Pick On Someone Your Own Size

[Judah Lesan]

Another day on Laekia. The Capitol was busting with business, at least what it could. The streets were busier than Midvinter's and the climate warmer. Rorik was still adjusting, even after all his years away from Midinter. He lived in a humble little shack, and picked up work as a hit man in order to eat. Assignments were dropped off at his doorstep, and he did them. Fortunately the Valkyr had no sense morality when it came to who he beat or killed for credits.

Looked like today some kid had bit off more than he could chew and needed to be taught a lesson. The alley just behind the cantina far from the Sanctum was the best place. The last thing was someone meddling in a beat down. The only dilemma Rorik wanted was which bones to break and how much blood he wanted to splatter along the alley.

The dark haired boy looked scared as he was being drug into the alley. Large fists began to tenderize the tissue on his face and stomach. He was crying like a bay which took all the fun out of the whole thing. At least the kid could take his beating like a man, after all he had thought he was man enough to piss off some of the biggest trouble makers on the planet. Either way credits were credits however he earned them. The boy needed to be quiet though otherwise it was going to draw unwanted attention.

[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

In spite of Laekia being the closest planet to her homeworld of Midvinter, she still felt completely out of place. Perhaps it was because she'd not found a master to teach her the use of her gift...what the rest of the 'verse called the Force. Perhaps it was because she as yet felt she did not have a place amongst her fellow Levantines. Bryn knew it would get better, she only hoped it would hurry the hell up. She did not like feeling so useless.

Clad in fitted leathers and hand-tooled boots, she wove her way through the crowd. It was difficult to maneuver at times, though she was thankful she had left her shield behind - that would have made progress truly impossible. She did not, after all, wish to knock people over simply to pass. She towered over so many of them with her natural height as it was, but the thick soles and heels of her boots put her over the six foot mark.

Bryn sighed softly, her pale blue gaze cascading over the people milling about on the sidewalk, before finding a point of interest in a store front. It was, for all intents and purposes, a clothing store and seemed to be geared toward female humanoid sentients. But the miniscule scraps of fabric they considered clothing would barely pass as cleaning rags on Midvinter. Granted, it was a relatively cold planet, but Laekia was not so warm that these few glittery, colorful bits would do much good. Although...there was a very pretty blue-

Her gaze was drawn to the far side of the building she was gazing at, as a tall, broad-shouldered man dragged a gangly, protesting teenager into the alleyway. Fingers still firmly on the hilt at her hip, Bryn made her way to the corner and peered down into the rather well-lit alley. Lips flattened into a line as she warned the onlookers away and stalked with purpose down to where the man was laying into the boy. Little more than a boy, she noted as she drew closer, heard the whimpers, and saw the tears coursing down his cheeks.

With no audible protests of innocence or a plea for help as his wounded gaze lit upon her, Bryndís wondered what the boy had done wrong that might merit such a punishment. Regardless of it, her hand shot out and intercepted the man's fist, stopping him from hitting his hapless victim again.

Glaring down at the boy, she muttered "Get out of here and do not let me see you in the capital again."

To the man, she pushed his fist away and fixed him with a frigid glare only one from Midvinter could properly pull off. "Why don't you try picking on someone your own size for a change."


[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

A clenched fist had been raised ready to strike the fragile boy once more when he was stopped mid strike with a forceful grip. To his surprise the sound of a feminine voice accompanied the grip. How Rorik's ego would not stand to be stopped by a female. He was stronger than that, much stronger. When the woman came into view, he saw why her grip was so strong. He was face to face with another Valkyr. This was a first since leaving Midvinter. She had a tough grip, she was attractive, but had gotten in the way of his job. Normally Rorik would not hit a woman, but this was another Valkyr, she could handle herself.

His aggression turned to the woman.

"Perhaps I will, woman. You are much closer to it than he is, and will likey take a beating more honorably than him as well."

Rorik was never one to telegraph his punches. A fist simply came flying through the air toward the nose of the blonde woman who dared interfere with something that was not her business. Someone was going to get beat today. It didn't matter whose blood was splattered on the backs of his hands, as long as he got paid.

[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

"You presume you can actually hit me..." she spat back at him in Runian, adding several choice invectives on certain aspects of his masculinity. There was some small, distant part of her mind that sighed and sounded like her best friend Brunnhild from home, that exasperated sound that always told her she needed to learn manners and decorum otherwise she'd be unjoined for the rest of her years.

She had manners. And decorum.

She just didn't bother employing them.

Certainly not in moments like this, where they would be a complete waste of her breath.

