Silver and Black (Whitebrand and Incursu)

[Whitebrand]

Whitevalley was so named for the thick snow that made the entire valley its namesake in the deepest part of winter. The few human and humanoid inhabitants usually hunkered down for the winter with the exception of those who absolutely had to go out for food, resources, or maintainence. The valley was surrounded by steep mountains coated with thick blankets of snow. Ice covered the small river and lake that ran down its length. During the day, when the sun came out, the sunlight reflected brightly from the acres of whiteness. In the forest that dominated the north end of the valley the snow acted like a canopy over the treetops, with shallow piles and rifts on the forest floor. Occassional dollops of snow would slide from the upper branches and pile up around the base of the trees.

The thick snow and cold air didn't stop some people, though. Sometimes travellers with strong motives of their own braved the winter weather and made their way into the northern forest. One traveller in particular could hear the distinct and regular cracking sound of an axe against a tree.

[Incursu]

Contrasting against the white and green colours of the snow and trees, a purple and black shape pushed it's way through the dense foliage. The cold didn't touch her as it would a human, but that didn't mean she found it easy. Pushing her way through the walls and heaps of snow, was quite a struggle. She just hoped the rumours from below were true. Villagers told rumour of a dragon. And not just any dragon, this one was supposedly as white as the mountain itself...

And, she was eager to get a glimpse. Her black leather journal felt like a huge weight within her pocket, ready to receive her notes and sketch of this new encounter. If, she could find it, that is. Not a noise was to be heard in her first few hours of heading up, before a crunch, and sound of something being hit rang out, like a bell.

Her single, human eye looked out for a shape...Whilst her, other, remained hidden behind a laced eyepatch. And it was now that she could see what appeared to be a man, with an axe? Ah, a woodcutter, that must be it...

He was rather high up for a lone human, but she couldn't judge him, she herself lived a fair distance away from humans. Back home anyway.

"Hey, you there!" she calls out, doing her best to waddle and push her way through the deeper areas, before reaching the cutter " Hey! Have you seen anything weird around here, Sir? Like...Any big animals?"

[Whitebrand]

The man was big. Broad muscled shoulders supported arms that looked like they were made of cables. He wore furred leathers on his upper torso and thick wool draped his narrower waist and strong legs. His feet wore boots of thicker leather.

Atop this powerful body was a head with a very handsome, almost boyish young face. Long auburn hair framed a face made of angular planes that was somewhat softened by youth. That face with its gold-hazel eyes turned towards the woman and his eyebrows raised.

In his hands was an ax with a large metal head that would have been heavy in most people’s grip. He used it as though it was almost weightless. The axe was lowered and it’s head mostly buried in the snow as the young man waited for the one-eyed stranger to approach.

“Aye,” he said with a faint brogue is his low tenor. “There are. What’s a lass like yourself doing out here all by yourself? You’re lucky you haven’t run into one of the beasties around here. A bear would see ye as a fine meal.

“Better for ye to go home where it’s warm and safe,” he said in a tone of finality. “A slip of a girl like ye doesn’t belong out here.”

[Incursu]

Indeed. He certainly looked fit to survive in such harsh conditions, far from herself. Her 5'2, plump frame didn't quite look as rugged and strong as he, but it didn't seem to bother her. It was typical for most humans to assume she was, weak? Helpless? One in the same, and his response, while not surprising, earned a small roll of the eye. A Bear? Please...The claws under her tight leather gloves, would've itched at the opportunity of a spar.

"I'm looking for a big white beast, not a whale...before you joke about that. I heard there might be a dragon nesting up here, but none of the locals below the mountain have been any help" she explains, giving his tone a rather blunt look of displeasure " And don't worry about where I belong, Sir, I'll be fine"

Her blueberry blue locks fluttered and danced with the flow of the winds, whipping her face angrily as she decided to simply strut past this man. Perhaps she could be a bit arrogant, and rash...But she just, so wanted to find a fellow non human. There was a special page in her book for it, and not the people that told her she was 'insane' for venturing out.

"I suppose if I see a bear, it'll have to do. Never encountered one in the wild, so I do hope one doesn't decide to take a bite out of you..."

