Unexpected Company [Open]

[Celeste McCalmont]

Celeste preferred to work outside, whenever possible, and being that she had settled her pottery wheel close to her kiln, she didn't mind the late winter chill. Things hadn't yet thawed, but a little circle around the kiln was free of snow, and she'd been shedding layers of clothing as she worked, now down to just a thick sweater and skirt, with her hat, scarf, and cloak tossed aside. She swiped her hair out of her eyes with the back of her hand, leaving a smudge of grey-brown mud on her forehead. 

On her potter's wheel she was molding an amphora, keeping the contraption spinning with her foot and shaping the vessel with her hands. Her face was drawn tight with concentration as she worked, humming tunelessly to herself. She didn't know how long she'd been working there in the harsh winter sun, the whir of the wheel and the constant work making time blur into a formless haze, but the crack of a branch near her made her head snap up, and she stopped the wheel with her foot, leaving her in silence. 

"Is someone there?"

[Eoin Rodain]

Just when it felt like spring was arriving, the winter hung on tight, even so much as to give them another snowfall that no one anticipated. But he was numb to it all. Eoin spent his days chopping down wood for a house he wondered if he should even finish, or hunting which left him with too much meat just for himself. Then, he wound up having to go into town to offer it to the butcher.

But he didn't know what else to do. He didn't know his purpose. He was here to simply exist and nothing more, and it wasn't good enough. Every now and then, his mind drifted back, wondering if it would have been better if he died in that cell.

Booted feet were almost silent as he took each, carefully placed step, the snow softly crunching beneath the weight. Fingers wrapped tightly around the bow, peering through the brush at the buck that was a short distance away. He wasn't close enough to deal a deadly blow and the ranger wasn't aiming to make the poor beast suffer. So, he kept following it, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Except that moment would never come. There was some distant noise that spooked the buck, making Eoin curious even as the animal fled, cracking twigs and brush in its wake. As the female voice spoke up, the creature came bounding from the trees, startled by her sudden appearance before it hightailed in another direction.

How far had he traveled today? He didn't think many remained in the forest after a lot of it had been destroyed. Then again...he had been avoiding anyone but Nemeris lately. Afraid of spooking the stranger, Eoin stepped into Celeste's view slowly, his bow lowered and arrow back in the quiver.

"Apologies, m'lady...if this is your land. I was hunting." And poorly at that. The deer was long gone by now.

[Celeste McCalmont]

Celeste jumped as the deer bounded across her small clearing. Well, there was the source of the noise, apparently; she should have known it was simply an animal. Thinking she must have startled the creature by calling out, she wasn't expecting a person to follow on its heels. She tilted her head, a confused look on her face as she puzzled, wondering if she had scared the deer first, or it had scared her, and how the man could be so much more quietly than them both. She hadn't encountered any other people out here in the woods since the day she moved in, so this somewhat intimidating man was her first-ever visitor. After he spoke, despite her confusion, she smiled at his politeness.

"Oh, that's not a problem at all," she assured him in a warm voice that still carried a trace of her foreign accent, "So long as you aren't planning on shooting my chickens, I'm sure you're quite welcome. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure of the boundaries of what constitutes 'my land' and I'm certainly not worried about being called 'my lady' either." She laughed.

"Just Celeste will do. I apologize if I've ruined your hunt--I'm just used to the silence around here."

She wiped her hands on her apron to clear them of the excess clay as she spoke, although it didn't do much good--she still left a trail of clay slip on her cheek as she tucked some flyaway hair behind her ear.

[Eoin Rodain]

Eoin tried not to sigh at losing the buck. He really needed to slow down, otherwise there would be no more deer to hunt in this neck of the woods. But idle hands were never good, and even building that little house wasn't enough of a distraction. There was something that was telling him to hold off, and he didn't understand why.

Strangely, the mention of shooting her chickens had him smirking slightly, huffing out a soft laugh through his nose. "Your chickens are safe, I promise," he replied. Eoin stepped in a little further and after a moment of hesitation, slung the bow across his back. Even after being out of the prison for a few weeks now, he was still a little jumpy. He felt naked without a weapon in his hand, and those bright eyes were always looking around.

"No need to apologize. I just didn't take the shot when I should have." That was when he took notice to what Celeste was doing and moved only a couple steps closer before stopping- not wishing to intrude or possibly make her uncomfortable. He already felt like he overstayed his welcome. Bright eyes squinted in a bit of mirth at seeing the streak she left across her cheek. Perhaps he should say something but he was gesturing lightly to her work instead, "A potter, hmm?" A pause, he realized she had introduced herself and he hadn't reciprocated. "I'm Eoin, by the way." He nearly asked where she was from, noting the slight accent, but he didn't want to bombard with a bunch of questions. Socializing wasn't his forte as of late.

