed by a faint but still audible curse. Curiosity certainly might have killed the cat, but as most people know, they tend to go anyway, and so this one goes.

With her white furred body slinking through the underbrush of the forest, stalking whatever had caused that tree to fall, her nose caught the scent of a bull Elk, a massive monstrosity of muscle and bone, dangerous to even a human with a powerful rifle. With the still fresh scent in the air and rubbed off upon the still dew wet leaves around her, Kahndra followed.

Eventually, she came to a very shallow pebble filled stream that was a hundred yards accross. As she paused to consider the pros and cons of getting wet, she sniffed the air and found the scent of the Elk to be rather strong in the nearby areas. As her eyes scanned the forest edges, she found the Elk a few dozen yards away, its head down and drinking from the stream.

Her throat thrummed softly as she watched, waiting and studying the massive beast, observing. She knew she was downwind of the animal, and was likely to stay that way for a good while as a rain storm was coming this way. Vanishing back into the brush, she made her way closer, appearing a few yards away, to the back of the beast.

She waited a few more moments before charging, her feet splashing in the shallow waters. She let off a low growl that changed into a feral roar as her fangs bared for the kill. Instinct and training caused her Had'jik blades to spread, glittering brightly in the sunlight as the Bull Elk reacted to her splashing and roar, swiftly turning to meet her.

It happened in a flash, that collision between preditor and prey, as her metal sheathed claws sliced and tore at the Elk's flesh. She launched herself sideways at the beast, bringing both her hands and feet to bear, catching his face and neck in her grasp. Her long tail swung around, catching the beast's shoulder with her honed tail blades, her claws taking the left eye of the creature, savaging him before he finally shook her off, tossing her an even three meters.

Wounded, furious at the afront and audacity of the humanoid cat's sudden attack, the Bull Elk trumpeted, reared and stamped his hooves in the stream, preparing a charge to gore the dazed Kahndra. As she regained her wits, she saw the massive creature charging towards her, it's imposing head lowered for the kill. If you have ever scared a cat into leaping straight up you know that they can leap quite high, at least 5 times their own height. Kahndra herself couldn't quite gain that altitude, but at that moment she swore she did as she lept as high up as she could, practically floating over the Elk in her adrenaline rush.

[THORKICH BJORNER]

He took a deep breath, taking in each and every scent of the forest. His nostrils flaring each time a newer scent came into his mental view. He hand mentally mapped the forest both through smell and sight.

Elk...
Bjarne was around somewhere.
A new scent... kind of like a puma. I hate pumas.
Something else new...
And Blood. Always a good scent.

He slid the handle of his hatchet through the loop on his belt and charged through the brush towards the scent of blood. The terrible hunger of giants was showing itself. There weren't myths of blood thirty giants for nothing. He bellowed in bloodlust, alerting every resident of the surrounding three miles.

His rumbling foot falls shook the earth before him, his great arms smashing anything in their way. Tree's were smashed to bits, animals running in terror. They'd grown accustomed to this. Better to get out of his way, and soon he'll return to normal. The giants eyes had rolled up, exposing the whites of his eyes, going by pure scent alone.

He burst through the tree line, jumping over the small river and slamming his feet into the ground, throwing up a plume of dust. He stood there, breathing heavily through his nose, enjoying the scent of fresh blood.

"HUUUUNNNGERRRRRR...." He growled through his clentched teeth, stepping towards the bleeding Elk and slowly picking up speed.

[kahndranegahl]

Seeing it's mortal foe leap into the air, the Bull Elk slid to a stop below her, snorting and huffing it's rage at the wounds inflicted upon it as it was minding its own business. As Kahndra reached her apex, the bull's head tossed repeatedly, turning it's good eye up at the airborn cat. With a snarl of defiance she descended, unleashing the three inch spike that was normal to all Karesh, but with her ritualistic adjustments (The metal sheathing of bone claws, etc.) it was a 3 1/2 inch spike of honed goblin forged metal.

