The Mercenary's Valkyrie: Book One

Leader Of Bears

They were an intriguing bunch to say the least.

John, Kaden, I and the immortal all watched as burly and bearded men strode across many planks that linked their black-sailed ship to our own. Our captain had almost sobered up so he could exchange the pleasantries of sailors. They understood his slap job of language and clasped forearms frequently.

I took that as a good sign.

But the way they held themselves and dressed... that was another matter entirely. It was as if they needed to prove their success by wearing it all on the outside. Gold rings, bracelets, belts, even damn boot buckles were laden with the stuff.

If the clan's crew dressed this way, what in hells would the captain be adorned in?

My thoughts ran on until Kaden nudged me and pointed to possibly the largest man I had ever encountered on this realm or any... The very plank beneath his boots looked ready to give as it groaned in protest at his crossing.

His feet finally hit the deck of our ship and Kaden grinned knowingly when the hulk of a creature disinterestedly swatted a man out of his path like a mere insect. The wispy man looked up in anger but paled like a fish before crawling out the way of the bear incarnate.

"And we are sure that is not the captain?" I asked dryly.

I took in the black beard that traveled past his chest, to the crudely drawn black paint that traveled across his bare chest. It were as if a creature had raked black claw marks down both his shoulders. To top it all off, of course he wore a black fur cape over his impossibly wide shoulders and down his back.

"I want one." John quipped from beside me.

I snorted and Kaden frowned.

"You have one." He scoffed, cracking his own large hands in emphasis.

John threw him a side-long look. "Man, you are a tree, yes." He then cast his gaze over to the black furred mountain stomping across deck. "—but that right there is an entire forest."

"All that fur simply makes him look larger." Kaden grumbled.

"It makes him look like a buffoon." The immortal uttered as she played with a dagger disinterestedly. "He would be more careless than a blindfolded boar in combat."

I chuckled at her analysis and cast my gaze back to the planks where more of the Odian Bear clan descended onto the ship.

"Still no sign of the captain." John noted my thoughts aloud.

"The captain won't leave her ship." Kaden scoffed. "That would be entirely against the tradition of..." Kaden trailed off as his eyes fixed on something.

I followed his gaze, squinting past the sunlight above as a rope drawn taught, sailed towards us at speed and—

A figure dropped from the air in a crouch. The hood obscured their features and twin curved swords of intricate design sat crossed on the lithe body of the... Bear clan members raised their forearms above their heads in unison and crossed them before roaring—

"CAPTAIN ON DECK!" In unison they dropped onto one leg and bowed their heads in respect.

So uniform, so regimented, it was almost like...

Then the figure cast away with the hood and drew up to full height. 

The Bear clan captain was a vision if I was honest. Midnight black locks traveled in many waves down one side of her head while the other half was braided intricately into the side of her head. Thin lines of black war paint were cast in claws over her chin and under her eyes. Those eyes, were a very startling aqua blue that could pierce the hull of a ship and then some.