Treks with Illsa: Journeys of the North

How Illsa began:

He has asked a trader he has met about this woman..and was told she lived alone in the forest. She brooks no trouble with anyone, and keeps to herself...so she is left alone by those who fear her strength. Ra stands high up on the hill..and off to his left he senses the wolf..it stares at him with pale eyes....sniffing him from the copse of trees. The wolf is somehow not threatened by this human..it smells acceptable to him..much like the human female below...a companion to the wolf. They stare at each other a moment and the wolf breaks the gaze and trots back into the trees. Far below he sees her small fire..and encampment...and he begins his descent. Illsa is crouched over the fire...squatting..and shredding the flesh of a rabbit and tossing the slivers of meat into the cook-pot.

He stays downwind of her...even though he has bathed in a cold mountain stream he does not wish to alarm her. She senses his approach..and her back stiffens slightly..but not in fear...in the warm delight of knowing it is he.

He approaches the fire....a large pack on his back. A soft leather kilt circles Illsa hips..and low on her belly is a triple thong, holding small bags of herbs.

He passes her tent...there she is...crouching by the fire, throwing something into a pot... Her legs are wrapped in rabbit fur to the knees..and her breasts and arms are covered by more fur..a small flint knife is girded in her waistbelt He steps from the trees...She can seehim... Even with the cold he wears but simple leathers...tattoos visible at his neck...she cocks her head slightly....and blinks at his arrival.

She sees his arms...tattoos of past victories...a red dragon on his forearm , a black on the other he seems different to her...more threatening...stronger she observes his unusual body marks and understands he has traveled far. ....this interests her.

His search must be over...for there in the glow of the fire sits what must be the most beautiful woman he has ever seen...He offers a sack...from inside he pulls a fresh killed deer haunch...ready for the spit.

Illsa's body has grown stronger too...she has run far, over long distances and her endurance is much increased..the golden down on her legs and arms reveals her fair skin...whiter in the winter sun.

He stabs the haft of his mighty axe into the snow and extends the venison she grins quickly ..and is secretly delighted to see this hulk of a man in her tent...her loins feel warmed. She stays in her squatting position...her scent traveling to him He approaches the fire...picking a long metal spit from his pack...he skewers the meat and places it over the fire...he crouches across the fire from her. From behind a stake of small birch comes a grey wolf..a male..young..he watches the two humans.

He breathes deep...her scent comes to him and he feels the heat welling in his body. He reaches across offering the woman a small object. Illsa slowly extends her hand..but does not know this thing..is it some coin, some mark of value or valor? He glances at the wolf...He nods...he and the animal share a bond that is deeper than the seas. Ra notices that Illsa's eyes are the same shade of pale grey as the wolfs. Into her hand he places a small carving of a Red Dragon...a token of his latest adventure.. She turns the beastie thing in her hands.....is pleases and amuses her.. she has seen none so fearful as this beast...she imagines his past travails..and welcomes the coming company he will bring to her solitude.

Unsure that she would understand his native tongue...he signs to her that his name is Ra...a name he received for his birth being on the day... She smiles now....his speech is not too foreign to her..she has dwelt among similar peoples....his name is a solemn one. When the sun returns to the sky from the long darkness...he must be from the far est North where the sun stay away for months at a time.

She points to a long white scar on her outer calf..she indicates to him her battle with a snow cat. He is impressed with the scar...opening his leather tunic he reveals a scar running from shoulder to hip...the results of his encounter with the dragon. She is moved to touch him..to touch the scar with her fingers..and learn more of the fearsome dragon..to feels its power..and the man's. Also there on his chest...more tattoos...one of a Succubus...another of a rare Mist Dragon. She smiles at the succubus....she has been called such many times buy the mates of village women....she thinks of Ra as her incubus..she has dreamt of him many times.

In his broken use of the common language he says that he is Ra, son of Crom...he is the Slayer of The mighty Red Wyrm called Mist...and the slayer of The Balrog of Vilune. She is captured by his words ..but more her interest grows in the scent of his body...her eyes linger on his strongly corded thighs. From his belt he draws a fearsome blade..he slices a slab of venison from the spit and offers it to her.. She takes the food offering..and stirs the cook-pot...to offer him some of her vegetables and rabbit.

Suddenly a noise...off to one side , the wolf stands and growls...Ra quickly stands...He retrieves the axe...he cocks his head, listening... Bursting from the trees a half dozen bandits...lured by the fire and the smell of food...before all of them are in the camp 2 are down...as a result of the axe...the wolf lunges taking one in the throat.

Illsa whirls and guts one of the men with her flint knife...and kicking another in his thigh..breaking his leg. One swings a sword at the barbarian...he dodges the crude blow...His backhand swing catches the bandit squarely upside the head... Illsa does not move fast enough and is injured in her left shoulder blade with a hard blow.

Ra stands back to see Illsa do battle...he is impressed with her ability... The wolf finishes off the last bandit...Ra sees to Illsa's shoulder...the wound is not deep, but it is a nasty, jagged wound. The wolf whimpers..he smells Illsa's blood but senses she is alright...she is embarrassed to have such a wound..she is glad Ra is there to tend it Ra grabs a pot, fills it with snow and places it on the fire...carefully he probes the shoulder...It will require sewing and wonders if this woman can take the additional pain...while the snow melts he readies her sleep furs in her tent, and retrieves his pack...

Illsa searches through her pouch of herbs..she tosses some in the pot..and chews the herbs from another to reduce her pain Illsa lets the effect of the herbal chew calm her..and instructs Ra in the poultice to pack on her wound after the sewing. He is amazed that she knows these things..she tells him of the medicine woman in her clan who raised her Then he leaves her, he is gone long enough to dispose of the bodies in the forests so that the wild animals may eat...he returns with his pack...He fishes out a small sack...within is a fine silk thread and a curved piece of bone sharpened to a fine point. He retrieves the pot from the fire...using the steaming water he washes the wound...It is not deep, but require sewing...Seeing her half-glazed eyes he knows she is entering the dream place. But her look tell him she trusts him.. He takes the thread and needle and neatly sews the wound...making 12 small x's across the wound...his touch is soft yet confident...He eyes his work carefully.

The wolf has bravely crept near and watches the event from close by the tent. Ra is happy with his work...for there will be but a faint scar...straight and clean... He motions for the wolf to enter now that he is finished... The wolf lays his body down with only his shoulders and paws inside the tent Ra returns to the fire to get her some food, she needs to eat to keep her strength... He lights the small brazier in the tent to keep Illsa warm...He covers her with extra skins and crawls beneath to help warm her. Illsa is grateful for his warmth and company..she is very drowsy now.
To be continued...