Kestrea spent quite a while in the woods – crouching and checking for tracks, following and stalking, over the last few days. Finally happening upon the Nen Harn, in the right moment and the right time. At first, observing from a distance and hiding, to see whether the woman was alone, but once that became obvious – she decided to approach. Openly, with the weapons sheathed.
Hildegund turned as her hound made note of the approach. She leaned on her spear like a staff. After a moment of just looking, she remembered to offer a small wave.
Kestrea noted the hound – squinting briefly, but nodding. Eyeing the walking spear with a hint of amusement in her eyes, before properly approaching. "I bear weapons, but no ill will. You are far from the city, huntress. Who are you?"
Hildegund nodded, and gave a small smile. "Am glad to be far from city. Not like the smell. Am called Tree-Walker. You?" Her accent wasn't particularly notable. Her odd speech wasn't from just being foreign.
Kestrea raised a brow at the peculiar manner of speaking. "Woad, huntress. I, too, live out the city." she said, warily eyeing the hound off the corner of her eyes. "I saw tracks of new hunters in the woods and wished to find them."
Hildegund nodded. "Is likely us? Unless very near to here. I range most of clan." She blinked, and frowned. "I mean, range most of our clan."
"I know what you mean. I found tracks far east, near the other woodsedge. What clan do you speak of, Tree-Walker?"
Hildegund nodded. "We... not whole clan. Not sure what call us. Woodmen? But is... could be many such. But not in Vales now, so names from there seem not matter." She shrugged. "Is question I should ask next moot. If remember."
Kestrea squinted somewhat, plenty words that meant little without context... but revealed bits at least. "So there is a clan of woodsmen. Do all speak like you do?"
Hildegund flushed and shook her head. "No. I only broken one." She pondered. "Well, broken this way." A shrug. "But ... handful of us. Little more. And hounds"' She smiled at hers, who seemed to have settled down to just being curious.
Kestrea raised a brow once more. "You are broken in no way. Your speech is simple, but fine." she said, head canting to the side as she noted the smile bound towards the hound. "A handful, then. What are you all like?"
Hildegund looked at her back-trail for a moment, where she'd been gathering drier bits of dead-fall, and the driest bits of long grasses she could collect. She turned back at the question. "Am worse with more people, more sound, more... storm in head. But rest are... mostly like me in type? Except one, from... other clan in Vales. Darker, very tall, and so pretty. Not sure how say, else?"
"You needn't say more if you can't find words, this is fine. What clans do you speak of, what Vale?"
Hildegund flushed. "Sorry! Clans in ... part of great river. Called Andruin here, I told? Hound and Bear clan people."
"I know nothing of your people... I know the river, but I hadn't heard of people of the vales there, other than wild tales and guesses. But you lot... live in the woods, most times, yes?"
Hildegund nodded. "Usually on edge of woods? Not want hurt woods, but need some buildings. So try respect woods."
Kestrea nodded lightly. "I feared for the wood's safety with new people in them. Townsfolk care little for trees and woods-life. They endanger the woods and themselves. I am glad to hear you are not so."
Hildegund shook her head. "Woods are life. Our life. For many... generations." She pondered a moment. "Think Elves not be happy if we not so, too."
Kestrea canted her head once more, to the other side, like her namesake bird tended to. "Elves?"
Hildegund nodded. "Woods there... edge of what called Mirkwood. Not see Elf often, but at times."
"Mirkwood? I know of no such wood…"
Hildegund shrugged. "Is past Anduin. Even more east. Is... have heard Dale past it? Not sure. Not know Dale."
"I heard of Dale. City on the lake is in it."
Hildegund pondered. "City on lake? Would like see." She sighed. "Someday, maybe." She looked at her left leg. "If live so long."
Kestrea raised a brow, following the look towards the leg. "Something ails you?"
Hildegund shook her head. "Just... get old. And slow. Or maybe stupid. Still fought off wolves, but... got hurt."
Kestrea nodded, still looking at the leg. "There is a doctor in town. Maybe you can visit him to help with your hurt leg. He can be trusted" the woman said, with an amused huff. "Even if he is hopeless in woods."
Hildegund shook her head. "Saw healer lady. Hound-Friend found. Almost good now. Just... need more walk. Make strong again."
"Then walk more and walk carefully. Wolves here may be less ferocious than wargs yonder, but they still are wolves."
Hildegund nodded. "Was scouting dens. Look for place move other. Too near wood-cutters. Not good for wolves or them." She sighed. "Not found good place yet."
"...You want to re-settle wolves?"
Hildegund nodded. "Game scarce where are, because people cut too close now. Is bad for both."
"I'm not worried about the why, but the how, rather."
Hildegund flushed, then nodded. "Need find good place, first. Not try if not good place. But we…" she looked at her hound, almost pointing with her chin. "We learn from brown traveller. Wolves still wolves, but…" she trailed off, and gave a frustrated sigh. "Not make words work."
Kestrea nodded lightly. "Then do not. When your moot comes, could you tell the people I wish to meet with them? To learn their culture."
Hildegund nodded with a brief smile. "Will try remember." She pondered a moment. "You write?"
"Yes, why?"
Hildegund flushed a bit. "If can write... will have way remember better. Am awful reader. But can read."
Kestrea nodded slightly. "Are you ashamed of it? There is no reason to be. Many know not how to read or write."
Hildegund flushed again, then looked down with a frustrated sigh, and seemed to be searching for words for a moment. "Is hard listen me. Want do better. Need do better."
Kestrea nodded yet again. "Always good to get better. Spend time with people, that will help I hear."
Hildegund shook her head, then sighed. "Am not good ... with people. But have some teach me when free. Try get better when can."
