Ah, if only Imenry had been born several thousand miles north - or Hilda south. The blonde skald saw her as a lost sister already, a kindred spirit separated by distance in their youth, but wyrds united in fast friendship in Ferelden. The Warden-Commander's off the cuff remarks about the Blight bringing people together were not entirely untrue. The business of butchering, wrapping and shouldering the burden of the deer was practically a domestic chore, and one Hilda and Imenry undertook with the same sort of casual contentment as less formidable females had folding laundry. Hilda's hands were dextrous with twine knots - always carry a piece of strong, Sanja would have laughed, a private joke among Aelric's scions - and her strong frame did not disappoint in its ability to carry her half of the deer.
Imenry's questions were met with bright, open answers; Hilda, as skald, did not believe knowledge was a thing to be hoarded, but rather to be freely shared and made proud of. "Gunnarr is mein mentor. I am hees apprentice, hees skald-second, ontil I complete mein jorneyman-qvest. I haff known heem most of mein life. He is more oncle den tetcher," she joked, grinning, "bot is vunderful skald also. Gunnarr vos at der fighting in Denerim, der last Blightwar, ja? He saw der dragon und der Warden at Fort Drakon. His master-piece vos der final battle."
The suggestion about practice in Redcliffe was met with enthusiasm, her smile genuine - "I am looking forvard to eet, Imenry Barras" - and that was another odd habit of hers that was occasionally seen, how she called people by their full name as a sort of honor when she was being entirely sincere. As they go she kept an eye out for herbs, but at the same time began to enthusiastically describe the banya of her people to Imenry: "Is ferry smoll house, like size of bedroom, mit benches und cheemney und a leetle heart' for fire. Offer der fire hyu mekk a metal grate, und hyu pot beeg rocks on der grate so dot der fire heat dem und der smoke rise out der cheemney. To make der steam, hyu tekk bocket of snow, melt inside door of der banya, den tekk ladle und pour vater offer der stones, psssshh!" She gestured and laughed, making the sound of the steam produced by cold water contacting the hot rocks. "Is ferry varm und nice inside, best vay to keep clean in der vinter, good for sore legs und arms."
And then Imenry begins to speak about her mother, and Hilda's smile softens a bit, thinking of her own mother, her sisters. "She is alvays mit hyu, hyu know. Mein mother, she tell us dot eef ve are effar in doubt, ve can jost look in mirror und know she luff us so much ve wear her face. Mebbe if I tetch hyu to cook a leetle, hyu feel closer to her, ja?"