Closed Crafting Together Is Always Better [Stefan]

[Reven Heath]

Day 62th of Winter, 213 A.V.

Reven had woken with a start that morning. In the grasps of deep slumber, she had experienced another dream of her past, one that frightened her awake to the morning light of the sun. Turning her head, hazel eyes gazed out beyond the window. It was winter still, the snow atop the potted plants outside confirmed that unfortunate fact, and the Kelvic couldn't help but sigh. Reven loathed winter. It was one of the only seasons she never looked forward to. Winter was a dark, cold season. It buried thriving green life underneath piles and mountains of snow, covered the brilliant, blue sky with grey clouds that lasted weeks. Winter conceal the sun from her, the same sun she longed to bath under day and night, if she could.

Wrenching the sheets from her bare legs, Reven set about tugging on her clothes, washing her face, and coming out her tangled, brown tresses. She could tell that she had been thrashing in her sleep. Not only were the pillows in disarray but her hair was the prime example of a rat's nest. Several minutes past before she was able to place it in a bun atop her head before moving over to her pack for breakfast. It wasn't much... Some bread, water, a little bit of leftover meat. It was enough to sustain her though, and that's all that really mattered to her at the moment. Lifting the pack onto her back, Reven set out of her condo toward the Stained Pelt. Today would be another day of her committing time toward learning the craft of leather working.

When she had started this journey, it appear a fairly simple craft to take up but as the Kelvic delved deeper into it, she noticed that it was far from simple. Learning how to craft things from leather had been more of a headache than studying common for 5 straight months. The different tools needed for the cuts, designs, the wetting and staining of the hide, puncturing holes within it, cutting it... Reven often wondered if it was more than what she bargained for. Nevertheless, her stubbornness refused defeat and because of that, she found herself walking off toward the Stained Pelt for yet another lesson.

It had taken her a moment to get to the shop. The pathways in Riverfall were littered with men. Even in the morning time, the city was still fairly active and busy. Reven moved her hand toward the door and pushed it open, tilting her head down to avoid the beam above the doorway. The shop was sizable but cluttered with items that dangled from the roof by strings. Her eyes inspected the area, noting that a few people were already in there browsing at some of the items for sale. Reven was trying to find a particular person but could not find them. Walking forward, the Kelvic came upon a bar top where she lightly knocked on it with her knuckles, hoping to get some sort of attention. "Hello?" She called out. "Karril? Arril?"

Another moment of silence. "Karlak?.. Anyone?"

Then, as if they had been there the entire time, a woman appeared out of the corner with flaming red hair and approached Reven with a smile. "Reven..! So sorry to keep you waiting, what can I help you with today?" Arril responded with a polite smile. The woman had always been friendly to Reven ever since she stumbled into the shop a year ago. It was nice to know Arril and her family. They were good people and helped the young woman when they had the means to. Reven was slightly envious at time because of the simple fact that they each had each other. She had always wanted a family to confide in...

"Well, I was hoping to work with Karlak again. I need a little more practice on creating those pouches."

Arril chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I know. He told me about what happened last time. Heheheh. Well, he's free today but I think he has someone else coming in as well? Karlak is busy at the moment, I'm not entirely sure what he had planned today."

"Oh." Reven tilted her head in confusion. "I didn't think he was teaching anyone else..?"

[Stefan]

“Gods dammit!” Stefan yelled angrily, something serious considering that he had dangerous tools in his hands, and front of him, a piece of leather “I can’t work it out! This is rubbish!”

“Calm down, young man.” Karlak, an Akalak, replied with his arms crossed, raising an eyebrow “Are you sure that you know how to do it?”

“I do, I do... I’m out of practice, that’s all... it has been years since I work with leather.” He sighed and tried to cut the leather the proper way, but his hands trembled. Bad memories, along with being unused to it made it really hard to do what he needed.

Some gloves were what he needed, just some bloody gloves, but he was making mess with the leather. When he woke up that morning in the day, he cursed the cold weather, and realized, even though he spent several weeks in Riverfall, that he needed something for the cold, and quickly.

