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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 1, 2018 3:46:37 GMT -5
Ok! She looks great! Did you want me to make the husband or did you want him to stay anonymous?)
Tristan finished cleaning his plate and then turned back to give his mentor a knowing grin. Walking past him, he gave him a friendly slap on the back, "I hope for your sake she will," he joked before heading out to the small barn behind their cottage. Once his mentor joined him, he continued their breakfast conversation. "So these bandits. Do we have any idea who they are?" He asked as he brushed down Rynn and began tacking her up.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 1, 2018 7:07:31 GMT -5
(It doesn't matter to me. Whatever you want to do. I thought of that while writing it up, and I thought I would leave him unnamed in case you might want to be him. If not, then I can make him. ^^ )
Matthew wasn't sure how much of his apprentice's words were sincere and how much was patronizing, but he chuckled softly nonetheless. With his own breakfast finished, he got up to clean his dishes. Yeah, it was good to have Tristan around. Dishes done, the Ranger walked out of the house to join the younger man in the stables. "No, we don't know too much about them," he answered, giving Prancer a loving pat on the nose. "All I've been told is the attacks have to be the work of one group, the numbers of which are unknown. There's never been more then two separate attacks at one time, so I would assume we're looking at ten or fifteen bandits in total. Nothing too big."
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 2, 2018 3:17:55 GMT -5
(Omg sorry! I thought I had responded to this!!! But sure! I'll make a hubby :) )
Tristan nodded as he listened to Matthew give him the details of the attacks. "Fifteen to three? I like those odds," he joked as he cinched the girth on his saddle. Now that Rynn was all tacked up, he was ready to go. Pulling out a sugar cube, he fed it to his grey mare and then led her outside. "Ready to head out?" he asked his mentor, before planting his foot in the stirrup and mounting his trusty steed. Gathering the reins in his hands, he turned Rynn so they were facing Matthew as they waited for the older ranger and Prancer to join them.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 2, 2018 15:01:07 GMT -5
Tristan nodded when Matthew said to lead on, and he gently urged Rynn into an easy lope. As far as he knew, they were in no hurry at the moment, so he didn’t push the pace. The two rangers didn’t speak much as they rode towards town, simply enjoying the warm sunlight as it filtered through the trees, playing with the mottled pattern on their cloaks. As they neared town, the apprentice looked over to his mentor, “So you wanted to see about that bridle first, yeah?”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 2, 2018 17:34:24 GMT -5
Matthew urged Prancer after them, the stallion had no problems matching the pace of the other horse. The two rode in comfortable silence to the town of Whitby. It was a decent town that nestled against the western side of the castle. While it wasn't a large or fancy city, the townsfolk were better off here than many of the neighboring towns in the fief. The houses were better maintained, the people happier and less worried of attacks due to the closeness of the baron and his men. It was a nice place, quiet and plenty peaceful.
"Yes, that was what I was thinking," Matthew responded. "If I don't, I'm likely to forget it while we get everything else together. Why? Impatient to get to the the tailors?" He knew that Tristan and Sallie were friends, and he hadn't missed the faint excited light in the boy's eyes when he mentioned they would be stopping there earlier. If anyone were to ask, he fully thought the two of them would end up as something more before his apprenticeship was over. But since no one asked, he kept those speculations to himself. Mostly.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 3, 2018 1:40:42 GMT -5
Tristan pursed his lips and glared at his mentor. Matthew may wear his feelings for Cariba on his sleeves, but he didn't particularly want his romantic life being the subject of town gossip. "Not at all. We can go there last if you wish." the young man said casually, though he knew he wasn't fooling his mentor. Still, it was a matter of pride, and he wasn't quite ready to make his feelings for the older girl. Maybe soon, but not quite. When they reached the street the blacksmith was on, Tristan slowed his horse to a walk, not wanting to charge up to the forgery. Deciding that his mentor probably wouldn't be long as he dropped off the bridle, he stayed mounted.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 3, 2018 11:19:14 GMT -5
Matthew resisted the urge to chuckle. No, not everyone was as open with their feelings as he was for Cariba. Had he been in love with anyone else, he might not be so obvious. But the two had grown close during their own apprentice years and early days of full Ranger responsibilities. So he had no problem playing a fool for the woman. Tristan was young, however, falling for a girl he didn't see on a regular basis. Of course, he wouldn't be forthcoming with his admittance of his feelings.
