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Post by Amber on Oct 21, 2019 20:50:43 GMT -5
(Aw I'm sorry ti hear that. It might not mean much, but I send you virtual hugs.)
The blacksmith shrugged as she shifted her focus back towards the man's wounds. They looked better than yesterday. At least that's what she assumed. She couldn't get the best look at them due to the darkness. Dry blood stained the bandages while yellowish blotches also discolored them. Although the wound didn't look infected, there was evidence of of something. Of course Edlyn was no expert on the ways of healing and couldn't be exactly sure what she was seeing. She would probably have to head to town to get something from the doctor.
As the elf answered her question, the blacksmith listened closely. She smiled as he responded. "Yeah that was it!" Edlyn's eyes gleamed with exctiment, as though she just found a treasure. She paused and let Danir continue with his explanation as she carefully finished checking his wounds.
"Oh, eldest brother?" She glanced up at him with curiosity in her eyes. "How many siblings do you have? That is if you don't my prying of course." Edlyn didn't want to be rude. She had an interest in elves, which had been there since she was a child. By talking to Danir, she could get an insight onto what life was like for them. Despite that, she hadn't lost her tact or manners. It wouldn't be fair to make him uncomfortable, especially because he was a guest.
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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 Oct 23, 2019 11:12:30 GMT -5
(Thanks. ^^ )
Danir looked at the wounds on his arm as best as he could, but the angle in which he had to turn his head made it difficult. Still, he could notice the discoloration of the bandages and a good portion of the wounds. There didn't seem to be any telltale signs that things were going wrong. The wounds weren't puffy and red, there was no heat coming from them. Nothing to indicate infection. That could change if they weren't careful. "If only I had a bit more energy, I might try to heal them," he muttered. Yet he wasn't trained in healing magic, and any effort he would make would take twice the concentration any of his normal spells would.
At the interest in his family, Danir smiled. "I don't mind at all," he told her. "Any chance I can embarrass them, I'll take. You're looking at the youngest of five. All of us boys. To say we created a rowdy household is a little bit of an understatement. Luckily for our parents, the age gaps between us helped keep things from getting too out of hand."
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Post by Amber on Oct 23, 2019 12:24:07 GMT -5
(You're welcome!)
She briefly glanced up at Danir as he mentioned magic. Right, he's an elf and they can do that sort of thing, she silently reminded herself. Carefully wrapping the bandages back up, his wounds appeared relatively fine. They would need to be replaced before the end of the day, however.
The young woman nodded, glad to hear she wasn't being too nosey. When the elf mentioned embarassing stories about his siblings, Edlyn couldn't hold back a laugh. She quieted as he continued to speak, curious as he talked about his family..Her eyes widened as he mentioned his brothers. "I couldn't imagine growing up with that many siblings and brothers nonetheless." She was the youngest of three and her brother was the middle child. He was enough growing up. "And what do you mean by age gap? Are we talking one hundred years between you five or more like ten?" She knew eleves were long-lived. That was something she remembered from her studies on the war long ago. That also begged the question how old the elf before her was.
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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 Oct 23, 2019 12:55:07 GMT -5
"You're closer with the hundred years," Danir told her. "Baltore is the oldest at 480. Calemir and Amlugluin are both just turning 400. They're twins and impossible to tell apart unless you can see their eyes. Calemir has green eyes, and Amlugluin has blue. Then there's Loric who's 234. Compared to all of them, I'm just a toddler at barely sixty myself. Though, I guess if you put our ages into perspective with your human lives, I'm technically in teenage years, just on the edge of being a man.
"We live a long time, us elves," he continued. Even though she seemed to have some understanding of their aging process, he felt the need to explain it. "In turn, our bodies don't age as fast. I assume it has to do with the magic we use, but I can't say for sure. I've never been one for the science of things. Whatever the reason, we can reach the ages of 1,ooo before age actually plays a factor in our well-being. There's been plenty of us who have lived that long to only pass gently away in their sleep. A fitting departure for many of them, I'm sure, what with the quiet and peaceful lives they must have lived."
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Post by Amber on Oct 23, 2019 17:05:13 GMT -5
Edlyn blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected to be accurate with the larger of the two guesses. She became further surprised as Danir mentioned his brothers. Their names were odd, though they were elves. Humans and elves had different ways of naming their children. The name Edlyn likely sounded weird to Danir. "Interesting, but that's a lot of brothers. I suppose it makes sense though. Longer lifespans likely means more children and more children means more people to help on farms or with family businesses or whatever jobs there are." Edlyn didn't know how elf soecity worked, so she was just guessing and hoped she was at least somewhat accurate. "Are you close with any of then despite the age gap? I mean it's what," she paused for a moment to think of the number, "almost two hundred years between children?"
