I shuffle my feet into the proper stance and put a piece of wood on top of my foot. I go for a high guard against her overhead swing. I catch her wrist and then redirect the axe to my side where it embeds itself into the frozen ground.  I then toss the piece of wood up with my foot where it lands on the axe. Then I step on them both. Using the wood to protect my foot from the axe

The axe is stuck in the wood, almost poking through from the force of the impact. She frantically realizes she has dropped her axe, and she realizes both that her axe needs sharpening still AND that she is demeaning herself.

"YES! HELP ME, YOU DAMN SLAVE OF THE WEAK GODS!" She has smashed the wood to reach her axe, and is no longer fighting Magnus with will or action.

OOC: She HAS Resolve left, but she's not willing to break herself over this, especially not after that failure.

"Sit down and hold still. This will take a bit."

Once again I'll move to her back and feel the flow of chi within her. I'll redirect her chi flows back into a healthy flow using massage and pressure point techniques.

If there is something preventing her flows from returning to normal, I'll analyze it.

The ritual goes as it should, as the silence that comes with an axe not being sharpened are the rewards of a successful chi redirection.

She promptly stands up, raises her axe over her head...and promptly breaks down in tears once more. "You could have, and should have killed me. I owe you my life."

Her voice goes bitter and harsh. "Your god must be proud of you, ulfhedin, and I hope mine frees me soon."

Tariel chimes in. "A life debt from a jotan is not a trivial matter. As beings that are part spirit, that one will serve you until you perish, or she does, even unto an order of mortality."

"Thank you, ball, for explaining that to him."

Without a hint of sarcasm, Tariel replies to her. "This one is glad to be of service."

At that she growls, stands up and prepares to destroy the offending Archon.

"Don't kill the Lantern Archon, Tariel. Mortal Sarcasm is a bit beyond him. Let's sit down and talk for awhile."

I'm expecting her to listen to me. But if she doesn't I'll parry for Tariel.

Once we sit down I will continue.

"My name is Magnus. What is your name? What is the meaning of the word Urfhedin?"

She barely stops herself, and Tariel only flickers white for a moment. "Fine."

She sits, stewing, and debates for a moment whether to even reply to Magnus. "I am Frath. Urfhedin means feared warrior, death of tribe."

Tariel hums briefly. "This one will be returning to Elysium. There is a needed understanding of mortal nuance this one lacks, and this one believes it will only increase the tension among the gathering mortals."

"Go ahead Tariel. I'll summon you back in the morning unless you would like to be back sooner."

I'll turn back to Frath.
"I see Frath. Could you tell me about the details of this Life Debt?
Is there a way to be released from it without the death of ether of us?"

"Make any summon short. It is best for Magnus." Tariel fades with those words.

Froth looks at you and rolls her eyes. "Typical small folk, not understanding this. It is further evidence of your weakness to us. A life debt means you own my life, and can order me to die, or anything short of that. It ends when one of us dies, and I can't be the one to kill you...even if I thought I could. Don't be flattered, though. Jarl Statrorr owns it as well, along the lives of all three of the jotan tribes that serve him."

"Hope you weren't planning on killing him with my help." She grins. "I would not do it, any more than I would kill you."

"That Jarl Statrorr sounds like who I have been sent to kill. You and the others of your tribes are obligated to try to stop me, Correct?

I wonder if there is a way for me just to challenge him directly so I don't have to kill everyone in your tribe."

Frath thinks a moment smiling at a thought, and then frowns. "I want to tell you to do this thing. But clan tradition says he is not required to accept a challenge from small folk, and he would just have the whole tribe beat you to death with rocks while he laughed at your insolent face. So, no. Do not do this thing. I will have to stop you from trying to save your life."

"And yes. We are required to stop you. He is jarl, and his word is law." She looks around, suddenly puzzled. "Where are slaves? I recall them being released as trick to slow you down, and then my head starts to hurt thinking of what happened next. All fuzzy."

"I released them and then gave them some food.

