Iron rings clinked as leather soles sunk into the moistened earth, still not yet fully dry after the previous night's rain. The two days on the road had thoroughly imbued the young traveler with the earthy scent of the loam he tread upon, but he seemed not to mind. Though the summer evening was a little on the muggy side, the most delightful breeze would always seem to come just when the heat started to become too much. These were the quiet times for Theron... No thwarting the hand of death closing in upon him in the form of an rogue giant or some other monster, just him and some nice scenery as he traveled. At the same time though, these were the<span style="font-style: italic">boring</span>times. Sure, having a break was wonderful... but it always got real old, real fast. It would never be too long before he took the next job, just as much out of restlessness as out of financial need. Even in the time between contracts, he was almost always doing something related; repairing equipment, listening for rumors of strange sightings or events, seeking out information on other people's encounters with various creatures... All very necessary for staying alive in his line of work.<br/><br/>By that reasoning, even now one could say he was on the job... For in the town of Cairnwood, the town he was now very close to arriving in, lived one of the better bowyers on the continent. His trusted bow had been shattered in his last conflict, when the manticore he had been stalking ambushed him. It was either his hide, or the bow, so the weapon was sacrificed to parry the swipe from the beast's claws. Theron had triumphed in the end, but the unfortunate bow was reduced to splinters. While most of the time he relied on getting things done in close quarters, a strong bow came in handy and was always a good thing to have. Good enough that he bothered to be here on this muddy road, in this muggy heat, but fortunately not more than a couple of miles from his destination.<br/><br/>Fortunate indeed... Though his armor was on the lighter side, he had been marching since dawn and fatigue was setting in. His kit was made up of a maille hauberk with steel pauldrons, and a studded leather breastplate that added an extra layer of protection to the top half of his torso. Just enough protection to stop most blows, but light enough to avoid as many as possible. This middle of the road approach could also be seen in the rest of his gear. The round wooden shield strapped to his arm was not quite full sized, sacrificing coverage for maneuverability. The multiple spikes jutting out from the boss in the center of the shield's face served as both a weapon and deterrent, making up for what it lacked in body coverage. Sheathed in the scabbard upon his left hip was a blade every bit as practical as the rest of his gear. Measuring just over the length of his forearm, the stout blade lacked any ornamentation. With a stiff cross-section and finely honed edge, it was a weapon that had proven itself on many occasions, against man and monster.<br/><br/>Theron's gaze lifted up the rapidly darkening sky, enjoying the myriad of colors brought on by the setting sun. The now black canopy of the forest the road cut through, so bright and verdant during the day, stood in stark contrast to the hues of pink purple and orange now painted across the sky. While it was a beautiful sight, it also meant time was running out. Before long, the road wouldn't be visible, leaving him with no other choice but to make camp a mere stone's throw from his destination. That just would not do. Right on cue, the cooling wind tousled Theron's already wild chestnut hair, carrying away the the unpleasant heat that seemed to hang on one's person like wet clothes. The zephyr was gone just as quick as it came, but it was the little boost the young hunter needed to double his pace, racing the sun to Cairnwood before dark.<br/><br/>EDIT:<br/>Outfit ref:<div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="quotetitle"><input class="button2 btnlite" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';      this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="text-align:center;width:100px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" type="button" value="Show"/></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">http://i.imgur.com/C7Mq8.png</div></div></div><br/><br/>Face/Hair:<div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="quotetitle"><input class="button2 btnlite" onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = '';      this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="text-align:center;width:100px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" type="button" value="Show"/></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;"><a class="postlink" href="http://0.tqn.com/d/menshair/1/0/X/D/-/-/v-long-wavy-hair-men.jpg">[ img ]</a><br/><br/>(Just adjust the color, darken the skin a bit, a nice long scar on the cheek and generally enhanced grubbiness)</div></div></div>