Ben sat by the fire, chatting with Lawrie while the women talked amongst themselves. It had been an eventful day, and almost everyone was ready to turn in for the night. Ben asked about setting people for watch during the night, and Lawrie said not to worry about it. When asked why, Lawrie told him that this place, while out in the wild, was safe as few beasts roamed this far north.
"Are you certain about that?" Ben asked, still apprehensive.
"Many beasts hate the bitter cold, and this is one of the few times that the north has thawed enough to allow people to come up here," Lawrie told him.
"Has it always been that cold up here?" Ben wondered.
"Ever since the Collapse. There have been times when the ice has receded and allowed people to come north, hoping to settle the land. Many of them found out the hard way that this land would not be settled. At least, not so easily," Lawrie explained.
"The climate proved too much for them, I assume?" Ben asked, his curiosity about this land now piqued.
"It was. There used to be towns further north. Or at least, so I've been told. Many of the people of these towns were never seen again. Some of those who came back warned of dangers beyond the snow and ice," Lawrie went on.
"Dangers?"
"Yes. Though it is only myth and legend, there have been stories of a great beast that roams the north. One that is immune to the cold and feeds on the flesh of the living," Lawrie went on.
"Hmm. Sounds like some stories we had back in my day," Ben stated.
"What kind of stories?" Lawrie asked. He still thought Ben was yanking his chain about being from the Before, but humored him anyway.
"There was one such story, told to me as a child, about what we called the Abominable Snowman. How he would come down from the frozen north and eat anyone he found out in the snows. How often he came at night and when he took someone, there was no trace of them left behind," Ben told him.
"That sounds a bit like the tale we were told, but with one difference. When anyone goes missing, they turn up later, only dead," Lawrie replied seriously.
"Did the stories say anything about the beast coming down this way?" Ben asked, now worried about what he heard.
"It never came this far south. Whatever the beast is, it seemed to thrive on the cold," Lawrie replied.
"Well, that's a bit of good news!" Ben grinned.
"Indeed. I also have a... sense for these things," Lawrie went on.
"A sense?"
"Yes. I don't know what else you could call it, but if there's danger nearby, I can sense it. I know it sounds crazy!" Lawrie laughed.
"Not to me. I think you should trust that sense. If it's kept you alive in the past, then you should trust it. Don't give a damn what anyone else thinks," Ben told him.
"Thank you!" Lawrie replied with a smile. He had often been laughed at whenever he explained his sense. Ben telling him it was legit was a breath of fresh air.
"Well, I'm going to call it a night, then. Ylva, you coming?" Ben called out.
"I'll be along in a bit. Just having some time with the girls," she replied with a smirk.
"All right. You know where I'll be," he said with a smirk before he headed off to the cart.
Ylva smiled at the man, getting herself an eyeful before turning back to Mellany and Tasya. He had been a... considerate lover, making sure she reached her peak before he sought his. Men like him were so rare, she thought them to be a myth rather than real. She focused back on the women she was speaking to as Mellany rose to her feet.
"I think I too, will get some sleep. It has been a long and exciting day! Hopefully, tomorrow will bring us something better!" Mellany stated as she walked away from the fire.
Ylva smiled, bidding the woman good night, while she, Tasya and Lawrie were still the ones who were left by the fire. Tasya shifted slightly, as there was something on her mind, but she was hesitant to speak it. Ylva gazed at the woman for a moment, following the woman's eyes, which rested on Lawrie.
"Lawrie, do you mind if we speak alone for a bit?" Ylva asked.
"Not at all. I need to check on the Thunderers anyway," the man said before he stood up. He was a fair distance away before Ylva turned to Tasya and spoke.
"You seem a little... nervous," Ylva commented.
"It is just... Lawrie wishes to do things with me and... I..." Tasya sputtered.
The woman then went on about the things that had happened to her. Her time as a concubine, as a slaver's pet, the treatment she received at their hands, everything. Ylva was floored at the things that had happened to this woman and impressed that she was still alive. That she still retained her sanity after all of this was a testament to her will.
"It's not easy, going through things that happen to you. Things you have no control of. They can scar you in ways that... you do not expect," Ylva replied soothingly, rubbing Tasya's back.
"Yes, they... can," Tasya agreed. "Have... things happened... to you?"
"They have. In more ways than I care to count, but I found my way past the pain," Ylva told the other woman.
"How?"
"By taking solace in several things. Some may hurt me, but who I am will never change, no matter what they may do to me. They can beat me, take me without consent, but as long as I remember who I am, they will never win," Ylva told her.