How does your tribe make a living? there is raiding but what else do they do?"

"Waste of good slaves. They will probably get themselves lost and eaten by frostwolves." Frath shrugged, and then got confused as she thought about your question. "I may not understand your words. Warriors go to war; even your word 'warrior' makes that clear. What else is there to do that is not beneath warriors? Anything else is slave work or leisure."

"I see. So everyone in your tribe is a warrior and you rely on slaves to do the chores.
Indeed. The word Warrior implies that they go to war. Some would think it beneath them, others would not.

...So Frostwolfs hunt in this area. Do you know of any packs around here?"

"Not all who do work are slaves. Some of jotan simply too old or weak to fight, either because they are child or because wounded. Unlike small people, they know place - weak below strong - and don't fight or disrespect. Reward is standing above slave." Frath smiles. "Others find thing out of war that give joy like battle. Always personal, and do by choice. Rest of jobs, slave work."

She looked around, in an exaggerated search for something. "And I don't know of any frostwolves here. I know they are in area. We take good frostwolves, make companions of them. Bad frostwolves put down when they forget place, or run away and make more. Serve good purpose either way: weak that cannot or will not serve strong, die or flee, to eventually die in Fimbulwinter."

She grinned at Magnus, which on her is an expression of clear hostility. "Why? Think stupid slaves eaten by wolves already?"

"I suppose I should go and check. I'll let you have a choice. You can ether camp here and fend off the wolfs by yourself while I go back and defend the former slaves for the night. Or you can come with me and help me defend them.

I would say that it is in your best interest to help me. You need to sleep sometime. And it is good to have someone to watch your back.

So What will it be Frath?"

She stands up, giving a cold gaze from her icy blue eyes. "I choose neither, death of tribe. I owe you a life debt, so I will defend you."

"I am ready when you are, death of tribe."

"... Just Fight when I say fight. And Leave the Former slaves alone. Gather the things from your camp."

I'll gather a load for myself and lead her back to the other camp once she has a load.

I'll let my mark shine to light the way.

I probably end up walking past the devastation I caused to the ranks of giants and orks.

Once I get back to camp I'll say to the two there.

"This Jotun owes me a Life Debt. Leave her alone and she won't bother you."

I'll set the load I have down.

"Ok. Can't let the stuff they had go to waste. Time to gather the dead giant's stuff. Help me gather their stuff together Frath "

Do they have something equivalent to a shovel with their stuff?

I'll ask Frath.

"How do Jotun funeral rites go?"

Adaline and Brom uneasily note Frath's presence, as she coldly notes them back. She is not so stoic looking at the scorched terrain and the incinerated remains of her warband. "Muspelheim..."

"Three escaped. I do not see the sorcerer, and I don't know which two escaped with him. Can't recognize bodies." She's taking their deaths well, all considering. Frath looks to the slaves, and then to a pile of clothes and armor near them. Adaline and Brom had armed themselves, and Adaline was now wearing thicker furs than before, armor clearly improvised. Brom was wearing the greenskin chain and using one of their greatswords. "They have beaten you to it. Likely the male did it."

Frath then tosses a shovel to them, one of the things she was carrying from the camp. "Dig holes. Bury dead. Not want to draw scavengers."

Brom goes to pick up the shovel, shrugging. Adaline elbows him sharply, giving him a look of irritation. "Hell no. Dig your own graves for your own people. We aren't your slaves anymore."

Frath stomps up to her, towering over her radiating fury. "I give order, slave. DIG! Or I break you!"

Adaline is barely standing her ground against this, shaking in fear, and Frath is clearly ready to strike her. Brom is putting a hand on Adaline's shoulder, and giving Magnus a concerned look.

"Stop Frath. I gave you an order to leave those two former slaves alone."
My voice radiates calm menace with those words.

"I was going to bury the dead to give the dead their due. But Frath does have a point. Scavengers will be attracted to these bodies. So for camp safety they do need to be buried.

