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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 2, 2010 9:43:43 GMT -5
(*open to Bunt Levinsson and Ivy Bramble)
Inside Caraway Dungeon... (time: two weeks before the Knarr Harmarr arrives in Market Square)
Bunt pulled his woolen ranger cloak tighter about him as he descended yet another set of stairs into the Dungeons beneath Caraway Castle It was cold and damp down here and he was still used to the warm southern climate of his previous post.
He had only just arrived in Caraway and reported to the local Baron. The Baron’s Chatelaine had pulled him aside after his brief chat with the Baron and told him about a street kid in need of some direction. The Chatelaine felt the kid had some potential, but if she was left to her own devices she was going to end up a permanent resident of the dungeon – or worse – dead on the streets of the city.
Bunt agreed to have a look at her and perhaps a talk, though he wasn’t sure what to say to a teenaged girl. At the very least he could get a look at her and know her face if he saw her again when she got out of jail tomorrow. Apparently she had been locked up for pick-pocketing and it was her third offense. She had been cooling her heals in the jail cell for nearly a week now. The Chatelaine had been deliberately delaying her hearing before the Baron, hoping the extra stay would drive some sense into her.
Bunt followed the Chatelaine down a straw littered corridor and wrinkled his nose at the smell of sweat and urine that emanated from the cells on each side. They seemed to be occupied for the most part and he wondered at why there were so many. Most fiefs only had a few people in the dungeons. Punishment for serious crimes, like murder, were dealt out fairly swiftly and decisively. The fact that this Baron had a full dungeon led to one of two conclusions; either he was very cruel and meted out severe punishment without just cause, or he was too lenient and had repeat, hard-core offenders housed here when they should be facing the chopping block or the hangman’s noose. Either way, Bunt could tell he was going to have some work to do in this fief. He was glad he had told the Baron to keep his arrival a secret. He wanted time to find out what was really going on here.
They stopped in front of a cell that looked just like all the others. This one had only one occupant and a single cot. It was no more than a four by five foot cubicle and there was no window. The hard oak door contained a square window with bars on it that was up too high for Bunt to make use of. He peered in through the door behind the Chatelaine at the girl inside, making an initial assessment.
She looked much like every other street kid he had ever met. She probably had the usual hang-ups. Girls, he’d found, were much more emotional and he really wasn’t sure at all on how to handle them, so he treated them just as he treated the boys, he was just himself.
The short ranger stepped in front of the Chatelaine as the tall man swung the dungeon door wide and held the torch aloft, illuminating the dark cell. A rat scurried off into the corner and down through a crack in the stone.
Bunt turned to the Chatelaine, raising one eyebrow in consternation, “You expect people to live like this?” His anger toward this Baron was mounting. Chances are the Baron had never even set foot down here and had no idea what it was like, but the man standing next to him knew. By the shrug of the Chatelaine’s shoulders, Bunt knew the man could care less. “Their criminals.” He answered as if that explained it all.
Bunt turned back to the girl, and all thoughts of just having a chat and leaving her here flew out of his mind. “My name is Bunt Levinsson, the new ranger of Caraway.” He announced to her, without stepping into the cell. “If you would like to get out of this cell, follow me.”
Bunt studied the look on her face for just a moment and then he turned and slowly started walking back up the aisle.
“Hey!” the Chatelaine called after him, still holding the door wide open, but he was now facing Bunt, not the girl. “You can’t just let her out! She committed a crime. She has a debt to pay!”
Bunt turned back, controlling his anger with an effort. He was going to have to work with this man for along time he realized. “How much?” he asked.
The Chatelaine looked startled for a moment, but after a quick calculation said, “the usual fee for third offence pick-pocketing is one gold or the loss of a finger.”
Bunt pulled his pouch out of his tunic front and snagged two gold pieces. He strode back and handed them to the Chatelaine, making sure the girl saw them, without making it look like he was intentionally showing them to her. “Here. That should be more than enough to consider her debt paid in full and provide restitution to whomever it was she stole from.” That was probably the longest speech Bunt had made in the last month, being a man of few words. He only spoke when there was a need to.
He turned back to the teenager, “You coming, girl?” then he walked back up the aisle, more briskly now, expecting her to follow him. If she took off once they were outside the castle, he would just track her down and have a talk with her, but he suspected she would follow him right now at least as far as the castle gates anyway. The important thing now was to get her out of this dismal hell-hole, particularly before he completely lost his temper and flattened the arrogant Chatelaine and stuffed him into one of his own cells. Assuming she was behind him, he asked, “They feed you much in here?”
