Closed Peace and Quiet, Carving and meditation

[Banir Ironwood]

Winter 3rd, 2012 AV Mid day

Sitting alone upon one of the platforms of the Petal of the Endless Epoch. A large man adorned in a dirty green winter coat that traveled down past his knees. His large bulk slumped where he sat, the metal greaves on his legs clinking lightly atop his boots. The heavy armour on his shoulders and along his right arm glinting gently in the overcast sun. Scarfed hand hooded face looking down to what he held within his hand. The weather was delightful, cold. But by far more pleasant that what would eventually come to the Spires. His legs dangling and swinging calmly, the sound of metal upon metal not bothering him in the slightest. His left hand held onto a piece of slightly bent wood, meant to fit over a persons face. More specifically his own face, he had only started the base when he had began his project. Now that he had a few spare moments he could get to work on the rest. Lifting his armoured right arm, the heavy cold iron making mild noises with his movement. The bladed fingers graced along the front of the oak wood. He had carved it from the thick branch easily enough. The bark was the worst, but after he had managed that it was rather easy.

With a light smile on his hidden and scared face, he began to use his bladed fingers to carve away at the rough surface. Gradually using the blade to shave off the lumps and and undesired imperfections. Watching as the grey cold iron worked its way against the tan brown of the wood. Taking an almost meditative look his eyes glazed over into a pure white. Utterly calm in his own little world. Watching the wood curl as he shaved the next undesired bump from its surface. The shavings fell from the mask, falling from his hand and lap all the way to the forest floor. The shadows of his hood hiding the upper half of his face. His calm, peaceful white eyes ever watchful of his carving, continuing to make those smooth and slow gentle motions. Waking from his meditation only to take the mask, lay it upon his face. His right arm moving to mark where his eyes where. Steadily marking a little divot, where he guessed to the best of his ability where his eyes where. Removing the mask from his face he began to steadily began to carve out the eye holes. Smiling gently as his simple creation, looking over his craftsmanship. He was enjoying the calm and slow day. Letting out a long slow and simple sigh, enjoying the piece while he had it.

[Alea Davenport]

Banir should have known better. To be fair, he didn't know yet that Alea was in the city, since she has spent the previous season staying close to her bondmate when she wasn't building her house. But now that she had settled into the Spires, she had the spare time to wander around the city a bit. She had just come from Furs, Fins, and Feathers, to take advantage of the discount they offered. After much deliberation, she had settled on a lynx pelt, and then she bought lynx fur gloves and hat for good measure. Feeling decidedly more warm, she left the shop and wandered leisurely about the city. When she heard the familiar sound of metal scraping together, and recognized the armored arm of Banir, she grinned to herself.

Of course, it was no fun at all to politely walk up and say hello. In fact, such a thing was so unlike her that Banir might worry something was wrong. She carefully stayed behind him, tiptoeing around him to get to a tree-trunk nearby. Glancing back occasionally to make sure he hadn't noticed her yet, she began scaling the trunk. Of course, it was difficult to get very far, away from an official stairway, since the trees were huge and the only branches were the ones she was walking on. Still, she managed to grab onto the uneven surface of the bark enough to get at least a couple of feet into the air.

Now came the tricky part. Craning her neck to see behind her, she adjusted herself so that her back was directly facing Banir. Closing her eyes, she launched herself backwards in an attempt to hit him before she could realize what a stupid idea this was. She shouted something unintelligible as she flew through the air, and she felt her back hit something hard. She couldn't tell until she opened her eyes whether it was Banir or the wood of the Petal floor.


ReceiptLynx Pelt = 20 GM x .75(25% off) = 15 GM
Medium Lynx Fur Gloves = 6 GM
Medium Lynx Fur Hat = 5 GM
-----
Total = - 26 GM

[Banir Ironwood]

It was a small hole but one he would be able to see out of, he would be able to add finer details later. He had it all planned out. Rather than just simple holes he'd make a rectangle, better view for his eyes. Though it did pose risk to expose the damage on his left eye, but it was better than a single scarf or simple hood. Giving a gentle sigh he smiled, his covered face letting a small joy overtake him. His left hand roamed over the smoothed wood, he was still far from any professional level of carving. The wood carried scars from his carving, but it was still better than most carving's he had done. Giving a sigh he let a pale finger roam over the oak wood. It hurt a little for his damaged face to smile, the scared tissue and the missing chunks of muscle made it difficult. But to express it was well worth it, after all. Even he deserved a little bit of happiness, didn't he? Though he gave pause as he could have sworn he heard something. To be safe he put his mask into a pocket. As he was about to turn around he when he heard someone yell. An assailant? He could feel the Surge hit his body, muscles tightening becoming stronger, blood running hotter, breath drawing quicker. And as sweat began to strike his brow he felt something strike his back.

