Fishing for Information (Banir)

by **Alea Davenport** on November 23rd, 2011, 1:51 am

Alea watched him, partly annoyed that he didn't seem to be paying as much attention to the conversation as she was, but mostly confused by the answer. "What do you mean it doesn't matter? You 'weren't told'? Who was supposed to tell you? Don't you usually just kind of remember that stuff? I mean, I guess technically I don't remember being born, but I still know where it happened..."

It simply did not occur to Alea, who'd had a fairly normal and sheltered childhood, that anyone could fail to know where they came from and who their parents were. It was especially difficult for her to understand, because in Denval these things were recorder meticulously, so even if by some freak accident someone lost their parents, they would still be able to look up the birth records.

by **Banir Ironwood** on November 23rd, 2011, 2:19 am

Etching into the bark bit by bit, it was a sad attempt but the best he could give. The lines he had carved into the bark began to look a bit like hair, he had gained some small confidence now. The improvement from the last dozen carvings was obvious with this one. He would need to keep working at it to eventually get the image out of his mind and into this world. Since he had so long with his acquaintance; he would continue carving. Excitement and joy bouncing in his mind as he continued. Though his rear was becoming numb from the cold rock he felt like he could sit here all day. Just cutting away at the wood. Creating rather than destroying. Though he knew he would have to answer her questions so he spoke in his same ridged tone.

"No one told me, I never knew, and maybe I don't want to know. As for the issue. It doesn't matter because my birthplace is irrelevant if I am here now." Disgust was almost on his tongue, and it should be. He had hated himself for so long, all because of what his father had told him. All because- 'NO! Don't think of it! Carve! Carve into the wood! There is an innocent person here! Don't lose yourself to your rage again!'

The voice that shouted in his mind was his own carrying the orders to which he would follow diligently. But the voice was not harsh, it was calm and gentle. He wished to hear the voice allowed but knew that was not and would not be possible.

by **Alea Davenport** on November 23rd, 2011, 2:35 am

"Ugh!" Alea cried in frustration. "You are so unhelpful! Would it hurt you to give an informative answer? Who are your parents? Where are they? Why didn't they tell you anything? Why do you hide your face? What is with the wood-carving? Would you stop it already and talk to me?!"

Suddenly, she heard a quiet "plip" from behind her. Instantly, her attention shifted focus to the bob floating in the sea. There were tiny ripples expanding from it. "Shhh!" she hushed Banir, holding out a silencing finger in his direction as she crept toward her fishing pole. She gently eased it out of the snow and waited, waiting the bob intently. "The instant it goes underwater is when you have to pull," she whispered. "Too soon and the fish swims away. Too late, and the fish swims away after stealing your bait." She had forgotten her excuse of teaching Banir to fish, but she preferred to speak her thoughts aloud when others were present. Otherwise it just felt like awkward silence.

by **Banir Ironwood** on November 23rd, 2011, 2:50 am

Banir was at first overloaded with questions it took his brain a few seconds to catch them all. He hardly had time to think of or about them when he noticed the sudden change in her behavior. Seeming distracted for the moment Banir visibly relaxed like someone had taken a weight off his shoulders. In his mind he gave thanks to every god or goddess he could think of at the moment for the wonderful distraction.

His mind turned to thoughts of escaping while she was so intently focused on the bob. Shaking his head to get the idea out of his mind. It would be rude to just leave her here, despite the fact he really wanted her to stop talking. He knew better than to just leave someone out in the cold, alone, and with nothing else than a fishing rod.

Fishing didn't really interest him but he was up to learn what he could from it. He listened to her talk and found it extremely odd, if not a little worrisome. It was clear enough she wasn't talking, or really teaching him. Though it was instructions and he might as well listen. Even stopping in the midst of his carving to watch her, how she handled things, what she was saying.

by **Alea Davenport** on November 25th, 2011, 4:37 am

Alea was focused completely on fishing. There was definitely something pulling at the bait, but it hadn't committed itself yet. "Come on, come on," she whispered, wishing the fish would just hurry up and bite the hook. Plip. Plip. Plunk! "There!" Alea cried as the bob finally went underwater. She pulled back on the rod and began reeling in the line, hoping that she had been quick enough to surprise the fish into getting stuck on the hook hidden under the bait.

