All This & More: Dorian Drake - Samheen 10

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Dorian settled his arm around his wife's shoulders, gently. He did not question her gift of the blanket, because Maranda was smarter than he was. It was not as if the cold bothered him much. "Why's that ?" he murmured into her golden hair. He considered. He was lucky to have had Old Nate. Sitting on the dock, winding line, mending the nets, not far from those rocks where the girl was heading. They had to be close to water for Dorian's hands to be dextrous, when he was a child. Now he had Maranda by his side, and he was as much of a Man as it was possible for a Selkie to be.

He looked at Maranda fondly. She was clever, she was lovely, she was skilled with the needle, and she made his heart thump madly when she turned that sly little smile on him. "I think I'm the lucky one," he said.
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Settling into his embrace, the blonde giggled as he murmured into her hair and turned her face towards him.

"Why? Because I have you, a strong man who watches out for me and has a kind heart. Same heart that is willin' ta give food ta those without and ask folks ta help another in return. Few would do that Dorian," she tightened her arm around him a bit, laying her head on his shoulder as they watched the girl struggle with her father.

"Most folks are usin' the pain of other ta get rich themselves. I'm glad yer not like that," she added, laughing lightly as he declared himself the lucky one. Turning to him, she took a few flickers to look up into his eyes, mostly shadows in the growing dark of night.

"I guess we're both lucky then," she whispered and kissed him before turning loose with a chuckle.

"Let's get that barrow up," she let him lead the way and retrieving the lamp, headed back to the house where the child was waiting with her empty bowl, washed in the lake and a thank you. Maranda stood watching her head back to her father and sighed, shook her head and head inside. Unwrapping the lamp, she looked around, found a place to hang it and tucked her sewing away for the night.

"Long day," she remarked as Dorian made his way inside followed closely by the cat. "Will ya work on the big fish again t'morrow?" she asked as she began to pull off her shoes.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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Dorian went into the shack, and shut the door firmly against the night, and sat down to untie his sandals. Shoes were doubly uncomfortable when your toes were webbed. "There's naught but bones, but the bones have marrow in them," he said. "I'll smash some and load them inta the barrow, and take the meat gleanings too. Another day or two, and twon't be fit for stewing. Take it ta town and give it out, taking payment of promises. Those that can, maybe they will go ta the inn and work." He smiled slightly. You sometimes had to give, so that there was a tomorrow. "When I come back, I'll make my new traps. They have to dry hard in the sun. What will you do tomorrow ?"

He fought back a yawn; this was very late for him, and he was still tired from his battle with the leviathan. He stroked Cat's fur, and took off his shirt, settling it neatly aside. His eyelids were already halfway shut, but he was trying to listen to her.
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Listening to Dorian go over his plans for the next day, the blonde loosed her garments and slipped out of them, laying them neatly over on the chest before she made her way back to the bed where she snuggled up next to her husband.

"Me?" she replied softly. "Marta has a dress must be finished t'morrow and has asked me ta come help her with it. Shouldn't take all day though. I'm thinkin' between the two of us, we should have it done by early tradetide," she smiled.

"Then I'll work on the piece I've got ta fancy stitch. Nearly done with it too though. Unless this dress goes much harder than I'm thinkin', I might have the other project done t'morrow as well." She lay quiet for a few flickers looking at her husband in the firelight.

"Do ya think the old man and child'll be out there in the mornin? Wonder where the child's mother is..." she murmured quietly, her voice trailing off as she realized her fisherman was falling asleep. Snuggled close to the one she loved and trusted, she sighed and closed her eyes. Sleep was not long in coming.

The night was quiet or as quiet as nights ever were on the lake. The skies remained clear and the temperature dropped, typical of the early fall nights in this part of the country, almost a crisp feeling to the air. It wasn't close to frost temperatures, but after the heat of the summer, the cool air was chilling.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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Dorian slept, curled up with Maranda and Cat. He did not have a complex life, and that was a good thing as far as he knew, or cared. Other men might be concerned with their place in the world, but he was just happy to have what he had.

When the dawn came, he woke, and laid there beside her for a long moment, watching her sleep. She was a treasure greater than any King could ever hope for. Eventually he slowly made his way out of bed, settling her under the blanket and quietly putting on his sandals. It was time to begin his work. A large enough rock should smash the bones up well enough. He still had Redlon's saw to take back, also. He let the cat out and softly shut the door, taking the saw, and went to fetch the wheelbarrow. Time to go to the carcass and break out some bones, and pick up meat to take to the town. People were hungry.
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Samheen 15

The day dawned crisp and clear, with only the lightest breeze blowing in off the water. Maranda turned over as the fisherman slipped out of bed, snuggling under the warmth of the blanket. Cat purred softly and rubbed up against Dorian as he dressed, readying himself for his day. As the two went out to greet the rising sun, the sound of the opening door roused the blonde from her slumber and her eyes opened just as the door closed again. Stretching lazily, she smiled and wriggled the covers closer around her against the morning chill, knowing that soon she should get up, start the fire and begin her day.

