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Post by Dhodrimme Rualanna on Jun 23, 2006 13:43:45 GMT -5
Deornon snorted slightly as the man left, but smiled in a pleased manner as he gathered the coins. "Toren, go run and get Nuaera, tell her she has a sword to tend to," he instructed a young messenger lad, who promptly nodded and ran out the door. Meanwhile the master smithy set the sword to the side beside the heavy gloves which Nuaera had left behind.
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Vernon bowed slightly in return, "And as you know by what Nua has spoken, my name is Vernon." His greeting was short, though and he turned his gaze towards Nuaera. "If you could water the horses I would greatly apprieciate it, for there is much to do, I'm preparing several steeds to take on a brief journey outside the gates."
At his words, Nuaera's face lit up, a curiousity glimmering in her green eyes. "Might I come along then? If I can get leave from Master Deornon?" She looked towards him hopefully, temporarily forgetting the presence of the gypsy.
Vernon shook his head with a rueful smile. "I'm afraid not, this is strictly for the men, and besides, I doubt that father is in too good of a mood to let you go for the entire evening and tomorrow as well. In fact, you best hurry before he becomes upset, and I won't be here to fend for you, dear Nua, so please take care."
"You'll be gone tomorrow too?" She questioned, her expression falling to disappointment. At a nod from Vernon, she sighed and forced a smile as she turned towards Tri once again. "Forgive me, sir, but I must water the horses..." she murmured before lowering her head and walking past him towards where the well was located, her struggling smile fading.
Vernon watched her for a moment then shook his head with a slight sigh, turning aside to walk towards the opposite end of the stables, where his task was awaiting him. He did not leave, however, before giving a slight nod of his head to Tri in departure.
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Post by revontulet on Jun 30, 2006 3:51:45 GMT -5
The sound of Déalaf’s hooves mixed with cheerful laughter. They rode to South enjoying the sunlight and the smell of the ground. The wind was warm and only a few white clouds broke the blue of the sky.
Arnae smiled peacefully, but there was also a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. That’s what riding made her feel: calm and trusting for life, but at the same time she felt brave. Riding through the vast lands awoke her spirit to hear the call of adventures, and suddenly she remembered stories of great kings and elves and her imagination told her another stories, stories of things to come. Riding was freedom.
They talked about simple things, told jokes and sung. Finally they stopped on a little hill and dismounted. They let the horses wander free and eat grass. Arnae knew they were couldn’t catch the horses yet, but after living in Rohan she knew that they would answer their call and come.
Fenhild sat down and grinning. She had dimples and she looked younger than her years when she smiled. “If you are not going to sit, I must assume it’s because of riding.” Arnae pretended to kick her friend before sitting down next to her. “You know as well as I do that is not true. I’ve been taught to ride as any girl in Rohan.” Fenhild didn’t respond, she only smiled and turned her face to the sun. Arnae didn’t go on since her friend had fallen to silence. She looked around and felt like she was sucking everything she saw inside her, to keep in her mind when the valuable moment of freedom would be over.
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Post by Anariel Narie on Jul 5, 2006 2:32:08 GMT -5
The gypsy's expression saddened faintly at Vernon's refusal, his gaze settled intently upon Nuaera. As the two exchanged words, Tri slipped into his mare's stall, rummaging in his satchel until he found what he'd been searching for with a soft "aha", and drew a small hand-brush from it and began running the gentle bristles briskly over the mare's coat. Folly's lids drooped to half-mast as she relaxed with each stroke, leaning toward her master with a contented grunt.
Tri's eyes drifted lazily over the mare, and his lips parted in song as he sang an old tune under his breath, pausing as he heard Nuaera pass to water the horses. Pushing open Folly's gate, the gypsy slipped from the stall to follow the intriguing young woman, his interest getting the better of him. He caught up until his stride matched hers, and he tilted his head to look at her, a smile gracing his handsome features. "Might I offer help, miss?" he questioned, hands clasped neatly behind his back. "I could keep you company. I couldn't help overhearing your disappointment..."