[Whitebrand]

The man let out a bark of a laugh.

“I’m not talking about adorable little black bears or grumpy grizzlies,” he said. “I’m talking about Dire Bears. Ravenous beasts the size of a horse. Yer on the edge of their territory right now. Ye do not want to tangle with them.”

He picked up his ax and turned back towards the tree.

“As for the dragon,” he said as he pulled back to swing. “He’s not a White. He’s a Silver. An he’d gobble ye up for the insult. If he’s the one yet after, ye should go home now. Fix yer self a nice omelette and forget this. He doesn’t like uninvited guests. If ye just want to see him, wait a week or two. He flies the length of the valley twice a month.”

He slammed the ax into the tree with a sharp crack. He glanced back at her and saw that she hadn’t moved. He seemed to take a second look.

“Tha’ hair o’ yours,” he said. “That’s natural. Yer not from around here at all, are ye?”

[Incursu]

A look of almost child-like frustration graced the woman's face, in the form of a frown, she just huffs in response, did he think a slip of a girl could've made it this high alone? She almost chose to stride right by him, but his comment about the dragon, caught her attention once more, for the better.

"So you have seen it....And it's a him too? Interesting, but I'm not going all the way back down now. I can fl-run pretty fast, I doubt it'll get me if I keep a distance" she muses, though her tone drops in the latter portion of her words, as she was unsure, reasoning with herself over being rational, and being rash " I don't plan on staying around here for a month, I have a home to go back to....Right after I get a look"

But she continued to stay rooted in place, actually revealing a cute habit of hers...As her head tilted to the side, with a little flattered smirk. She was always glad when they asked about anything, besides her eyepatch.

"Nope. I'm not. If I was, I probably wouldn't be that interested in local creatures. I'd still travel somewhere else to catch a few glimpses" she grins " But what about you? I don't know if an axe would ward off a dragon, how do you know you're not going to get gobbled up?"

[Whitebrand]

He started to swing again and then seemed to think better of it.

“All right. Last things first,” he said, setting the ax head down in the snow and leaning his weight on the handle. “I know because I give him his space an he gives me mine. I can handle myself against any other beastie this valley has to offer. I also know because I’m not a pretty young lass like you. He has a taste for the ladies, you see.

“If ye just want a look there are safer places to see him from,” he went on. “You being here tells me ye want to see him close up. I can tell ye there are places on the mountains that ye likes to perch when he’s out an about. If ye really want that look I can show them to ye. But...” He held up a finger. “It will have to be worth my while. I have a fair few sick trees to clear before the winter really gets started. Then I’m in for the snows. So. If ye really, really mean to see him what are ye willing to give for it?”

[Incursu]

That piece of information, appeared to finally cause a little flicker of worry on her face. Taste for the ladies? Hmm, maybe she would be a little more stealthy. Then again, this lumberjack seemed to know what he was talking about. But she didn't like to rely on another too much, so she figured a mutual assistance might be just right.

"Hopefully I'm not a tasty looking lady then, eesh" she shivers, then again, despite her lack of encounters of both a sexual and...draconic nature, she couldn't really be sure how much of a snack she looked in the eyes of others. However, he earns another one of those little head tilts, as she pondered his offer.

"Well, if you need those sick trees felling. I'd be willing to help you out, I've always been good with quick, impactful hits" she grins, trotting through the snow to stand closer, it would be a little more easier to see her sharp teeth. But her gloves, eyepatch and...rather thick layer of clothing, hid most of her other un-human traits.

"I don't really know what else I could offer, other than maybe a few coins or...uhm, I don't know, a favour?"

[Whitebrand]

“If ye don’t mind my saying so ye look like a pleasant enough morsel to me,” he said with a roguish grin. “I usually don’t take credit...but I’ll take the offer of a future favor. If yer ability is what ye day it is, it sounds like I can use it. Best leave felling the trees to me, though. I’m the one with the eye to see who’s sick and who isn’t.”

He hefted his ax on to his shoulder and looked up the valley into the forest. His boyish face became a study in concentration as he frowned. One hand brushed his chin as he thought.

“Closest spot is about a mile through the woods an’ a a bit uphill. Ye follow behind me. Some of the snow drifts get kind of high and I’m better at pushing through them.”

