A new companion.
Blake had been walking for hours. After she left the ship yard, after hearing a rather scary yet interesting story, she was on her way to see what this Freljord was all about. She continued to walk, admiring the nature until she final reached the mountains. She climbed for a while until she could see snow. She decided this would be a good place to take a nap before she continues on.
Blake sat down and pulled of her boots, lifting her bare feet in to the cold air and wiggled her toes "Much better".
Deciding to let her boots air out while she rested, Blake laid down and shut her eyes. She rested for about half an hour before she jolted awake when she felt something wet on her foot. She looked down and saw... a small creature with thick white fur. It was looking at her with it's tongue hanging out like a dog.
"Where did you come from little one?" Blake asked as she sat up. The creature licked her foot again, making Blake pull them back "That tickles".
Normally Blake would be mad, but how do you get mad at something so adorable? Blake shook her head and petted the little creature, who shut it's eyes in a happy manner.
"You are one strange little thing, aren't you?" Blake asked with a small smile, it was nice to see something cute for a change. But then she heard something, she looked and saw another of of those creatures with Gambol Shroud in it's mouth "Hey! I need that!".
The creature looked at her before running away with her weapon.
"Get back here!" Blake shouted as she quickly pulled her boots back on and chased after it.
She changed her mind, they are not cute!
The chase took them deeper in to the snowy mountains. The little thief was quick for it's small seize, and could mover through the snow a lot better than Blake could. Blake dives and managed to grab the little animal, making both of them slide down a snowy hill and ended up buried in a pile.
Blake and the animal emerged from the snow and Blake quickly janked Gambol Shroud out of it's moth "Mine!" The little animal gave her an innocent look, before licking her cheek "Oh don't try the cute act on me. I am not forgiving you that easy".
The little animal gave her a sad look. Blake looked at it for several seconds before she sighed. Seriusly? How do one stay mad at something like this?
"Silly little thing" Blake mumbled before she sneezed "And now I am cold. Perfect" The animal let out sounds that almost sounded like a laugh "Hey! Don't laugh at me! It your fault that I might have a cold now".
Blake got up, brushing of the snow and put Gambol Shroud on her back. She sneezed again, she had to get out of this cold snow before she freeze. She began to walk, with the animal following her.
"Go, I said go away! I can't take you with me" Blake said, but the animal still followed her, making her sigh, she had no time to take care of a pet.
But as she walked she heard a loud sound... and whatever that sound was, it triggered an avalanche. Blake gasped before grabbing the animal and ran to find shelter. But it was to late, the avalanche was about to hit them. Blake closed her eyes, ready for the end...
"Stand behind Braum!" Came a powerful and manly voice.
Blake opened her eyes to see a giant of a man stand in front of her... and blocked the avalanche with what she assumed was a shield. The deadly snow safely passed them on the side until it was finally over.
The man smiled at her "You thought you were in trouble. No worries young lady. Where there are danger, I will always be there to help".
"Who are you?" Blake asked.
The man raised an eyebrow "You must be new here. My name I Braum, the heart of the Freljord".
Blake looked at him for a moment "I am Blake".
Braum smiled "Well then young Blake. After this, we share a drink! You like goat's milk?".
"I never tried it before" Blake answered. Sure she drinks milk, but she never had goat milk before.
"You never had goat's milk!? My dear girl you have not lived until you have tasted the life bringing wonder of goat's milk. This wont do" Braum suddenly threw Blake over his shoulder "I will take you to my home village and you will have the best milk in the world!".
"Wait! Hold on a sec-WHAAAAAA!" Blake screams as Braum runs through the snow and ice like an train.
'What have I gotten myself in to now!?' Blake asked herself.
Soon enough they ended up in a village and Braum finally put Blake down "Home sweet home. Come, time to get some milk in your belly".
Blake grumbled as she simply followed him. He was to kind hearted for his own good. Still she had to admit it felt nice to meet someone who was simply a nice guy. When they walked inside the village, several people ran up to Braum, welcoming him back and were all full of happiness.
'He must be a hero to these people' Blake thought to herself before she felt the eyes on her. She never liked being in the center of atention like this, so she felt a little.
Braum was quick to speak up "My friends, this young girl is Blake. She is a visitor from a far of land who was nearly consumed by an avalanche. Now she is in need of some Goat's Milk!".
Before Blake could react the was grabbed and pulled along. Soon enough she found herself near a large fire and a big mug of goat's milk was handed to her. Blake hesitated before taking it, she smelled it before taking a sip. She took a moment to feel the taste in her mouth as the people were waiting to hear her reaction.
"Different to what I'm used to... but" Blake took another sip "It's good".
The villagers smiled happily before the sounds of drums was heard and some kind of feast started. Safe to say Blake was rather confused.