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Post by Dhodrimme Rualanna on Jul 5, 2006 22:36:45 GMT -5
Nuaera dipped a bucket into the holding well, pulling it out when it was full and setting it on the stone edge as she pushed her sleeves up past her elbows, washing her arms in the water to remove the dirt and soot from the smithy shop. She casts a glance towards Tri, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity and a renewed eagerness. "I'd be glad for your company, sir, if it does not interfere with what you might already have planned... Please, you may call me Nua, that is what I am often called, though my master calls me Nu more often." She chuckled gently, though in a more rueful manner, as though regretful of the shorter name.
She filled a second bucket with the cool water and lowered both at her sides, one in each hand as she made her way into the stables once more, pausing at the first stall to spill half the toted water into a smaller bucket, continuing on towards the next stall to do the same. Pausing for a moment she glanced at Tri with a genuine smile, brushing aside strands of her redish gold hair with the back of her hand, slightly disheveled in appearance from the day's work. "Won't your family be looking for you, sir?" She questioned in a polite manner, returning her focus to her task. "I am sure I saw them heading past a while back, moving towards the higher levels."
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Post by Anariel Narie on Jul 6, 2006 19:26:13 GMT -5
"Then, dear Nu, I would be honored for you to call me Tri," the gypsy smiled, taking up a pale to fill himself. He watched as she brushed past him with her own bucket, his eyes slowly drifting away from her form as he pulled the pale from the well.
Following her, and passed to take the pale to his own steed, who eagerly sipped from the bucket as her master held it to her muzzle. His gaze flickered upward as Nua spoke again; a smile brightened his expression. "My family doesn't need me," he replied, lowering the bucket to the ground. "Not at the moment. There are indeed enough of them to make up for my not being there. Surely the crowds can do without fortune tellings and singing for a day. Besides --" he paused, smiling in her direction, "-- I'm enjoying myself. Rarely to I have the chance to spend time away from performing for other people, and entertain myself."
Tri's deep, expressive turqoise gaze shifted so that it faced Nua again; his head tilted to the side ever-so-slightly. "Tell me, Nua...what is it you do? And do you enjoy it?"
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Post by Dhodrimme Rualanna on Jul 7, 2006 8:06:26 GMT -5
Nuaera chuckled gently, her eyes glimmering in amusement at the young man's words, returning a smile. She was rather enjoying the company as she poured two more pails and returned to the water well, her emerald glance turning towards him in an observant manner. With two full buckets, she returned to the stable, seeming to ponder Tri's question in silence for a moment before answering.
"I work at Deornon's Smithy, mostly crafting, finishing, or repairing swords, since he has many customers and several areas of expertise." She paused for a moment as she spilled the water into a bucket, moving on to the next, careful not to slosh the water from the pails she carried. She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, her glance cast low towards her work, the smile fading slightly. "I enjoy the work to an extent, though I'd rather be out with Vernon, seeing new lands, but my master won't allow me to take leave too often. He has need of me more often than not."
After releasing a sigh, Nuaera swiftly changed the subject. "So, are you really able to tell fortunes, or is that just a bit of guessing and observing?" She questioned with a slight grin working across her features, while she shifted her gaze towards him, pausing to rub the forehead of a placid mare.
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Post by revontulet on Jul 31, 2006 7:50:09 GMT -5
After some time she relaxed her eyes looking to the horizon and started a new tune. It was soft, floating melody, and she hummed it absent-mindedly.
“What song is that?” Fenhild asked. Arnae stopped and raised brows, slightly surprised. She hadn’t realized she had been humming aloud. “This? It’s…” Arnae frowned thoughtfully, trying to remember the name of the song, but somehow she couldn’t find it. It was like the name of the song had been wiped away from her mind and only the melody had been left there. So she gave her answer slowly, in thought. “Something I’ve heard somewhere.” “It’s beautiful… Does it have words?” Arnae looked to the horizon, to the direction where she imagined she could see the White City. For some reason her gaze often found its way to the direction. “I can’t remember.” Fenhild smiled at her. “Maybe you invented it yourself.”
