Winds of Change: Dorian Drake Samheen 18

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Shaeliana
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Post by Shaeliana »

The old adheil merely nodded, taking another drink of his tea as Maranda laid her head on her husband's arm gently.

"I just want ta be home," she offered, the sat up, eyes wide looking at the mage.

"Not that yer hospitality's lackin', kind sir," she explained quickly. "Ye've a very..." but the old man broke her off, waving his hands.

"No, no m'tain," he smiled warmly at the blonde. "I do understand your desire to return to your life. Your husband has done us all a great service and we are greatful. You are welcome to remain as long as you wish," he turned his gaze on Dorian. "Or to leave as soon as you like. If you'll only let me know when you wish to go, I'll make certain you have some food and supplies."
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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Post by Guest »

Dorian nodded. "Sun's up, reckon it's best to start soon," he said. "I'm not so fast at walking." On land, the bid webbed-toed feet were slow and his balance was off. But at least he didn't get landsick, as he was in a wagon. Sooner started, sooner done, that was also an old Nate Drake saying, and there was plenty to be done. The idea of 'not doing anything' was something that would never have occurred to the fisherman.

"Thank you for helping me," he said to the old elf. "And for looking after my wife while I was gone."
Shaeliana
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Post by Shaeliana »

The trip home was uneventful, Aldebaran accompanying them as far as the hidden boat. The old adheil stood watching them as they launched into the mer, Dorian's strong arms manning the oars, his wife's face mirroring her emotions of excitement and trepidation over what they would find.

As they neared Kings Court, the waters of the lake were darkened, silt still resident in the waters after having been stirred up by aerial assaults gone awry, though lighter than it had been during Dorian's previous visit days earlier. The air stank of rotting fish that litered the shores mixed with a faint smokey smell. Small streams of smoke still rose from certain protions of the city. A sporadic breeze blowing inland off the waters helped remove the stench from the lake and shoreline, the gagging odors buidling back up when the air was still. Clouds building out across the mer seeemd to be approaching, promising heavier cleansing winds and rains to help wash the air clean of the ashes and smell of death.

Smoke drifted up lazily from a small fire burning in front of the fisherman's shack. On a rock beside the fire, a man sat holding a stick over the flames, charring something skewered on the wooden shaft. Noticeably older than Dorian, the man's ragged clothing had at one time been fine, the type that a well off merchant might wear. A petite woman limped out of the shack, her dark hair tied back, her dress in somewhat better condition than the man's but still showing the effects of many days of wear and tear. A swollen belly clearly showed under her dress as she moved out and sat down beside the man.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
Guest

Post by Guest »

One thing that did not sit well with a Drake was finding someone else in his bloody shack, unasked.

Dorian's expression darkened, but he said nothing until the boat was beached and tied up, Maranda safely off of it, and he had clambered...carefully...onto the shore. Then he gave her the bucket, left the nets in the boat, and hefted the gaff with the same cool deliberation he had in hunting the leviathan. "Stay over here," he said to his wife, and set off at a slow pace toward the two.

"You two are in my home," he said in a loud voice, without preamble, stopping fifteen paces from the man, the gaff's wood stock resting on the ground, but only very lightly. It could be picked up and powered by the big fisherman's-muscles as a weapon, as quick as anything, and he would fight bitterly for what was his. "My wife and I live here; my father lived here and his father before him. I am Dorian Drake, son of Nate Drake. Who are you ?"
Shaeliana
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Post by Shaeliana »

Hard as it was, Maranda moved off the to side as she was told, nervously chewing on her thumbnail as she watched her husband approach the squatters.

The man sitting by the fire jerked his head up, mouth agape at the fisherman before he frowned, pressed his lips together and handed the roasting stick to the woman. Slowly rising to his feet, his eyes narrowed to dark slits.

"T'was empty when we chanced upon it," he bellowed back at Dorian. "Door ajar, roof caved in, abandoned. I spent the day fixin' the roof ta make it habitable, he brushed at the legs of his trousers and crossed his arms across a broad chest.

