Post by WoS on Jun 16, 2010 22:08:23 GMT -5
With his hand held above his ocean eyes, the man watched as the sun, glowing a cool copper, was dipping behind the tree tops. As he stood in the clearing, he could feel the temperature dropping in Brumeveil, a sure sign that the end of the day was approaching. He needed to set up camp before it got too dark and too dangerous to venture far from a favorable location.
Alderbran had been scouring the under-story for all sorts of plants, as it was one of the ways in which he made his coin in these parts. People, he felt, severely underestimated the resources of the vegetation...and the troubles it could cause! While some would consider him something of an expert in identifying and using various plants, he knew himself to be more of a novice. Today was a testament to his inner thoughts. Lugging back several bundles of wood, he plopped them down next to his tent and gave himself an apprehensive check over. He was covered from waist to toe in burdock...a fascinatingly sticky plant that attached itself to anything and everything fibrous.
He plucked them off from his leggings and pants, flicking them into the bushes, not needing an order of hundreds. Eying the clearing, Alderbran pulled his axe from it's holster, wielding it with confidence. Getting to work, he split some of the larger logs into halves and tossed them into pile, then began digging a shallow pit, surrounding it with sizable rocks. After that, he propped the wood into a tee-pee shape and added some dried moss, grass and sticks for tinder. Now it was time for him to work his magic, quite literally!
He lowered himself, brushing his long-coat back so he could sit on a dusty old cushion, and sat. The stars were beginning to emerge as flickering glints in a wash of deep blue, nearly purple and black as the sun slid behind the distant Vanguard mountains. With practiced focus, he eyed the wooden pyramid and flicked his hand out. Instantly, the chill dark of the forest sparked in a dancing light of gold and white. A delicious heat radiated from his target. Pleased with his work, he peeled his sleeves back and basked in the light.
"In a few more years, I'll be right up there with The Maker.." he joked, knowing that this dream of progression may not ever actually happen...but hoped that he'd live to see the day he'd make it to Bastion Tower. His voice was subdued as to not disturb the animals that were situating themselves for another night in the epic woods.
After relaxing for a few minutes, he stood again and gathered some supplies from his bag. A pot, a knife and a tin cup that was heavily dented, but worked for its purposes. Out of his pocket he pulled some freshly picked pine needles and got to work chopping them down until he was satisfied with the end result. He set them aside and filled the pot with water from a canteen. This he set over the fire. It swayed in the breeze, hanging like the crib swing his mother had ushered him to sleep as an infant. It hung from an iron spit older than his fathers father.
He sprinkled the pine needles into the water and removed a small glass bottle from another of his many large and ornate pockets. Holding the bottle up against the light of the fire, the contents shimmered a savory gold. It was freshly collected honey, the perfect additive for his usually bitter pine needle tea.
Alderbran waited a while before he poured himself a bit and dripped the honey into the cup, swirling it around before it cooled enough to sip. It wasn't the tastiest drink he had, but nutritionally it provided quite a punch.
It was then he felt a pinch on his wrist, and knowing who it was, looked down and smiled. Four great eyes peered up at him with great interest.
"You want some of my honey, don't you?" he couldn't help but grin at the massively plump jumping spider that perched on his hand. She tapped her smallest, fore-most appendages over the top of his hand in a Morse code, having no vocal cords with which she could communicate her thoughts.
"Make is snappy! I haven't had anything to eat in a week, you two-legged dolt! Your mother would be ashamed of you, holding out on the honey when I'm heavy with children!" her tappity tapping was a race of motion as she crawled up his arm and to the top of Alderbran's dark brown, almost black hair. She wasn't apt to waiting and eagerly glided down to the cup on a silvery thread of silk, arms extended like a child reaching out for his favorite toy.
"Not so fast!" he yanked the cup out of reach and walked back to his bag, pulling out a cup he had made just for her. He loved the Folk but he was not a huge fan of sharing his drink with a spider. He poured her some of the tea and set the tiny cup on the ground. Despite her enormous size, she was a skilled jumper and easily bounded from his hand to the earth in a blink.
