XIII: The Thirsty Herald - Nighttime

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las looks from the assortment of items in front of him as Sha'ar enters the kitchen, and smiles at her.

"I am glad you are here.  I have begun to cut up these vegetables," he says, pointing at a pile of crudely sliced carrots and potatoes.  "And I have begun to cook the meat, though I am not certain how long everything will need to boil.  I could definitely use your help.”  He turns back to the pile of vegetables and continues cutting them up.

The Shendar glances back at Sha’ar, realizing that she has changed her clothing.  "I had always thought that the Shendar were the only tribe whose men and women dressed alike.  The Kuglimz must be a practical people.”

“In fact, aside from the fact that Shendar women are slightly taller, when we are in full dress it is difficult to tell us apart from one another.”  There is a brief pause and he grins.  "Of course, except for the obvious physical differences."

He is about to continue when the door opens again.  This time it is the armored man who most recently arrived at the Thirsty Herald.  “Greetings stranger!  This is definitely most unusual circumstances we find ourselves in, but you are welcome.  I am Ta'las.  The normal staff is currently indisposed, and as you can see, the tavern is in poor shape.”

Ta’las peers closely at the man’s face, and sees weariness in the man’s eyes and in his actions.  “You look tired sir.  Perhaps you should rest today – there will be many day’s worth of repairs to be made to undo the damage that has been done.”  The Shendar smirks and adds, “I will be sure to tell the others to leave some things left undone for you.”

Ta'las

[Morcaanan]

"Thank you" he replied, smiling lightly at the Shendar's joke. "I am assuming the rooms are upstairs?"

[Shaar Matiu]

Practical. That word could only mean that she was accepted dressed this way. Sha'ar only realized that she hadn't been breathing when she exhaled a huge sigh of relief and blushed at his comment about "obvious physical differences".

Before responding, she nodded in agreement to Ta'las' suggestion that the warrior-like man rest. With Ta'las here - and the reaction of both men to her change of clothing, she felt a bit bolder in speaking to people. "I'll let you know when the food is ready, if you like. And I believe the rooms are upstairs - do you know any differently, Ta'las?"

She then responded to Ta'las' earlier comments:

"No - this was only practical in Lor's eyes. He had no females in his family except his mother, who died in the slaughter with my parents. He needed help in the stables of his father's business and dressed me accordingly. The Kuglimz are very strict in matters of gender dress. I was never looked on favorably in my community. It may be part of the reason I was so eager to begin my search. I just needed to get out of that scorched dress I was wearing and into something clean. This was the most practical thing I had, and I was hoping it wouldn't offend anyone. I probably should find some place to find a new dress. I don't think my old one is salvageable."

Cooking was one Kuglimz female-oriented task she could deal with. She glanced at the pile of vegetables that looked like one of her earlier attempts at stew preparation and swallowed her amused reaction. She liked Ta'las and didn't want to hurt his feelings. Turning her attention to the meat, she peered into the cooking vessel and said:

"Meat usually takes 15 to 20 minutes per pound to cook thoroughly. It should be tender enough to slide off the fork when done. Do you have a guess as to how much meat you've got in there? Oh - and save the water you cook it in. We can use it for gravy either with whatever you're planning on right now, later on, or for stock for soup. And did you see any herbs around here? Perhaps where you found the meat?"  

Sha'ar Matiu

[Morcaanan]

"Yes, I'd appreciate the wake up call" he says, then exits the kitchen and makes his way upstairs.

He finds an isolated room with a bed and tosses himself into it with a sigh, peeling off his vambraces and sword and then drifting off to sleep.

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las waves at Morcanaan as he leaves the kitchen and turns back to his work.  

"You do not offend me, Sha'ar.  Neither in your manner of dress or your actions.  And I should be honest - Shendar do have their own vanities regarding style, or more specifically color, of clothing."  He pauses a moment as he chops some more potatoes into oddly shaped cubes of different sizes.  "I think this Lor person is wise to have raised you as he did."

He eyes up the meat he is cooking and chews his lip as he tries to estimate how much is in the pan.  When he picked up the packages, they felt almost as heavy as a newborn child.  "There is quite a lot, now that I think about it," he says, pointing to the meat in the pan.  "I fear I may have taken too much - there is almost six pounds."

Ta'las looks at Sha'ar and chuckles.  "I have not cooked for so many before.  In all my travels, there has been just my own mouth to feed."

"I did see some jars full of dried herbs in the ahh... closet? Over there," he says pointing to the pantry next to the door.

Ta'las

[RazorClaw BlackCrawl]

Razor waits eagerly for the meat, wondering what was taking so long. People went in and out of the kitchen. Finally Razor's nostrils caught something. The sweet scent of roasting meat drifted from the kitchen. Raising his nostrils in the air in enjoyment, Razor lowered his massive body and ambled toward the kitchen with great speed, charging on the balls of his feet. Pushing past the pirate who was in his way, Razor arrived just in time to hear the comment about having too much meat.