So as soon as he washed himself, dressed himself with his only clothes, donned his dark cloak and prepared, he went to buy them... the problem is, he had no idea where to start. He heard about a place Red Diamond Fashion, but didn’t manage to find it. He wandered aimlessly, until he found the Stained Pelt on the outskirts of the city. He almost passed by it without noticing, until he realized that there was a door in there.

He entered out of pure curiosity, almost hitting his head with the ceiling, only to be greeted by the smell of leather and pelt. It didn’t require a genius to notice that it was a hunting shop. He was soon greeted by Karlak, who asked him what he needed.

“Some gloves” said Stefan “preferably leather...”

“Sorry, but we don’t sell gloves here, only pelts. If you need these gloves, there is the shop Loads of Leather. They will most likely have what you need.”

Stefan nodded and was about to leave, but something caught his attention. “Wait a second... you make leather here, right?” the Akalak just nodded, and Stefan smiled “Well, then there is no problem... I can make them myself!”

Karlak had a bit of disbelief, but Stefan insisted, maybe a little too hard. In the end, the Akalak allowed the young man to work with the tools, just to see what he could do. He thanked him heartily, and got to work, but as soon as he picked up the leather and the tools, he shivered. Memories –and not really pleasant ones– invaded his head like a swarm of flies. The problem was not only the fact that he only knew the basics, and making some gloves would cost some work... but also was the fact that he remembered Jaben quite well. Jaben, his old master, a Benshira leatherworker... and the leather he used. Just to think about it sent chills down his spine.

He breathed deeply, without minding the smell of the pelts of the vats, and went to do something simple: cut the leather. He didn’t want any particular design; just some simple gloves that fitted him. But his hands were trembling, as he was nervous, and he could barely do a proper movement with them. And as soon as he tried to cut it, a slight mistake made him yell angrily “Gods dammit! I can’t work it out! This is rubbish!”

Karlak talked to him, but it was hard to speak with a nervous person, so it was indeed a relief when he saw someone else entering. “Reven, my favourite Kelvic! You don’t have any idea of how glad I am to see you!”

[Reven Heath]

A shout rang through the air causing both women to jump. Reven could tell whoever told those curses was becoming extremely frustrated. Looking to the red head, Reven arched a brow, her expression asking a silent question. Arril shrugged, shaking her head. "Oh, is someone here already?" The Kelvic asked, trying to glance around the woman to see who was making such a ruckus. "Yes... Karlak is working with him now. It was unexpected and the man doesn't seem to be doing too well." She sighed softly, tending to the items behind the bar, probably stocking them.

"Why? What happened? Is something wrong?"

Arril chuckled. "Quite the curious one, are we? Nothing is wrong. A man came in here just a little while ago wanting to make his own gloves. I'm not too sure if he knows what he's doing though. He doesn't look like someone who handles leather often." Reven tapped her cheek, pondering on the information. Would she be able to see Karlak today? She didn't want to overwhelm him if he already had his hands full with someone else. "Maybe I should go then. It sounds like Karlak is going to be busy—"

"Reven, my favorite Kelvic! You don't have any idea how glad I am to see you!" Reven glanced upon blue skin rounding the corner and gave the man a timid smile. She didn't like it when he called her out, especially when there were people around. "You're late!" He smiled back at her, resting his elbows onto the bar. "I didn't know we had a set time... Is everything okay back there?"

The Akalak shook his head, obviously stopping himself from voicing out his complaint. The last thing he wanted to do was insult any of his customers. Coin was coin after all. "Everything is fine. Just trying to help someone craft some leather." She scoffed. "Yeah, sounds like it's going very well." Her sarcasm was evident but soft. Karlak gave her a look but soon, that turned into mischievous amusement. "I suppose you came by for another lesson? Why don't you craft some gloves for yourself as well?" Surprised by his offer, Reven tilted her head knowing he was trying to bait her into the tense environment settling behind the bar. "Are you... Are you challenging me?" She questioned, blinking. Karlak knew her growing up and over the past season, the two had time to establish a close connection which meant he knew any challenged tossed onto her, Reven was going to follow through with. "You know, I don't appreciate when you do these things..." She mumbled. Still, the Kelvic walked behind the bar and followed Karlak to the back where another man was settled by a table.

