System Break

The hellhound's eyes glowed red and when it shook its head its drool flew in all directions. It charged me, its feet pounding on the grass as an arrow pierced one of its eyes but that did not prevent it from leaping. I was kneeling and I leaned back with my spear on the ground. When it was in the air, I raised the tip of the spear leaving its butt firmly planted.

The hellhound accommodated me nicely by impaling itself on my spear. It bent a little but gouged a hole through its neck and spine. I rolled aside before it landed on top of me.

It was the final threat; its brothers already lay dead from arrows or my spear. Moments later I was joined by Gisael and Talila who began cutting them in search of the cores.

"Why don't we skin them and take their hides? We could preserve the meat and trade it with the mountain-folk."

Gisael stared at me for a moment before she went back to the task at hand. She used an obsidian knife. It was sharp but fragile compared to metal.

"This is not our way," she said.

"But you normally don't have a purple sky spitting out monsters by the hundreds do you? It seems wasteful to me."

"He is not wrong," Talila said and received a glare from Gisael.

"See." I pointed at Talila and stared at Gisael. She sighed and held out her knife for me.

I looked at the knife. "You want me to do it?" She said nothing but held my gaze with the knife in her outstretched hand.

"Fine," I said and took it. I had an idea how to skin, the only problem was it was just an idea. I butchered my first three attempts but was slowly improving.

Ailen, bless his soul, collected chunks of meat into a wicker bag. "Do you know how to preserve meat?"

I shrugged and began to butcher my fourth attempt a little less.

Skills

.

-General-

Running, 31.14

Climbing, 34.70

Negotiation, 2.37

.

-Survival-

Navigation, 22.61

Forest, 22.44

Plains, 14.93

Foraging, 20.32

Tracking, 16.36

Skinning, 2.71

.

-Combat-

Melee, 24.06

Defence, 14.99

.

-Crafting-

Fabric, 4.22

.

I whispered to Ailen, "Two new skills. Negotiation and Skinning."

His eyes glazed over for a moment and then he replied, "Trading and Butchering."

"Do you like Trading?"

"Sure. It's not something I imagined … but … who else?" He looked at Sakaala who was playing with her hair as the rest of us worked.

I laughed. "They'd eat her alive."

He snickered. "If you only knew. She normally has them all wrapped around her little finger."

I agreed with a snort. "Okay, I can imagine that."

She noticed our eyes on her and she ambled over. "I hope you don't think I'm putting my hands in that."

"No, I was wondering if you wanted to be our trader?"

"Really?" she said sounding girlish. "You want me?"

"Of course. They'll never see you comin."

She grinned. "Okay. I can do that for you."

Ailen held out the bag and she shook her head. "I'll trade it, but you'll prepare it and bring to the trade."

He sighed and sniffed the bag. "How do I preserve meat?"

"Smoke it? We won't need any salt for that."

He nodded. "I got an idea." His body flopped and fell asleep on the spot. Sakaala was confused.

"You're the same when you travel home with your mind."

Her mouth opened wide. "Oh."

A few minutes later Ailen woke. "I'll smoke it."

"Will it work?" Sakaala asked.

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter - it's worth a shot."

We got back to the glade just in time to watch Mother welcome the artisans. They exited the portal pulling carts full of equipment. They approached the tree and placed a hand on it for a moment and said something quietly. Then they hugged her and gathered together in the centre. There were ten in all.

Talila was standing beside me. "They pay their respects to the forest and then are welcomed to the new clan."

"So many," Sakaala whispered.

"Some are gatherers, but yes this is many more than I thought would make the journey."

Mother beckoned us over. "Please meet your guardians. Gisael, daughter of the forest. Talila and Benzhi. And our two apprentices from the gate keepers, Ailen and Sakaala."

Most of them were gawking at me.

"He is so big," one said.

A few of the more adventurous came up to me and inspected me closely. I felt like a prize bull at auction.

A fine female, all the Svartalfar women were fine, sniffed at my spear. "No bow?" She shyly brought her eyes up to meet mine.

I bared my teeth and she jumped back a step. "I'm the meat shield while all the rest shoot their deadly arrows."

She regained her confidence, reached out and ran her finger along the spear. "It is well made. I am Paphyra; bowyer."

"Ah. I see."

