“Gut him…like a fish?” The Teifling teased for the fiftieth time that day. Junipor wasn’t aware of what made her proclamation so worthy of such scorn and banter, but she was starting to wish she never said anything at all.
Domitilla’s voice was brimming with warmth. Her whip lash tail flashed behind her, often poking out from underneath the thick robes of padded furs. The Teiflings distaste of the cold was palpable, and no amount of pelts seemed to do the trick. The traveling coats shrouded her feminine curves, making her look like a small boulder walking alongside them.
Junipor strode near the front of the group, wearing a cuirass chest piece of iron plate with some chest room to spare. Her shoulders were bare, and a chainmail undershirt helped add a layer of protection over her stomach. A padded girdle offered her some warmth underneath her leather trousers. Her buck furred boots were muffled so as not to make a lot of noise while walking through the snow. Masking her ears from the cold wind, Junipor also wore a simple cowl, and kept her ears drawn back.
“Why are you starring at me?” Junipor scowled at the blight born strolling swiftly behind her.
“I’m just admiring the view.”
Before she could respond, Junipor was interrupted by a sudden painful outcry. Without a second moments thought, Junipor had grasped the handle of the hatchet buckled to her waist, and took up a fighting stance.
Her sharp eyes darted toward the source of the noise, quickly finding the human who had fallen to his knees, and curled up like an infant on the ground. It was pitiful, watching him roll back and forth while swearing to all matter of gods that Junipor had never heard of before. The rock he had stubbed his foot on poked out of the white powdered snow before him.
Slowly, Junipor returned the weapon to her side, and then proceeded to rub her hands. Her fingers were still jittery from the sudden lash of panic, and her knuckles itched with anticipation. Part of her felt like she was going on a long hunt, despite the added tension. Grey skies clouded overhead, shrouding the afternoon sun and creating a lasting shade. It was somehow peaceful and eerie at the same time.
Seldie, who was lost in her own world, nearly stumbled into the human who was still rolling on the ground. Had Junipor not reached out to grab her collar, the Zakinae might’ve fallen on him. Seldie looked up in surprise, her glossy red hair flashed as she shifted backward.
Thanks to the warmth in her gut, the Zakinae had no trouble walking in the cold winter landscape. She traded her hunters garb for a traditional tunic, along with a plain suit of armor made up of cured leather. She preferred lighter gear compared to the iron protection that Junipor had crafted.
“Careful human, wouldn’t want you to be left behind.” The gruff and intense voice belonged to a rather tall male Pharine, one of four who had accompanied them to the sanctuary.
His broad shoulders were covered in scars, and his lengthy brown hair was matted with ice. There was a gleam in his eye that made Junipor shudder each time she tried to look at him. At first glance he could easily be mistaken for an Aiverix war-clan leader, at least in her mind, which made it surprising to learn he was a tradesmen and mercenary. He was but one of four contracted by the temple to escort the group accompanying the priestess.
Two of the other guards lead from the front, while the fourth watched the rear. They all seemed competent, the two leading the group being village guardsmen, while the others held the composure of experienced fighters. Junipor felt small and pathetic standing amongst them, a wannabe warrior trying to earn the right to fight by there side. There was but one female among the four guards, her tattoos expressed her fertility, and having earned the right to partner with the warrior caste.
Junipor had trouble looking at her. It stirred a pang of jealousy in her gut.
The nine of them had left the village at dawn, while the villagers were already hard at work cleaning the roads of all the dust left behind in the wake of the bone rain. The priestesses had done there best, spreading wards of protection around the village borders to protect against further acts of malevolence. Several buildings would have to be rebuilt, until then, the temple and bathhouse would suffice as temporary sanctuaries.
The priestess accompanying them was garbed in white robes, and a blue shroud covered her face. The silver mace she carried was a signet of her office. The tome of Phedona hanged by her hip on a solid golden chain.
Junipor, Seldie, the silly human, and his blight born companion made up the core of there entourage. Not counting Francesca, of course, who scurried in the underbrush. Occasionally the fennec would emerge like a ghost from the snow, and rest along Junipors nape and shoulder. Most of the time, she hunted for small mice or rabbits, and chirped at the other fennecs who viewed them from a distance with caution.
This close to the sanctuary, the fennec’s were far more prevalent. They would grow hostile, and perhaps even violent with the human and blight born in the group, had a priestess not walked amongst them.
The sanctuary was sacred to the tiny foxes, it was there natural home. It was from there that they lived in abundance, only exploring the wider world once reaching adolescence. Even Francesca, who had bonded with Junipor, seemed to grow more lively as they reached the sanctuary’s border.
Junipor sighed, noticing how the human laid on the ground clutching his foot. His boots were ill made for hiking. She was going to walk past him, finding his pitiful groans beneath her, when Seldie reached out to tug at one of the chainmail links down her back.
The Zakinae didn’t need to say a word, her big doe eyes tugged at Junipor’s guilty heart strings, drawing her to action while forcing a shameful shudder down her spine.
“Fine Seldie, you’ve made your point,” Junipor groaned. She reached her hand out to the silly human who sat lazily in the snow.
Caius looked up at her, and shot her a gentle smile. “Thank you so much, my fair lady.”
Junipor hadn’t pulled him half way up before releasing her grip, letting him fall back onto the cold hard ground. Had the Teifling not been there to grab him, Caius would’ve landed flat on his rear.
“You seriously need to learn how to take a compliment.” Domitilla barely caught him in time, and provided enough leverage so that he could ground his feet.
It surprised Junipor, how quickly Domitilla could move underneath that mass of deer pelts. Junipor wiggled her nose, overcome by the mixture of smells emanating from the deer pelts, not to mention the sweat from both the human and blight born was stifling.
Junipor sneezed, and her tail shot up before recovering her composure.
“Bless you,” the human’s voice somehow remained gentle and clear, despite how she treated him before. He motioned to pat her on the shoulder, but drew back when he noticed how she flinched back.
Raising his hands up in the air in contrition, Caius turned around to catch up with the others, Domitilla strode nearly by his side. The blight born seemed frustrated. Even her whip lash tail, which was usually flexible, curled with unease.
Junipor watched them for a moment longer, before looking up toward the sky. The snowflakes were getting thicker, and far off into the distance she could see storm clouds.
“Everything ok?” The fourth guard in their entourage, who had been watching over the rear, approached. He stood a head taller than herself, with dark brown hair and luscious blue eyes. He seemed to be chewing on a reed, while carrying a small banner over his shoulder. Junipor had seen him around before, but didn’t know his name.
“Just the silly human being a hindrance. Nothing unusual.” Junipor moaned while tugging the cowl tighter around her ears. “We should catch up.”
Seldie offered a nod of approval, and the trio rushed forward. It wasn’t long before the road lead them to the outskirts of the Somber Woods, and there was a collective side of relief upon seeing that the fort overlooking the border was still occupied by living stewards.
