#Staschko

[muka-rapak]

(Krabat - Otfried Preußler)

The millermen as actual ravens corvids:

[itsagrummel]

Staschko gets called the Tausendsasser in the German version of the Preußler adaptation.

Tausendsasser is a word for someone who is gifted in many ways, something between a universal genius, a go-getter or a daredevil. It is a compound word of "Tausend" / "thousand" + "sassa" / a shortened call form the old 'Waidsprech' or hunting-german heisar!, husar! in english or ça! in french.

A notable thing about this is that the term comes from the 18th century woadspeak but the Krabat tale is set in the 16th century. I doubt that little inconcitency matters to most modern readers.

[halforc-mercenary]

Scary story prompt: A four-year-old half-elven boy sits and stares at you as he waits.

Send “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” for my muse totell your muse a scary story or an urban legend.

A heavy frown draw a long line betweenthe Halforcs thick eyebrows, as she looked at the small boy at theother side of the campfire. Around them the merchants and othercivilians she was accompanying as a guard  were as busy as bees in abeehive at preparing their camp for the night : „Listen, Child,aren´t you a little too young to listen to scary stories?“

„Just tell him the story, Girl…somaybe the brat will let us sleep“, the other guard grumbleddisgruntled from where he was laying outstretched on the ground on asimple bed of firneedles,  with his Helmets Grimme pulled ungainlyover his eyes, to get at least a little sleep before he and Mar wouldstart their guardshift during the night.„Thats nothing a child should hear!“,Mar pinned her ears back and growled at the other guard like aannoyed dog, but the other ignored her simply.With a grunt the young woman turnedback to the little boy, who still waited, quietly, his eyes round andbig and…. very persuasive. By the Light!, she thought as her earsmoved up and down almost panicky, What am I ? A Mercenary or a Mousethat let itself soften up by two big round eyes?!

Apparently the Halforc was a Mouse.

She stood no chance against thosebig round eyes, she noticed, as she eventually started to talk:

„Did you know, child,  that the people in myHomeland are usually burned after their death? At least when you arenot a Yarl who thinks they are better than everybody else andtherefor your corpse should rest in a grave for so called Heros torevive you to become a mindless massmurderer.“,the woman scoffedand thought of-Oh No, no , no , no!Heshould not be thought about, not his face thatresembled her own with the hook nose and the dark freckles, not hisloud laughing or his broad hand that ruffled throughher own hair as if she was his little sister and not his youngercousin. Because thinking about him would also meanthinking about his dark skin that had turned ashen in Undeath, itwould mean thinking about his usually warm laughter that had in theend sounded like a part of his spine had pressed against his throatfrom inside, it would mean thinking about that it had been heraxe that had crushed his skull eventually:

„….but the normal people areburned after their death and the ash is either spread in the sea orput in a urn to be buried under a small heap of stones forremembrance. Its more pragtical that way, more pragmatic.For beforethis tradition People were buried under big barrows and that was toomuch work to do, because there could always come a foesttroll or aogre to attack you, when you are in the middle of preparing a burrowand then the burrow would have become the grave of two people. So itwas far more pragmatic to use a simpler burial methode.“TheHalforc looked with a frown that could almost be worried at thelittle Halfelf sitting next to her, but then she forced herself toremember that this was not her child and therefor she had no right tobe worried for him:

„The other reason to change theburial tradition, beside pragmatism, was fear. Fear that those whoare dead could return to the living when their body is still intact.“As they did eventually. Eventually when all the urbanlegends and tales had turned to truth that had held reality in astranglehold with rotten, bony hands. First during the third waras they clashed against Thoradinswall like a stormwave of rottenflesh.

Then, years later, on the other side ofthe great wall, as a Prince who killed those loyal to him to bringthem back as his Forsaken. Those loyal tohim,  just like-Oh No, no, no , no!He should not bethought of, he should not be mentioned, he should stay away until hecould reach with his rotten fingers into her nightmares. As her sleepwas the only time when he was able to crawl out of the far away placein the back of Mars head, where she had locked away him and thememory of his freckled laughing face that was to smiliar to hers.

„Fortheir are so many stories of the old days, when the Dead returned tothe living and always they end bad, for the Dead can bring no joy tothe living and the Living could not give what the Dead long for. After all the Dead can no longer feel warmth or joy or love, because all theycan feel is the cold grasp of their graves. And this was also thereason that when someone dies, the family of the Dead would putstones in the doors of their houses for seven days, for when the Deadwould walk again in search of what was once their own- Warmth, joy,love- they could not enter their home again, until their gravefinally calls for them after seven days.

Thisalso happned when a man with the name Sinfjotle died. He was burriedin a burrow and his family, consisting of two servants, his wife andhis unmarried Bother, returned to their home to put stones in theirlonghouses entrance. But when the night came and frost started tocreep over the mountains and over the fields, Sinfjotle  woke upagain. He was greeted by a dark place, where he lay on a bed with his shield and sword by his side and pots full of butter, corn, honeyand milk. But he did not wanted those gravegoods. He wanted hisfamily. So he stood up again and walked out of his burrow, over themountains and the fields, towards his old home just to finde the doorblocked with stones. But Sinfjotle wanted the warmth and joy andlove of his family as he had known when he was still alive. So hetried to move the stones away, and when it did not worked, hescratched over them until his nails broke and his flesh started to ripof his cold bones. However, the stones did not moved and when thefirst rays of the sun started to sneak past the mountains, Sinfjotlehad to return to his grave over the day. But this was not theend.“

Evening had  started to wrap them in darkness, the working people around the Trio by the campfire was slowly swallowed by the approaching darkness like by a eager mouth.

