Tethran

Tethran stared at the giant... thing as it reached for him. He was sure that was something like hunger in its eyes, and he already knew it ate people. Or at least, things with arms. He qualified in both respects, at least for the most part. Although the pain in his shoulder felt like it was unlikely that the plural was still going to be accurate.

Then, the small girl behind it sat up and shouted at it. Then followed with a halting speech in some guttural language that Tethran guessed was orc speech. The big ogre stopped, and then reached for him much more slowly, picking him up - one handed - and dumping him unceremoniously on the ground. He winced a little as he shifted, having landed on a rock. At least it felt like it. Tethran winced a little as he stretched out his leg, feeling the warmth of the fire wash over him like bathwater. He gingerly tested the rotation of his shoulder, trying to find the point where the pain was worst. The short answer was "everywhere".

The girl picked nervously at her dirty tunic, finally seeming to come to some conclusion about the situation. "I have no idea why you're here, or who you are. I'm not even sure how I'm alive... or even who - or what - that is. But.." she turned her eyes to him, smiling a rueful little smile, "My name is Willow. And I hope you speak common, because my Orcish isn't too good.". Tethran gingerly tried to move his arm. "I speak common. A damn sight better than most, if I want to." He looked over at the ogre-thing, which was chewing on its arm again. As he looked over, the thing made a territorial rumbling noise, clutching the arm closer. It sounded like a large, only slightly more articulate version of what his father's family dogs used to do with beef bones. He raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, your arm, big guy. All yours. But any chance I could get my knife back?" He pointed at the handle of the kukri which was still stuck in the tree, 9 feet in the air.

He turned back to Willow. "As for what I'm doing here? The answer's simple. I haven't eaten in at least a day or so. I smelled something cooking, and saw something looked like a flashing light this way. Thought someone might have some food or something that I could beg for. Or steal." He shrugged. The girl's bright blue eyes turned back to the fire for a few moments. For some reason, in the silence, Tethran felt obliged to continue talking. Willow smoothed a strand of dark hair behind her ear as he winced a little more and tried - and failed - to look stoic about the pain in his leg. At least it wasn't numb, he thought to himself.

"I've been foraging around this bloody forest for a week or so." After a personally-directed snort of derisive laughter, he made an expression that was equal parts smirk and sneer. "At least now I know why those damn dockhands laughed when I said I was going to seek my fortune in Gilden."

He brought his grey eyes up to meet the blue that were now on him. "If you have a sling or a bow around, I could try to do something about food. Because if you're anything like me, you're almost hungry enough for roast arm of who-the-fark-knows to actually smell pretty good." He privately hoped the smile that accompanied his words was reassuring rather than manic. He tested his shoulder again. "Preferably a bow. Something tells me throwing things is going to be painful."