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Oct 4, 2010 10:26:26 GMT -5
Ivy Bramble sat in one corner of her small cell, throwing bits of hard and very stale bread at the rat, and debating the merits of losing one finger quietly, versus loudly protesting and insulting the Chatelaine. The bread kept the rat occupied with something to do and eat other than nibbling at her toes--which she valued very highly, thank-you very much. The debating of merits kept her mind occupied with something other than worrying about what would happen should she run out of bread while the rat was still hungry.
She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the footsteps approaching down the stairway. Or rather, she simply tuned them out. not like they were coming to get her....Yet. She had another day before that happened, thanks anyway. The footsteps stopped outside her door, and a moment later, the door swung open to allow a flare of light into the cell. The light was bright enough to momentarily blind Ivy, and she quickly raised her hands to protect her eyes against the glare.
“You expect people to live like this?” A stranger.
“Their criminals.” Ah, yes, the Chatelaine.
"Yeah, whatta ya expect?" Ivy snapped out, peeved about being blinded.
“My name is Bunt Levinsson, the new ranger of Caraway.” the stranger announced.
"That's nice!" Ivy returned, not knowing--or caring--what all the stranger had said, meant.
“If you would like to get out of this cell, follow me.”
Ivy blinked, startled by the abrupt offer, and lowered her hands a smidgen, blinking hard against the light. "Really?" She started to scramble to her feet. Then it suddenly occurred to her that maybe the finger came off today. She sank back down to the ground, debating now, whether it would be a good idea to follow this stranger after all.
“Hey!”... "You can’t just let her out! She committed a crime. She has a debt to pay!” Of all the people to tell her that this man was not the butcher, it was the Chatelaine. Ivy wondered if she could ever like the man.
“How much?”
“The usual fee for third offense pick-pocketing is one gold or the loss of a finger.”
Ivy got to her feet and edged closer to the door, wanting to see what the stranger's reaction to this news was. If the man decided to back off, it still meant that she might get out the door and escape.
“Here. That should be more than enough to consider her debt paid in full and provide restitution to whomever it was she stole from.”
Ivy blinked as she watched the stranger place two gold coins into the Chatelaine's hand. Why did the man think she was so valuable as to be worth double the set price? Or was he just bribing the Chatelaine? Or maybe it was both....After all, it wasn't entirely unheard of.
“You coming, girl?”
Ivy hesitated a moment, seeing the man walking swiftly away, like it was he who was trying to escape. She darted out the door and dodged around the gaping Chatelaine. "Thanks for nothing, you!" she muttered as she sprinted took off after the stranger. Running lightly, she caught up to the man just in time for him to ask, “They feed you much in here?”
Ivy debated between being a smart-mouth--so the guards called her--or just saying 'No'. The simple method won out....For the time being. "No." She paused a beat, then asked, "What'd you say your name was, again?"
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 4, 2010 11:07:40 GMT -5
“They feed you much in here?”
Ivy debated between being a smart-mouth--so the guards called her--or just saying 'No'. The simple method won out....For the time being. "No."
“Figured as much,” Bunt said under his breath. There were some things in Caraway that were going to change now that he was here. It was only a matter of time. He tried to glance into the other cells out of the corner of his eye but most had solid doors. There were a couple of larger cells that were all iron bars and inside those were crammed several children of various ages. Bunt barely held his anger in check. ‘Not too much time,’ he vowed. He wondered if Ranger Tandar had seen this dungeon. Surely if he had, he would have done something about it.
He was brought back to the girl tagging along behind him by her question, "What'd you say your name was, again?"
Bunt turned his head slightly and slowed down so she could draw up abreast of him. He looked up at her, studying her for a moment and making quick assessments as to her weaknesses and strengths and character from their initial meeting. He’d liked her comment to the Chatelaine and only by the fact that he was facing away from the Chatelaine at the time had he been able to hide the smile at her quip before he hastily resumed his usual scowl.
“Bunt.” He answered, “Ranger of Caraway.” He continued up out of the dungeon without saying much else until they were crossing the courtyard and coming to the gates of the castle then he slowed and turned to face her.
He looked her up and down again and then nodded as if coming to some decision. “Proposition for you,” he said abruptly. “I could use an apprentice and you look like you might be ranger material. If you are interested in becoming a ranger, follow me. If not, you are free to go.” He thought maybe she might not know what it meant to be a ranger apprentice so he figured he would lay it out plain for her.
