CHAPTER 2: DUCK STEW Written by: Dryst Starring:
Ulster	Camden	Dryst	Gallo	Hula	Iria

--- Sacred King Calendar, Month 8 , Year 216 ---
-- Town south of Lothian --

Ulster sat dejectedly with his craven comrades. Might as well eat something he thought to himself.

Camden, who had been stirring the stew, let out a small gasp. "Is this meat? Why, I haven't eaten meat since...er, well..."

"Where did we get meat?" Asked Ulster.

"From Hula," Dryst said.

"I wondered where she'd gone off to"

Camden nodded. "It's just like our Dryst to think of something so useful as a hunting trip!"

There was a tangible moment of silence as everyone waited for Bagdeagus to deride Camden's brown-nosing of Dryst. Ulster could not beleive it when he felt a twinge of sorrow that the loud, brash barbarian was somewhere else, serving another Lord.

It was Dryst who broke the silence. "Who says I sent her to hunt?"

Camden, who was about to taste-test the stew, stopped dead. "Eh?"

"Don't be stupid. I sent her to see where Teath was going."

"That's right," Gallo added, "I overheard Teath and Victoria talking about leaving for other Lords."

Iria started the tiniest bit at the sound of Victoria's name. "...Victoria...She made good muffins..."

As if on cue, Hula arrived. "Is it finished?"

"Hula!" Ulster said. "You went after Teath?"

"Yeah. He had about a half-day's head start, but I was able to catch up with him eventually. Well, sort of."

"What happened?"

Leaning forward, Hula continued. "It was the middle of the night, and I found his bedding, but I guess he was off to, you know, nature calls and all that. So anyway, there was something moving though, and I noticed he had left a duck wrapped in his discarded shirt!"

Camden let out a nasal guffaw. "Sleeping with a duck of all things! I never did like that boy"

"Do shut up," Dryst said.

Ulster, anxious to hear the rest of the story, asked what happened next.

"Not much else to tell. It was squirming a lot, and making too much noise, so I had to cut its head off. But I wanted to bring the meat back here to my lord. I couldn't stand the thought of Dryst going hungry."

"But what of Teath?"

Dryst grinned ear-to-ear, as if he knew something everyone else didn't. "Enough talk, let's eat!"