The girl leans on the massive tree trunk, trying to regain her breath. Her hair is a mess and she's covered with blood and dirt, but even so, she manages to look better than most goddesses of love and beauty in full attire. Of course, wearing a dress that was just borderline decent before it was considerably ripped only helps. She curses various people with esoteric names and their extended family, wipes tears from her eyes and turns to look at the approaching giant. He was a behemoth of a man, more than two meters long and, seemingly, almost as much wide. Of course, the girl thought, he would look much better if he was wearing something that didn't look like it belonged attached to an animal; but it was a widely acknowledged fact that barbarian heroes had no style.

'Okay,' the hulk boomed, 'that wasn't too bad. Now it's time for the next trial.'

The girl groaned. 'Another one? Are you trying to kill me here?'

'It is necessary,' he said sternly, 'only thus can it be seen what caste you are destined to become. And anyway, it's a sacred ritual to Luna, you should be happy about it!'

'Awww… Redclaw,' she insisted, whining with a sweet little voice, 'Do I really have to? I'm already a mess as it is...'

Redclaw hesitated a moment, but nevertheless, said, 'I'm afraid so, Tobiko, there's just no way around it. Anyway, it's a question of your honour!'

'Couldn't we at least leave it for tomorrow?' she pleaded, hands behind her back, standing on the tips of her toes to try and draw somewhat level with the other, 'I'm tired… Isn't there space for a little bit of kindness towards a poor little tired girl in that massive muscled honourable form of yours?'

The great barbarian hero, scourge of civilization, ravager of kingdoms big and small, he who left barren the land his horde walked over, looked down at the young girl with damp eyes and shuffled his feet.

'I dunno, Tobiko… I could get in awful trouble if the other elders found out…'

She pouted. Nobody ever resisted the pout.

Meanwhile, two owls watched silently as the scene unfolded. Then, one turned its head around to the other and, as one always says to another, hooted: 'Hey, Silverbeak, would this be considered "passing the trials through cunning or guile"?'

The other owl turns equally towards its companion and answers: 'I suppose, although I'm sure it's never happened before.'

'Hmm…' the first owl mused, 'I wonder why Luna chose someone like her.'

'Dunno, maybe 'cause she's just so damn HOT.'

The first owl looked disapprovingly at the second one, or at least as much as an owl can look disapproving. "Silverbeak! Really…"

And when the two owls looked back, the girl was gone.