“As an apprentice you will be expected to get up early, stay up late, practice ranger skills every day, care for our horses and for me. In exchange you will learn a trade to last you a lifetime, you will have regular meals every day, a roof over your head and clean, new clothes. I will teach you to read and write if you don’t know how and you will become part of an elite group of people entrusted by the King to provide security for all of Araluen. In short, you will become part of our family.” Now that definitely was the longest speech Bunt had made in the last year. He took a moment to recover and let her consider. “The choice is yours.” He waited for a minute and then turned and slowly strode toward the front gate, nodding to the guards who had been watching them with some interest.
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Oct 4, 2010 12:12:51 GMT -5
“Bunt.”.... “Ranger of Caraway.”
Ivy frowned, wondering if the "Ranger of Caraway were his last name, or something else entirely.....she'd never met a Ranger, and hadn't paid much attention to talk about them when there'd been conversation in that area. She was about to ask him, when he stopped and faced her. It was then that she noticed that they'd entered the courtyard and were standing by the gate. She'd been so busy rolling what he'd said around in her head that she hadn't noticed. She looked at him waiting to see what he would do next, as he looked her up and down, then apparently came to a conclusion about something, for he gave his head an abrupt nod. Ivy wondered if she'd missed what he'd said.
“Proposition for you,”
Apparently not.
“I could use an apprentice and you look like you might be ranger material. If you are interested in becoming a ranger, follow me. If not, you are free to go.”
Alright, so he'd answered one question, at least; Ranger was not part of his name. But now he'd raised another. What was a Ranger... and what did they do? Either he must have seen confusion on her face, or he was being a generous dictionary, for he added what Ivy hoped was an explanation.
“As an apprentice you will be expected to get up early, stay up late, practice ranger skills every day, care for our horses and for me. In exchange you will learn a trade to last you a lifetime, you will have regular meals every day, a roof over your head and clean, new clothes. I will teach you to read and write if you don’t know how and you will become part of an elite group of people entrusted by the King to provide security for all of Araluen. In short, you will become part of our family.” .....“The choice is yours.”
Ivy let it all soak in. The 'Ranger' was offering an apprenticeship--a chance to make something of herself. To her, that sounded pretty good-- "Wait, wait, wait." She frowned at him. "Care for you? What's that supposed to mean?"
All of a sudden, this sounded more like the "opportunity" that two other men had each once offered her. And she wasn't about to get caught in something like that, thank-you very much anyway.
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 4, 2010 20:59:12 GMT -5
Bunt saw the look on Ivy’s face as she turned from interested to some look he couldn’t identify to suspicious and he returned a confused look to her. Suddenly it dawned on him what she was afraid of and he said, “Oh!” then his face turned very red and he took a half step back, holding up one hand, palm down he shook his head. “Oh, no! Not what you’re thinking, girl. Your virtue is safe with me. You are much too young and scrawny for my taste.” Then he chuckled at his own discomfort of talking to a young girl about the nature of life.
“No, what I was referring to was things like cooking meals, cleaning the cabin, mending clothes, that sort of stuff. We share the work – all the work equally. We also take care of each other when on the road – like in a fight. I got your back; you got mine, that kind of thing.” He looked at her sheepishly. “I would never do – uh… I have no intention of ever - … ummm… “He looked around at the two guards, hoping they weren’t able to overhear this embarrassing conversation.
He finally gave up trying to explain that he wouldn’t take liberties with her and threw his hands up in exasperation, “Well, heck girl. You know what I mean.” He scowled, looking at the ground. “You are strictly hands off and I ain’t interested in that – in you – uh… in you that way.” Bunt was thinking maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. He was already bungling handling the girl. So much for his plan to treat her like a boy, he rubbed one hand over his eyes and looked up at her, hoping she understood.
“You got any other questions?” He asked, hoping to change the subject. She had looked a little confused when he mentioned rangers in general. Perhaps she didn’t know anything about rangers and Bunt would have no trouble answering those kinds of questions.
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Oct 5, 2010 13:59:08 GMT -5
Ivy watched as the Ranger looked at her with a confused expression, then suddenly realized what she was asking. “Oh!”
He blushed and took a step back away from her, hand out as though to ward her off. “Oh, no! Not what you’re thinking, girl. Your virtue is safe with me. You are much too young and scrawny for my taste.”
Ivy raised a sceptical brow. Well, that's good, but kindly convince me more. she thought.
“No, what I was referring to was things like cooking meals, cleaning the cabin, mending clothes, that sort of stuff. We share the work – all the work equally. We also take care of each other when on the road – like in a fight. I got your back; you got mine, that kind of thing.” .... “I would never do – uh… I have no intention of ever - … ummm… “ he looked around as if nerveous.