He looked fairly decent from the side. The Lioness could tell that he had a strong jawline that was clenched with irritation as he struggled with an instrument in his hands. His outfit was decent, better looking than the stained cloth that hung off her form and his stature appeared slim but fit, yet he didn't look like a fighter. The brown mop atop his head looked messy but somehow, able to enhance his features, from what she could tell. Approaching him, Reven sat on the opposite side of the table and plopped her backpack atop it. She was staring at him, not in a mean way but it was not a pleasant expression. The Kelvic was simply observing him, the furrow of his brow, the focus his eyes reflected, the frown carved into his lips. Then she peered down at his hands and noticed that they shook ever so slightly while he manipulated the tool. "I have that same problem when I don't eat anything." Reven pointed out randomly, calling attention to herself. "When I don't eat anything, my hands start to shake. Have you had anything to eat today?"

There was, however, a slight sweat upon his brow and his skin did appear pale in comparison to the rest of his complexion. It was confusing to discern if he was struggling because of food or if he was having... a panic attack? Reven had seen similar expressions on others before they completely lost their barrings. Was this happening to the man as well and if so, was he going to yell at her now that she made her presence known? Karlak watched the two of them as if at some point he would need to intervene. Was that really necessary?

The Kelvic went to her pack and began pulling out the leather hides she had obtained from Karlak, preparing to make the same item the man across from her was struggling with.

[Stefan]

Karlak was speaking with somebody, but Stefan paid them no attention, as he was concentrated in his work, if somebody could call it that. It was actually him staring at a piece of leather, not being able to even cut it properly. Knowing only the basics didn’t help at all with the problem.

However, he lifted his head and his expression changed drastically. The woman in front on him sat down on the same table, and he could discern her better. She was slightly taller than him, with light brown hair in a bun over her head, and while her face was smooth, her eyes gave her a feral appearance. Fittingly, her posture was firm, like a big cat just about to leap against her prey. Her clothes were also slightly stained with what appeared to be blood or dirt, or both. Considering the place she was in, it didn’t required to be a genius to know that she was a hunter, and that he leather pelt she brought was probably hers. But even then, he couldn’t help but smile slightly when he saw her.

“Well, aye... I didn’t eat properly, that’s it... that’s just it...” he said trying to force the smile. While it was true that he didn’t eat anything that morning, there was obviously another reason, and he didn’t cared to hide it. Stefan was a good liar, but this time he didn’t even tried to hide it. “Besides... I’m out of practice, that’s it. I just need to get used to the tools and I’ll be fine...” of course, it was easier said than done. His warm smile ran away from his face as soon as he tried to cut the leather again, but it was no use... he couldn’t have a panic attack, at least not right now.

Still, it was hard... he could remember it almost vividly. The pain of his hand, his difficult to breath while he wanted to be sick, and the blood... by the gods, the blood...

By this time, Stefan appeared more like a ghost than a man, and he couldn’t hide it, but it didn’t stop him for trying. “You know, it’s odd to find a woman in Riverfall, let alone a huntress... and honestly, I’m surprised to find a hunter as pretty as you.” He winked at her, smiling.

As always, Stefan flirted with her. Even though he flirted with almost every woman he meets, it did help him to relax his nerves a bit. It was already working, too; it was easy to see that he was more relaxed than before. He stopped trembling, but that was probably because he wasn’t focused on the work at hand, and honestly, that was the last thing Stefan needed to think about.

“My name is Stefan, lass. Pleased to meet you!”