Bryn stepped back just in time to avoid the pain of a broken nose, but not enough to avoid getting clipped hard enough for blood to flow freely. She snarled and grabbed a tight hold of the wrist in front of her face with both hands and twisted even as she pushed down, with every intention of twisting his arm up painfully behind his back.

Her bleeding nose could wait to be tended to until he had paid enough to assuage her prodigious temper.


[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Well it seems like I just did," the dirty blonde Valkyr said as his arm was wrenched behind his back.

He had no choice but to let it happen and follow it as he did no want his arm to break. Besides it allowed for him to send the back of his hard head into the face of the woman who was now behind him. It was too bad too. The woman was pretty, but her meddling was going to get it messed up. Maybe it would teach her to keep her nose out of so ring that wasn't her business.

"It's a shame too, because wrecking a pretty face was not on my agenda for the day."

Call it flirting if you wanted to, but Rorik wasn't all that smart when it came to women. He was mouth first and brain second in that department. It didn't usually matter there was never any other Valkyri around, but now there was. What was he doing, he was fighting her. Go figure.

[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

That was the problem when she let her temper control her actions. Things like her nose ended up broken, ankles were sprained, knees were wrenched...a whole litany of painful things that the gods deemed appropriate for her lapses in judgement. This time, it was her already bleeding nose that broke with an audible crack, forcing her to let go of his arm and to quickly step back out of his immediate range.

Her right hand clenched into a fist as she gritted her teeth and remained silent. Well, silent until the fingers of her left hand had pushed her nose back into place and held it there tightly. At that point, a long, colorful stream of invectives fell past her lips, the Runian words all but blistering the permacrete of the alleyway around them. Where earlier she'd insulted his masculinity only, this time, she left little out of her tirade.

[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Rorik just laughed. The little fight and the expletives which streamed from the blonde woman made him feel like he was back on Midvinter. He had witnessed spats like this between his adoptive parents many times. They always ended with someone swearing and the other laughing.

"Finally someone who makes this place feel like home. That mouth of yours is truly creative in what it can find to insult," he said stepping toward her.

He heard the nose crack. Rorik new it was broken, but she had brought it on herself. The Valkyr had no intention of apologizing for it, but he did want to be sure she was okay. After all he still thought she had a pretty face, and wanted it to stay that way if at all possible.

A white handkerchief was produced from his pocket, and with a firm snap, straightened out. He offered the woman the white cloth in order to help stop the bleeding. The blonde did keep a safe distance so she could not punch him in return, but he wasn't about to just leave her in the alley.

"Rorik Oakenshield, and I'm sure that boy won't be coming back. Terrill won't like that too much. The boy thought he could pull one over on the crime boss, and I'm not one to care where my credits come from. Gotta eat so..."

It wasn't the best way to make an introduction, but they had fought. A name was in order.

[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

She would have wrinkled her nose at him and frowned, but the pain shooting across her facial features made her grimace slightly instead. Pale blue eyes followed him warily as he approached, her free hand hovering over her sword hilt just in case. Not that she wanted to run him through...frankly, her own temper was at fault. She ought to have known better than to remain directly behind him when she had his arm twisted.

"That is not where its creativity ends, I assure you." Bryn said back rather tartly, and then instantly wished she could take it back as she realized how that would sound to a fellow Valkyr.

He was rather ruggedly handsome now that she looked at him more carefully, and her right hand accepted the handkerchief he proffered. Tilting her head back slightly, she managed not to wince too much as she applied enough pressure to stop the bleeding. The break itself...well. There was that young half-Nautolan girl amongst the Levantines...perhaps she could be prevailed upon to help. Going to Frost or one of the older Healers would necessitate too much of an explanation, and Frost at least would know too well what had really happened.

"Bryndís Silvertide. You do indeed have to eat, but that is not the only option for gainful employment here on Laekia." she said quietly, her fingertips glowing a bright icy blue as she tried to apply a touch of her gift to ease some of the discomfort.

[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Is that so now. If that's the case you'll have to show me that sometime as well," Rorik said with a hearty chuckle.

This Bryndís was a Valkyr woman for sure. Her mouth was as crass as his. Clearly she did not fit in this world as much as he did not. On Midvinter he was a warrior, but here he was a hired thug. Did he like it? No, but food was not cheap. So his muscles went to the highest bidder. Certainly the fellow Valkyr could understand. They were survivors, it was in their blood.