“Well, heck girl. You know what I mean.” He scowled, looking at the ground. “You are strictly hands off and I ain’t interested in that – in you – uh… in you that way.”
Ivy continued to eye the man sceptically, although by now, she was convinced that he hadn't been hinting toward "favors".....He looked far too embarassed by the subject anyway. it occured to her that he could be acting. Then he's either the greatest actor ever born, or he's really telling the truth. And Ivy felt inclined to believe that he was really telling the truth.
“You got any other questions?”
Well, the fastest way to find out for sure....
"Yeah, staying on the subject......." she barely gave a puase as she watched for his reaction.....................
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 7, 2010 11:36:26 GMT -5
Bunt was a bit confused and was waiting for her to continue with her question, even though he was rather dreading talking about the subject of “favors” with the young girl. His generation had never spoken so openly about it and it made him uncomfortable. Besides, he had been a bachelor all his life and was not one who normally dallied with the fairer sex except on rare occasions. He was far too busy with Ranger business anyway.
Realizing he wasn’t going to get off the hook that easy, he sighed heavily and said, “yyyeesss?” He had definitely put his foot in it this time, he thought to himself.
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Oct 8, 2010 8:42:18 GMT -5
Embarrassed and...confused? Definitely not acting. "......What's a Ranger do, exactly? I mean, I never really paid attention to the talk going around, but I kinda get the idea that you people are supposed to be....." Here she paused and raised her eyebrows as a thought struck her. She'd never really thought about the implications of talking to a shunned member of society before, and now wondered if there might actually be a reason for their being shunned. ".........Black wizards? Or something like that?"
And although she didn't really believe in that sort of nonsense personally, she couldn't help but wonder if it were actually, just maybe, somehow true.
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 8, 2010 12:13:03 GMT -5
(OOC: I have been working on givng Bunt some character and have decided since he is from a deep southern fief, he should have a Southern accent. Being well educated, however, his accent is only mild. I reflected the accent in his speech in this post and may go back and modify earlier posts to reflect the accent.)
IC:
Bunt was so relieved that she had not pushed the issue that he found her question amusing and actually chuckled when she asked about rangers being black wizards. He shook his head, “Naw, there is no sorcery involved. People jes think there is ‘cause we are very good at what we do.” Then he glanced up at the guards again and motioned for her to follow. “Come on. Let’s git out o’ the castle. Don’t like being closed in.”
He started walking through the gate and once they were out of ear shot of the guards he tried to answer her question.
“So, le’s see, what’s a ranger do?” He reminded her of her question just to give himself a bit more time to formulate an answer. “Fer the most part we gather information fer the King. We are each assigned a fief and we police that fief, we settle disputes on occasion, we advise the local dignitaries sometimes, as well as reportin’ on how they are doin’ their jobs as Baron or whatever.” He paused, wishing he had some water. All this talking was making him thirsty. “We of’en track bandits or rouge animals that are causin’ problems in the fief or investigate incidents and get ta the bottom o’ what may be happenin’. Sometimes we stumble upon plots from outside forces that want ta invade the country, such as that incident las’ year with those mercs from Teutelandt callin’ themselves The Grizzlies that were infiltratin’ the country. Still not sure if we have ousted all o’ them or what they was up to ezactly.” Bunt glanced at her to see if she still looked confused.
“They way we do all o’ this, is by being highly trained in the arts o’ movin’ silently and without being seen, being expert in archery and the use o’ our other weapons, havin’ highly trained horses and above all being very observant of our surroundin’s and what people are doin’ ‘round us.” Bunt chuckled again, “That is where people think we use sorcery, but our skill comes from years o’ practice and practice is an apprentice’s main job.”
Knowing that girls tended to like have everything laid out in front of them before they made a decision, instead of just presenting the benefits to boys and them worrying about the details as they came up, Bunt figured he should probably tell Ivy what would be expected of her.
“If’n ya become my apprentice you will learn how ta ride a horse, how ta shoot a bow, how ta defend yerself with knives, how ta cook - Heaven help me if ya cook anything like Cricket did!” he rolled his eyes in remembrance of a former apprentice’s attempts in that area. “You will learn how ta move silently and without being seen, how ta climb buildin’s, how ta swim, how ta use yer mind ta solve problems and how ta keep yer eyes an’ ears open and yer mouth shut so ya can listen to what is goin’ on around you.”
