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 Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:48 pm
Aidan's eyebrows rose involuntarily as she watched Moira grow more excited by the second. She was not used to this kind of energy and it made her a bit unsure of herself. Even still, she stood replying softly, "I've... Never ridden before. I usually tend to stay away from things that could crush me..." She laughed a little bit, trying to hide her embarrassment. Following the blond out of the make-shift room Aidan took notice of the animals around her for the first time. She had no eye for spotting a well-trained, well-bred, or well-mannered horse, so she stayed back from any of the stalls. "I'll ride with whichever one of you is patient enough to take me." As she waited to be instructed, Aidan examined Haucon's handy-work. The hand still throbbed painfully, though the medicine had taken the edge off the injury. Her fingers were swollen and bruised beneath their wrappings. The Elf bit her lip, furrowing her eyebrows slightly as she examined the injury. "It's a good thing I'm ambidextrous... This could have been difficult to work around."
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:06 pm
((I've added a Roleplayer Status Post under the Character Profiles post on the first page. There, I'll update if people said they were going to be away, etc..
Also, who likes the idea of getting forced into an obstacle course?
Articx's Ian is now up for grabs, should anyone want to be him.))
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:40 pm
Haucon laughed at the Elf's comment about things that could crush her. "Well," he said slowly, "Both of us are very capable and patient, but I'm going to suggest you ride with Moira, just because it won't hurt your reputation, like riding with me might." he added with a slight cough, himself somewhat embarrassed. Moira beamed at Aidan. "I had already planned for that!" she said gesturing to the slightly larger saddle she'd put on the reddish horse. Haucon handed Aidan an apple, and gently pushed her toward Moira and the mare. "Here," he said tossing another apple to Moira. "Help her get acquainted with Morwyn while I get Farran ready." he said.
Moira caught the apple easily and smiled at Aidan. "Don't worry. She's a sweetheart!" she said holding the apple flat in her palm to demonstrate how to offer the apple to the horse.
Meanwhile, Haucon moved about easily, freeing a large grey dappled gelding from his stall and efficiently tacking him up. Moira called to Haucon. "Can you take my basket, since I've got Aidan?" She asked. Haucon nodded and looked around, finally finding a large laundry basket. "What's this?" He asked as he lifted it up to tie behind his own saddle. It was surprisingly light despite it's size. Moira smiled, "Mother sent me some of her cheeses to sell, and I brought a lot of my knitting and some sewing." she explained as Haucon finished tying it off. "Jordan from next door said he'd save me a spot to sit and sell them." she added smiling again. Haucon gave her a look at the mention of Jordan, but didn't say anything.
"Ready?" he asked Aidan. "You'll be fine, and we'll go nice and slow alright? I'm going to lift you into the saddle." he said with a gentle voice. He placed his large hands on either side of her small hips and lifted her up onto the saddle, sidesaddle style. She was so light it surpised him. "Hold on to the reins and don't worry if she shifts her weight a little, she's just adjusting to you." he explained, reaching over and lifting Moira, comparatively heavier, into the saddle, also sidesaddle, behind Aidan. Moira reached around either side of Aidan and took the reins from her with a smile. Haucon easily vaulted into Farran's saddle and he led them out into the throngs of people once more.
((I can change any of this if you want, and also I apologize for the delay!!))
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:15 pm
Aidan covertly smirked at his comment about reputations. "Well, I'm not too worried about reputations, but if I were, I would say it's probably already teetering on disaster. After all," She paused in her thought, looking up at Haucon, who had just handed her an apple, "There had to be a hundred people watching when I ran into you in the crowd. Not only did you, 'hug' me, but you took my hand and led me into the stables where you live. " The Elf smiled to herself, as she was pushed forward. She didn't push the issue, however, her attention focused on the horse in front of her. Aidan held out her uninjured hand the way Moira had just demonstrated. Morwyn seemed to contemplate he for a moment, before taking the apple. The horse's dark eyes found Aidan's, and something unseen seemed to pass between them. With a tiny sound, the horse nuzzled her hand, eagerly. Aidan ran her hands down the horse's nose, fingers visibly soft.
Haucon's touch brought her crashing back into reality, and she didn't have enough time to be embarrassed before she was mounted. Grabbing the reins a little too quickly, the Elf seemed nervous, as she felt herself sliding to one side. In not time at all, Moira was seated behind her, which steadied the young elf. Aidan was still becoming accustomed to the new height and feelings as the emerged from the stable. Aidan's eyes widened as she felt the horse begin to move beneath her, and gave a nervous little laugh. The horse was considerably taller than Aidan, and the Elf seemed to be more comfortable when her center of gravity was closer to the ground.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:32 pm
Moira smiled at how quickly Aidan had made friends with Morwyn. "She likes you." she said unnecessarily. "She's picky too." she added with another smile. As they moved out she babbled somewhat incessantly about the weather, the types of games there would be in the competitions, the cute young men she expected to see there. She paused in her monologue to add "Say, you don't talk much do you?" before launching back into her self-conversation. She talked as if she and Aidan were already the best of friends and left several openings in the conversation for her to enter if she wanted.