When she said the number out loud she had to pause. Two hundred years was a long time, longer than any human had and would likely ever live. She turned her attention back towards his age. Sixty. He didn't look a day over twenty-five! Of course it made sense because elves did have a longer lifespan, however it still surprised the woman. "You know what? For an old guy, you fought pretty well yesterday," she lightly teased with a mischievous grin spread across her face.
He continued to explain how aging worked for elves. She hung onto his every word, gazing at him with interest. "Fascinating," she breathed. "So is it possible to die younger in a similar manner to those who die at one thousand? I know it's a morbid question, but I couldn't imagine living that long." The young woman was momentarily sucked into thought. How could someone live so long and stay sane? Why would they want too? She couldn't even begin to imagine watching fifty years pass as though it were only a minute. She glanced back towards Danir as another thought popped into her mind. "So how can you understand me? You know, hold a full on conversation. Your Kaidan is perfect. The war happened hundreds of years ago, wouldn't it be easier to just speak your language?" Perhaps there was a reason to learn the language of her kingdom. Maybe it served some sort of purpose or it could be something they saw use in learning. It certainly came in handy during the wampus attack.
"I'm sorry for all the questions," she continued. "I'm just so curious with all of this. Since I was a little girl, I've always have been interested in eleven culture. Probably because it was a topic that was kind of forbidden. Ten-year-old me would be jealous," she quietly chuckled. Perhaps it was truly her interest in history or maybe it was due to her love of mischief-making with authority, but the topic of eleves always fascinated the blacksmith.
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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 Oct 31, 2019 22:00:47 GMT -5
"More like our mortality rate is lower," Danir corrected, though not in a judgmental way. How was she to know about elves? "Which means there's less need for re-population. Well, now there is since the war, but we can't really change how we work. While having children't isn't a rare thing, having so many children, however, isn't seen much. Most might have one or two, but you rarely see a family with five."
At her comment, the elf had to laugh. "I guess sixty is old for you humans. You humans are so fleeting, it's a wonder that you were able to old on to your hold on civilization as you have. No offense to you, of course, but how do you ever get anything done?"
"Of course, we still have illnesses, and we are prone to injuries. While we do have magic to help heal us, there are limits. The harder something is to cure or heal, the more it takes from the spell caster. Meaning, if one isn't careful, both patient and healer could end up dying. So there's a lot of things that can happen to us. Not every one makes it to their thousandth year." His own parents were just a few that never made it to such a milestone. "Part of our education is to learn Kaidan. It was decided long ago that we wanted as little confusion as possible when dealing with humans, so learning your language became a must. There are some who refuse to speak it, but I found it interesting. That, and I liked learning."
At her apology, the young man shook his head. "No, don't be sorry. I would be doing the same, and possibly will do when I've rested. I'll be happy to answer whatever questions you have to the best of my ability. There's a lot I don't know, but I can give you the general ideas of it at least."
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Post by Amber on Nov 1, 2019 20:26:18 GMT -5
The blacksmith clicked her tongue and nodded in response. "That makes sense, though it's different for us. You'll find people have a lot of children to help around the farms or with family businesses. When you get places like this where town can be hours away or food is diffcult to come by, having many children it makes things like farming easier. Of course depending where you go you'll find different customs for different regions." People in areas in and around the Kaidan capital tended have only a few children, rarely more than three. As the lands became more sparse however, it also became more common to see families with seven or more children.
Edlyn scoffed with a friendly smile. "We simply know how to manage our time. Unlike you elves who have at least five lifetimes to get things done, we barely have one. Besides that we're fairly good at record keeping and know how to keep our kingdoms in check," she replied. "Usually at least." She quickly added on. There were plenty of stories about rebellions and kingdoms being rebuilt. It could be messy business and rebuilding from the ground up tended to be diffcult. She focused back on Danir as he continued to explain elf life.
"Of course we don't have that problem, however we also don't have magic to help us heal. Even less of us make it to our nintith year. But woe is the life of a human I suppose." She paused as the elf began to talk about the language. "Interesting. Though it makes sense. For us, only scholars know the elven language and it's just so they can translate whatever artifacts we can find. People don't learn out of fear, tradition, or because they don't want to get punished. The last reason foolish really, but fear makes people do strange things. Anyway that makes two of us on the learning front."
The blacksmith grinned. "Alright, I'll be ready for that then. So to continue my questioning, what are blacksmiths like for elves? Also how do they view humans? I would imagine it'd be much in the way we do, fear and disgust unfortunately." Edlyn didn't understand why people felt so much hatred for things they didn't understand. It was odd to her and seemed like a waste of time. Of course that was her attitude about a lot of things.
