She discovered early on that it was to her advantage to rely more on her speed and agility to survive over her general endurance. Her combat almost mimicking dance, she learned the weapons of Shaonti war. Preferring the freedom of unencumbered movement she was drawn to a more barbaric way of war. Armoring herself in a more freeing chain shirt and smooth leather leggings, her heavy boots seem almost out of place. Trimmed in animal fur and feathers of the wild she seems almost the personification of the Shriikirri-Quah from whom she hails.
Rebekah wears her hair short in custom with her people, but her travels have made her a little vain as she has added some style to it. Her body is decorated in a handful of tribalistic animal tattoos. Her favorite is the hawk that decorates her back, nearly covering all of it with wings up stretched to her shoulders.
Rebekah prefers a minimalist approach when arming herself for combat, preferring to rely on sling and her fathers magically enchanted Zweilhander. Still she carried a War Razor for those moments when small arms combat seems best and a traditionally decorated tribal dagger which sees more use as a skinning tool.
Rebekah has made a living as a trapper, dealing in furs. Operating with traps made of her own design she prefers to capture without killing and only taking the lives and skins of those animals she can make a personal peace with.
A traditional Daddy’s Girl, Rebekah does not suffer nicknames. He was the only one who ever called her anything but Rebekah and the only allowed to.
-------
Smoke billowed from the open slit in the roof of the tent filling the air around it with the scent of shaonti incense and charred herbs. Marked with little more than a few primitive scratches along the front flat there was still little doubt of the one who occupied it. A crone with a deep understanding of the bones she cast and the cards which spoke as she laid them out, she held company with the world around her and here found her solace. With no claim to any existing tribe still many flocked to her when the tent erected in sight of the nomadic peoples. It was here he came looking for the one who marked him.
She smiled as he pulled back the flap and crouched low to make his way inside. It had been long since had last come to her and she knew he still had not found what he had asked for then. Dropping more dried roots into the ceremonial flame an eye was cast to this half-orc who had come to her.
His features were hard and gruff as he took in the tent. Scars marred most his body and little effort was made to cover them. It was not his way. The most prominent of these scars had taken his right eye and left unique scarring of fire and steel down to his jaw. In the open socket he his eye had been replaced by a smooth sphere of onyx on which orcish symbols of war had been crudely engraved.
With as much grace as he could command from his massive frame he sat before the old woman and slowly began to speak in guttural tones, “No games this time Jana, you know why I’m here.”
A smirk pulled at the mask of leather her face had become and the lines that crossed it raised. Reaching into a bag laying against the canvas wall she dropped a few pungent green leaves into the fire. The air crackled and the flames pulled back their ascent and clung close to the coals now.
“Of course I know why you’re here Zurik.” her voice filled the air and laid heavy on the smoke. “These past few years have not been kind to your search but have weighed heavy on your wisdom and tempered your resolve. I can see that in your face now and it pleases these old bones. Still I do not know if you are ready.”
Zurik pulled at the fire pelt tail that hung from his thigh as he looked the old woman over, making effort to choose his words more carefully than before.
“I have hunted this world of your own people these past years and left no chance to find her and still she escapes me. I do not come here to ask for your insight now, but to demand it.” his voice booming with these last words of threat and promise.
“Demand it?” she snickered, “and what would you demand of me you bastard child of shaonti and orc?”
“You know what I want Jana. I told you no games this time.”
Zurik began to toy with the butt of his axe handle and grinned through the smoke.
“And you should know by now that I do not play games, but simply act as a messenger of the spirits and Gods.”
“Then cast the bones and be done with it!”
This made Jana smile as she pulled a handful of carved and burnt bones from a pouch on her side and held them out to the half-orc. Taking them from her hands into his own he held them to his lips and blew across them. Then with one fluid movement they were cast before her and through the smoke seemed to take on a life of their own as the sailed across the tent.
Jana took a hard stare at how the bones had fallen and then a hard stare at Zurik, “Your sister sat where you sit not three moons ago.”
“Do not call her that!” he growled.
“I will call her what she is half-breed. What horrors your Father and his people laid upon your Mother and her people are of none of my concern, nor is any matter of war. She is your sister as you her brother.”
A hard silence fell heavy on the tent as Zurik ground his teeth in a cold star at Jana. Pulling together what composure he had left he closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them once more with a smile, “What was she here for?”
“Nothing different for what you yourself seek.” Jana replied as she gathered the bones back into the pouch before continuing, “All this time you’ve hunted her when in fact she too has been hunting you Zurik. Seems to run in the family.” she grinned, grinding deeper into his patience.
“Hunting me?” he snorted, “What makes the little rabbit so bold as to follow the wolf?”
“Bold words Zurik when she gave you that.” she said pointing to the scar that had taken the half-orc’s eye.
“This?” he laughed bringing a hand faintly to his face, “Luck and nothing more. She would have been crushed under my boot as he was and the sword taken rightfully as mine if it hadn’t been for shaonti arrows.”
