First Meal (Auboran/Adkir)

[Deleted]

With Stark in her hands, Auboran began to make her way towards the door leading to the outside of this new world. She wasn't sure what to expect. As soon as she got a foot out the door, the bright light of the sun blinded her. She shielded her eyes and as they adjusted, she saw the woods. Adkir took her down a path to what appeared to be a tavern. He held the door open for her and motioned for her to go inside. He told her to pick a table and she chose one that was well lit and highly visible to everyone around her. The man kept telling her to trust him, but she still felt off about him. She took her seat and he took his. Stark laid at her feet.



"I will just have whatever you are having. I also need to feed Stark, so if they are willing to provide it, some raw meat would be great as well." She reached down and petted Stark on the head. He licked her hand and she immediately wiped his slobber off her hand. "I will also need some water in a bowl for him, as well as in a glass for myself." She didn't know if she sounded too demanding, but at this point she was too weak to care. She crossed her hands in her lap and began to study Adkir more closely. The bear pelt that he wore made her a little uneasy due to the fact that he probably didn't eat the bear that it came from. She didn't like harming animals unless it was absolutely necessary. She understood the need to eat meat for protein but killing for sport angered her.



"So, you had mentioned before that you lived in the woods and that you had thought that that would suit me as well, but, I have been thinking about it and maybe it's time for me to try and make some friends. I noticed that I am not able to use my abilities here either, or at least not to their full potential like I could back home. At home, I could make tree branches do anything that I wanted them to do and I could gain the trust of any animal in an instant. Will I be able to get to that type of power again? Is there somewhere I could learn to? And what about money? I have no money and my only skills are with animals. What am I to do about that?" She knew that she was talking too much, but she had a lot of questions and wanted to make sure that they were all going to be answered.


@adkir

[Deleted]

Adkir sat at the table with his axe propped against it, Axe head resting on the floor. He wasn't quite hungry but he did order himself a light snack and a pint of meade. Then came the onslaught of questions. As he listened, he brought a hand up and pushed the helmet/bearhead back and brushed his beard down, plucking off a stray leaf that wasn't cooperating with him.

"Nuffin' wrong wif makin' friends. It got quite lonely before me house wuz raided by undead. Parta da reason I'm back 'ere." He began, addressing the first question, "Dis world dun't seem ta like it when ya seclude yerself too much."

To keep his hands busy, Adkir leaned to the side and withdrew a small metal knife and a half-carved ball of wood from a pouch on the side of his belt. In it, he began to slowly etch small blooms of flowers into it. The ball was roughly an inch in diameter. "It 'elps me focus." He stated in explanation, "Keeps me hands workin."
"It seems dat dis world's magic is...unique. My fatin' wasn't quite nearas clean as yers. Cauzed me quitea bita pain. 'owever, I found dat I still 'ad suma my powars. Fer good reason, dis world seems ta set us back. Needta relearn 'ow our magic works." Adkir blew briefly on the carving and inspected it in the light briefly before he went back to carving it again.

"I think der isa magic school. I couldn't tell ya where or what its called. I'm dure da lass who met me when I wuz fated could tell ya. Tall girl, white hair. Name's Nyx. Not long afta I came, I tend'd a girl's wounds who came ova' pretty banged up. Nyx was der an' said sumthin' 'bout da Arch o' mages er somethin."

Once again, he inspected his carved ball in the light, pausing his conversation for a moment before returning to carving it. About this time the bar wench or whatever you'd call her came by with most of the order, returning a second time with the rest of it.

"Iffin yer good wif animals, make it yer job." Adkir shrugged, "I'm sure da world would nay burn down. I dun't really need lotta money, " He paused his carving to indicate his clothes which consisted of some handmade armor and fur pelts wrapped around his extremities. "but I grow an' hunt a bit more den i need soz I can trade wif Villagas. Wanna git started, Prolly take yerself ta Nova, da main city, an see whatcha can do der. Maybeh stop at sum villagas an' makea name fer yerself wif the small folk firs' "

Adkir holds the ball up and inspects it one last time before smiling and pocketing the small knife. He was about to pocket the ball before he looked back at Auboran, where he held the ball back up for her to inspect. "Dis lil' ting is parta me magic dat I learned. I can't seem ta cast spells like I use ta, but i cen carve lil one-time spells. Thisen should kickstart sum crops. Gunna need ta work ovatime ta make up fer da lost time once i retake it."

