It's not what you know, it's who you know

Ember Phoenix · 10-17-2010, 08:42 PM

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Theo

A steady chill was settling over the lands, but so far the first frost of winter hadn't come. Ember was grateful for this; there was an entire field of hay behind the barns that she was hoping to harvest before the frost came and ruined it. She needed it to stay dry so that when she gathered it up it wouldn't become moldy in the place that she chose to store it at.

She stood in front of the field, shadow stretching out before her. It was mid-afternoon and the sun shone brightly overhead, warming the lands with its light. The shifted female held a large tool in her hand, a long pole with a curved blade on the end of it. Ember was used to handling all sorts of weapons and she got used to the balance and weight of the scythe after a few quick swiped with it. It was extremely sharp, she noted.

She took a break when she was around a quarter of the way done with the field, leaning her tool up against the side of a nearby tree. If only she hadn't left this until the last minute. She was already pretty tired and doubted that she'd be able to do the entire field herself this day. Maybe half of it, if she was lucky. Ember sat down in front of the tree that her tool leaned against, closing her eyes for a moment. Perhaps a bit of rest would get her re-energized.

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Theodoric Martin · 10-19-2010, 12:40 AM

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Today was one of those rare autumn days when the sun warmed the chilled landscape and a gentle breeze kept the day from becoming over-warm. Theodoric had risen early when the first rays of sunlight trickled through an open window, and the promised weather quickly drew him out-of-doors. Instead of weaving (which could be done all winter) the Gatlvska decided to spend the morning weatherproofing the hut he’d recently moved into. The building was sturdy and well-made, but had been uninhabited for some time before Theo had moved in. Upon moving in, the Scottish man had cleaned the entire interior from top to bottom; now it was time to do the same for the exterior.

For the day’s work he dressed in his old traveling clothes: study leather leggings and an offwhite shirt. Normally, the outfit was completed with a woolen cloak, but the sun made the addition unnecessary today. Thusly clad, Theodoric detailed the hut’s exterior plank by plank, patching holes and shoring up weaknesses. The grayscale luperci had little love for winter’s cold and had no intention of spending the season fighting drafts in his home. He hummed while he worked, and was pleasantly surprised when he was finished shortly after midday.

After a quick bite of lunch, the brown-eyed male headed for the stables, bringing bits of old sweetbreads as treats for his two ponies. They greeted him laconically in equine, but accepted the treats he’d brought eagerly. A short while later, an odd sound caught and held his attention. The soft swish-swish had been steady and soft, and he almost missed it until the noise stopped. Curious, he headed outside where he found a sable female resting with a scythe at the base of a tree. Noting the work she’d begun on the field, he greeted her in thickly accented tones, “Lovely day for fieldwork, isn’t it?” Theo headed her direction, to see if the other AniWayan needed a helping hand.

Ember Phoenix · 10-19-2010, 01:22 PM

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Theo

She felt as if she were out of shape from the amount of fatigue she was feeling from the task. The tool really wasn't that heavy, and she felt as if she shouldn't have been that tired. Ember had been spending more and more time in her lupus form in the days and weeks past, and as she sat and rested she thought about that. Perhaps she wasn't using her muscles as much when she was in that form, or wasn't using them in the same way that she had in the past. Before her pregnancy, four or five months ago, she had been in the best shape of her life. The wolf had trained each and every day with weights and had used her sword or axe on a regular basis.

A voice broke her from her thoughts, and her muzzle tilted upward so that she could take a look at the one who had addressed her. He smelled like an AniWayan, but there was another underlying scent that was slightly foreign. Perhaps he was a newer member, or had just returned from a trip outside of the lands. Ember rarely left the tribelands these days. She stood up, using the long tool as a support, and nodded. "Guess so. I was takin' a break...been at it for a while. Figured it was somethin' needin' done before the first frost...don't want the stuff gettin' moldy. It'd be of no use then. My horse is 'round here somewhere...the lazy beast was gonna help me pull it all back to the barn when I was done." She said. "You got a horse here?"

At the words "lazy beast", a whinny sounded from behind her. Ember gave a small smile as her appaloosa approached from around the other side of the stable, the horse head-butting her shoulder as he neared. "Don't think he took well t'me callin' him that" She said, looking back at him. Ember had hooked up a contraption in her stallion's stall so that he could let himself out whenever he wanted out, and he made regular use of it. The horse was smart enough to know to go inside when it was raining or cold, as well.

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Theodoric Martin · 10-20-2010, 10:56 PM

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In keeping with Martin family tradition, Theodoric had spent his late childhood and balky teenage months out in the Scottish countryside. (The city-dwelling family routinely sent their youth to their farm-dwelling relatives to “run the wild out of them”). Although during those months Theo had mostly tended sheep and chased wild ponies with his cousins, he had learned the basics of sowing and harvesting tilled earth. Therefore, the new Gatlvska recognized the scythe for what it was, and regarded the female who had been wielding it with an appropriate level of respect: while not incredibly heavy, the tool was certainly not light, and required a certain finesse to handle properly.

