General Texxor, the highest ranking soldier of Lucimburic, is here leading the Lucimburic militia company.  A mighty werewolf warrior, he went into the battle with the savage fury that his kind is known for.  They where their civilized masks… but when a Werewolf gets a chance at blood, their ruthless enjoyment of it can be disturbing.  Texxor’s armor is damaged, and there’s a lot of blood on it… but for the most part, not his own.

He spots Tawna with Haakon, and it seems… they know each other.  He calls to her and walks over.

“You!  You’re Tawna!  It’s been awhile! So here, you turn up!  Going through their belt pouches, I bet!”

Tawna casually slips a few coins into her own pouch.

“General Texxor,” she says respectfully.  “I have been trying, on the orders of Duke Barstow, to clear my reputation and the reputation of all the wereweasels.”

He chuckles a bit.  “If you had all these Dwarves laboring for you, maybe you could do that.  In a century or two.”

“No,” Tawna protests, “I have done honorable work.  Spying and sneaking and sniffing things out, for just causes.  There are Elves that will vouch for me.  So will he.”  She points to Haakon.  “And him, and him,” she points out the others.  “Duke Barstow said I could earn his good graces by aiding the Elves, and I have done so.  For months, I should add.”

Texxor looks at Haakon and the others.  “Is this true?”

Haakon met the gaze of the General and nodded.  "Tawna has been there in battle after battle and I've been with her as we fought our way up the Rhine and down again, liberating slaves from the Huns, including my aunt and my cousin.  We have fought together, against Orcs and Ogres and Demons.  We have flown on the back of a dragon and all that time, she has behaved impeccably without once pretending to be something she is not.  I am proud to know her and proud to love her."

“You know she is a Wereweasel, yes?”  General Texxor asks in a hesitant voice, already aware of the answer to the question, but asking in a “pro forma” fashion… just because he must.

“He knows,” Tawna says, before Haakon answers.

Texxor continues.  “With all the baggage that comes with it.. Wereweasels, their reputation, the weasel nature, their known tendencies towards deception, slyness, evasiveness…”

“Squeak,” Tawna explains.

Heolstor already knows, from Tawna, that Wereweasels are not held in high regard in Lucimburic.   He also knows that fault can be found with Werewolves, too… but it is the Lucimburic belief, a philosophy strongly held throughout the Duchy, that the creation of the Werefolk was the Divine work of Diana, and therefore, every kind of Werecreature must have a part to play in the greater whole.  Texxor knows this too, and senses that he cannot go too far in disparaging the Wereweasels.

“Not that… of course Great Diana would not have made Wereweasels if they did not have their function,” he says.  “There are those roles that are well served by deception, slyness, and evasiveness.”

“Some Wereweasels are lawyers,” Tawna admits.  She turns to Haakon.  “I should have told you,” she says.  “I know… I told you about the spies and assassins… but I was afraid.. lawyers… that would have been too much. "

Haakon says "Yes Sir" to all the questions until Tawna mentions the fact that some Wereweasels were lawyers.  To that, he says, "Nobody's perfect and if you can tolerate me being a furrier, how could I complain about some wereweasels being lawyers?"

To the general, he says, "Of course I know Tawna's a wereweasel, she has traveled in my pocket.  Of course I know she's sneaky and the like, so am I and I'm a human.  She gets worried when she sees me doing stuff that might be considered 'brave'.  She pretends its because she has invested a lot in me, but I have invested a lot in her and that in the currency of the heart.  You should not make assumptions where we are concerned.  If Tawna is representative of wereweasels, then their so-called reputation is Cattle manure."

”Well, it is not my place to make summary judgments of you in the field,” Texxor says.  “I am sure the Duke will want to see you when you return.  He is.. soft.. for a Duke, but he is strong when it counts, and if Diana is with us he will make a wise decision.  I have a meeting to attend to.  Do not shame us, Wereweasel.”

Tawna waits until Texxor’s back is turned and he is out of earshot, and then mocks him:  “Do not shame us, werewolf… you see what it’s been like, Haakon?  He’s a werewolf.  Violence and fury are in his soul.  He stands there, suppressing urges to tear us apart with his teeth, and he thinks I am the one not to trust.  Our clan will be redeemed.  And the next generation of Wereweasels will be smart, polished, educated, and respected.”

The evening camps have sprung up.  No one had time for it before- every moment, every effort was given over to preparing for the battle.

Alongside the fallen Great Home Trees that make up the walls of the fortress, lean-to shelters and fires are appearing.  There were no fires last night- the position had to be kept secret, but now, there is less need for caution.  Haakon and Tawna camp for the night with the others, with Tawna looking forward to returning home to Lucimburic.

Haakon relishes the opportunity to sleep near an open fire under the stars for once, instead of under a roof surrounded by oppressive walls that might close in at any time.  He laid down a blanket on the ground and made up a bed or a nest for Himself and Tawna.  He took her to bed and in the night whispered, "I am a human, my soul is filled with curiosity and constant change.  I hope you will not hold this against me."

It is two nights before the Solstice, and it is very cold, and very silent, and very dark, and after nightfall there is a light, icy snow blowing around.  The world is ice and shadow.

Tawna is convinced Haakon is insane.  Sometimes.  Like now.

Maybe, she thinks, he is trying to imagine himself living among his Germanic barbarian ancestors- but this time of year, they'd be in a house, under a pile of furs.  And drunk.

He wants to sleep under stars, she lets him.  Tawna, at least, has a warm place to stay.

Several times, she investigates during the night.  There seems to be another military move being developed, but it only involves a select few and no one's selected Haakon.  She lets him sleep.  They've earned it.  Tomorrow, they will go back home.

Haakon awakened in the night under his pile of furs and looked in vain for Tawna.  Then he saw her come to inspect him and grinned, "You know", he told her, "It really is warm under here, and it'd be warmer still if you were here too".

But mostly, he just slept and waited for morning.

(Morning will be back in the Encounter at Beda thread)