05-23-2017, 03:32 PM
Odin woke with a start. The small cave had a chill to it, and he noticed the fire was out. He frowned and started to stand. His joints cracking and popping as his muscles screamed. It felt as if he had been out far longer than intended. The ranger, Gad, still slept, but his other companion appeared to be missing. Odin crept outside but there was no sign of him. Stranger still, there was no sign of their battle the night before. He returned to the cave, and it didn’t take long to find the note. Strangely, it appeared to have been exposed to the elements far longer than a few hours. Reading the message, he frowned and tossed it away.
Gad began to stir but did not wake. Odin knelt and touched the man’s forehead. Hot. He pulled the woolen blanket down to inspect the wounds and saw that the bandages were red, green, and yellow. They smelled of death and radiated heat. “Damnit,” he growled, storming out of the cave. He forced himself to breathe deeply and focused on calling up Sleipnir.
Ten minutes later their supplies were all packed and secured. Odin leaned over Gad and tried to wake him. Tenderness wasn’t working. Odin slapped him hard. Gad’s eyes shot open, and he tried to draw his sword. The pain from moving his injured arm made him scream, and Odin clamped a hand on the man’s mouth. “Quiet! The wolves may return,” he snapped at the ranger.
After a few moments, Gad seemed to understand and went calmed down. Odin removed his hand. “Listen to me. You have a bad infection. If we do not get to the elven village soon, you will not make it. Tell me the way.” Gad knew that there was a chance that his employer would just leave him behind, but he had few choices because there was also a very real chance that he would pass out or lose coherency before they reached their destination.
Odin held the sick man in the saddle in front of him as they charged through the forest. It only took a day’s ride from the cave to come in sight of the giant tree. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean they were close. Gad was getting worse and only managed to stay awake a few minutes at a time. He needed to rest, but the simple tea to fight fever that Odin remembered was not up to the task at hand. If only he had all his memories. He frowned in frustration. Men died every day, and that was something he was comfortable with. He had sacrificed much for wisdom, however, and couldn’t help but feel like he had lost more than just the world he knew. In many ways, he had lost himself.
Sweat and rain mingled, and Odin wiped his brow as he tossed the last stone on the cairn. He would have preferred to burn the body, but the rain made that difficult. He took the time to summon a wide-brimmed hat and tall walking stick. He was maybe a day’s ride from Yggdrasil and didn’t want to immediately give away his status as a prime. Appearing there unaccompanied would probably give him away anyway, but there was little to do about that now. Odin turned away from the old ranger and trudged through the mud toward his destiny.
Gad began to stir but did not wake. Odin knelt and touched the man’s forehead. Hot. He pulled the woolen blanket down to inspect the wounds and saw that the bandages were red, green, and yellow. They smelled of death and radiated heat. “Damnit,” he growled, storming out of the cave. He forced himself to breathe deeply and focused on calling up Sleipnir.
Ten minutes later their supplies were all packed and secured. Odin leaned over Gad and tried to wake him. Tenderness wasn’t working. Odin slapped him hard. Gad’s eyes shot open, and he tried to draw his sword. The pain from moving his injured arm made him scream, and Odin clamped a hand on the man’s mouth. “Quiet! The wolves may return,” he snapped at the ranger.
After a few moments, Gad seemed to understand and went calmed down. Odin removed his hand. “Listen to me. You have a bad infection. If we do not get to the elven village soon, you will not make it. Tell me the way.” Gad knew that there was a chance that his employer would just leave him behind, but he had few choices because there was also a very real chance that he would pass out or lose coherency before they reached their destination.
Odin held the sick man in the saddle in front of him as they charged through the forest. It only took a day’s ride from the cave to come in sight of the giant tree. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean they were close. Gad was getting worse and only managed to stay awake a few minutes at a time. He needed to rest, but the simple tea to fight fever that Odin remembered was not up to the task at hand. If only he had all his memories. He frowned in frustration. Men died every day, and that was something he was comfortable with. He had sacrificed much for wisdom, however, and couldn’t help but feel like he had lost more than just the world he knew. In many ways, he had lost himself.
Sweat and rain mingled, and Odin wiped his brow as he tossed the last stone on the cairn. He would have preferred to burn the body, but the rain made that difficult. He took the time to summon a wide-brimmed hat and tall walking stick. He was maybe a day’s ride from Yggdrasil and didn’t want to immediately give away his status as a prime. Appearing there unaccompanied would probably give him away anyway, but there was little to do about that now. Odin turned away from the old ranger and trudged through the mud toward his destiny.