Outside, the cat ran off into the undergrowth in search of small prey. The wheel barrow was where they had left it, slightly damp from the morning's dew. Out on the water, two small fishing boats were busy at work. When the fisherman reached the site where the remains of the muc-an-sgadain lay, there were a few folks wandering about, mostly scavenging little bits of this or that. One burly man was helping himself to some of the whale bone and gave Dorian a nod. Gulls were still prevalent, picking the remains of the bones clean as were other small creatures designed to clean up the debris death left behind.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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So as not to ruin his shirt, he laid it carefully over the handle of the wheelbarrow, tying the sleeves to make thieves have to work harder to steal it. He'd brought the saw; he may as well use it. He went to work cutting the big ribs, and hauling them to the wheelbarrow. This he did until the barrow was heavy, but not too heavy to push. Then it was back on with the shirt, and into town. Some of the smaller marrowbones he could just hand out, for boiling to release the goodness from them, the other ones needed bigger vats such as the inn had.
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It was very active work, cutting up the ribs and as the sun came up the day warmed, working up quite a sweat. The trip into town was quiet and uneventful and free anything was not at all hard to get rid of, though a few were less than cheerful about being asked to donate time to the reconstruction of the tavern. Still, no one turned down Dorian's offers and it didnt' take long to give out what he had.

Dorian had almost reached the tavern when he passed a buidling, the front boarded up and looking a bit scorched. It had no doubt been a business of some sort before the orc seige. Now, from all appearances it seemed deserted and empty, but it also had a very odd appearance. There was a shadow around it, as if the air were full of soot but only right here where this buidling was concerned. Elsewhere, the city looked normal with the afternoon sun shining down. Only this particular place seemed shrouded in shade... in a thin film of dark as if shadowed by a cloud.... but the sky was crystal clear.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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Dorian paused, looking at the building, trying to figure out what sort of business it might have been. He scratched his chin, eliciting a raspy sound, as it had been days since he last had a shave. Finding nothing obvious to indicate what it might be, he memorised the location, so that he could ask about it. Then he hoofed off to return the saw to Redlon, and asked about the building as well after he thanked the man.

This must be what the Mer were worried about. It was still very puzzling to Dorian, but he had promised to do his best and he had an interest in staying here now, with Maranda and Dora settled here.
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If anyone else on the street noticed the shadows around the boarded up building, they didn't show it and so the fisherman moved on to Redlons with the saw in hand. The old man was in the work yard beside his shop-home, planing the wood on the bottom of a small boat. Smiling broadly when he saw Dorian, he coughed and spit before giving the young man a nod.

"Dorian," he called out. "How's things?"
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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"Hullo, Redlon," said Dorian with a shy smile, holding the saw carefully. "I brought back your saw. Sharpened it on a rock by the water." He still had the wheelbarrow and every intent of taking it back. "Thank you. The bones are all that's left, and there's little of them left now." he handed it over.

"Say, Redlon....that burnt shop on the corner, what was it ? Do you know ?"
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Nodding, the old man took the saw and hung it on a peg nearby. At Dorian's question, he looked puzzled and ran a hand through his hair.

"Ya mean the two-storied one that only the roof burned out of? Was a leather shop. Leander tanned hides and stitched and tooled the leather inta useful things though he had a couple nobles liked fancy stuff on theirs," he smiled and snorted.

"Got hit by a fireball in the orc war. Burned the roof out and I s'pose Leander's not had time ta fix it. He lived upstairs. Had no family," the old boatman shrugged.

"Why d'ya ask?"
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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Dorian had to mull it over. Putting a feeling into words was not his strong point. "It looked funny to me," he said. "It was sort of darker than the other buildings, and you had said something about shadow. What happened to Leander ?"
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"Darker than the others?" the old man scratched his head thinking. "Well, it was burned. Suppose it'd be scorched and sooty even on the outside. And Leander?" he paused again, looked at the ground and shook his head.

"Dont' rightly know what's become of him. Many folks in the city's been forced outta their homes fer one reason or another. I figure he's livin' with friends or family somewhere. Lotta people went ta Roque fer a time. Could be he's there," he looked at Dorian and squinted.

"What's this about shadows?" the old man searched his thoughts trying to remember when he'd talked to the fisherman about shadows.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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"The darkness coming back. You'd said that," said Dorian, who was getting perplexed at trying to convey this to Redlon. "The building looked funny, not just more burnt. It was....dorcha. Gan solus.....go holc." He automatically fell back into the first language he had learned, which was a lot more descriptive on such matters. He pouted. Maranda could explain it. She was clever.
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"Oh? That?" the old man shook his head, coughed and spit again.