[Reven Heath]

His expression changed when he lifted his eyes to gaze at her. Reven didn't mind it, she enjoyed men looking at her just as much as the next person but that was something she would hardly show and never admit to. His smile was kind but appeared force, as if he was trying to be polite to her through his current frustration. Reven admired him for that. "Would... you like something to eat?" She asked, hesitant to move at first but soon, was reaching into her backpack to grab an apple. "Out of practice? Well Karlak can help you if you need assistance." Pulling it out, the Kelvic paused as she watched nearly all the blood drain from the man's face turning him almost transparent. Reven's eyes widened, shocked and started to reach toward him as if he was about to faint. "Are you okay? You don't look too well. If it's crafting leather that's bothering you, there's a lot of people here who can help." Reven attempted to calm him, handing him the apple before settling herself back into her spot on the other side of the table.

The Kelvic understood his next words were meant be pleasant and cause her to smile but it did nearly the opposite. The small smile that had graced her lips quickly diminished and she was left staring at him as she had before. "Well, thank you. I don't spend a lot of time in the city for the very reason that there aren't many women there and the men tend to be..." She trailed off, letting the silence fill in the obvious. Inside, the Kelvic was bubbling, wanting to blush and smile but logic prevented her from doing both. She wasn't ready to explore that side of life, not when she just started living. Reven could tell the man had relaxed a bit after his comment and, to help settle the tense atmosphere, she reluctantly engaged him in conversation. "It's nice to meet you, Stefan. My name's Reven." Smiling politely, Reven stood up to fetch the materials that she needed from Karlak's supplies. Of course, she happily paid the man with the pelts she brought back for him so that's why she felt comfortable taking them freely.

Returning to the table, Reven set upon it paper, pencil, a knife, a needle with serrated edges, thick thread, and a sharpening rock. If Karlak wanted her to make gloves, by the Gods, she would make some petching gloves! She knew patterns were important when constructing any article of clothing and quickly set to taking measurements like she had been taught previously. Karlak stood over the both of them nodding approvingly toward the Kelvic. "Good, good. Don't forget to mark what you're doing. Make sure the measurements are as accurate as possible. If you don't pattern it properly then it won't look right or feel right." Karlak left the room for a moment only to appear with a thimble. "Remember what happened last time?"

"I remember..." She responded lightly. The Akalak made sure she understood instruction. Looking over to the man across the table, Reven arched a brow as it appeared he still continued to struggle. "Um—Stefan? I understand you're in need of gloves? I'm trying to learn as well and I don't have much necessity for them as you do. Why don't we work together? I can help you and you can help me." The Kelvic had just starting drawing out the measurements for her hands but could easily change it to match his. Reven turned to the Akalak and noticed his expression was taunt, as if she had tricked him. Shaking her head, Reven turned back to Stefan, her own expression now relaxed and friendly.

[Stefan]

“That... that would be fine, thank you...” he smiled as he took the apple, giving it generous bite, and started eating it as quickly as he could, almost like a starved beggar. It was not really his hunger, but more his nerves that were getting the best of him, so he didn’t cared at all about the smell of leather or even the vats and continued eating until even the core was gone. It was odd to receive such kindness, and she even got close to him as if concerned. “Don’t... don’t worry. I’m just nervous, that’s all. I’ll get fine.”

He knew he was lying, but there was no use... so he just pretended to be fine. “Reven? It is a nice name; I like it.” Stefan said with a smile that didn’t last long. It was pure nonsense... there was a pretty gal offering him help, and now he was panicking over something that happened three years ago... something really, really horrible, with lots of blood, but still something of the past.

“Work together?” he replied when she spoke about it... and it seemed almost too good to be true. She seemed friendly enough and was willing to help him, probably because he looked desperate. He couldn’t argue with that, but at least she was giving him some sympathy. “Aye, I like the idea... let me help you with that...” Stefan said nodding, and then got up to get behind Reven, holding her hand with his, with his chest close to his back, and his head just slightly behind hers, looking at the leather.

He didn’t mind the close contact; it was second nature to him, but he could know if Reven would be comfortable with it. He hoped she would, but if that was not the case, well, it was a pity, because the contact relaxed Stefan. He could feel as his nerves calmed down, and finally, since he took the tools, he wasn’t going to have a panic attack.