Moving he got to his feet as fast as he could, only in time to see a figure wrapped in furs. Calm eyes quickly turned red as he managed to get to his feet. Grabbing his assailant he lifted them from the ground and rushed towards the tree trunk. Letting out a low grunt he put his large hand just below the person's neck. Using all his weight upon it to pin them to the tree, the rush quickly getting to him. His red dominate eyes focusing on his target, he needed to be careful least he fly into a rage. Raising his right arm, the bladed fingers held together and pointed. The neck exposed upon the target, reeling back his right arm the heavy cold iron catching what light it could. Ready to plunge into flesh and spill blood, he'd not die from some cowardly, failure of an assassin. His breath was drawing rather quick from his shadowed and scarfed face. His voice managed to breach past the rush of emotion, it was still rough and graveled. But it was an improvement from what he once spoke with.

"Name yourself or I will, send you too embrace, Dira at my hand." Banir kept his muscles tensed and strong. He was not going to drop his guard, he had to assess his other options. If this person gave a counter attack he wasn't prepared for, then falling from the Petal would be the least of his worries. No matter, he just hoped he could wrap the up and go back to his carving. Preferably before a guard walked along and detained him. That would definitely spoil his peace and quite.

[Alea Davenport]

Alea's fighting instincts kicked in when Banir grabbed her. The familiar sensation of being strangled caused her brain to flip into survival mode, where the only rule was take down your opponent before they take you down. She swung wildly at his face, but her hands never even came close. Her legs kicked, her toes barely brushing his armor plates. She was about to grab his arm and try to pull herself up so that maybe she could get a kick toward his face, but something stopped her.

What was she doing? It seemed like she got into a fight with ever friend she ever met, but lately, people hadn't been staying her friend after she attacked them... Hadn't she decided that she would stop trying to hurt her friends? (At least without their express permission.) Her instinct to destroy any perceived threat had already seriously hurt people who would otherwise have been good friends. And she hadn't realized this until now, but the same violence may also have jeopardized the only Denvali friendship she had left...

She stopped trying to defeat an opponent and returned focus to greeting an old friend. She pulled off her hat, to let her waves of hair cascade in tangles down her grinning face. "Yo Banir," she croaked through her semi-crushed throat with as much casualness as she could muster, hiding how much her own mind had scared her. "Miss me?"

[Banir Ironwood]

Banir used his longer arm to keep her at a distance, though her moves where wild and random. The advantage was clearly with the large force, that force, was him. As he saw her sporadic fighting came to a stop. Had she realized how foolish her actions had become? She had more than just a simple weaker position. Even if she hit him he could end her life in just a simple movement, and why hadn't she answered him? Did she seek Dira so desperately? He should make good on his word if this was indeed the case. Right as he prepared to strike however, he felt himself disarmed. Seeing her hair fall from her head as her hat was removed. His eyes went wide, a bit of sad blue appearing, a bit of happy yellow, a bit of rage red, and curious orange. Though his face remained hidden his true emotions remained plain and clear to see. The the four colours swirling with his confusion. As his old friend spoke he blinked and immediately he dropped her. Removing his hand from her and taking a step back. A stunned silence befalling him him as he took a moment to take in the information. The fur had disguised her so well he didn't recognized her.

Finally though he managed to find his words as his rough voice once again breached the cool air. "A-Alea? I though that you had, long since left the region?!? Where you not with, your small healer friend?" Still shocked and stunned from her sudden reveal of his friend. Though friend was still quite the strong word when it came to this girl. Still he found it appropriate to use in this instance. He had few enough as it was, the less people that attacked him the better. Another reason why 'friend' was a mixed word to use with the girl. She was almost as dangerous as him in a rage, the girl was truly frightening when left alone with her. Though perhaps that was just because of him, considering he didn't like being a mass of anger released. Just another monster there to harm others. Something he definitely didn't enjoy doing. He'd need to carve a lot more now that Alea was kicking around, he'd rather not brutally destroy everything around him. Or do something he'd regret all the more, there would be few to forgive him. And many who would seek his destruction.