Eyes stayed focused on the hilt of her sword. She may still draw the weapon. Not that it would do anything. The Valkyr did know how to disarm a person and could if need be. That was thing with Rorik. Where was a fighter, trained killer, supposed to find work that did not involve hurting someone. Even in a moment, that was rather comical as he thought about it, he was watching his environment, connected to the force, the force. He was feeling it. It was coming from her too, he was almost certain. He stepped closer. This time close enough that he could see the damage he had caused. If she wanted to run him through now, there would be nothing to stop her.

"And tell me Bryn," he was not going to say the whole name, "where is a Valkyr supposed to find honest work? To do that I would have to shave and cut my hair. A flaw of our people perhaps, but I am too proud to erase from my features the things which make me stand out as Valkyri."

He looked at her nose, though he was careful not to touch it after she had set it.

"It was a clean break at least. You will be fine in a few weeks, and that face of yours will not be ruined in the slightest."


[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

"Perhaps someday I will find you worthy of such a demonstration." she replied with a pale brow lofted high and a the faintest of smiles beginning to tease at her lips. He was, she had to admit, one of the few who did not find her...vocabulary...offensive. Even for a Valkyr woman, hers was quite creatively filthy, much to almost everyone's dismay.

With a sigh, Bryn withdrew her hand from her face, wiping the blood that remained from her upper lip with care to not dislodge her nose from its place. The cold from her fingertips had helped dull the pain to some degree, and she found herself giving a much more lingering glance to Rorik as he approached. He did indeed have a point, as he spoke of earning enough to eat and what some employers would have demanded of one like him.

A clean-shaven Valkyr man would be a travesty.

"You could join the Levantines...they would make no such demands on your appearance. They celebrate the freedoms and differences that so many pay only lip service to across this galaxy. You would be among other Valkyr as well. I am not the only one here on Laekia."

He stepped closer still and his blue gaze focused for a moment on her nose. It must have been a bruised, bloody sight. She averted her gaze and laughed softly, reaching up to gingerly apply a touch more 'cold' to her nose with fingertips that still glowed a soft blue.


[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Rorik nodded with a smirk, catching the teasing grin which barely formed at the corners of Bryn's lips.

"Something to look forward too, then, someday," he said his own time teasing her in return.

At least she saw his point. Too many employers would make him rid himself of his distinguishing appearance when he would rather keep it. Besides a fist would follow after anyone dared suggest he cleanup his appearance. This woman was smart. Though very bruised. Too many times he'd seen bruised faces. A nose was easy to break and. Rorik had broken plenty. Still this time he couldn't help but feel slightly bad for Bryn.

"Come on, we need get some ice on that."

Rorik looked into the blue eyes of the Valkyr and offered a smile. He leaned down and picked the woman up, sliding an arm under her knees and the other supporting her back. Her vision was likely slightly blurred and since he broke the nose he could help take her back to where she came from, which by the sound of it was the Levantine Sanctum.

"Levantines huh? More Valkyri there. Sounds like I could give it a go. How does that solve the issue of needing credits for food though. Not to be negative, but I eat a lot, and don't do so well with rules."

Which was true. Rorik had a free spirit and did not do well with being told what to do. He was as stubborn as he was strong, and as Bryn had seen demonstrated first hand, he was very strong. Her pride might be damaged a bit getting carried through the streets in his arms, but it was only to a small cafe where he could get some ice. Ice in a bad was the first thing he retrieved, followed by a couple of ales. It was not like the mead of Midvinter, but it was better than that caf, or tea, others were drinking. No ale was what he prefered, and lots of it on the weekend.

"Here ya go. It's the least I can do," he said with a shrug.

Buying a woman ale was be out as romantic as Rorik would ever get. It was like flowers to him anyway. What woman didn't want a glass of ale from a man.

[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

"It'll be fine-" Bryn began, eyes slightly unfocused as a dull ache began to settle into her head. The cold from her fingers helped, but she couldn't sustain it for long in such a specific and focused manner just yet. She told herself she would have protested when he picked her up, were the circumstances different and her nose less than broken. But in reality she had to admit - internally, of course, as she'd never say anything aloud - she was somewhat impressed that he could pick her up. She was by no means short or light, and yet he lifted her effortlessly and carried her as if she weighed nothing.

Bryn held the ice gingerly to her nose and sighed faintly at the cold seeped in and numbed it quite nicely. At least this way, she mused, she put off having to explain to Frost what happened. He'd never let her hear the end of it. Although, with any luck he'd haul off and hit Rorik which would amuse the blonde to no end.

"Because there's a stipend provided when you join, and when you're on Laekia, things like room and board are included. It's not extravagant, but it's comfortable. There are few rules, to be honest, and none of them are more than simple common sense."

