Closed Horizons in Autumns Light

Niall searches the market for clothes to replace his rags, and contemplates a promise to deliver a letter from a mother to a daughter long lost.

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Center of scholarly knowledge and shipwrighting, Zeltiva is a port city unlike any other in Mizahar. [Lore]

Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Vernadel on September 14th, 2013, 12:34 pm

Vernadel


Hooking her elbow behind his neck and gripping his right shoulder, Vernadel balanced herself in the Isur's arms and prepared to be carried. Never had a man made such a proposal before, but Vern felt snug and safe nestled against Niall Hammerfist. She nodded when he asked if she was okay and they began moving through the crowd.

Though she was so close to him, Vernadel found it difficult to talk over the bustling crowd, so she just listened to Niall. Maneuvering around an ox cart, the Isur and the Akvatari were treated to a flapping chicken right in their faces and Vern's grip on the man tightened. As they neared a knife juggler, she bent over the top of Niall's head and buried her face in his shaggy hair, afraid a blade would accidentally come sailing in their direction. She allowed herself to breathe after a few ticks and no such disturbance. She could smell the seawater in his hair, and it comforted her.

As they ducked under a load of wood, Vern wondered how much farther they had to go. Niall was beginning to sweat a little and she didn't know how many more times they would be able to dodge and avoid the dangers of the streets of Zeltiva. The muscular man asked her what a painter was, but before Vernadel could answer him, he tripped on the bottom stair of the Eatery, his strong arm tensing behind Vern's back.

She looked out into the crowd as they were finally clear from the chaos, then into Niall's face. The man blushed and Vernadel smiled. It was so charming to see a big, brave man like him be embarrassed by a silly girl like herself. When he released her, taking the warmth of his body with him, she felt a strange sense of abandonment and loneliness, though he was only an arms-length away from her still. She wiggled her tail to get comfortable in the wooden chair Niall settled her in and cleared her throat.

"Well, I certainly had a better time of it than you," she said, with a hint of mischievousness in her tone, but she quickly turned sober. "It was still a long journey for me, though. I just left home for the first time a season ago, and all by myself. I swam or flew all the way here, usually sleeping underwater where it was probably safer." So, I only caught a passing glimpse of Darva. Abura, though...oh Niall, it's such an amazing city. Not nearly as busy as Zeltiva, it has high towers and underwater caves. I miss it so much already, but I am here to learn so that I can return a better artist than when I left."

She remembered his earlier question and rested her hands on the table. "A painter is a kind of artist. Rather than sculpting something out of marble, stone, or clay, though, I work on a flat surface. With little brushes, I put wet colors onto a canvas." She looked around to see if there were any paintings in the Eatery, but she couldn't find any. What a pity. Perhaps she could remedy that someday. "I like to paint all sorts of scenes: landscapes, animals, people. In fact, I'd love to paint you one day." Now it was her turn to blush as she realized what she had just said. Gazing at her hands, she hurried on. "But my old tutor used to tell me that I have an odd style because I make them a little fuzzy, as if my paintings were a dream of reality. Sometimes I add odd little figments in my scenes, too," she confessed, "which probably adds to their unrealistic quality." After a moment she raised her eyes to Niall's again.

"I have studied geography, but I've only ever seen Kalea and Sultros on a map. Tell me what it's like. You've come much farther than I have. What did you see? Was it dangerous? Did you walk the whole way?"
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Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Niall Hammerfist on September 15th, 2013, 10:40 pm

Niall focused his gaze on her face as she spoke to him. He had to admit that it wasn’t hard for her to hold his attention. He’d always been a fool for a pretty face, and Vernadel was no exception. She had swum to Zeltiva from Akvatar, which made sense as her tail looked extremely serviceable for the task. The idea of Niall swimming farther than the breadth of a river scared him. Being an Isur his body was dense. Staying afloat was a problem when your weight was mostly muscle like his. When she told him of how she slept beneath the waves, Niall remembered a dream he had once where he was sleeping in the great lake in the Oathos Valley. He seemed to recall in the dream he had been dead, and he watched his own body as it gently drifted with the soft push of the currents.