"Times like these, folks is within their rights ta claim what's been abandoned," he defended his actions. "Besides, what proof have ya that it's yours?"
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
Guest

Post by Guest »

Dorian Drake was not about to back down; he had a lot of fight in him, when it was what was his by right.

"Look ye, to the mark above the entrance. It is a dragon with two legs, a drake; and there is a wave above, newer-carved. The same is marked on my boat. I can tell you each beam of that shack, and the place where is marked my height from boy to man, and that you found broken leviathan bones, and fishhooks, and clamshells with tar on them, and a mattress." That was a lot for Dorian to say, but say it he did. "I took my wife to safety, came back to fight, and return with her now that the fighting is over. But it will not be, if you think you're staying in the Drakes' home." The last was delivered in a sharper tone, almost reminiscent of a bark; when startled or angry, Dorian resorted to selkie ways, and that included barking.
Shaeliana
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Posts: 4456
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 10:46 am

Post by Shaeliana »

Eyes darting to over the door, the man listened, his stance of feet apart and arms crossed over his chest unaltered, the furrow between his eyes deepening.

"Might be as it was yours," he answered firmly, though not loudly. "However, given as it was abandoned and damaged and I did fix it," he nodded upwards to the roof that indeed was now covered with an assortment of old planks scavenged from somewhere. It wasn't done well enough to keep out any serious rain, but did offer protection from the wind and mists coming off the lake so often.

"Wife's goin' ta birth soon. Room's we rented in the city was burnt t'the ground. Got no place else ta go and then I came out ta see about catchin' some food and found this place. T'was two days ago and there was nothin' of value inside the ruins. The law would say 'tis mine now," he stood his ground, playing every card he had in an effort to maintain this precious shelter. Though small and pitiful, it was all they had and that desperation showed in his eyes and the set of his face.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
Guest

Post by Guest »

Dorian thought, a laborious process. The man had fixed up the roof, though he had not done the job Dorian would have; that had value, and a Drake did not take from anyone.

"Your wife is due soon." he said at last, the anger going from his voice to be replaced with a more calm and serious tone, "But this is still my home, and has been the home of Drakes for many years. I will help you built a shelter, as good can be found, for there is much wood to be scavenged in the city now, and we will share for a time. If my skills as carpenter are lacking, I can at least feed you and your wife and babe, for I am a fisherman. That is fair payment for a roof."
Shaeliana
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Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 10:46 am

Post by Shaeliana »

Standing silent for many burns hmself, Daniel's own battle was evident in his eyes and the plane of his jaw muscles working as he clenched his teeth. Pride raged against necessity. There has been relief and joy when they found the empty shack that he could repair to put a roof over their heads, providing for his family. Here, outside the city, the stench was much less and the thieves and murderers that flourished inside the walls were absent out here, so there was less to fear.

However, the man could see that Dorian was strong. Bulging muscles and a broad strong chest gave testimony to the fact that he worked hard, whatever he did. Daniel worked hard too, but his job had been working for a silversmith, hardly a career to put muscle on a man. He would be no match for this man in a fight and he was offering payment, crude though it was. With a sigh, the man lowered his arms and nodded.

"Sounds fair," he finally offered as he took a step towards the fisherman and held out his hand. "Names Dan'el. Dan'el Crosper. This is my wife Lucy," he motioned to the pregnant woman still perched on the rock by the fire who smiled shyly and nodded before checking out Miranda.

"I'd share our food with ya, but barely got enough for us," he explained as he turned back to his wife who now held dinner over the fire. "Took me most o' the afternoon ta catch that one, though I was lucky and caught a big one," he shrugged, a slight flush rising in his cheeks.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
Guest

Post by Guest »

Dorian shook the man's hand. "Dorian Drake; and this is my wife, Maranda," he said. "There's no need to share food; I will go find some." He knew there were places in the tidal pools where clams would be, or for that matter, some mussels on the fallen docks. Fish might be a little scarce, for now, spooked by the changes in their hunting grounds. There was also the smoke-sheds where the leviathan meat might still be good, waiting for tending.
Shaeliana
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Posts: 4456
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 10:46 am

Post by Shaeliana »

With the tension past and the two men joining hands, Maranda moved forward towards the pregnant woman with a smile. Soon the two were talking softly between themselves.