Razor reared up in confusion. Too much meat? You could never have too much meat, especially the meat of mammals such as pork and beef. These were considered a delicacy among his people. In any case, Razor would be happy to help them finish of this extra meat. A stream of thick saliva flowed over his massive jaw, pooling on the floor as he breathed in the delicious scent.

For the first time he noticed Sha'ar and Ta'las, Sha'ar seemed to have put on more sensible clothes. He could never understand why human females wore such inefficient and clumsy things as dresses.

Quickly becoming aware of the fact that females were easily disgusted, Razor quickly clenched his jaw shut so that his saliva would cease it's flowing. Bending his heavily muscled body stiffly, Razor bowed to the two, his arms widespread. Straightening, he inclined his head curiously at the two, wondering if he could help, and also curious as to what they were doing.

[festrath Blackmoor]

Seeing the gargantuan lizard charge at him, Festrath was caught off guard and thrown into the wall by the force. The reptile obviously didn't know his own strength.

Clutching his arm painfully, Festrath followed the lizard into the kitchen, where he saw Ta'las and Sha'ar on kitchen duty. Sha'ar was dressed in male clothes, though still very noticably not a male. Bowing to her, he smiled. Sha'ar, you have changed into some much more appropriate attire I see. I was worried you'd drop dead in that cumbersome, warm woolen dress. It quite becomes you actually, you look just as lovely in that outfit than in any other.

Walking over to stand beside Ta'las, Festrath winks. Anything I can do to help you friend? I'm not that good at cooking myself, except for fish, but I could lend a hand.

[Shaar Matiu]

Sha'ar glows at Ta'las comment on Lor and his comments on her attire and heads towards the pantry that he discovered, hopeful of finding it as well stocked as this kitchen was. She was startled by Razor charging in, looking very hungry. She'd have to give Ta'las a bit more credit in the cooking department from now on.

Razor seems to be indicating that he is willing to help, but Sha'ar is not sure that that is a good idea from the way he looks, but she knows the meat will not go to waste.

"Sha'ar, you have changed into some much more appropriate attire I see. I was worried you'd drop dead in that cumbersome, warm woolen dress. It quite becomes you actually, you look just as lovely in that outfit than in any other." he said.

Unaccustomed to all this male attention, she tried to make her self taller and draw herself deeper into her clothing, but she finds herself nodding her thanks to Festrath anyways, and is suprised at his comment to Ta'las about assisting with the cooking. Apparently she was not the only one eager for fresh food.

She wryly says to Razor:

"I think Ta'las was headed in the direction of a stew, which should help us stretch things until we figure out how deliveries are made and paid for or traded for around here. It'll be a while until the meat is done, though. We've got about six pounds in there."

To her three companions, she says:

"I'm going to check the pantry out for herbs for our stew. Does anyone know if we have enough left at the bar for beverages?"

She quickly ducks into the pantry and finds a treasure trove of herbs and other cooking and baking needs. AnaMirl was clearly an excellent manager. She brings back a nice collection of of some nice smelling bark that seemed like it would go well with  the meat; it reminded her of something Lor called Cinnabark which he said could be used in healing and that he had discovered in his travels. There was also a jar of seeds that she was unfamiliar with, but that had a gingery taste, and a jar of Rosemint, something she was vaguely familiar with.

"Does anyone have any preferences with their spices? This is what looked interesting to me, but you have some different spices than we do back home."

A suddent thought hits her - she still had a packet of dried Kul’coeir’li that could be salvaged for a bit of dessert, for she didn't feel like doing much else, and it would bring back wonderful memories of dinner with Lor when she was a child. She walks back to the pantry and quickly grabs the jar of honey that was sitting on the shelf above the spices and sets it on a clear countertop as she looked at the group for responses.

Sha'ar Matiu

Edited by: Shaar Matiu at: 6/18/05 7:00

[Erián'melór]

Erian stumbled into the tavern, exhausted from a journey of several days. His golden eyes reflected the sunrise as he glanced around the tavern at the assorted party that had gathered there. The woman dressed as a man, he dismissed instantly. If she sought his death, then he would not lift a hand against her. The Orc and Psyrpent looked promising, they might be able to end his miserable existence. He collapsed into a chair and motioned for the innkeeper. "Bring me any food you have. I can't pay you, but perhaps you will allow me to sing for my food. It is not often that an Elven bard makes such an offer."

He removed a tarnished silver locket from the pocket of his robe and held it by its broken chain. He began to sing to himself. "Yrana, my rose, how your petals have wilted. Your beauty fades away within the cold embrace of death. The worms are your lovers now, they caress your rotting flesh and broken bones."