Quickly he turned his attention back to Alea, his body was quickly coming down from his Surge. His breath slowly became regular again as he felt himself relax. It was strange, so very strange, why on Mizahar was she here? More importantly why the hell did she ambush him? He was actually a little disappointed in her. Why had she taken the cowards path? He could have sworn he had taught her better as a fighter. Trying to regain his composition he raised his arms and crossed them over his large chest. Awaiting her response, and attempting to hold what little pride he had managed to gain.

[Ximal]

OOCPrior to turning up Xi has bought himself some new gear. A oxidalipux fur which has been tailored into a trench coat of sorts, and a pair of bear fur gloves coming in at a total cost of 44GM which i'll remove from my CS now

Trailing through the upper city today Xi was still on duty as a guard, but today he'd mde sure he'd kept himself warm buying a large fur which he'd had made into a specialized cloak, along with his old large thick wool cloak which hung over the top of it like a large cape hanging low and heavy but helping to keep him warm the hood arched up over his head and the bear fur gloves settled on his hands making his old fingerless ones much warmer by placing them over the fingerless ones. His vambraces and greaves helped keep his forearms and legs warm. His newly acquired weapon harness held his items in place all bar his bow and waist held quiver which sat slung across his torso as usual. Heading through the city Xi took a deep breath of the cold crisp winter air. Strolling through the city tops Xi came upon a sight that made him pause for thought. A large man in a green coat, who he could only assume was banir was pinning a woman against a tree. Why Xi didn't know but he wasn't willing to wait and find out either. Storming over Xi then took a slow down as he saw banir letting her go. Xi held back a little ways like a fore shadowing omen. An air of pressure flowing off of him. Seeing banir raise fold his arms Xi closed in on the situation. "Hey banir. What are you doing out here? And whose your friend here?" Xi closed in on the situation slowly walking with a little pace and a large air of intimidation about him. Xi spoke slow and low in his deep voice, before drawing in closer still standing to the side of the little event that had taken place in front of him. She'd swung wildly at banir and he'd just set her down on the ground ? Xi smelled a rat. Xi took stock of the small woman before him whilst trying his best to look impassive. Small, around the five feet mark, light, long hair, lithe muscles. Not suited but not unknown to combat at least from what he'd seen earlier. Xi kept his body hidden beneath his cloak to give nothing of himself other than his height and his beard away. His hair back to it's normal black and his deep blue eyes leering out from beneath the hood, drinking in all light and information.

[Alea Davenport]

At Banir's question, Alea stared in blank confusion for a moment. Then she remembered. "Oh, you mean Oluse? Yeah, that...that didn't work out." She really didn't want to get into the details of her disagreement with Oluse, nor with what she'd been doing since. Not yet anyway. "But I found out that Yuros was here in the Spires, and so of course I'm going to stay."

Fortunately, she was spared the risk of more questions by the arrival of an unfamiliar person. He was big enough to rival a Jamoura, and he approached with what Alea could only describe as unfriendliness. The stranger carried a distinctly different posture from what she had been used to seeing in Avanthal. She took an instant disliking to him.

She took a half-step in front of Banir, almost as if she intended to protect him from the newcomer. She spoke with a strong Denvali accent; her time away from Denval had softened her accent a bit, but something about this hulking man-beast brought it back in full force. "My name is Alea Davenport, of Denval" she said proudly, then added suspiciously, "Who are you?"

[Banir Ironwood]

Still held within a small form of surprise of the reveal Alea had done. Not to mention the mass of confusion and the multitude of questions he had brewing within him. However for now he at least knew she was safe, and unharmed from the many horrible things in Mizahar. Though chances where she'd gotten in trouble before and would likely cause trouble again. The reasons behind such where still unknown, till then he merely assumed it was because it was some type of amusement for her. Listening carefully to her response he noted something off with her. She didn't seem like herself, like something had deeply bugged her. Squinting lightly he thought of pushing the subject, see if he could help. But decided against it, he was not a man of words or advice. He was a fighter, good for little else, maybe able to carve something. But even then it was a form of destruction, merely taking chunks of something that once lived. He shook his mind free of the thoughts and focused on the here and now.