He wasn’t sure why he was putting so much effort into convincing her, but there was something about her that made him see her potential. Perhaps it was the defiant way she looked when she was in the cell, or maybe it was just her parting shot to the Chatelaine that echoed his sentiments exactly that endeared her to him. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to see her go back to the streets and become one of those girls that had to sell her body to survive, or worse, become an a outlaw preying on the productive members of society.
“One other thang, should it not work out so well being my apprentice, ya have the option o’ transferring ta another ranger providin’ that Crowley is convinced yer ranger material – and that still remains ta be seen.” He glanced sideways at her as they walked down the main street to the northwest that led back toward Araluen Fief. His cabin was just outside of the city at the edge of the forest. “Rangers are agents o’ the King and are relied on ta give honest, truthful and accurate reports and opinions. They must also keep secrets and be trustworthy. Not jes anyone has the moral character ta be a ranger.” He slowed as they passed a street merchant selling sugar water with lemons and Sekanjabin drinks and a few pastries and meat pies. He motioned for her to pick out what she wanted as he selected the mint and red wine Sekanjabin drink and a large blueberry pie. “Missed breakfast,” he mumbled as he paid the merchant for both their meals. “Get what ya want. No strings.” He said to Ivy as he sat down at one of the tables at the side of the booth under an awning. It was a bit chilly in the shade so he pulled his mottled cloak up around him as he continued to eat the hot blueberry pie. It was going to take him a while to get used to this cooler climate so far north.
“So there ya have it. What do ya think, or ya got any more questions?” he asked her.
“Ya can take a few days to mull it over if’n ya need to.” He added, in case she was feeling pressured. “My cabin is jes down this road a ways jes outside o’ the city at the edge o’ the forest. Ya can miss the cabin, but jes follow the path. You can’t miss that. If ya need time ta make up yer mind, ya can come find me if’n ya decide ta take me up on my offer, or ya can come with me now and we can get ya settled in to yer own room.” He said it off-handedly, but knew that with girls, having their own room was an important selling point. Girls liked their privacy. She would even be able to lock the bedroom door to keep the world out if she wanted to. Not that it would stop Bunt for long should he really need to get in there, but she didn’t have to know all his secrets.
“Mmmm, good pie,” he mumbled and saluted the shop owner who smiled and nodded at the compliment. Bunt gave Ivy some time to eat and think about all he had told her and recover from all that talking.
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Oct 12, 2010 12:27:56 GMT -5
“Naw, there is no sorcery involved. People jes think there is ‘cause we are very good at what we do.” Then he glanced up at the guards again and motioned for her to follow. “Come on. Let’s git out o’ the castle. Don’t like being closed in.”
Ivy fell into step beside him, hanging back just a little in order to watch his face and where she was going. She really didn't want to trip and fall on her face-- thanks, but no thanks. Besides, he apparently knew where he was going.....and she did not. Yet another reason why she should let him lead.
“So, le’s see, what’s a ranger do?”
He was asking her? She didn't know, that's why she'd asked him!
“Fer the most part we gather information fer the King. We are each assigned a fief and we police that fief, we settle disputes on occasion, we advise the local dignitaries sometimes, as well as reportin’ on how they are doin’ their jobs as Baron or whatever.”
Oh.....Okay.....Sounds boring.
“We of’en track bandits or rouge animals that are causin’ problems in the fief or investigate incidents and get ta the bottom o’ what may be happenin’. Sometimes we stumble upon plots from outside forces that want ta invade the country, such as that incident las’ year with those mercs from Teutelandt callin’ themselves The Grizzlies that were infiltratin’ the country. Still not sure if we have ousted all o’ them or what they was up to ezactly.”
Alright, now this sounds a little bit beeter--more interesting, that's for sure. what else?
“They way we do all o’ this, is by being highly trained in the arts o’ movin’ silently and without being seen, being expert in archery and the use o’ our other weapons, havin’ highly trained horses and above all being very observant of our surroundin’s and what people are doin’ ‘round us.”
Now this is definitely more interesting. she wasn't certain about the horse part, since she'd never riden one in her life, but it did sound intreguing.
“That is where people think we use sorcery, but our skill comes from years o’ practice and practice is an apprentice’s main job.”
"Ah-huh. Figures. What apprenticeship isn't practice, practice, practice?" Almost immediately, one popped into her head, and she added hastily, Uh, on second thought, don't answer that one!" happily, he didn't.
“If’n ya become my apprentice you will learn how ta ride a horse, how ta shoot a bow, how ta defend yerself with knives, how ta cook - Heaven help me if ya cook anything like Cricket did!”
