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Menedhyn Bek : peregrinations
MENEDHYN BEK
of Wrothgar
1. AccidentHe could hear them breathing heavily as they stood over his broken, bloodied body. He kept his eyes shut, not because he was frightened by them, but because he dare not gaze upon the gashes and rips and holes in his flesh. At least, not just yet. The terrible, searing pain scared him. Made him feel sick.
“He’s not dead, then?” said a brusque voice as a heavy boot found its way to his rib cage more forcibly than was necessary. A small, almost breathless gasp provided an answer of sorts. The man snorted and spat something foul onto the muddied, sodden rags that still partly adorned the boy. Not that the act mattered.
“Not yet. But he’s been ‘ad, that’s for sure. Prob’ly a boar or sumthin, who knows”, replied the other man, before letting out a slow, wheezy laugh. “Or an old, toothless Sow! Little sod would come off second best wi’ most! There’s ‘nowt of ‘im. Bone and hair, that’s all.”
The men picked through his belongings, or what little there was, scattered as they were in the mud and snow. A few coins, a chunk of slightly stale, foot-trodden bread, some herbs and leaves tied up in a cloth and a thick, dark grey cowl which seemed well made and was lined in soft grey cotton. Not much to show for their efforts, though. The coins were pocketed and the cowl was stuffed into their sack, for it would likely sell for a few more at market. They might get a small mug of weak ale, if they were lucky.
“So, what do we do with ‘im?” said one of the men. “Don’t fancy draggin’ ‘im with us. No point.”
The other one took a small, grubby leather pouch from a pocket within his fur overcoat, took a long, deliberate swig of the contents before corking it and passing it on. “Nor me. Leave ‘im. Little runt will likely die anyway. Not my problem.”
The cold had started to set in by now and he began to shiver. He hadn’t long been attacked when the men had found him, quite by accident, though that clearly made no difference. The stiff breeze blowing down from the snow-peaked hills to the east was enough to cut through the cold and wet material which covered him, offering little to no protection. The men had sat on a thick, fallen trunk at a short distance, muttering and grumbling about something that he couldn’t quite make out. Opening his eye ever so slightly, he could just about make out the form of the boar, partly hidden as it was behind a thick shrub dusted with snow, off to the right of the clearing. Hidden from view was the small dagger he had thrust into its belly in a desperate attempt to fend off the tusks that ripped and bore and stabbed at him. It was still there, no doubt. And despite his pain and discomfort, he felt great sadness at seeing the body slumped there, the once magnificent and proud creature, now lifeless and drained of blood and of life. His clumsiness had prompted the attack. A careless footstep and a slip and stumble on wet snow had startled it. Stupid boy. The boar only sought only to protect itself. It was his fault. Maybe he deserved to die for it. And then he began to sob.
There was something else over there. Something large, hiding in the thick scrub beyond. It was watching him. A dark shape, a mass of... something, he couldn’t tell. What was it? Suddenly panicked, he tried to calm his breathing, quietly pulling the remnants of his already worn cloak around himself, wounds swollen and hot and aching as he did so. He closed his eyes once more, for he was far more terrified of what might happen next than what had gone before. What was it?
It crept over to the boy, slowly, quietly and deliberately. He felt an overbearing presence, a thickness and stillness in the air all around him. He heard it breathing; felt hot, fetid breath on his face, and then over his belly and legs where the boar’s tusks had been before.
And then it was gone. The thickness in the air lifted, the chirrup of birds in the boughs of the trees gradually returned, and the cold wind continued to needle and prick and slice at his face and through his cloak. And the wounds continued to bleed...
Edited by menedhyn on May 1, 2017 11:16AM Thurkul gro-Guth - DC Orc Warden