Haucon tuned Moira out, an important survival tactic of anyone who dealt with her on a regular basis. He felt a small twinge of guilt at having left Aidan to her own devices with Moira, but her intentions were good and her heart was pure, even if her head seemed empty at times. He positioned Farran alongside Morwyn and gave Aidan a few covert looks that said "See what I have to deal with?" when Moira wasn't paying attention.
If Haucon could make good time through a crowd, he was nothing compared to the horses which were essentially the equivalent of a steamroller. Everyone went out of their way, to be out of their way, and the ride took hardly any time, but was a much more efficient way to travel through the crowd.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:55 pm
Aidan smiled politely, listening to Moira speak. The Elf generally kept to herself, her only interactions being with her customers, and, on the occasion they ventured into the city, her parents. For once it was nice to be on easy speaking terms with someone who wasn't rushing to buy a product, or who was quieter than Aidan herself was. So she let Moira go on, imputing an occasional, opinion or agreement. The Apothecary found the day to be an enjoyable one. The weather was warm, and there was a slight breeze that ticked the backs of necks and the canvas of near by stands. Catching Haucon's eye, she smiled a bit, responding with a look that said, "Not at all,". Despite Moira's chatter, it was hard for Aidan to be annoyed. Perhaps is was the after effects of the tea she had downed, but everything seemed much more pleasant than it had when she had exited her shop earlier that morning. Looking to her right, Aidan caught sight of several food stands. She was not particularly hungry, but she was sure that she would be eventually, so the Elf decided to keep them in the back of her mind for later on.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:17 pm
Before long the horses had brought them to the center of the vendor area. Haucon dismounted and came back to help the women down. The area was much less crowded than the streets on the way to festival, so it wouldn't be as difficult for them to navigate the streets. Haucon made sure that Aidan was holding onto the reins before helping Moira down, then reaching up and gently setting Aidan down on the ground and handing Morwyn's reins to Moira. "Alright, let's find Jordan and get you set up." he said, leading Farran himself.
It was difficult for Moira to contain her excitement and she pretty much skipped all the while they searched for their neighbor. Before long she finally recognized an empty space beside a familiar face. Moira dropped Morwyn's reins (causing Haucon to sigh and catch them himself) and ran up to Jordan to hug him. Jordan himself looked somewhat like he'd been completely stampeded by a herd of animals as Moira threw herself on him. Haucon turned and started to untie the basket from the back of Farran. When he finally had Moira's attention once more, he handed her the basket. "We're gonna go investigate, but we'll be back to check on you, ok? Can we leave the horses with you?" Haucon asked Moira. She nodded happily already deep in conversation with Jordan. He tossed her the reins which she tied to Jordan's stall post.
Haucon led Aidan a bit away to start looking at the vendors. "I have to apologize for Moira." he said quietly, "she's a bit..." he paused looking for the right word. "Well, extroverted doesn't even begin to cover it. Sometimes it's easier to think of her like a hyperactive puppy..." he said scratching the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:36 pm
After being set on the ground, Aidan stood quietly, watching the neighbors as they interacted. She couldn't help but smile as she saw Jordan's expression and Moira's instant fixation on the young man. After patting Morwyn's neck, Aidan began to walk with Haucon.
"You don't have do apologize for anyone. I found her..." The Elf paused, searching for the appropriate word. Upon finding it, she smiled and said, "Refreshing. Especially compared to the humans with whom I generally associate." She laughed a little bit, looking at a selection of brightly dyed scanes of yarn being peddled by an old woman who was stooped, and missing a few teeth. As they made their way from stand to stand, Aidan kept rather close to Haucon, fearing another incident similar to the one that had first introduced her to the Stable Master. There were all sorts of people in this area, selling all sorts of wares, and it made Aidan wonder if perhaps next year, she should bring some of her own merchandise. "There are more people here than I originally thought there would be..." She commented, smiling at a young man attempting to haggle with a tool vendor.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:53 pm
Haucon was reassured by Aidan's explanation of her feelings about Moira. "She scares people sometimes, just because she's so...vibrant." he added as an explanation. He enjoyed walking with Aidan and seeing all the vendors with their variety of wares. He nodded at her comment about the number of people.
