The axman turned his head when the king appeared and grunted an answer “Koreshian Skull Splitter.”  He then silently sat his horse and munched jerky while the man got his mount.  He even gave the fellow a thoughtful gaze when he rejoined him and explained he was not a weak king.  A small smile played across the barbarians chiseled features “no King Gerald I do not take you for a lily white skinned ruler, but I also do not trust you.”  His smile grew a bit then and he added “just like you do not trust me. You would be a fool if you did trust me.”  He then looked to the lighting horizon and seemed lost in thought a moment.<br/><br/>When he turned his features back to Gerald the rest of the men were getting ready to move. “You probably already know but the ones who took your Queen are trouble for the north as well. Our tribes, we bicker, we squabble, my situation is not an unusual one but I will tend it. But these new ones they talk of binding us all together to make a concerted push. I am not so sure I like that prospect.” His pale blue eyes fixed on the other man a moment and let that sink in. Then he touched his horse’s flank and set off moving further north with the determined gait of a fine hound that had caught scent.