"I'll keep that in mind," the man mused as they drew closer to the blacksmiths. Signaling Prancer to stop, he dismounted and took the broken bridle from the saddlebags. Then, with a slight mischievous gleam in his eyes, he entered the forge. It wouldn't take long to tell the man what he needed done, but he also wanted to see if Tristan actually meant what he said. Consider it a test of patience, Matthew thought. If Tristan could wait while he took longer than expected, that meant the boy could keep a steady head and wouldn't rush into anything. If he didn't, then the boy would be contradicting his own words. Either way, Matthew would learn something about his apprentice.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 4, 2018 2:36:52 GMT -5
”Matthew sure is taking his time,” Tristan muttered, shifting in the saddle as he looked around the busy street. People passed him quickly, giving him nervous side glances as they hurried past, not wanting to disturb the mounted ranger. It always amused him how a simple mottled green cloak could change someone’s perspective. Without it, he was simply a boy on the shorter side who didn’t amount to much. But with it, he was a ranger, both feared and respected. Of course, he wasn’t a fully fledged ranger yet, but they didn’t know that. Giving an annoyed sigh, Tristan looked around once more, checking to see if there was any sign of Matthew. But when he didn’t see his mentor, he frowned and slid off his mare and left her tied to where Matthew had left Prancer. Striding inside, he saw the older ranger maintaining casual conversation with the blacksmith, clearly taking his time. Folding his arms over his chest, the young man frowned but nodded in greeting to the jolly blacksmith. “Can he fix it?” He asked, referring to the broken bridle.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 4, 2018 9:32:36 GMT -5
”Ahh of course.” He said simply, his dark eyes glancing around the forgery before answering Matthew’s second question. “Yes. I’m fine. I was just checking on you,” he said, clenching his jaw as he realized that his mentor might be testing him. Mentally, he cursed himself as he realized he had probably failed this test. Matthew liked to turn every day errands into tests like this one. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Well, if you are alright, then I guess I’ll just go back out and wait with the horses,” hoping that he could still redeem himself.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 5, 2018 2:02:52 GMT -5
Tristan let out a small breath of relief when he received no lecture or reprimand from Matthew, and not wanting to push his luck, he eagerly agreed. “New clothes. Yes, of course.” And followed his mentor out to their horses. As he untied Rynn, he turned back towards Matthew. “Did you want to mount up since it is just a street or two away or should we just walk and lead the horses?” He asked, unsure if it was worth mounting for a five minute ride to the seamstress’s shop.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 5, 2018 13:23:00 GMT -5
"Why should Rynn carry your dead weight more than need, huh?" Matthew asked in his playful manner. "We can walk. It'll do you some good. We'll be doing plenty of riding soon enough, so might as well stretch your legs while you're not weary or aching." He took hold of Prancers reigns and began to set off towards the tailor's shop. The people of Whitby were out and about, taking advantage of the cooler morning air. As the day drags on, it would start to get hotter. While he wasn't looking forward to riding in the heat, he couldn't complain. At least he didn't have acres of field to tend day after day like so many others did. What's a little riding compared to that? As he walked, Matthew greeted those they passed with a nod and a smile. Some may tread warily around them, but that didn't mean he couldn't show a friendly face.
Finally they reached the tailor's shop. Leaving the horses outside, Matthew stepped into the building. No one but the two Rangers were in the store front. "Maybe's she's not in," he mused, though that was not likely. Still, he couldn't stop his gaze from sliding over to Tristan.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 5, 2018 14:08:56 GMT -5
“Yeah, yeah very funny.” He muttered as he led Rynn next o Matthew and Prancer. He did have a point. If they were to be traveling to Redmont, they would have a long ride head of them. If the young apprentice remembered correctly, Cairiba’s cottage was at least a days ride from their own. As they walked through the streets, Tristan simply stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with people as they passed. His mentor, on the other hand, tried smiling at those who were clearly avoiding them. Tristan didn’t understand why he tried so hard. People were never going to give up their supersticious premonitions about rangers.