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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 Nov 3, 2019 17:22:01 GMT -5
"But it takes a while for those kids to grow to an age where they can help," Danir pointed out. "Doesn't that make the farming more difficult? If you're having to raise the children, does that not take time away from the farm?" Of course, the elves had farms of their own, but it wasn't like the way humans had. For one, they had magic to help. Crops could be grown all year if they wished, and so the amount of land needed was far less. Some elves had personal greenhouses that they were able to grow some of the food for themselves or for others. Bigger areas of land were manned by those who had an affinity for natural magic, which meant that a lot of the manual labor was cut out of the job. Now, some elves did prefer to do it the manual way, but they were a rare bunch who normally grew for their own families and no one else.
Danir shook his head slightly. "Don't you all feel rushed, though?" he asked. "Record keeping and time managing is good and all, but do you have time to stop and breath? To relax and take in all that you've accomplished so far? What's the point of working so hard if you can't step back and enjoy it?"
"There are plenty things that my people do out of fear as well, so I can understand why you would be hesitant," the elf spoke. He was not, however, going to tell her that their refusal to learn the elven language made the elves view them as pompous and arrogant in their nature. He didn't want to insult her by accident. "It's not an easy language to learn, however, so I can why only scholars would take the time to learn."
At her flood of questions, he couldn't help but chuckle. "I would love to answer those questions, but I fear my stomach will go on strike if I do not eat," he told her. "That, and my mind is still a bit slow at the moment. If you give me a moment, I will be happy to tell you what you want to know without my stomach's growls interrupting. Have you eaten as well? If not, then you should eat as well before we lose ourselves in conversation."
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Post by Amber on Nov 4, 2019 1:13:46 GMT -5
Edlyn shrugged. "Farmers bring their kids out when they work, so the children are usually surrounded by the work all their lives by the time they can actually help. Besides that, farming families will typically live together on their ancestral land. It's like my mother was a farmer and her parents before here were farmers, and her father's parents before him owned the land type situation with them. Make sense?" She wasn't entierly sure if she explained it well, however she hoped the elf got the idea.
The young woman tilted her head as he talked about rushing through life. "Perhaps for some things like, I don't know, having children. Overall I, at least, don't feel rushed to get things done." She paused for a moment, considering his other words. "I suppose you may have a point there. What's the point of everything we do if we can't enjoy what we've accomplished? Simple. The point is we create a future for our loved ones to enjoy. Work hard now and things will be better. Besides that, there's plenty of time to enjoy things when I'm dead." Perhaps it was a dark way of seeing things. However Edlyn
She nodded along as he spoke. "Fear's a powerful thing. A terrible thing, but one that causes people to not think straight." She paused as he continued on, then lightly laughed. "I'm sure that's the case. I know three other languages, but I can barely begin to understand elvish. Even without taking the time to attempt to learn it, it just seems so complicated."
"Of course," Edlyn replied with a nod and an amused smile. She had nearly forgotten that he hadn't even eaten yet. When he asked if she had eaten, the woman had to think about it for a moment. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized her last meal was from the previous morning. Unfortunately it hadn't been the first time she had forgotten to eat before. "Right, that's a good point." She waited for Danir to choose a pastry before she grabbed one herself.
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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 Nov 9, 2019 19:53:44 GMT -5
"I believe so," Danir stated, his head slowly nodding as he processed the information. "Lands are passed down through generations, and more than one family might live on the land, correct? So even if the kids are too young, there are still people there to share the work and help teach the kids as they grow. It still sounds a little cluttered in the process of things, but I don't think I'm really in a position to be critiquing your life-styles."
Her outlook on their lifespan was one Danir had never thought about. The elf was not used to that kind of mentality. Elves were the opposite in that regard. They didn't care about leaving a legacy for their children, or leaving them with stepping stones in place to make their lives easier. Elves had plenty of time to work and make something of themselves on their own, so there was no need for having certain things to be passed down the generations. Heirlooms and personal belongings, yes, but not farms or business or other things that the humans worked towards. "You humans really are something else," he murmured.
"If not grown up with it, most are unable to. Then again, I haven't really meet many humans to confirm that. It's more of a speculation from others who have had experience with your kind. I could try to teach you a few words while I'm here, if you would like."
"Then eat," he invited, grabbing a pastry for himself and gesturing for her to take what she wanted. There was plenty for the two of them to share, so there would be no worries about either going hungry.
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Post by Amber on Nov 9, 2019 23:40:18 GMT -5
The blacksmith offered a smile. "Exactly. It probably is a little complicated, but it works for us just like elf farming works for you. However it's done." Edlyn couldn't even begin to imagine how the elves farmed their crops, if they did it at all. That would be something to ask Danir later.
