CHAPTER TWO
Lynard had been traveling along the forest path for some time now. The last two days had been spent walking alongside a trader caravan tossing stories of their travels back and forth. Then, that morning, the caravan had taken a separate route to go back to their village. Lynard had begun to wonder if the next day and a half would be as boring as his imagination made it out to be. Even if he did find somebody to talk to, it was doubtful they would have anything to do with him. Born into the race of barbarians, he was cursed by prejudice. He was quite intelligent, and hid it well. Most people took him for a careless, happy go-lucky fellow, and none thought him too bright. He did this on purpose simply because a smart barbarian was considered, well...dangerous. Combine the immense strength of a barbarian, with the strategic intellect of a military general, and you have a force to be reckoned with. Knowing this, Lynard thought it best to play down his intelligence. It wasn't very hard, as he really didn't have a care in the world. All he wanted was a life of travel and adventure, and hopefully one day, be able to play hero to some damsel in distress and settle down with a family. Of course he knew very well this would not...no, could not happen. Barbarians were fighters by nature. That's what they were born to do. Once a barbarian had tasted the thrill of battle, they could never abandon it completely. It was because of this that Lynard traveled. He sought adventure and battle to win himself a name as the greatest warrior in the world. Little did he know that today would be the beginning of his legacy...whether he liked it or not.
Lynard had stopped on the path to rest and have a small meal. The caravan had been kind enough to resupply him before they departed, so he had more than enough food, water, and wine to last until he reached the city of Theodin. After he had laid out some bread and dried meat, he couldn't wait to dig in. After all, besides their heartiness in battle, barbarians are also famed for their insatiable hunger. "Wow! This looks so good. I can't believe they gave me all this! I'll have to be sure to thank those kind nomads should I see them again." Right as he was sitting down to his meal, he was literally bulldozed by two girls running out of the woods. He propped himself up on his elbow and rubbed his shoulder. "Hey! what's going on, can't you see I'm in the middle of a meal?" As lynard looked to see who knocked him down, he completely forgot what he'd just said, and his mind shifted to the girls more, appealing aspects. "Today's my lucky day!" He thought to himself. "Who'd ever have thought I'd have the chance to meet two pretty girls out on this god-forsaken road." The two girls got up and looked behind them. He noticed that one was an elf, and she spoke first. "If you care for your life, I suggest you run!" Lynard became confused. His mind was on something else completely. Her words entered his mind, "If you care....pretty.....I suggest.....we date....run!?" "What was that again?" He asked. The elf's face changed from fear to irritation. "Dumb barbarian, you didn't understand a word I said, did you? Look, there's a demon chasing us, so if you want to survive, you'd better get to running!" Lynard understood this time, and calmly stood up. "Why run, when you can fight?" Saying that, he drew a gigantic sword, the kind of blade only a barbarian could use, simply because a normal man would be crushed by it's sheer weight. The elf stared at him slack-jawed. "ARE YOU STUPID!? Do you know what that thing will DO TO YOU!?" Lynard looked at her and simply said. "I know exactly what it will do...die."
The two girls retreated to a spot about ten feet behind the barbarian. The elf spoke to the human girl, "This should be interesting, but remember, as soon as the barbarian falls, start running. This spectacle should at least let us catch our breath." The human girl understood and nodded, though she seemed a bit disturbed that they were using this poor guy as bait so they could rest. Lynard, on the other hand, wasn't worried at all. It was a widely believed rumor that barbarians were incapable of fear. Whether they were born that way, or conditioned as children was unknown. Lynard waited silently, as the rustling sound grew closer. He could not see past the trees, but due to his extensive battle training, he could determine the creature's location by the sound it was making as it made it's way to them. He listened intently. "Thirty feet....twenty feet...thirteen feet, damn this thing's fast....FIVE FEET!!" At this he brought his mighty sword down just as the creature lept from the trees. The blade landed squarely on it's head and sliced it in two. Lynard stared in confusion at the...tiny...creature that lay before him. It was very pale, almost white. It had no eyes or mouth that he could make out. It's thin body closely resembled that of a snake or lizard, and it's two arms seemed to be defensive blades. Lynard knelt over the creature, which was still twitching in the dirt, and picked up half of it. He then turned to the girls and simply asked, "This is what you were so terrified of?" The elf, too shocked to speak, simply stared at Lynard like he had performed some sort of miracle. The human however, seemed to share his sentiments, and began laughing so hard she fell over backwards. The combination of the human's fit of laughter and the slack-jawed expression on the elf's face sent Lynard into hysterics. He still couldn't believe they had been so terrified of this thing that they had plowed over him.