But just a moment later, the tension on the line slackened, and her fishing hook returned to her, empty. "Shyke!" she cursed loudly. She rounded on Banir, frustrated. "It got away! This is all your fault! Why can't you just answer a simple question, huh?" If Alea knew she was being irrational, she showed no sign. She was willing to believe that it was Banir's attitude and not her limited skill that caused her to lose that fish. She did not particularly enjoy losing...

by **Banir Ironwood** on November 25th, 2011, 1:58 pm

Failing, and confused, as to how this was his fault just because he didn't answer a question puzzled Banir. Had she not been the one fishing? Had she not been the one so focused a moment before? What logic was there in accusing him? Thoughts like this circled around his mind. He was curious and decided to ask.

"How is it my silence fault for your fishing? You are the fisher here not me. I have done nothing to cause the line to break." A dull emotion of annoyance and irritation rose in him. His curiosity still quite large as he remained sitting chipping away at the carving in his hand. It almost looked like he honestly didn't care, and to some degree he didn't.

Having done nothing to so much as aggravate the line, the rod, the fish, or the intently focused fisher. He saw no way he could actually be blamed. In fact all he had done was sit, carve, and for the most part remain silent. Hopefully this would continue, his plan to bore her had not worked. Now she seemed more focused on him than before.

by **Alea Davenport** on November 28th, 2011, 12:40 am

Banir was getting on her nerves, but Alea couldn't think of anything to respond with, especially since she was well aware that she was only blaming him because he was a convenient target. She glared pointedly at him for several long moments as she made up her mind about what to say next.

What really pissed her off was that he just sat there carving, like he didn't even care if she was there. That hurt her feelings a bit, not that she'd ever let on. (Despite her obviously excellent personality, she'd always had a hard time making friends, let alone keeping them.) Alea wanted very badly to lash out with a very vengeance-like reaction, but the man's size and gruffness gave her pause. This wasn't like the man in the library; she didn't think she'd stand a chance if he decided to attack her.

But then Alea thought back to Banir's behavior in the short time she'd known him. So far, the man was all talk. Despite his massive build, she had seen very little evidence that he was actually a danger to anyone, and she was immeasurably curious to see how far he would go if pressed to the limit.

She put her hands on her hips as her glare softened into a rather condescending smirk. "Where are your parents, Banir?" she asked in a calm, taunting voice. "Why do you hide your face? I still like my theory that you're a criminal in disguise, but maybe you were just so ugly that the other kids couldn't stand to look at you." Some small voice in the back of her head told her to stop, she was going too far, this was too cruel, even for her. She pushed it away and added, "Maybe your parents couldn't stand to look at you, and that's why they...er..." she faltered as she tried to think up something suitably horrible that didn't sound completely stupid, and came up empty.

by **Banir Ironwood** on November 28th, 2011, 1:12 am

Banir never had much emotional control, there where memories when he had killed animals. Not because they frightened or hurt him. But because they had dragged out his rage. Mostly by eating his food while he wasn't looking. His past caused his rage, and the way she spoke, what she said. There was no way for him to stop the flood of anger, rage, hate.

Throughout her onslaught of insults, he almost got bigger. It was like his rage was actually swelling inside of his body. He couldn't take it, and when she said that last sentence. The left hand that held the carving suddenly crushed the wood in his hand. Bark, wood, splinters fell to the ground. Slowly he looked up at her his eyes almost glowing red under the dark of his hood. Even as the frosty air bit at his form he stood tall and strong. Metal clattering as the dirty green coat flopped about in the wind. Slowly he spoke, rage dripping from every word that left his mouth. That gruff voice didn't sound like Banir anymore. It sounded dangerous, fearless, heartless even.

