Hondscioh lightly shook the shield he held close as he left the cave, he cursed under his fiery beard, before reverting. "Helm's hairy balls, if it is still bloody raining." and he spared a moment to look skyward, seeing its cloudy but no sign of rain, it made him give a sigh of relief, striding forward to river as he watched the two training sperewigends with the edge of his gaze, warily
Cynebur was sitting on the rock, elbowing on her own knee, slightly hunched. Her knife cut the green sour apple, and then brought a slice after making a dab in it as a fork. She watched the sperewigends as they -sharp their swords and movements-
Hondscioh turned halfway to the voice likely of a fairer sex he guessed, making a battered-tooth scoff as he breathed, recognizing the maiden. ''Ah, Cynebur, eh?'' he walked over close to her, allowing a moment for himself to study her ''An apple, eh? Where did ya find it?''
Hondscioh just asked, not because he really wondered, but just to have his words linger in the air, to break the quiet mayhaps.
Cynebur raised her head and steeled her gaze upon the man. She straightened up slowly, acompanied with sound of chainmail scrubbing the plate overmail. "Got from a scout." Then cuts a quarter of it and offers to the man, dabbed on the knife point. "Here lad."
Hondscioh made a half grin, taking the offered fruit as he leaned his chest forward. ''Thancie,'' the word left his mouth, hoarsely and he took a quick bite from it, staring out across the river with pale eyes as they stood. ''Well, that's sour but,'' he traded a brief glance with her as if wondering her reaction, then he took another bite.
Cynebur gave out a nod with sour smirk on her lips as chewing "They are not ripe yet."
Hondscioh nodded with a breath, moving a hand across his waist then fastening the worn, leather belt tight. ''I don't remember if I gave ye my name.'' he paused, ''Hondscioh.'' pale blue eyes gleamed with something akin to pride, an ill one since from the man's face, it could have been read that he was up to no good apart from swinging swords for a good cause.
Cynebur leaned back on one knee with elbow as eating the last piece of apple. She slowly chewed taking time to reply, while her eyes took a good look upon the man, moving from his face to his arms, shield and sword, then back again, gazed firmed straight to his eyes without usual maidens flicker and flirt. "Hondscioh, yes." Then takes apple heart and tosses it toward shallows of river. ''Ye had a nice laught last night?''
Hondscioh remained silent as the shieldmaiden spoke her words, heaving a sigh with what sounded like a wild, bloody tusker's grunt. ''Yeaaah?'' he wanted her to correct him, a grim smile cracking in his weathered, scruffy visage ''Well, we don't see bathing shieldmaidens everyday, eh?'' he eyed her a beat, chuckling lightly under his beard.
Hondscioh watched how she threw the apple's wicked remnant to water, smirking still.
Cynebur smirked and looked away, then looked back to the man "Ye should take a bath, yer stench measures to goblins one." She taunted the man without malice.
Hondscioh chuckled at that, apparently it was not much of a trouble for him, he cast a look to himself, his worn, weather-beaten boots and his battered chainmail, he thrust an arm clad in plate towards river ''Don't play with words, just say it: You mean to wash me ...bare-handed?''
'Well, I wouldn't oppose that, though canya?'
Cynebur shrugged slowly shaking her head, smirking very so amused "I could just push you in the water, mayhap ye sink."
Cynebur looked as if serious to the waters flow "Its deep enough."
Cynebur said, 'Or ye can take that off, go wash yerself like a good lad, let us women guard yer, so no water aelf pulls ye in."'
Hondscioh scoffed at that, sparing a moment to study her better as she bespake with words. ''Not deep enough to have me all length, albeit I'm not that tall...'' he continued ''Could have been better otherwise, don't ya think? When men guard the bathin' fairer sex,'' he shook his head with a faint grin, jesting.
Cynebur looked around as few younger maidens were washing clothes at the riverbank, obviously listening the conversation, as they stopped working, chuckling and watching Hond.
Cynebur inclined her head towards women "Shall I ask them?"
Hondscioh turned his attention to women and grinned at Cynebur ''Widows, far too many, curse of some, but I call it a gift of Foldewyn mother.'' he then regretted he said that much, casting his eyes to grass with a brooding look.
Cynebur grimaced a tad "Your tongue needs leash, lad."
Cynebur then tried to smirk "But i can ask them, Folde knows a long way is uphead of us, and we are all in sorry state."
Hondscioh smirked at that, he was gathering his words but a sharp wind came up, blowing his fiery hair out of his face and allowing a glimpse into sharp blue eyes emphasized by high cheekbones. His mood seemed to change a little ''I wouldn't like that much now.'' he barely smiled.
Few wash-women sulked up a little and returned to the washing, prepairing for the leave.
Cynebur steel resolve in her eyes softened, gaining the color of clear summer sky again, compassionate tone as noticing the change at man. "I know. lad. It was nothing but a jest."
Hondscioh would not smile, groaning silently inside to the fact she called him a lad. Was he that young? He shook his face, wicked thoughts fading as he turned his gaze to river until he broke the silence that engulfed them with a broken whistle of song.
Cynebur sat back, watching the river, and sound of whistled song mixed with whisper of trees and rumbling of water.
'Hrm, I better see what the boys are up to. Playin' again Hnefatafl I reckon...'