"I can cook--" she broke off suddenly when he mentioned Cricket, and asked in a more hesitant tone than before, "Cricket? Do I even want to know?" Apparently not--he just went on.
“You will learn how ta move silently and without being seen, how ta climb buildin’s, how ta swim, how ta use yer mind ta solve problems and how ta keep yer eyes an’ ears open and yer mouth shut so ya can listen to what is goin’ on around you.”
"Oh. That last one, trust me, I can do." she said, nodding her head empathatically. "My brother made me learn."
“One other thang, should it not work out so well being my apprentice, ya have the option o’ transferring ta another ranger providin’ that Crowley is convinced yer ranger material – and that still remains ta be seen.” .......“Rangers are agents o’ the King and are relied on ta give honest, truthful and accurate reports and opinions. They must also keep secrets and be trustworthy. Not jes anyone has the moral character ta be a ranger.”
Hmm. That would have to be a point. Ivy could think of several people whom she wouldn't spill a secret to, not if she wanted to keep it a secret. Her stomach growled, and she lifted her nose to sniff the air for any scent of fresh, hot food. Oh yeah. There was definitely the strong smell of food. Scaning the surrounding area, she spotted the vendor and....food! Real, honest-to-goodness, fresh out of the oven baked goods.
Her mouth watered as the Ranger approached the vendor and guestured for her to take her pick.“Missed breakfast,”
She barely heard that--both because he mumbled, and because she was more than a little distracted by the food.
“Get what ya want. No strings.”
That, she did hear. Raising an eyebrow and planting one hand on a hip, she looked askence at him. "Do you have any idea how much I could eat right now? And how much I probably will eat?" She looked at him a moment longer, then, when he made no attempt at answering, which indicated to her that he probably didn't know and couldn't care less about it either, she turned back to the food. She'd try to go light on his money pouch.
After selecting a large meat and cheese turnover--the closest thing they had to her favorite dish--and a water with the lemons--sans the sugar, and the man selling thought she was crazy to do that, but she insisted--she joined the Ranger, Bunt whateverthelastnamewas, at a table to eat.
“So there ya have it. What do ya think, or ya got any more questions?”....... “Ya can take a few days to mull it over if’n ya need to.”........ “My cabin is jes down this road a ways jes outside o’ the city at the edge o’ the forest. Ya can miss the cabin, but jes follow the path. You can’t miss that. If ya need time ta make up yer mind, ya can come find me if’n ya decide ta take me up on my offer, or ya can come with me now and we can get ya settled in to yer own room.”
Ivy mulled it over, while she made serious inroads on her turnover. After a while, she cleared her mouth, and spoke. "At the moment I can't think of anything else -- wait." she paused a moment, taking another bite and chewing, as she worked out her question. "What happens if I decline your offer? Are you going to turn me into something......Unnatural?"
“Mmmm, good pie,”
That didn't sound too good. Ivy's eyes widened, and she bristled. "Would you just answer the question.....Please!?"
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 12, 2010 14:29:57 GMT -5
"What happens if I decline your offer? Are you going to turn me into something......Unnatural?"
“Mmmm, good pie,”
That didn't sound too good. Ivy's eyes widened, and she bristled. "Would you just answer the question.....Please!?"
Bunt took a swig of his drink and wiped his mouth with his sleeve and studied her for a moment. A slow smile spread across his face as her words tickled his funny bone. He shook his head and then said seriously, “O’ course not, girl. Don’ be silly.” He scoffed good naturedly. “What happens is you jes continue on with yer life and likely end up back in jail, missin’ a few fingers or a hand a few years down the road. Unless o’course ya got some other means o’ supportin’ yerself besides pick pocketing.” He raised his eyebrow enquiringly, though it was more an observation than a question.
He softened a bit and leaned forward so the other patrons wouldn’t hear. “I jes couldn’t stand leavin’ ya there to rot in that cell. Dreadful place for a girl – or anyone for that matter.” He added darkly. “I aim ta set that place straight as soon as I can. No excuse for treatin’ kids like that.”
He sat back again and pulled out a sliver of wood from his belt and began to pick at his teeth as he waited for her next question, or her decision.
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Oct 15, 2010 8:14:34 GMT -5
Ivy suffered through the fidgets and the next moment of silence as he took a drink of his.....drink before finally answering her.
“O’ course not, girl. Don’ be silly.”
Well, great. Had she just been made a fool of? She scowled at him. There had to be more to it than that--some sort of catch.
