Inside the cave, Galmar sent Ralof to scout for anything that might be useful to help Greta with their Altan and Rozenn's injuries, while he slowly undressed Rozenn beside two large, hot braziers; the ice had stiffened her leather armour and was slowly melting, leaving her wet and even colder.
Her boots came off fairly easily, but her left bracer was almost stuck to her skin. Galmar took up an iron dagger from the floor and cut through sodden leather and stiff buckles. When he glanced up at her he saw that Rozenn was glaring at him. He returned the cross look.
"What? You'll catch your death in wet, icy armour," he snapped defensively.
"M-m-made it m-mys-self. Killed b-b-b-bear in Helg-g-gen for l-l-leather," Rozenn stammered, teeth still chattering.
"It can't be helped, Breton. Your life is worth more than your armour," Galmar replied, busying himself with removing her other bracer. It came loose more easily, and he didn't bother cutting it. "'S decent work. You'll make more another time."
"Hmph," she sniffed.
"She sounds just like you," Ralof said, entirely too cheerfully as he came back to the cave entryway.
"Report," Galmar ordered, ignoring the commentary.
"There was one more fire mage inside. I dealt with him. There's a couple of bedrooms that Greta and Altan might use, and some good warm furs for Rozenn - here," Ralof said handing one over to Galmar. "It's a small enough cavern, only this hall and the main chamber, with the two bedrooms off it. It's defensible, although if the enemy comes we could get bottled up inside."
Galmar nodded absently. "We're too close to Windhelm to worry about Imperials attacking us. We'll be safe enough here until Altan and Miss Icicle here are well enough to move under their own power. Go fetch the other three, Ralof."
"Yes, General."
"Wait!" Galmar called.
Ralof halted. "What is it, General?"
"You got a better blade than this? It's so blunt I doubt I could cut butter with it," Galmar said, waving the little Iron dagger in the air.
Ralof winked at Rozenn and tossed Galmar his steel dagger. "I'll want that back, General."
"Impudent pup," Galmar replied.
Ralof left them alone. Galmar set to work loosening all Rozenn's buckles on her armour. He swore when he realised how few were even workable - the magical ice had frozen several of them solid.
"I'll need to cut it off you," Galmar admitted. "I'm sorry. Try not to squirm - I would prefer not to pierce that Dragonskin of yours, Breton."
Rozenn nodded miserably. "D-Do it. T-too c-c-cold to argue."
"A good soldier doesn't argue even when they're of a proper temperature," Galmar said, frowning in concentration, as he slid the steel blade under the shoulder of her armour.
They lost track of time while Galmar worked the dagger through the seams and sides of Rozenn's armour; and even with the best of intentions, he occasionally slipped, leaving small gashes on her arms, and a nasty one on her right side when he had had to saw through the stiff, sodden leather.
Rozenn didn't even flinch: she was growing colder and colder, which numbed her to the minor wounds, but also led her closer to hypothermia. Galmar worried at the bluish tint to her lips as he peeled the cold leather from her body, and wrapped her in the fur that Ralof had given them. Rozenn's eyes were half-shut and she was shivering uncontrollably. The heat from the two flaming braziers didn't seem to be penetrating the deep cold she felt.
"Stay there," Galmar ordered, and ran deeper inside to get more fur wraps to cover her.
As Bad As Any Elf Part 6 of ?
Her boots came off fairly easily, but her left bracer was almost stuck to her skin. Galmar took up an iron dagger from the floor and cut through sodden leather and stiff buckles. When he glanced up at her he saw that Rozenn was glaring at him. He returned the cross look.
"What? You'll catch your death in wet, icy armour," he snapped defensively.
"M-m-made it m-mys-self. Killed b-b-b-bear in Helg-g-gen for l-l-leather," Rozenn stammered, teeth still chattering.
"It can't be helped, Breton. Your life is worth more than your armour," Galmar replied, busying himself with removing her other bracer. It came loose more easily, and he didn't bother cutting it. "'S decent work. You'll make more another time."
"Hmph," she sniffed.
"She sounds just like you," Ralof said, entirely too cheerfully as he came back to the cave entryway.
"Report," Galmar ordered, ignoring the commentary.
"There was one more fire mage inside. I dealt with him. There's a couple of bedrooms that Greta and Altan might use, and some good warm furs for Rozenn - here," Ralof said handing one over to Galmar. "It's a small enough cavern, only this hall and the main chamber, with the two bedrooms off it. It's defensible, although if the enemy comes we could get bottled up inside."
Galmar nodded absently. "We're too close to Windhelm to worry about Imperials attacking us. We'll be safe enough here until Altan and Miss Icicle here are well enough to move under their own power. Go fetch the other three, Ralof."
"Yes, General."
"Wait!" Galmar called.
Ralof halted. "What is it, General?"
"You got a better blade than this? It's so blunt I doubt I could cut butter with it," Galmar said, waving the little Iron dagger in the air.
Ralof winked at Rozenn and tossed Galmar his steel dagger. "I'll want that back, General."
"Impudent pup," Galmar replied.
Ralof left them alone. Galmar set to work loosening all Rozenn's buckles on her armour. He swore when he realised how few were even workable - the magical ice had frozen several of them solid.
"I'll need to cut it off you," Galmar admitted. "I'm sorry. Try not to squirm - I would prefer not to pierce that Dragonskin of yours, Breton."
Rozenn nodded miserably. "D-Do it. T-too c-c-cold to argue."
"A good soldier doesn't argue even when they're of a proper temperature," Galmar said, frowning in concentration, as he slid the steel blade under the shoulder of her armour.
They lost track of time while Galmar worked the dagger through the seams and sides of Rozenn's armour; and even with the best of intentions, he occasionally slipped, leaving small gashes on her arms, and a nasty one on her right side when he had had to saw through the stiff, sodden leather.
Rozenn didn't even flinch: she was growing colder and colder, which numbed her to the minor wounds, but also led her closer to hypothermia. Galmar worried at the bluish tint to her lips as he peeled the cold leather from her body, and wrapped her in the fur that Ralof had given them. Rozenn's eyes were half-shut and she was shivering uncontrollably. The heat from the two flaming braziers didn't seem to be penetrating the deep cold she felt.
"Stay there," Galmar ordered, and ran deeper inside to get more fur wraps to cover her.
*-*-*
A?N: DUN-DUN-DUNNN!