“Inthe next night Sinfjotle once again woke up and wandered over themountains and the fields to find once again the door blocked withstones, stones that still beared the scratchmarks of his fingertipsthat were this night already worn down to the hard, cold bone. Butthis time he was greeted with the voice of his wife, a voice so sweetit was enough to make him cry, if he would have been still able tocry.´Asbirg!´, Sinfjotle called out with a scratching howlingvoice: ´My Asbirg! Open the door for me, I need your warmth and yoursmile! Please, please! Let me in! Please, my Love!´

Asbirgwas a smart women and knew that there could not come any good fromthe dead, but at the same time she had a tender heart and the howlingand crying of the man she loved sitched through her ears like coldneedles. She was alone in the house, for the Servants and her goodBrother had fled  in the morning after they had all heard the lastnight full of the sounds of Sinfjotles bones scratching over thestones. Accordingly there was noone else who could stop her when thewoman removed the heavy stones from the door. But the one who wasstanding at the other side of the door was not her husband, with a warmsmile, the dark hair and the warm, dark skin.  But it was a corpse, who wasnot able to smile for smiling and joy was for the Living only, andwhos hair was thin and brittle, and whos skin was skin cold and as pale as hisbones underneath. Sinfjotle hasty stepped inside the house thathad been once his home, to sit down by the fireplace for the gravescoldness was still hoding to his limbs. He asked Asbirg to bring imwater and Food, but when she did so, he drunk two buckets full ofwater and ate a whole pot off stew, but the thirst he felt and thehunger that ached in his guts didn´t go away. For eating and drinkngwere joys only living could have. And even thought he sat so near theflames of the fire, that the flames started to lick over his cloth,he coud not feel any warmth, for also warmth was only for the livingand the grave was cold. ´Asbirg´, Sinfjotle called outeventually, thirsty, hungry and so very, very cold: ´Please my Love,please hold me in your arms lik you used to! I feel so cold!´

AndAsbirg, the smart but tender Asbirg, sat down beside her late husbandto lay her warm arms around him.

´ButI am still so cold…´Sinfjotle then said and held her tighter.

Thewoman huffed a little, for the mans cold hands stitched through herlayers of cloth like needles.´Husband,´she said, shivering: ´Not sotight please…´´But I am still so cold…´Sinfjotle thensaid and held her tighter.

Asbirggasped quietly, for this embrace was so different from what sheremembered was when her Husband had held her when he was still alive.

´ButI am still so cold…´Sinfjotle then said and held her tighter.

Thewoman started to squirm in his grasp, her bones ached under the corpsestrong hold.

´ButI am still so cold…´Sinfjotle then said and held her tighter.

Asbirgstarted to yell as her bones started to brittle.

´ButI am still so cold…´Sinfjotle then said and held her tighter.

Andthen there was a

CRACK!“

Marsaid the last word out loud, so loud the guard who had seemed tosleep jumped up from his bed of pinefirs as if he had been bitten by ainsect. With a calmer voice she continued, after she watched theother guard sitting back on his bed: „Sinfjotle nolonger held hiswarm wife in his arms but a corpse, who was very fast losing thewarmth he had longed for so much. So he waited and when the lastspark of warmth had leaved Asbirg, she opned her eyes again and handin hand, cold to cold, they stepped outside in the frozen night tosearch for all those precious things they have lost: Warmth and Joyand Love, all those things that only belonged to the Living and whichSinfjotle and Asbirg could never have but which they would never stoplonging for.“Those things even he had never stoppe longing for, even when-Oh No, no, no , no!He should not bethought of,not the warmth of his arms around her, not the joy he had brought when he had told her the stories of his Soldierlife, not the love he had made her feel when he had kissed her forehead. But she did thought of him She alwas thougt of him. And the memory lay around her throat like a icecold hand and pressed,pressed,

pressed!

Mar looked down at the child, wordlessly. Then she stubbornly wiped her gloved hand over her eyes and turned back to the campfire: „That was the story. Do not complain when you can´tsleep tonight, child.“

@brashtide-menace​

[muka-rapak]

Hastig begruben sie ihn, keinen Augenblick länger als nötig verweilten die Burschen an seinem Grab.

Merten allein blieb zurück.

Das 2. Jahr - Am Ende Der Reihe.

They buried him hastily, and the boys did not linger a moment longer than necessary by his grave.

Merten alone stayed behind.

The 2nd Year - At The End of The Row.

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

So, I don't quite enjoy how Merten was the only one who stayed behind. Michal cared for Krabat, but especially for Witko too. Very similar with how Tonda cared for Krabat during his first year- until The Master caught on with Michal thanks to a certain snitch...

I think there should have been some hesitance from Krabat, but especially Witko to leave his grave at least...

[muka-rapak]

11 und Keiner

Die Müllerburschen aus Der Mühle im Koselbruch, am Schwarzen Wasser...

(The miller boys from The Mill in Koselbruch, by the Black Water...)

- Krabat , Otfried Preußler.

[halforc-mercenary]

𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔉𝔬𝔯 @swearwolf-werewolf

Three days ago Ulfgar , a man who was not the Villages chieftain but usually clever and wise enough everyone would listen to him instead of the fool that was Karl, visited Mar in the old house of her late Greatuncle with the dust in the corners and the birds nesting between the old roofbeams like between ancient, long forgotten trees. It had been already late evening, the darkness had started to sink down on the village Mar had spend her childhood in, like a heavy dark coat and even thought it had been the Halforcs first reflex to grab her sword when hearing the knocking on the door, she opned the door for Ulfgar.. Years ago, when Mar had still been a child she had always been scared of the older man. He had something sly, something foxlike with his gaunt haggarded face, his narrow eyes and the with grey strains interspersed red hair, that had made the Halforc  always feel like a limping rabbit before the carnivore when standing before Ulfgar even when he had never been a tall man and was now on eyelevel with the short woman that was Mar. In her childhood however, the not so tall man had been in her eyes as tall and menancing as a old tree with gnarled branches scratching her face. This feeling had come back as Ulfgar had asked her for a talk in confidence, which Mar agreed to by following him out of her late greatuncles house and on the dark streets that were nothing but with wooden planks cobbled trails. Automatically the Halforc had looked over to the earthmoud circeling the village and since she had a lot of better eyes than a human, she  had seen easily instead of the outline sof the heavy, unadorned armor of Stromgarde soldiers she was seeing the the silhouettes of armored Bloodelfs. At the edge of her mind the young woman wondered where the Horde Soldiers were facing, standing on the mound- outside to the fields circeling the village or inside at the human and dwarfs living in the village and the harbour that was so important for the military. The Halforcs Homevillage had always been a place to overwinter for Pirates since the natual Harbour was not only giving proper shelter for big ships, but the village was located by the coast with barely two daymarchs away from the Ruins of Stromgarde that were now nolonger ruins but a fought over town, which made the Halforcs homevillage a perfect base to bring supplies to the fighting armies. A circumstance the Villagers had learned very suddenly when the Bloodelfish military-unit had occupied the Village to set up a base for sending supplies to the battles brought to the village with ships.

