Dog awoke to a pair of warm bodies pressed against his own, he turned, finding Harlow latched to one arm, and Ruby on his other. He sighed, the heat nearly overwhelming him. He rose, glancing to the tent entrance, carefully untangling himself and stepping out into the frozen world beyond.

He kindled the fire quickly, setting their breakfast into the pot above it as he scouted the area around their camp. The caravan was quiet in the early morning hours, a few early risers nodding their respect to him as he studied their surroundings.

The frozen forest that surrounded them on one side was as quiet as it had been the night before, his nose failing to detect any night time visitors. Then he eyed the sheer cliff opposite, scanning the rocky wall for any signs of any other curious onlookers, content when he found it unharmed. He returned, finding the duo pressed together in his stead.

He stirred their breakfast, a stew with meat from a beast he’d brought down the day before, it’s meat frozen in their camp. He finished it as quickly as he was able, wrapping the pot in a heavy cloak, before setting it in their tent. He stretched, pulling his cloak tight over his shoulders before heading further into the convoy. He nodded at the guards they passed, and they waved, his canid-helm giving them pause for only a second as he marched on through the wind and ice.

“Sir.” Dog nodded to the caravan master. He was a large man, with thick facial hair, and a heavy kettle helm. Dog appraised him, his dark eyes telling of a lifetime of battle that was not settled yet.

“Dog.” He nodded, “Good work yesterday, that bull you brought down will add a few days to our food stores. How is the camp perimeter?”

“No new guests.”

“Excellent. Today is your rest day. So don’t stress yourself out trying to man every position on your own, there’s other guards for that. Take it easy, I’ll call on you if anything.”

“Sir.” Dog grunted, heading back towards his tent.

He arrived to find their horse saddled, Harlow watching him approach with a bowl in each hand.

“Thanks.” She said quietly, her mask pulled up over her face as the wind howled.

“Warm when you woke up?”

“Yes. Thanks. Here’s yours.” She handed him his bowl, “We secure?”

“Mmm.” Dog nodded, pulling up his helm, and holding the bowl to his lips.

“How’s the eye?”

“Healing. Slowly.”

“Can I look?”

“It looks worse now than before. Itches. Don’t ruin your breakfast.”

“Thanks for the warning.” She chuckled, “How far out are we?”

“Less than a day from the road proper, then two more. The snow will be easier to traverse.” He said, “Be very careful. Do not touch anyone. The undead are real here, and they aren’t a joke.”

“Got it…” Harlow sighed, “I can’t believe they really exist.”

“They come apart easily. The trouble comes when they’re too many. Even if you’ve torn its limbs off, it will keep moving. Crush its head, or take all it's limbs. They will not stop otherwise.”

“We’ll see, I suppose.”

“If you need anything, you must tell me.” He said, hand pressed lightly against her arm, “We must get you treated. Merlin gave me medicine that should help. It’s not the undead that gets you, it’s the rot. They spread a nasty virus, it makes your skin bubble and melt off. Do not let them get beneath the armor we bought, but if they do, tell me.”

Harlow laughed, unable to face the intensity in his eyes, “I’ll be fine, Dog. I’ve got you and Ruby watching my back. So which one of your siblings is in Vladislav?”

“I’m not certain. They weren’t here last time, but mother is pulling me in this direction. If I had to guess?”

He talks more lately. She thought to herself, “Humor me.”

“I suspect Cliste.” He said, “Her name means, “Clever,” roughly, and it fits. She’s always had a knack for exploring and finding things. Last I had heard she wasn’t far. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s doing research or something.”

“What language is that?” Harlow asked, “What’s she look like? What’s your name mean?”

“It’s mothers native tongue. I’m not sure what it’s called, but I speak it okay enough. She was tall, and skinny, last I saw her. But very pretty, she wears spectacles. She was a very talented mage.”

“Your name, then?”

Dog hesitated.

“What?”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“Why?”

“Ugh…” He rubbed his face, cheeks a surprising shade of red, “It means light.”

“Light? But you’re so broody.” Harlow laughed, “Why light?”