He smiled a small genuine smile as she mentioned the city of Abura fondly. It sounded like a magical place steeped in Djed.

When she described what a painter was he leaned in closer to her listening fascinated. Applying pigment to a flat surface, amazing! Niall had seen a carpet woven, or clothes that had been dyed, but never something so capturing of a moment as what Vernadel described as a painting. He could see the limitations of it as well, though he speculated in his head on which would seem more life-like, a sculpture or a painting. Though Niall could imagine a hazy almost fuzzed out version of himself, or other people as they moved through the market, their lives full of color and purpose. She described a fascinating image he could see clearly in his head.

He sat back in his chair when she said she would like to paint him one day, and he suppressed another blush, though it didn’t do enough to hide the little patches of warmth that showed on his cheeks. “I’m sure there are far better subjects than myself, that you could devote yourself to capturing in a ‘painting’.” He said softly. He had never thought of himself as worthy of leaving something behind apart from his work. Weapons, Armor, Jewelry, and utility forged items. It always seemed enough to leave behind his work as testament to his life.

Niall was about to answer vernadels question about Kalea when a serving boy in simple clothes brought them a pitcher of water and two simple copper cups embossed with swimming fish. He poured the crystal clear water into Vernadels cup, a few droplets sloshing onto the wooden table staining the cracked surface with wetness. The water looked so marvelous Niall knew it would taste sweet. His anticipation wasn’t misspent. When he filled his cup he took a drink and sighed, his cheeks still partially filled. After swallowing the last bit and refilling his cup, he realized he’d been rude.

“My apologies, I’m parched.” He raised the cup to his lips considering her question. “Kalea is a hard land. It’s cold a majority of the year. It’s a great place to start a rock farm.” His eyes wandered through the memories in his head as he imagined his childhood. He took a sip of water and continued. “The ground is rich in ore, and the stone is cold and gray, not unlike the sky. Though when the day is without clouds you can lose yourself in the blue of that sky.” Niall seemed to be able to see it in his head, his mind travelling there now, over hill, mountain, and desert. “Many have described it as ‘The Unforgiving’ and they aren’t wrong. There were years it seemed, that the cold never left my bones.” He took a sip of his water and shivered a moment. He gasped as his mind came back to reality. “Not like here. It’s a very different place. “ He breathed in the warm air heavily, letting the heat soak his lungs, he hoped to drive away the imagined cold that he felt creeping into his soul.

“As for Sultros, I’ve never been to the great city. The way my father and the other Isur at the mining camp tell it, Sultros is an amazing place; vast in the depths of its mines, and high reaching in the height of its citadels.” Niall took a breath and a slight twinge of regret formed on his face, narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips. “I hope to see it one day. However, “ he said with a tone of finality. ”it’s time to stop walking for a while. I grow weary of the road and I hope that Zeltiva will be my last stop for a while.”

With a short tip of his cup he downed what was left in it. He let the cool liquid slosh in his mouth and down his throat, grateful for the relief it brought. “It was indeed a long way to travel. I walked a majority of it, and I must say that sitting down in a chair and sleeping in a bed is not over rated. I rode a fair distance from Syliras by Cart. That was a fortunate turn of events. I doubt I would have made it to Zeltiva had I not spent part of that journey sleeping in the back of a cart.” Niall said as he thought of the dangers of the trip.

“Leaving Kalea was the worst travelling experience I can remember. We left the mining camp in the shadow of Mount Oathos with twelve people and made for The Spires.” His face became grave and his voice caught a moment before he continued. “Only three of us made it. In truth, sometimes I think back to that time and I wonder if I didn’t lose a piece of myself in The Unforgiving.” His eyes seemed to be looking back again, to a time long ago. Niall seemed to come back again from the sorrow of his past and he locked eyes with Vernadel, a guilty look on his face. “I apologize Miss Vernadel, these are my scars, and my burden to bear.”

