Snippet #2557312

As much as Eilin wanted to get far away from the village, she knew that she wouldn't have the luxury. The scout's pack was still near-by and she had to find them. More so, she wasn't so quick to believe Sverre on his claim that he was alone. No demon hunted alone, that she knew of. No... His pack had to be the one that had attacked her homeland all those years ago. And she would find out the truth of it.

She didn't have to travel far. Sverre had given up the chase shortly before the forest line. By the time Eilin escaped the view of the valley behind her, she found herself surrounded by nothing more than the mangled bare trees and snow. Carefully swinging herself around one of the trunks, she caught her balance and turned to look behind her. Nothing but nature. Just the way she preferred it.

Her breathing heavy, she slowly sank down onto the large branch, putting her back against the trunk and closing her eyes. For a while, she simply sat like that, giving herself some time to recover from the sudden sprint. Only once she was breathing calmer and felt a little more clear-headed did she slide down into a more comfortable position, balancing herself and settling in.

Sverre... It had really been him. He had even looked confused at her recognition. Yet he had not known who she was. It was likely for the best. Eilin was still at a loss about what to really think. She was finding it difficult to believe that he was not human. He had lived around her people for almost a year and had never indicated that anything was wrong. How? Demons were vicious creatures. She had never met one that didn't want to rip her throat out. Then again, after her first encounter with them she had never met one without a weapon in her hand.

On the other hand, she was furious over the entire thing. She had mourned him the same as the others for many years. She thought that she had gotten past the trauma of her childhood. She had grown and learned and developed her own purpose in life. Yet seeing Sverre again...

Eilin shook her head, opening her eyes as she drew a steadying breath. Her thoughts were straying. She attempted to reel the emotions in. There was no sense in dwelling on the past. Not when it was suddenly so close to her.

~~~~~~~~~

Eilin remained hidden within the trees for the remainder of the day. She had enough rations for food left to last another couple of days. After that she would need to either visit a near-by village or go on the hunt for game. The latter option seemed smarter as she intended to find the demon packs as quickly as possible. By the following morning, though, she knew that she would need to tread carefully. Her wrists had taken quite a beating and were incredibly tender to the touch. Holding her spear was an exercise in its own right. She had no idea if she could fight with the weapon without dropping it. The bruise that developed on her neck didn't hurt as much, though it was quite a sight to behold. Shaped after the very hand that created it, it was dark and painful to look at. A slight cramp in her right leg also made walking a bit of a chore.

Despite the wounds, Eilin set out at the first light of morning to make her way back the way she had come. She was on alert for any movement, ready to strike first at any sign of life. She could not afford a real fight at the moment so she remained diligent and careful of her surroundings. As luck would have it, she did not run into any living creatures of human nature or otherwise. Though she was able to find the body of the fallen scout and for a while lingered on a decision. To retrace his steps or else follow Sverre's fresher prints wherever they may lead.

Eventually, the latter won out. Eilin simply could not let him slip away unnoticed. She tracked his movements slowly and carefully, well aware that he would be able to keep ahead of her but at the same time not in any hurry to face him once again. She did not want to come across him. She simply wanted his pack. She wanted answers. Yet much to her surprise and mild irritation, by nightfall of the third day, the tracks had taken her on a route that she least expected. Into another local village that was very much still in tact.

Every day life in a Northern village was a loud affair. People bartered on the streets for pieces of corn and bread. Butchers were busy closing shop around late evening visitors returning from the hunt. Drunken men stumbled down streets, cursing the taverns that dared decline their patronage. Women hurried through the streets, bundles of wood kept safe and dry under their arms. Thin plumes of white smoke rose from chimneys and fires throughout the area, livening the atmosphere of the wilderness beyond.

It was this type of crowded atmosphere that Eilin found herself in. She could not say that she was particularly thrilled by it, yet she knew that she could not avoid it. This was where Sverre's tracks had lead her. He had to be near-by somewhere. Her answers were finally close at hand.

Walking quickly down the street, the young woman took care to not draw attention to herself. Across the way, a man yelled for her to join him yet she ignored the ridiculous calls and moved on. Eventually, she made her way into the inn, ducking through the door and supporting it lightly until it closed behind her. It was much warmer inside. The fires crackled in the hearths. Patrons sat along the bar and at the tables that filled the entire first level of the building. It was a warm, cheery atmosphere that Eilin did not come across very often.

"What'll be, m'lady?!" a male voice called over the bar. Eilin turned her head, looking toward balding man that was watching her. As she turned her head, she could have sworn he caught sight of the fading bruise on her neck. His gaze flickered down briefly yet his expression remained as pleasant as ever even as he opted to not pay any attention to her injury.

"A room for the night," Eilin replied dryly. She tore her gaze away from the bar keeper, letting it scan the area. She did not recognize any of the faces so she turned back to the man and slowly made her way over to the bar.

"A silver talent for the finest room money can buy," the bar keeper boasted with a winning smile. "Two extra shillings gains you a full meal for the night and a mug of finest mead this side of the world."

Eillin did not crack the faintest of smiles at that. She didn't need to. Every inn and tavern in the north boasted of the greatest quality food and drink. She merely reached into her satchel, pulling out her bag of coins. She rifled through them, producing a talent. This, she deposited onto the bar top, sliding it over to the man with two fingers before releasing it into his care.

"All that you have you have promised. For a talent," she told him.

"M'lady, I do not bargain over price," the bar keeper replied. She noted a tone of apology within his voice.

"Neither do I. A talent is worth more than a room in the North. You ought to know that. If you ever travel outside of your borders," Eilin spoke. She gave him a quick glance over sizing him up. A part of her expected him to argue the point, yet he simply took the coin and inclined his head before bustling away to retrieve a room key along with a fresh hot meal. Eilin, meanwhile, turned and headed off to find herself a table as far way from the chatter as she could. Luckily, there was one such space open near one of the fireplaces. That was where she made her final stop, sinking down into a chair and relinquishing her spear to a wall near-by as she allowed herself to relax slightly. The last few days have been tiring for her yet she was far from letting them slow her down.