39th Winter 513AV
It was unusual for her to volunteer for something but Azira needed a change. She was beginning to feel as if she could do nothing for the city. Her attempts at hunting had been pitiful, what little she had caught not fit for much and it wasn’t like she caught game with any sort of frequency. So she’d decided to do something that would definitely have results. Volunteering to fetch water had seemed like a good idea to her and she had some free time so why not actually do some good for the city. Wind Reach needed clean, uncontaminated water. The huntress knew only too well what the contaminated water could do and she’d been lucky; she hadn’t died. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to give something back to the community.
The huntress had headed out early with a group of Avora and Chiet to the nearest glacier, a group of Endal giving them a lift out to the site. The air was crisp, fogging the breath of the Inarta as they set about positioning their equipment. Fires were set up and coaxed into being a short distance from the wall of ice, holders for pots were set up so that they could be held over the fire for melting. Empty containers were placed near the fires ready to receive the melted water. Pickaxes were handed out to every member of the party so that they could chip away at the glacier. They had come fresh from the forge, undirtied by mining as of yet but when the ice party were done with them, they’d be heading to the mines to replace the old tools. Chipping pieces of ice off and melting them had been deemed the most efficient way to get water and so that’s what they began to work at.
The pickaxe felt heavy and strange in the hands of the huntress. Her arms were strong from archery and from lugging kills around but yet it was a struggle for her to use the tool. Azira couldn’t help but wonder how the Dek and Chiet working in the mines managed to swing the heavy tool for bells at a time. Each swing made her muscles scream in agony, each hit into the ice face sent shockwaves and pain up her arms and into her shoulders. It wasn’t long until swinging the pickaxe was an effort. Her arms were going to be killing her for days afterwards and it was certain that by the end of it all she’d be absolutely exhausted. The painful and exhaustive task made her think of what Lavira had told her about the miner Dek and it was only now that she could understand the Endal’s words about the harsh conditions for such Dek. She could easily imagine them just sleeping wherever they dropped, too exhausted to do anything else.
Her struggle with the pickaxe must have been obvious because a neighbouring worker came to talk to her to offer a suggestion.
”Uh no offence or anything but you look like you can’t manage this,” he called over the din of metal striking ice. ”Maybe you’d be better off starting the melting before your arms drop off,” he suggested, smiling. Azira gave him a sour look. She didn’t like the idea that she was incapable of such labour and she didn’t want this man to point it out as fact. A glance behind him showed that he’d made a fair dent in the ice already, pieces of ice piled at the bottom of the glacial face where he had been working. He was only panting a little bit as if the work wasn’t a great effort for him. He was young, only a few years older than herself perhaps and he was obviously strong from whatever work he usually did. The other workers weren’t doing quite as well as him but they were certainly doing better than the huntress.
The young woman’s face softened and she let out a sigh of resignation, dropping the pickaxe from her aching grip. Rubbing her arms to try to take some of the soreness out of them, the teen managed a small smile for the young man. ”Thanks, I think your right, unfortunately,” she told him, stepping around him to retrieve the ice from where he was working. He moved to help her, gathering the ice together and piling it in her arms. He really had made a good dent already. ”Ah don’t worry about it. It’s hard work and there aren’t too many able for it. The others are struggling a bit too,” he explained, nodding in their direction.
Finding her arms too full to carry anymore, the Avora moved to the fires to dump off the ice that she had already. Dropping the ice a short distance from the fire, she picked up more manageable bundles of it to place in the pots, cramming the frozen substance into each pot until no more could fit. When all of the ice had been gotten rid of, she returned to the glacier for more. The young man had obviously been awaiting her return because he hadn’t set to work again yet, instead grouping the ice chunks together to make things easier for her. When she drew level with him, she found a hand thrust out for her to shake and she took it without thinking.
”I’m Noren by the way,” he offered along with the handshake. His grip on her hand was firm but not tight as they shook hands. ”Azira. Their hands separated, his falling to his side as the huntress set about gathering again. He quickly bent to help her, something that she resented in a way. Did he think her incapable of picking ice up as well? Noren also seemed very eager to make conversation, something that Azira hoped he’d get out of soon.
”I’m a blacksmith in case you hadn’t guessed. That’s why this isn’t too hard on me. I’m used to hammering at things. I thought you might have recognised me actually but I guess not.” The huntress had nearly dropped her load, her eyes finding his slowly. A blacksmith. Like Lorthen would have been. She had to ask, she didn’t have a choice in the matter.
”Why would I recognise you?”