"I've made blades with ebony and ash, but never a spear."

Talila put her hand on Paphyra's back, "Paphyra was the master bowyer's protege. You come here, why?"

Paphyra smiled, "It is new growth. A new world, a new forest and the people's most talented leaders, warriors and artisans."

Talila looked at the others. "Soora the healer, Radelia the architect, and Elred the tree whisperer." She turned to Benzhi, "This is exciting."

Gisael was in a discussion with mother and one of the artisans while Talila led me around.

"Gatherers; Asheria, Orym and Nej. They gather food, herbs and rare wood."

Nej smiled. "And rare stones, anything in the forest that we're welcome to."

I nodded and smiled. The gatherers were wiry and looked like they could run all day.

"Hi," I said and touched each one on the shoulder while they tried not to flinch. They were the only group which brought children. The little ones hid behind their parents.

"Hello," I said, and they buried their faces in their mother's thigh.

"Sorry," she said. "They will be shy for a day, but then you will not be rid of them."

We left them and approached another pair.

"Ruven is a cook and Arcaena is a weaver." The weaver was one of the few who wore any sort of clothes, but it was more of an adornment, like jewellery, than to cover anything. I touched the scarf she wore around her waist.

"Silk?"

She shook her head. "If we have the worms, we can make silk, but this is from bamboo fibres."

"Oh," I said, "You can do that?"

She smiled patiently and nodded.

The intricate designs and fineness of the cloth were better than what modern machines made.

I looked towards the discussion with Mother, Gisael and Elred the tree whisperer.

"What does a tree whisperer do?" I asked Talila.

"The trees tell him what they want, and we care for them. He encourages them to grow and give us wood for a special purpose. It is an exchange."

He doesn't look happy.

"He probably found out Mother grew the forest without his guidance."

I laughed and slapped my thigh. "Mother got in trouble." I received a glare from Gisael from across the glade, she could sense my impudence.

A short and stocky male said, "I am Inchel the builder."

I chuckled, "Oh, you've got your work cut out for you." I waved my hand in an extravagant arc, "We've got nothin."

He laughed and grinned. "No. No, I see plenty. It is not known to you yet." He pointed up in the trees. "A walkway from there to there and a gathering hall. A place for everyone to eat and tell of their day. Sleeping huts and workshops."

I looked up and could see only trees. He was imagining all his constructions.

"Nothing on the ground?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Now that would be strange. We all climb, we are safer up high."

The last Svartalfar I met was a young female. "Are you someone's child?"

Her eyes darted to Talila and her mouth opened. When she recovered, she spoke quickly and with feeling. "No. I am Zoastria, I am apprentice to Paphyra and a fletcher."

I smiled. "Sorry. Oh, fletcher you make arrows?"

She nodded.

"Oh wow. You've got your work cut out for you."

She softened and smiled. "It is an art. Every arrow is different."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Stay that way. Especially when the large orders come in."

She sniffed and met my gaze with determination. "You will not be disappointed."

Talila pulled me away and whispered. "She is young, do not tease her so."

"What?"

"The way you touch her, the way you stand, it is… hmm … she will think you want to take her."

I scoffed and waved my hands in dismissal. "No, no. I'm just being me."

She laughed. "I know, but I felt the same way at first. Many times, I made myself available to you, but you have not taken me once. Your dragon is for Gisael alone?"

I peered at her, "How do you know its name?"

She tapped her ears. "I am an excellent scout."

Then it finally dawned on me. "Wait. You want me to bang you?"

She stood on tippy toes and stared into my eyes. "Are you teasing me or are you stupid. I cannot tell."

"But Gisael and I."

She drew close, too close. "She will not mind. She cannot have you to herself, she knows this."

I looked Talila up and down. She was smoking hot and normally would turn my head. Only Gisael made her seem plain and kept me satiated.

She saw the pebbles rolling around inside my head and she pushed me. "Not now. So many are here watching and wanting to get to know you and their new home."

I laughed. "Okay. Not now."

We sat in a circle in the glade. Gisael on one side of me and Ailen on the other. We sang and ate and welcomed the newcomers.

The people they called themselves.

They had a serious side but were carefree. They loved, laughed, and worked hard. They knew nothing of money or wealth, but they were richer than any man I had met.