He ran the black fingers of his left hand through his hair and sighed letting the bad feelings go with his exhale. He shut his eyes to the pain and opened them again refreshed. It was then he realized that he had created an awkward silence. He gave Vernadel a toothy grin, hoping it would put her at ease.

“Let the past be in the past.” He said in a soft voice barely audible over the din of the street. His expression grew soft again.

It was then that mercy from his awkwardness arrived in the form of their server, bearing copper plates, and eating utensils.
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Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Vernadel on September 17th, 2013, 12:43 pm

Vernadel


As the Isur drained his cup of water, Vern realized just how much he must have been through recently and she felt awful about that since he was such a kind person. When he spoke about Kalea, Niall's dynamic voice was like that of a storyteller and Vernadel found herself being caught up in the tale of the faraway land. She had never really experienced extreme cold conditions and she wondered what it felt like.

Unable to imagine having to walk all that distance, Vern was stunned that he had come so far without the benefit of wings or a powerful tail. Her vision began to swim when Niall told her about The Unforgiving and Vernadel blinked rapidly to contain her tears. There was so much grief in her new friend's eyes, and, if she had been braver, she would have taken his hand to comfort him. Instead, though, she picked up her cup and took a small sip of water.

Studying him as he ran a hand through his hair and relived his suffering, Vern wished that there was some way to transfer that pain from him to her. Compared to this man, she had led a content life, filled with beauty and love, but she was often downhearted, mostly without reason. She resolved to remember how lucky she was more often.

Returning his goofy smile, Vernadel sat back as the server brought them their dishes. She listened to what the eatery had to offer and of course chose fish, though she rarely ate it cooked. Still, she did not want to offend Niall or anyone else in the establishment by munching on a raw fish. She waited for the Isur to order while she examined the copper plates intensely, noting how the light hit them at certain angles and displayed various colors on the surfaces. She would have to see if she could paint a scene with copper dishes.

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Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Niall Hammerfist on September 18th, 2013, 1:04 am

Niall was certain he had caught a glimpse of tears forming in her eyes and it worried him that he had said something awful. So it was a small wonder that he was grateful when she returned his smile. It brought a sigh of relief and a release of tension in his gut. Though it was even more relieving when she ordered something from the menu, for he had no idea what was good or safe to eat here. When the waiter turned to him and asked what he might like to eat he asked for a plate of the same, along with a cup of tea. Tea should be safe… Shouldn’t it? He thought to himself.

When he looked back at her he noticed she was looking at the copper plates as if her eyes might shoot forth rays of molten light. The idea made him grin broadly, though he kept it to himself. Not wanting to be left out he lifted his own copper plate and inspected it closely. He felt the weight and contemplated what the percentages of metal were in the alloy. The weight told him it was mostly made of copper, and a small percentage of chrome was visible to reduce oxidation and rust. The thinness of the plate told him it was molded and hammered, not poured. He ran his finger upon its edge feeling for the imperfections that the smith had wrought in its creation. Niall noted many different strikes of different sizes on its face. These disruptions hinted at a striker, or multiple strikers. The plate had likely come from a foreign local. Where there were many blacksmiths readily available to fill an order for a restaurant.

He set the plate down gently on the table and nodded to the server boy who brought him his Kettle of tea, and a small alabaster cup. He lifted the kettles lid and wafted some of the steamy air filled with the teas scent and sniffed at the leafy water analyzing its contents. It smelled earthy as many teas should. With an added odor Niall took for apples. He sighed heavily as the heat calmed his nerves. His mind stepped back a moment to the days and nights he spent at the forge with his father, the heat reminded him of it.

He lifted the kettle by its handle with his right hand, holding the lid closed with his left and filled his cup. As the liquid hit the stone cup it made a gentle ringing, as if someone were running their fingers along the rim. When the cup was filled and the tinkle of the hot water ended, Niall gently set down the kettle and took his cup in both hands. He held it beneath his nose letting the steam rise, each gust of rising steam a warm kiss upon his face. He closed his eyes and imagined it. He could see the sunlight hitting the mountain side in early spring during the melt. The newly formed river of water as it ran its course through the valley, turning into violent rapids, and majestic waterfalls.