"Thanks much," the other man said quietly. "It's been hard, with the orcs and then.... this last attack," he faded off.

"Yes," chimed in the wife, lightly holding her belly. "We'd nearly given up hope.... til we found this here..... thanks for lettin' us stay," she reached out and grasped the blonde's hand in a gentle squeeze which Maranda returned.

"Won't find a better man than my Dorian, she beamed proudly, face lit up in a wide smile as she looked over at her husband. "Come, I'll show ya where ta find lakeweed and maybe some water beets if we're lucky," she offered, holding out her hand. The two women moved off to the waters edge, chattering comfortably.

Down the shore, the shed of smoked whale had survived, not only untouched by the war, but the smoking fires had been maintained by someone, the faint haze of smoke rising from it lost in the smokey haze that floated up from the whole city. Overhead, the sinking sun still dominated a dark blue cloudless sky, the breeze coming in off the mer, cool and crisp with the promise of the coming autumnal season.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
Guest

Post by Guest »

Dorian shook the hand. "Dorian Drake, and this is my wife, Maranda," he said. "I can go fishing, so you don't need to share. Fishermen don't go hungry by the Mer." There were tidal pools with clams, and there might be enough mussels on the broken, submerged docks, though the fish would likely stay away from the immediate area until the water cleared from the ash of fire. Plus, there was the leviathan meat; it might still be good, but the smokehouse surely needed tending.

He figured it was settled, because he was a simple soul, and went to speak to Maranda. "Be careful," he said, just in case it wasn't. "I'll go into the water to find us dinner, and I'll show you where there are clams you can feel with your toes. Then, before the light goes, we want to check the smokehouses."
Guest

Post by Guest »

Dorian banked the fires at the smokehouses, and then used the last shreds of light to find food, simply slogging into the water to find mussels or clams, something that didn't require a lot of time to harvest. Winter was coming; you could feel it, in the sharpness of the breeze.

Tomorrow he would go out on the water and fish, and return to help the two guests with their dwelling. There was no room in his thoughts for magic, or prophecies, or for anything resembling battles of magery, and what happened afterward; there was dinner to manage, and everything else would just have to be taken care of by kings and suchlike, it was not the job of a fisherman to have such concerns. Tonight, the shack might be a bit cramped, but this was just another matter that needed sorting out. He'd have to keep a sharp eye on the bucket and the selkie-skin, two items that were worth a great deal, one of which wasn't actually his either, but in his keeping.
Last edited by Guest on Mon Aug 01, 2005 11:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Shaeliana
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Post by Shaeliana »

Crowded but warm, the four of them cozied into the shack that night. The women had aired out the feather mattress and put the inside of the place to rights again. It looked better than it ever had as far as Maranda was concerned, though she did worry about the tiny slivers of light that seeped through the roof during the day, knowing that if the light found a way in, so would the rain. Still, Dorian would take care of it and so she settled her thoughts to other things such as cooking the greens she and Lucy had plucked from the mer.

That night, around the fire and their meal, Dan'el and Lucy had talked about the attack on the city and other bits of news they'd heard. Word had it that the king truely wasn't dead, as some had claimed and centuries of tradition were to be shattered as Balthasar was crowned without his marriage to the adheil princess who'd been kidnapped and never found. However, as the kingdom was no longer on good terms with the Adheil nation, it seemed an inevitable step forward. At least some viewed it that way.

Worse news was the fact that religious ferver was at an all time high with persecution rising drastically against those who weren't followers of Dominicus. Factions on both sides had risen in the city and it was no longer orcs or outsiders one had to beware of, but neighbors and coworkers who might have taken one or the other side of the fight.

The morning of the 23rd, the sun rose warm in a perfectly clear blue sky, almost dazzling in its intensity. It was the dark blue more commonly found in the midst of autums's crisp cool days though the gentle breeze blowing in off the mer was merely cool, not chill yet. The two men hiked down the shoreline to find a place for the new shelter, finding one to both their liking.