“What happens is you jes continue on with yer life and likely end up back in jail, missin’ a few fingers or a hand a few years down the road. Unless o’course ya got some other means o’ supportin’ yerself besides pick pocketing.”
Oh. That was the catch. She shook her head at his question, a silent denial of any other means of supporting herself.
“I jes couldn’t stand leavin’ ya there to rot in that cell. Dreadful place for a girl – or anyone for that matter.” ...... “I aim ta set that place straight as soon as I can. No excuse for treatin’ kids like that.”
Ivy raised one eyebrow sckeptically. "Now this I gotta see. Mind if I stick around awhile?" It was after the words had left her mouth that she realized she'd decided. Great. Well, it ought to be interesting, at any rate. she thought to herself.
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 18, 2010 14:30:24 GMT -5
Bunt smiled at her, “Not at all,” he said and finished up his meal. “We can give it a trial run an’ if ya decide ya don’ like it after all, well no harm done and ya can go on yer way. A week oughta do the trick, I’m thinkin’.” He stood up and led her on to his rather large ranger cabin.
The cabin was set back just into the woods back off the road that ran from Caraway to Araluen Castle on the west side of Caraway. It was a two story cabin with a rather large floor-plan for a ranger cabin. Bunt knew that the original cabin had been burned to the ground about 15 years earlier and the ranger who had been stationed there next had a family, so he had designed it with that in mind. There were two large bedrooms on the ground floor, with large closets. The living area was very large with the fireplace at each end, one being on the kitchen end of the huge room. The kitchen area was separated from the dining area by a high countertop that jutted out from the back wall. On the kitchen side were cupboards under the countertop and the dining side had two tall barstools slid up under it. The kitchen itself boasted a real coal burning stove with an oven made of bricks and a large ice box set into the outer wall. On the outside of the cabin, the icebox was buried under three of earth to help keep the ice that was hauled down from the mountain lakes. The dining table was a big oval oak table with 8 matching chairs, all hand-crafted and carved with oak leaves around the edges.
Between the two bedrooms, opposite the front door was the stairs that led to the loft that overlooked the living room from a low-railed balcony wall. The loft ran the entire length of the cabin, but it was made smaller by the slope of the roof, so it ended up being a long narrow room with limited headroom on each end, the balcony on the front side and the stairs on the back side.
The living room contained the large fireplace at the end with a huge mantle upon which Bunt had placed a wooden carving of a fox. There was a bear skin rug on the floor a few feet from the hearth and around it were two stuffed arm chairs and opposite the fireplace, with its back to the dining table was a settee made of ironwood and stuffed with pine straw and covered in plush black velvet. The settee had the look of being very old, but in good condition. It was long enough that a short person could lay down on it and rest their head on the arm comfortably. There was a worn book sitting on the cushion, and a footstool in the center of the rug.
Bunt had the room to the right of the stairs, backed up against the kitchen area since it was a bit larger than the other room to the left. He led Ivy to the door and opened it. Inside was a large closet, a single person bed with two large pillows and several blankets folded up on the goose down mattress. There was also a dresser in one corner and a changing screen in the other. A floor-length mirror hung on the back of the door and there was a window on the opposite wall that had no curtains, but did have wooden shutters that could be closed from the inside. An empty bookcase stood on one side of the bed, with a nightstand on the other and at the end of the bed was a large cedar chest with the key protruding from it.
“If ya need help arrangin’ the furniture, let me know.” Bunt said as he stepped aside and let her examine her new room. “There is the rack where you will keep your bow and arrows once we get some fer ya, and ya might find a ranger cloak in the closet.” Bunt wasn’t sure if there was one or not, since he’d not had any occasion to go into this room much, other than to give it a light dusting when he’d arrived. “If not we can get ya one at the castle.”
He stepped into his own room for a moment that appeared to be as sparsely furnished and very tidy from what could be seen through the open door, and reappeared with a small wooden box. He sat down at the dining room table and pulled out ink and parchment. “I got a report ta write while ya get settled in.” Then a thought occurred to him, “Feel free to go fetch yer belongings an’ bring ‘em back here. We’ll go back up ta the castle and get you some weapons later this afternoon.”
Then he began to scratch on the parchment with the feather quill, pretending to ignore what Ivy was doing. “What was yer name again, girl? Ivy something?” he asked as he paused in his writing.
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Oct 26, 2010 12:21:44 GMT -5
“If ya need help arrangin’ the furniture, let me know.” ...... “There is the rack where you will keep your bow and arrows once we get some fer ya, and ya might find a ranger cloak in the closet.” .... “If not we can get ya one at the castle.”