“Easy, now...” he said to Reven softly “First, the leather must be damp, but I see that you already did it, so it’s fine... now we have to trace the shape of the hand, this way...” Stefan took the pencil and started to draw lightly the shape of Reven’s hand. Though he needed the glove, he still wasn’t ready to touch the damp leather with his hand. Still, their hands were of similar sizes, so it wasn’t such a big issue.

“Alright, so far so good. Now follow me...” he gave Reven the knife, and started to guide his hand in the cutting process. However, he forgot one of the steps: the use of something round to trace the leather, so it was easier to cut. Still, as the knife was sharp, he could still use the tip to make the cut. He guided Reven’s hand with his own, trying his best to not to breath heavily. “The cut must be only as deep as you can, but you can take as many cutting passes as necessary to get through it...” he instructed as he continued to hold his hand, now with his pulse becoming less shaky.

[Reven Heath]

"There's no need to be nervous, we don't bite much." The comment was meant to be playful, joking, innocent. Maybe it was the wrong thing to say to the man but Reven didn't know it. The Kelvic could tell he was starting to relax in her presence and made sure to keep it that way. The last thing she wanted was someone fainting around her. The feline was dealing with enough stress from her emotional baggage.

"Why thank you." She said, acknowledging his compliment. "I'm glad one of us cares for it. Stefan is a nice name, I don't think I've met another with it."

Reven was marking the lengths and measurements of her hand down on paper, drawing her hand out as well so she estimate how large the cuts needed to be before having Karlak help her with laying out the design and cutting the material. Her predator eyes peered up at the man after her suggestion of working together and saw that he was quite willing, if not enthusiastic about the offer. Moments later his torso was behind her, pressed to her back while his arms circled hers, his hands laying over top of her own as he began to guide her. "I—wai—um..!" Reven bit her tongue as the stranger helped her work the leather.

His hand slid down the skin of her wrist, resting against the back of her hand as he pressed it gently into the damp hide. Reven could feel the heat of his breath gently blow over the skin of her cheek as his voice rang clear as day into her ear. He sounded calm, relaxed, even focused. Slowly, he had traced out the measurements of her hand, leaving just enough space to work with if she needed to make any correction later on. Once finished tracing her hand, Reven thought he would move away from her but he stayed planted where he was and placed a knife in her hand. Then, steadily, he took her hand and guided it just as he had, simply, slowly, making cuts into the leather Reven was not paying attention to.

The Kelvic didn't know how to react and, with a blush beginning to form on her cheeks, wasn't sure what to do in the situation. Her eyes glanced around the room, looking for some help. There! Off in the corner, she could see the dim outline of her teacher's form as he leaned against the frame of the door, watching the two with a smirk on his face. The cougar had no problem screaming at him through her eyes, calling out for some kind of assistance. Karlak knew— he KNEW how she was and to fancy the idea of this man cuddling up to her was so unbelievable to the Kelvic, she glared promises of revenge back at him before the Akalak promptly left.

There they were, nestled close together, cutting the leather out into the patterns they would need to sew together to create the gloves. She could tell Stefan was undoubtedly relaxed at this point and moved her through cutting the pattern, the thumbs, and tranks of the gloves all without laying his hands on a single tool, knife, or hide piece. Reven was uncomfortable with the close proximity but very slowly, she was becoming accustom to him. He felt nice, smelled decently, but he didn't cause the flutter in her heart the feline had experienced days prior. It was obvious the man knew what he was doing, not only in craft but in touch as well, so why was she not taken to him?

"You forgot a step..." Reven pointed out, nearly shattering the mood that had been created from simply cutting leather. What was this man trying to do to her? "I see this isn't your first time handling leather... Do you normally feign anxiety to get your arms around a pretty girl? I have to say, you're a fairly good actor." Came her blatant accusation. However, she remained enveloped in his arms, doing the work that he guided her to do. Reven was watching him closely and if he so much as moved his hands anywhere else on her body, he was going to see the wrath of a woman ten fold. Reven, even though she silently enjoyed the attention, was not one to be easily coaxed by flirtation. "I'm impressed, you didn't cut me like I thought you would. I suppose it's time to move onto sewing it together?"