When they finally arrived, Tristan tied his grey mare to a post then was shot to stride right in the seamstress’s shop when he heard his mentor’s voice from behind him. Looking back over his shoulder, he frowned. “Surely she’s here.” And with that, he opened the door to the shop and called out Sallie’s name.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 5, 2018 15:26:32 GMT -5
People may forever be suspicious of Rangers, but that didn't mean they couldn't offer a pleasant face. If people remember you as being a nice person, they will be more willing with trusting and working with you in times of need. That was something Matthew hadn't been able to fully teach his apprentice yet. Yes, it was good to keep themselves apart from the rest of the people, but that didn't mean they had to complete cut themselves off to the rest of the people living among them.
Sallie was, indeed, there. At the sound of a familiar voice, the young woman walked through a doorway leading into the back rooms. A small smile lighted her face at the sight of Tristan, and Matthew, of course, when he entered. "Good morning, Rangers," she greeted, walking over to the men. As usually, she was in a simple dress, this one dark grey, with her hair tied back. Only the bangs which covered her blind eye hung in front of her face.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 5, 2018 20:15:51 GMT -5
When he saw Sallie emerge from one of the back rooms, Tristan’s face lit up and he looked back to give his mentor an “I told you so” face before returning his attention to the young seamstress. “How have you been?” He asked the girl with a small, slightly nervous smile. He hadn’t seen Sallie in almost two weeks. Sometimes he was tempted to wear out his clothes on purpose just so Matthew would schedule another appointment with her. Of course, he had never actually done so. But the thought had passed through his mind.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 5, 2018 20:36:01 GMT -5
Matthew raised an eyebrow at his apprentice, but said nothing. He wasn't doing a good job convincing her he wasn't excited to see the girl, but he wasn't about to comment on that while she was in the room. Why embarrass an innocent party?
"I've been well," Sallie replied. She was always just as excited to see Tristan as he was to see her. He had been one of the few friends she could count on growing up. With her limited vision and her aunt's tight control on where she went, Tristan had always managed to come and play with her. When he left to start his apprenticeship, she had been so worried that she wouldn't get to see him anymore. However, she had quickly been reassured by her aunt that they would be in often since they made their uniforms and clothing. "There's been more business than usual due to the weather change. Everyone's out getting work done and tearing apart their clothes in the process."
"And how is Janet?" Matthew asked, referring to the young girl's aunt. Last he had heard, the older seamstress had been sick for some time, leaving Sallie to complete most of the work on her own.
"She's still the same," Sallie replied. "She's eating better, but she's still has weak spells. She hasn't been able to do too much recently, but I'm hoping it'll pass soon. The doctor said it wasn't anything to worry about."
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 5, 2018 23:02:05 GMT -5
Tristan nodded as she spoke, his attention focused solely on her as he listened. “I bet. The town is bustling with activity now that the weather is warmer. And I have to admit, we are here for the same reasons as everyone else,” he said, giving her a bashful grin as he gestured to his thread bare clothes. His expression softened a bit when she talked about her aunt, but he was glad to hear the doctor had reassured her. “She is lucky to have you around to care for her,” he said encouragingly, before adding, “As well as to look after the shop.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 6, 2018 7:16:47 GMT -5
Sallie laughed softly and nodded. "That's why I already went ahead and got your clothes done early," she told him. Matthew had dropped by weeks ago to request new clothing for the two of them. Since they would be needing plenty to last them through the warmer months, he liked to give her plenty of heads up before they actually needed them, which was greatly appreciated. When he commented about how lucky her aunt was to have her, the girl blushed slightly and gave sheepish smile. "After everything's she's done for me, I'd be stupid not to return the gesture," she said. Not to mention, the shop was their only source of income. If no body was there to run it, they wouldn't have anything to live off of.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 6, 2018 12:04:21 GMT -5
When Sallie said she had already gotten their clothes done ahead of time, Tristan tried not to seem disappointed. He had been looking forward to spending more time with the girl. He hadn’t expected it to be a quick trip to her shop. But, not wanting to be selfish, he turned his attention back to her aunt, “Of course. Well I suppose you are both lucky to have one another then,” he said with a smile. Turning back to look at Matthew, he got an idea. “Could we bring them dinner tonight? Before we leave for Redmont, I mean,” he whispered. The two rangers could easily go hunting and bring something back to feed Sallie and her aunt. He thought the gesture would mean a lot to the girl, and hoped his mentor would agree.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 7, 2018 0:40:27 GMT -5
Tristan was afraid Matthew was going to saw no at first, but he doubted his kind hearted mentor would reject such an offer. Giving him a small nod of thanks when Matthew agreed, Tristan turned back to Sallie, “Would you like to join us for dinner then?” He asked, keeping his face devoid of any extra excitement. He wanted to appear calm, cool, and collected, like a ranger. “It won’t be a long evening, as Matthew and I are to leave on ranger business in another fief soon, but we would love your company before we leave.”
