Welcome to Gaia! ::

Macaire winces, once more reminded of the warnings of old grannies from his hometown to take care and keep to his station -- well, he's failed that misberably, and look where it's got him! He's gone and talked to a lad whose parents can get employees! Frankly, he's not even sure what that is, but it sounds frightfully fancy, and apparently it means that Eluf won't have to work anymore. "Oh, aye?" He's not sure how to answer this one; in his world, one doesn't leave their parents home until one marries -- goes into the army -- or like Macaire, decides to travel and see the world. The idea of simply 'moving out' is as foreign to him as being able to .. to .. to call a carriage to pick up a friend! " 'Tis good, that?" Then a pause, and because he cannot contain himself and wants desperately to know just how much trouble he's going to be in, he asks what he would ordinarily consider a rude question -- though with the people he grew up around, profession was generally apparent at first glance. "Do ye mind me asking .. what is it they be? Yer family, oi mean."

If he'd spoken to Macaire of his fears -- well, the big man would actually have felt better knowing that he'd once been far more cautious of the dark. After all, he ought to be! He's such a pretty little thing, just begging to be stolen off somewhere!

And maybe Eluf didn't mean it that way, or have any idea about the internal distress he was causing his new friend, but he may very well notice when the soldier suddenly relaxes, as if a great weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Horsebreeders! Small gods be praised! He hasn't gone too far off of his station after all! Here he'd been afeared that Eluf was a noble's son, but horsebreeders -- aye, it makes a certain amount of sense. For good horses they'd be paid well, but horse people, animal people, always be set apart, closer to the animals then anybody else. It means it's far less likely he'll be taken to account for approaching Eluf, and if there might be frowns, well, people will mutter about the eccentric nature of those who work with animals --

"Oh, cain't ride," he tells Eluf with cheerful shamelessness. "B'ain't many be big enough, aye, lad? Been 'round mort've calvary, loiked 'em well enough."

(Macaire does wonder why Eluf thinks he shan't ever marry -- maybe it has something to do with the horses, or maybe that he isn't from Sunderland. But it's not a question to ask on a first meeting, maybe not even a second. He'll remember that brief comment, though, and ask another time.)

"If the tales be true lad, 'twill be needing those teachings one day." The words are soft, and he'd just as soon that Eluf pass them by -- he hadn't meant to say them, and he shouldn't've said them at all, but they sit there for a moment until Macaire glances away and tries to forget they'd ever come from him. He doesn't want to think about needing to ride a Guardian: he doesn't want to think about war.

" .. be ye well, lad. Small gods watch over ye." Macaire bows, and there's a smile at one corner of his mouth, tugging at the scars farther up on his face. He's a clumsier hand at the bow, not being entirely accustomed to such a movement, and something catches him off-guard when Eluf looks up. He seems to go still, staring down at Eluf from closer up as he has not fully straightened from the bow -- he reaches out, like a man in a dream, and slides the palm of his hand along Eluf's soft cheek. Small gods fury. He's so young. So sweet. So full of trust, and --

-- and abruptly, Macaire drops his hand, flushed red, and straightens up completely. "Er. Good night tae ye." Then he turns about, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets and hurrying away before he does something he'd regret. Hell! He's going to get thrown in the goal for this, for certain sure!