Lynard dropped the piece of the creature he was holding and introduced himself to the girls. The elf regained her composure and said that her name was Dione. The human girl finally stopped laughing and introduced herself as Talia. From their looks, Lynard assumed that they had been running for several minutes, and at the speed they had kept, had probably been somewhere close to a mile run. He asked them if they would like to share his provisions and Talia gladly agreed, saying that she was parched and had dropped the small amount of berries she still had during the run. Dione however, was hesitant. It wasn't that she was not hungry or thirsty, she simply didn't want to accept charity from a man who had gotten a good laugh at her expense and humiliation. After a few moments of watching Talia eat hungrily, her attitude towards Lynard's kindness changed drastically, and she knelt down beside Talia and began eating as well. Lynard sheathed his sword and smiled. So maybe he wouldn't be able to score a date. He didn't really care, as he enjoyed performing acts of kindness. It always made him happy to help others, and what made it more enjoyable, was that nobody expected it to come from a barbarian. He sat down across from them and watched them eat with a content look on his face. Talia noticed this. "Why the big smile huh?" Lynard blushed a little and scratched his head. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just glad I could help out." He smiled again. His smile was so disarming. When you saw it, you felt...protected somehow. Dione didn't like this one bit. As an elf, she had been raised not to trust others. Especially outside races. She submitted however, and continued eating. After all, why would he save their lives and offer his rations, only to turn around and do them harm?
As they finished eating, Lynard packed what was left in his satchel and slung it over his shoulder. "So, what are such pretty girls doing out in the forest all alone? Who knows, you could have been eaten by that lizard thing." This thought sent Lynard into another fit of laughter, but he quickly got it under control when he noticed Dione's cold eyes on him. Talia spoke up. "Well, we were actually looking for some help. Like a...town or something." Lynard thought for a second. "Well, let's see. Theodin is only a day's walk from here. Other than that, the closest town would be about five days back that way." He said, pointing behind him. Talia and Dione conversed by themselves for a moment, with Dione constantly glancing at Lynard, as if she were expecting some surprise attack. Once they finished, Talia looked at Lynard. "Well, we don't really have any supplies. Would you mind if we joined you on your way to Theodin?" Lynard shook his head, telling them that they were more than welcome to join him. After all, he couldn't very well leave two girls out in the wild by themselves. As he said this last part he struck his manliest pose and stuck his chin in the air, provoking laughs from both girls.
As they walked along the path in the setting sun, Talia couldn't help but notice how small she felt next to Lynard. He stood at least seven feet tall, compared to her mere five feet, ten inches. His shoulder span had to be a good three and a half feet across, and his arms were as round as cantalope. By looking at his sword, she guessed that it must weigh at least one-hundred, seventy pounds. That was almost thirty pounds more than she weighed, and yet he handled it like it was nothing more than a stick. Dione however kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead, not saying anything unless Talia asked a question. Lynard however, was more concerned about the fact that he had two beautiful girls on either side of him, and he couldn't have been happier. "I saved their asses from that creature, and now I'm escorting them to Theodin. The least they could do is go on a date with me....right?" He started drawing out these complex scenarios of romance. Goblins and dark elves, constantly capturing his wonderful maidens, while he would always show up to the rescue and receive a gift of their appreciation. By noon the next day, they had reached Theodin without any trouble, while Lynard frantically devised plans of how to keep himself close to the girls. As they stood at the gates to the city, Lynard was afraid they would take their leave of him. He was overjoyed when Dione, despite her afflictions towards Lynard, that their party stay together...for a little while anyway, and that they should find a room for the night.