Ulfgar had followed her eyes knowing what she was looking at, even thought with his eyes he could have seen nothing but the heavy darkness drapped over them heavy like a black coat. ´I had asked to marry off one of ours to one of their Elfsoldiers.´, the older man had said eventually, leaning on the crutch he was using since a wound on his leg had ended his Cursus Honorum in the Stromgarde military: ´That is always the easiest way to strenghen a pact and it would also bind them to us to protect us for as long as needed. And when Stromgarde had still been in conflict with Alterac about the two Kingdoms borders, it had been usual to end a war with a marriage.´ ´After you beat another to bloody heaps, I assume?´ Mar had asked and had impatient crossed her arms under her chest. But she understood Ulfgar, the bloodelfish Soldiers would not stay forver in the Village: Either they would leave for another base with a even better standpoint or they would be forced to leave when attacked by Alliance Soldiers and in the first version the Villagers would be left defenseless against other Soldier-units as they would be caught between teh fighting in the second outcome.  ´Aye. After the fun.´ Ulfgar had chuckled, his teeth had flashed almost carnivorous in his Mouth, the Halforc had felt her muscles tensed as she once again felt like the little scared child she had been once: ´Anyway since every other person in marriageable age is already serving in military and you never have acceded to the military service, I had proposed you as a pledge.”´ A Pladge was exactly what Mar would be and the thought had made her stomach feel like squashed with a brutal hand. For a moment, just for a second she had thought about  yelling at the older man, drawing her sword   and aiming for his throat just like she had done it a hundred times before working as a mercenary, but eventually all she had done was huffing grimly: ´ Since you present me with a fait accompli, I guess I don´t really have a choice?´ ´There is always a choice but in your case it would probably end with all of us either kileld by that elfish soldiers or dying in the coming Winter when they had emptied our supplies and leave and that is not a good choice, Margvis. Anyway, for what do exist divorce. I am pretty sure a woman like you can handle whoever you are married to. And its not like it would change anything in your current life, you would simply return to another home from time to time. ´ Mar had fought down the strong urge to hit the older man and considering that Ulfgar was gifting her with a sly grin that showed teeth that almost looked like a foys sharp teeth, he had been very aware of that. ´ Some years ago I already have sold my trousseau .´Mar had eventually answered, finishing the pause that had come up. After the fall of Theramore Mar had let Staschko pay her off the money she would have used as a Trousseau and with that she had brought her armor and swords and sold the cloth in her trousseauchest to have a float when she started working as a mercenary. Only her wedding dress and some other attire she had preserved and even thought the Halforc would never admit it, but she had done this because she still remembered sewing and embroidering the cloth together with her late fostress as she had loved to see her fostress embroider flowerpattens on the cloth that looked as if they were growing from the needle, blooming on the clothes.  Ulfgar had moved his hand in a  dismissive gesture, as if he was waving away a annoying fly: ´My husband  and me only havd a son. Unmarried. So by now we have saved enough money to pay you a new trousseau you can bring in the marriage. Is that your only worry, Margvis?´ Mar had looked up at the man and than, frowning she had lowered her head, her thick curls had rustled like autumnleafs. ´….I am a Halfbreed.´,  the Halforc had said slowly, her eyes narrowed to leery slits: ´As far as I know Halfbreeds are infertile, just like a  mule is. Accordingly I would not able to bear any children in this marriage. And a Marriage is only there as a contract to give a child officially the right to a inherit the property of the people who had raised them.´

It had felt strange saying this out loud, as if the words lay heavy like plummets on her tounge. Mar had grew up knowing that there was nothing romantically in a marriage, it was nothing but a social contract to coalesce two families wealth, strenghen political pacts (between two families or two factions was the same) and above all have inheritable and legitime children as heirs to inherit the parents wealth so the parents or their relatives had no way to take away this property from the child as it was after a contract always the childs. A romantic relationship did not need this contract as long as the pair would not need a legitime heir. But it was only logical for Mar to be infertile as a Halforc, so marry off a woman like her who would not be able to have children would be…trickery. Frowning Mar had looked up to Ulfgar searching in his face for a sign that the older man had had this line of thought too and it had been a smile that had answered her. ´Really? I think that is more of a rumor, little Margvis.´ Ulfgar had said and in this moment his face looked even more foxlike with that all to knowing smile twisting his face in a cunning grimace. It was his last act of rebellion, Mar eventually understood, Ulfgar was after all a Soldier of Stromgarde so  his pride would have never allow him to surrender and accept to be occupied by  another faction but with marrying off Mar instead of another it was like he could stick another thorn in the occupants flesh. Three days later Ulfgar knocked on Mars door again and with one hand on her shoulder as unmoveable as a iron chain lead her to one of the houses the Horde Soldiers had taken over as their own.

[halforc-mercenary]

"May I have this dance?"

After Winter with the spring making green leafs grow on the before black and naked trees and the scent of fresh growing grass hanging in the air, visiting Taverns had almost turned into a  iduty to  laugh, drink and and eventually dance off the heavy sleepiness winter had lay over the land like dancing off a too heavy coat. Specially in the time of the noblegardenfestival the taverns were filled again with light flutemelodies,  lifting every cold strain winter had left on Azeroths people. Mar liked to visit the Tavenrs at this time, not only because she liked to visit taverns in general but because between the laughter, Music and dancing couples, her green skin and heavy tusks were almost invisible. Sometimes, she remembered, when she had visited in Spring the Taverns  together with her cousin, she had even dance with him and a few other people, but that happened only rare. And now never again. Automatically the young woman tensed and her jaws clenched so hard she felt pain stitch, stitch, stitch into her skull like needles.  

“May I have this dance?”

It was Thalins question that made her look up confused, one of her ears flicked up and dowjn in her mass of curls as if she was a perplex dog. Mar blinked, her ear restlessly moved up and down as she shive dthe memory of Staschko in the farest corne rof her head like a dirty secret: “…aye..sure, Sir.”She stood up from the bench and then,from one moment to another stopped in her track, tensed her shoulders and grabbed for the hilt of her sword by her hip, as if she was expecting a sudden attack. Leerily she looked at the Knight and than past his shoulder with mistrusting to slits narrowed eyes for people who were might watching them. 

“…aren´t there going  more people to join us?”, her freckeld ear still flicked up and down, but this time in mistrust. A frown drew a long line between her thick, bushy eyebrows: “Like, I mean, for a Ringdance?”

[ @wildname ]

[halforc-mercenary]

𝔚𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔄𝔰𝔰𝔬𝔠𝔦𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫𝔰

Have your Muse respond with a word they associate with the following list, and a small blurb as to why:

Passion = "Drive” The Halforc tilted her head to the side with a frown drawing a long line between her thick, bushy eyebrows: “One always needs something to drive oneself forward. And having passion for something, be it passion for seeing something new or the passion for reading or what else, is always a very strong driving force.” Eventually its always about doing something with passion, she thought grimly. 