[Incursu]

How odd it may have looked, her cheeks going a soft shade of purple. A weird compliment, but not one that she disliked. Grateful he didn't mind what was essentially an 'I O U' she pondered what one like him could want, beyond food or a new axe. However, she understood that his larger size meant far better clearing of the snow, like a living plough.

"Okay, you're right. It'll be easier if I follow you through, I don't think I'd push through the thicker stuff as good as you" she smiles, already attempting to approach further, following through his footsteps and trail, until she stood but a mere few feet away " I guess I never expected a dragon to nest in a mountain like this, cold and reptiles don't mix but, then again, maybe they don't feel it much"

[Whitebrand]

“Dragons aren’t lizards,” he said. “They don’t do that tongue thing. This one flies in lightning storms. I think he likes getting hit.”

He shook his head disbelievingly as he ploughed through the snow, leaving a surprisingly wide trail for the girl to follow.

“Name’s Brand, by the way,” he said when they came upon a particularly high drift. He wiped his face as he looked around for another path. “Pleasure to meet ye, lass.”

He looked at her with an oddly reminiscent smile. “The man who raised me...he’d have been eager to marry ye off to someone quick. Real matchmaker he was. Ye got that...lonely look in your eyes that he’d try to cure straight off. That was his solution to everything, come to think of it. Pairing people up. Drove his daughter half mad driving off the suitors he’d bring home. With a stick, ‘cause she was pretty fetching herself. Your build and all.”

He turned to his right and pushed on, finding a lower spot in the drift.

“A lass could have horns, wings and a tail and he could find someone for her,” he said. “As long as she had a good heart.”

The last sentence she couldn’t be sure whether or not it had been directed at her.

[Incursu]

Cocking her head, she hadn't meant it in an insulting term. After all, she was very fond of reptilian folk. Her beloved pet python and tiny corn snake were testament to that, but she simply let a soft look of apology speak for her, as she listened to Brand's introduction, and information. A lightening dragon? Interesting, she wondered how a flying creature could stand to be hit by the clouds themselves like that.

"Nice to meet you then, Brand, my name's Incursu" she chirps back, gradually going from an obedient strut, to a more bouncy, energetic trot, her warm body seemingly shaking off the blizzard as he looked to her. The little bit of insight to that, got a soft purple blush out of her, as she flicked some of her blue hair away from her forehead. Marriage...A weird human thing, and she was sure she couldn't marry a human. They were far too delicate.

"Heh, unfortunately I'd be warding em off as well. I don't think I'd make the best bride, unless he paired me with a good travellin' buddy" she admits, hell, she thought to herself, letting her mind wander a bit...at least the tradition of the virigin in white could work for her.

At any rate, she chose not to respond much further in that regard. Whilst she was indeed lonely, she was far too shy with humans, and a bit too...eager, with non humans, at least she thought so anyway. Something loving or taking interest in a half-thing like her, she couldn't picture it, really.

"So, might I ask how long you've been here, Brand? It must be hard living in the wilds like this, I grew out in the lonesome myself, winter can be pretty rough" she queries, offering a gentle smile " I hope you get to eat better than big ol' bears, the fur might get stuck in your teeth"

[Whitebrand]

Brand let out another short bark of laughter.

“I sometimes to out to the plains over the eastern mountains and gulp down a bison or two,” he said. “Holds me over for a couple of months. Don’t even get bones stuck in my teeth.

“Anyway, I’ve never met a bride who thought she’d be a good one. And they’re always surprised. Ye will be too, I don’t doubt.

“As for me...a few years,” he said. “Was an adventurer before that. Green as hell. Learned the ropes fast. Decided to settle here though. The place spoke to me, ye know? But I’m no stranger to travel.”

He suddenly held up his hand, looking alert. He listened for a few seconds before changing his direction of travel a few degrees, taking them a bit uphill.

“Old Bart just woke up,” he said by way of explanation. “He’s going to be a bit grumpy so we best keep our distance. Bears don’t always sleep completely through the winter, ye see. Sometimes they wake up and go looking for a snack or some water or something.”