She set the ice down for a few moments in favor of picking up the ale and taking a sip. It was certainly not of the quality that would have been available on Midvinter, but it was passable. "Thank you." she replied after another sip, and returned the ice to her nose with a wince.


[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Few rules, a stipend, free lodging and food, and most importantly they wouldn't shave the beard or cut his hair. The Levantines sounded like a great option, but he still didn't know much about them, or this blonde. Well he didn't have to know much about her. She was blonde, pretty, strong, and Valkyri. What wasn't to like? Even her mouth made her a catch, well maybe not to some, but Rorik had different ideas.

The ale was downed, quickly. It was almost like water to him, compared to what he was used to on Midvinter. They wouldn't stay too long, but they were not going anywhere until he knew more, about her and the Levantines. Hands and elbows rest on the table, not the best manners, but Rorik had none. In fact a loud belch followed shortly after the mug of ale was depleted of its contents.

"So what brings you here? I mean why didn't you stay on Midvinter and get married to some strapping young warrior like most women do hmm?"

Rorik would share his own story if she asked. Bryn just happened to be the first off world Valkyr he had met, so he was curious if her reason for leaving was similar to his.

[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

She snorted in a decidedly unladylike manner and winced for it, even as she muttered under her breath. "I am not most women."

He was a reminder of home, she decided, as she pondered how best to answer his question. Draining the ale took up some few moments, as did adjusting the ice and gingerly making sure the break was still in its proper place. Bryn lofted a pale brow at his belch, but said nothing about it, and instead finally came to the conclusion that honesty was best.

"I was exiled." she replied softly in Runian, returning the ice to her nose. "My family belongs to Clan Völsung. In an effort to curry favor with the cheiftain, my parents offered me as a tribute. A Shieldmaiden in my own right, and possessed of a gift from Teign himself, and I was given away as a gift. They did not ask it of me. It was not for honor, otherwise I would have gone gladly. It was merely because it suited them and our chieftain is known to have an eye for Shieldmaidens."

Mercifully, an eagle-eyes server had seen their empty mugs and come by with a pair of refills. She took a long drink from hers before continuing. "The chieftain decided 'my spirit needed tempering' and so he made me the evening entertainment. His three eldest sons were to have me for sport in the mead hall." Her back straightened and her pale blue eyes flickered with icy energy. "I put a spear of ice through the eldest son's chest. While that was an accident, I am not sorry I defended myself."



[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"That isn't a bad thing," Rorik said under his own breath.

He listened. It was all he could do. Bryn's tale was familiar in a sense. What was it about the men of their culture to think throwing a woman at three men for sport was a fun thing. Rorik might be crass, have questionable morals, but he at least knew women were not for that kind of sport. Their sport was a fun one to be sure, but the chase was part of that fun. The man who died deserved it. The others as well, but it wasn't his place to say.

"Well sounds like you kept your honor to me. No reason to be exiled, or tossed aside. I for one think a good woman needs some spirit to her. No reason to be dull, or weak."

Rorik took another healthy drink before his own story.

"My village thought my adopted parents and I were practicing dark arts. They came to burn us, the house, the farm all of it. I killed them all. When I looked at them, their throats crushed. I had never lost control like that, so I ran away. Didn't want to hurt my family. Been off of Midvinter for 13 Valkyri years now. You're the first Valkyr I've seen or talked to since."

A sad admission but true. Rorik looked away for a bit. He wasn't happy about his story.

[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

Blinking, she gazed over at him, her cheeks warm as she smiled. Strange thing, attraction, she mused. Normally, one does not get their nose broken so early in an acquaintance. Then again, she had almost broken his arm.

Her gaze dropped to her mug as he began his own story. Pale blue eyes went wide as she went perfectly still and stared into the ale. Shaking her head, she put the ale and the ice down, and reached over with one hand to grip his jaw. Bryn turned his head so he had to look at her, and she gave him a stern one.

"You did what you had to do to defend yourself. It wasn't ideal, no, certainly not. But people fear what they don't understand. And you recognize that it wasn't the right thing to do. You're already on a better path, Rorik. We both are." With that said, she returned the ice to her nose with a muttered oath and a wince.

"I have no idea how, but we'll figure out how to control these abilities. There are teachers amongst the Sanctum, gifted like we are. Perhaps one of them will be able to guide us in the proper direction."


[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Maybe," Rorik said with a shrug of his shoulders when the Valkyri woman let go of his jaw. "We both know we aren't going back home anytime soon though. You've been banished, and I'm serving a self imposed exile."

