_{From Graves - Through Outskirts}

Ari had taken her time moving back, stopping a moment to study location of people, smiling at the familiar sense of calm and camaraderie, knowing eventually the stillness would break. Rolling her neck on her shoulders, she climbed to wear they were to settle for the evening, catching the faint glow in the darkness, but darkness was no enemy of hers, instead a silent and constant companion. Seeing the set-up in the morning and the familiar outline resting, she made herself as quiet as possible as she moved to her belongings in an opposite corner. Sinking to be seated, she made work of the ties along the side of her pants leg to gain access to her boots and pulled them free before setting them against a wall. Rolling her shoulders, she closed her eyes and tried to allow herself to relax, reaching up to unfasten pieces of her armor and setting it off to the side before reaching up a hand to rub at her shoulders.

Used to long periods on the move, the ache was not so strong, but she found a satisfaction in ridding herself the excess weight. Laying back flat, she reached her hands above her before lifting them over her head, pointing her toes and allowing herself a long stretch before she made her first real sound by exhaling a satisfied sigh and letting herself relax. It was the first peace she'd felt for some time and she was content to be silent for the moment and stare into what was mostly darkness in quite contemplation.

The hammock was silent and mostly still, save for a gentle swaying occasionally, despite the muted glow of light within. The stillness left it not long after she sat down and two barely illuminated green eyes peered over the edge of the canvas. They stared into the darkness of Aris'ta's corner, lit with curiosity. The hammock moved gently as Rook's eyes disappeared once again into it. There were several long moments of silence before again one eye raised up, followed by the second and then his nose and mouth. It stopped just there, his lips resting on the taught edge. He seemed unable to stand the quiet when there was so much on his mind and when he spoke, his words were slightly muffled because of his positioning.

"What kind of armor do you wear?"

At first, she lay their limply, enjoying the silence and the ability to do nothing. Eventually, her eyes opened, illuminating a small space before her face as she stared into the darkness. Keenly aware of eyes on her, she hid her half grin at his curiosity and simply remaining silent, eventually closing her eyes as she listened to the sound of his faint movements. His voice came at somewhat a surprise. She had half convinced herself he was asleep.

"Hmm? Oh, Scale," she replied simply, reaching out a knuckle and rapping on it softly. "Not so heavy, easy to manage. Anything more would restrict movement." Pausing a moment she pulled herself up until she was seated, blinking her luminous eyes in his direction. "Easier to stretch in, as well. I'd hate to pull at a bow with a stiff muscle."

"I got a jacket. It's not even mine. I had to buy it off some stranger who passed through town. I didn't even want to ask him how he got it. But." Rook also pushed himself up, not to a sitting position, but laying further up in the hammock where he could see without straining. "I had to get something. That's what the old graybeards told me. They said get good armor because a weapon can let you down, but armor will always cover your ass." The young man chuckled, but it was a sound without humor. He began to fiddle with his holy symbol idly. "I don't even like it. It's so heavy and it's hot. I bet you swelter in all that metal."

"But I guess if I'm going to do what I've already said I would, I need to get used to wearing it. And more..." He trailed off, eyebrows falling together as he traced imperfections in the wood. He was silent for a time. "I'm worried," Rook finally spoke up. "About learning to use weapons. It means I'll have to use them, eventually."

She watched him, silently, from her place. Her arms wrapped about her knee as she leaned slightly forward to give him her full attention. "Hot yes, but after awhile you tend to grow accustomed," she murmured with a shrug, but didn't venture on the subject further, suspecting there was more. This time, her intuition was on the mark, but what he spoke of silenced whatever thought she might have had. It was something she had not considered and she gave a deep sigh as she considered what he said. "Better to be able to defend yourself, yes? No one expects you to charge into battle. More than likely, they expect you to mend those that do," her voice was soft, but it carried a hint of concern.