Hate = “Natural” “Its as much as a drive as passion is.”, Mar grunted unimpressedm tilting her head to the side with to slits narrowed eyes:  “And for some people its the only hing that drives them forward.” Who am I to judge, she thought and the hand resting ont he hilt of her sword played thoughtfully with the leather wrapped around the hilt. 

Love = "Choice” Mar loved poems, especially lovepoems, howerever this did not changed her answer even thought she longed for this romantic view of Love like a little child longed for fairytales. Still her answer was: “One does not decide who one falls in love, aye, but it is a choice to act on it and bear everythign that is connected with this choice. Claiming to be helpless in the sight of love is just stupid.”

Kindness = "Admiration” Automatically the Halforc narrowed her eyes to thin slits. Her voice was stern, unmoveable, strictly like a law: “Someone who can be kind is admirable.”

Weakness = "Unavoidable” The young woman just let go of a long sigh, lifted a hand and massaged the bridge of her nose in irritation. Eventually she only said grimly: “Everyone has weaknesses, to say the oppesite is stupid.” And this weaknessess could be used against you or for you, depending how you yourself see them, she added in her thoughts. 

Strength = "Skill” Automatically the Halforc lay a hand on the hill of her sword in a unspoken threat. Her voice was as sharp as a blade when she grunted: “Strenght is more than just physical strenght. A with all strenght swung mace is as harmless as a plushie, if one has no skill to actually hit the opponent. Brute strenght is nothing worth without training and skill.”

Companion = “Trust”  Mar grabbed the hood of her Gugel and pulled it deep down in her face, drowning her freckled features in a thick layer of shadows as she muttered under breath: “I would not call someone companion if I did not gave them my trust.”

Family = “Friends” A blush spread over the young womans tirgreen face and drowned her black freckles in darkness. She pinned her ears back like a snarling dog, growling: “Oh, for Lights sake, no. I am not going to say anything more.”  Mar had grown up in a household where she had been bloodrelated with three peole, her greatuncle Ansgar and his two sons Staschko and Lyschko, who had grown up beside her like Brothers. She had been rised by a Woman who was not bloodrelated with her and taken care of by the people in the Hosuehold who either lived there only for a certaine time of the year as pupils, wanderers or traveling workers or who came there to work to live as a part of the family for their protection and care and in return offer this protection and care for the family they were now part of. Blood meant nothing for the Halforc. 

Loneliness = "Evenings”  Automatically the young woman crossed her stout arms under her chest like a shield and a frown appeared on her freckled face. It needed no more words. It were always the evenings after a long day, whens he would sit by the fire of her camp and the world was big, big, big around her and still, still, still while she was just there small, wordless and as she always knew but could always shove at the back of her head like a dirty secret during a busy day; alone. 

Hope = "Idiots” The young woman flicked her freckled ears like a irritated dog: “Don´t get me wrong, I have nothing against feeling hopeful.” Then she added with a low grunt: “But for Light sake, I had met so many people who were so hopeful that they ignored the reality that was literally knocking on their door with bloodsmeared swords, that it starts to be... irritating.”

Loss = "Unavoidable” The young woman pushe dthe air out in a annoyed huff and she flicked a ear up and down irritated: “It would be foolish to think one can go through life without loosing anything.” And I am no fool.  

Fun = "Needed” The Halforc huffed, shoving forward her thick tusks like she had seen her younge rhalfbrothers doing when they were annoyed or defiantly: “What? I am not a grumphy toad, despite anything else you might think of mean. I like to have fun too.”

Rest = "Sleep” Mar shrugged her shoulders with a huff : “What? Everyone needs a time to rest and sleep. Even Forsaken.”

Friend = "Companions” Automatically the young woman pulled the hood of her Gugel even deeper down in her face,  drowning her features in shadows, hiding. She would never even dare to endanger people by calling them her friends. Not that she deserved thos ein the first palce. 

Home = "Family” The Halforc flicked a ear like a nervous deer, then, pulling the hood of her Gugel deep down in her face she grunted: “Oh stop this. There can be no place to call Home if there is no family in this place.”  “Light, I sound stupid.”, she added and bared her thick tusks thinking that she soudned like a naive child: “Forget what I said.”

Pain = “Warning” Mar tilted her head to the side, pinning her freckled ears back with a annoyed huff. She talked slowly, as if she was talking to a ignorant child: “People always say they want to live without pain. But pain belongs to life. Its a warning of the body when something goes wrong so why not welcome it and feel warned. Only the people who are dead and need no warnings anymore are without pain. ”

Bored = "Working” “I don´t liked to be bored. Its better to do some work instead.”, Mar grunted sternly. She did not liked to be bored, when there wa snothing to do there was only her midn left that was scattered by memories and wha- ifs she did not wanted to waste a thought about as it was too easy to be lost in it like in a labyrinth. 

Lie = “Idiots” The Halforc crossed her arms under her chest like a shield and she huffed strictly: “Lies will always discovered eventually. Its stupid to lie.” not that I am aboe to, she thought and knew all to well that by the slightest flicker of untruth in her voice, she would start stutteirng like a shy child. 

Truth = "Better” Mar chewed on the words like on a tough piece of meat, before she eventually muttered unwillingly: “I am not good at lying. And I do not like to be lied at.” “Give me the same truth I offer you.”, she grunted eventually, a sentences that sounded more like a command. 

Money = "Needed” She shrugged her broad shoulders nonchalantly: “Without money I can not buy myself food.”

Music = "Life” “Music is about learning about the world. Its about what is happening at the moment and what had happned and to warn people about the danger in certaine areas. Music is always about life, either about giving lessons or about how to stay alive.” And about how to enjoy it, Mar added in her head and thought about how she loved dancing and listening to music but eventually did not said out loud.

Life = “Forward.” “Life is about moving forward as much as it is about change. Nothing much to say about that.” , Mar huffed unimpressed.

Death = “A Bed.” The young womans pressed the words out between jaws that were so cramped and hard she felt pain  like silver needlestitches stitch, stitch, stitch into her skull. She thought about- Mar stopped her line of thoughts brutally, forbid the picture of bloody soaked bedsheets, of the sounds of the Midwinternights , of the laughing oif the celebrating people interrupted by screams and crys that cut through every sense of celebration like broiling blades. 

Anger = “Fuel” Mar bared her tusks and razorsharp fangs like an snarling dog. It was a stupid thing to say she knew, it was as if she was ‘Acting like an Orc’. Still, the young woman huffed: “It can be useful.”