He was about ready to ask another question when he felt eyes on him. Turning in time to see a large man drenched in fur approach, he quickly sized him up and knew of few to claim that height. The second the man spoke he recognized the voice clear as day. Though they had only spoken few enough times, Ximal was a man that he wouldn't soon forget. Though as he could see the air of intimidation on Ximal, he lost a little respect for the man. He was trying to intimidate a young girl, what a big man. And as he had thought, that did not stop Alea in the slightest. Watching her as her smaller frame stepped before him he sighed. In order to avoid a rather pathetic fight he felt he should say something and quick. Putting his right bladed hand onto Alea's shoulder he pulled her back slightly. More to his side, his grip wasn't strong but he made sure the weight of his armour was felt on her shoulder. And that the bladed fingers gently rested on her. A small reminder to not encourage violence. Taking a long slow breath he thought out his sentence and spoke after Alea. His throat and mind still unused to speaking quickly.

"Alea, this is my friend Ximal. He is a good fighter and, rather helpful." That was the best thing he had come up with. It was probably the fastest he had ever come up with a sentence. Not the best introduction he had done. But he never really had done many before. Oh well its a little late now. Watching Ximal and Alea, the last thing he wanted was Alea to attack Ximal. And for Ximal to retaliate as such. Two of his friends fighting, an outcome he'd very much so like to avoid. He didn't yet have the power to prevent the two of them from putting heads. Though he could simply step between the two and take the blows. Again an undesirable situation, but one he'd do if it came down to it. Though he expected Ximal to take the honorable path, hopefully, and not aggravate Alea. After all every warrior has his pride, and he did doubt that he'd fright a little girl. Of course he didn't know Ximal that well, and like the mask he was carving for himself not long ago. People, from what he's learned, often wear them. Unlike his mask, he couldn't always see who was wearing one, and who wasn't.

[Ximal]

XI stood towering over the pair of them, now exhaling a sigh. He'd come off in the wrong manner again. Dealing with liro always did that. Still Xi listened to way the girls had to say as she announced her self as alea, from denval. Then made an inquest of him. Well she would have gotten an answer from Xi himself had banir not jumped in to fill the void. Xi turned his attention back to banir before flaring his that aura of intimidation straight at banir. What he'd seen him do was not exactly some thing Xi would praise. Still Xi held back on his now screaming urge to punch banir in the face and then spoke in a much softer but still low and deep tone. "As banir here said, miss davenport. My name is Ximal, people call me Xi for short. Also banir gives me too much credit i'm not that good of a fighter, i'm just a guard in the spires. Protecting people. The lower half of his face which peeked out from beneath the cloaks hood grinned shifting the beard with it and his deep royal blue eyes shone out from beneath the blackness. Then he turned his attention squarely to banir. "Now banir ive just one thing i'd like you to explain to me. WHY in the name of yashul were you pining a girl that small to a tree by the throat ? Xi slipped his hood back before letting his eyes bore into banir's to let him know quite frankly that he was not impressed in the slightest. And if their sparring track record was anything to go by then banir was in deep crap if he pissed off Xi enough. "So miss davenport, what brings you to the spires? Also if you've been here a while i beg your pardon i'm not usually on patrol in the city, normally i'm on the ground level 'deterring' slavers and poachers." Whislt he talked he sent small pulses of djed over his body just flexing at all the muscles within his body, just trying to have his brain multitask talking and feeling out the mapping of his body so at a later date he could start dispensing the right amount of flux and the right point subconsciously. Right now though he could use a lot fo his moves subconciously or even on reflex however he needed to condition his body more.

[Alea Davenport]

Now the stranger--Ximal--was going after Banir, and Alea liked him even less. Alea knew possibly better than anyone but Banir himself how little control he had over some of his more hostile actions, and she took full blame for the recent display. But from what she could tell, Ximal had no business butting into their affairs, and she didn't like the way he was threatening Banir.

Her face a mix of fury and disgust, she took a step toward Ximal--or tired to, but Banir's claw on her shoulder stopped her. Not that she couldn't have wriggled out, but this was as much Banir's conflict as hers, and if he wanted her to stay out of a fight, she would respect that... for now. Of course, none of this meant that she also had to keep her mouth shut.

Alea looked Ximal straight in the eyes and said in a hardened tone, "Back off. You don't know me; just because Banir's bigger than me, you think that automatically makes him the bad guy? You're surrounded by Jamoura; you should know better." Alea did her best to be at least as scary as Ximal, but rather than using size and muscle, it was the fearless look in her eyes, and the certainty with which she spoke, fueled by the stubbornness to not back down, even if odds were vastly against her.

Unable to resist one last taunt, even though a tiny unfamiliar voice in her head (that some might name common sense) was screaming at her to quit while she was ahead, she added, "Maybe you should stick to hunting poachers and slavers, since you obviously can't tell the difference between an attack and a friendly greeting."