[Celeste McCalmont]

Celeste's smile lingered after her laugh, and she watched curiously as the hunter stepped closer. She'd expected him to just hurry away after the deer, but he seemed interested in what she was working on. She hoped she wasn't just imagining it, she didn't want to be one of those people who kept others chatting long after they'd wanted to go. But...he'd been the one to move closer, hadn't he? Maybe he was feeling a bit lonely out in the silent woods, too.

"Yes, I make all kinds of things. Dishes, vases, amphorae like this one, and sculptures. Or, este... Miniatures? Yes? They're very small?" She gestured with her hands to illustrate how big the little animals she liked to make were.

"It's good to meet you, Eoin." She had to work a little to say his name properly, but she thought she did a decent job, even with the hindrance of her accent. She always thought a person's name was worth getting right, to show you cared who they were. She made a point to remember those she talked to, even if it was years later.

"I'd offer to shake your hand, but..." she held up her muddy hands, palm out, to show how caked with clay they were. "It's bad enough that I look like a mud person, hm? I don't want to make you one too." She laughed. Even so, she did want to do her introductions well.

"Are we neighbors?O sea, do you live near here, too? "

[Eoin Rodain]

It seemed like it was in his nature to just walk away from a conversation before it could really get started, but in truth, he was a little curious about what she was working on, and chasing the deer seemed like a waste of time at this point. His mind clearly wasn't in it since it was all he had been doing for the last couple of weeks. Maybe he was growing bored.

Her accent was a bit more evident to him now, but Eoin couldn't figure out where she might have been from, considering he hadn't traveled much outside of Aralore and before that it had been only Aldsage. The last year of his life, however, well...he wasn't going to think about it. It didn't matter anymore. But he grinned softly again at the mention of tiny sculptures. The ranger couldn't imagine making larger sculptures of animals, let alone miniature ones. He'd whittled a few things here and there, but that was the extent of his creativity.

Finally, her following words garnered a low chuckle from him and he shook his head. "It's fine. I'm clearly no better after tracking that deer all morning." There was mud caked to his boots and dirt upon his knees, and probably small twigs snagged upon his cloak. He practically lived out here now, so he was surprised he wasn't worse. There was just something about Nemeris' empty, dark manner that made it difficult to sleep in sometimes. Perhaps, he was just reminded of his prison cell. He needed the noises of nature, even if it was frigid outside at times.

"I don't really have a place," he told her, and he silently meant that in more ways than one. He didn't really have a home nor did he know where he belonged in Aralore anymore. "I'm a bit of a wanderer at the moment, but...I have been slowly working on a small home-" Eoin turned to look over his shoulder as if he was calculating the distance. "A few miles from here...so, we might be neighbors." In a manner of speaking, he supposed. "If I may ask, though...you are not from here, are you?" He couldn't help but ask, the curiosity in his tone.

[Celeste McCalmont]

She brightened when she earned a laugh from him, her smile widening. Good! He had a nice smile, and he seemed a kind man, based on his reaction to her spoiling his hunt. She was glad of the company.

Celeste's large eyes opened even wider in her surprise at his answer about not having a place. He...he had somewhere to stay, didn't he? She couldn't imagine that he was just--well no, actually, she could absolutely imagine him staying out in the woods for days at a time while he was building whatever cabin or cottage he was working on. Her gut reaction was to offer to have him stay with her, or at least to come to her if he needed anything--after her 'parents' had taken her in, in Tresteria, when she had nothing and no one, she had always sworn she would do the same for anyone who needed her. She was about to say something to that effect when he was off on an entirely different track. But perhaps she could draw things back to this, eventually, if it seemed he needed it.

She smiled sheepishly and nodded. "No, I'm not from Aralore. My country is Onai, far to the Southwest of these islands. I went to Tresteria not knowing the language, except to say yes, no, and please! I was very lucky, though, and the couple who took me in taught me more. I still have to think, sometimes. It's very different, how the words go together. Y, the..." She gestured as if she were trying to pluck the word from the air and pursed her lips. "Este... Fillers? You say "um" yes? I always say "este" and ruin it. I usually do well, but..." She shrugged.

"I left Tresteria after my parents--O sea, they adopted me--after my parents passed away. I didn't like to live in their home without them. I went to Aralore just before the move to this island. I got this cottage right away, although it needed lots of work." She glanced back at it over her shoulder and laughed to herself remembering the steep learning curve of how long it had taken her to learn how to make the place right. "So now, this is home."