[Deleted]

Auboran's eyes shifted to the leaf in Adkir's beard that he plucked away. She had never seen anything like it before, leaves growing off of a person. "Are those leaves just caught in your beard from being outside or are they growing on you? I'd imagine that that hurts if you are plucking them from your skin. Anyways, I don't want to isolate myself if this is a fresh start at life. I've lived on my own for a long time with only Stark and even though he is a great companion," she reaches down to scratch him behind his ears, "it has been kind of lonely."

When Adkir pulled out the knife, Auboran got a little uneasy. After assuring her that it was only used for whittling the little ball of wood that he pulled out, she relaxed again. He started to explain to her about the magic in this world and why hers was so weak. That's when he started to talk to her about a magic school. "Can you take me to this Nyx?" Auboran wanted to learn about the magic and she also believed that going to school could help her make friends.

"I wouldn't know what job there would be that involved animals," she sighed. "Do you know anyone in Nova? Can you take me there and introduce me to some people?" Auboran looked at Adkir with friendly eyes. She didn't believe that she had any reason to be afraid of Adkir anymore.

Adkir held the little carved ball up to her. "It's pretty. I like the detail. I am not very good with my hands, but I am good with my bow. I don't hunt for sport. I only hunt with the intention of eating. I try to use as much out of the animal as possible. I don't want their death to be a waste."

[Deleted]

"Hm, oh." Adkir's attention was elsewhere when asked about the leaves. "Dey....uh...dey're growin'. Dis magic seems ta 'ave sum weird eh-fects on meh. It does nay hurt, but fer a little sting." He sat there quietly and listened as Auboran spoke. "Nuffin' wrong wif dat. Been tryin' ta get out more meself."

Adkir shook his head softly when asked about Nyx. "'aven't seen da lass fer some time. Can't say i knows many folks eiver. I ken prolly point ya ta someada right folks if nuffin else."

Adkir faked a gasp when the girl said she didn't hunt for sport. He promptly started giggling for a moment. "Rare dat I'll hunt fer reasons short of food, meself. 'ad ta kill a numba o' beasts in defense. I dun't have as gooda way wiff dem as ye." Adkir reached up and idly brushed a hand along the 'arm' of the bear pelt, drifting off to thought. "I still wish I coulda spared da poor t'ing. Poor bear was hungry, tried ta attack somea da kids of Clearwater. Already had one kid killed an' was goin after another when i got dhere." Adkir sat there silently for a few moments, his fingers spreading out into the fur and his eyes getting a bit misty.

"Sum Shaymens," he started, his voice soft, ya know for a dwarf, "woulda let da bear feast. But I couldnay do it. Me duty was to da people." He sniffed deeply and brought himself back to the present, wiping his eye quickly. "Lookit me. Gettin' teared up." He cleared his throat, "T'is da past, no sense cryin' ova it."

[Deleted]

Auboran listened as Adkir spoke. She reached down and patted her legs, trying to get Stark to jump on her lap. Stark obeyed and curled up in a ball on Auboran's lap, drifting off to sleep. She petted him to keep herself calm. She was still overwhelmed with the fact that she could never return home but decided that she was going to make the most of her stay in Nova.

A waitress came and set down their food and drinks. Auboran ate quickly, clearing her plate in less than 10 minutes. "Can we head out? I'd really like to go meet some people. I also need to figure out where I will be sleeping tonight." Stark grumbled in his sleep. "This is a lot to take in. I have never met any other beings that aren't elves. Well, besides the animals, but anything else did not exist in my world. But I am ready to meet people and make a name for myself."

[Deleted]

"It's gunna take a few days ta get ta Nova. A loooong walk through da woods." Adkir stated, "Ya can stay 'ere in Bane, or we can sleep on da way tonight. Eiver way, we're gunna sleep in da woods a few nights." he added. He would prefer to sleep outside, and even if Auboran chose to stay at the inn, Adkir would still sleep outside.