Work Text:
The sky was cloudless, the sun was bright, the day was warm with cool breezes trailing throughout the grasslands. The fiery, haired girl sat on a small boulder looking up at the sky. The sun shined warmly on her freckled face, glistening her jade eyes. She had one eye closed; keeping the one with the black tattoos underneath open to bar any glare from the sun. The gentle winds blew through her braids. It was a beautiful day to sit and enjoy the atmosphere the girl lived in. She enjoyed letting herself be vulnerable so that she could feel the earth on her skin. Her leather cuirass was leaning on the rock she sat on; so that she could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. Her leather boots were off so she could feel the soil underneath her feet. Her feather-backed bone helmet was in her hands so she could feel the whispers of the world blowing through her hair. The only thing remaining on her person was her fur skirt, for it was rather uncomfortable to sit on the mineral without it.
A screech of a hawk in the distance pierced the barbarian’s ear. Ophelia turned her gaze over her shoulder to see a violet-feathered bird gliding in her direction. It circled around her overhead and then descended before her. She glared at the bird for a moment and then nodded at it. The hawk flapped its wings and flew off back into the distance it arrived from. Ophelia covered her head with her helmet and stepped back into her boots. She armoured herself and drew her long blade lying in the grass next to her. The blade rested on her shoulder guarded by her pauldron as she she walked through the green fields.
Bear roars and loud bangs echoed in the forest. A squad of dwarven hunters with rifles were wandering through the trees shooting any animal they saw in sight.
“Brokk, I got one. What does that make me now, eleven to nine?” The blonde bearded dwarf boasted to his fellow huntsman. He pointed his rifle down and drew his hunting knife from his belt.
“What did ye learn to shoot before ye learn to count?” Brokk replied in frustration. He had a twin-braided, dark-brown, beard and long hair tied back into a ponytail.
“Obviously you’re the one who never learnt, you also need to sharpen your shooting game.” He looked at the irritated dwarf with a smirk. Suddenly the bear that was thought to be dead leapt forward. It’s claw swiped across the left cheek of the hunter.
“Ah! Blasted bastard’s still alive!” The dwarf fell onto his back.
A bullet pierced the skull of the bear and it fell on top of the prone one. An older dwarf, with a large mustache and a grey mohawk stormed over. He grasped the shoulders of the bear and with great force pushed him off his cohort.
“You’re thick as a donkey’s ass Kael. Always put another bullet in them to make sure they don’t come back up.”
The old man grabbed Kael’s wrists and pulled him to his feet.
“Yes….thank you, Thorrim.”
“Now take your knife and skin the thing for us, I want the beast ready for Horren to cook by sundown.”
A rustling of leaves sounded a few feet away. Thorrim looked at Kael and then Brokk.
“You, start skinning. Brokk, follow me.” He nodded and followed the head hunter.
The two hunters saw the back of a bear peeking from the bushes it was shuffling through.
“I got this one.” Brokk held up his firearm and aimed down the iron sight. He squeezed the trigger and the bullet pierced the fur. Its body collapsed to the ground head poking out of the bush it was behind. The dwarf reloaded and fired another round into the bear’s skull.
Thorrim nodded. “Good good, at least you pay attention. Bring that one back, I’m going to check up on Kael’s progress.” He turned his back as Brokk proceeded to his kill.
“What the? There’s no blood!”
Ophelia stood up from underneath the bear, throwing the pelt she was covering herself with into the air. The hunter took a step back and raised his rifle as quick as he could. He pulled the hammer back and put his finger on the trigger. The barbarian thrust her blade into the dwarf’s mouth, piercing his neck. Her boot pushed on his chest. He fell still onto his back. She knelt down over his corpse and took up his weapon.
“No no no, that’s not how you do it.” Thorrim was chewing Kael out for his sloppy skinning skills. “You’re cutting off more meat than fur!” He snatched the knife out of the young hunter’s hand. “This is how you do it.” A loud bang sounded and the old dwarf’s head exploded into a crimson mess.
Ophelia tossed the firearm aside and then struck it in half with her blade. Kael with his eyes wide quickly shook his head looking for his gun. It was some distance away between him and her. He charged planning to dive for his gun. The barbarian held up her blade as she sprinted. She took a large swing. The dwarf dove onto his stomach to avoid the swing. He grasped the barrel of his rifle. Using it as a club, he made a desperate attack. The handle collided with the back of his enemy’s thigh. She grunted as she fell to one knee. He raised his weapon once more and smashed it into her back, dropping her to her stomach. His boot stomped on her forearm as she reached for her fallen blade. He held the gun with the barrel resting on the back of her head.
“Any last words you troublesome bitch?” He pulled the hammer back.
Suddenly a rather large, brown, bear tackled the dwarf to the ground. His screams of pain and terror grew as the beast bit and clawed him to death.
Ophelia rolled over on her back hugging her pained ribs. She grunted as she sat up. Hearing her move, the bear turned its head towards the barbarian. It walked beside her pushing its head underneath her shoulder to help her up. With the aid, she made it to her feet. The bear pointed its head to the ground and grabbed her blade with its mouth. Ophelia smiled and took back her sword. She kissed the palm of her hand then rested it on the animal’s head. The bear looked up at her and then brushed its head against her thigh. With the gesture of gratitude and farewell, the two turned and went their separate ways.