The day was busy with hauling up planks of wood and whatever else they could salvage to build a small shack similar to the one Dorian and Maranda shared. By mid morning, the noted the number of folks in town thinning out, a fact explained to them by an old woman hobbling along towards the palace.

"King's ta be crowned t'day," she croaked. "Not somethin' happens every day. Not ta be missed," she added as she waddled onward with her sturdy walking stick assisting her steps.

With the damage around the city, salvege wasn't difficult to find. The woman went to Dan'el and Lucy's home, digging through the rubble to find small treasures, tea kettles, iron cooking pots and skillets, even some spoons and knives that had survived the fiery heat of the house burning. Thankfully, the kitchen had sustained less damage than the rest of the home and so many of Lucy's things were intact.

[hr][/hr]
OOC: I am giving them 2 days to get this little place finished. In real life it would likely take longer, but I don't want to bog down on this if there is something else you'd like to do and your writing inferred that you would rather skip the details and not play this out.

I leave it to you to push us on to the 24th with finishing the shack and whatever Dorian wants to do after that. :) After the shack is finished, I'll close this thread for skilling and we'll start a new one for the 25th.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
Guest

Post by Guest »

Dorian had no use for factions, and reckoned that his place in the world was as a fisherman. Being cautious about who he sold fish to, well, that was bad for business, so he wasn't going to concern himself with such matters. It was probably to his detriment, but there was only so much room in Dorian's head, and most of that was taken up with the simple matters of his life.

As for the King, well, that was something that wasn't really Dorian's place to care about, but if Maranda wished to look at a King, he'd go along with her. He wasn't the one who was supposed to be running the country, he was just the one supposed to catch and sell the fish.

He had a strong back, though, and muscles, so he was able to help with the building of the new shelter. It had to be sturdy, to weather the storm winds that would come, and so he made sure they dug deep into the earth to set the beams safely, with tar on the bottom of the wood to keep the insects away. He would still have to complete the repairs on his own shack, to make certain the roof didn't leak come winter, but this was more important. He fished enough to feed the two families, and made sure to tend the smokehouses. He wondered if Redlon had been there tending them, and if Maranda's Aunt was back in the town, but it was of primary importance to help out his new neighbours.

What they thought of a man who merely strode into the water and stayed down for as long as needed to harvest a few handfuls of mussels, that didn't concern him. He'd accepted the Mer's gift and had the sense of being underwater for a long time, as a seal, so it was actually relaxing for him to do so. What meat he found, in fish and shellfish, not to mention lakeweed, was made into a stew with plenty to share out. Hard work made for hungry bellies.

He also worked every minute the sun gave light, and had no qualms about it. There was no time for resting when there was light, there was too much work to do. He would have to remake his lobster pots, since they were broken when the roof fell, but that could wait. In the meantime, few men worked harder than these two, in two days to make a shelter, and if the window didn't have the greased parchment panes in yet, well, that was just going to have to be done later.
Shaeliana
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Posts: 4456
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 10:46 am

Post by Shaeliana »

It was hard work, but the shack went up in the two days. Nothing fancy, nothing more than a box with a roof actually, but sturdy enough to withstand the forces of nature and keep the couple dry and warmer come winter due to Dorian's knowledge. By the evening of the 24th, Dan'el and Lucy had moved into their new dwelling with the promise that Maranda would return the next day to help decorate.

Tired, but satisfied, the fisherman and his wife retreated to the privacy of their domicile to enjoy the rest of the evening together.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
Shaeliana
Retired Game Designer
Posts: 4456
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 10:46 am

Post by Shaeliana »

Skilled with advances in the following:

Resolve *
Inner Calm *
Cooking *
Conversation *
Navigation *
Selkie language *

New skills added:

Survival - Forest added at apprentice.
Riding Pegasus - basic
Theory of Energy Focus - basic
Theory of Balanced Energy - basic
Meditation - basic
Manipulation of Energy - basic
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
[/i][/color]
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