[Bronze Woods] Amble through the Woods [Rhuryc]

Jonathon and Rhuryc have a chance encounter in the Bronze Woods.

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Stretching northward along the coastline of the Suvan Sea, the Cobalt Mountains are the home of the Bronze Wood, numerous ruins, and creatures both strange and fantastical.

[Bronze Woods] Amble through the Woods [Rhuryc]

Postby Jonathon DuFraine on November 1st, 2011, 7:35 am

24th of the Day, Autumn, 511 AV.

Jonathon sighed. His back was on the ground, his face turned upwards, towards the sky. He had been like this for over a half-hour, but he had felt no inclination to stand, and didn't feel any now.

He had slipped and fallen, like a dancer with a shoe full of soap, right at the most critical moment; the shot. Jonathon had been creeping through the woods as par usual, looking for something edible, preferably something he had to kill before eating. He had chanced upon a doe, simply standing and grazing about the trees, and Jonathon had hoped for an easy kill. He had nocked an arrow, took aim, shuffled his feet a little... and slipped.

The noise of the arrow whistling off into the sky, and the swearing Jonathon's mouth put in as a result, had of course scared away the deer. Where the arrow ended up, Jonathon would probably never know; the odds of him ever finding it again were miniscule. Jonathon shrugged. They were a copper a dozen in Syliras.

Still, he had fumed on the ground for at least ten minutes. He was supposed to be better then this! All sorts of angry thoughts a curses had run their course through his brain. After a while, though, the silence of the woods and the sky were enough to ease his anger. Now he was just staring into space, his bow limp in his right hand, his left behind his head.

What am I even doing out here? There was certainly no sense of purpose. Just a prolonged romp in the woods. It may be nice being self-sufficient, but it was also hard work; hunting wasn't easy, although it was profitable. But what use did he have for profits? Money didn't help him.

I'm bored, is what I am. Perhaps next time I visit Syliras, I'll rent out an apartment and live in the city a while. It may be loud, but at least there are people... Boring people, of course. Boring boring boring.
Last edited by Jonathon DuFraine on November 1st, 2011, 8:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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[Bronze Woods] Amble through the Woods [Rhuryc]

Postby Rhuryc on November 1st, 2011, 8:14 am

Crisp morning air. Rhuryc took in a sharp breath, the chill of fall sinking into his lungs and stirring his mind from a wandering stupor. Here, beneath the ever shifting colors of the canopy he was greeted only by streaks of sunlight and curious fauna, those made adventurous by the disturbed fauna. He stuck out. Against the bronze-laden trees and mass of fallen leaves his leather and blond top made quite the spectacle. Every step was accompanied by a swift crunch and the occasional snap, all intermingling with the clink of a thick pack and the clatter of fidgeting sheath. He was large. Hard to miss. The bottom of half of his countenance was covered by an untamed beard and the rest of his physique was strewn about with wilderness, soiled, haggard, and otherwise well traveled. Very well traveled.

Other than his own shenanigans the wood was peaceful. And beautiful. Until the twang of a bow caught his attention. Son of a bitch. In a flurry of motion Rhuryc spun, his shield brought around from the back of his coat and one hand on the hilt of his blade, steel barred only to the tang before he realized that no one was trying to kill him. Huh. Poised to kill, his shoulders stiff, knees bent, his body slowly eased and he released his weapon. Beating hooves drew his eyes ahead as he watched a lone deer make her way to safety; a hunter?

His advance was short and pointed. He made no effort to mask himself and, even beneath the cover of the forest, Rhuryc was able to make the man before he was close enough to hear. As was his custom he waited, partially hidden, and watched the hunter from afar. There was little cause for concern. The fellow seemed downtrodden and there was no arrow knocked for another shot. Thank Tyveth. Rhuryc replaced his shield and began his advance once more, one hand raising into the air to catch the attention of such a random happenstance.

"Hail. You lose a deer this morning?" His thick baritone carried well; in fact, it seemed to cut through the air on a direct path toward Jonathan. Neat trick, that.
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[Bronze Woods] Amble through the Woods [Rhuryc]

Postby Jonathon DuFraine on November 1st, 2011, 8:23 am

Jonathon didn't start at the voice. He had heard him coming; he was a bit big for sneakiness, but had decided to let the man talk first, or not at all. He lay there for a moment, not responding, as if he was digesting the words he heard, and carefully forming his own. After a couple seconds of almost awkward silence, he spoke.

"Hail. Yes, yes I did. Due to my own blundering; slipped on a rock." The hunter tapped the offending stone with the back of his boot. "It happens." Jonathon gave a light shrug. During all this time, he had yet to take his eyes away from the sky. Birds large and small fluttered about the clouds and lower air, threading in and out with each other in the vast space. The silence would have been awkward, but Jonathon's face was so unassuming and, just simple, it tended to make them content instead.

The crisp, clean air of autumn entered and left him with a huge sigh. "It doesn't really matter. I'll find something else to butcher. It's not like I don't have enough food..." Jonathon sounded almost depressed, but his face revealed nothing. Only a calm sort of melancholy and timelessness. Jonathon felt like he had been here forever.

Still not looking at Rhuryc, absorbed in the sky, he seemed content with the silence that followed his comment. After a bit, he spoke again. "Jonathon DuFraine, hunter. You?" This short and sudden introduction was followed by a piercing look into Rhuryc's face. Jonathon's hawk-like, golden Inarta eyes latched onto Rhuryc's, searching. The man could be a bandit, after all.
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[Bronze Woods] Amble through the Woods [Rhuryc]

Postby Rhuryc on November 1st, 2011, 6:23 pm

Bit of a queer fellow. Rhuryc shrugged to himself and made his way through the mass of undergrowth, stopping only once he reached his new acquaintance. He glanced down at the bow and the forlorn, almost accusing eyes of the man and matched the stare with his own. Green, piercing, narrow with a side of humor, there was little there that bespoke violence. Although on his own end Rhuryc's countenance shifted to express a degree of confusion; was he really deserving of that much scrutiny? He must need a bath.

