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Post by Cyn on Mar 11, 2017 3:23:28 GMT
Walking directly alongside the river back from the lake the two wolves made much better time than when they had journeyed to the fishing hole. Not needing to conceal the location of the small village that up until now had been the home to one made taking the direct route an acceptable option. They traveled along in relative silence and even so she was still glad for the company knowing that should she wish for a discussion at last it would be an option. Periwen knew that after just one more bend in the river the residential half of the village would be sprawled out before them and for a moment she wished she could both lead and see Aurek's reaction. She didn't quite know to what to expect or even what he expected to find but something told her it wasn't lie ahead.
Just as her excitement was building for the big review they cleared the bend and smack dab in front of them were well tended and manicured huts, their walls made of branches and sticks, laced together by twine and sealed by mud. Roofs thatched with dry grass that grows tall and vast on the plains just past the lake. Though no smoke rose above a single one it looked as though their occupants could have just stepped out for a stroll and not at all like they had been empty for many months on end. Straddling the river and joining the houses to the other half of the village where trade took place were two bridges within view, a third was further up and past another bend.
"Welcome to what I like to call the Atherial Center! On the left side of the river is where the trading center and shops are built up. Though, as you can imagine, they are rather empty. Much like all but one of these homes." A unmistakable sadness filled her voice for just a moment before she pushed past it, determined to be happy. "I welcome and encourage you to pick a home to call your own, even if it is on the outskirts of town it would be so delightful to know I have a neighbor just a few doors down."
Now she turned to take in his reaction, certain she had missed the initial one but still she was anxious to see and hear what he thought of her home and the place she hoped he would just as fondly call his own home.
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Post by Ravoshra on Mar 11, 2017 3:54:28 GMT
Aurek took in the well-cared for village, blue eyes drifting from one structure to another. Had he not been privy to the existence of the town and even Periwen herself, he would have found the scene incredibly creepy. The unnatural stillness of the empty village clashed with how neat and well-kept everything appeared to be. Nature had not been allowed to reclaim any bit of this land; overgrowth had been pruned to an exacting standard; the huts had been maintained and repaired; and even the pathways were obvious and clear.
He heard the sadness in the alpha's voice as she proclaimed the village empty. He felt the corners of his mouth droop in a slight frown, his tail hanging limp behind him. A village this well cared for -- so preserved -- deserved to be filled. He tried to imagine what it must have been like before, and he felt an echo of the melancholy he imagined Periwen must've experienced living here alone.
His blue gaze flicked toward the femme standing in front of him, noting how she was turning around to face him. Aurek shook the frown from his face and pasted on a smile.
"Maybe finding a place to crash here ain't such a bad idea," he said, trying to keep his voice light. "Might not stay every night, but heck! This looks like it'll make a great base of operations! Looks like you took a lot of care to make sure everything stayed in good condition."
The more he thought about it, the more the idea swayed him. A hut would provide a dry place to retreat in the event of rain or storms. He could store his extra tools and weapons there, not to mention food for the winter months. And as Periwen said -- it would be nice to know he had a neighbor.
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Post by Cyn on Mar 11, 2017 21:29:29 GMT
Hearing that Aurek was warming to the idea of picking one of the many vacant homes brightened her spirits and her smile grew. Her tail lifted and slowly shifted side to side, giving away how desperately alone she had begun to feel, even she hadn't realized it was getting so bad.
"That's excellent! Do you want to pick a house or cook up your catch first? I've got some vegetables in a store hut and some seasoning in the same place. If you're interested of course, not everyone is fond of added flavors."
Iwen was incredibly proud of her well maintained and manicured village and it had kept her very busy, she hadn't wanted it to fall into disrepair and possibly scare off new members she also worried that if things looked abandoned the wanderers that tend to come and go might decide to try their luck at taking the land over. She smirked at the thought, knowing even if she was alone it would have been quite a struggle with as crafty as she is.
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Post by Ravoshra on Mar 15, 2017 12:51:52 GMT
Aurek's stomach gave another warbling rumble, and he gave her a sheepish grin. "If you don't mind, I'd say let's eat first! Maybe you can tell me more about the village over dinner? Don't get me wrong, things look great, but... well, if I'm gonna be part of a pack, I'd be interested to know if you need any help with anything. Gotta start earning my keep!"
He was most interested in defenses and more specifically about whether Periwen had any in place. She was a wolf who could fend for herself, that much was certain -- but it was also clear that if a marauding group of any significant number came along, it would be a case of run or die. Aurek figured it was pure luck that she had apparently only needed to deal with wayward travelers thus far.