The blacksmith lightly laughed at the elf's comment. "I could say the same about you elves. I mean with so much time on your hands I would imagine things would get held off." She couldn't even begin to imagine how much time she would spend procrastinating with so much time on her hands is she was going to live for hundreds of years. She wondered how exactly elves managed it, assuming they did at all. She could imagine for most things they truly could hold it off for the next day unlike humans. It made sense to a degree, but also was curious as to how they got anything done.
She pulled away from her thoughts as Danir spoke about languages. When he mentioned teaching her a few words, Edlyn visibly lit up. "That would be nice if you didn't mind." She did know a few words and phrases from spying on scholars from time to time. Of course she didn't know everything and she was sure some of the pieces of the elvish the scholars knew were wrong. After all, the last time the kingdoms interacted was during the war hundreds of years ago.
Edlyn picked out a strawberry pastry and smiled before taking a bite. She enjoyed the food, thought a lot of it was likely due having not eaten since the previous day. Silence settled between the two as they ate, which didn't completely bother the woman. She was hungry and assumed the elf was too. "How is it?" She asked after a moment.
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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 Nov 10, 2019 9:22:57 GMT -5
Danir gave a small smile, nodding acknowledgements to her words. I guess there's many ways to reach the same result," he agreed. Since the elves had magic, farming wasn't a task that needed many hands to help. Larger farms with more ground to cover, maybe, but not the small personal farms that many seemed fond of.
"Procrastinating is not in our nature, at least not as a race in whole," the elf explained. "If there is something to be done, then we will do it. We just take our time in doing so. Now, there are occasions when we must hurry to complete something. An emergency pops up that requires swift action. However, for the most part, our work is not rushed. Which has a positive outcome for the quality of our goods created, both by hand and by magic."
"I don't mind at all. It's not like I'll have much else to do while waiting on this shoulder to heal," Danir told her. He wasn't a teacher by any means, but he figured he could be able to teach her the proper way of pronouncing a few greetings and well-wishes before he had to leave. "I think it'll be fun."
Danir had a likewise reaction to the food. While he had been given some broth to eat the night before, it wasn't the same as eating something solid. Not only that, but something sweet as well. He was a fan of the sweeter treats, perhaps because as the youngest elf in the community, he had a lot of people who had been more than happy to spoil him. That is, while he had still been a child. The spoiling never happened much these days, but that was to be expected with anyone who was technically able to function as an adult.
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Post by Amber on Nov 10, 2019 12:47:39 GMT -5
The blacksmith grinned with a slight mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh 'take our time' sounds like procrastination to me. But that's what us humans say when we want to hold off work." It was partically true at least for Edlyn. She often said that kind of thing, though it was on the rare occasions when projects weren't going her way. As the elf continued on, excitment rose in the blacksmith's chest. "Yeah same here," the young woman agreed. She enjoyed learning and getting to know other placed beyond Kaidan. She was looking forward to finding out more abou elf culture, though she could imagine it wouldn't change too drastically.
As they enjoyed their pastries, a question lingered in the back of Edlyn's mind. Between bites, she posed her question. "So you know that I'm a blacksmith, but what do you do? Are you a ranger of some kind?" It made sense if he was some type of tracker or woodsman considering he was tracking the wampus the previous day. Beyond that, a lot of stories she heard about elves involved them being creatures of the forest living among the trees and animals. Of course that could just be how humans viewed them or stories being passed through generations, though she was still curious. She still had her previous questions unanswered, but could ask them again later. She did want to know what Danir did for a living.
(Sorry for the shorter reply. Next one will be better.)
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Post by Amber on Nov 19, 2019 23:06:41 GMT -5
(Sounds good! Also don't worry about it. Just take yer time.)
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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 Nov 20, 2019 20:27:09 GMT -5
Danir had to laugh. "There are plenty of elves like that as well. I'm guessing it's more of a personality trait than one of race," he said. "I have to admit, that there's been many a time I have made excuses to get out of doing something as well, so I don't think I'm one to talk much. Sometimes you just have to shove all responsibilities away for a while."
He had just finished his third pastry by the time Edlyn spoke again. "A ranger I am," he confirmed with a proud grin. "I've no head for the political games of the court, and I'm not that skilled in magic or history to be one of the scholars. I prefer my time in the forest and the freedom it offers. Of course, I hunt for the city, along with the other rangers, and we keep the city and surrounding forest safe from creatures that are more on the dangerous side. There's still a lot of responsibilities to handle, but they're more flexible than other occupations. In my spare time, I make bows and arrows, but for the most part I am funded by the crown for the jobs I do. Well, I will once they initiate me as a full ranger. Right now, I'm still technically in my training phase."