"Moira has been coming here since she was 12 with my mother, to sell homemade knit goods and some of the extra cheeses that Mom makes. Every year they sell out early and try to make more for next year. It's a great way to make some extra money, and Moira thinks it's a good way to meet men." he added with a laugh.
As they walked, Haucon caught the scent of some of the food vendors and his stomach started to grumble. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry," he said to Aidan. "What do you like to eat?" he asked, glad that Aidan was at least seeming to relax a little bit and become more comfortable.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:11 pm
"A little vibrancy never hurt anyone," Aidan replied quietly, listening to Haucon as he spoke about his mother and sister. Aidan smiled at the last bit, "Well, considering that the majority of the vendors are men, I can't quite say that she's wrong." It was true that there were many women behind the stalls, or milling from merchant to merchant, but it seemed as though the husbands really ran this particular thoroughfare.
She, too, was finally beginning to feel hungry, so she responded, "I'm not particularly picky," Looking around at the different variety of edible items, it was hard for her to decide what looked best. As her dark eyes wandered, something caught her attention. There was a stand about ten yards away selling what looked to be a different variety of fruits and vegetables. Smiling to herself, she looked up and Haucon, and said, "I think I'm going to get something from there." She pointed with her splinted hand, while reaching for the drawstring pouch tied securely to the inside of her bodice that housed her coin with the other.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:34 pm
Haucon smiled and nodded along to her comments about Moira, very relieved that she was warming up a bit, and much less restrained then originally. But then again, they had met under strange circumstances, so perhaps it was to be expected.
He nodded at her choice of food vendor and made his way over with her, blushing a bit as she produced the money from the front of her dress. He pulled his own money from a pocket, smiling at Aidan. "Let me pay for you as well?" he asked her as politely as possible. "It's the least I can do after your collision with me has resulted in your being out of commission until you heal." he said with a weak smile.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:50 pm
Aidan didn't seem to notice the blush that rose in Haucon's cheeks, as she was too busy perusing the selection of fruit in front of her. Even if she had noticed, it wouldn't have bothered her very much, since she had nothing worth covering up, at least by human standards. She had never been able to understand the human fascination with nudity. Aidan had been raised to think of the body as just another piece of nature's art, much like the trees, and not something to lust after. She looked up at Haucon at his offer to pay and blinked curiously, before replying, "You were not the one who stepped on my hand, and that is the only thing keeping me 'out of commission'." Her voice was quiet, as she continued, "If anything, I should be paying you back, for wasting your supplies, though," Aidan said, looking down at the rather ripe pear upon which her hand was resting, "I won't reject your kindness, if you do insist, however." Her tone was rather... Hard to interpret, though not unkind.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:27 pm
Haucon smiled at Aidan and pushed her money back into her hand. "I do insist." he said gently. "It at least will make me feel a little better about the whole situation." he said with another smile. Haucon himself picked an apple that looked ripe, far better than the ones he usually ate straight out of the horse bin in the stables.
He turned to Aidan. "So then." he said feeling she was ready for more advanced conversation. "Tell me about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do, you get the general idea." his tone was inviting as opposed to demanding, as he recognize someone who needed to be approached with a bit of caution and a lot of care.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:43 pm
As Haucon asked his question, Aidan had just bit into the pear. Looking up at him with a slightly guarded gaze, she chewed slowly, contemplating her answer. After swallowing, Aidan paused before responding, "I was raised in the forest outside the outermost wall. My parents are isolationists. I had almost no contact with anyone else throughout my childhood. They worked with medicinal plants, and passed the skill on to me. Several years back, I decided to strike out on my own," She took another bite of the pear, chewing slowly as they walked on. After finishing that bite, she continued, "Now I own an Apothecary on the outskirts of the harbor." Leaving it at that, Aidan took another bite, unconsciously moving a few inches away from Haucon. "And you?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:43 am
Haucon listened politely to Aidan as she gave her story to him. She to seemed awfully nervous still and he wondered briefly if he'd asked too soon. His curiosity sometimes got the best of him. She's a very brave individual, leaving everything she knew just like that, he thought to himself. He laughed outright when she said she was the Apothecary. "I send stable lads up that way often to replenish our stores." he said still laughing a bit. "Perhaps I should've let you doctor yourself then, eh?" he said embarrassed by the fact that he hadn't known.
"My story," he said brightly, "is incredibly simple. My family owns a small farm-- couple of cows, couple of chickens, few acres of land, nothing big--just outside the inner wall. I grew up there and then my father managed to get me an apprenticeship at the stables. I get along with animals really well, and so I did pretty well and when the old stablemaster retired, he offered me the position. That was two years ago, and it's been going well ever since. Moira comes to town from time to time, and I go visit them on weekends when there's not too much to do. It works out." he said with a smile.
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