#baronyofthesilverwolf

He ponders "Could be Seelie. It's bullshit that there are no Seelie caps, and no they're not all hunted, but they do have trouble fitting in. Course some Seelies are the toughest Caps you'll find. Some are jokes" A shrug "But it bites, and not in the fun way, to have no corby. Been there. Been hunted by a corby once" A grin "I won"

Then "But not all redcaps help each other out. Even when you join corby you gotta prove yourself. And some Redcaps hang with motleys instead. But the non caps, they don't understand the hunger" He reaches into a pouch, and pulls out a chunk of some kind of fruitcake, and pops it into his mouth.

There's a smell of blood in it

She sniffs the air, and swallows. "YOU understand. But you broke my snare. I was gonna have fresh meat. Still wriggling."

"Gonna, wanna, didn't, aint" He chews, more to let the material flow in his teeth "You can say it's my fault, but you know what? It's still your problem" A snort "So what are you hoping to catch? It sure wasn't BIG game"

"Rabbit, muskrat, squirrel - they're too bony, but they work. Maybe a fox. I like muskrats. They're fat n' tasty. Beaver is good, but there ain't a lot around here and they're heavy, and they BITE nasty. But the tail is fuckin' GOOD EATIN."

Just talking about the game makes her salivate.

"Not the best eatin, but what is?" She says, casually, flicking a side-eye Dirk's way.

"We got this chimerical bird once - BIG fucker. THAT was great."

"But I ain't allowed to eat most of them around here. Stupid THISTLE made pets of em all. I don't care. Wings get stuck in my teeth anyways." Grousing.

"Oh shit" He actually sounds sympathetic "I had a chance to eat BEAR Once, but the Chief waas like 'nooo'" A snort

"You know the best big game to go after and get away with?" He asks

"Yeah!" She nods, then squints. "No. What is it?" Clearly suspicious.

"Wild Boar..." he grins "Did you know in a lot of states, wildboar is okay to hunt year round? It's a fucking invasive species, stupid spaniard brought pigs to the new world and they broke free and became the tusk mouthed monsters we know today. They reip up trees, uproot shit, they destroy the... echosystem or whatever it's called. They're aggressive, big, dangerous. And folks are GLAD to have em dead. A group of wild boar can do so much damage they destroy a forest over time"

"We ain't got them here." Disappointed. "I'd know if we did. I know everything worth eating on our land." A boast, possibly true.

"I get to slaughter pigs at the Farm... well, at the plant outside the farm, but close 'nuff. But they're captive there. I ain' gettin' to HUNT 'em. "

"And they're too dumb to be really afraid." A snort.

"Yeah, they get around" A look at her "What you ain't got trods here?"

"We do, but I'm just a kid. They don't like me going nowhere and doing NUTHIN worth doing. Them bein' the damn trolls. You give 'em the time of day, and suddenly it's "Briar do this, Briar do that, don't go here, don't go there, Briar sit, come, stay, like I'm one of their damn dogs!"

"I aint' no trained dog. I want to be FREE and hunt on my own! Or with a pack. But I can't even go to TOWN within being trailed."

She spits on the ground.

"Oh yeah, being a kid sucks" He nods sympathetically, then says "You got any Gwyds here?"

"You know, the falcon guys, read into your words, pluck out the lies, can't get away with stretching the truth around em?"

"Fuck no. Boss is a DRAGON. They hate Gwyds." Emphatic. "I'd hate 'em too if they were all pompous and struttin' and telling me what's what, and pickin at my words if I say what I want to say."

"Baroness got a soft spot for 'em, I think. That's a weakness. Or maybe she's keepin' em close in case things go sour with the Boss and she calls her trolls in for a takeover."

She doesn't sound particularly worried about this.

An amused look "Knowing Nadeen, she wouldn't be above using Gwyds but I doubt she'd share power with em here." A look "Okay, look.. back up is useful, that's WHY redcaps have corbies, or motleys, true. But the fact you don't got no Gwyd means you can bend the truth a little. For example. What if you tell folks 'I' wanted to go for a look around and you showed me... only you showed me via trod? If they don't see us hopping on and on the silver, how are they gonna khnow? You want me to show you some wild boar? They COULD kill us"

He does not sound upset by that notioin

"Fuck yeah I do!"

"C'n I get my claws first?"

"Shit yea, we don't do this STUPID. We aren't giving the boar a fair fight. We're caps. We fight to win, not for fucking gold stars . Get your clawws, and some body padding if you got it"

She starts trotting towards the manor. "Gwen - she's the one who fought you at Pennons - she ain't the worst of them." High praise. "She got me these claws when I couldn't bite. Now I can do both. RIP and TEAR!"