“Now I will say something for the mountains. Warm Tea, food, fire or company can make the nights pass quickly.” He blew at the surface of his tea. Even in the warmth of the early morning in Zeltiva the hot water billowed forth wisps of steam. When he thought it was cool enough he took a sip. The hot liquid passed over his lips and down his throat reminding him of cold nights and the contrast of good things.

He smiled serenely, the contentedness obvious on his face, as he held the small cup with the tips of his fingers. It was then that he opened his eyes and turned his smiled upon Vernadel. “ Would you like to try some?”
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Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Vernadel on September 19th, 2013, 4:54 pm

Vernadel

Niall studied his own plate as Vernadel studied him. He seemed to be searching for something in the metal, but what, she did not know. He tested its weight and examined every curve, every dent, his brow slightly furrowed as he concentrated on the dish. She tried to file away this picture of him in her mind because it was such a contradiction. A large, muscular man with tousled hair bent over a copper plate and running his fingers along the edge delicately. The sight would make an excellent painting, she was sure, if she could only remember every little detail once she was back in her room with her paint supplies. He was such an interesting and curious man, this Niall Hammerfist.

Vern's eyes wandered around the eatery. At this time, the place was about half full, but of course, there was not a single Akvatari except for her in the establishment. Some of the people sat alone, but most were in pairs or larger groups, sitting together and chatting while they ate. Vernadel was very glad that she had Niall for company today, unique as the man was. She wondered suddenly if all of the men and women of his race were of a similar sentiment.

"Please tell me about the Isur," she said. "What are they like? Do they all have..." she looked down at the table, not wanting Niall to feel self conscious about his arm, of which she was just about to ask. In an attempt to change the subject, she asked quickly, "What do you do? I mean, I paint. What is it that Niall does?" She grinned at him, hoping that he wouldn't think she was prying. She was just curious.

When the server brought the tea, Vern sat back again and watched as Niall visibly relaxed. She had seen tea before, of course, but rarely drank any, for she was never in need of warmth. The concoction seemed to do wonders to Niall, though, for as he sipped, his face lost some of its tired lines and his eyes shone with a luster that she had not noticed previously.

"Oh," Vern said, surprised that he'd asked her if she'd like to try the tea. "What does it taste like?"


Last edited by Vernadel on September 29th, 2013, 1:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Niall Hammerfist on September 19th, 2013, 11:49 pm


“The Isur?” Niall echoed Vernadels question, his serenity suddenly broken by her question. He recovered quickly and took another sip of his tea, considering her question. When her second question trailed off he leaned back in his chair, the old wood creaking comfortingly. He brushed a few strands of his hair back with a gentle turn of the black fingers on his left hand. His contented smile from the warmth of the tea and the good memories were replaced with a smaller kinder smile, though the difference was minor.


He polished off the tea in his cup and fixed Vernadel with a curious smirk. It was obvious he was trying to read her intent. When she changed the subject he recognized that her question had been curiosity, and why not. She had never metan Isur before. His smile broadened and a low chuckle could be heard in his throat. He quietly listened as she asked him what he did. He was here in Zeltiva to track down a Denvali murderer, and give a Kelvic a letter from her mother, but once he had been a blacksmith.

He refilled his cup of tea and pushed it toward her with his dark arm. When the cup rested before her and she lifted her eyes to gaze back at him he returned her grin and rolled up the sleeve of his left arm to the shoulder revealing the odd softly glowing mark that rested on the flesh there.

He started with the Tea, as if a gnosis was common to everyone walking alive or dead. “It tastes earthy as most teas do, with a hint of apples and spice.” He turned his arm over so she could see the underside as well as top. All Isurians I have met have Izentor. It is the gnosis of Izurdin God of crafting and Industry. It is very strong, and similar to the consistency of a gemstone, or metal.” He left his arm exposed to her so that she could get a good long look at it. “You can touch it if you like. I’ve been told it feels similar to a warm stone that’s been sitting in the sunlight all day.”