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 7, 2018 12:24:35 GMT -5
Sallie smiled up at the young Ranger. "I would be honored to join you for dinner," she replied. It was rare days when she got to spend a lot of time with Tristan since his duties demanded all of his time. So the thought of spending an evening with him and his mentor, who had always been kind to her, was one she couldn't pass up.
These two, Matthew thought. So young and so clearly smitten. If he stayed any longer, he was bound to embarrass them. So, instead, the man said, "I think I'll be off to the castle then, speak with the Baron. Tristan, you stay here and let Sallie make sure the clothes fit you right. What with your size, I would imagine guessing your measurement isn't easy. I'll be back to collect you when I'm done. If not, you know where I'll be."
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 8, 2018 0:38:12 GMT -5
"Perfect." Tristan said with small, yet excited smile. He was glad to get to spend some more time with her. But when his mentor said he was heading off to the castle without his apprentice, Tristan turned to look at him in surprise. He had expected Matthew to have wanted him to come. "Oh. Of course, I'll stay here then and make sure everything is in order." he replied decidedly, nodding at his mentor as he left before turning back to Sallie. Clearing his throat, he broke the silence. "So...I guess you can show me the new clothes then?" he said, trying to hide how nervous he was to be alone with the girl he had liked since he was a kid.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 8, 2018 7:09:20 GMT -5
"Don't worry, we aren't discussing anything important," Matthew assured him when he looked back in surprise. Had they were, he would be sure to bring Tristan along. But he was simply seeing the baron to let him know his two Rangers would be gone a couple of weeks, why they were leaving, and where to find them. More of a courtesy visit than anything. He then smiled and tossed up a wave of farewell as he turned to leave the shop. "You two have fun!"
Sallie nodded. "They're in the back," she told him. "I think I've got everything right, but there's a dressing room you can change in just to be sure." As she talked, she led her friend through the door she had appeared from. This was the entryway of her actually work shop where she and her aunt made and adjusted the clothing. It was a lot more scattered and disorganized than the front of the shop.
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 9, 2018 0:25:09 GMT -5
"Yeah, I guess I'll go try them on. If they fit, I might as well get rid of these old ones anyway. Matthew seems to think they are practically rags," he said with a laugh, following her through the shop. He had never actually been to the back room of the seamstress's shop, but despite its disheveled appearance, he actually found it quite cozy. Looking around as she retrieved the clothing, he saw lots of plain shirts tunics in the process of being made. It made sense, as that was probably the most common order from farmers and other workers, but he imagined doing the same patterns with dull colors might get boring. "Do you ever do any clothing for the nobles?" he asked, as he leaned against one of the work tables.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 9, 2018 11:12:18 GMT -5
Sallie walked over to a table on the far side of the room, one that looked to be a little more organized than the rest of the room. On top of the surface laid neatly folded items of clothing, some wrapped into bundles with twine, others in paper. She grabbed a bundle that consisted mostly of greens and grey and brought them over to Tristan. "No, they have their own personal seamstresses," the girl replied, offering his clothes out to him. "However, every once in a while, we'll get a page sent in search for supplies. Thread, needles, a certain type of fabric, although we never have any of the more finer fabrics."
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Post by 𝐸𝓁𝑜𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓇 on Aug 10, 2018 0:08:51 GMT -5
Tristan listen keenly while she explained the preferences of nobles, "Interesting. Well, I suppose they are missing out. Your work is impeccable." He said with a quick smile, before taking the clothes from her. He thumbed through the different layers of clothes, making sure everything was there before separating his clothes from Matthew's. "I guess I'll go try these on then?" he half-asked, striding across the room to the small dressing room so he could slip on the new clothing. Once he had changed, he bundled up his old outfit and came out of the dressing room, "Alright, how do they look? I mean, they feel great." He said, holding out his arms a bit as he wiggled his eyebrows at Sallie.
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