#odyssey

"I'm pretty sure I'm a nobody here, Sy."

"So, Ufnore - I can follow you along the shore until you find a safe place, and then we can hunt boar?"

"Not here. We need to get the village. further on"

He nods, and prepares his bony rump for more riding. Luckily the pillion is well padded.

She nods. "Fair enough. We'll ride along."

And the man resumes use in the boat, and rows. Of course, at a slow trot, and with him near the shore, it's an easy walk.

"Do you work for the Silverhand?"

"Let us say I serve her interest, Dagmar the Inquisitive"

"I mean, if you serve her interests, you're probably a good guy. I know all the stories, like the time the Silverhand rescued those children from..." Nattering on. Oh yes, she read the books.

"Ah! Well, you can hear the same from any minstrel let alone proper skalds... but you tell it true. It was so"

And the man rows.

"I want to be like her." Earnest.

And true - since, well, the Silverhand is Chief, or the next thing.

"You choose a good shadow to trail in that" Ulfnor says "But she would be embarrassed I think."

"I respect her. She does good work and without looking for reward. Just because they need doing." He nods.

Is he speaking of Silverhand or Grimhand? Both, really.

"Oh, probably, yeah. But, well... dunno, if she was a braggart, would she be as worth following?"

"Perhaps not." A pause "But a good brag has it's place"

"Yeah. At a fire, during a holiday."

"Ha" And they travel on

Dagmar is okay with quiet.

Symon... actually enjoys this part of the ride. The soft flow of the river and the silent companionship.

The woodss provide much shade too, allowing sluagh senses to rest

Dag seems quite content, too.

Then something in the river... sings

"What is... do you hear?" The warrior looks at the water "I swore I saw a woman in the water.."

"I hear something, too..." Leaning over, scanning the burbling flow.

Dag tilts her head.

She's so beautiful... the song so alluring... and Symon.. and that warrior.. dive in

Perhaps not the beauty, but something... something he can't define... memories of rivers, and the mystery, and the allure... he finds himself sliding into the water.

"Whoa..." She snags at Symon.

He is like trying to grasp water. Or slimey pond scum....

"Oh, come on!"

"Don't you hear it...." Entranced whisper...

"It's a trap, you're smarter than this!"

And the other guy is.. possibly drowning too.

Dag grumbles and wades in to haul out the boys.

Halfway into the water, he stops, and looks confused.

"There was a voice...." Puzzled, he frowns.

"Siren or something."

Oh, he looks ang-barressed, if that is a thing. He's making it a thing.

"Probably magic."

Indeed... Symon hears the voice.. and he wants to go? But he also imagines..well, Dagmar and wet might be interesting...

gah!

His defense is embarrassing

Dagmar plunges into the water, and pulls out Ulfnor... only to see a shapely nude form coming towards him, a woman... nice curves, smooth skin... fanged teeth, reaching claws

Eyes narrowing and he fills his thoughts with other things. Dagmar is NOT a... a... thing for his imagining. And starts to slog back out, pulling his feet free of the river muck.

Grab and go!

"No. I must hear her or die I..."

But she's stronger than he, and pulls him out whether he likes it or not.