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Post by Amber on Nov 21, 2019 0:54:12 GMT -5
"You're probably right," Edlyn agreed. She paused for a moment and he continued, laughing at his words. "Well that makes two of us then I suppose. As the only blacksmith in town, I'm in charge of things like weapons making, repairs, horseshoe fittings, sometimes brandings for the livestock, tool crafting, and plenty more jobs that come with it. It can get quite stressful." Especially when I have to make three weapons within a week, she added silently. Truthfully by talking with Danir and sharing breakfast, she was kind of procrastinating. Of course she didn't tell him that, but it was something that lingered in her head.
Edlyn noticed just how hungry the elf was. She wondered if it was due to not having eaten in a while or from his body trying to heal itself. She turned her attention away as he answered her. "Ah, that makes sense. Do you have to deal with beasts often? And do you not farm livestock? I mean hunting would only feed an entire civilization for so long I imagine. Though of course you can hunt in addition to farming. I know that's what some of the locals do." She nodded in agreement when he mentioned the court. She had some expierence with the complex politics of the royals and nobles as she had lived in the castle. The blacksmith was never fond of the scheming and fine intricacies of the court.
When Danir mentioned crafting his own weapons, she smiled. "A craftsman yourself I see. Honestly I probably could've been a scholar myself if it weren't for my reputation." She trailed off with a noticable gleam of mischief in her eyes. "Anyway, how much longer until you finish your training? I can't imagine it would be much longer, right?"
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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 Nov 28, 2019 11:29:08 GMT -5
"The only one?" Danir asked. "You must have plenty of things to keep you busy then. If you have things to be done, please, don't let me keep you from doing them. If I get to a state where I can, I would be more than happy to help if you need me to. I might not can work the forge, but I can try smaller, less important tasks you need completing." It would only be fair for him to offer his help since she was risking so much by harboring him in her home. He wouldn't feel right sitting about all day while she labored in her smithy.
"We have live stock," the elf informed, "They're needed so we don't over hunt the forest. We care very much for the earth around us, and hunting down every deer and bird to fill our own stomachs is not what we aim to do. So we have cattle and pigs, and all the others you would find on one of your farms. But as a people who enjoy their variety as well, we like to keep a good choice of meats to pick from. We hunt during the spring and summer, making sure not to take more than we need. Then we take the game back to be preserved for times of hardship. Mainly in case something were to happen to the livestock or a famine were to strike us. It's happened before, and had we not had our magic keeping the food stores good, we would have been hard pressed surviving those times. Of course, there are plenty of other beasts in the forest as well, many that we enjoy seeing, some we would much rather avoid. The deeper into the Woods you go, the stranger the beasts. Our city is right at the edge of where the really strange creatures reside, so we keep the ones that stray too far at bay. If one ever made it too far, like the wampus did, we hunt it down and make sure it doesn't cause any trouble."
At her comment of her being a scholar, the elf chuckled, taking care not to disturb his broken ribs too much. "No, I can't see you sitting behind stacks of papers all day," he agreed. "Burning them out of boredom, maybe, but not writing and studying them. The training ends when I have proven that I have learned all I can of the skills. It's for my mentor and the Council to decide. Normally they'll assign a task, a mission of sorts, to prove my abilities. If I complete it to their satisfaction, I'll become a ranger in my own right. If not, I can either continue training under my mentor or choose a different pursuit if I wish."
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Post by Amber on Nov 29, 2019 16:48:26 GMT -5
The blacksmith nodded. "Yeah it's a small town so it would only need two or three blacksmiths at the most." She paused for a moment as Danir mentioned helping out. She couldn't help but smile lightly. "You can't do much in my forge, as you mentioned, but I can teach you a few things if you'd like. Also if you can cook, that would be useful to me as well." With all the jobs she had to complete, having someone to help with the cooking would do wonders for her.
He continued on explaining their hunting and farming habits. It was similar to the locals of Willow Creek, which she found a bit interesting. People would often take hunting trips into the woods and untamed lands outside the town. Of course people would both farm and hunt in both cultures, but with the knowledge that elves had the advantage of magic she couldn't help but be a bit surprised at the similarities. "So is it all just one big city where all the elves live and work together? Or would it be a bit more like Kaida where there's one, large capital city and a bunch of smaller towns, settlements, and homesteads in the forest?" She wasn't sure how much he was willing to reveal. After all she still counted as the enemy in a way. However she was simply curious. No one- as far as she knew -really had an oppertunity like she currently did. It was both a blessing and a curse. For the time being, Edlyn pushed the negative thoughts from her mind and continued to listen to Danir.
"Ah so we have you to thank for keeping things like wampus at bay." The blacksmith paused for a moment and thought about the beastly feline. There were other creatures out there like it and the elves were truly the only things keeping them. Truthfully it made the woman uneasy, but it was another thing she tried not to think about. It was unlikely something like that would come out to terrorize the people. However she had to know if occurrences like that were common. "So do the beasts escape often? Or do they tend to stat on their side of the forest?"