With it extended, she landed upon the Elk's back, sinking her claws into the musclular back of the elk, holding on for dear life as the beasty bucked and trumpeted, trying to get the cat off of it's back. With a quick movement, she struck with her tail spike, thrusting it between the skull and vertebra severing it's spinal cord. With a snarl of victory, she rode the beast down to the ground, crouching over the twitching beast, breathing hard with her exertion.

After she unhooked her claws from the kill, she washed her hands and tail of blood in the shallow stream, hearing a large faintly familiar voice cry out with "Hunger". Smiling slightly at the company, she finished washing and offered a quick prayer in her own language for the Elk's spirit before standing to defend her kill against any potential pochers.

[NUADA SILVERLANCE]

Nuada felt the ground rumble in the forested enclosing as his eyes wandered the canvas above. Sighing he started running in the direction of the disturbance. With his spear hooked to his back, the Prince made his way through the wooded trails, feeling the presence of others nearby in the area. He had come in search of a giant he had been told dwelled in these parts, and had made quicker progress than anticipated as he had no problems traveling along the way. His looks alone seemed to scare off those bold enough to interrupt his plans to reach his current destination.

The green scenes brought forth a memory to the prince. It had been many years ago, before the first war of man. His sister, Nuala, and himself had been playing hide and seek in a forest very alike in kin to this one. The dawning of yesterday rendered his mind and the surroundings faded to a happier time. Nuala was there, in a gown of blue, running through the forest. ”Come brother!” She called. ”I'll race you!” The memory faded just as quickly as it had came. He missed her. The days that had once been. The days of their youth before the innocence had faded.

Recalling his current mission, Nuada continued down the path toward the loud booming 'hunger' and shaking of the earth. His golden eyes surveyed the area and he was not exactly surprised that he wasn't alone. On the other hand the presence he felt of Thaddeus was unexpected. “THORKICH!” He called out impatiently, all ready aware of his reason for being here. There was no mistaking the cause of the trembling, he didn't even have to meet the giant face to face to recognize the cause. He was around here, now to locate him...

The giant Thorkich had brought him here, even if unknowingly. Nuada had come with the intention of recruiting the renowned hill giant to help him in his conquest against man kind. Being a prince had it's advantages, you learned quickly of other mythical beings you might not learn about otherwise. Rumors reached his ears, and when he heard of this man. This Thorkich. He had to come to the mountains to see for himself.

[THORKICH BJORNER]

He'd spotted the strange mixture of feline and human and sneared. "MOVE!" He stomped the ground causing what felt like a small earthquake. What partial control he had over his body at the moment had hoped that'd scare her off, he didn't wish to eat her. But in his reddened vision and hunger driven daze, all he could see was prey. "MOVE FOOL! OR I WILL DEVOUR YOU, BONES AND ALL!!"

He charged at the creature, in his way between the juicy meat. He dropped his posture, taking up a more animalistic pose. He had almost reached her when his name was called. He had almost reached her, almost caught his prey.

He turned, his eyes showing pure fury. Who comes between a Giant and his prey. "WHO CALLS?!" He screamed at the treeline, and the very trees rumbled with his words. The bones adorning his clothes rattled with each syllable.

His gaze dropped upon the Prince, almost hidden within the trees, his brow arching. "An elf??" He scowled accusingly, his hunger driven rage rising even higher. "WHO ARE YOU TO CALL UPON ME? WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE IN MY FOREST?"

He slammed the ground with both hands, impatiently awaiting an answer.

[NUADA SILVERLANCE]

The thunderous booming 'move' was all it took to draw the princes' attention. The elf, seemingly unmoved by the shaking of the ground, gracefully made his way toward the echoing threatening voice. He recognized the victim of the giants words and shook his head. Oh, the tempers of giants... He mused to himself as he halted.

Nuada watched expectantly, though partially amused by the annoyance of the hill giant, undoubtedly the one called Thorkich. Nuada paused momentarily, had he been gone so long that everyone had forgotten his name? BOOM! The ground rattled, the impatient giant demanding his attention once more.