Kestrea said, "I am not good with people either. Too blunt, too honest. But I learn by doing. It is the only way I know how."
Hildegund blinked, then flushed. "Oh! I meant... read better for clan. I... words not get better. When give report, think words ahead long time. Try remember. Do better then."
"I see. You scout for them?"
Hildegund nodded. "Yes. Is why range more."
"And so far away. I live in this area, so we may see each other sometimes."
Hildegund nodded and gave a small smile. "Is good. You nicer than Jess."
Kestrea huffed quietly, amused. "Thank you. Who is Jess?"
Hildegund flushed. "Jess is... trapper. From Combe. She... not like me. Not sure why. Other trappers nicer me."
Kestrea took a curious look at the woman and her mention of Jess, the flush, the everything. "I see. I don't know her... how is she mean, I wonder?"
Hildegund fidgeted a little, and sighed. "I should not say bad. But she... not quite mean? But is... talk harsh? Mostly not look at or talk? Get stiff back. Make sharper motion when do her work. Make funny looks at others when talk me."
"I see... I can't say I understand why."
Hildegund nodded. "Want ask her, but not think is good idea if others around. Maybe not good idea anyway? But not want... maybe make her feel like.... make her friends look bad at her."
"That is kind of you and – it still is a good idea to ask. If you won't, she'll keep being awful to you. If you do, you at least will know why."
Hildegund shrugged. "Or she throw things me. But used to that. Am glad hear you think is good idea. Not likely know if not ask."
Kestrea nodded once more. "Yes. It is better to know, and – you need not suffer her throwing. Demand that she stops, you are a person too. And if she doesn't... just don't be near her."
Hildegund smiled, but weakly. "Is her friends teach me read. But not really think she will throw. Just... people have." She got quieter at the end of that, and looked down with a sad sigh.
"People threw things at you?"
Hildegund nodded. "Old clan. First clan. Is... hard tell. Not sure have words."
"You will learn, one day, and we shall sit down near fire and chat about it, if you wish. Save your words for now."
Hildegund nodded with a small smile. "Is not so much learn. But maybe... maybe can think words ahead. Make speech. No... make tale. Maybe."
Kestrea smiled faintly. "A tale would be nice. Over a bag of roast chestnuts, or a leg of roast."
Hildegund nodded. "Am not good at cook, but if at lodge, Nightingale is cook."
"Who is this Nightingale?"
"Another of clan."
"What is that person like?"
Hildegund shrugged, then pondered. "She mostly quiet. Likes cook. Talks most with sister." She blinked, and tried to clarify. "Her sister. Not see much, though."
"Of her, or her sister?"
Hildegund flushed. "Of her. Well, anyone, even. Since walk far. Snow-hair is sister. She hunt. See her more."
"Snow-hair. Does she hunt as far as you?"
Hildegund shook her head. "Not often? Is hard take game back so far. From here, I not even try carry small deer. Maybe birds. She even get boar. But has two big hounds. Not bred-hounds like Fang." The hound looked up at his name, but went back to nosing about. "Wolf-tamed."
Kestrea gave the woman an odd stare. "Wolf-tamed." she repeated, looking over at the hound near her. "Fang, then. It is a fine name."
Hildegund smiled with a faint flush. "Is simple. I not... well. Name is word. Words hard. But Fang is good lad." The hound had already looked up again when his name was mentioned, but came to nose happily at Tree-Walker's hand when praised.
Kestrea smiled lightly, lowering herself to a squat with a hand stretched out, looking at the hound, but not into its eyes. "I do not have a hound, but I have a horse."
Hildegund nodded to her companion. "Is all right, Fang. Can make friends." With that, he approaches to sniff at her hand. "Not have horse. Not know care of horse."
Kestrea held the hand to be sniffed at, waiting for an opportune time to stroke Fang's muzzle with the topside of her fingers when the curiosity of the animal was sated. "I know enough of care, but I leave her for the winter with people who do it better."
Hildegund nodded, watching Fang with her and smiling some. "Seems good way. Understand horse is... herd beast? Not quite like pack, but... still need others around, yes?" Fang determined that there were no treats, but some interesting smells, though eventually some stroking was also of interest.
Kestrea smelled mostly of the woods, a little of chestnuts and apple cider. Also of more people, though more faintly than the rest. The hound was up for behind the ear scritches next! "Yes, can't keep a horse alone too long. They can stand it, but they like company of others, horses or people."
Hildegund nodded, and watched the careful but seemingly fond approach with her hound. "Not want take on horse soon, then. Will likely have another hound train soon. Is enough work. Maybe think on horses in spring. If can even get them."
"If you need one. Horses are work animals, for carrying or for riding. If your people stay in the woods, they might not need horses at all."
Hildegund nodded. "Think for help carry game. But might not need." She shrugged. "Is thing think on. Not matter yet. Maybe matter in spring."
Kestrea gave the hound one more scritch, this time under the chin on the soft throat, before standing up. "Perhaps a small cart you can push. It would help, too."
Hildegund shrugged. "Is long way for push. Have thought maybe small pull-cart for new hound. If big enough. But must grow first." She shrugged. "Many things think on. All take time. And most need... trade. Is not easy."
Fang circled back to his mistress and got a few more behind-ear scritches.
Kestrea nodded. "Trade is hard here. People need tools, seeds, they take from the ground what they need. But they need furs, warm clothing for winter. Think on that, you are hunters, you may be able to trade with that." she said, turning over the shoulder to look up at the sky. "The night grows late and I must go."
Hildegund nodded."'Is what I think to trade, yes. Is good know is right. Am glad meet you. Travel safe."
"You also. Walk safely, Tree-walker."
Fang gave a bark of farewell.