He left his arm there, allowing her a chance to satiate her curiosity. “I’ve been told that from birth our arms are like this, though I can’t remember being born. I can recall though that my arm has always been like this.” His grin relaxed to a little smile as he continued. “As for what I do, I am a blacksmith by trade, and a traveler by necessity. I can make all manner of metal goods. Most of my work has been fairly simple. I’m hardly a master smith by any stretch. It’s been a while since I last forged anything, and I’m worried I might be a little rusty, but if I picked up a sledge I’m sure it would all come back to me.”

When the server arrived, Niall gently took back his arm. He rolled the sleeve down slowly covering it, leaving only his black left hand exposed. The fish was still steaming from the fire they had used to cook it. The sides had been seared to a golden brown in what appeared to be a very hot metal plate. He wasn’t sure, but it looked uncooked in the middle which Niall wasn’t too keen on. Someone had warned him about undercooked meat. It was slathered with some sort of thick brown sauce that smelled sweet and savory. A side of steamed seaweed and freshly cooked bread broke his resolve. Embarrassingly he had to wipe a driblet of drool from the corner of his mouth and he swallowed hard.

His eyes strayed from the meal before them to Vernadel waiting for her cue that it was alright to eat.
Last edited by Niall Hammerfist on October 3rd, 2013, 10:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Vernadel on September 25th, 2013, 1:11 am

Vernadel

Unused to the range of expressions of different species, Vernadel puzzled her way through Niall's menagerie of smiles and smirks. He really had a striking face with his defined cheekbones and strong nose. It was so different from the soft contours of the faces of the male Akvataris Vernadel knew. Niall looked right into her eyes and Vernadel's own cheeks grew pink at being caught studying him. He pushed his teacup over to her, refilled with warm, fresh liquid and Vernadel reached out for it.

As Niall exposed his arm and told her more about the Isur, Vernadel brought the cup to her lips and took a tentative sip. The tea was warm and the slightly spicy taste lingered on her tongue, flooding her mind with memories of the world outside, in the open air and sunlight.

"Can I?" she whispered when Niall told her she could touch his gnosis. She set the cup back down and stretched her slender fingers toward him. The mark on his upper arm glimmered with a faint luminosity that reminded Vern of the fish in the darkest depths of the ocean that sported small lights to enable them to see in the blackness. Her fingertips grazed the mark, which was indeed warmish to the touch. She let them trail down his arm, her skin barely touching his, until they came to rest on his forearm.

Vernadel lifted her eyelids to look at Niall and suddenly, the heat from the tea, from the Isur's mark, and from her own flushed body was too much. She took her hand away quickly and pushed the cup of tea back to her new friend. For some reason, she found herself breathing heavy, though she had been sitting for quite awhile. Pressing her hands together in her lap, Vern looked down at them, marveling at the peculiar closeness she felt to an individual that so contrasted her. Niall Hammerfist was fire, while she was water. He was earth and she, air. Yet the differences seemed to have dissolved the moment they met.

The fish arrived and Vern watched Niall's hungry gaze. She felt too flustered to eat the steaming food, though it smelled appetizing. Plus, she was not used to eating with utensils and didn't want to look a fool in front of Niall. She picked up a fork as slowly as she could without being suspicious and touched the ends to the seaweed. When she lifted the utensil, a couple of wet green strings came with it. Vernadel just stared at the seaweed on the end of her fork, hesitant to bring it to her mouth. Although it was one of her favorite snacks, she had never had seaweed cooked quite like this. The Isur looked ravished, though, and she would not make him wait any longer.

Lifting the fork to her mouth, Vern managed to close her lips around part of the seaweed while a few tendrils dangled ungracefully down her chin. Blushing again, she tried to scoop them in between her teeth with her fork, but there were too many, so she leaned forward and bit off the ends, letting the remains fall back onto her plate. She wished someone had taught her how to eat like normal folk. She already felt so out of place in this strange city.