"Never, say that, AGAIN!" No longer able to stop himself as the last word was shouted he raised his claw like metal hand. As soon as he started to raise it he charged at her as fast as the young man could. It had no style, no technique, nothing but the embodiment of pure rage. Each footstep resounded imminent assault, his heavy weight pounding against the snow trodden ground. His eyes nothing but red, the anger burning in his blood.

by **Alea Davenport** on November 28th, 2011, 1:55 am

Alea had only a few moments for the blood to drain from her face as she thought, Oh...Shyke. Since she'd arrived in Avanthal, she'd come up with every possible way in which she would die. Now that she was faced with the certainty of that happening, she found that she was rather particularly attached to life. She dropped her fishing pole instantly. She could come back for it later if she survived.

Her whole body tense, she reviewed her options in a split second. There was no way she could outrun him; she doubted she could even turn around before he mauled her face into oblivion. Her best chance was to surprise him, but she had to pick a direction, NOW.

Alea launched her legs in a direction of their choice, and for a moment was surprised to find herself going forward (and a little to the right). She shot past the charging berserker, staying just out of range of his claw, using his speed against him and hoping she could think of something before he realized what had happened and turned around.

If there was one thing Alea's childhood had taught her, it was that she was good at hiding, and that's what her instincts told her to do now. Looking around desperately for some form of cover, she noticed the tall snow drift right next to her. She silently blessed the wind that had driven her to choose this spot for fishing as she dove behind the drift, staying low so she wouldn't be seen. She quieted her breathing and slid slowly through the powdery white crystals, doing her best not to be heard.

Only an idiot would fail to follow her tracks through the snow, but if she was lucky, this guy WAS an idiot (especially in his current state of mind). Alea thought about peeking over the top of the snow drift, but decided not to risk being seen. She frowned at her dark clothing, stark against the white landscape, and decided to try to burrow under the snow. She dug into the snow drift at an angle, trying to get as deep into the drift as possible without coming out the other side, and trying to push snow behind her until she was completely covered. Feeling as safe as she was likely to for the next few minutes, she stopped moving and listened carefully to try to determine what Banir was doing outside.

by **Banir Ironwood** on November 28th, 2011, 2:22 am

Banir was heavy, weighing in at two hundred and twenty seven pounds and built like a fortress. Always being good at running he realized his prey had eluded him. Sadly this didn't stop him from smacking hard into a tree. His left shoulder guard absorbed most of the damage but the tree took the worst of it. With a loud snap and crunch the force and weight amplified by his speed. Had caused almost half the tree trunk to be smashed to bits. However it was still standing strong and Banir was still angry.

Charging away from it he was shouting yelling. Sounding like a man tortured, in pain, burning in rage. Wild, uncontrolled, and worst of all without direction. Banir broke anything in his reach, be it moving or not. That claw of his cut against stone and snow alike. As the twilight of his rage came, he spent it smashing the light forming ice in the water. Though once his fury was calmed he walked out. Cold, wet, hungry he sat down somewhere away from the wind.

Banir silently let tears down the sides of his hidden face. He had let it happen again. Lost himself in his own damned emotion, the ones he kept telling himself not to give into. Though one thing was good, he saw no blood, no body. That meant she had escaped him alive, that was at least one bit of good news. Though he had a strong feeling what little there was between him and the people he had met was gone. Once she told the story to them. He would be an outcast once more, and he would have to leave. Or at least find a place where they weren't.

Standing up and collecting the pieces of the broken carving he had crushed in his fury. More proof he shouldn't be allowed to create if his greatest power was to destroy. Picking up the head of the carving he sighed lowering his own head. It was ruined now, not even salvage able. Dropping it he was almost sure Alea had run off somewhere. Slowly he made his way back to town, his mind already tormenting him of the consequences of his blind actions.