Edlyn laughed at his comment. "Honestly, you're right. I would likely die of boredom or pick fights and I've grown out of the latter. Anyway, was your mentor with you yesterday? I saw another man and that woman with you. Also fo you think you're ready to become a full ranger? Truthfully, your skills were impressive. However I am a humble blacksmith and don't know the way of woodsmen."
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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 Dec 16, 2019 20:12:00 GMT -5
(Hey! So sorry for the late response. School got busy with studying for finals, then I had a death in the family, graduation, and I just got back from a mini vacation! I barely had time to sit and right out a good decent response, and I'm so sorry for not giving you any kind of heads up during all of this!)
"Cooking I think I can manage on my own safely," Danir told her, grinning. "Cooking is a skill taught to us rangers. Even if we do spend most of our days in the forest, that doesn't mean our meals have to be bland as dirt. I believe I can take the role of chef for you while you're working. Of course, I would love to learn whatever you might have to teach me about the forge as well. If nothing else, I can hand you materials or clean up for you."
"Our city is one settlement, if you can call it that. We both have structure and chaos to the lay of our land at the same time, if you can call it that," the elf explained. Taking the last bite of his pastry, he used his good hand to try and give visual referrences as he spoke. "We have the Court," he started, raising his hand to indicate the the position and height of the palace, "which houses the Royals and their closest kind. Around the Court, set up in rings, is the Council members homes. Those closest and have served the Royals longest live right beside the Court. Then you have the next closest and so on. It's hard to explain the Council members importance since no one really holds more power over the other. It's more of who has earned their keep, who's advice and wisdom has proven to be useful and most sound, and who helps keeps things balanced within the group. These people kind of have more sway than others, but it's earned by their own words and actions rather than seeing who can bribe who for power of votes, or who can sweet talk the Queen into giving them more status. If any of that made sense. I'm not one for politics, so I'm probably not the best one to be explaining it to you. Baltore's really the one you should ask about that kind of stuff.
"Anyway, I got off topic. There's about three rows of such rings, and the order from there is no more. Everyone else lives wherever they please. We tend to follow natural patterns, so many, like myself, will choose to raise homes from the surrounding landscapes, shaping it and forming it to that the plant life can live unhindered by our presence. Others will build more hut looking homes, especially those with businesses and farms to tend to. We're all just scattered about. You'd have a difficult time finding your way around on your own. There's no roads, no signs, nothing to indicate where anything is or where anyone lives."
Danir nodded his head. "Yes, but things like the wampus rarely leave the heart of the forest. Most of the time, the more nasty ones don't wander this far up. We aren't even sure why this wampus traveled so far out. It clearly wasn't starving, and no one had threatened it. But, for whatever reason, it was on a mission. Had it not gotten distracted by you, it might have left the forest before we could get to it. I know it wasn't a good thing for you that it found you, but it is good that you gave us enough time to fight it."
"No, my mentor was not with me yesterday, although, you might have received the same type of treatment from him as you did from the others. Those whom you saw were two of the best trackers our city has: Aradheleth and Erymen. I believed they trained together, different mentors but at the same time. They always go on hunts together. I somehow convinced them to let me tag along with them under the pretense of it'll be good for my own training. As for my confidence in my skills," he said, shrugging, "I don't know. Some days I believed I just as good, if not better, than the woman who teaches me. Other days I realized just how little I know. I can do the work, complete the tasks, no problems, but there will always be doubts."
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Post by Amber on Dec 16, 2019 21:23:14 GMT -5
(No worries, I get it. I hope your finals and graduation went well and I hope you enjoyed your small vacation. I'm also sorry to hear about the family member death. I hope you're doing well despite that. As for not mention it, it's honestly not a big deal, we all get busy at times and it sounds like life was throwing you a curve ball.)
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Post by Amber on Dec 16, 2019 23:02:46 GMT -5
(That's good to hear! And yeah I know what you mean. With winter break upon us, things should be easier and more relaxed until next semester.)
Edlyn smiled. That was good to hear. "In that case, I will be needing your services. I'm going to be unfortunately busy for the next few days and some help will be appreciated. Anyway when you get better, I'm sure you'll like to learn a few of my tricks and luckily for you I'm willing to reveal them." Even if he were another blacksmith she would still be willing to share things with him. She enjoyed teaching people and talking to them. Unfortunately it was a diffcult thing to do with the locals of Willow Creek, mostly because she was often working on one project or another.