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Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Niall Hammerfist on September 27th, 2013, 7:55 pm


Though it was his divine arm Niall felt a soft tingle of sensation tickling its way up as Vernadel’s fingers danced across its surface. With a little effort he kept his composure. The contrast struck him as strange, how when battle was joined and when one man struck another, that tingling sensations came from the bite of steel, not the lightest of touches from a woman. He sighed softly when her hands left his forearm and a little bittersweet smile found its way to his face as the memory of the only other woman he had known to make him feel that way. The memory was like a soft breeze on a hot day bringing with it hope.

He had barely even noticed that she had pushed the tea back to him after tasting it. She seemed to have like it. Niall felt relaxed, for what seemed like the first time in ages. After a deep inhale he wiped the smile from his face and looked up at Vernadel and watched her warily pick up her fork to eat. The Akvatari must have never used one before as she handled it as if it were something new. Niall recalled many times in foreign lands using odd things to eat even odder meals. Nothing beat using your hands though. The ravenousness of the road often made a fire crisped bird at the end of your journey irresistible to simply pull off the spit and bite it as if it might fly away.

He watched her bring the seaweed to her mouth delicately, and realized he had been staring, a stupid grin on his face. Niall looked down at his dish with the freshly cooked fish. The seaweed steamed happily next to it and he considered his company. He smiled his little knowing smile and laid down his fork. As Vernadel’s eyes found his he winked at her and pulled a pinch of seaweed from his plate with his fingers and after dragging a little bit of it through the sauce on his fish brought the messy treat to his mouth.
After leaning his head back he lifted the seaweed over and lowered it in. It was messy but Niall was glad for the food. It had him in a rare mood. A few small droplets of sauce had hit his cheek and he wiped it away with his shirt sleeve before sucking away the sticky remnants from his fingers. He watched for her reaction.

The food tasted amazing. The sauce was sweet and mixed well with the saltiness of the seaweed and the fish. He picked up the heal of bread on his plate and tore off a small chunk of it, dipping it in the sauce just as he had with the seaweed. Being a smaller amount than the seaweed he simply popped the little morsel into his mouth and smiled as much as one could while chewing.

After swallowing he grinned at her. “Forks are overrated. But if you wanted to use one, let me show you a little trick to eating seaweed.” Niall picked up his fork again and stabbed the tines gently into the mess of seaweed on his plate. Seeing that it was placed well he twirled the fork with his fingers, drawing the green salty delicious tendrils of sea plant about the tines in a large mouthful.

Seeing his fork was laden with enough to barely fit into his gob he lifted the now heavy with seaweed fork and showed it to Vernadel. The tendrils stuck to each other with the occasional loose end dangling downward.

After he was sure Vernadel had seen how it worked he dipped the mass of seaweed on his fork in the now disappearing fish sauce on his plate and slowly placed the massive sticky dripping mess into his mouth.

Even with the great care he had taken not to spill any of the sauce on himself a small dribble still managed to find its way to the corner of his mouth. “Well it works better most of the time.” He said in an amused tone, before licking away the salty sweet sauce from the corner of his mouth. He laid down his fork again and laughed softly. When was the last time he had laughed like this? Zeltiva was agreeing with him and the relief of that was almost unbelievable. In the briefest of moments he almost wished he would never find Savannah Farstar, as it meant there was nothing holding him here in Zeltiva any longer, and the road would call to him yet again. He didn’t like the idea of that.

Niall’s mind was pleasantly distracted as he picked up his tea to take a sip. As he brought the cup to his mouth his eyes wandered to Vernadel’s bosom and the stones that had landed upon his head. He realized again then that he was inappropriately staring again. He knew the real reason why he was, though the why of things could be easily muddled in the interpretation.

