Callum, a highland warrior

Feeling slightly nervous about his first visit ever to a proper city, the largest stronghold in the part of the highlands which he originated from was barely large enough that you could call it a town without snickering, Callum recalled what one of the elders in his village had told him of the more civilized parts of the world, more specifically that a challenge from a guard such as this one should not be handled in the customary manner of the highlanders, which was to make yourself as imposing as possible until either you or the challenger backed down, and Callum certainly had a knack for making himself look imposing.

“Oh shit,” the guard muttered as he tried to decide just how large the bastard coming towards him was. The man, and it was undeniably a man, no god would be cruel enough to create a woman with a build like that, was absolutely massive in his proportions, with his thick arms and wide shoulders combined with the fact that he was probably closer to six and half than to six feet in height, made the guard suspect that the newcomer would have a hard time fitting into most of Zatakia’s outhouses.

Despite his youth, made clear by the fact that he had no beard but a pathetically thin scattering of hair on his chin and a few longer strands growing down towards his Adam’s apple, the stranger looked like he’d already seen some action, as testified to by the four scars that ran across his bare stomach and which looked as though they’d been put there by a bear or some other large animal, and he wore nothing more than a loincloth underneath the heavy fur-lined cloak that protected him from the rain, while there was a steady squishing noise produced by the impact of his heavy boots against the increasingly soaked road.

From his scant clothing and the coloured pieces of string and cloth that decorated the sheath of the stranger’s long sword, the guard could tell that he was from the parts of the highlands which lay beyond Zatakia’s civilising influence, and the fact that he looked little more than eighteen or nineteen meant that he had most likely come to the city to follow in the footsteps of the thousands of his brethren that had served in its armies since long before the great war, being too young to have participated in the colossal bloodshed of the last couple of years.

“Greetings,” Callum addressed the guard, remembering the elders’ advice to remain curt and decisive in his dealings with those who guarded the gates and streets of the civilised cities, and how their lengthy explanation of the corruption which such men often allowed themselves to become engaged in and the heated discussion on how best to demonstrate that one wasn’t a simpleton from the wilderness who would make a perfect candidate for some extortion and perhaps even to be into slavery.

And then of course there was his mother’s advice to not allow his temper to get the better of him, while his father knew him well enough to do little but smile sardonically at the advice that his wife offered their son.

“What’s your business in Zatakia?” The guard asked, having recuperated enough from his earlier fright at having the massive stranger materialize from out of the setting darkness to address him with a tired, disinterested tone.

“To offer my services as a soldier,” Callum replied, repeating the word for word the phrase that the elders had told him to use if asked such a question.

“Right, well, we can’t have any more penniless types get into the city,” the guard began, venturing to find out just how gullible the brute might be, “got any coins?”

“I’ve got enough,” being quite nervous about his first visit to a proper city, Callum needed a few extra seconds to recall the advice to move his hand closer to the hilt of his sword as a sign that he was willing to fight to protect his property.

“Good,” the guard grumbled out, disappointed at the stranger not being dim-witted enough to allow him to get his hands on some of his money, “enjoy your stay.”

Nodding in thanks to the guard for stepping out of his way, Callum entered Zatakia determined to find a bed for the night.