JP - The Keep - The Finn Arrives

“Hei! Hei!” A clawed up woman wearing nothing but rags and a still bloody fresh bearskin shouted at the gates. She looked harmless and was wounded so the guards threw open the gate and let her in. They tried to lead her to the healing room, but she smelled food and proceeded to completely ignore them, stubbornly walking to the Main Hall where she proceeded to devour anything edible she could reach.

Bjorn, the poor amnesiac, could only sit and watch as the woman ate the food. It encouraged him to eat his own.

“Ketä sinä katsot?” Piritta asked between bites of food.

Bjorn didn’t understand why, but he knew what she was saying. “Uh…sorry, I just…you look injured. Are you okay?” He asked.

“Voin hyvin. Olen helvetin kaunis.” Piritta said, wolfing down more food, cleaning off her own plate and starting to grab poor Bjorn’s food.

Bjorn didn’t stop her. “Well, you are indeed a beautiful young woman, but perhaps you’d like to wash off the blood? Is that…bear skin?” He was mesmerized by her, tilting his head to the side and not even noticing the interesting sparks twirling around his unicorn horn.

“Ruoka ensin, sitten kylpy. Joo, iso ruma karhu.” Piritta stuffed food in her mouth and watched the sparkling lights on Bjorn’s horn. “Mitä teet?”

"I'm just sitting here…" Bjorn admitted as the sparks stopped. "I'm Bjorn, by the way. Nice to meet you…?" He held out a hand politely to her.

“Hauska tavata.” Piritta said, shaking Bjorn’s hand with her own hand which had dried blood in her knuckles and under her nails. “Torvisi kimalsi.”

Bjorn touched his horn and frowned. "It did?" He asked in a worried tone. He did not mind the blood or mess that Piritta was in so long as she was okay.

“Joo. Kuin salama.” Piritta had cleaned off Bjorn’s plate and looked like her hunger was sated for the moment.

Difyr came into the Main Hall and spotted the new girl sitting by that unicorn man with amnesia. She went over and introduced herself. “Hello, I’m Difyr Bateman, the healer here.”

“Hauska tavata. En välitä, minä pärjään.” Piritta shrugged.

Difyr of course did not understand a single word Piritta said.

“She said ‘nice to meet you’ and she doesn’t care. She’s fine.” Bjorn translated as he drank some of his water.

“That wasn’t just babbling?” Difyr was relieved that the woman was speaking actual words. “What language is she speaking?”

Bjorn shrugged. “I don’t know,” He answered. “I just know my brain seems to understand it.”

“Oh.” Difyr said. “Well I can see that she has some deep scratches on her- is that a fresh bearskin? She needs medical attention for those scratches.”

“Will you let her help you?” Bjorn asked Piritta.

“En tarvitse apua. Tarvitsin vain ruokaa. Nyt tarvitsen kylpyyn.” Piritta muttered.

“But you have injuries…” Bjorn pointed out. “Will you let her examine you? She’ll let you bathe after, I’m sure.”

Piritta rolled her eyes. “Okei. Mutta mielestäni hän näyttää perverssiltä.”

“How does a doctor look like a pervert?!” Bjorn blurted in confusion.

“Kuten hän näyttää” Piritta shrugged, pointing at Difyr.

“Is she going to let me help her?” Difyr asked.

Bjorn just groaned. “Go bathe first then.” He told her with a wave of his hand. With his annoyance some more sparks twirled around his horn.

“Missä on sauna?” Piritta asked.

Bjorn looked at Difyr. “Is there a sauna here? She asked where the sauna is.”

“Those steaming things? No, we don’t have a sauna.” Difyr said.

Piritta had a disgusted look. “Minulla ei ole mitään syytä jäädä tänne.”

"We could build one!" Bjorn blurted. "Well, I could try. I don't know if I actually can because I don't remember much, but I'm willing to do it if it helps." His face was flushed as he sat there, the horn on his head practically glowing. "Stupid horn…you're blinding me…"

“Oletko kiimainen?” Piritta raised an eyebrow. She shook her head. “Tyydyn toistaiseksi kylpyyn.”

"What? No. My horn kinda just reacts when I'm nervous or upset." Bjorn explained. "She'll settle for a bath for now, miss…what was your name again?" He hadn't learned everyone's names yet.

“I’m Difyr Bateman.” Difyr said.

“Olen Piritta.” Piritta said. “Missä kylpyamme on?”

“Uh…I don’t know. I recently got here.” Bjorn told Piritta and looked back to Difyr. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Bateman. My name is Bjorn and this is Piritta. She wants to know where the bathtub is.”

Difyr pointed to the door leading to the stairway to the kitchen. “The baths are past the kitchen.”

For not speaking any Common, Piritta seemed to understand it well enough to take off towards the bath, shedding her bearskin along the way.

“Uh, nice to meet you, Bjorn.” Difyr said, slightly stunned from the interaction with Piritta.

Bjorn blinked, watching that beautiful ass leave. "Such an interesting woman." He mused and looked at Difyr. "So…I still haven't gotten any answers about why I can't remember anything. Will someone come help me figure out where to go or what to do?"

"Bai said something about tracking where you came from." Difyr said. "I can look at your head for any signs of injury."

“That would be very appreciated,” Bjorn replied and pulled down the hood of his jacket. His hair was wild and in an obvious need of a good brushing.

Difyr gently parted Bjorn’s hair until she found a deep scar. She traced it from his horn to the back of his head, frowning. There was little she could do. She could put a salve on it but it would not return his memories. “You have a scar… I have salve but it will do more to fade the appearance of the scar than heal beneath… Bai couldn’t help you? Or Alex?”

“Bai had business before he could help and I have not met this Alex…I don’t think.” Bjorn bit his bottom lip. “I can’t remember. I forget things very easily, it seems…I apologize, miss Difyr.” He looked down at the floor, ashamed.

“Maybe Alex can help.” Difyr said, feeling sad for the poor guy. She knew of older people having memory problems, but Bjorn seems young.

“Do you think it has anything to do with what you found on my head and…this?” Bjorn asked, gesturing to the symbol they had all found earlier.

“Yeah.” Difyr nodded. “Alex might be able to do more about that mark.”

“I don’t think I’ve even met Alex yet.” Bjorn admitted.

“He might be in bed already, but maybe tomorrow morning…” Difyr suggested.

Bjorn nodded and got to his feet. “I’ll clean the dishes and head to the room they gave me for now.” He explained and gave Difyr a kind smile. “Thank you for your assistance, Miss Difyr. It’s been a pleasure meeting and speaking to you.”

Turning, he made his way to the kitchen so he could clean the dishes.

“Hello.” Ila greeted, drying and putting plates away.

“Oh, Uhm…hello,” Bjorn said, a light blush forming on his face. He hadn’t realized anyone would be in the kitchen. “I just…uh…wanted to wash the dishes I and the new girl used.”

“Oh, you can just leave them by the sink.” Ila said, pretending to not notice the new girl streaking out of the kitchen in nothing but a towel.

Bjorn did notice and wanted to facepalm, but resisted the urge, smiling at Ila. “If you’re fine with that…I just want to help.”

“Sure, there are plenty of dirty dishes to go around.” Ila said.

Bjorn smiled and happily helped, careful not to let his scimitars bump anyone. “Are you often in here, Miss?” He asked.

“Most of the time.” Ila admitted. She felt safer in the kitchen.

“Is it because you work here or because it’s just comfortable?” He inquired as he cleaned the dishes calmly.

“Both.” Ila said. “It’s quiet and usually not too many people are down here.”