"Times've been dark fer sure, with the wicked rains o'the summer and now the orc raids. But yeah, some folks say that the darkness is a real thing, like that we fought ten yahren ago. Can't say I've seen it fer myself but then I didn't see it myself back in the big war. Was only what others told me. But sure, the summer rains coulda been summoned by darkness, though why I'm sure I don't know. Can't say I've noticed anythin' dark about the tanner's shop though.. other than the burnin' and scorchin'. What is it ya see boy?" he asked, peering at Dorian carefully.

"You think yer seein' the darkness? Ghosts?"
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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"I don't know," said the woefully confused Dorian. It was easy to confuse him on matters beyond his parlance, ie, anything not fishing-related. "It just looked....darker. I don't remember what happened ten years ago, I just remember going across the lake to see Old Nate's friend......" he trailed off, blinking, a puzzled expression on his face. "I don't know what I'm seeing, that others can or can't see. I don't know if I see differently than....fear ban'on." He paused, thinking, translating. "Man born of Woman."

It was an expression he remembered hearing long ago, reserved for those who only had one skin, and were made for the land, not both the land and the sea. He knew also that Nate Drake had taken them out of harm's way, way back then, and he didn't understand the reasons why until now.

"So, if you look at it, and you see it looks strange too, what should I do about it ?" He had many reasons to want to do something about it, though precisely what, he wasn't so sure about. Tell Maranda; maybe take her away; tell the Mer. Darkness and shadows did not respond to a good thump from a sharp gaffing hook, his usual mode of dealing with Trouble. This sort of thing needed smart people in on it, and Dorian was not of that ilk.
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"Can't rightly say, Dorian but let's go see this buildin' first b'fore we set ta worryin' bout it," the old man wiped his hands on his apron, the untied it and tossed it on the boat.

"How's Maranda?" the old man asked as they walked the short way to the building. The streets around the building were fairly quiet, a few hurried travelers on their way somewhere else. Most of the buildings in this area were burned either entirely or partially, but none housed businesses or families any longer.

Peering up at the building, Redlon moved to one side squinting up at the structure, then moved back to the front.

"You still see it Dorian?" he asked puzzled. Like a cloud of smoke, a shroud of something dark hung around the scorched building and set the hair on Dorian's neck to tingling. From the second floor in the middle of three windows, something moved and was gone. Everything on the first floor had been boarded up, windows and doors.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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"She's well, and I'll remember you to her for asking kindly," said Dorian. "I borrowed her a lamp to sew by, so she has better than firelight to do her work." He walked along in his slow, careful landbound way. It was all too easy to stumble inland.

He looked at the building, watching it like the ripples that signified bad weather. "I saw it. A dark thing, in the middle of that second floor. That's what I meant. There's some kind of shadow there." What to do about it, now that was another matter entirely. "Is that the same shadow you were talking about before ?"
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Chuckling, the boatmaker shook his head and clapped a hand on Dorian's shoulder.

"Now now, son. I don't see what yer talkin' about? What shadow? And if ya saw somethin' in the window upstairs, like as not it's some orphan whose found himself a better place ta sleep than the streets, as pitiful as it tis," and Redlon started walking towards the building.

"Let's see if someone's not loosed the boards ta sneak in," he smiled and started testing the boards on the windows. On the far left corner, one of the boards had been pried loose and could be swiveled aside to allow someone to slip into the open window.

"See there," he chuckled. "I'd imagine it's some yougin' up there hidin' from the authorities so he's not sent ta the orphanage. But we can go in and check it if ye'd like."
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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"No," said Dorian, shaking his head. "Not without my gaffing hook. It's not right." He didn't go into the waters without the gaffing hook, as the dratted Drowned could ruin your whole day. This had the same feeling of latent danger, of a threat, and made him want to bark out a warning. "Let's get going."

He would tell the Mer. He was not about to risk Redlon here, if Redlon could not see what his half-fae eyes could. So he turned and walked away, dragging Redlon along if need be. "I will need some twine anyway, if you have any at your shop. I'm making new lobster-traps."
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"Doncha wana see what's up th..." the old man began but was easily towed away from the building by Dorian. Shrugging, the old man nodded.

"Sure, I got twine. How much ya need?" Redlon asked, easily distracted away from thoughts of the deserted building. "And what're ya doin' with yer old traps? Knowin' you there in fair shape or are ya goin' ta just add the new traps ta the old?" he added as they approached his shop.