Erian Melor

[Marvin Cerambit]

OOC: Hello, and welcome. Currently most people are in the kitchen for some reason, so you can't see them. Only Norkin and Marvin are currently visible.

As Marvin sits down on his bar stool - the first he repaired he had put behind the counter - another elve enters the tavern. This one looks real tired.

Bring me any food you have. I can't pay you, but perhaps you will allow me to sing for my food. It is not often that an Elven bard makes such an offer.

There's some food on that table you can take if you like. And if you got some patience, they're currently preparing some real food.

Marvin made no attempt to bring the man anything. It was on the table and he could take it himself. No need to do some effort if it wasn't necessary. It was not the food on the table wasn't 'real food', it actually made a pretty good breakfast, but as there wasn't any meat available the orc found it incomplete.

And yeah, you can sing for your food. Just be loud enough that they hear you in the kitchen.

The tavern keeper wasn't here at the moment, but he figured it would be alright. He had been in bars enough to know that Elven bard make such an offers everytime they entered one, and most of them could pay for a meal if they wanted. But it was their job to sing after all, so why not? The tavern could use some entertainment after the recent trouble.

Marving Cerambit ~ Do not tease my Warg, because you are crunchy and tasteful
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Edited by: Marvin Cerambit  at: 6/16/05 21:37

[Erián'melór]

OOC: Sorry about that. I'm new to RPing in general.By the way, anything I say will be in red and anything I sing will be in blue italics

Erian eyed the Orc with suspicion. Was the green one trying to poison him? He considered drawing his dual shamshirs and opening the veins of the Orc, staining the floor with his acrid blood. But the Orc might lose and not grant Erian the death he seeks. Anyway, he was just too tired to fight right now.

"No, thank you. I'll wait for the real food. My singing is not for the faint of heart."

"The night calls to me, beckoning with promises of peace. I long to answer its summons and embrace the empty grave. I seek the stranger, the one with the strength to end the agony of living alone."

Erian Melor

Edited by: Erian Melor at: 6/16/05 16:03

[ratdragon]

Ratdragon was oblivious to the actions around him, oblivious to the few entering and leaving it for different reasons. Slumped against the wall, he took shuddering deep breathes. The wound in his side that Viresse had stitched was aching abominably. His head throbbed and his throat was parched. After his long tiresome travel yesterday all he had wanted was a nice bed and some good food and drink. He had used the last of his water on the cursed half-elf, and his own recovery.

Then he heard strange singing, a song with a seemingly sorrowful voice, one that no human could sing. Looking up, Ratdragon was surprised to see another elf in the room. More surprising, he was talking to the orc. The newcomer looked drained of all energy, weary and not looking much better than death.

Interest sparked Ratdragon's weary mind, and he also glanced at the food on the table. Standing slowly, Ratdragon walked slowly over to the table filled with bread and cheese, and helped himself as he leaned wearlily against the table.

[Erián'melór]

Erian noticed the other Elf for the first time. He appeared to be suffering from a grevious wound in his side, with blood seeping through the bandages. The first thought to cross Erian's mind was that how unlucky that Elf must be, otherwise the wound would be fatal.

"Maybe next time you'll have better luck and your foe will kill you instead of merely wounding you."

Erian relaxed in his chair, awaiting the food that was cooking in the kitchen. The aroma of roasted meat filled the air, making his mouth water in anticipation. Hopefully, he would still be able to eat while having to look at the grotesque Orc.

Erian Melor

[Talas Anthavin]

Ta'las looks at Razor curiously and wonders if it is customary for psyrpents to bow to those who make food.  Probably not, Ta'las thinks.  

"I am trying to make stew.  It is a very tasty way that humans have of putting many different types of food together, that normally might not go with one another."  Then it crosses the Shendar's mind that perhaps psyrpents do not like their food cooked.  "Do you like your food prepared in this way?" he asks, pointing to the meat cooking in the pan.  Then he points to the raw meat still sitting on the counter.  "Or do you prefer it like this?"

Then Festrath enters and asks if his help is needed.  "I am not sure, Festrath.  This is not a room I am accustomed to spending time in my dome.  There are some vegetables still to cut."  If Ta'las had a free hand, he would scratch his head to think.

In response to Sha'ar's question about spices, Ta'las smiles.  "I do like Rosemint."  Then he looks curiously at Sha'ar.  "I did not realize that spices went into drinks."

Ta'las

[RazorClaw BlackCrawl]

Razor turned his huge head to Ta'las as he spoke. Following his finger to the raw meat Razor shook his head. Psyrpents aren't as bestial as these humans seemed to believe. They had a fine taste for well cooked meats, they very rarely ate it raw.

Razor inhaled the fumes from the roasting meat and contemplated this stew Ta'las spoke of. Razor would certainly enjoy some of that.

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