"Rook, there is no guarantee. None that says you won't need it even if you remain ignorant of it's uses. Better to be prepared and protected than left to the mercy of others." The silence fell once more as she lifted her head and followed the patterns he saw, traced them, almost felt them with her gaze. "I'll look out for you, if I'm there," she said after a turn. "After all, if something happened to you, I'd miss out on all the stories and threats of dirt in my hair," she added, trying to relieve the sudden tension in the room.

"Well, that's not entirely true. Erastil expects me to go take care of this Stag Lord. And he's right. I should. This man's probably broken up families. He's definitely killed or been the reason someone has died. At the very least it should be done for the safety of everyone here. I just never had any of that sort of training." He removed his finger from the holy symbol and pushed himself up again. "You know, paladins get trained to fight before they're taught how to connect with Erastil. But for me, it's sort of been the other way around."

Rook heaved a sigh and released the sides of the hammock to fall back and rub his face. "I just never wanted to hurt anyone. I came here to grow and build." After a pause he added. "And protect. So it has to be done. Sometimes I worry about the person that will be going back to my home. It won't be the same one who left." Rook reached up and rubbed at his chin. "But that was the point of me leaving, wasn't it?"

He crossed his legs at the ankle and nodded. "You're right, Ari. It's going to happen out here. I should be prepared. And willing. It probably wasn't wise to come so unprepared. But I'm lucky to have run into you. I owe you prretty big for teaching me. Stories just won't cut it, either."

He smiled then and sat up. "That means I owe you one now. Do you want me to tell you how much trouble I'd get in if my mother heard I'd threatened to dirty up hair as gorgeous as yours? Or how about the hiding my father would give me for even joking about threatening a girl?"

"Expects you personally?" she asked with some disbelief, letting a hand fall to the floor. The idea seemed unfathomable, even for what little she knew of this Stag Lord, but she did know Rook, at least some, and his concerns to what killing would do to change him were justified. She frowned deeply and looked off in contemplation. He seemed too kind for such a task, what God would wish to change that?

"Will you return?" she asked, "Home, I mean," she clarified, turning her eyes back and dropping a knee in a partial butterfly pose. "Perhaps that is not a question for now," letting it trail off as her own thoughts did. Though she pondered the way he spoke her name. She'd hated it as a youth, but it grew on her, just as Rook had done.

Pursing her lips, she found the idea of stories no longer interested her. His lack of experience in fighting, no - protecting - she amended, and concern of it soured the mood for stories. They seemed almost inappropriate. No, she told herself as she pushed to her feet, the cool ground beneath her bare toes, now was not the time.

Moving towards him, she reached out a hand, "Come on, we can't have you going off into battle unprepared and I can't train you if you won't be able to move tomorrow. Let me help you learn to stretch appropriately so you'll survive tomorrow."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:43, Thu 02 June 2016.

Rook quirks one eyebrow at Aris'ta, a knowing smile growing on his face. "Of course. The ability to do the things I do isn't free. The price is service." He sits up even further in the hammock. "Don't get me wrong, it's a heavy price. It's taken me away from my family, put me in dangerous situations, and it's forcing me to grow and change in ways I never expected. But it's given me the chance to meet new people, to help them when they really need it. It's a compromise, but nearly everything is. If I'm going to be a leader, I've got to become one."

Shifting in the canvas swing, he threw one leg to the outside to let it hang, swinging back and forth now that he was back in a talking mood. He thought about his next visit home, if he would look the same. If everything else would look the same to him. "Of course. I hope I'm close enough that I can be there when my sisters get married. I know I'll come from wherever I am when my parents die, regardless of the distance. But I'm out here to make my own home, my own community."

When she approached, he took her hand and threw his other leg out, beginning the process of extricating himself from the hammock. Boots hitting the ground with a thump, he looked down at her bare feet and back to his own. Then, still holding her hand for balance, Rook kicked and stepped out of his boots. "I'm warning you, I smell like a horse. I'll be bathing in the morning when I pray. What's appropriate stretching? I usually just squat a couple times when I get off my horse."