But Arnae stared at the horizon in thought, trying to remember. She had a feeling the song did have words, but somehow she couldn’t see what it was about. And somehow she knew she hadn’t invented it herself, though it came from inside, she could almost recall a voice singing it. But she knew it could be nothing but her imagination. After all she had always been fond of stories and songs.
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Post by Anariel Narie on Sept 8, 2006 21:39:23 GMT -5
"The work of fortune-telling is a bit of both, I think...real, and guesses," Tri replied, a smile in his tone. "My mother is much better at palm-reading and such than I am...I'm much more music-oriented than anything else. So is my father."
He looked up at the distant sound of music, and merriment, as it wound it's way up the street, and he reached up to run a hand back through his hair, a faint smile on his lips. "Seems they've caught up with me, unfortunately," he said, turning to enter Folly's stall. "They'll be wanting me to join them." He slipped the bitless bridle onto his mare's head once more, and slung his satchel over his shoulder before he lept lightly onto the Gypsy Vanner's bare back.
"You're welcome to watch, if you have spare time," he smiled, and casually saluted the young woman as he lightly squeezed his steed's sides with his legs, sending her into a swift canter down the street...
...he would, of course, return...
~*~
Meh...a rather poor post, but a post nonetheless. Apologies for my absense!
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Post by Dhodrimme Rualanna on Sept 8, 2006 22:13:25 GMT -5
(No need to apologize, I understand how busy things can get....)
Nuaera watched him ride off, remaining silent herself, though her mind was working at other matters. After having completed her tasks at hand, Nuaera, swift and careful, crept to where the soldiers were preparing to leave for the field trip of sorts, her eyes on her adoptive brother for a whatchful moment. Her mind worked a plan, every muscle twitching as though in preparation.
Swift to action, Nuaera ran into the street and headed through the crowds and up to the second level, quickly navagating her way to the smithy and jogging beyond, down the alleyway and into the small homely dwelling in which she lived. Without saying a word to the older woman who watched her with wide eyes, Nuaera snatched a few items, including a fairly large satchel, a loaf of bread, some dried meat, and a flask of herbal oil which she herself had carefully prepared for burns and minor injuries.
"What in heaven's name are you doing, child?!" Verena exclaimed, a hand flying to her chest as she watched Nuaera pack extra clothes and trade in her figurely cape for a more broad and rough one, her expression seemingly determined as she shouldered the now loaded satchel.
"Forgive me, ma'am, but I'll return these when I come back.... and as for my work for the next week or so...." She tossed down a small pouch of coins. "That should cover Master Deornon's fees for his loss of my service." She leaned forward and kissed the woman's cheek in a kind manner, a broad smile crossing her features framed by unusually fair hair. "Thank you...."
Before another word could be spoken, Nuaera ran out into the street and sprinted to the lower level once more, reaching the stables and seeking a ready horse of one of the men. Swiftly she shadowed her features beneath the lofty hood, pulling gauntlets over her slender hands and taking the reins of a steed standing nearby, leading the horse into a dark stall in the corner and waiting.
"Where is my horse?" Questioned one of the men to one of the stable boys, "I asked for a horse to be prepared, and I mean prepare a horse!" He barked roughly, but didn't go far in his interrogation as an officer of higher rank stepped in, roughly directing the soldier to prepare his own horse. After the chaos had settled down and all seemed prepared to go, Nuaera, under the disguise of dark ranger-like clothes, slipped unoticed into the crowd of men and continued on with them to the city walls. She had always been unusually tall for the common woman of Gondor, so it was easier for her to fit in, though were she to reveal the bright hair of redish gold, the secret would surely be found out.
When they had reached beyond the gates, all were directed to mount their steeds and prepare to ride off. Nuaera could not help but grin under her disguise. She had done it! She was free outside the walls, and once they got beyond a certain distance, surely they could not send her back.
And so it was, that the small group of men clothed in travel gear, with a stowaway, so to speak, amongst them, headed off to seek experiance in the wilderness of the lands beyond the boundries of the city walls. It had been several years since Nuaera had stepped so far beyond her so called home....
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