As she finished her own food, Danir explained the workings of elven soecity. It did sound familiar in some ways, in others it was entierly different. Humans didn't exactly live on the outskirts based on their jobs- though some people did -instead they congregated into various settlements with people from all walks of life living together more or less. "That's almost completely different than how we live," the blacksmith noted. "Our royalty stays in the capital while most of the nobles- many of who act as some sort of piece in what could be considered a council -are in charge of various regions of our kingdom. There are the eight major noble houses who help run everything and a plethora of minor nobles who have varying power in the kingdom." Edlyn had belonged to such a minor noble house. Of course it had everything to do with her father's job as a head blacksmith and her mother being a highly decorated knight within the ranks.
"No you're doing fine explaining," Edlyn encouraged with a smile. She watched the elf with interest. Although it was a fairly straightforward system, she still found it all fascinating. Of course that had everything to do with the fact she was talking to a living, breathing elf. It was rather exciting. Partly because of the thrill of breaking the law and partly because she was genuinely interested in what Danir had to say. He finished explaining the layout of the elven lands. "I couldn't imagine living somewhere without roads. Seems confusing. Though I suppose it does make sense considering past events. I'm sure the elves wouldn't want to lead threats directly to their cites, towns, and homes."
The conversation shifted to the wampus and the creatures that lurked in the heart of the mysterious forest. "Well good thing you and your companions were there then. Anyway I'm glad I could help." She paused for a moment and gazed at Danir thoughtfully for a moment. "Hey I don't think I really thanked you yesterday for helping me. I mist admit my skills with the blade are quite impressive, however I would've been no match for the beast in a fight. I mean you even had diffculty with the wampus and got injured fighting the thing," she gestered to his shoulder with a flick of her wrist. "So thank you."
The elf spoke about his mentor. She hadn't joined him apparently on his trip yesterday. It made sense as he had convinced them to take him along. There likely would've been no need for his mentor. He mentioned his shifting confidence in his skills. Edlyn frowned. "That's fair I suppose. It's like no matter how good you get or how confident- or even arrogant -you act, there will still be doubts. There will always be doubts, unfortunately. You can take this with a grain if salt, but I was impressed with your skills."
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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 Dec 17, 2019 13:11:41 GMT -5
(Yeah, and I'm super glad that I'm finally done with college for good. ^^ )
Danir smiled at the confirmation that she would be needing his help. He liked to be useful, and, he wouldn't lie, he was curious about her work. The art of a blacksmith's skills were not something he had found himself watching or learning about much. He knew bits and pieces of the process. So the prospect of learning this type of information first hand was intriguing.
"Really? Why would your nobles live so far away from each other?" he asked. "What happens if there is an emergency, how will they all know? You'll have to wait until all of them show up to the palace before any meetings were to be conducted. That doesn't sound like a very efficient to me."
"Well, it's not so much of past events, more than we have our own system of keeping track of things," the elf clarified. "I guess since I grew up running round the place, it's easier for me to make sense of it all. Everything is a clear map in my mind, and I think I could give you directions of my city then trying to give directions of roads."
When the woman thanked him for his help yesterday, the young elf gave a one shouldered shrug. "It was nothing. In fact, I wasn't even supposed to have gone after the wampus on my own. I was only to locate signs of it and send a signal to the others. However, I saw it chasing you, I couldn't just wait and let you be hurt."
Danir smiled at her as she summed up his feelings about his skills. "Yes, sadly, there will always be doubts, but knowing I impressed you makes that knowledge a little easier to live with," he told her, only half joking in his response. It did feel nice knowing that someone found his skills were awe worthy.
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Post by Amber on Dec 17, 2019 16:49:01 GMT -5
(Oh cool! I'm not even close to being done yet unfortunately. I have a lot more to do.)
"As I said they govern various regions of Kaida because it's a rather large kingdom. Well trained messengers and falconers send messages to the nobles when they're needed. Not the most efficient or even best methods of communication I suppose, but it's what we have. We don't have the means of magical contact after all." She paused for a moment, considering his next words. Edlyn shrugged and shook her head. "Eh it's not exactly like that. Nonles usually have a group of advisors- usually with whoever will succeed them, which is usually their oldest child -in the city. They're used to keep up with news, consider offers and trades, act as emergency council members, and aruge for whatever the noble wants in the absence of them." She hoped it made sense. Although it might've been a strange system to an outsider, it worked for the kingdom. At the end of the day, wasn't that the only thing that mattered?
"That makes sense. Personally I couldn't imagine traveling without roads. It adds a safety net of sorts, ya know? Even with memorizing it." It wasn't that the blacksmith was prone to getting lost. It was more that she preferred not to memorize where everything was. Besides that, the kingdom was so vast it would be rather diffcult to achieve such a feat. She could only wonder how Danir managed it.