Theodoric nodded in agreement as the other AniWayan spoke. The season was growing late, and soon it would be too late to harvest anything, frost or no. “Yeah, I do,” he replied. “I’m fairly new to the pack and you might not have seen them yet; but I have two ponies, a stallion and a mare.” Unlike the majority of the pack who kept horses for riding, his ponies were pack animals trained to carry and pull. They were a handsome pair all the same, with matching dark dappled pelts and tawny manes. Theodoric liked horses, but was not much of a rider. He wondered, idly, if he ought to learn.

Theo had to chuckle when the female’s appaloosa appeared as if on cue, indignation in the lines of his body. “Well, we certainly wouldn’t want such a lovely beast to strain himself,” he joked in reply. “It’s a good thing I came along to help instead.” And while Theodoric was joking about the horse, he was serious in his offer to help.

Ember Phoenix · 10-20-2010, 11:53 PM

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Bayard had not been a beast that had been very easily trained in the beginning, but as Ember had improved with her training skills and her skill in lowspeeech, communicating with the lower creatures, she had forged a relationship between them. What she and Bayard had wasn’t anything like many riders had with their horses. They talked, sometimes for hours and hours a day, and spent a lot of time together that wasn’t filled with her riding him or making him do much of anything, really. She made sure that he had good food to eat and a warm place to sleep and when she would ask him to do something, he would usually do it. If he refused, then she respected it…because 90% of the time he would be there to help her out.

The quirky stallion seemed pleased to have been deemed a “lovely beast” even if it was a joke, his head coming up, brown eyes focusing on the wolf beside Ember. He didn’t catch on to sarcasm very quickly, and was thus taking quite a liking to this smooth talking male. ”I hadn’t gotten the chance to see ‘em yet. Usually I’m in my own little world, it seems” She said, clearing her throat. ”I dunno if it’s one of my duties or whatnot to cut this stuff down..I’m a warrior here. But if it’s somethin’ needs done, I’ll do it.”

He mentioned having come along to help and she looked for her sword, which was leaning against the tree. Perhaps it’d be something that would also work to cut through the hay. Or they could take turns between picking the loose hay up off the ground and cutting it. ”I’m Ember.” She announced, leaning the tool in his direction so that he might take it. ”If you want a turn with that, I can load some of this up and get it into the loft in the barn. Probably the best place for it”

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Theodoric Martin · 10-25-2010, 01:04 AM

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In the few days and meetings since his arrival, Theodoric had noticed the casually close relationships many of the wolves enjoyed with the horses they rode. He had first seen it in the easy body language between Liliana and her mount; he was beginning to pick up the same laid-back vibes between Ember and the appaloosa. Certainly, it was an approach to horsemanship that was completely new to him: Theo had never had more than a working relationship with his equines, perhaps because he had bought the pair as common property, or perhaps because of his lack of command of the lower speeches. Of course, he treated Duncan and Suthen well (better than many of his Scottish peers, anyway), but expected them to obey his commands when he gave them. Maybe, Theodoric reflected, he ought to try a new approach – especially if his ponies took to listening to the horses housed with them in the stables.

Even with this new enlightenment of equine intelligence, Theodoric missed the stallion’s attentions. His own attentions were focused on the dark-colored luperci he’d just met. Despite his projected confidence, Theo was still eager to make a good first impression. He was a man who liked to be liked. “I’m still trying to figure out who everyone is, let alone who has which duties,” Theodoric confessed in reply. “But I try to make myself useful if I can.” He had never been afraid of a hard day’s work, be it spent at the loom, in the dye houses, or on shearing day. A field of hay would be no different.

“Theodoric,” he returned the introduction with a polite bob of the head. Although slightly wary of the bladed tool, he accepted the scythe graciously. “Sounds like a plan,” he said cheerfully, testing the weight of the scythe in his hands. It was heavier than it looked. “Oh, wait a moment,” he leaned the harvesting tool against one shoulder carefully and dug awkwardly in a pant pocket for a moment. “Here,” he offered finally, producing a ball of thick thread that he had just been using to mend one of the pony’s canvas saddlebags. “Maybe use that to tie the hay up into bundles? It should be easier to move that way.” Certainly, bales would be easier to get into the loft than loose stacks.

Ember Phoenix · 11-03-2010, 05:46 PM

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"Ah, I see. I was 'round when this tribe was founded. I'm not sure...but I think me, my good friend Tayui, and Dawali are who's left from those days. I want to be a master of my sword someday, I think...just haven't had to do much protecting lately to prove myself" That was probably for the best. She didn't want to have bad things happening in AniWaya. Ember didn't even want to think about it and tempt fate; "jinx" the tribe, or anything.

He took the scythe and handed her some twine, and she nodded in agreement when he spoke of it. It would make carrying the hay much easier if she could get into bundles. She began to go around the side of the field to the parts she'd already done, starting the next step in the process of getting it to the barns. This strategy had worked before for getting the hay up there, and she'd do it again. It would certainly be a workout for her, though.

"Where'd ya come from before you moved here?" She called as she worked, lifting the bales up, grunting a bit from the weight. She'd packed a few of them too heavy. Ember made the others a bit lighter as Bayard came around to receive them.

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