Wounded pride... and troubled sleep

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Wounded pride... and troubled sleep

Postby Haelewulf » Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:30 am

Haelewulf sat in his quarters, nursing a bruised shoulder and damaged pride. It had been a day of contrasts, without a doubt.
He grimaced, recalling the ease with which Lirandel had defeated him, but frowning when he recalled the contemptuous twist to the Elf’s lips, and the tone with which he had mocked Haelewulf’s prowess. It had been most… un-Elven, and it worried him. Haelewulf was of course aware that Lirandel was estranged from his brethren... but he'd never before seen such a stark difference in demeanour.

Haelewulf grinned ruefully, appreciating now the tones of awe with which his fellow bladesmen had spoken of the Mornereg’s skills. Yes, he had expected to lose, but he hadn’t expected to be humiliated. He sighed. At least Lirandel had agreed to train him. Perhaps next time... 'Wulf shook his head, chuckling at himself. Next time... it would be some time before he could best the Mornereg, if ever.

He growled as he recalled the popinjay of a bard, recalled his condescending tone as he informed ‘Wulf that “he wasn’t light enough on his feet to ever master his technique.” The growl faded and was replaced with a smile as he recalled Kellidir asserting that her “money was on Wulf,” unmoved by the bard’s smooth words. His smile broadened to a grin when he remembered how Emberyn had so easily wrong-footed the silver-tongued rogue.
But all good humour fled his face when he replayed how close he had come to harming Kelli. The rage that had served him so well in so many battles had nearly cost him and the Thorn more dearly than he could have feared. Lirandel had been right… he had let his anger hold sway.
He had left the scene of the duel with Kellidir, and with her characteristic bluntness she had put him at ease once more. He smiled at the thought. At ease, yes, but still confused! He sighed, and began to undress gingerly, trying not to agitate his wounded shoulder.

He’d left her that night with a spring in his step, despite being thoroughly put out by being spied upon by Felaion, more so by the impudent farmboy dodging his well-earned blow to the head, and most of all by the even MORE impudent assertion that he, ‘Wulf, was “easy to read!” Haelewulf sighed. It appeared that once again, he’d overestimated his capabilities, as his father and later his blademistress had constantly warned him he would. It was a most bitter medicine to swallow.

It was this sudden lack of confidence, this sudden destabilizing of the status quo, that prompted him to join the mammoth hunt. He and three others had left before sun-up, tracked the mighty beasts across the frozen wilderness of the High Crags, and finally slaughtered three of them. It had been the last one that had struck Haelewulf a glancing blow with its trunk, a blow still strong enough to send him spinning into a tree, stunning him and nearly dislocating his shoulder.
Haelewulf shook his head. He’d have died if not for the swift intervention of his fellow hunters, who took advantage of the creature’s preoccupation with ‘Wulf to slice into its exposed throat.
They’d returned victorious, and yet ‘Wulf felt the same emptiness that he had before he left. The blade he’d been given as a reward did little to make him feel better. It hung on the back of his door now, a hideous thing, more suited to an orc’s hand than his own. Its serrated blade would cause severe damage, but it lacked the finesse of his Westernesse broadsword, and it was of a lesser material. Haelewulf sighed. He’d best take it with him, or it might cause offence.

Haelewulf readied his bags for the trip to the Shire, and for his training under Lirandel.
That night, his sleep was troubled by strange dreams. He saw a crude village, its dwellings made of animal hides and peat, and all the villagers gathered about a huge blaze in the center. In the ruddy glow of the fire, two champions were facing off against each other, naked to the waist, and covered in blue paint, mud and feathers. One of them might have had blond hair, the other dark brown, but it was difficult to see under all the muck. The rest of the villagers, without exception, all sported dark brown hair.
The two warriors circled each other as an unearthly silence fell upon the crowd. The champions each wielded a spear in one hand and a sword in the other, and the tension was palpable as they slowly closed with each other.
Suddenly, with a flurry of movement, the dark-haired warrior thrust out his spear towards his opponent, whose blade swept down to parry it… except it was not there! The dark champion spun, whipping back the spear and lashing out with his blade towards his blond opponent’s head… who ducked, his movements sinuous as he evaded both spear and sword and swept his own up… to be met again by his opponent’s.
Back and forth the blades glittered, the champions weaving a web of steel between them, their lightning-fast movements tracing the steps of an intricate dance of death.
Suddenly, the blond man seemed to miss his footing, an almost-imperceptible mistake, but the dark-haired man leapt in to take advantage of it.
But there was no mistake. As the darker of the two committed himself, his opponent stepped in close, and, in a move that made ‘Wulf grunt even in his sleep, drove his forehead into the other man’s face. Stunned and spitting teeth, the dark one tried desperately to fend off the next attack, but it was hopeless. With an almost casual cruelty, the blond warrior disembowelled his opponent with the tip of his spear.

The village remained silent as the final thrashings of the dark-haired champion faded into stillness. The blond warrior turned to the fire, and throwing back his head, roared his triumph to the sky, and to the watching Haelewulf.

‘Wulf woke with a shudder, cold sweat drenching his body. He rose from the bed, and washed his face, calming himself.

It meant nothing, he told himself, it was just a dream.

But beneath the grime, the paint and the sweat of battle, there had been no mistaking the blond man’s face.

It was his own.


((Haelewulf's backstory is kinda hard for me to develop fully without knowing how they'll implement Rohan in-game, but I'm doing the best I can for now. :) ))
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Haelewulf
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Postby Felaion » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:15 am

Very nice Wulf :D
Master Vagandro Rist - Jedi Sage & Diplomat
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Postby kellidir » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:15 pm

(( fantastic ... i loved it))
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Postby Lirandel » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:16 pm

Niiice... :twisted:
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Postby Sayvara » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:08 pm

Lovely... interresting insight. :) OoC info... but it's just as much a joy to get to know the characters.

/S
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Postby Haelewulf » Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:14 am

Thanks for the feedback, guys, glad you liked it! :)
I'm a tad confused though, Sayv... Which bit was OoC?
Thanks again! :)
- H
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