"Who calls? It is I, Prince Nuada of Silverlance." He answered boldly, standing straight and reclaiming the posture fit for someone of his birthright. "As a prince, do I not hold the right to speak with, and seek the aid, of other mythical beings and races?" The prince challenged. The giant may have a temper, though the prince was quite capable of keeping a level, and calculating mind.

Another pause. The elf simply stared up at him unmoved. He had seen far worse temper tantrums in his days, and found the easily angered giants to be quite amusing. Tapping his foot, the prince raised a hand as if to symbolically tell the giant to calm down. "Are you, or are you not, Thorkich?" The prince inquired once more. He had all ready assumed that the giant was in fact the one he was looking for based upon his response alone, though one could never be too certain.

[THORKICH BJORNER]

He rumbling growl met the princes bold stare. It took quite a being to look a hungry giant in the eye. Hunger still rail roaded through him but he felt a sense of forced calm slowly coming over him. What WAS this?? One of his legs had begun to falter, causing him to kneel. His knee hitting the ground putting a small crater in the soft dirt. He didn't know how to describe it, like the air around this elf commanded respect.

"I am Thorkich..." the words had struggled through his throat. The anger from his body permeated the air like ripples of heat over a fire, and his eyes had slowly rolled back into their original position.
"Forgive me... Prince..Nuada." Again, the words had forced themselves out.

What was this?! HE WAS A HILL GIANT!! Elves had made peace with the Giant Pacts, but he wasn't his lord! HIS RACE DID NOT SERVE ELVES! So why was he kneeling... Why did his body rebel?? Why can't he get up, rip apart this fool and go feed himself.

"What do you want of me?" His anger seeped through the vocal servitude.
His arms fell to his sides, his hands hitting the ground. He dug his fingers into the dirt, his hands tightening. He had little control, so he might as well see through the situation to the end.

[NUADA SILVERLANCE]

The prince raised an eyebrow as he watched the giant kneel. He, on the contrary, did not sound as if the bow was willingly. Nuada edged closer to the hungry creature and knelt down, just low enough to meet the giants eyes. “How do you feel about the humans?” He questioned aloud. If he dare rival them, allies would be welcomed. Ignoring the giants plea to be forgiven, Nuada proceeded on to answer the second question the hill giant known as Thorkich, had asked. To answer a question with a question, how typical.

“How do you feel about living in selective feeding grounds, in comparison to the world we once lived?” Golden eyes flaring with anger, the prince stared at the giant completely devoted to his cause. “And how would you like to reclaim the world to which we were supposed to belong? The world that was stolen from us by the hands of selfish beings that dare dispute our inheritance?” He demanded.

Breathing in the fresh forest air, Nuada savored the taste of a memory. “Not even the air tastes as pure as it once has.” He commented truthfully. “It has been polluted by industry, and tainted by greed. Do you desire the old world back? Or are you perfectly content living off of left overs?” He demanded to know. “If you wish to have the old world back, I would be pleased to acquire your assistance in the times to come. Change is needed, and change is what we'll see done.” He promised, and unlike human politicians, when Nuada made a promise, or a pledge, he did not rest until he saw it executed to completion.

[THORKICH BJORNER]

"OF COURSE I'M NOT! I'VE BEEN DRIVEN FROM MY HOMELAND, MY RACE HAS BEEN DECIMATED, AND NOW I STARVE MYSELF IN THIS, THE LAST PLACE EVEN PARTIALLY WORTHY TO HOME A GIANT!" His anger flared, his eyes pulsed with hate.

"They don't deserve the property they've stolen. I'd rather destroy the world myself then let them control it any longer." His hands tightening into fists.

"I've been around since they're industrial revolution, when they truly became a menace to our world. I've watched as they ripped down our trees, blasted through our mountains, rolled over MY HILLS! I've seen them push away my kind, yours, and all others. Those who truly have the right to live in our world."