“So what sort of stones were those that you dropped on my head?” He said as he pointed at the place where she had hidden the soft milky gems. The moment the words were out of his mouth he immediately regretted them and he found himself trying to explain. “I mean to say, the little rocks-“ Niall’s words lost steam as he realized he had just pushed another shovel of rocks out of his proverbial mine.

He ran the fingers of his black hand through his hair and took a sip of tea letting the warmth calm him down. “What I am saying, is, I am very curious about the shiny pebbles you dropped upon my head when we met. I’ve never seen such a thing in my travels before. What are they? Where did they come from? Of what are they made?” Niall’s mind, he realized, had hopelessly wandered into the nearest gutter, and he pulled a crispy flake of fish off of his plate and popped it into his mouth, hoping that the food would prevent him from putting his foot in his mouth again.
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Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Vernadel on September 29th, 2013, 2:27 am

Vernadel

As the wisps of steam from the fish wafted in front of Vernadel's eyes, she fixed her gaze on the man eating with his fingers. She realized it must have been for her benefit, and she should have been mortified. Instead, though, she was overcome with gratitude, delighted at his thoughtfulness. The feeling was enhanced when he showed her how to twirl the seaweed around the tines of the fork and the corners of her mouth turned up at him.

Vern attempted to stick the green strings with her fork and twist it in her fingers. It took her nearly a chime, but finally she had a nice little clump of the plants on her utensil. Bringing the fork to her mouth, the Akvatari closed her lips over the food and drew the seaweed off of the tines. She beamed happily as she chewed, her dark eyes watching Niall's face as he licked his lips clean of sauce. For some reason, the sight of his tongue darting out of his mouth caused goosebumps to form on her arms and she dropped her gaze.

When she looked back up, Vernadel noticed that Niall was staring at her chest. She dropped her fork on the plate and it landed with a loud clatter, embarrassing her twofold. When the Isur pointed at her, she nearly fell out of the chair before she comprehended what he was asking about.

"Oh!" she spluttered as Niall asked her in three different ways what it was that she had dropped on his head earlier that day. As he mussed his hair, she felt better that she wasn't the only one feeling awkward at the moment. "Those were pearls," she explained after a tick or two.

"I gather them from the ocean. Pearls are made by oysters, but only about half of the oysters have them. Sometimes, mussels will have a pearl, too." Vernadel reached up into her hair and unwound a small string of pearls that included a couple of sea stones as well. She easily broke the string and let the small objects fall onto the table. "It's hard to make holes in them. I have to work with my jewelry tools for a long time. But they are so pretty." Vern stretched the string before her face and peered over the top of it at Niall.

"I have pearls of all colors," she said, fingering the round gems. "But this one is the only black pearl I have ever found." She held up a tiny dark sphere, that shimmered blue and silver in the light. Taking her string, she shut one eye and carefully poked it through the hole in the pearl. She tied it in a loop about the length around her thumb. Then, she looked at the Isur.

"This one is very rare. I want you to have it, Niall." Vernadel handed the strung black pearl out to the man. "It matches your arm, see?" Once she had put the gem into Niall's hand, Vern scooped up the remaining stones and gems and turned to the left. She placed the sea treasures in the fabric band she wore around her chest, eyeing Niall through her lashes as she did so. Letting the fabric snap back tight again, Vern turned her attention back to her plate, wondering how to twirl the fish around her fork.

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Hoizons in Autumns Light

Postby Niall Hammerfist on October 1st, 2013, 2:49 am


“Pearls.” Niall repeated the name as if it were some mystical thing. He listened mesmerized by the idea that something alive could produce a gem. Niall had only known the earth to produce gems of such beauty. He watched as she unwound a few from her hair and displayed them. The sunlight caught them and their soft milky glow made Niall think of freshly powdered snow in the mountains of Kalea.

He had heard that the ocean was bountiful from stories on the road, but he had never imagined that it could produce something so amazing. Izurdin surely had a hand in it. He tried to imagine where it must have come from, what did an oyster look like? His mind was hungry for answers now that his belly was becoming appeased.