Regret = "Names.” The young woman narrowed her too bright, too orcish, too uncomfortable to look into eyes to thin slits. She thought about the names. She thought about- With a harsh grunt she stopped brutally her own line of thoughts and snarled: “That does not need any more explaination.”

War = “Work.” A frown drew a long line between the Halforcs thick , bushy eyebrows: “I am a Sellsword for Lights sake. Stop looking at me like this. I am earning money to buy food by selling my skills with the sword.” Mar had always followed pragmatism like other people would follow a law and she was above anything else a pragmatic Mercenary. 

𝔗𝔞𝔤𝔤𝔢𝔡 𝔅𝔶: The Void 𝔗𝔞𝔤𝔤𝔦𝔫𝔤: @stonestridernerd @anierous-sunblade @demonhunter-atram @leavenohoofprints @wanderersofazeroth @coopermontgomery@wildname @grandpriestess @oathkeeperblackdawn @thexgoldenxbard @keeper-of-eternity  @crownofearth  @valerians-travels @zandaliciious@olliehaldstan @sparklymanacakes @thehumbleknight @the-real-arcanist-val @corbelllator @farseer-danaael @kranklin-boombast @renwyck    @asharinhun @arcane-harbinger @obsidianprinxess @theforgottenflight @shcmanisms @toomany-elves @verosmoonshine @ceruleanelf  @hannyandfriends @mwindaji @elendeare @mciev @felsworne @quelbound @donttell-myfather @safrona-shadowsun @boredofcinder @cosmicuncanny  …and everyone else!

[halforc-mercenary]

What bad habit are is Mar struggling to overcome?

For a few years since Theramore had been destroyed, Mar had actually been a pipesmoker. After Theramore had been destroyed she and her second Cousin Staschko had traveled there to see if they could still find something left from their family and not only found lyschkos letterbox but also the very charred pipe of Mar and lyschkos late Mentor Andrusch Heim. Mar took the remains with her and had it restored by a woodworker for a few coins and had started, against her own better knowledge, to smoke the same pipeweed she remembered Andrusch doing whens he had still been a child as a kind of memento. 

She hated every second of it, the taste, the smell, the fact that she always got sick afterwards. In the same way she could in a strange way of self-punishment for not beeing there in theramore with her family, for not dying with them, not stop to have the urge to smoke the pipe when she was on her own, left alone with her thoughts and memories. However in first line Mar is a warrior and has to look out for her own health to keep on beeing hired as a sellsword, so eventually she came teethclenching to the conclusion that she had to stop smoking as else it would influence her own body. It made her sick in more than a physical way and the fact that Mar was aware that she was willingly punishing herself for not dying with her family, made the task to stop smoking even more urgingly. 

Mar tries to chew on peppermint leafs to keep her urge to smoke under control, so instead of chewing at the end of her Pipe when alone and in thoughts, she chews on peppermintleafs.  Only Occasionally she succeeds. 

[halforc-mercenary]

confutatis - what does your muse think about their childhood home / home life? is it a safe place? how did it impact the way they grew up? regardless of whether it is or isn’t, does your muse think it is a good place?

The Halforcs childhood Home was her Greatuncle Ansgars Longhouse set in a small village by the Coast of the Arathihighlands in which permanently oup to fifteen people live din together consisting of Mar, Her greatuncle, Ansgars Wife Brigitte, the old Thorgal, Mars Fostress Hedwig, Saskia and Björn, Ansgars sons Staschko and Lyschko, three Scribe-Students learning under Ansgar and a handful of workers for the fieldwork who would wandeirng in the seasons. In Winter teh Longhouse would be full of other faces, pirates who overwintered in the small village against a few coins, wanderers and Guests who searched for a place to spend the winter at. Mar had not known anything else before leaving for Theramore, so she could not say that it was safe or unsafe, good or bad. Mar had known that as mucha s she love dthis house thats he would someday leave, as she was after all just a “charge” and while she was raised and protected like a daughter, she would never be able to inherit any property from Ansgar as he was not her father.  In combination with the people working in the tact of thr Seasons in the Household, coming and going, Mar grew up in a enviorment of Goodbyes. She was from the day she coudl walk taken in the house as a helper, she helped cooking to learn how to cook, she helped the old Throgal in the Herbgarden to learn about herbalism, she helped weaving sewing and spinning so she woudl be able to do it for herself in her adultlife, she made decisions together with all the other members of the Household (those who were wandering or those who lived there permanently) so she would be able to make decisions for herself on her own one day, she fed the cattle and lead the sheep on her own in the summers for weeks up in the mountains so that someday when she would be older she would be able to take care of herself and keep herself alive. Mar had been raised pragmatically and while she was well loved by her Fostress, Ansgar and her cousins, it was the Households goal above anything else to prepare the girl to be able to live on her own. Mar still thinks her Greatuncles Longhouse was a good and safe place and in moments where she does not react fast enough to think pragmatic, she wishes to return to this place and time, back in the Gardens to old Thorgal, back to the kitchen with Saskia and Björn, back to the big hall in the Nights where she had slept sound and safe in her Fostress Hedwigs arms. 

[halforc-mercenary]

Buttercup - Does your muse come from a wealthy family? How wealthy is your muse on their own?

Suprisingly actually Mars family, as in her Greatuncle Ansgar, his wife, his son and the People living with them in the Household, were actually wealthy in the manner that they had a house big enough for over ten people to live into and had landproperty to let cattle live on and grow crops. However, Mar was a Charge to her Greatuncle and therefor while she was raised and loved like a Daughter by him, she had no official  rights to any inheritance by him as this right belonged to Lyschko and Staschko. So while Mar was well loved by Ansgar the only thing he could give her was as said this love and the education as a Scribe, since the inheritance was for his sons to start their own lifes as adults. So eventually Mar only owned what had been put aside in her Bridal Chest, which was only a small amount of money, householdlinen, cloth, a old shield by her Mentor, crockery and tableweaving materials. But those things, beside the shield and the hosueholdinen and cloth, were meant for Mars Mother to bring into a marriage which shows the actual Problem of Mar beeing born to Hela as Hela had no inheritance for Mar to live on to start her own life as a adult as Hela was neither married (To melt he rown property with a partners and therefor give a potential child property to live from) nor had she had lived long enough to build up wealth. Which eventually leads to teh fact that Mar ahd sold most of the objects in her Bridal Chest to buy herself a sword, the hauberk, the tent, he rhorses saddle and all the things she would need to live as a Selllsword, whcih again puts her in the situation that she like he rmother has not enough welath to be a proper marriagecandiate and therefor also has no chance to multiply this wealth through marriage. Eventually Mar has exactly the wealth that would be needed to “pay a proper Burial”, since the golden Tippelei Earing she wears on her left ear is worth this amount and the rests of her wealth is coming and going for the All-Day-Things she needs to pay for. So in this manner, Mar is rather poor, she gets by and she works and can keep her horses and herself healthy, but she is not especially wealthy.  