His anger rose again, his mind wallowing back to the horrid memories. "Let me join your cause, if you can promise me Britain, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales for my race, then I will do as you command. Give me back my homeland, and I will be your Hammer." He bowed his head, the highest sign of respect a giant can give.

"Can you promise me that?" he raised his head and looked the prince right in the eye, staring into him with his cold eyes.

[NUADA SILVERLANCE]

The prince watched the giants face twist into a crooked smile. A sudden shift in emotions flashed across the hill giant Thorkich's face. The views were shared, Nuada had been aware before he had proceeded to seek an ally in his current conquest against man. Equally cold eyes staring back Nuada considered the giants words. “Yes, these parasites have taken what is not rightfully theirs time and time again, and like incompetent children, we have been forced to the shadows watching them destroy the world to which we belong. We are not sentenced to fade. We will rise up!” The prince encouraged, anger hinting in his own voice.

Thorkich had spoken of the industrial revolution. Industry. The poison that leeched the world of it's natural resources, and diluted the world of it's former glory. He had been around for quite some time, for a giant. Nuada nodded. Industry and destruction of the natural habitat must be remedied. Leave it to the mythics to clean up after human leeches.

The giant, clearly angry, demanded promises of the prince. “Very well, with the exception of the former home of the mother and father tree in Ireland.” He stated, surely. “We can co-exist there, in peace, as we have once done, in times past. We can restore the earths glory, if we work together. We can rectify this peace that has been taken from us, and begin a dawn to a new day.” The golden army was simply the first step.

[THORKICH BJORNER]

"Of course." he said simply as he stood to his full height. "Now, let us hurry back to my camp, collect my things, and be on our way. The food I have there will have to suffice for now. The cat creature can keep the elk."

He turned back towards Baldy Mountain, his cave hidden at the summit. "This small trip will include some climbing." He warned, stepping up the small hill the clearing had rested on.

"So tell me, Prince Nuada, what are your plans? What do we do next?" He was curious, if he was going to work for the man, he might as well know what he was going to get into.

The hunger pains still rattled through him, but he had a few small supplies on his person. He reached into a small pouch at his belt, taking out a dried moose leg, and began eating as he walked. He was excited, the most he'd done before was kill a few loggers and hunters, but that had never been enough. Now, he might make a difference.

[kahndranegahl]

Kahndra crouched over her kill, glaring at the giant as he came crashing towards her. Her ears lay flat against her hair, marking her mood to any who knew cats. Her metal tipped tail swayed back and forth behind her as she watched, occasionally baring her teeth in a territorial display. Sure, it was foolhardy as this was most likely all of his territory, and she was the one intruding.

Still, it made little difference in the long run as the giant showed his strength by slamming both fists into the ground, causing her and the hulk of meat she was using as a barrier to bounce into the air. She herself went higher than the hulk, mostly because she was startled by the display, and still more than a little shook up by the sudden appearance of the giant.

As the Prince himself appeared here, in Canada of all places, Kahndra took more of an interest than defending her kill, and she let loose a soft rumbling that could be defined as a purr or a warning as she took in the situation. When the two began disgussing things intelligently, her mind took on the massive being with a new light, and while she knew from a merchant's perspective that mindset of underestimating was a death sentence.

Still, all feelings aside, when the giant spoke of her again, perhaps in passing, she relaxed and sat upon an unbloodied section of the Elk's flank, crossing her ankles and straightening her back as best as she could with a tail. With this posture of polite culture reflecting what she hoped was intelligence, she spoke aloud for the first time since coming here.

"I am not a creature and while I appreciate the offer of my keeping the kill, it is too big for me to carry and eat alone. Thorkich, if I may be so bold as to share my kill with you in exchange for shelter for me from the coming rain?"

[THORKICH BJORNER]

He stopped and turned to the feline, his angered visage still apparent. He trudged back over to her and the kill, glaring down at her. He could've easily just tossed her aside, took the elk corpse, and left with the prince. He debated it for a moment, he really could use both meals. But he didn't like eating cats. Waaaaaay too much fur to skin off.

