Chapter 3c: Band of brothers, men turned runners

[Thraz the Mighty]

Thraz spoke softly to Mortil as she halted and turned to face the human. Her equine eyes glanced at him with disinterest before she lowered her head to graze. The calm that seemed to pervade the aura of the beast did not extend to her rider. Thraz ran a hand along the edge of his axe as his brown eyes glared at the human. Such fire resided within his baleful orbs that it was a wonder that his beard was not set alight. His teeth ground against each other and it was a moment before he was relaxed enough to speak. A voice akin to a rockslide emanated from his throat as he replied to Thaedras.

“Do na quest’n me abut mere poison. The elf ha na bin born tha could harm Thraz the Mighty! If ye be concerned about yer own health, then seek tha antitote in Chondra.”

The dwarf hauled on the reins as he turned Mortil to the east. She nonchalantly lifted her head from the ground and began to walk. It was of no concern to him as to when they would arrive in the Mithral Mountains, so Thraz let her set her own pace. He cursed under his breath as he heard twigs snapping behind him, alerting him that Thaedras was following. His stubborn pride would not allow him to acknowledge the presence of the human, and they continued in silence without either one saying a word to the other.

After about an hour of walking, man and dwarf came to a mighty river. A bridge crossing the river could be seen to the south, and anyone possessing sense would surely choose to cross it rather than attempt to swim across the river. His fear of water began to surface within his mind as Thraz stared at the rapidly flowing water though none of his fear showed upon his homely face. If he were alone, then Thraz might have ridden for the bride and allowed his sense to overcome his pride for once. The presence of the human ensured that he could do no such thing. He refused to shame his clan before the eyes of a stranger, and he kicked his heels against the sides of the pony as she galloped into the river. Without the pony, Thraz would have surely drowned yet Mortil was an excellent swimmer.

[Thaedras]

Thaedras was thoroughly amused by the dwarf. It would occasionally talk to himself, and made sure to pointedly ignore Thaedras. Sure it was rude (what could you expect from a dwarf), but it was amusing at the same time.

They came upon a river, and the dwarf soon urged his pony to wade straight into the damn thing! The pony was doing alright for itself, although it's rider was in a far from thrilled mood.

Leave it to a dwarf.... , muttered Thaedras.

Taking some rosemint leaves out of his sash, Thaedras begins to chew them as he approaches the river. When he closes the distance, he starts to mutter something. Soon, the temperature around Thaedras drops dramatically. Walking up to the river, the water begins to freeze. ALl water within 2 peds of Thaedras freezes. Slowly walking across his makeshift bridge, making sure not to fall, Thaedras crosses the river.

The wind in my Hair, The spray of the ocean in my face.
I love Life at sea.

- Thaedras

[Thraz the Mighty]

Thraz perched on the back of the pony, clearly uncomfortable as the cold water splashed against his legs. He began to mumble under his breath about foul rivers, stroking his beard as his curses flowed from his lips. A loud snort erupted from his nostrils as a bridge formed of ice, and the human crossed it. His hands tightened on the reins yet they relaxed once more as laughter shook his stout frame.

A grin split his homely face as he urged Mortil closer to the ice bridge. He swung one leg over the pony's back as he leapt onto the bridge, landing on his belly. Standing as he scowled down at the ice, his rough voice sounded a challenge before his armored fist swung down, breaking the ice with his mighty thews.

"I am Thraz tha Mighty! No ri'er flows tha can drown mi."

The ice broke beneath his feet, and the dwarf fell into the river as a defiant fire burned within his eyes. Mortil continued to swim for the other shore, apparently unconcerned about the doubtful fate of her master. Equine sense served her well. If only Thraz possessed such sense, then his antics may well have been prevented.

About twenty peds downstream, a figure in armor emerged from the river. A small fish leapt from his beard as he stalked upstream, walking toward where the pony was now grazing. Water could be heard swishing inside his boots with each step he took, and the dwarf was throughly soaked.

He glanced at the black pony before unceremoniously sitting on a nearby rock. His armored hands removed his boots as he dumped the water from them, and he lifted his helm from his head, causing a torrent of water to flow over his head. It was only a few moments before he had removed each piece of his armor, and he fetched a vial of oil and a dry cloth from his saddlebags. His hands knowingly ran over his armor as he oiled it, taking care to prevent rust. The dwarf had yet to look at the human as he stood next to the river, and he continued to ignore him as Thraz oiled his armor.  

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