[halforc-mercenary]

 Random Headcanon

Mar had a short childhood.  This does not only refer to the fact that she was as soon as she was able to close a hand around a swordhilt promptly taken into training, but mostly it refers to the fact that the Halforc indeed grew a lot of faster physically than the human children around her. She was a  tiny preemie, but developt into a toddler as fast as a humaninfant and started to walk even faster. She was not a tall child, but motorically she was soon beyond humanchildren three years older than her and even faster stronger and faster physically than her two years older second Cousin Staschko and accordingly to this physically abilities she was teached in training. This does not mean that she was in her mind premature, Mar was a shy child and soon was trained to do things a child of her age was not yet able to process and she entered puberty much too early while in her mind she was still just a child.  Eventually Mar was much too soon a adult, physically and eventually as it was demanded from her that when she was physically this far she was suppose to be it in her head the same, also mentally. 

[halforc-mercenary]

𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔢

 Year 0:  The Opening of the Dark Portal that is followed by the First War

Year 5: The Fall of Stormwind

Year 6: In the Second War Mars Grandmother Margvis Flokisdottir is killed as she protects a group of Refugees while serving as  Sellsword  in a Army. Margvis kills the berserking Orc and guides the grouzp of Refugees to safety, but eventually die from her own wounds. The Refugees give Margvis the name Muthand, Bravehand, as a Thank and Margvis family (Husband, Daughter and her younger Brothers family) take over the second familyname Muthand, for its always better to be named after a Hero. Mar later changes this name to Mutthand and uses its as her own. Year 7: At the very End of the Year 7 at Midwinter, Mar is born. Under Hedwig iesenharts Care Mar is given as a Charge to her Greatuncles Household as her Grandfather Tonda does not want to put her under his protection. “Should have been drowned in the Vikken at Birth.”, had been the sentences that came from him first. 

Year 8: The destruction of the Dark Portal in Draenor. The End of the Second War and the Fall of the Old Horde.

Year 12: Mar is attacked by a mad Dog while she is outside of her Homevillage. The Dog breaks her left arm between its jaws and shreds her flesh, a scar Mar has till now and which starts to itch when she remembers the happening. Mar kills the dog with her stonedagger and drags herself back to her Homevillage. Mar would get sick and spend the next year feverish and bedridden. This would be the time she would start to have farseeing Dreams more clearly. From that time Mar is horrfied of Dogs.

Year 18: Thrall breaks out the Orcs of the Camps and  founds the new Horde.

Year 20: The Scourge sweps over Lordaeron and Quel'thalas falls to the Undead. The Scourge is stopped by Thoradins Wall. However, Mars family does not risk to be in the Highlands when the Scourge would go past the Wall and follows Jaina Proudmoores call to Kalimdor as Part of the Stromgarde Brigade as it is better for them to die in a Fight than beeing starved with the Scourge by Thoradins Wall waiting.  Mar, Her second Cousins Stascko and Lyschko are taken along as Squires by Mars Mentor Andrusch Heim. Most of the Stromgarde Brigade is slaughtered by the Warsong Orcs. 

Year 21: The Battle of month Hyjal marks the End of the third War. Mar is present at Hyjal and works in the Sickbays to help take care of wounded Soldiers.

Year 22: The Rise of Arthas as Lich King. The Survivors of Quel-Thalas name themselfs Bloodelfs. At this time Mars family helps as the few survivors of the Stromgarde Brigade to help build Theramore and settle down there. Mars oldest second Cousin Staschko returns to the Arathi Highland to become a Soldier in the Military. Mars Mentor Andrusch Heim takes Mar and Lyschko with him on Journeys to explore the new continent that is Kalimdor  and sporadically returns to theramore from time to time.  

Year 25: After four Years the conflict between Horde and the Alliance breaks out again. Mar still travels with her second Cousin lyschko and  her Mentor Andrusch Heim through Kalimdor.

Year 26: At the Opening of the Dark Portal Mar is messaged that her Granbdfathers sickness had become worse, out of Duty she returns to Theramore to take care of him with her Fostress Hedwig Iesenhart. Her second Cousin Lyschko and her Mentor Andrusch Heim leave to fight in the Outland.  

Year 27: The Lich King attacks the Living and the War in Northrend starts. At this time Mars Grandfathers sickness is at its worst and after a certaine Episodes Mar utterly shaken flees. Mar remembers the episode when she thinks of drowning. To Mars very Misfortune a few hours later she is picked up by a Goblinmerchant and promptly shipped to the Warsong Hold as a Canonfudder and Peon. Suprisingly Mar survives there. At the Warsong Hold Mar first uses the name Mar Mutthand, instead of Margvis Helasdottir. She is taken along by a Mercenary-group under the Orc Key- Ush, where she would meet the younge Orc Ahnu and his best Friend Yubei. The Mercenarygroup eventually travels to the Argentun Tournament, where Mar engages into a fight with a older Orc, demands satisfication and is thrown off in full armor off her mounts back on the frozen ground, breaking every single bone in her body. Ahnu, fighting by her side, is killed. At the Fall of the Lichking Mar is bedridden and crippled and spends the next months healing. Eventually she takes the rests of Ahnus belongings and brings them to Ashenvale to his younger twinbrothers Drakash and Rakash and his Mother and Father. 

Year 28: During the Shattering Mar is in the Warsong Camp by Ahnus Family, still not fully healed but already fighting. She spends the fourth Horde-Alliance War for Ahnus Family as a Sellsword, fighting on the side of the Horde to keep Ahnus younger Brothers Drakash and Rakash save. At the camp a Shaman treats her Migraine-Attacks. Yubei and Mar start to work as independant Mercenaries. 

Year 30: At the Fall of Theramore, Mar is in Everlook and by hearing that the Horde marchs against Theramore she travels to be with her Family. Mar comes too late, in Theramore the remainds of Mars family die, so eventually Mar changes her route and for the first time in years returns to the Arathi Highland where she reunites with her second Cousin Staschko and his spouse Thore. With nothing to return to, Mar becomes a Trollhunter (Eventually followed by a certaine Episode in her Homevillage) , while in Pandaria Yubei starts his training as a Windwalker. Following the events in her Homevillage, Mar specifically works for Merchants. 

