Skadi was kept as a pet by the Orcs who destroyed her village for many years but as she grew she became a fearsome warrior having learned everything the Orcs could teach her including working the forge, her scales seem to be pretty effective armour resistant to heavy blows and heat. She can speak but doesn't usually converse with anyone other than her employer, fellow Orcs and occasionally her marks... Most common folk mistake her silence for stupidity and is frequently the last mistake they ever make should she hear them.