[Eoin Rodain]

Eoin might have been surprised that she initially thought it was hard to imagine him living out in the wilderness. Didn't he look the part? He was fortunate to have a place to go back to and clean himself up, but even then, that mop of hair was often unruly. At least he was able to keep his beard short and trimmed and access to clean clothes. In truth, he thought he looked homeless and it wasn't so much because he lacked the effort to take care of himself. Trekking through the woods all day simply did that to a person.

"Onai..." he murmured, as though trying to recall the name. Eoin had not traveled to many places and wasn't well versed in the world, so he was unsure of where his homeland resided. As she continued to explain, the small smile returned with a glint of humor in his eyes. For someone who did not know the traveler's tongue at birth, he thought she spoke it rather well. The little bit of her own language slipping in was pretty charming, he'd admit. "I do not think you ruin it, m-" A pause, he refrained from using "my lady" again. He corrected himself, "Celeste. And I think you speak the language here rather well." And not many could say they spoke two languages.

His attention flickered over her towards her home here in the woods, and he nodded. "So, you fixed it up all by yourself?" he asked, intrigued.

[Celeste McCalmont]

Celeste chuckled softly when he almost called her “my lady” and was quite pleased he remembered to call her Celeste instead. She’d never been fond of the line titles drew between her and others. But perhaps that was simply because she had always felt the distance between her and the rest of the world so keenly. As the daughter of nobles who thought themselves better than everyone, she'd been told to keep away from the servant children and those of enemies of the family. Then, in Tresteria, she had been a foreigner with hardly any ability to speak the language; it was only the McCalmonts who had treated her so kindly.

The compliment on her speaking actually brought a blush to her cheeks, and she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears and looked down at the amphora she’d been working on. She was glad he thought so, but somehow being complimented just made her feel embarrassed. She wasn’t used to it.

At the change of topic to her house, though, she looked back up and nodded eagerly. “It was all, pues… crumbly?” She motioned with her hands like she was crumbling something gritty between her fingers. “The rocks inside were coming apart, and plants and animals had gotten in. So I had to clean it out first, then do up the walls and the floors. I was lucky I had gotten Henrietta right away, because I used eggs in the mixture for the floors, and then the walls are whitewash. Caroline, she taught me to do the whitewash when I was living with them, Así queue at least I knew that much!”

Maybe she was too chatty, but she was proud of her little house! It wasn’t big, like her family’s home back in Onai, and it was even smaller than where she’d lived with Caroline and her husband Tom, but it was hers. It was good to be able to have her own place, something that was her responsibility and her choice. “It was a lot of work, but it feels good to see it when it is finished, sabes?”

[Eoin Rodain]

Maybe it was a little strange that he seemed to automatically go straight to titles, especially when it was quite obvious that not many nobles (even in Aralore) would be in the middle of the forest like this. Being Aldsagen, that kind of propriety was never second nature, because there were no dukes, counts, or any of that kind within the clans. It was only until he washed upon on Aralore did he realize how different the rest of the world was.

And that had been the first time in awhile since he had thought of his home. The memories of the Morelings. It made his heart sore.

His attention flickered back to her with the mention of Henrietta. Naturally, the ranger thought she meant a person until she mentioned "eggs" not long after. Oh, a chicken perhaps? Brow rose in silent question, but he decided not to interrupt her as she explained how she fixed the place up. Not many people knew how to do that, or were even willing to, so it was impressive.

Eyes squinted lightly in amusement. "I hear the island is still repairing many buildings. You might be able to give them some pointers," he said. Although Eoin chuckled softly, he actually meant it. In all honesty, he should probably be out there helping out as well. He didn't quite know why he was hiding out in the woods right now.

"I'm...actually not from here, either." A light pause, he moved to rest against one of the outlying trees of her little clearing. "I come from Aldsage, a place quite different from here. Building our houses and every little aspect of our lives was just the norm."

[Celeste McCalmont]

Celeste's eyes widened when he told her where he was from. She'd heard tales of the wild isle, where different tribes held sway over their own patch of land, each with their own culture and specialties. No king or queen ruled that land--only the tribal chiefs. She'd always thought it sounded interesting, a place without nobility. She thought Aralore was better than most places, but it would be exciting, to live somewhere so different.

"That's amazing! I didn't think anyone ever left that land, because the clans are…este…" She frowned a moment and tapped her fingers against her mouth, struggling for the phrase she wanted. "Digo, they are like family, yes? To leave a family that cares for you is not easy." She sighed and scooped up Henrietta, the fattest of the hens, who was pecking at her leg to get her attention. She stroked the chicken's back as she chose her next words.

