Dunland

She had been watching the children of the Caru-Luth playing near the tents. Scruffy, grubby little urchins for the most part, but they were full of laughter and jest. They enjoyed their meager lives, they enjoyed competing against each other in mostly friendly fights. Some had short shaggy ponies, and they raced them round the settlement, calling for adults to ‘beware, for the young warriors were training’. And the adults looked on, smiling as they recalled their own childhoods.

Back south III – Hunting a myth

The sun was already on the sky when  Tarnon, Sheila and Kor waved goodbye to the dunnish family. They spent unusual evening, as Gosur and Ferhan surprisingly turned out to be pleasant and entertaining company.

When the frost came and the grass paled, the Eorlings retreated into their halls. They burned a forest’s worth of trees in fire pits as long as ships, and their chimneys like dragons’ nostrils huffed smoke into the clear white air. Laughter and song rumbled from the bellies of their halls, and they ventured from their cities only to rob the woods of boars. 

Back south II – Home, bittersweet home

...Many weeks earlier...

Ryheric and the black colt Son of Mouse (whom he secretly named Kacis - Escape) spent weeks of travel in haste, and hidden off the main roads where possible.

The horse was paced, and took to the routines and rhythms well. Their travels were far from trouble-free. But Kacis was a good horse, and Ryheric taking troubled paths was like a duck in water. So familiar was he to this way of life.

He drank in the wilderness and his solitude.

Back south I - Unfinished business

Kortheod was just setting a campfire, when he heard silent footsteps of someone sneaking. Plusheila was away for firewood, he was alone.