As Vernadel stretched the string of pearls out to display them on the necklace, Niall’s face lightened at her antics with the pearls. He smiled, genuinely happy to see someone so content with what seemed such simple things. It was one of Niall’s staunch beliefs that one should seek happiness in simple things. Like the smell of wheat, the gleam of a finely crafted blade, a hard day of work, and bitter beer to name a few.

As she explained how they varied in color Niall puzzled over what might cause this variation, and watched her as she touched each in succession along the string. They were obviously very precious to her. He thought of his Hammer and the lump of Iron in his pack and considered the disturbing nature of them both and decided not to chime in about his Heirlooms.

Niall’s attention snapped back to reality when Vernadel presented her rarest gem. A Black Pearl she called it. It was not warm like the rest, but seemed almost like a tear drop of Oil, or the carapace of some strange beetle. It shone with a dark sheen not unlike the flesh of his arm. He must have been captivated by the unusual Gem for he did not realize what Vernadel was intending as she looped her string through this magnificent gem.

Niall was surprised when she offered it, and he felt a pang of guilt as she held the jewel out to him. Distracted by its sheen he reached for it slowly with his black hand and tenderly touched it. It had an almost perfect spherical shape, and Niall was pleased with the symmetry. He looked at it affectionately astounded that a stranger would part with something so lovely.

“I” Niall stammered, “I don’t think I can accept such a lovely gift.” He lifted his head to look at her just in time to catch her drop the rest of the pearls in between her breasts, just as she had with the ones she had dropped on his head. Niall shook his head for just an imperceptible moment, the words “Treasure Chest” going through his head. He blinked away the thought and suppressed a gleeful smile. He managed to keep it down to a smirk and saw that she had been watching him to see his reaction. He turned his head slightly to the side and his smirk grew into a full bloomed smile. Of course his blushing cheeks weren’t far behind and he rubbed the back of his neck guiltily.

Niall cleared his throat before he spoke. “I’m sorry, what was I saying?” His smile disappeared as he pondered his own question for a moment the idea of Vernadels Treasure on his mind. He shook his head again and continued. “Oh yes, I was saying that I was unsure if I could accept this,” he hesitated a moment gauging her reaction, though something in his heart knew she would not allow him to return it to her. Besides it would be rude to refuse such a gift. “Forgive me, for even thinking such an absurd thing.” He said, his smile returning as he looked back at the jewel.

Niall thought to himself on where to place it. He looked over his rather poor conditioned clothes and sighed. “This will look out of place on a bedraggled lout such as myself.” He said gently biting his lip in thought. Then almost experimentally he held it to his sword arm just above the elbow. Feeling satisfied with the location he slid up his sleeve and tied the cord above the large bone in his elbow, further accentuating his bicep. He lifted his arm and touched the dark gem tenderly with his blackenned hand. “Thank you for this gift, you will allow me to return the kindness one day I trust?” He smiled at Vernadel as he let his elbow drop to the table.

He watched her eye her fish and realizing he had not shown her how to eat fish with a fork, reached for his own with what he hoped was a friendly grin. He tapped his plate with the utensil before he broke off a flake of the seared fish with a downward pressing of the flat of the fork and then stabbed it with the tines. He held it up so she could see how he had skewered the delicious morsel and then not waiting on ceremony slid the bit of fish into his mouth and withdrew the fork for another bite.

Niall saw the light as it caught on a passing soldier’s helmet and realized that the sun was rising high into the sky. They had been talking all morning! He looked about distracted, and noticed that the eatery was beginning to fill up with people and the streets were thinning out. An opportune moment to not die in the traffic of the market was going to present itself soon. He nodded to Vernadel as she ate her food. “We should finish our meal and get to the street. Things look like they are slowing down.” Niall said in an almost amused tone, before tearing off a large mouthful of the heel of bread from his plate. “I have a desperate mission to find new clothes today.” He said with a most definitely amused tone as he tugged at his woolen rags.
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Niall Hammerfist
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