At this point, Reven moved her own hands, leaning forward to retrieve the serrated needle and wax thread. With clumsy fingers, the Kelvic laced the thread through two needles, one on each end of the string to make sure the leather piece with knotted together tightly. With thin fingers, she settled the needles beside her and reached for a tool that settled itself on the cut of the leather and with applied pressure, dug a line in the damp hide, showing her where she needed to poke the holes through. Next, Reven took a utensil and very carefully went over the same line she cut, poking holes as she went. Finally, after the holes were in place, Reven began to stitch the thread from the tip of the pointer finger all the way to the bottom of the glove. Turning, she handed it to Stefan. "Try it on." Reven encouraged. "Make sure it fits properly before we continue."

[Stefan]

It was really odd: just a moment ago, he was in the middle of a panic attack, getting sick and possibly on the verge of fainting, but now he was relaxed, working fluently as if he was doing it some years ago. It was pleasant to work with company, especially such pretty company... he didn’t have to think very much to realize that the contact with a woman helped him to calm down and relax, though it came to no surprise.

Reven seemed somewhat tense at first, but after a while, she also relaxed. She didn’t seem to mind his warm breath on her cheek, even though he was trying not to do it. Still, it was really odd that something such as leatherworking could become a sensual activity... and Stefan wasn’t even trying. He was just touching someone to avoid having a panic attack... but in the end, it worked quite well for him, and Reven didn’t seem to mind after a couple of minutes, either.

It was not fairly relaxing... he could handle the knife as if nothing wrong was happening in the world, and he was happy about it. He cut the leather at the edge of the marks without much trouble, but had to do it various times since it was true that he was out of practice. However, he could do the job, as he has done before in Alvadas.

“I knew it...” he said, slightly frustrated when Reven mentioned the step he skipped; he was indeed out of practice, but at least could remember how to do it. “Oh, they tell me that quite often, my dear...” he chuckled slightly at her accusation, though it was a fact that he was on the verge of fainting just before. “Ah, yes, sewing... I can do that.” He nodded at her, with his mind now drifting off from the flirting, even though he wasn’t even trying to do it.

It was quite impressive how Reven handed the leather, he thought, so she must have practiced before... it didn’t surprise him, since a hunter should know how to make things out of leather. She did the job of making the holes in the hide, so it was much easier to him, since he honestly forgot that part. “Excelent, lass, let me get this...” he took the leather with the needle and the thread carefully, and started sewing it to start giving form the gloves. He breathed deeply, now somewhat more nervous because he was no longer touching Reven, but at least without panic like before. The contact did relax him, and though he was now tense, he was quite better than before.

“Oh, I look like a granny doing this... a sadistic, leather loving granny.” He snickered a little bit at that bad joke, and continued sewing, though he did it quite slowly, not out of patience, but because he didn’t want to screw up everything. “Funny... I didn’t do this since Alvadas, a couple of years ago. Although it was a... different type of leather, of course...” he shivered, regretting instantly the mention of that. “Guess that kind of things are hard to forget...” he paused to breathe deeply, and continued “Tell me, did you hunt this hide? It’s of a good quality, if you allow me, and I know a little bit about leather...” he had the idea than a simple banter would ease his nerves, and he was partially right, but it couldn’t compare of the warm touch.

He continued to talk a little bit between the sewing, until the deed was finally done... and it was pure rubbish.

The sewing on the palm area was relatively fine, but the fingers were a disaster, especially on the thumb, pinkie and ring finger, which had the sloppiest work on them, requiring them to start from scratch. The middle and index finger were a tad better, so they would only require a little extra works that could only take a few minutes. Still, Stefan screwed up, and he knew it.

“Gods dammnit...” he cursed under his breath, with frustration clearly visible in his voice. He looked Reven in the eye and sighed. The irritation in his face was visible, but as he checked the excuse from a glove again, he smiled again, thinking about a remote possibility.

