C.A.R.P.S.

[olaf]

Olaf strides through the door to slam a verlan down on the bar.

“This has been a glorious day, Ziggy – to be marked now and often with ale!"

"VA! Uther and Blekka have proven that were there is love, there is always honor! Olaf now has a new favorite tale – come and hear it!”

[Vaanak]

Vaanak immediatley perks up at the sight of Olaf.
"Olaf!!!!" She runs over to him and wraps him in a crushing hug, somewhat awkwardly due to the two babies in her arms. She is grinning from ear to ear and sits down to raptly listen to Olaf's story from the north.

[AlexV]

Stag pulls out his book and quill and leans forward in attempt to hear whats being said.

[Edrial]

*Edrial sits up from his casual sleepy position as well*
Always up for a good story if someone is willing to share.

[olaf]

Olaf lifts Va from the ground as they embrace. When he sets her down, the children gulp in air to replace that squeezed from their lungs. Olaf musses their hair to their squeaks of joy.

They all sit at down to the bar, and Olaf settles in to tell the story:

This is the tale of Uther Northwind and Blekka Northwind. How did two come to share a single, epic name? Listen closely! They were a Northman and an Orc woman who found each other in their youth and collected many, many scars together over the years, side by side. Of their offspring a son and a daughter survived to set off on their Namequests, so at the time of this tale, Uther and Blekka lived alone in their yurt.

Uther hunted, returning with meat, gristle, and bone for all the tribe. But the hides all went to Blekka, who, with her tools and anvil, forged the finest weapons and armor in ten tribes! For no barbarian can match a dedicated orc at smithing!

And so they lived. Uther away for days at a time tracking frostrazors and yeti-kin across the tundra and Blekka toiling away at her forge. Save for one month out of the year.

Those weeks being the time of the Orc Rutt. With ample food and mead stocks, Uther and Blekka retired to their yurt, never to emerge until the fever passed. The din and stench they made together was glorious, and the tribe always helped them build a new yurt when all was done!

However, during one Rutt season – their last –the festivities were interrupted. Tundra Goblins with their over-sized Ice Wolves descended upon the tribe without warning. The battlecry was raised, and the Northmen responded to the challenge with fire in their eyes and wind in their arms. Uther and Blekka emerged from their battered yurt naked yet armed to join the fray, effortlessly switching from passion to bloodlust.

But while focusing on the foe they lost track of each other, becoming separated. The tribe had scattered in pursuit of the fleeing goblins, and when Blekka had buried her ax in the head of the last chasm-spawn within sound or sight, she found herself alone in the wilderness. Save for a young Northman named Sarvos – also fresh from the kill. They locked eyes, standing there covered in the steaming blood of their foe – rendered unrecognizable by filth and gore - and bloodlust again became passion. Blekka charged, and Sarvos accepted the blow.

When all was done and the snow-covered ground cooled their fever, they lay still and at last considered what they had done. “You are Blekka,” stated Sarvos, “mate of Uther.” “You are Sarvos,” Blekka replied,”‘not Uther, who holds my oath. You and I are undone, our honor forsaken, and our shame shall bring terrible suffering upon him.”

But at first they were quiet. To confront Uther with the truth immediately would have been right and courageous, but what value holds courage when you have no honor? Blekka surrendered herself fully to the Rutt so she need not think or speak with Uther, and Sarvos busied himself all day with whatever chores he could find, to collapse in a deep sleep every night. But they could not hide their shame, and all knew something was wrong. It did not take a Spirit-Talker to deduce what had happened. Surely Uther knew, as well; yet he, too, remained silent.

The moon passed through its phases and the Rutt ran its course. Uther stayed out longer on his hunts, and Blekka never left her forge. Again the moon passed its phases, during which the two barely spoke.

Then their tribe came to a Meet with our tribe, and Blekka and Sarvos sat with Berra Brightstar – Voice of the Wind and wisest Spirit-Talker in ten tribes. They told their sorrowful tale, and Berra gave them what they must do.

“You only delay the inevitable.” The Voice of the Wind declared. “And every day only adds to the pain you all must bear. Go to Uther without further hesitation and reveal your sin. Sarvos, you have stolen what was most sacredly bound to him. You have sullied his Oath, so he must kill you or die trying.”

“My heart longs for his victory.” Sarvos replied.

“And you, Blekka,” Berra went on, “are an oath-breaker.” And she Named her as such. “Having dishonored your oath to him, and choosing another before him, you have forced him to kill you, as well.”

“He will try.” Blekka replied, chin held high. “And by the Winds do I hope he succeeds.”

When the Meet was done and the tribes went their separate ways, Berra Brightstar immediately sought Uther and Blekka’s children and departed to retrieve them. She expected upon their return Blekka to be dead and Uther gone to take the Northquest. But instead the great Spirit-Talker discovered she could not foresee all things.

For the grand sight greeting Uther and Blekka’s children upon their return was that of many tribes gathered on the shores of the North Sea. In their midst were the smiling faces of Uther, Blekka, and Sarvos.

When Berra at last could find words she only managed, “What is the meaning of this?”

Uther greeted them first. “Why, the tribes have come here for same reason they always come! Several of our number will take the Northquest! To cross the sea to the Northwind’s lair over the horizon, and force it to grant mercy to our people! Sarvos, Berra, and myself will do this, for we have tarnished honor in need of polish, and no honor is greater than the Northquest!”

“But this orc has broken her oath!” Berra stammered. “Sarvos has taken what is yours! How can you bear to stand in their presence!”

The three exchanged looks of unbreakable solidarity. “This is but the latest challenge in a lifetime of challenges.” Uther replied. “We will conquer it together as we always have. Blekka, my mate, and Sarvos, who has long been our friend, and stood with us always in combat and conflict. And stand together we shall do once more!”

With that they turned and strode to the sea, side by side, eyes focused upon the horizon, beyond which lay the Lair of the Northwind, the Barbarians’ greatest foe. All Northmen head that way eventually in a never-ending effort to weaken this great killer. The dead have it easy, as their spirits can walk across the water, but the living must plunge into it, to have the life and strength sucked out at a ferocious rate by the biting cold of the Northwind’s greatest sentinel. Few are even able to swim farther than they could toss a stone before succumbing.

The three entered this liquid ice without hesitation, perhaps stiffening at its fatal touch, but not flinching. Ice grew up along their skin from the waterline as the strode outward, away from the shore. Soon they were swimming, their limbs getting heavier by the second as the ice built up. Yet on they went.

They were beyond the ice flows before the first of them, Sarvos, disappeared from sight for the final time. Whether he was truly overcome by the strength of the Sentinel or merely submitted to better honor his friends is up for debate, but Uther and Blekka paused in their swim for a moment to stare at the bubbles marking Sarvos’s final resting place, saluting him for the last time.

Amazingly the two mates continued on all the way to the horizon. There, they raised their arms high and clasped hands together before submerging forever. The last anyone saw of Uther and Blekka was their joined hands.

Their children cried only then. Tears of joy and pride, for all knew they had made it to the Northwind’s Lair to do battle, and that their honor was restored to the highest levels. It was at that moment all the tribes spoke in unison giving their parents everlasting names – "Northwind! Northwind!”

[Vaanak]

Probably quite surprisingly to most of the residents of Midway Vaanak sits quitetly through the whole story never uttering a word. When Olaf finishes there is a smile on her face and she rests her hand on top of his.

[Edrial]

*Edrial nods*
A good tale of great people.