Ari keeps her hold until he is ready to relinquish her hand, in a moment of inspiration, she clasps her hand over her mouth and nose "Oh my God!" she says in a slightly disgusted tone when he removes his boots, mentally counts to three and then pulls her hand back from her face. "Kidding," she grins widely at him, leaning slightly so she can show off her rather smug smile, pleased with her childish joke. "I assure you, I've smelled worse and worse still, I'm sure Ive smelled worse myself. " placing her free hand to his arm, she pulls her hand free and makes sure he's steady before pulling her other back as well.

"For one, you're going the wrong way. Your legs have already been extended in that direction for quite some time, therefore, they have already been stretched thoroughly in that particular way." She stopped a moment, looking around before reaching out to tap his symbol with her finger. "I can see, but you may need the extra light, can you make that any brighter or will you be alright?, she waits for a response before she continues.

"Ready? First, put your hands behind your back, and clasp them together, like this. " she moves behind him, running a hand down each arms until finding his hands and pulling them back until they are clasped. "There, now, keep your legs straight, but try not to lock your knees." she murmurs, lifting a foot and lightly pushing the back of each leg. "As much I admire the damsel in distress being saved by the knight in shining armor, I'm not sure I could catch you if you faint, nor am I wearing my armor." she smirks, this is the kind of discussion she had her 'father' use to share. Verbal sparring and teasing, she almost sighed out loud at the memory, but there was still a task at hand. "Now, bend forward at the waist and lift your hands back as far as you can." she demonstrates for him then, holding the pose only long enough so he can understand what she means and then steps back to watch him.

"Hold it for a few moments, you'll feel better, I promise. " she said when he has leaned forward, suddenly ducking her face down and peering at him with a slightly upside down view. "So, you think I have gorgeous hair, hmm? Or is that what you mean to tell your mother on one of your visits home" she's smiling again, and she pulls back to standing. "You can lift up now. " she waits, "Better?"

Rook's eyes first go wide and then are sent rolling about his head like he'd just recieved a blow to the back of it. "Well, now I really don't need to go home. Your humor is just like my sisters'!" He pushes his boots with his heels back behind and away from him. Then he listens to the new information with a tilt of his head. "I can see, go right ahead."

He follows her movements with his head, trying to look behind him as she moves. His arms  move without resistance and he grips each rough hand with the other. The push to the back of his knees catch him off guard and he drops slightly before recovering, standing up but keepig each knee slightly bent. His eyebrows knit together at the sight of her pose, but he repeats it without much trouble. He's still silent until he begins to move his hands forward past his shoulder blades and then it's a grunt of effort.

"It's what I'll tell her when I write. I keep them updated on my whereabouts so they can find me if needed. She loves long hair, like yours." Rook said, his face slowly turning red. He exhaled deeply as he straightened, dropping his arms to his sides. "I can feel that in my shoulders and back. I didn't expect my body to be able to move that way."

"Perhaps leave out the color..." she murmurs, the smile gone from her face. She lifts her arms to fold them over her chest, but thinks better of it as she takes a few steps around him pondering. "Yes, well, if you'll no need to experiment then that makes a bit of sense," her response is slightly muffled by the placement of a finger between her lips as she think.

"Alright, this one might be awkward. I'll help you this time, but eventually you'll be able to do it alone." Apparently having made up her mind, she moves to the side of him, she holds a hand out in front of him for him to grab for balance and waits, if he doesn't take the hint, she clears her throat and indicates with her eyes before openly telling him, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Now for the awkward," she says, her voice wavering slightly and it sounds more like she is talking to herself.

"Lift your foot behind you, bending your knee,..." a pause "The one closest to me, please?" Once he does, she bends slightly so she can grab his ankle with her hand. "I won't let go, so try not to fall on me." she smirks, raising her eyes on him a moment. "I'm going to help you lift back. It will stretch the top of your leg and back." she said as lifted his ankle, hoping he had enough balance to help a bit. The position of this one was awkward, at least for her as she was shorter than he was, but it was a good one that was quick and genuinely easy to learn.

"You run the show on this one, you tell me when to stop stretching and when you are done, then we'll do the other side or you can try it on your own."