Year 31: At the Trial of Garrosh Staschko, Mar and Thore are visitors of the Trials and are part of the fighting at the Temple. Mar still remembers Baine Bloodhoofs speak. As most of Azeroth fights the Iron Horde in Dreanor,  Staschko is killed and rised as a Forsaken by Galen Trollbane, Mar and Thore return to their Homevillage to fight off the Scourge Invasion that the Highlands escaped 11 years ago.

Year 32: The Third Invasion of the Burning Legion. Mar spends most of the Legion Invasion in the Arathi Highland, fighting off the Forsaken who had broke free of Sylvans for Trollbane and are about to turn the Highland in a own forsaken Kingdom. Mars second Cousin Staschko, corrupted by Undeath, had made it his task to take his Homearea for Trollbane and terrorize it with a group of Forsaken. Mar eventually kills Staschko at last, even thought the only one knowing it was her is Thores Mother. 

Year 33: The Blood War and start of the campain in Kul Tiras and Zandalar. Mar is by this time 26 years old and a always traveling Mercenary.

[halforc-mercenary]

𝔖𝔦𝔡𝔢 -ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔰

A collection or reappearing Characters who are connected to Mar. 

Margvis Flokadottir Muthand- Margvis was a Soldier who died before Mars Birth in  war as she protected a group of refugees from  Orcrobbers. The refugees were saved and later Margvis was given the honorific “Muthand” by them. She earned the honorific “Muthand” after her death and the rest of the family took this second surename since it is never bad to be named after a “hero”. In the House of the Chieftain in Mars Homevillage  there is a painting of Margvis and the refugees in the “history” of the village and its people on the houses walls. Mar always felt that the name “Margvis” always belonged more to her grandmother than it belonged to her (and that she could never live up to her grandmothers name)  and therefor later kept going with ‘ Mar Mutthand’ instead of Margvis Helasdottir Muthand. Mar is told that she looks like Margvis in everything but her height and her orcish features. 

Tonda Martens- Helas father, Margvis husband and Mars Grandfather. He was born and lived until his Adulthood in the kingdom of Lordearon. Mar would speak about him over her grave. She still fears him. He died in Theramore. 

Hela Tondasdottir- Mars mother. A character from which Mar knows very much of but eventually also nothing, because all she ever had been told about her had been from her relatives who had painted her in a certaine Light. She was a perfect student, but loved to run outside and skip lessons. She loved her family and village, but planned to immigrate from Arathi to Lordearon to serve a Noble as a guard as soon as she had saved enough money. She was a sweet girl with so many talents, but had a horrible temper.  She wanted to be a Healer, but loved to fight with a axe in each hand. Mar does not know what to think of her and is too scared to ask.   

Hedwig Iesenhart- Hedwig was Mars Fostress and Mother-Figure. In her Youth she had lived in Dalaran to study Magic and eventually returned to her Homevillage to work as a Soldier. She was a good friend of Mars Grandmother Margvis and gave Mar her Milkname after said Grandmother. By the time Mar was born Hedwig had already two adult Daughters and had recently divorced her Husband. Hedwig was part of the Stromgarde Brigade.  She died in Theramore. 

Ansgar Flokasen- Ansgar was the twelve years younger Brother of Mars Grandmother, as between those two characters had been only one other  child that had survived to adulthood. He had two sons: Stascko and Lyschko. His Wife was Brigitte. Ansgar took Mar in as a charge in his household, where Hedwig took her in as her child. Ansgar was a scribe and teached Mar his profession. Ansgar was part of the Stromgarde Brigade. He died in Theramore. 

Brigitte- Brigitte or “Brig”  was the Mother of Staschko and Lyschko and Ansgars wife. She was born and grew up in the Kingdom of Alterac. Mar mostly remembers her as her teaching Mar Archery and that she had put a very heavy longbow on the wall of her Home as a trophy from which Mar always thought it was too heavy to draw until Brigitte actually did so one time. Brigitte was part of teh Stromgarde Brigade, a Archer. She died in Theramore.  Floki Asksen- Mars maternal greatgrandfather.  Mar only knows about him that he, as his names obviously suggests, had very, very, very curly hair. His wifes name was Hjördis and if Mar is ever so utterly wrathful that she would go back in her line to proof a point ( I am Mar[gvis] daughter of Hela, Hela daughter of Margvis, Margvis daughter of Hjördis....etc ..) , she usually refers to Hjördis and not Floki.  (If Mar is especially pissed, she will go back to the first Trollwar with her line. At that point one should better run). 

Staschko Ansgarsen- Staschko was Brigitte and Ansgars first son, who stayed in Arathi during the third war and became a Soldier in the Refugee point until he was killed when Galen Trollbane was murdered and turned into a Forsaken. Staschko, brought back himself as a Forsaken, terrorized his Homevillage with a group of other undead Soldiers and had planned to kill the villagers and turn them into Forsaken for Trollbanes Kingdom. Mar eventually killed him. Staschko was Thores best friend and later  Life-Partner.

Lyschko Ansgarsen- He was the second son of Ansgar and Brigitte and only a few months older than Mar, so they grew up together from the crib. Where Stascko was loud and attentionseeking, Lyschko was shy and quiet. He was never noticed between Staschko demanding attention and Mar beeing always kept a very close eye due to keep her out of danger. Lyschko was taken along by Andrusch Heim as a Squire in the Stromgarde Brigade along with Mar. In Theramore Lyschko joined the Cityguard and, away from his Brother and Mar bloomed up to be a quiet but well loved young man. Lyschko died in Theramore. Mar remebers him beeing sweet, quiet and kind as she had never met him in his later years.  Thore Karlsen- Thore [speak: TorE ] is the best friend from Mars late second Cousin Staschko and was his Lover before Stascko died. Thore is the son of the Chieftain in Mars Homevillage. He had been a Soldier in the Refugee Point in the Ararthi Highland, but fled to protect his Homevillage when Galen Trollbane was brought back as a Forsaken. Since than he acts as a advisor for his father . If one wants to be a ninch-pincher then Thore and his Mother are the people who are the closest Bloodrelatives Mar still has, as Thore and Mars greatgrandfathers were siblings (Floki and his sister). 