"Thats more like it..." he whispered, laying down, eyes firm on the stars above. Although wary of most people, Alderban could not deny missing other people every now and then...
Alderbran had been scouring the under-story for all sorts of plants, as it was one of the ways in which he made his coin in these parts. People, he felt, severely underestimated the resources of the vegetation...and the troubles it could cause! While some would consider him something of an expert in identifying and using various plants, he knew himself to be more of a novice. Today was a testament to his inner thoughts. Lugging back several bundles of wood, he plopped them down next to his tent and gave himself an apprehensive check over. He was covered from waist to toe in burdock...a fascinatingly sticky plant that attached itself to anything and everything fibrous.
He plucked them off from his leggings and pants, flicking them into the bushes, not needing an order of hundreds. Eying the clearing, Alderbran pulled his axe from it's holster, wielding it with confidence. Getting to work, he split some of the larger logs into halves and tossed them into pile, then began digging a shallow pit, surrounding it with sizable rocks. After that, he propped the wood into a tee-pee shape and added some dried moss, grass and sticks for tinder. Now it was time for him to work his magic, quite literally!
He lowered himself, brushing his long-coat back so he could sit on a dusty old cushion, and sat. The stars were beginning to emerge as flickering glints in a wash of deep blue, nearly purple and black as the sun slid behind the distant Vanguard mountains. With practiced focus, he eyed the wooden pyramid and flicked his hand out. Instantly, the chill dark of the forest sparked in a dancing light of gold and white. A delicious heat radiated from his target. Pleased with his work, he peeled his sleeves back and basked in the light.
"In a few more years, I'll be right up there with The Maker.." he joked, knowing that this dream of progression may not ever actually happen...but hoped that he'd live to see the day he'd make it to Bastion Tower. His voice was subdued as to not disturb the animals that were situating themselves for another night in the epic woods.
After relaxing for a few minutes, he stood again and gathered some supplies from his bag. A pot, a knife and a tin cup that was heavily dented, but worked for its purposes. Out of his pocket he pulled some freshly picked pine needles and got to work chopping them down until he was satisfied with the end result. He set them aside and filled the pot with water from a canteen. This he set over the fire. It swayed in the breeze, hanging like the crib swing his mother had ushered him to sleep as an infant. It hung from an iron spit older than his fathers father.
He sprinkled the pine needles into the water and removed a small glass bottle from another of his many large and ornate pockets. Holding the bottle up against the light of the fire, the contents shimmered a savory gold. It was freshly collected honey, the perfect additive for his usually bitter pine needle tea.
Alderbran waited a while before he poured himself a bit and dripped the honey into the cup, swirling it around before it cooled enough to sip. It wasn't the tastiest drink he had, but nutritionally it provided quite a punch.
It was then he felt a pinch on his wrist, and knowing who it was, looked down and smiled. Four great eyes peered up at him with great interest.
"You want some of my honey, don't you?" he couldn't help but grin at the massively plump jumping spider that perched on his hand. She tapped her smallest, fore-most appendages over the top of his hand in a Morse code, having no vocal cords with which she could communicate her thoughts.
"Make is snappy! I haven't had anything to eat in a week, you two-legged dolt! Your mother would be ashamed of you, holding out on the honey when I'm heavy with children!" her tappity tapping was a race of motion as she crawled up his arm and to the top of Alderbran's dark brown, almost black hair. She wasn't apt to waiting and eagerly glided down to the cup on a silvery thread of silk, arms extended like a child reaching out for his favorite toy.
"Not so fast!" he yanked the cup out of reach and walked back to his bag, pulling out a cup he had made just for her. He loved the Folk but he was not a huge fan of sharing his drink with a spider. He poured her some of the tea and set the tiny cup on the ground. Despite her enormous size, she was a skilled jumper and easily bounded from his hand to the earth in a blink.
"Thats more like it..." he whispered, laying down, eyes firm on the stars above. Although wary of most people, Alderban could not deny missing other people every now and then...