It didn't dawn on him til after he had spoken that Bryn had said we a couple of times actually. What was that supposed to mean, if anything. Funny how things worked. Man beats on tiny kid, woman rushes in to stop it, man breaks woman's nose, and now they share a few pints of ale, life story, and decide to get help... together. Sure sounded like what was happening. Rorik still felt a little bad for busting her nose. He probably should cut off the booze since he was going to be taking her to the sanctum.

When the server returned, he waved her off, at least for himself. Bryn could have as much as she wanted. Only one of them needed to be sober to get back to the sanctum, and she was the one hurting, so drunk might be good for her. Though a drunk Valkyri woman could also be problematic.

"Sorry about your nose, again. Drink all you want to dull the pain. I'll stay sober enough to get you back to the sanctum."

If her nose hadn't been so busted, Rorik would have kissed her when she had hold of his jaw, but the Valkyr was showing something he rarely did, restraint. By the gods she was pretty though.

[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

She swore under her breath as she adjusted the ice, and gingerly set it aside instead. It felt at least moderately better without the pressure of the ice bearing down on her broken nose. Blue eyes blinked and Bryn lowered her gaze as she nodded. "I know." she added softly, picking up her ale to take another sip.

He had a point, and one even more painful than the break. They really weren't going home anytime soon, and she really needed to begin accepting that. Frost would have told her the same thing were here there in that moment, and he'd been away so much longer than either of them had.

Besides. Even if she could go back, she had nothing and no one to return to. No one in her clan would shelter her, given the edict of banishment, and her own family had cast disowned her at the same time.

She exhaled nosily and set the suddenly empty glass down, shaking her head at the server who appeared. "Thank you, no. But I will have a cup of the willowbark tea." Bryn lofted a brow at Rorik and managed a smile as the server departed with their empty mugs. "A lovely offer, but perhaps not the right time...I'll have enough explaining to do about the broken nose, nevermind being drunk on top of it."

"Besides. I don't want to dull the pain. Otherwise I won't remember to not stand behind you next time." she grinned.



[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Make it two," Rorik bellowed.

He wasn't drunk, but the alcohol was already altering his judgment. Not enough that he would do anything foolish, or that he was not in control of his actions. Reality a hard pill to swallow at times. Based on the stories they had shared, Rorik knew he had been away from Midvinter longer. He could go back though. Bryn could to, as long as is wasn't her own clan, or village which had banished her. The planet was large, but why go back. Rorik was an orphan as far as he knew so there it was, no reason to return.

"Hey not going back isn't a bad thing, Bryn. At least you know other Valkyri. Until I met you I didn't know other Valkyri were here, besides most of the women there aren't as good to look at as you are."

Right so maybe just enough his filter might be gone. Not gone enough to know what he wanted. He may have been afraid to hurt her nose, but he had been foolish to not take the first opportunity to kiss her. This time her comment gave him another chance, one he took. Leaning across the table, Rorik captured her lips in a gentle kiss, before sitting back in his seat.

"That and the bruise your going to have will be reminder enough. I am sure if you were drunk I would be the one doing the explaining, and I could tell them a tale of how your nose got broke saving an innocent child from some mean troll, and I got you drunk to numb the pain. Then I might tell them how you couldn't keep your hands off me and that I had to bring you back so I wouldn't be tempted to take advantage of your drunken state."

Rorik let out a good laugh and stood up after he drained his tea. He needed to get up, and so they might as well go back to the sanctum. That meant Bryn needed to get up. Rorik pulled her out of her chair, eyes locked to hers.

"Or we can go get the nose taken care of so the next time I kiss you, I don't make your nose hurt."

[member="Bryndís Silvertide"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

Fingertips brushed her lips, pale blue eyes watching Rorik with no small amount of fascination. He was everything a Valkyri man should be, in her opinion. Including shameless and a bit crass...alright...a lot crass. The same way she herself was, that so many here on Laekia thought was inappropriate...or, her favorite, unladylike. She was a shieldmaiden, not some soft, fluff headed Lady that would faint at the merest sight of combat.

Bryn's features warmed with a smile in addition to the blush his kiss had engendered. Her laughter was boisterous and a touch melodic, in spite of her fingers gingerly holding her nose on place.

"Let's go back to the Sanctum and see if I can't get a Healer to fix this for me."

With the tab settled, she added a cred chit for the towel that was stained with her blood and took that with her. She let Rorik lead the way as she offered some few directions on the way. Almost absently, she added, "I wish you'd do it anyway...I don't mind a little pain...in...such a...I'll stop now." she realized halfway through what she was saying and promptly stopped talking, a bit wide-eyed and wondering if he'd even heard the soft words slipping past her lips in Runian.


[member="Rorik Oakenshield"]