Pipre swept the canvas door aside in the middle of a long quaff. She couldn't stop a sudden laugh, however, as she saw what was going on inside. A spray of ale patters against the ground and over her face as she sharply exhales into the bottle she is drinking. Her laugh continued after she recovered from the initial stun and luckily she had a towel right there with her. "Sorry, jeez. I did not expect to see that. Are we pretending to be egrets? Is this some sort of foreplay?" Pipre asks, giving them space as she moves to put away some of the gear she had taken to the pool with her. She was nice and clean, subtly fragrant, and dressed in but a slip that was moved off of her shoulders and down to arm cuffs. At first it was hard to tell if she was being mean or curious, but as she got her stuff put away she came over and tried to do the pose in earnest.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:00, Fri 03 June 2016.

The sudden noise almost created a scene much worse than Pipre had stumbled upon. Her grip on Rook wavered and she nearly lost her footing, only managing to catch her balance at the last moment with a step back. The hand on his ankle released almost instantly, but it had come quickly to his upper arm to steady him if he showed the same waver of balance. She murmurs something under her breath  and turns her narrowed eyes on Pipre as the laughter settled and the young woman's voice lifted.

Never meeting Rook's gaze, Aris'ta releases her hands and steps back as a tinge of color enters her cheek, thankful at least, that Pipre is otherwise occupied. Social situations were a deficiency in her upbringing and awkward moments were akin to death blows. Whatever light-hearted mood she had was gone, the sour smirk back on her face as she folded her arms over her chest. It is of note, she has not removed her gloves the entire time she was teaching Rook to stretch.

The fact that Pipre eventually came to attempt the pose herself did little to alleviate the tension. Even if Pipre is trying, Aris'ta perceives it as a form of mocking and it darkens the cloud above her head more. Her only solace comes from the darkness to which she withdrawals, eyeing the pair with an occasional lofted brow.

"Don't lock your knee." is the only advice she gives either of them while she watches.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:43, Sat 04 June 2016.

Pipre very quickly, oblivious to the mood she may have spoiled, attempts the pose, leaning over much too quickly and putting herself off balance. Even though she stretches herself out quite nicely she doesn't hold the pose more than a breath or two. She pinwheels her arms before going down, landing on knees and palms. Her constant low-level inebriation probably doesn't help any. She laughs again at herself, standing up and wiping off her hands and knees. "Harder than it looks, but I guess it's a stretch huh?" She picks her bottle back up from where she put it down on the ground. "You guys are alright. Hey, did Rook tell you the story of how he chased off some devilish kids that were tormenting me during my journey to the Happy Drover? Anyways, hup stay limber, sorry for disrupting, I think I smelled some food on the way over."

---

New Day

---

It was late in the morning, and Aris'ta was still asleep, which was unusual under most circumstances. She laid beneath a single blanket, one dark knee protruding from one side, an arm casually wrapped over her eyes to avoid direct light to them. She was breathing softly, the other hand resting over her blanket covered chest, occasionally twitching her nose. Whether she were really asleep or not was another matter, but the fact remained she was still there.

Eventually, the arm moved, the figure groaning in protest of the bright light, but even that didn't disturb her. She merely turned her head and went right back to sleep.

< Outside

Rook walks directly into the canvas door, getting caught at first before pushing his way through backwards. His arms were filled to the brim with weapons and it made him appear to have just gone shopping. They weren't his own long bow, it was still inside the tower. These were new weapons, smaller ones that had been procured from the bandits. He hadn't actually expected to find Aris'ta there, his intent was to place them out of the way and find her to approve of his choices.

What he found was a still sleeping half-elf. The light through the door was dim and so he stopped to squint until his eyes acclimated. At first he appeared concerned and quietly crept towards her. But he saw that her chest was moving under the cover and any fears of her passing in the night were put to rest. The stretching she'd instructed him hadn't been so strenuous as to keep him in bed this late, so he was left wondering what had made her so tired. Though, his dreams were probably a result of the effort. Instead of putting his things away in his spot, Rook knelt down and did his best to divest himself of the weapons as quietly as possible. Biting his tongue, each one was laid on the ground individually to prevent any metal clanking her awake.