Ivy stepped past him into the room, looking around curiously. It was a nice-sized room, everything considered, and Ivy felt right at home. "I don't think I'll be moving anything, this is all fine where its at."
“I got a report ta write while ya get settled in.” ...... “Feel free to go fetch yer belongings an’ bring ‘em back here. We’ll go back up ta the castle and get you some weapons later this afternoon.”
She nosed around her room a little, opening the door of the closet--sure enough, there was a cloak in there, a little dusty, but otherwise in good shape. She checked the drawers of the dresser--they were empty, with the exception of someones forgotten shirt and a mis-matched sock--and opened the chest, wondering what it was for. She found nothing in the chest except a scrap of paper that had been torn off of some larger piece. There was nothing written on it, so Ivy tucked it into her pouch for use at a later date.
After wandering around the room for a little while longer, she returned to the main room to find Bunt busy scratching out a letter on parchment. She turned away and looked out the door, debating about whether to go fetch her belongings--even though there wasn't much--now or wait until later. She definitely wanted to find Do-over, and that might take awhile. Hmm. Maybe she should head up that way now.
“What was yer name again, girl? Ivy something?”
Or not. "It's Bramble. Ivy Bramble." Just don't ask why it's Ivy Bramble. she thought. Aloud she added, "I'm going to head into town and get my other belongings." She turned to the door. "I'll be back in...." She paused. She had no idea how long it would take to find Do-over. ".....Later." she amended, exiting.
Once in town, she took the long route to her bolt-hole, partially to elude any pursuit, mostly to look for Do-over at his usual haunts. None of them turned up gold, and she finally arrived at her "Home". It was little more than a hole in the ground--it had once been the ice-box-- with a wooden roof overhead, and dirt for walls and floor. The entrance/eixit was a hole knocked in the side of the building at street level. It was about six feet wide by six feet long, and about 2 1/2 to 3 feet deep. She only used it for sleeping in and shelter from the wether elements. On occassion, when she could coax him in, Do-over stayed there too, and it was here that she found him.
She had slipped inside and was grabbing her few belongings and bundling them together, when she heard his growly meow, and looked around to see the scruffy gray, three-legged, one-eyed tom crouched in one courner, looking at her with the look that said, It's about time you showed up. Got anything to eat?
Unfortunately not, but "Where we're going, there'll be plenty of grub for a starving old grouch like you." Ivy told him as she finished tying her bundle and rose to leave. With another growly meow, Do-over followed, hot on her heels.
Three hours after she had left, Ivy returned to Bunt's cabin. "Back." A thought stopped here, and she paused, looking down at Do-over. "Your not alergic to cats, are you?"
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Post by Brandwyn on Oct 26, 2010 20:24:23 GMT -5
Bunt had just finished feeding Low Belly her very small ration of grain and a flake of hay, brushing her down, cleaning out her feet and making sure she was in good shape. She nuzzled his shoulder and blew softly on his face as if giving him a kiss goodnight as he fed her a lump of sugar for dessert. It was their normal routine.
He walked into the cabin and started to make supper when he heard Ivy’s footsteps on the porch. He had wondered just a bit if she was actually going to come back, or if she had changed her mind.
"Back,” Ivy announced and then after a slight pause, "Your not allergic to cats, are you?"
“Nope,” Bunt said, looking for a wooden spatula to flip the fish over. One thing he did like about Caraway was its close proximity to the sea – and fishermen. He had picked up some blue fin and shrimp late yesterday and was going to sauté them in a bit of olive oil and herbs with a bit of sliced squash and some green beans. A couple hunks of the dark brown bread with some butter and honey and maybe even a slice of mild cheese should do the trick.
As he located the spatula, the question Ivy asked him sunk in and he turned around to look at her. Standing at her feet was a very ragged looking, three-legged tom cat that looked pitifully hungry. Bunt raised one eyebrow at her and said, “Looks like he has been ‘round tha block a couple times. What's his name?” He turned back to the stove and oven built into the wall. “Jes keep him from peeing on my bed,” he instructed, giving tacit approval for her rather unusual pet.
He was just about to toss the vegetables into the pan sizzling with olive oil when a thought occurred to him, “You like fish, don’t chya?” Bunt asked, his hand poised above the pan. Then he saw the look of hunger on the cat’s face and he set the bowl with the vegetables in it back on the counter and fished into the cool chest for some milk. There wasn’t a lot left, since tomorrow was delivery day, so he poured out the rest in a bowl and sat it on the floor in the corner. “Hope he likes milk,” Bunt grunted as he resumed cooking.
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