Fine, I could always use a bit more company.

"Come on then." he gestured for her to follow them, "But if you get in my way again when I grow hungry, I cannot promise your safetfy." He rumbled as he leaned down, gripping the elk by its neck, and threw it over his shoulder. An easy weight for him, the blood slowly flowing down his back from it's ruined flank. He trudged slightly hurried to catch up to Nuada, and smirked. "We've been given dinner apparently. Thank you Miss...?"

[LUCY BISHOP]

The fact that she had started her morning snug, warm, and comfortably asleep in her bed in her darling flat in Paris, and was now traipsing through the backwoods of Canada was not exactly how Lucy thought she’d be spending her day. In fact, it was likely the last thing she’d thought she’d be doing. She’d been summoned to some remote part of the Himalayas earlier that day, by, of all things, a giant. Lucy had met only one other giant in her lifetime, an old forest giant who spent much of his time slumbering in a large cave in the deepest part of the Black Forest where she had grown up with her grandfather. She’d only met him once and he’d been...well...sleeping at the time and hadn’t even noticed her presence.

So she was quite surprised to find herself summoned by another giant, much younger, though equally as enormous. He sent her to find his brother, with the demand request to take from him some sort of amulet that allowed him to gain human size. At first she immediately refused. She was adept at stealing, there was no questioning that, but taking an object from the neck of a young giant? She didn’t have a death wish! However, she did agree to find the giant’s brother and relay all the information she could find on the ‘amulet’, whatever it might be, back to him.

A bit of scrying, a couple world maps later (the giant’s brother, one Thorkich was apparently far, far away), and Lucy was on her way to Canada, specifically, one poorly named Baldy Mountain. Her Keyring revealed a nearby, abandoned hunter’s cabin, and now she was trekking across through the woods towards a cave. Go in, ask some questions, don’t piss off any tiny-witch-killing-giants, and she’d be out of there in no time.
Ugh.
Not exactly a walk in the park.

Hiking through this forest did make her nostalgic though. Even with the aid of her Keyring, she still found it hard to make time to visit her Grandfather. Being back in a forest, with the smell of pine and damp leaves clinging to her clothes, brought her back to her childhood, and she half expected her childhood friends of pookas, brownies and sprites to appear from behind the next tree. She was surprised then, when she came suddenly upon the gaping mouth of an enormous cave. Pondering whether to enter the cave armed or unarmed, she decided that unarmed and unimposing would likely be the best idea. However, she would need to able to see where she was going.

“Watson, sweetness, it’s time to wake up,” she called, pulling a tiny, sleeping bird from an inside pocket of her leather jacket. The bird, no taller than her thumb, greatly resembled a small owl, with enormous eyes and round body. He was a Cucuio bird, and though he was small he was just what she needed at the moment. Sleepily he blinked up at her, before fluffing his feathers and stubbornly turning his back to her and promptly going back to sleep.
Rolling her eyes, she rubbed his tiny head with a finger,
“Come now you stubborn little bird, I need your help!” Laughing, she showed him the gaping, dark cave before them. Grumbling, in whatever it was that tiny birds grumbled in, he flew from her finger and as he did so began to glow, quite strongly, the gift of the Cucuio bird. They walked through the cave, glowing bird and witch, finding quickly that the cave was empty with no amulet-wielding giant anywhere.

“Sonnuva..” Groaning, she stuffed her hands into her pockets, and returned to the entrance of the cave. Settling herself onto one of the large stones that sat near the entrance, Lucy decided her only current choice was to wait. Thank whatever gods there were that she had brought a thermos of coffee. Pulling down the knit cap on her head and taking a sip a fire lava hot coffee, Lucy hunkered down to wait for the giant to return, Watson deciding to fall back asleep snug between her neck and the scarf she word.

Hopefully it would be soon.