Lynard had been traveling along the forest path for some time now. The last two days had been spent walking alongside a trader caravan tossing stories of their travels back and forth. Then, that morning, the caravan had taken a separate route to go back to their village. Lynard had begun to wonder if the next day and a half would be as boring as his imagination made it out to be. Even if he did find somebody to talk to, it was doubtful they would have anything to do with him. Born into the race of barbarians, he was cursed by prejudice. He was quite intelligent, and hid it well. Most people took him for a careless, happy go-lucky fellow, and none thought him too bright. He did this on purpose simply because a smart barbarian was considered, well...dangerous. Combine the immense strength of a barbarian, with the strategic intellect of a military general, and you have a force to be reckoned with. Knowing this, Lynard thought it best to play down his intelligence. It wasn't very hard, as he really didn't have a care in the world. All he wanted was a life of travel and adventure, and hopefully one day, be able to play hero to some damsel in distress and settle down with a family. Of course he knew very well this would not...no, could not happen. Barbarians were fighters by nature. That's what they were born to do. Once a barbarian had tasted the thrill of battle, they could never abandon it completely. It was because of this that Lynard traveled. He sought adventure and battle to win himself a name as the greatest warrior in the world. Little did he know that today would be the beginning of his legacy...whether he liked it or not.
Lynard had stopped on the path to rest and have a small meal. The caravan had been kind enough to resupply him before they departed, so he had more than enough food, water, and wine to last until he reached the city of Theodin. After he had laid out some bread and dried meat, he couldn't wait to dig in. After all, besides their heartiness in battle, barbarians are also famed for their insatiable hunger. "Wow! This looks so good. I can't believe they gave me all this! I'll have to be sure to thank those kind nomads should I see them again." Right as he was sitting down to his meal, he was literally bulldozed by two girls running out of the woods. He propped himself up on his elbow and rubbed his shoulder. "Hey! what's going on, can't you see I'm in the middle of a meal?" As lynard looked to see who knocked him down, he completely forgot what he'd just said, and his mind shifted to the girls more, appealing aspects. "Today's my lucky day!" He thought to himself. "Who'd ever have thought I'd have the chance to meet two pretty girls out on this god-forsaken road." The two girls got up and looked behind them. He noticed that one was an elf, and she spoke first. "If you care for your life, I suggest you run!" Lynard became confused. His mind was on something else completely. Her words entered his mind, "If you care....pretty.....I suggest.....we date....run!?" "What was that again?" He asked. The elf's face changed from fear to irritation. "Dumb barbarian, you didn't understand a word I said, did you? Look, there's a demon chasing us, so if you want to survive, you'd better get to running!" Lynard understood this time, and calmly stood up. "Why run, when you can fight?" Saying that, he drew a gigantic sword, the kind of blade only a barbarian could use, simply because a normal man would be crushed by it's sheer weight. The elf stared at him slack-jawed. "ARE YOU STUPID!? Do you know what that thing will DO TO YOU!?" Lynard looked at her and simply said. "I know exactly what it will do...die."
The two girls retreated to a spot about ten feet behind the barbarian. The elf spoke to the human girl, "This should be interesting, but remember, as soon as the barbarian falls, start running. This spectacle should at least let us catch our breath." The human girl understood and nodded, though she seemed a bit disturbed that they were using this poor guy as bait so they could rest. Lynard, on the other hand, wasn't worried at all. It was a widely believed rumor that barbarians were incapable of fear. Whether they were born that way, or conditioned as children was unknown. Lynard waited silently, as the rustling sound grew closer. He could not see past the trees, but due to his extensive battle training, he could determine the creature's location by the sound it was making as it made it's way to them. He listened intently. "Thirty feet....twenty feet...thirteen feet, damn this thing's fast....FIVE FEET!!" At this he brought his mighty sword down just as the creature lept from the trees. The blade landed squarely on it's head and sliced it in two. Lynard stared in confusion at the...tiny...creature that lay before him. It was very pale, almost white. It had no eyes or mouth that he could make out. It's thin body closely resembled that of a snake or lizard, and it's two arms seemed to be defensive blades. Lynard knelt over the creature, which was still twitching in the dirt, and picked up half of it. He then turned to the girls and simply asked, "This is what you were so terrified of?" The elf, too shocked to speak, simply stared at Lynard like he had performed some sort of miracle. The human however, seemed to share his sentiments, and began laughing so hard she fell over backwards. The combination of the human's fit of laughter and the slack-jawed expression on the elf's face sent Lynard into hysterics. He still couldn't believe they had been so terrified of this thing that they had plowed over him.