“Because…” He grunted, pulling down his helmet, “Mother said I was the light of her heart. She said my soul was pure.”

Harlow laughed again, “That’s too cute. Who knew Dog would be a mothers boy. Still at the teat, hmm?”

Harlow yelped as a spark leapt off Dog’s armor, stinging at her hand.

“Careful.” He chuckled, “She’s always watching you know.”

“Mothers boy.” Harlow laughed anyway, “But fine, as you say oh goddess of mine.”

“She couldn’t feed us from her teat either,” Dog noted, “We were too big.”

“Sure.” She rolled her eyes, “As you say. Does she have any specific features I should watch out for?”

“She is very mean.” Dog said, “She is by far the most vicious woman I’ve ever met. Her insults are deep, and very personal. She has a way of making you feel dumb on topics she knows nothing about herself.”

“Ah… Do all of you have such… Unique personalities?”

“Define unique.”

“Assholes?”

Dog paused, “Probably.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There is Síocháin.”

“What?”

“She-uhk-awn.” Dog repeated slowly, “It means, peace, basically.”

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“What’re they like?”

“Think if like… Siegfried was a giant pretty woman.” Dog said, “She is very strong. Many times stronger than me. She is a half giant.”

“You’d think she would be the easiest to find.”

“She is. But that doesn’t make her the closest.”

“Are all your siblings girls?”

“No. We’re about half, with a few more girls. I know the girls best, is all.”

“That explains a lot. Were you all close?”

“Some.” Dog said, “Some more than others. We are family, I can’t continue to deny that. But some would not hesitate to tear me apart unless I came for good reason.”

“Why?”

He hesitated, a lie coming quickly, “Because they imagine I was mothers favorite. I was not, she was not so simple. She loved all her children. She still does.”

“So how many of you are there?”

“Nine.” Dog said, “Éadrom, Cliste, Síocháin.” He listed, “These two I get along with best. Especially Síocháin.”

“You get along with the angry witch, and the big one?”

“Cliste thinks it’s her job to educate me. Síocháin sees me as fragile and weak. Like she must protect me from the world in mothers place.” He said, “She’s also not the big one?”

“Who is?”

“Prionsa.” He said.

“What’s that mean?”

“Prince… He’s a…”

“What?”

Dog whispered, “Red Dragon.”

Harlow blinked, “A dragon?”

“Yes.” He said, “Not like the ones the High Elves ride. He’s a chromatic dragon, the nasty ones. His temper is unrivaled, and he doesn’t like me.”

“Good to know.”

“There’s the twins, Éabón and Eabhair.” He said, “Ebony and Ivory, they’re Dark Elves, and the youngest. I have no idea where they could be, they’re an unbeatable pair of warriors.”

“So they like you?”

“They don’t like anyone but themselves, or mother. They’re weird.”

“Well pot, meet kettle.”

Dog shook his head, “There’s Uasal, it means noble. He’s an orc. We didn’t hate each other.”

“Very specific.”

“He keeps to himself. Respects honor. He fancies himself a knight.”

“Ah.”

“Then there’s Bród. He is a type of Ishlan you do not see often. He is very lustful, and hedonistic. He does not tolerate insult well. His name means Pride.”

“What type?”

“Tiger.” Dog said.

“Those are all the boys?”

“All but one. He is not one of us anymore.”

“Okay…” Harlow nodded, avoiding the topic, “What of your last sister?”

“Foirfe.” He said, “She is the oldest, and strongest of us. She was nearly grown when mother found me.”

“What’s she? What’s her name mean?”

“Mother found her first, it means perfect. She is why mother decided to take in orphans.”

“So what is she?”

“She is… They are not from this continent.”

“The one Sieg talks about?”

“There's several. But i dont think so.” He explained, “She is a bit like Ruby.”

“A rat?”

“No. I mean in terms of eh… Disposition? An enormous lizard instead. She is very, very strong. She wields a great spear that is equal to mothers axe. Her gauntlets shoot beams of light. She can also transform into something even larger than Prionsa. They are called Thunder Lizards, she is rare among their kind.”