Arms free, he looked around trying to find something. What that something was even he didn't know. He rubbed at his mouth and moved towards Aris'ta while still squatting. It was a slow waddle, but seemed to be effective because Rook didn't see any movements to indicate that she was awake. Without anything at hand to help him, he felt his holy symbol against his chest. A grin appeared on his face as he reached up to touch it and he thought of the water he could call out of the air above her. A gallon of fresh water would do to wake her with a quickness.

But, that wasn't why Erastil had granted him that ability. It was for drinking, for feeding crops, even washing off. But something like this was beneath Old Deadeye. It was a good thing it wasn't below Rook. Without much else to do, he dragged his thumb slowly across his tongue and then repeated the action on the exposed dark knee.

The reason for her slumber was not entirely without reason. Even with her age, Aris'ta still prefers the light of her father's heritage. The night is cool and inviting, drawing to her in ways she couldn't begin to understand. It also leaves her tired well into morning, often into afternoon. This is the first in a long while she has allowed sleep to claim her so mercifully and for so long.

Even with how quietly Rook tries to move, it doesn't completely eliminate sound to the Elf's keen ears. They twitch occasionally, but she still stays as she is. Never moving, save for the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathes.

Aris is just between the point of waking and dreaming when a familiar scent fills her nostrils. A smile plays on her lips, that she cannot hide in her dazed state. She shifts slightly, flexing her knee just enough that Rooks action against her skin results in such a shock of the senses, that she extends the limb towards the offense without thought.

She is also quick to rise from her place, eyes large and owlish as she is thrown into wakefulness, hair an unruly, fetching mass  about her face. She's pulled it free as some point, and it falls in waves about her face. The moment her eyes land on Rook, she relaxes and scowls, rubbing her knee. She lifts her palm to her nose and sniffs before glaring at him. "Did you actually do what I think you did?" she's not so much angry at him, but she is surprised.

"You're lucky I don't sleep armed, and that I knew it was you." she added, reaching up to pull her hair back from her face.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:26, Fri 10 June 2016.

The young man takes the kick without much flailing, though it does momentarily put him off-balance. He breaks into a grin, resting his arms on his knees while watching Aris'ta's momentary disorientation. He shifts backwards when she pulls her hand up and the grin grows to maddening proportions, threatening to split his entire face in half. "If I did, then what does that make what you just did? Why would you sniff it?" He asks, his voice impossibly high and straining to contain the boisterous glee within him.

He controls himself, though, and stands fully, his arms moving to rest on his hips before crossing his chest restlessly. "You really should sleep with a weapon. Even if we are safe in here, there's always the possibility and it's better to be prepared. I keep one on me at all times. Speaking of weapons!" Rook bounces in place and turns to run back to the new items laying at the front of the tower. "I got a bunch of new ones for training today. Oh, you missed bath and breakfast. But I bet Svetlana saved you something. Look!" He picks up the handaxe, holding it up. "Just like what I've been looking for! Now I can do more work with wood. Trim branches or harvest saplings. I can build with it too!" He mimics chopping at something in front of him with the tool.

The hand slow folds closed, without answering she pushes herself up to standing, looking more than a bit uncomfortable. She hadn't even realized what she had done, made worse by the fact Rook had not only noted it, but taken interest in the action. Running a hand along the base of her neck, she wrapped it through her hair in a nervous gesture meant to calm her suddenly jumpy nerves. She hadn't meant to sleep so long, now she was disoriented, partially light-blinded and in the company of the last person she expected to be there when she woke up. Too late, she realized she was only partially dressed. Not that she would be considered immodest. The small shorts she wore to sleep in covered her respectably, if not leaving a good portion of her legs revealed.