I want both of you to be able to make it back to Civilization. If you don't want to help with camp sanitation. I could have you do weapon drills with one of those great swords to get you ready. Which would you prefer Adaline"

"I ain't got a problem with digging holes and doing work, milord." Adaline suddenly finds her nerve and stops shaking. "My problem is being ordered because this ox thinks we are still her slaves."

"You ARE still a slave, schutta, and always will be!" Frath's voice booms, echoing through the forest. "You are the weak, and owe the strong a life-debt because we haven't killed you!"

She turns to Magnus clearly enraged. "They are not obeying, and dare to talk back to their betters! They forget their place! Punish them, or have me do it!" She glances back to Adaline, speaking coldly. "Please have me do it."

"Frath. They where captured by a being outside your tribe. This being could do what ever he wanted to them. But He chose to free them. Therefor they are not slaves of your tribe anymore.
I choose to treat those weaker than me with kindness and respect. I extended this to you. Now you extend this to them. Treat them Like civilized beings, Like equals to you in your tribe.
You will not like this one bit. But let me put it this way. Someone you owe a Life Debt has ordered it."

"They are not..!" Frath took a deep breath to calm down. "...our equals. You can choose to not use slaves. That is fine. Stupid, but fine. And you do not want me to recapture or kill them. That is also clear, if also stupid."

"But they are useless if they do not help. Slow you down. Burden. It why we send them after you. Paerthaeth believed the views of the small people would slow you down and make you easier to track." She looked again at the scorched remains. "Judging from what is left, he was right. Ramarrhaz chasing, in the end."

"Looks like you are the weak with us, owing your life to the same man. Welcome to the little people tribe, jotan." Adaline is triumphant until Frath quickly feints a punch to her, causing her to flinch reflexively.

"To Muspelheim." Frath doesn't do anything, and just calms down slightly. "So, who burying bodies, if not useless slaves?"

"I will. Lord Magnus and yourself make good points. We should bury the bodies to hide the scent of recent death." Brom immediately begins digging. "But Lord Magnus has done enough for us, and neither Adaline nor you will do it. So it falls on me."

Adaline immediately pulls up one of the large axes from their pile of plunder. "I'll break up the ground for you, Brom. You shouldn't do all the work."

Frath is simply sulking, looking outwards, growling something in her own language. "So, what is plan? Four of us simply come at Jotanheim Castle, and two watch while I die trying to save you from yourself?"

OOC: No events happen that night. Anytime you want to move this on, you may announce it in orange, and start the next day. If you want to continue the scene, you may.

"I do need to exercise a bit tonight. I'll help break up the ground for a bit. As for my plan... I don't have one yet. Probably use myself as bait to draw out a part of his force and destroy it. Whittle him down enough where I can assault. This will be difficult enough for me to actually have to take my armor off."

I'll take off my armor.

Then I'll start doing very stompy kata's in the area that we are planing to bury the bodies in. Hitting the ground with all my might to break up the sod and ground. Using Mountain hammer when I can.

After I do that for about an hour I will read the scrolls and Practice what I read for about an hour.

After that I'll work on making warm cloths for myself using the furs that the giants had. Preferably making them so that I have good freedom of movement.

I look at Adaline and Brom and think for a moment. I'll ask them
"... I would like to make some warm cloths for myself out of these. Would you help me with make this? or... You might be better than me at this. So could I help you make them?"

With a large knife, and some debate during which Adaline takes the lead in the project, Magnus ends up with a surprisingly well-cut coat made of black bear hide. Frath simply looks on, bewildered at Magnus aiding anyone. It's only during katas that Frath shows real interest, but she says nothing.

Brom suggests burying the armor in a bag, for ease and speed of movement, and leaving a marker next to the point of burial that Magnus can recognize.

I smile at the coat and Comment
"This is nice. I really like this coat. Thank you Adaline."

I'll Reply to Brom.
"That is a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion."

I'll oil up my armor and put it in a bag and then bury the bag
I'll make a token mark on a tree with my dagger.

OOC: I'm ready to move on to the next day.