He wasn't a warrior, not really. He had no illusions about the two of them fending off any large threats through intimidation or combat. He had, however, survived as a successful loner, and he liked to think he knew a thing or two about staying safe as well as alive.
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Post by Cyn on Mar 17, 2017 2:36:39 GMT
At the sound of his stomach growling she covered her mouth to supress a laugh. "Yes, a meal first. There is a communal cooking pit towards the center of the homes we could cook there and it's pretty close to the vegetable stock. I'd be happy to tell you anything you'd like to know about your new home. Ask any question you like."
Periwen turned to face him as she said this last, flashing a sincere smile at him as she lead the way to the cooking pit. She had made breakfast here earlier in the day but she had of course extinguished the flames before walking away so there would be some work to do getting it going but she trusted Aurek could assist in this while she got some seasoned clay to cook the fish in and carrots to grill alongside.
"Think you could get a flame started? Should be some tinder just to the side, along with some flint if you need it. Thanks, I'll be back with a few cooking supplies and then I can answer your questions." A quick smile and then she was off into a nearby hut.
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Post by Ravoshra on Mar 17, 2017 3:27:22 GMT
Aurek searched for a place to hold his spear upright and gave a shrug before deciding to balance it across his legs, snug against his body, and he squatted down in front of the cooking pit. True to Periwen's word, the tools he needed to expediently start a fire were sitting neatly alongside the pit. He gathered up a handful of the dried tinder and settled it in the center of old ashes with careful aplomb.
Grasping the flint, he adjusted his grip until the sharpest side was angled toward the stone in his other hand. With a quick downward strike, he hit the flint against the rock and smiled at the resulting sparks. Starting a fire was so much easier this way.
It took Aurek a few more attempts to direct the sparks into the tinder and for the tinder to actually catch fire. Once it did, he made sure to feed the flames, careful not to suffocate them while doing so.
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Post by Cyn on Mar 17, 2017 3:37:07 GMT
She had been gone for only moments but returned with a clay jar filled with moist clay she had mixed with various herbs and spices to enhance flavor, under the other arm was a bundle of carrots and a potato for the each of them. "I can't seem to grow these in the farm or even in my personal plot by my hut but I can find them in the wild and I assure you will enjoy them if you don't recognize them."
She dropped to her rump and crossed her legs setting out her supplies between her and Aurek before scooping out a handful of the gunky clay and spreading it thickly over the fish she had cleaned at the lake. "So where do you want to start?" While her lips didn't curl there was still a smile on her voice. She burried her caked fish under the glowing and growing fire.
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Post by Ravoshra on Mar 18, 2017 14:23:25 GMT
"Well," Aurek said, sitting fully in the dirt, "You've mentioned others have traveled through Atheria. What about less friendly types, though? Do you have any plans for fending off an attack, for example?"
Other than weapons hidden all over the forest, he thought wryly.
He held his spear with its kill over the open flame before them. Slowly, he rotated the shaft between his palms, making sure all sides of the fish were evenly exposed to the fire. He made a mental note not to let the scales get too brown; he had a tendency to overcook fish, especially when distracted.
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Post by Cyn on Mar 18, 2017 21:50:35 GMT
Iwen had though to offer Aurek some clay but saw he had already begun to roast his over the flame and she she decided to roaster vegetables while they talked. "It may not inspire much confidence but sadly I have nothing big in place to defend Atheria. As you have seen I have weapons and supplies stashes away all over including out on the plain where there are no trees. On of these days I'll take you out and show you my tricks so you can find the tools should you need them. Anything more than that was pretty impossible on my own. I thought to rig snares and traps but didn't want to risk injury or death to friendly visitors."
She dug into her memory of less than pleasant encounters of the years and while they were the minority she was still able to recall more than one such instance. "Most of the unfriendly folk have been males seeking advancement, I mean you no disrespect but males can be very pushy and with limited thinking capacity when in certain mental states they make themselves quite vulnerable to attack. I have not had to kill anyone to defend myself or Atheria but I was forced to remove someone's hand. Mind you I did see to helping him stop the blood loss but I did not let him stay to recover. I suppose I have simply been lucky enough that nothing more than hidden weapons has been needed yet. If you have skills or knowledge which would aid in the defense of Atheria I would very must appreciate your sharing them."
Iwen knew this news was not the greatest and yet what else could she have done? She felt only minor shame but reminded herself that her weapon stores were vast so at least she was not unprepared.
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