 Yubei Shardrunner- He is a Warsong Orc, who is only two years younger than Mar. She met him in Northrend where he had been part of a Mercenarygroup which she later joined and since then they had been in contact. At that point Yubei had put ticks on Mars head, which had lead to her needing to be shaved bald and for that she had beat Yubei so ruthlessly that one of his tusks had broken off. Yubei is the person Mar would title her best friend. In the last years Yubei trains in beeing a Windwalker Monk, occasionally even as a Mistweaver when he has to patch up Mar. Occasionally as in: Very often.  Because Mar is considerably shorter than Yubei, he views her as exceptionally portable.  Yubei  has a bad habit of just lifting Mar up out of the blue and carrying her around aimlessly.  He views himself as doting, loving, and nurturing when in reality he is a damn nuisance.  They usually send eachother letters at least each month to make sure the other is still alive and to keep eachother informed about potential jobs. 

Ahnu Worgfury- He was Yubeis friend and part of the same Mercenarygroup as Mar, to whom he really fast warmed up to. He patiently smoothed out her broken Orcish over Months. Ahnu died in Northrend, a topic which Mar will not talk, mention or even think about. Mar took his Armor and belongings and brought them back to his Parents and his younger Brothers. 

Drakash and Rakash Worgfury- They are twins and the younger brothers of Ahnu. Their Mother is Granta, a shaman. Before the cataclysm Mar brought Ahnus Belongings back to Granta and stayed in the Warsong Camp to tell the Boys about their older Brothers  Adventures and since Mar had if possible left out the very bad parts of beeing a Mercenary and adventurer, the two boys are as now young adults ready to become themself adventurers. At the moment they study Magic in Silvermoon, Mar refers to them as her younger “halfbrothers” or younger brothers if she is especially loving. Usually it is Drakash who has the bad ideas and Rakash who is in the place to make sure Drakash will not set himself on fire.  They had fought in the battle for Undercity since when Rakash considers to stop the studying of Magic and become a Healer instead, which would be the first time the brothers would not walk a path together. 

Tjark Evers - (Speak. Jark) He is a young Halfelf, who is around fourteen years old. Tjark is a Merchants apprentice and spends his summers following his Teacher on ships as a Mose from harbour to Harbour, and his winters in a Tradingstation, going to school. Mar had met Tjark in Lady Topalidous Tradingstation in Stormwind and she usually checks on him every Winter. 

There are a few other characters of Ansgars Household which are also mentioned as Mar considers them familymembers:

Thorgal- A old man who had came back from decades as a Soldier in a Noblemans service in Westfall only to find his home and village eradicated by a sickness. With no family left he became a Thrall in Ansgars Household so Ansgars family would take care of him when he would grew old. He survived Theramore and now lives without Mar knowing in Stormwind. Mar remembers that she had often helped Thorgal in his garden and he had explained her very patiently which herb and vegetable he used and how. 

Andrusch Heim- He was a young man who originally immigrated from Alterac. His Hometown had been eradicted by a sickness, which he had only barely survived. His face and body had been corroded by poxscars and out of fear that he would be  still carrier of the sickness, he had never dared to touch anyone without gloves and was very uncomfortable with beeing touched. Mar took over his habit of beeing very uncomfortable when touching someone without gloves or let alone, beeing touched. Ansgar took Andrusch in in his Household so Andrusch would take Lyschko and Mar over as his Squires. Later he was part of the Stromgarde Brigade, taking the children with him as his Squires and even more later he and Lyschko travled through the Outland and Northrend together as Soldiers. Andrusch added his old shield to Mars dowry chest. He died in Theramore.

Saskia- A woman who had before marrying her late Husband Bjarne lived in Ansgars household as a thrall to save money so she and Bjarne could eventually buy themselfs a house and have a own Household. As Bjarne died in Theramore, Saskia survived and now lives together with Thorgal in Stormwind. Saskia was teached along Mar about Herbalism and often took care of the girl, when Hedwig was not around. Mar had always been eager to help Saskia cooking. Saskia and Thorgal do not know that Mar is alive. 

[halforc-mercenary]

What you need is someone you can confide in.

By the words the halforc automatically stiffned and tensed her muscles under the layers of cloth, as if she was preparing herself to react to a sudden attack.

 But even thought now her back was stiff and her shoulders straightened like a Soldier about to salute, Mars hands did not rested on the hilt of her sword and instead only adjusted the sword-belt over her chest with a huff as she avoided to look the speaker in the eyes:  “I don´t know what you mean. I confide in many people.”There was a pause as Mar was thinking. She thought that she was confiding in Yubei but then remembered that she was not writing everything in the letters they exchanged but only the things that would not worry the man.  She thought that she was confiding in Drakash and Rakash but then noticed  that she always avoided telling them of the weeks she spended with agony in sickbays to heal felshwounds, sicknesses or broken bones, but onyl told them about her good days spend on wandering. She thought tha she was confiding in Thore, but then remembered that when they talked they would only focus on topic that would not dig too deep in both their thoughts and never scratch on what lay beneath the facade they had both put on like masks since Staschko had died.  “The smith who had repaired the ripped rings on my hauberk for example. She needed to know what had cut the hauberk to repair it accordingly. ”, Mar said eventually and then crossed her stout arms under her chest like a shield. 

[halforc-mercenary]

The Weasleys: What is your favourite feature that you have?

The question amde the Halforc narrow her eyes to thin slitsö. A frown, heavy, leerily drew a long line between her thick eyebrows. For a moment she would like to say that he liked her freckles, since it were the freckles she had seen in her Greatuncles Ansgars face, and in Lyschkos and Staschkos faces so when she would stand beside the boys it would be clear that she belonged to them. But then the freckles were seldom between Orcs and looked too human, as if looking  too human was a insult. The next moment she wanted to say that she liked her tusks, thick and heavy, looking more like the tusks of a male Orc than those of a female. When she had been younger Yubei had often grabbed one of her tusks between two of his thick green fingers, joking that it sure would look pretty if she would put goldrings around the tusks like he had put around one of his and that if she wanted he would forge her one. But then she thought about the glares she would grew up under from the older Soldiers in her villages since with the dark green skin and her thick tusks it was like those soldiers would be forced to look in the face of the enemy they had fought against in two wars, everyday in which they had wished for nothing but peace.

Then she thought about her hair, long, thick and curled like the red Hair of her second cousins and Greatuncle was curled and thick. But it had not the right colour, was not red, was too dark, too different from the hair of the people that were suppose to be her kin. For a second, just a second, she thought she would say her favorite feature was her nose, since it was just as hooked as she had seen in teh faces of Ansgar and his sons, but then it was too broad, too long, too hooked to make her ever look not too human between Orcs.

Eventually the young woman did not answered the question.