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Callum comes limping back into camp carrying the carcass of the pig and drops it by Peter's feet, before grabbing a bucket from the half unloaded mules and heading off to the well for a wash. Rolf heads back and drops the entrails along side the pig carcass before carrying on digging the funeral pyre pit. Kerim walks over to Elsbeth and offers her water, before continuing to unload the mules. Smilo sees Callum limping towards the well and rolls the rock off of the cover to allow Callum at the well and then props the cover up against the rock and heads back to the Mule train to assist Kerim with the mules. Mandrake stays with the doghead, Peter looks up from his digging and Madelyn comes to the door of the round house. OOC: see map of R1 (round house) on the web site and the previous posts for information on the round house. |
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Rolf dumps the pig guts into the pot Callum provides, then shares a bit of the water to cleanse his hands. Taking the time to put on a shirt, Rolf makes his way out to Elsbeth. Kneeling beside her, he takes a cloth and wets it. He hands it over to her with a grin, mostly sympathetic. "Elsbeth," he starts gently, "I admire your courage, but don't run off alone. I don't want have to dig a second grave." At that, his grin fades to be replaced with a mournful face as he glances towards the body of Aenis. He turns away and his voice goes flat as he continues, "One death is already too high a price." Rolf stands and moves off far enough to give Elsbeth the illusion of privacy, but he remains close by until she is ready to return to camp. |
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Peter watches as Callum walks up and dumps the carcass of the fresh slain boar at his feet, and then Rolf drops a handful of entrails next to it. Taking his cue for these he calls across, "Well I'd better get a cooking fire going if we are to get anywhere with that lot. Any one want to use this trowel while I get on with dinner?" Peter then stands and heads across to the round house looking for somewhere to start a fire. Finding the fire place in the central area, Peter collects some larger pieces of wood from the discard pile in the round house and then heads back to the pyre pit. Picking up the carcass he calls to Rolf, "Can I use some of the wood you collected for the cooking fire?" and then staggers back to the round house, half carrying, half dragging the dead boar. |
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Elsbeth ruefully accepts the cloth, glancing carefully sidelong to make sure Rolf is fully dressed. She's visibly surprised that he's not angry at her for running off. "I think I've been learning that running alone is not good," she admits, softly. "I'm forgetting that I'm not home anymore. I promise to be more careful." She finishes washing her face and stands, shaking her hair and pulling stray strands back into her braid. Several long auburn strands float free to frame her face. She moves to where Rolf waits patiently, placing a hand on his arm. "There's not you could have done for that lad, Rolf," Elsbeth says. "When the Gods decide its time, neither man nor beast stands to stop them. You should rejoice that he was with us bit, believing in what we do on this journey." She sighs. "T'will not be the first sadness we find, I fear, but what can we do but try?" She nods toward camp. "Why look at that wild lad, Callum. He takes a gore that would down most men an' simply smiles. He's more of the wilderness than... than the poor beastie he slew. He's not one to worry of tomorrow but lives for the day." Elsbeth shakes her head. "I'm to gentle a lass for that kind, but we can learn from him. He presses on because its something to do. You press on because its right an' good an' you're mission. You're both right enough, an' if the Spirits chooose to take us home 'er we're done, at least we tried, no?" Though she blushes slightly at her daring to lecture to the party's leader, her grey eyes betray an intensity of purpose that supports her words. |
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Rolf starts slightly as Elsbeth touches his arm. He finds it rather unnerving that the woman could approach him unheeded. He hears her words of comfort, but he does not listen to them. "I thank you for the kind words, but my failing is not so easily put aside." He pauses with a sigh, "But we must set aside such deep concerns, lady, for there is much yet to be done." Rolf motions for Elsbeth to lead the way back to camp. After rejoining the others, Rolf returns to his work with the spiked club. But he's interrupted by Peter, who asks, "Can I use some of the wood you collected for the cooking fire? Rolf looks at Peter, shocked. "This wood is for Aenis' funeral pyre. You would eat food cooked upon such wood?" |
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Peter responds to Rolf "But that won't make enough of a blaze to burn him properly. Any way there is better wood for that in the round house, some of the old roof beams cut down would make a better pyre. Just use some of the brush to start it." |
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Madelyn appears at the door of the roundhouse and stretches in anticipation of the digging. She steps forward and removes her armour, placing it carefully out of harms way with her weapons. She strolls back over to the grave where Rolf has started digging, picks up the club and continues digging herself. Any way there is better wood for that in the round house He's right Rolf, you did a good job of collecting wood but you have to admit there is not enough here to build a pyre. There is sufficient in the roundhouse that will be better suited for this job". With this she hefts the club and brings it down hard on the soil in front of her |
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Rolf pauses his efforts and closes his eyes, trying to remember that others see the world with other eyes. "Peter, do what you feel is best." With that, Rolf returns to the digging. |
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Elsbeth tries to stay out of the way, making sure she is clean and awaiting her wolf's return. A wolf she's mentally named Laddy. Meanwhile, she muses over Rolf. An odd one, he. Moody. As if a single man can truly be responsible for others, much less any of nature's actions. Still, the Norseman seems to be dedicated to being responsible for all, including one daughter of her father who has never accepted such. She shakes her head in bemusement. "As if a man truly know's a girl's mind," she says to herself with a laugh. And that Callum, a wild one if she ever saw one. Elsbeth still finds herself attracted and repelled by the frightening warrior. She smiles, wondering how those in Callum's clan court their women. "Probably hauling them as handily as he did that poor pig," she tells herself as she finds a place to observe the others and pray. After all, so much had happened and there were many to talk to, to appease. There was likely a Norse funeral and then the night. So much could happen without proper preparation... |
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Peter drags the pig off to the round house and then returns with a 3' length of roofing beam which he drops by the hole, before picking up the intestines and carrying them back to the round house. "Any one want to try and skin this boar? If not I'm just going to joint it with the skin on. It will be easier to transport that way." |
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Eats |
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Smilo licks his lips, readies his knife and takes a seat at the table, so to speak. He hopes it wasn't too old. |
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Mandrake reaches a decision and throws his hands in the air with a sigh "It’s no good, unless it can be said with simple gestures, then we cannot communicate with this one." |
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Peter returns to the pit with another length of rafter and places it next to the first. He then gathers some of the brush wood that Rolf collected and goes back to light the cooking fire. "You are a bit early Smilo, its gonna take a while to get this butchered and cooking, why don't you help them with the pit or carry some of that wood out, to help build up an appetite?" |
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"You are a bit early Smilo, its gonna take a while to get this butchered and cooking, why don't you help them with the pit or carry some of that wood out, to help build up an appetite?" Callum looks up from his sharpening. "Ha! Ye're too polite, Peter. Go and do some work sùlaire-bheag afore ye end up wider than ye are tall." He smiles and goes back to his task. |
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Peter's eye brows raise and a faint smile plays around the corners of his mouth, as he looks down to start jointing the boar. |
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Having unloaded the Mules, he places loads in the safety of the round house. He sees that the mules are settled, watered and fed (tethered so they won't wander). Kerim will then help pile up the rafters next to the pit. |
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