"Do you always throw a party every time a stranger shows up?" Blake asked.
"No, we are celebrating Braum's return after a long time of wandering the world" A old man said next to her.
"He really is loved by the people here" Blake noted.
"He is our great hero, we owe him everything" The man said.
"So then what's his story? How did he become a hero?" Blake asked.
The man smiled "That is quite the tail. You should get comfortable".
Blake did as told and listened. She needed as much info she could get if she is going to survive in this world. Knowing the people would help.
"Ah, there are so many, which to choose...? There the time Braum protected our village from a great DragonSquare Dragon! Or once, this was long ago, mind, he raced down a river of lava! Or- " He paused and shook his head. "No, none of them. Wait, how about I tell you how Braum got his Unbreakable shield?".
Blake nods, she was curious about that.
"Well, in the mountains above our village lived a man named Braum. He mostly kept to his farm, tending his sheep and goats, but he was the kindest man anyone had ever met, and he always had a smile on his face and a laugh on his lips" The man began "Now, one day, something terrible happened. A young troll boy maybe even younger than you was climbing the mountain and happened upon a massive stone door with a Shard of True Ice at its center. When he opened the door, he couldn't believe his eyes! Beyond was a vault filled with gold and jewels. Every kind of treasure you could imagine!"
Blake had a feeling this would not end well. Treasures always came with a prise.
"What he didn't know was that the vault was a trap. The Ice Witch had cursed it, and as the troll boy entered, the magical door clanged shut behind him! It locked him inside! Try as he might, he couldn't escape" The man continued.
Blake gasped "Poor boy"
"A passing shepherd heard the boy's cries. The entire village rushed to help, but even the strongest warriors couldn't open the door. The boy's parents were beside themselves. His mother's wails of grief echoed around the mountain. It seemed hopeless" The man paused for a moment "And then they heard a distant laugh".
"It was Braum, wasn't it?" Blake asked.
"Aren't you clever? Braum had heard their cries and came striding down the mountain. The villagers told him of the troll boy and the curse. Braum smiled and nodded. He turned to the vault and faced the door. He pushed it. Pulled it. Punched it. Kicked it. Even tried to rip it from its hinges, but the door wasn't for budging" The man said.
"The... how did he free the troll?" Blake asked.
"For many days and nights, Braum sat on a boulder, trying to think of a solution. After all, a child's life was at stake" The man continued the story "Then, as the sun rose on the fifth day, his eyes widened, and a broad grin lit up his face. If he can't go through the door then he'll just have to go through the mountain!".
"Wait what!?" Blake asked in surprise.
"The mountain indeed. Braum headed to the summit and began punching his way straight down, pummeling his way through the stone, fist after fist. Rocks flew in his wake, until he had vanished deep into the mountain. As the villagers held their breath, the rock around the door crumbled. And when the dust cleared, they saw Braum standing amidst the treasure, the weak but happy troll boy cradled in his arms" The man said.
Blake smiled at that "He saved him".
"He did. But before they could celebrate, everything began to rumble and shake. Braum's tunnel had weakened the mountain, and now it was caving in! Thinking quickly, Braum grabbed the enchanted door and held it above him like a shield, protecting the villagers as the mountain collapsed around them. When it was over, Braum was amazed. There wasn't a single scratch on the door! Braum knew it was something very special. And from that moment on, the magical shield never left Braum's side" The man finished.
"Amazing..." Blake spoke as she looked at Braum who was telling some kids about his travels. Braum was a good man... there should be a lot more people like him. That way there would not be so much violence.
Suddenly it was time for a dance, a kid ran up to Blake and pulled her hands "Dance with me!".
"I don't know how" Blake said, she knew how to dance, but not this kind of dance.
"Come on! It will be fun, just follow the music!" The kid said as she kept pulling Blake's hands.
Blake finally relented and join the dance. Safe to say it felt embarrassing at first as she had no clue what to do. But then she decided to follow the girl's advice and listened to the music. She bumped her head up and down slightly before finally memorizing the rhythm.
Blake spun around and did some step dancing, spun again and repeated. She then spun around on the tip of her boot, with he arms held high and her black hair swinging through the air.
The villagers let out a sound of amazement, some of the women even joined in, easily able to copy and follow Blake's moves. Blake laughed, for once... she was having fun!
The dance lasted until it was late at night. Blake was taken to a cabin where she could sleep for the night. Blake smiled to herself and fell asleep. She needed this.
The next day Blake was standing outside the village with a back-pack. Braum and some of the villagers were there to see her of. Though the kids were not to happy as one asked "Do you really need to go?".
Blake smiled sadly at the young girl "Sorry. But am yet to find myself again. And my journey is far from over".