[Incursu]

Earning a little look of disbelief, Inc attempted to skip past him a little, just so she could playfully walk backwards in the direction he was headed...Enabling her to face him whilst speaking, directly in front of him.

"Very funny. I know muscly people can eat a lot of meat, but I doubt you'd get a whole bison down in one sitting..." she chuckled, wondering whether this was a weird twist on the phrase 'so hungry I could eat a horse'. She continued to shake her head a little bit, bride just didn't seem like a title she deserved.

But she obeyed him once she was motioned to halt, cocking her head.

"Huh...I didn't know that. Hope neither of us look more appealing than winterberries eh?"

[Whitebrand]

“Depends on how hungry he is,” Brand said as they began to move upslope. The snow began to thin out a bit. “I doubt he’d decide we’re worth the energy it would take to kill us, but like I said he’d be grumpy. Best to just avoid him until spring. I’ll fix him up with a lady and he’ll be downright kittenish.

Grounds going to get rougher and steeper,” he added. “So watch yer step.”

He grinned appreciatively as she took the lead head of him, obviously amused by her walking backwards and enjoying the sight of her smiling.

The snow thinner out even further as the angle got steeper. Incersu spotted her first sign of the dragon. A single scale about the size of her palm lay between a pair of rocks. It was dull grey but it still had the metallic gleam of silver.

“So who gave ye your name?” Brand asked. “I like it. Sounds kind of like ‘incursion’.”

[Incursu]

She hoped he was right. Though she doubted a bear could kill her, she didn't want to end up with too many marks and scars. Didn't really help her blend in with people, more than she already managed. Inc giggled when he suggested playing bear matchmaker, it was cute, and the vision was sweet.

"Ooo, look at that...A scale!" she squeals, breaking her toned down playfulness, for a much more, audacious one. Crouching to the ground, she took the scale tenderly, tilting it this way and that, looking practically awestruck whenever the light caught the silver sheen.

"Wow...." she breathes, only just catching his question, she appeared to react with...a momentarily dark look. As if the answer was, bad, or a horrible memory. But she answered him in a monotonous tone, skipping over the topic as she went back to admiring the scale " Got it from Mother, but look! I wonder how many scales might be around, they're like little shiny shells"

[Whitebrand]

Brands brows rose.

“Didn’t mean to touch a nerve,” he said. “Sorry about that. I can give ye a new one if ye like. Bet ye’d like it better.”

He was glad she was so easily deflected by the scales. He waved a hand uphill.

“His perch is right around that bend up there,” he said. “I changed my mind about you. He’d probably be flattered by your interest. Might even reward ye by keeping ye for himself. He’s an odd bird, so to speak.”

[Incursu]

Realising that, probably had been a little strange for him, she shakes her head. It wasn't an issue a new acquaintance need worry themselves with, she thought.

"Nah, don't worry. I like my name. It's supposed to be latin, means...'to rush into things' or shock, I think. I haven't checked on it in a while" she admits, giving him a confused stare as she ran beside him, wondering what he meant by that.

"Eh? I'd like to see him try...I don't want to get kidnapped by a dragon, I'm not a weird princess or something" she laughs softly, attempting to see over the bend, comically standing upon the pads of her feet, trying to catch a glimpse of silver among the snow " Well, we better be quiet now huh? Don't wanna wake him"

[Whitebrand]

“If he’s here he’ll be awake and watching over the valley,” Brand said. “And if he’s not he’ll be visible when he goes on one of his flights. This is just a perch. Not his lair. Can’t take ye there. It’s up in the north end of the valley above a steep cliff. We’d have to fly to reach it.”

He eyed her cloak.

“Which might be a tiny problem for me if not you,” he added. “Your mothers side I take it, of ye don’t mind me asking.”

[Incursu]

Ah. Perhaps it was the natural blue hair, lacking any hint of root regrowth...Or her odd purple complexion, either way, she just shook her head, being honest, but not too open about everything.

"Not my birth mother, but yeah. I can try carrying you with me, but, we might not be too fast." she admits, offering a gloved hand "It....is more like weird levitating than actual flying, unless you want me to go alone? I'm sure I'll be able to get there the rest of the way, i-if you didn't wanna disturb the dragon"