Jana grinned.
“Where did she leave for?” he questioned.
“Oh?” Jana paused, “I never said she left.”
The breath in Zurik’s lungs turned cold as the air outside the tent began to surge with static and a great thundering boom.
“You’ve betrayed me hag!” he bellowed pulling the hand axe from his belt.
“Betrayed you!?!.” she laughed, “I’ve given you both what you wanted and now death awaits!” she cackled.
Her laughter echoing inside his head until silenced with the crack of his axe deep inside her skull. Then turning to the back of the tent, Zurik tore a hole through the canvas wall and erupted forth with rage and hatred seething.
“I’m taking more than an eye this time.” the shaonti woman spat at the half-orc.
He grinned at this as he looked over the figure that stood before him. Dwarfed by the sword she wielded, dwarfed by his own intimidating presence. Great axe firm in hand he growled,
“Rebekah.”
She smiled as he pulled back the flap and crouched low to make his way inside. It had been long since had last come to her and she knew he still had not found what he had asked for then. Dropping more dried roots into the ceremonial flame an eye was cast to this half-orc who had come to her.
His features were hard and gruff as he took in the tent. Scars marred most his body and little effort was made to cover them. It was not his way. The most prominent of these scars had taken his right eye and left unique scarring of fire and steel down to his jaw. In the open socket he his eye had been replaced by a smooth sphere of onyx on which orcish symbols of war had been crudely engraved.
With as much grace as he could command from his massive frame he sat before the old woman and slowly began to speak in guttural tones, “No games this time Jana, you know why I’m here.”
A smirk pulled at the mask of leather her face had become and the lines that crossed it raised. Reaching into a bag laying against the canvas wall she dropped a few pungent green leaves into the fire. The air crackled and the flames pulled back their ascent and clung close to the coals now.
“Of course I know why you’re here Zurik.” her voice filled the air and laid heavy on the smoke. “These past few years have not been kind to your search but have weighed heavy on your wisdom and tempered your resolve. I can see that in your face now and it pleases these old bones. Still I do not know if you are ready.”
Zurik pulled at the fire pelt tail that hung from his thigh as he looked the old woman over, making effort to choose his words more carefully than before.
“I have hunted this world of your own people these past years and left no chance to find her and still she escapes me. I do not come here to ask for your insight now, but to demand it.” his voice booming with these last words of threat and promise.
“Demand it?” she snickered, “and what would you demand of me you bastard child of shaonti and orc?”
“You know what I want Jana. I told you no games this time.”
Zurik began to toy with the butt of his axe handle and grinned through the smoke.
“And you should know by now that I do not play games, but simply act as a messenger of the spirits and Gods.”
“Then cast the bones and be done with it!”
This made Jana smile as she pulled a handful of carved and burnt bones from a pouch on her side and held them out to the half-orc. Taking them from her hands into his own he held them to his lips and blew across them. Then with one fluid movement they were cast before her and through the smoke seemed to take on a life of their own as the sailed across the tent.
Jana took a hard stare at how the bones had fallen and then a hard stare at Zurik, “Your sister sat where you sit not three moons ago.”
“Do not call her that!” he growled.
“I will call her what she is half-breed. What horrors your Father and his people laid upon your Mother and her people are of none of my concern, nor is any matter of war. She is your sister as you her brother.”
A hard silence fell heavy on the tent as Zurik ground his teeth in a cold star at Jana. Pulling together what composure he had left he closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them once more with a smile, “What was she here for?”
“Nothing different for what you yourself seek.” Jana replied as she gathered the bones back into the pouch before continuing, “All this time you’ve hunted her when in fact she too has been hunting you Zurik. Seems to run in the family.” she grinned, grinding deeper into his patience.
“Hunting me?” he snorted, “What makes the little rabbit so bold as to follow the wolf?”
“Bold words Zurik when she gave you that.” she said pointing to the scar that had taken the half-orc’s eye.
“This?” he laughed bringing a hand faintly to his face, “Luck and nothing more. She would have been crushed under my boot as he was and the sword taken rightfully as mine if it hadn’t been for shaonti arrows.”
Jana grinned.
“Where did she leave for?” he questioned.
“Oh?” Jana paused, “I never said she left.”
The breath in Zurik’s lungs turned cold as the air outside the tent began to surge with static and a great thundering boom.
“You’ve betrayed me hag!” he bellowed pulling the hand axe from his belt.
“Betrayed you!?!.” she laughed, “I’ve given you both what you wanted and now death awaits!” she cackled.
Her laughter echoing inside his head until silenced with the crack of his axe deep inside her skull. Then turning to the back of the tent, Zurik tore a hole through the canvas wall and erupted forth with rage and hatred seething.
“I’m taking more than an eye this time.” the shaonti woman spat at the half-orc.
He grinned at this as he looked over the figure that stood before him. Dwarfed by the sword she wielded, dwarfed by his own intimidating presence. Great axe firm in hand he growled,
“Rebekah.”
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