He follows her, "Yeah? SHit.. see that's a surprise edge. Everyone fears the bite, and they're used to regular weapons, but that they won't expect. Hell, it's why Recaps sometimes use stuff that's like impractical seeming, like a hockey stick with razorblades at the end. Or Chainsaws with shark teeth? Practical? NOt so much, fucking terrifying? Shit yes and still kills and hurts. "

Soon she's geared up. Armor from dark gate - no metal here, but studded leather she can move in, and a spiked collar that might look at home on a dog, but is more of a choker to protect her neck. And the promised claws, shown off proudly.

He looks the claws over, the nods "Yeah, that'll piece. Come on, I know where the boar need thinning. " He has put on a chain shirt and padding for his legs

"MARIGOLD! I'M GOIN OUT!" She shouts.

Some bustling, and soon a head pops into the hallway. "Shall I make you some snacks to take along the way?"

"Yeah!" Briar agrees, and glances at Dirk. "Make it double."

Thumbsup!

Marigold smiles and nods, and soon is bustling at boggan speed to put together a lunchbox suitable for two hungry (natch) redcaps.

Before long at all, they are girded both against battle and snack attacks, and on their way!

THey head on, dirk picks up some odd sharp stones on the way

Briar tries to make it look casual, not too obvious, but she finds herself snagging a few too.

Dirk doesn't mention if if he does notice, then, they get to the trod "The Rovers will offer to guide us or protect us. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it's a pain in the ass, but sometimes they wan to make sure we're not causing trouble or going to. Whatever, they won't be with us on the other end. Look for long sticks. SHarp ends on sticks make good weapons . Range can be your friend with boars. They charge fast"

"Gwen uses a spear. Shoulda said something earlier, I'd have borrowed it."

A shrug "Didn't know you'd have the guts to come along."

"I know what it's like to be watched. Like, before they sent me to the farm? I went to the mortal school, and I just got in a fight once, and ever since, they always had a teacher followin' me at recess. And when they weren't looking? The second some lil' bitch squalled, even if they just fell their ass off the jungle gym, the teach come lookin to yell at me."

"Guess I don't like being kept tabs on. Makes me feel like they're watchin' for me to fuck up, y'know?"

"They don't understand... " he nods "when you're hungry, all the time, not like 'gee I could go for a snack' more like "I could eat my own leg three days starving' and when folks get hungry, it's not possible to be nice. Hangry they call it.. so of course we got bad attitudes. Of course we have trouble with court nice nice. They would to, if they were hungry like we were all the time. Because we can't be nice for long, they assume that means we're up to shit. We don't blend in with the sheep. We don't baa and keep our heads to the grass. It's not that they mean to be assholes, they just don't underrstand our dream. Hunger needs feeding. And Hunger leads to hunting. Hunters are dangerous. So we're always hungry, we're always mean, and we're always hunting, so yeah, some part of us is always dangerous. The good ones, the ones who TRY to get us, they find outlets for us , on the edges. Of course, we don't much like that either. Not their fault , but we're people as well as monsters and no person likes being treated like they were fucking domesticated. "

"It's like, feels like they're throwin' me a bone to keep me settled, and I don't wanna be their kept dog, but I still want that damn bone." She gripes along.

"Some do it to control you, some do it because their scared of you, but the worst and best ones alike? That's the ones who do it because they worry about you, that they care about you. And it's annoying, becausei t's not like being one of us is a fucking medical condition that acts up, and it's not like we can tear them a new one when they care; well, we can, but we don't got enough friends as it is. So we hold back but that's just another level of annoyance." A sigh "Still, if they care about you then you're luckier than most caps. LOts of folks think we're a dream that should just. . go away" A snort "Never mind we were among the first. Hunger.. every one understood hunger, eat or be eaten. We're a lot older than most other kith even if we changed. ANd it's okay to want the damned bone. It's wired in you. Heck, if it helps? Think of it as protection money. Sure, the trolls at Rivervale for example ? some like me, but they also try to feed me a 'bone' because they're afraid I'll hurt other kithain. Well, I ain't super smart, but after awhile it occured to me, that in away, that's like a pay off so I don't wreck some folks. If it helps, think of it as a sacrifice to the hunger inside of you."

A grin "I always liked the idea that I was getting bribed by the Lodge to keep their stuff safe"

"Well, -I- don't care about them! They could all go rot for all I care." She retorts immediately. "...except yeah. They're useful. I just wish they wouldn't be so... touchy FEELY about it. Like, you want me around. SURE. You don't gotta SAY it." Disgusted.