"Will we ever see you again?" The girl asked, looking as she was about to cry.
Blake knelt down and pulled her in to a hug "I will be back one day. I promise".
The girl hugged her back "Ok... I will miss you".
"And I will miss you" Blake said before she got back up and looked at Braum "Thanks for everything, Braum. You are a true hero".
Braum smiled "I am just a man who wish to bring joy and happiness to the people of this world. Seeing their smiles and your smile, is the only reward I need"
Blake smiled at him "You helped me a lot. I will never forget this".
"Walk tall, young Blake. You may become a hero yourself one of these days" Braum said.
'Doubt it' Blake thought to herself before bowing "Until next time, farewell".
With that Blake left the village. Braum smiled as he watched her leave "That girl is destined for greatness. I can feel it".
The mysterious hooded man reached the snowy mountains and saw foot prints that matched Blake's boots. They were not fresh, but at least he knew which way she went.
"I will catch up to you soon enough, little angel" The man and was about to follow the tracks.
"Don't know what you are planing to do to the girl. But I have a feeling it's not a good thing" The hooded man turned around and saw another clocked man, who was holding a lamp post.
"Who are you?" He demanded.
The other man spun his lamp post "I am called Jax. And I too wish to meet that girl, but not for the same twisted reason you. So I can't let you get to her".
"Think you can stop me? Then show me your strength" The hooded man said before he got ready to fight
Blake reached a snowy forest near the foot of the mountain. She walked inside while looking at her map... until she remembered something important that she really should not have forgotten about. That animal from before had led her astray! Now Blake had no clue where on the map she was.
"Ah dammit!" Blake cursed in frustration. Now she was lost again "Just when something goes right, reality slaps me in the face".
But then Blake heard a sound. She headed in the direction of the sound and saw a woman. The woman had white hair that had been tied up in a bushy style. She was wearing some dark green armor on one of her hands and shoulder, black armor around her waist and some white clothing on her chest. She was also carrying a broken blade.
Blake figured she could ask her for help as she approached "Excuse me, could you help me fi-" Blake could not finish as she was forced to back flip away when the woman swung her broken blade at her, she landed on her feet and pulled out her Gambol Shroud "Wait! I am not here to fight!".
The woman did not seem to listen as she ran to attack Blake again. Having no choice but to defend herself, Blake dodged and landed a kick on her opponent. The woman did not look to effected by the kick as she pretends to use her sword but manages to grab Blake by her neck and flings her far into the icy lake. Blake slid to a halt and gasped as The woman jumps high in the air and attempts to land a devastating over-the-head blow with her sword, but Blake is able to block the hit with her own blade. The shockwave of The woman's attack causes the ice the ice to start cracking. At this rate they would fall in.
Blake managed to get the woman of and the two exchange a series of strikes, with Blake using a piece of the ice from the shattered ice they stood on as a projectile, which The woman deflects with her sword. However, in the melee, Blake jumps and kicked the woman's chest, managing to hit her opponent down to the ice, while Blake her self landed on dry land. The ice was cracking more and the woman was about to fall in.
But Blake used the line of Gambol Shroud and pulled her to safety. Both of them were breathing hard before the woman looked at Blake and finally spoke "Why did you save me?".
"I told you I was not here to fight. Now mind telling me why you just attacked me like that?" Blake demanded.
"I've been dealing with all kinds of assassins these past few days so I have been on content guard for a long time now. I thought you were another assassin given you were armed and the way you dress" The woman said.
"What's wrong with how I dress!?" Blake demanded, sounding offended.
"You don't want me to answer that" The woman said "Now what do you want?"
"I am lost, I was hoping you could give me directions" Blake said as she reached for her map... but she could not find it "Where is-" She then saw it was in the water "DAMMIT!"
The woman shook her head "I couldn't have given you directions even if you still had the map. I am just as lost as you are. I have been on a journey to discover exactly who I am and what I can be".
"You too...?" Blake asked and the woman looked at her "I am trying to find myself too".
"Well, looks like I am not the only one who is lost" The woman mused.
They sat in silence for a while. Blake looked at the woman and her eyes... her eyes said it all. This woman and Blake were more alike than both might realize at the moment.
"Maybe... we could travel together?" Blake suggested.
The woman gave her a 'Are you serious?' look "Why?".
"I believed I was better of on my own... but after some words with a wise man... I think I made a mistake. Maybe we could both help each other find what we are looking for?" Blake said. When the woman did not answer Blake continued "It can't hurt to try".
The woman said nothing for several seconds before she sighed "Fine. Being alone was getting boring anyway".
Blake smiled "Thank you... My name is Blake".
The woman looked at her and said one thing "Riven".
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Tell me what you think. Every review helps.