"Rhuryc. Despot blacksmith. How'dya do?" He extended a hand and offered it in a temporary allowance of friendship. Something rare, but something worthwhile. After all, these woods were full of surly bastards, and having a companion with a bow of his own might just come in useful. So long as he wasn't the one being shot. "Plenty, have you? I'll tell you what. I've got none. I've all the useful tidbits to trade with if you're willing, I'd very much like to stock up before I die out here."

Rhuryc smiled. Sort of. Half of him seemed jovial while the other was downright set for an ambush. Trust, as it was, seemed awfully difficult to come by.
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[Bronze Woods] Amble through the Woods [Rhuryc]

Postby Jonathon DuFraine on November 1st, 2011, 10:32 pm

Jonathon's intense scrutiny, certainly quite a bit more then the average stranger needed, soon turned away from Rhuryc's face. This man didn't seem like a brigand, but Jonathon decided to keep on his guard nonetheless. In fact, he hardly ever let down his guard, even among tested friends. A tense way to held yourself, to be sure, but it had served Jonathon well out here in the woods.

Jonathon got to his feet lightly, without seeming to really exert any effort; his experience as a hunter had taught him how to move quietly and softly from one stance to another. He took the man's hand, shaking it firmly. It seemed, if an alliance was to be made, Jonathon was ready to work with it... for the time being, anyways. Either that, or Jonathon's prolonged hermitage had stripped him of his social skills. One or the other.

"A blacksmith, huh? I had you pinned as a squire or knight for a moment there." Jonathon contemplated his offer. News was a tad useless compared to food out in the woods, but he could use the company. And Jonathon certainly had food to spare; yesterday had been quite the haul. "That sounds well enough. The meat is stored back at my... adobe. It's uncooked, but preserved, and we can soon make it edible with my supplies and some time."

Jonathon didn't react to Rhuryc's smile, positively or negatively. He just started moving, assuming Rhuryc will follow.
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[Bronze Woods] Amble through the Woods [Rhuryc]

Postby Rhuryc on November 5th, 2011, 7:13 pm

"It's a common mistake." Rhuryc shrugged the comment off, though he wrapped a single hand about the hilt of his blade; perhaps out of habit or caution, it was difficult to say for sure. He gave the other fellow a curt nod and they were off, boots trouncing over the local flora with little regard to their placement. The rustle of the woodlands was a welcome sound. Between the cracking of fallen leaves and the distance cries of fauna there was an odd and steady sort of rhythm, a hidden melody that accompanied the wilderness trek. Rhuryc was often aware of such antics. His ears were kept open to the subtle music, following its course until it changed. How fortunate it was that such there was no such anomaly thus far.

Walking just behind his temporary guide Rhuryc took the opportunity to stead the other man. Worse for wear, no doubt, just like himself, this Jonathon was lighter on his feet. He made far less ruckus and appeared to actually know where he was going. That or he was damn good at faking it. The singular oddity left to Rhuryc was the lack of real emotion. Stoicism did not sit well with him. There was always a particular broach of trust when a man hid his feelings so well, or maybe even possessed none at all. Whatever it was it made the blacksmith ill-at-ease.

When they stopped Rhuryc went through with what appeared to be a routine inspection. Taunt, alert, he gave the area a brief look-over, glancing at all the odd bits and stations that few might consider to even be worth their time. Better paranoid than dead.

"Nice place you have here."
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[Bronze Woods] Amble through the Woods [Rhuryc]

Postby Jonathon DuFraine on November 23rd, 2011, 9:44 pm

Jonathon tried to watch Rhuryc as much as possible, but it was hard when the man was directly behind you. Jonathon wasn't sure if he should really be trusting the man or not. His story seemed believable; if Jonathon had to stand in front of a hot forge all day, he'd take all the time off he could wandering in the cool wilderness.

Jonathon also noticed the attentiveness Rhuryc watched his surroundings with. He was on the lookout for trouble, it would seem. Good. The Bronze Woods was tame compared to the deeper areas of the Cobalt Mountains, but it was still dangerous. Jonathon often had to remind travelers to watch themselves in here; this man knew he should already. Or he guessed, anyways.

Jonathon raised an eyebrow at Rhuryc's compliment. Jon's ability to sense sarcasm hadn't seen much use recently, due to his hermitism; the trees never had anything to say. Jonathon's house was little more then a tent; it had a solid wooden frame, with animal hide stretched across it to keep out the weather and animals. Nearby, the ashes of a fireplace stood cold, with two large pieces of wood sitting nearby for makeshift chairs.

Jonathon indicated one of the seats. "One moment..." Jonathon slipped into his tent and out with a rabbit, uncooked but prepared for it. "You would not believe the trouble one has to go through to stop animals from looting your stored food. Anyways..." Jonathon handed Rhuryc the raw rabbit; if he had any opposition to holding the chunk of raw meat, Jonathon either didn't notice or didn't care.

He then set to work making a fire in the firepit and setting up the spit. Once he finished, he accepted the rabbit and set that up, too. He worked in silence for the moment, but eventually he spoke up. "..." Okay, maybe not. Jonathon wasn't sure on what to say, so silence seemed like a decent alternative.
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