Skulhøy Bulwark [Accesspoint from land]

Roxanne Fletcher (Since you're already on land, you can just go here)

Brunn's liquor might have a say in her not feeling cold because up in Skulhøy region it was definitely getting colder. Frosty it was not, but neither was it a warm spring in Isra - and certainly not today. As Roxanne approached the massive gates to Skulhøy she would hear a load roar as the gates went up and the sound of hooves on the ground would be heard as a dozen soldiers rode out on horses with their captain leading the charge on an armored grizzly bear. The soldiers wouldn't notice Roxanne until the last moment where the captain pulled his reins and avoided riding right through her. However the captain quickly circled around and and signaled his soldiers to follow him as he slowly approached Roxanne though his lieutenant seemed not to understand why they would make a halt since they were in such a hurry.

"Who... Are you?" he asked firmly and frowned removing the helmet for a moment revealing a young but scared face with shoulder long brown hair and a build that might in someway having you think about dwarves, though he was about as tall as Roxanne. "The city is closed for tourists right now with the crisis going on, you should head back where you came from... unless you have been summoned?" he spoke quickly.

"You haven't heard of it? Well it started a few days ago so I guess some of the southern areas haven't heard about it yet." he said and scratched his head. "I don't know any Brunn, but if you reckon you have the guts to help out in battle, you should definitely come along." the man said and eyed Roxanne's sword. "We have to move now so if you're joining us jump onto the back of 'Ol' Furry' here and grab on tight!" he said and tugged the reins to have the bear kneel down so Roxanne could better mount it. Once Roxanne had jumped up on the bear he would have it rise again before they raced ahead towards their target.

"The thing is - this is the frontier up here and all the really nasty beasts and monsters all live north of here - mainly because we're here driving the back. But lately they've seemed to come down the mountains and out of their swamps and caves seeking food in the nearby villages. First it was sheep, cows and chickens, but larger groups have threatened the peace and we fear that one of the outer most villages, Salrod, might have suffered even worse. We had a runner down here earlier today that told of hordes of creatures attacking the village in the night. Frankly we fear the worst." he said and turned his head back towards Roxanne who's coat might have been suffering even more from the branches that ripped into it as the roads here were neither paved nor prepared for this kind of rushed travel.

"Are you still with me back there?" he asked with a grin as the bear rushed through the woods with his men chasing it. "By the way I'm Korli! What was your name again?" he asked as he seemed to be perfectly able to balance both the act of controlling the bear and doing meaningful conversation with Roxanne at the same time. "Also that fur coat looks far too fragile to have been from Taingaard origin - from where do you hail?"

Korli frowned and turned his head towards Roxanne for a moment again.
"Monster hunter..?" he asked as he seemed to doubt that for a moment, but he had met many who had proved him wrong in the end. "Then you're more than needed!" he said and gave her a genuine smile deciding to believe her as not many would willingly jump on a bear in the prospect of fighting monsters. "However don't expect wolves, they are but pets in comparison. There is a reason while I'm riding ol' husky here." he said his smile turning wry. "No the beasts and monsters are far more vile. Some quite intelligent while others are more like the force of nature - I hope you're a seasoned monster hunter." he said with a bit of humor to his voice.

"Unfortunately we don't yet know who these bastards are, but we're going to find out." he said decisively. "If you're still hanging on, grab even tighter!" he warned her as the bear suddenly starting running even faster through the woods hoping Roxanne could handle such a beast between her legs. Korli listened to Roxanne but as they raced through the woods he had no longer much mental room for answering her questions immediately. 'So many questions, who would expect me to answer all those right now?' he thought with a faint grin. A little while later however Korli raised his hand and they made pause in a small clearing and the bear lay down on the stomach allowing Korli and Roxanne to dismount.

"He just needs a short while to relax and now that we're getting closer to the village it's best to give him a bit of time to read the scent in the air also. If there are any after us or in front of us he'll tell us." Korli said and padded the large brown bear on the shoulder as it made a baritone grunt.

"I did listen to what you asked and I'll answer you now. This bear is indeed one I've tamed myself, and if you said you're from Asgeir and lived in Isra you wouldn't know that it was old Taingaard tradition for us living in Skulhøy to tame wild bears and ride to war in them - but I'm the first in more than a hundred years to take up the tradition." he said with some pride to his voice. "To why I believe I've already told you - he's quite handy in a battle. Aren't there anyone in Isra that trains wild beasts or befriends them?" Korli asked slightly surprised.

"You need something to eat?" he suddenly asked thinking she had traveled far and had had no rest before she was picked up and tossed into battle. Korli offered her a satchel containing something akin to jerky in the case she needed it.

She definitely seemed ready to deal with anything that came her way and Korli was quite eager to see what she going for her when she really put her mind and body into it.
"Taming bears is something that have run in the blood of us Skulhøy people for so many generations now. They say we have a special connection to these beasts which allows us to communicate with them more freely than other people." Korli said and couldn't help smiling slightly feeling proud as she commended his efforts.

"But to be honest I think everyone can do it if they have they have the right intention. The bear has to feel comfortable around you and the first thing you'll do is to make physical contact with it so it will get to know you and you will get to know it." he said and turned towards the bear that was now resting on its stomach and snorting slightly. "It's not so different as with dogs or cats actually - just don't show it that you're afraid or it will think that you're prey." he said and sat down in front of it stroking it's nose waving Roxanne close to him.

"Now you try it. They are very sensitive on their heads so no sudden jerking movements or your hand might come off!" he said and laughed. "Don't be afraid of stroking this big boy - it might feel a but fuzzy on the palm the first time and he might shake a bit but that's only because he likes it." Korli said inviting Roxanne to pet the bear.