Ragnar peered over the sheer cliff, staring down into the dark, snow encrusted valley below. 2 massive ogres, bigger than any he'd seen in the past. Were marching down the valley, stopping every now and then to sniff the air, and kick at a snowdrift. A big, blue skinned one, stopped suddenly listened intently. Then plunged his huge hand into a drift, rummaged around a second, then pulled what appeared to be a hare or rabbit of some kind out of it. In a moment, the little furry creature was gone, down the ogres maw.. a mere snack to such a hulking beast.
The other, slightly smaller monster. Merely looked on in jealousy that HE did not find such a snack in the barren wasteland of sheer cliffs and rocky gorges. A land so cold, it ate through the thickest of cloaks and within minutes froze hands and feed solid. Making them feel heavy and numb.
The cold seemed to not bother these ogres however, and they must be well fed on average, given thier bulk and muscle mass.. Ragnar shook his head and wondered how he'd get past them, when suddenly two more arrived from further up the valley. As the other two, they simply meandered around the valley floor, picking at rocks and a few blasted stumps, trying ot find what little subsistance could be had in this waste.
He thought of his general situation, having joined a party of fools similar to he to go "looking for resources" in the Hammersbound peaks to donate to Hempstead for the rebuilding...
Instead it was a nightmare of frightful cold, huge mountain giants in forts that would crush a man into nothing more than a splatter on the rocks.
Exhausting and dangerous climbs up and down high peaks.. desperately working their way through the high passes, and fighting off the horrid beings that inhabited the valleys of this land.
Finally, his body wracked with exhaustion, cold and hunger. Relented to the fact he could go no further at that time. He bid the party a farewell in Lyn.. high atop a mountain peak so deep in the Hammersbound even veteran adventurers in his party were getting lost on the switchback trails and cliff faces.
When Ragnar awoke, he made his way out of the inn, and considered his options. He had a general idea how to get out.. but getting past the beasties in the road were a virtual impossibility. However, he would try.. separate adn draw off those that he couldn't kill in groups.. which was pretty much everything.
He set off.. clinging desperately to the side of the mountain, carefully threading a set of ice covered stairs so ancient, that they were little more than foot and hand holds in the side of the mountain. Worn away from erosion.
He proceeded on ward.. working his way down several narrow passes in the rock, and crossing a couple half frozen streams moving down the mountains.
There he came to the current spot he found himself.. staring down into the valley.. he could see his destination jsut on the other side of the valley.. He was getting closer to where he needed to be.. so close..
He looked down, and was just considering what to do at that point when the wind shifted.. and luck deserted him.
One of the ogres.. seemed to have caught wind of him for sure. It stopped.. sniffed at the air and turned around. Scanning ever higher.. Ragnar shrank back a bit.. but stood out like a sore thumb no doubt in the snowy surroundings.
The ogre took off at a run.. charging for him.. it grabbed and scrambled at the icy side of the cliff and worked its way up at him. He back up from the edge and drew his sword.. nature had decreed that he fight for his life atop this cliff.
The beast bounded over the edge and came swinging and spitting. Ragnar ducked, and side stepped... the ogre came lunging again and ragnar blocked the creatures weapon, a hammer or axe..he couldn't be sure.. and riposted with a long swing of his longsword. The weapon bit, and a spray of blood was thrown out on the virgin snow around them.
They circled..the ogre favoring the side Ragnar had hit.. and then it came again. They battled onward.. stroke after stroke.. the sheer thrill of battle filling Ragnar.. he roared a mighty cry and drove forward.. running the beast through at the heart.. It cluchted at the blade.. trying to dislodge it. Ragnar pushed as hard as he could but still the creature's strength was easily double his and it pulled the blade out and pushed him back.. before it collapsed onto its knees and fell.. the pool expanding into the snow from beneath its body.
He fell into the snow and retched.. then slowly stood up and peeked over the edge. The other 3 had miraculously avoided hearing hte fight high up the cliff face, and were continuing thier behavior of scrounging.
The two most powerful ogres were off to his right.. further down the valley..it formed an L with him at the point where the 2 sides of the L meet. They were no threat to him.. but he at teh top of the L where the entrance to the tight pass he needed to get through.. was another ogre the same as he had just bested.. he thought about it, drew his bow.. adn let fly.
The arrow arced gracefully down into the valley, striking the creature in the shoulder..the distance and weak make of the arrow did almost no damage. but it got the creatures attention. It repeated teh mistake of the first.. charging headlong up the cliff face to its doom.
Two down, two to avoid. Ragnar watched as they meandred down the valley and out of sight.. he quickly took his chance and worked his way down to the valley floor and ran across it to the narrow gorge and ducked between its massive walls.
It was dark there.. and cold. But it was safe for the moment.. he threaded his way along, carefully looking over his shoulder.. the ogres hadn't returned.
He got to where the pass turned right suddenly.. and he peeked around the corner and cursed. Two more ogres.. blocking the way out of the valley. They meandred at it's entrance.. and it dawned on him that he had fallen into a trap.
The ogres were smarter than he gave them credit for. The 4 he had passed, had apparently been given the task of sweeping prey out of and down the narrow gorge he was in, so that the others waiting at the entrance could snatch it up, and Ragnar was now the prey caught in the trap.
He cursed quietly and made his way back down the valley, hoping to perhaps backtrack and find another way, when he got near the entrance he had just come through however.. the two ogres he left unmolested behind him had returned, and were marching up the valley again, back towards where he now was.
Now he was worried.. trapped between four very hungry ogres.. and nowhere to go.
He turned once more, only to find that one of the guard ogres had walked up the valley.. and was coming around the corner. He quickly ducked behind a large rock and watched as the creature, alerted perhaps by the scent of the intruder in the pass, slowly scanned the narrow pass.
He knew he was in trouble.. and made a gamble. Ragnar drew his weapon.. said a short prayer, and charged the beast, hoping its mates were to far away to hear.
The battle raged on, and it was down the wire. When it was finished, Ragnar and the Ogre both lay on the ground, bloody.
Ragnar stirred however, and drew himself up. He bandaged his wounds the best he could. The extreme cold helped, it froze the blood in his wounds and closed them almost instantly with a hard, frozen clot. Nature could give strange blessings at times.
Ragnar peeked around the corner.. one left in his way to freedom. He came around the corner, roard loudly and charged...