Edlyn watched the elf for a moment as he spoke. She smiled lightly. "Well it seems to me that it's a good thing you're something of a rule breaker then. That seems to be something we have in common, honestly." She continued to watch the man as he talked about his skills. Rather questioned his abilities, confirming Edlyn's words from before. "Well the doubt will be there for a while. It's different with everyone. Eventually you'll come to realize that you do good work and then the doubt will start to fade. It'll be replaced by confidence and maybe a little cockiness or arrogance. Again, it depends on the person." The blacksmith couldn't be sure whether or not her words actually gave Danir any comfort. However she hoped it eased his self-doubt at least a little.
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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 Dec 17, 2019 21:28:44 GMT -5
(It took longer for me than it should have since I only took one or two classes a semester, but I finally reached the end. XD)
It didn't make a lot of sense, but, then again, politics was a whole different language that Danir had yet to learn. Truthfully, he didn't care to learn it even if it was an important part of their society. He preferred the simplicity of the forest and the hunt more. Give him the winding game trails over the Court halls any day. "That sounds more complicated than it needs to be, but I'm not one to criticize how a government is run. I trust that you humans know what you're doing."
There were plenty of things he could say about the use of roads in her kingdom, but he decided it'd be best to save it for later. He could feel exhaustion creeping back up on him now that his stomach was full. Sleep would be calling him sooner or later, and there were still things he wanted to talk about before he had to rest again. He chuckled. "That we do," the elf agreed. "And who says I'm not cocky now? I do have my moments when I show off in less life threatening scenarios. Especially when having bouts with my brothers."
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Post by Amber on Dec 17, 2019 22:29:28 GMT -5
(Haha for the past three semesters, I've been doing the same. I'm finally going to take more classes next semester at least. Three maybe four.)
The light-haired blacksmith sighed. "Yeah it is. Then there's the alliances and the parties for the oppertunity for alliences or deals or whatever. The backstabbing. I've never liked it. Too complicated and sleazy honestly. Like you I can only hope it all works out." Despite her family being rather unimportant in court political matters, Edlyn had been to enough balls and interacted with enough nobles to know how many were like. Many were good people who truly wanted to make Kaida better. But the worst were truly the worst. It was part of the reason why she moved to what was basically the edge of nowhere away from politics and the schemes.
Edlyn pushed the thoughts of the capital away and studied Danor for a moment. She was surprised by his endurence. The previous night he had been ready to collapse at the drop of a hat. Now it seemed he was more lively and only showing subtle signs of tiredness again. The young woman cracked a smile as he spoke up once more. "Okay, fair. Maybe you are rather cocky. I'm sure I'll find out sooner or later." She paused and gestered to the pastry box. There were a few still uneaten. "You done?"
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Post by Amber on Dec 27, 2019 19:26:45 GMT -5
(Merry late Christmas/Happy holidays!)
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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 Dec 27, 2019 19:35:28 GMT -5
(I wish you luck with that. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it all just fine. ^^
And same to you! I hope you had a great holiday season.)
"I'm more than happy to leave the politics to those who have far more patience and less sanity than I do," Danir said, laughing softly. While his own government wasn't as complicated as the humans, there were still some sort of games played only those on the Council seemed to enjoy. Better to just leave it alone and focus on the things he enjoyed the most.
"Allow me to stay in your company long enough, Lady Blacksmith, and you shall see the full extent of my behavior at its finest," Danir promised her, chuckling once more. "That is, if no one finds us before then." They had three days at most before word of his injuries reached his brothers and mentor and the search for him would commence. Three days to heal as best as he could and distance himself so Edlyn wouldn't be hurt by whoever found him. Two of his brothers, he knew, wouldn't hurt the woman who showed him such kindness. The others, however, would just as well kill her on sight than speak to her. There was no telling who would come for him, and he didn't want to take any chances. "Yes, I'm done. They were delicious. Thank you."
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Post by Amber on Dec 28, 2019 13:56:51 GMT -5
(Thanks on all counts! I'm also happy to say things have been going great for me.)
The blacksmith laughed along with Danir, nodding in agreement. The elf continued on, talking about his own cockiness and the chance for Edlyn to expierence herself.
"Why of course, Sir Woodsman. I look forward to getting to know you better. I can just hope you think the same of me. You also don't need to worry about being found. You're safe here." Edlyn paused for a moment and grinned. She was confident they would be fine, she just wasn't sure how he felt. She also didn't know if her encouragement was working for the man. The best she could do was continue to have a positive outlook on the situation. She turned her attention towards the pastry box and closed it. She dipped her head in response before quickly dismissed herself to put away the food. Scurrying into the kitchen, the blacksmith put away the pastries and made her way back to the other room.
(Should we do another time skip?)
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