#odyssey

"It is.. there are.. other things" She agrees

"Other things?"

"Other things one can do to prove themselves. A good deed or two." She says

Grunt. "Like defending innocents and saving a guy? Yeah, we'll see."

"Like charging in on hearing three horn blasts to fight the Svarts and saving a stranger from a..."

He says at the same time

And Grins up at her.

A soft whispering hee heee "Oh...you have already earned it you think? And you have but.. people are fussy. Now you must do something for the village."

"What would you want us to do?"

"I know, jumping through hoops is part of the quest. And I am s'posed to be humble, and patient, and knightly. I know that."

"but it sucks verily?" the woman says with gentle humor

"In sooth." He nods.

She nods. "Kinda."

"As a friend of Sir Vali, can you give us any hints to get on Ulfnor's good side, if the previous attempts didn't do the trick?"

"Gulgar has closed the pass between the mountains" She sighs "You could go after him. he's far deadlier than any Boar"

A glance at Dagmar, seeing what she thinks of that.

"It is no random task.. Gulgar is a giant... twenty five feet tall... with a great club. He raids our sheep, our goats.. and cows. he kills any who would seek to reclaim them. " She says "And, he has the power of invisibility"

"Joy."

"Remember, if we die here, that's it. This would be far riskier than anything we did so far. No waking up, no new mortal incarnations. They say if you die in the dreaming it's just... poof."

"He drinks from the magic spring at the top of a mountain... by moonlight, this renders him invisible for three days" A nod "And yes, poof"

Sigh.

"And now that I've heard about it, I can't honorably go back to the stupid pig, right?"

He whispers to Dagmar. "No one would ever call you a quitter. But some tasks are just bigger than any of us. Do you think we could do it?"

'You can, people need bacon" The oracle says

"I dunno. Not really."

"Sir Vali must have thought we could. If he sent us." A frown, not liking seeing Dagmar being discouraged. "This would go beyond the map we ask of you. What assistance could your folk lend us, Mistress, if we took on this task?"

"There's always a way...." He gums at his lips thoughtfully.

"We could lend you three warriors to join you in the fight, it is his invisiblity they fear mroe than his size"

He also remembers, and brings out the boots that kenned so powerfully before. "...And have you ever seen anything like this before?"

Dag grunts, gone quiet.

"I have.." She says "may I?" She holds out her hands

He offers them out.

She takes them, then looks ..surprised "How redundant"

A blink, "Hrm?"

"They grant invisiblity. Oh in the AUtumn WOrld they'd be more like a cameflauge, but here? They grant invisbility"

"...Could we stop the giant from drinking from his spring?"

"Will they stretch to fit any size foot? What happens if you wore only one?" Curious.

And a thought. "Does this Gulgar need to be slain, or can he be reasoned with? Or threatened? You know him best."

"Maybe we need to get rid of the spring, or make it so he can't get to it. If they fear his invisibility... maybe we can just level the playing field."

"..Maybe."

Looking up at Dagmar. "Smart idea."

"Any size foot.. you need both... and Gulgar is asking for a slaying but might be threatened into choosing an Oath if he doesn't want to die. " A thought "Blocking off the spring" A look at the two "That might work"

"Shoulda kept my trap shut and hunted the boar."

"This will make a much more epic brag." He whispers up at her. Is he actually... excited?

"Dagmar Giant-Bane is much cooler than Dagmar Pigsticker."

"Yeah, but I know I could handle a boar okay. And this isn't like the Pit, where I swung above weight class..."

"Yeah, but you have me with you this time. And Plus-Three Magical Boots of Holy Shit Where did She Go."

"This is true. he's invisible, you're invisible. It balances"

"I'd prefer he not be invisble."

"And that's before I start asking the meta-gamer cheat code questions like "What if you put boots on a horse." "