The Raven's Unkindness

Chapter Two: Preparation

When she returned she was different. She was clad in strange apparel and bearing a strange item. We recognized her, but she was no longer one of us. We tried to imprison her, fearing retribution, but she was stronger than before....

Callum awoke at dawn, rising to check on Brynna as the first rays of light began to penetrate the cabin. She was still sleeping, with no sign of the fever that had haunted her the previous night. He checked the now blood-stained bandage, and decided that it would need to be changed before they left. Satisfied that Brynna was improving Callum set about gathering his things.

He stoked the fire as he moved around the cabin gathering food into a haversack, and grabbing several miscellaneous items as well. Callum dumped the food, several knives, a flint, extra bowstrings, and other useful pieces on the table before picking up his bow for examination.

The weapon was a massive longbow made for war, rather than the deer Callum had been using it against recently. He checked the string, running a small lump of wax up and down it, before bending the bow so he could slip the loops on either end of the string into their notches on the end of the stave. He drew the string back to the corner of his mouth testing the draw weight, then unstrung it and set it against the wall beside the door. Satisfied that one weapon was ready to go Callum carefully made his way to the bed, and as quietly as he could, pulled several clothe wrapped parcels out from under it.

He unwrapped the first one, revealing a lacquered wooden sheath containing a long slender steel blade attached to leather-wrapped wooden handle behind a simple steel guard. Callum tested the edge with his thumb and frowned, setting it aside to be sharpened once he had taken care of the other items. He picked up the second package, and unwrapped the first part, a tunic of riveted iron mail, then unwrapped the second part, a cuirass of segmented leather edged with iron. Callum ran a hand over the armor, checking all the ties and making sure no rust had formed on the metal.

The last item was a circular shield, a stride in diameter with a metal boss in the center. On the front of the shield were two ravens back to back underneath a crown of mountains. Callum checked the leather straps on the back before he placed the cover back on it, covered the symbols, and set it against the wall with the bow.

He spent a few minutes sharpening the sword before the telltale creak of the floorboards alerted him to Brynna's presence. "Who did you declare war on?"

Callum let out a small chuckle as he finished running a whetstone along the blade of his sword, and picked up the mail. "No one yet, but I have a feeling our fearless ruler isn't inviting us down for drinks and a pat on the back."

Brynna leafed through the supplies as she slowly circled the table. "Oh. Why are you being summoned, and why are you going?"

Callum gave a slight shrug as began to work an oil cloth through the mail. "I haven't been summoned. Fanril has, and as one of his warriors I am expected to accompany him. As for the where and why, we will most likely be traveling south to Reinchukk, where the king is currently residing. We will be attending the moot, where we usually discuss raiding territories and timing, though this one is earlier than usual so the king probably has something special planned."

Brynna frowned in confusion. "You're Fanril's warrior? Is he your chief?"

"Not exactly, he was the one who took me in when I first came here. He used to be a Wolf Jarl, and when the Stag rose to power he built his hall at the foot of the mountain with his wife, and some of his crew. Now it's a small village and trading post for the surrounding hunters and trappers." Callum set the armor aside and gestured towards the stained bandage. "Why don't you take a seat and let me have a look at that, I should probably change the bandage."