It was unusual for her to volunteer for something but Azira needed a change. She was beginning to feel as if she could do nothing for the city. Her attempts at hunting had been pitiful, what little she had caught not fit for much and it wasn’t like she caught game with any sort of frequency. So she’d decided to do something that would definitely have results. Volunteering to fetch water had seemed like a good idea to her and she had some free time so why not actually do some good for the city. Wind Reach needed clean, uncontaminated water. The huntress knew only too well what the contaminated water could do and she’d been lucky; she hadn’t died. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to give something back to the community.
The huntress had headed out early with a group of Avora and Chiet to the nearest glacier, a group of Endal giving them a lift out to the site. The air was crisp, fogging the breath of the Inarta as they set about positioning their equipment. Fires were set up and coaxed into being a short distance from the wall of ice, holders for pots were set up so that they could be held over the fire for melting. Empty containers were placed near the fires ready to receive the melted water. Pickaxes were handed out to every member of the party so that they could chip away at the glacier. They had come fresh from the forge, undirtied by mining as of yet but when the ice party were done with them, they’d be heading to the mines to replace the old tools. Chipping pieces of ice off and melting them had been deemed the most efficient way to get water and so that’s what they began to work at.
The pickaxe felt heavy and strange in the hands of the huntress. Her arms were strong from archery and from lugging kills around but yet it was a struggle for her to use the tool. Azira couldn’t help but wonder how the Dek and Chiet working in the mines managed to swing the heavy tool for bells at a time. Each swing made her muscles scream in agony, each hit into the ice face sent shockwaves and pain up her arms and into her shoulders. It wasn’t long until swinging the pickaxe was an effort. Her arms were going to be killing her for days afterwards and it was certain that by the end of it all she’d be absolutely exhausted. The painful and exhaustive task made her think of what Lavira had told her about the miner Dek and it was only now that she could understand the Endal’s words about the harsh conditions for such Dek. She could easily imagine them just sleeping wherever they dropped, too exhausted to do anything else.
Her struggle with the pickaxe must have been obvious because a neighbouring worker came to talk to her to offer a suggestion.
”Uh no offence or anything but you look like you can’t manage this,” he called over the din of metal striking ice. ”Maybe you’d be better off starting the melting before your arms drop off,” he suggested, smiling. Azira gave him a sour look. She didn’t like the idea that she was incapable of such labour and she didn’t want this man to point it out as fact. A glance behind him showed that he’d made a fair dent in the ice already, pieces of ice piled at the bottom of the glacial face where he had been working. He was only panting a little bit as if the work wasn’t a great effort for him. He was young, only a few years older than herself perhaps and he was obviously strong from whatever work he usually did. The other workers weren’t doing quite as well as him but they were certainly doing better than the huntress.
The young woman’s face softened and she let out a sigh of resignation, dropping the pickaxe from her aching grip. Rubbing her arms to try to take some of the soreness out of them, the teen managed a small smile for the young man. ”Thanks, I think your right, unfortunately,” she told him, stepping around him to retrieve the ice from where he was working. He moved to help her, gathering the ice together and piling it in her arms. He really had made a good dent already. ”Ah don’t worry about it. It’s hard work and there aren’t too many able for it. The others are struggling a bit too,” he explained, nodding in their direction.
Finding her arms too full to carry anymore, the Avora moved to the fires to dump off the ice that she had already. Dropping the ice a short distance from the fire, she picked up more manageable bundles of it to place in the pots, cramming the frozen substance into each pot until no more could fit. When all of the ice had been gotten rid of, she returned to the glacier for more. The young man had obviously been awaiting her return because he hadn’t set to work again yet, instead grouping the ice chunks together to make things easier for her. When she drew level with him, she found a hand thrust out for her to shake and she took it without thinking.
”I’m Noren by the way,” he offered along with the handshake. His grip on her hand was firm but not tight as they shook hands. ”Azira. Their hands separated, his falling to his side as the huntress set about gathering again. He quickly bent to help her, something that she resented in a way. Did he think her incapable of picking ice up as well? Noren also seemed very eager to make conversation, something that Azira hoped he’d get out of soon.
”I’m a blacksmith in case you hadn’t guessed. That’s why this isn’t too hard on me. I’m used to hammering at things. I thought you might have recognised me actually but I guess not.” The huntress had nearly dropped her load, her eyes finding his slowly. A blacksmith. Like Lorthen would have been. She had to ask, she didn’t have a choice in the matter.
”Why would I recognise you?”
x