"Do you mind?" she stated in a rushed tone, indicating he turn around as she fumbled for the soft trousers she generally wore beneath her armor. She would wait until he turned to pull them on and would deal with making herself more presentable after a fashion. Leaving him turned, she also took the opportunity to quick cinch her hair back from her face, missing a few tendrils about her face. It looked almost identical to how she wore it the previous day, and indication she usually did her hair in such a fashion. "Alright, thank you," she murmured, her attention already surveying what he had brought up.

She had folded her hands over her chest, one hand - the left - is still covered by a glove. "These are good to start with, easy to use and handle. " she murmured, rubbing the sleep out of one of her eyes with her palm.

Rook's eyes widen as she stands, glittering fiercely with amusement. He drops the axe through his hand to hold it by the head, then tosses it back up through his fingers to grip the handle "No, I don't mind at all." He replies, though it's clear that he understands her intent because he turns his back to her. While she dresses, he puts the axe back down and organizes the weapons, putting the bow and spear to one side and the sword and axe through the other.

He looks over as Aris'ta approaches and points to the two groupings. "The sword and axe are to carry. I'm sure I'll use the axe as a tool more than anything. But you're probably good with the sword, so I'll need you to show me that. I got the spear and the shortbow for my horse. I noticed when we met up with the others yesterday that it was impossible to use my other bow from horseback, so I got this one. Look at me, two bows. I've made it, I'm successful. Just call me Rook Two-Bows." He grins over at Aris'ta. "I've never shot on a horse either, so I'm hoping you know a little about that." Now that he was talking about work, everything previously seemed to have been long forgotten.

Aris'ta listened thoughtfully, still clearly trying to get her wits about her as she listened. She moved her arms and hands from across her chest to her hips, and eventually back again. Nodding in acknowledgement, but not really saying anything. "Sword first," she acknowledged in agreement, ignoring his comment and nickname.

"You'll need more handling with a horse before I can help you in regards with the bow" A hand moves to catch one of the loose ends at her face, subconsciously toying with it. "Unless we're needed elsewhere, we can start whenever," she pauses a moment before adding "Outside.

"Whoa there." Rook replied, picking up the bow, spear, and axe. "You just woke up. You haven't eaten or anything. I'd like for you to be focused while we work." He carried the three weapons to his corner and stored them, leaving the sword on the floor. "Plus, I have to catch you up on everything. Henry gave us our assignments this morning."

Rook moved back beside Aris'ta, bending down and picking up the sword and sheath. He began fussing with the belt, holding the sword to each hip and grabbing the handle with each hand to test. After deciding, the young cleric slid the belt around his waist with the sword on his left hip and latched it tightly. He took a few steps to get the feel of it, holding on to the belt in case it slipped off, and then stopped at the canvas door, holding it open for the dark skinned half-elf.

Lifting a hand to her eyes,  She rubbed the lingering traces of sleep from her eyes. A part of her was defiant at being pointed out the error of her ways, but fatigue was steadily catching up with her. She'd slept poorly since her first arrival, not that she would admit it, and it was doubtful she had eaten well, even after being offered. But even as she relented and readied herself to join him, she paid careful notice to how loose her own belt was on her hips, and how she ever-so-slightly wavered when she balanced to pull on her boots.

"If it will end your quibbling, then alright," was the only answer she could think to give, not sure if he expected one. Despite the heat, she pulled her on a longer sleeved tunic, and her other glove, before making to follow. "Proceed." she said when they were through the canvas, waiting for him to lead on.

>>>To Oleg's!>>>
This message was last edited by the player at 01:09, Sat 11 June 2016.

While Bai, Rook, Aris’ta, Pipre and Zorah have been away, work has carried on apace - and Adoven has been assigned to different lodgings.

The tower has had a floor added half way up, dividing the tower in two,  and the upper corner has been planked across.  The upper room is about 15ft square and about 10ft to the 'ceiling' and is accesses via a ladder from the ground floor.  The ground floor room is also 15ft square and has a canvas door leading outside.    The walls are still rough wood and the only furnishings are five thin mattresses.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:09, Sat 10 Sept 2016.