Out front of the building, Ginger stood talking to a young man in the uniform of the new city militia who seemed a bit agitated as he argued with the woman about something. Chuckling, the boatmaker walked up and reached out his hand with a smile.

"Bartholomew, glad ta see you could make it," he beamed. "Told ya though that it'd be another few days on the boat. Only so much rushin' can be done, no matter how bad ya need it. Less ya want ta end up at the bottom of the lake son," the old man grinned and spit off to one side.

"Meet Dorian, best fisherman on the lake by my reckoning," an introduction the impatient young man acknowledged by nodding quickly in the fisherman's direction quickly before turning his eyes back on Redlon.

"We canna wait on the boat," the young man insisted, his voice full of urgency. "The safety of Kings Court is at stake, man! Things are goin' on around the lake and we need ta be able ta patrol. Ya've got ta put a rush on things and get her done quickly Redlon," the young man insisted while the old boatmaker shook his head.

"As I already said, if ya don't want ta end up at the bottom of the lake, I've got ta have the time ta build her right. Tell yer sergeant whats his name I said two weeks and it'll be just that... two weeks! Now, I've got ta fetch somethin' for Dorian here," the old man smiled and turned to go inside motioning to the fisherman to follow him as he ambled inside and began looking for the twine.

"You folks," he chuckled. "Got no patience at'all! Now where did Ginger go hidin' stuff this time," he grumbled as he pulled out bins searching.

"Ah, there tis," he beamed happily. "How much did ya say ya needed?"
Last edited by Shaeliana on Sun Mar 28, 2004 5:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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"I'm adding to the old traps," said Dorian, who could not bear to part with the old ones, as some of them had been made by Old Drake, and all of them were in good repair. He looked on uncertainly at the man in uniform, wondering about that. He was in no way offended by the terse greeting, for he had no use for guards and his typical greeting was a slight nod. Guards were never around when he needed them, and in the way the rest of the time. Not that he willingly or knowingly ever broke the law, just that he considered guards unnecessary for his daily life. He was sure they had their uses, he just didn't need any.

But he obediently followed Redlon into the shop, and looked at the twine the man had available. "A sizeable spool I need, I'll bind it tight with soaking and the sun, and bone glue, and stain them dark with boiled-up blisterweed. What do you want for the twine ?" Dorian being Dorian, would barter rather than pay outright. "Did the man in the uniform want to patrol the lake ? What's that about ? Patrol it for what ? What things are going on around the lake ?" He hadn't asked so many questions in a row since he was a lad.
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Post by Shaeliana »

Chuckling, the old boatmaker tossed Dorian a large spool of twine.

"I'll take a couple a lobsters when ye've got a catch," he grinned licking his lips. It had been awhile since he'd had any of the sweet tail meat and it sounded good. Surprised at the outburst of question, the old man laughed and clapped the fisherman on the shoulder.

"Mercy me," he grinned. "I reckon they are wantin' ta patrol the lake given what the young lad said. Why" Well, I'd say the orc still raidin' the downs and settlers about the city would be reason enough, not ta mention that times like this seems ta bring either the best... or the worst outta folks. There's those that'd give their hide ta help others. Then there's some who'll use hard times ta take advantage of others.. crooks and brigands, the lot of em," he barked.

"Imagine pirating has had a good time of it given the military's busy chasin' orc around the countryside. Patrolin' the lake's not a bad idea, son." Looking at the fisherman, Redlon arched a brow.

"I can't imagine ye've not seen some o' that yerself Dorian. You and Maranda livin' next ta the lake and all."
[color=hotpink][i]The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.
- Andolin
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"Aye, lobsters it is then, if the M-" he almost said 'if the Mer ever stop raiding my traps' but bit it off. "Lobsters," he repeated. "What I don't use of this twine, I'll bring back. Twine's useful."

He paused to consider the lake, and Redlon's words. Being as this was Dorian, and not a lot went on real fast under that thick thatch of dark curls, it took a while. "Old Drake always said when times was bad you had to take care of folks, that there be good times coming afterwards," he said, and if Nate Drake had believed it, to Dorian it was also gospel. If you sold fish, and your customers were starving, you had to support them for a time so when they had money again, so did you. Simple economics, insofar as he was concerned, as he didn't depend on the money from selling fish for his basic needs. The Lake, the Sun and the Tides supplied his basic needs, and Dorian was a mighty basic sort of fellow.

"Pirating ?" He had to mull that over in that slow, thoughtful way. No one was going to mess with his small boat and catch of whatever, not if they were a pirate. Or had a half-ounce of sense, as Dorian was rather tetchy about thievery. "I haven't seen aught of pirates. A few folks living too rough on the shores, causing trouble, but no pirates, I don't think so anyway. If someone fishes my spots, he'll see the wrong side of me though. Are the orcs supposed to be pirates ?"
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