"I think living that way is brave. I try to be brave and to do things by myself, but I do not know that I could make it in a place any harsher than this. Already, this is pushing my limits." She smiled softly and shook her head. "Pues… I think I'm happier with my little house and my chickens, even if it's hard, sometimes."

[Eoin Rodain]

Aldsage was certainly far different than Aralore. There were certain aspects he missed, while he found here to be a lot better. Safer. But, he supposed he could claim such things when he had once lived on the island of clans.

Eoin's expression faltered, his face sobering at the mention of family. 'To leave a family that cares for you is not easy.' He was clenching his teeth until his jaws hurt, and his gaze dropped to the cold earth as he struggled to maintain composure.

"This is a far better life, I assure you," he finally managed to say. His tone was steady but not harsh, yet neither was it as light as it had been. "Leaving family...isn't easy-" he agreed gently, pausing for a moment before finding the will to continue. "Yet, I suppose it is...when you have no family left."

Why? Why would you bring that up?

He almost visibly cringed, silently cursing himself out for going down that path. Not that Celeste knew any of his plight before speaking such things, but he could have glossed over it. He could have moved on. Perhaps his social skills were still very rusty.

Running a hand down his face, he tried to salvage it. "But you are brave. Simply being out here on your own, building a life for yourself...that is something. And when it's hard sometimes, you still do it." Eoin tried to offer a light smile of reassurance.

[Celeste McCalmont]

Celeste frowned and nodded. She didn't know why he might have no family left, but she knew what it was to be alone. She'd been betrayed by her own flesh and blood and had to cut ties for herself. In some ways, that was having "no family left," too.

She smiled softly at his insistence that she was brave, although it still held a touch of that sorrow that had tinted both their demeanors now. "Thank you. We all do what we must, I suppose." She shrugged. This was a land of new beginnings, a place for those who wandered from all over the face of this world to find somewhere they could belong. Perhaps it was only natural that so many of them were fleeing from pain and heartache to be here.

"I am sorry for your loss, I hope that is not…este….Cómo se dice...too much? Too close? For me to say so. But I hope you find a new family and happiness here." She brought three fingers to her lips, then turned them towards him, a sign of blessing from the goddess. "I think you deserve it, Eoin."

[Eoin Rodain]

Betrayal bit deep, and he understood it all too well. He could have sympathized if he knew this woman's own plight. It hadn't been betrayal by his family, but by another clan they were meant to believe were friends. Deep down, Eoin had known not to trust the Drachs, but Zeph had been blinded by false promises.

There was nothing Eoin could have done to save them...and he lost them all that night. Sometimes, he thought he should have died right along with the Morelings. It might have been a better than this, better than wandering the woods of Aralore without a purpose, being unable to find one.

A light nod at her words, the former ranger fell silent again. Unsure of what to say, and perhaps wondered if he had overstayed his welcome. It wasn't that he didn't find the woman to be pleasant company, but he wasn't always the greatest socially. He blamed that on being locked away for an entire year.

When Celeste was speaking again, his attention rose from the forest floor back to her face. She was tiptoeing around it, so he had clearly been more obvious than he originally thought. His mouth curled into a faint smile, but it wasn't forced, even if his eyes looked sad. "Thank you...Celeste. Many of us here deserve such things," he replied quietly. "It sounds like you may have already found it, hmm?" At least, she said so herself just before

Curious then, he lightly mimicked the gesture she had done with her fingers. "What does that mean?"

[Celeste McCalmont]

"Thank you...Celeste. Many of us here deserve such things."

She nodded in agreement. It was true. Most people did… but so many didn't believe that they themselves were worth such happiness.

"It sounds like you may have already found it, hmm?"

Celeste looked a bit startled. That was true, she was happier here. But...well, something was missing. Chickens made very good friends, but it was not quite the same as having human company. She hesitated to say so, however, oddly ashamed of her loneliness.

"Este...I am on my way, yes."

Thankfully, he had another question to distract her before she could get her foot in her mouth. She blushed deeply when she realized what she'd done on instinct--blessing a stranger with her foreign gods. Hopefully, her slip-up wouldn't be any offense to him… she'd be disappointed if she frightened him away. She smiled, although it carried a hint of her chagrin.

"Ah, it is a symbol of blessing, where I am from. The goddess, she watches over us. It is like... " She pursed her lips and tapped her steepled fingers against them as she searched for a way to explain. It took her a moment, but finally, she repeated the gesture again, more slowly. "It is something like, 'from my lips'" She touched the three fingers to her lips,"To the goddess." She turned them out toward him. "You are sending a prayer, but there is no sound." She shrugged one shoulder. "A habit from my childhood, en fin. I am sorry if this is no good...Some people do not want the gods of others."