“You have some… Unusual siblings.”

“There was once another.” He said, “Chliste, a dwarf. He died when we were young.”

“Oh…”

“He was very kind.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Do not be.” Dog grunted, “I dishonor him by letting his memory fade. I will not again.”

“So you two are the only humans?”

“There is another. We do not speak of him.”

“Understood.”

----------------------------------------

Ruby watched from their horse, Harlow sitting at her back as they neared the capital of Vladislav, the spiraling gothic towers sat amidst a forest of blackened or dead trees. The cities gargoyles glared down from the light posts around them, the caravan chatting animatedly amongst one another as civilization neared.

“So that’s Vladislav.” Harlow whistled, “This place is creepy.”

“It is a deadly place. Not like Korone. Vladislav is a country ruled with an iron fist. Their soldiers fight to the last, no retreat, no hesitation. Be sure to be on your best behavior.” Dog said, walking alongside them, “There are many things not right about this place. It is by far the most tainted by death of the human kingdoms.”

“Were you here long last time?” Ruby asked, straining her voice, her body hidden beneath leather and metal.

“Several months. A short campaign.” Dog said, “Many companies do not come here for work, it’s poor pay and it’s almost always crushing the peasants. They are usually treated quite well, aside from the occasional missing daughter or son, sometimes wife or husband. They face more death from the things that haunt the Blackwood than they do their lords.”

“Do many go missing?”

“More here than anywhere else.” Dog nodded, “Stay close, outsiders are especially vulnerable.”

“The caravan doesn’t seem worried.” Harlow said.

“In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a large enough number to worry most. Everyone thinks it’s unlikely to happen to them.”

“That’s rightfully a bit concerning.” Harlow laughed.

“Just glad there is no more snow. Hate mountains.” Ruby spat.

“I’m not one for it either but...” Dog admitted, trailing off, his eyes zeroing in on a figure in the distance, “Shit.”

“What? Did you just-“

Dog ducked behind their horse, “I swear if she saw me, mother.”

“If who-“ Harlow turned as a shadow was cast over her. A woman with a handsome visage stared down at her, black hair cropped short, tan skin brought out by her thundercloud eyes. Her shoulders and arms were heavy with muscle, and she glared disapprovingly at the pair upon the horse.

“I see.” Harlow whimpered.

“Dog.” She said gruffly, her voice mature, deeper, and svelte, catching Harlow off guard as the sultry tones bounced around in her ears, “Are you really trying to hide behind your horse?”

“Uh…” Dog trailed off.

“You left me.”

“I am sorry.”

“You said you’d wait for me at the pass.”

“There were complications.”

“Such as?”

“Orcs…”

The muscular woman sighed, her armor clanking as she rubbed at her face, “You are such a bastard.”

“Friend of yours?” Harlow asked.

“Once.”

“Cock.” The woman spat.

“I told you no.”

“You also told me you’d wait for me.”

“Well… I tried. They chased me for a few days.”

“Care to fill us in?”

The woman blew some hair out of her eyes, “My name is Underth, I served alongside the little bastard up north in Jorgensen. He was hired by a local jarl to deal with some bandits. It turned into much more than that.”

“Dog I thought you said you didn’t have friends?” Harlow asked.

“We were more than friends.” Underth huffed.

Harlow tensed as Ruby’s claws tightened on her leg.

“Problem?” Underth asked.

“No. He just has always said he had nobody he was close to. I guess we’re both learning a lot.” Harlow quickly excused.

“Hmm.” Underth nodded, “What brings you here, Dog? And quit hiding!”

He held back a sigh, “I’m looking for someone.”

“Should’ve looked for me, you prick.”

“I got busy.” He replied.

“So who are you looking for? Maybe I can help.”

“My sister.”

“You said you didn’t have any family.”

“It’s a complicated relation.”

“Everything is always complicated with you.” She sighed.

“I have been very busy, Une.”

“So have I. C’mon, I know a tavern. I’m done on security detail anyways. We can chat in my room.”