Lynard dropped the piece of the creature he was holding and introduced himself to the girls. The elf regained her composure and said that her name was Dione. The human girl finally stopped laughing and introduced herself as Talia. From their looks, Lynard assumed that they had been running for several minutes, and at the speed they had kept, had probably been somewhere close to a mile run. He asked them if they would like to share his provisions and Talia gladly agreed, saying that she was parched and had dropped the small amount of berries she still had during the run. Dione however, was hesitant. It wasn't that she was not hungry or thirsty, she simply didn't want to accept charity from a man who had gotten a good laugh at her expense and humiliation. After a few moments of watching Talia eat hungrily, her attitude towards Lynard's kindness changed drastically, and she knelt down beside Talia and began eating as well. Lynard sheathed his sword and smiled. So maybe he wouldn't be able to score a date. He didn't really care, as he enjoyed performing acts of kindness. It always made him happy to help others, and what made it more enjoyable, was that nobody expected it to come from a barbarian. He sat down across from them and watched them eat with a content look on his face. Talia noticed this. "Why the big smile huh?" Lynard blushed a little and scratched his head. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just glad I could help out." He smiled again. His smile was so disarming. When you saw it, you felt...protected somehow. Dione didn't like this one bit. As an elf, she had been raised not to trust others. Especially outside races. She submitted however, and continued eating. After all, why would he save their lives and offer his rations, only to turn around and do them harm?
As they finished eating, Lynard packed what was left in his satchel and slung it over his shoulder. "So, what are such pretty girls doing out in the forest all alone? Who knows, you could have been eaten by that lizard thing." This thought sent Lynard into another fit of laughter, but he quickly got it under control when he noticed Dione's cold eyes on him. Talia spoke up. "Well, we were actually looking for some help. Like a...town or something." Lynard thought for a second. "Well, let's see. Theodin is only a day's walk from here. Other than that, the closest town would be about five days back that way." He said, pointing behind him. Talia and Dione conversed by themselves for a moment, with Dione constantly glancing at Lynard, as if she were expecting some surprise attack. Once they finished, Talia looked at Lynard. "Well, we don't really have any supplies. Would you mind if we joined you on your way to Theodin?" Lynard shook his head, telling them that they were more than welcome to join him. After all, he couldn't very well leave two girls out in the wild by themselves. As he said this last part he struck his manliest pose and stuck his chin in the air, provoking laughs from both girls.
As they walked along the path in the setting sun, Talia couldn't help but notice how small she felt next to Lynard. He stood at least seven feet tall, compared to her mere five feet, ten inches. His shoulder span had to be a good three and a half feet across, and his arms were as round as cantalope. By looking at his sword, she guessed that it must weigh at least one-hundred, seventy pounds. That was almost thirty pounds more than she weighed, and yet he handled it like it was nothing more than a stick. Dione however kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead, not saying anything unless Talia asked a question. Lynard however, was more concerned about the fact that he had two beautiful girls on either side of him, and he couldn't have been happier. "I saved their asses from that creature, and now I'm escorting them to Theodin. The least they could do is go on a date with me....right?" He started drawing out these complex scenarios of romance. Goblins and dark elves, constantly capturing his wonderful maidens, while he would always show up to the rescue and receive a gift of their appreciation. By noon the next day, they had reached Theodin without any trouble, while Lynard frantically devised plans of how to keep himself close to the girls. As they stood at the gates to the city, Lynard was afraid they would take their leave of him. He was overjoyed when Dione, despite her afflictions towards Lynard, that their party stay together...for a little while anyway, and that they should find a room for the night.