The rains that plagued the woodland let up after one long night. The misty air was still and cool, and the life there seemed to wake up after sleeping through the cold wet night they had sheltered from. Upon the top of a high hill, hidden amongst the evergreen trees growing tall and plentiful, stood the mouth of a cave that was only made visible behind the foliage by what seemed like the vapors of mist filling the woods. Once one got closer, however, it became evident that this "mist" was in reality smoke from a fire just inside of the cave, close enough for the smoke to be drawn outside but in enough to have protected it from the rain. Next to the fire stood the pile of bones that had once been a bird roasted over the fire. That had provided dinner the night before, with leftovers as breakfast, to the builder of the fire. Having served its purpose, the flames were put out by the pile of dirt suddenly kicked in that direction. Now that the light was out, it was time for the one who had sheltered in the cave that night to venture out.
The light from the early morning sun bathed over the cave's occupant as she walked outside into the cool morning air. The rain made it extra chilled, so the woman's exposed nipples immediately stiffened up. Even though it was a morning that would cause most to bundle up in an attempt to stay warm, she went out rather underdressed. On her feet were only brown leather sandals, only really providing protection for the soles. Her feet mostly exposed to the wet ground she walked on. Around her waist she wore a loincloth of dark red fabric with black stitching and straps. The flaps that covered her genitals and buttocks hung down to just above her knees, with the wind occasionally blowing them aside to show the black thong she wore underneath it.
Over this loincloth was a leather belt with a buckle of iron. Attached to one side of her belt was the leather pouch that held her few possessions needed for survival; her fire strikers with various wear from regular usage, her wooden drinking cup, her steel cooking cup, the sharpening stone for the blades she possessed and the various herbs and potions she needed to heal illness and injury, along with several small trinkets whose meaning was unknown at first sight. The pouch was sandwiched on the belt between the skin she used for drinking water and the sheath that held her knife. The other side of her belt was the more interesting one. Attached to the belt here were the woman's two weapons. Her axe, used more often to provide her with firewood but still a veteran of her many battles, shined from the sling it occupied. The sharpened head of mirrored steel was set upon a long handle of blackened wood, a spike at the top. Next to the axe was the white scabbard that held her sword. The blade sheathed, all that was visible was the hilt of hardwood and gold. A closer examination of these two weapons would show they contained traces of blood from the many enemies the woman had faced.
This constituted the little bit of clothing that the woman was wearing. Sunlight was the only thing covering her naked upper-half and allowed for a better look at the physical specimen the woman proved to be. She was quite a beautiful woman when one saw her. She stood tall, six-and-a-half feet to be exact, which allowed her to stand out when she towered over the occupants of many of the lands she traveled. Her red hair, kept out of her face by the thin leather band dyed black stretched over her forehead, flowed down past her shoulders to just above her bare breasts. Her face was one that could easily be used as the model for that of a statue of any faith's goddess, with her soft, rounded chin, full lips and button nose. The thing that stood out most when you looked at her face, however, were her green eyes, sharp and alert, showing off the many fights and trials the woman faced but still retaining some softness and warmth deep inside of her person.
Looking at her body as a whole, it was a wonder she was not working as a model for a temple builder or sculptor who needed a stand-in for their goddess. Not wearing much clothing provided her with beautifully tanned skin and allowed all that saw her to gaze at her lean, muscular figure. She did not lose an ounce of her feminine beauty by being strong however. Her upper body was particularly strong, with excellent muscle definition in her abdomen, back and biceps. Her arms did not look that big until she flexed, letting those who saw her bulging arm muscles know that she was one strong woman. Her breasts, always exposed, were perfectly round and an excellent size for her frame while still being large. They were firm, with her brown nipples the perfect size, but currently hard thanks to the cold air. When she allowed one to feel them, they were quite soft to the touch. Her lower body was covered by the loincloth, but when one saw her legs they saw her lean thigh muscles provided by her walking everywhere. Her buttocks was also round and somewhat big and when she uncovered it was the talk of many of the men she came across. They thought it a wonderful sight to behold and deep down, though she would never show it in public, she enjoyed the attention.
Upon her body she wore few adornments. Besides the headband, she wore steel bracelets on each wrist. Each ear was pierced with a silver earring with a small ruby dangling from them. On her neck, she had on a gold necklace that hung down her chest. On the end of the gold chain, resting in her cleavage, was a strange green charm with an odd symbol that looked like the runic symbol of some forgotten language and people carved into it, filled in with orange coloring. The charm was also in an unusual shape, partially an oval but sideways. She wore no other jewelry, but if one looked closely they could see her body displayed faint, small scars that told the story of this woman. None were large or noticeable since one's eye was drawn to her beauty, not to mention they were few and far between across her body, but looking at these marks told that this woman was a born fighter, a warrior that would be best to stay on the good side of.
Standing in the sunlight, allowing it to awaken her fully, the woman prepared to move from the cave. She picked up her shield, which she had positioned to help protect her fire from the winds and rain of the night before. This shield bore the scratches and dents of the many battles it had seen in its owner's hands. She strapped the shield across her bare, muscular back, ready to be grabbed at a moment's notice. She bent down and picked up her bronze helmet, a recent addition that had yet to see damage from a fight, tying it to her belt with her other gear. All her possessions gathered up, this warrior woman began to walk down the hill she spent the night upon and continue upon her journey.
She walked through the woods for quite some time, moving among the trees with little care. If any danger showed itself to her, she was more than capable of handling it and most likely not even break a sweat. She seemed at peace walking in nature, as if she felt more comfortable alone amongst the plants and animals of the woodlands than she did amongst the men and women of the countries she wandered. She would pause frequently to look upon the wildlife, smiling as she saw the animals tending to their offspring. Something in her eyes showed in her mind she was reflecting upon some past memory, a place and time distant from where she was now. Her gaze spoke of nostalgia with a bit of sadness within. She could not tarry long in this place; her journey must continue. As the sun was approaching its midday position high in the sky, the warrior woman emerged from the trees and onto a dirt footpath. She turned and headed west down the path to her next destination.
The footpath was small but well worn from the number of feet it saw walking along it. This day, however, the woman did not encounter a soul from the time she emerged from the woodland until she had arrived at an roadhouse after covering several miles over two hours. As she had not eaten since awaking that morning, she decided to stop in for a quick meal. She approached the door to the place, a sign hanging above her head identifying it as the Winged Toad Inn, and entered. Its basic furnishing was mostly devoid of life, as the inn looked like it had not been a great success for many years. The woman sat down at a table and waited. Despite being practically nude, her lack of dress did not seem to clash with the others visiting the roadhouse, all wearing various outfits, some revealing more than others. Eventually, a buxom blonde waitress in a green dress cut to fully expose her breasts (somewhat of a uniform to entice greater rewards from the leering men that seemed to completely populate the room) approached the lone female traveler, carrying a mug of ale to quench her thirst and ready to learn her order.
"Okay what would you like, love," the waitress asked in the seductive voice she had obviously picked up from years of flirting with the menfolk who no doubt paid her well. "Today we've got beef stew, fresh venison, roasted duck and as a rare choice at the moment we have some bear stew."
Upon hearing that last option, the redheaded warrior woman asked "Is the bear stew hot?"
"Yes it is, love. We put a fresh pot on an hour ago and it will be nice and warm on the stove."
"Bring me two bowls of it. And make sure that the bowls are full."
"Two bowls? Are we expecting a companion for this meal?"