He put the leather glove back on the table, and with a wet rag he dampened it again carefully. Then he took the knife and started to do careful cuts on some of the fingers, breathing deeply and trying not to faint on the spot; something that was becoming more and more challenging.

It took several Chimes to do it, but after that, Stefan presented Reven with the glove, now missing the pinkie, ring finger and tumb. “Well, here it is: an archer glove. It’s supposed to help to tense the arrow, though it needs another special glove for the other hand... we can work it out, can we?” he smiled at her “Why don’t you try it on? We used the model of your hand, after all.”

[Reven Heath]

The Kelvic had just started sewing the glove when the task was suddenly lifted from her hands. Stefan, very carefully began stitching the thread into the hide. It was obvious he had practice before, from the way he threaded the needle through, poking it out to the back, and repeated. Reven watched him for a moment, observing how he stitched the glove and noticed the few mistakes he made. He was better than her, less clumsy with his fingers than she was, and knew how to hold the leather in a good position to work with it. Reven was still working the kinks of the craft out and made note to take on some of his habits when it came to the profession.

Some. Not all.

With steady hazel eyes, Reven glanced up at Stefan and noticed he was tenser than he had been. This realization curved her brow, perplexed by the man’s odd behavior every time he handled leather. And that’s when she realized it. “Do you… Not like working with leather?” She asked hesitantly. Reven could see it in his hands, his face features, even his frame every time he worked with the item. When her hands were on the leather, the knife, and the utensils, he was calm and flirtatious. It appeared he hadn’t been joking about having a panic attack.

Listening to his words, the cougar tilted her head, wondering if his stay in Alvadas had been the reason for his troubles with leather. The comment he made brought back memories of some kind, Reven could tell from his gaze and the way he appeared to drift out for a moment. “I’ve never been to Alvadas. Actually, I’ve never been further from Riverfall then the edge of the grass lands. Do you travel often?” Waiting for his answer, she smiled up at him. “No, I didn’t hunt the hide, it was something I bought from Karlak, the Akalak who was helping you earlier. I tried to skin my own furs but sometimes it gets too messy. It’s hard dragging back a 250 pound deer by yourself and risky trying to gut and skin it out in the wilderness. I remember trying to skin a deer before, using a book. Heheh, it was a foolish idea and I knew it as well. In the end, I ruined the meat, broke the bones, and tied the deer by its head just to rip its hide off. It was messy… And a lot of work.”

Glancing down at his work, she had to admit… Reven probably could have done better. Her expression never gave away what she was thinking about the item and remained neutral, seemingly interested. When he curse, the cougar knew he had thought the same and stifled a giggle rousing from her throat. It was nice to see someone so focused on their work. Watching as he placed the glove on the table again, Reven didn’t understand what he was doing when he started cutting the fingers and thumb away. “Hey, wait! That’s still good leather!” But it was too late, the deed was done.

He didn’t appear upset about it, however, he looked as though he had come up with the best thing in the land. Extending the glove to her, Stefan explained that it was an Archer’s glove. She appeared confused at one point but took the glove and tried it on. It was tight around her palm and loose around her wrist and the middle and index fingers were just a bit too big for her fingers. When she jammed them down, however, the glove fit pretty well. Reven turned it from back to front, examining as if the garment was new fashion. “I like it. It fits nicely.” She slid it off, setting it on the table. “I thought we were trying to make gloves for you though, not for me. What will you wear now?”

[Stefan]

The young Human sighed at her question, taking a deep breath. He then took a pause from the work to reply to her, as he felt that he would ruin it if he talked at the same time. All he wanted to do was a say some charming thing, but right now, he simply couldn’t “No, I don’t... I like wearing leather. I’m used to it, and I find it quite comfortable, yet practical. But working with it... let’s say it’s not my forte, right?”

She continued to ask questions, and he continued to reply, taking a pause from the work with that “Oh, it is a lovely city... you can, and will, get lost quite a lot, but it is worth it.” The conversation seemed to relax him, at least quite a bit. It was pleasant to have someone to talk with, especially with the things that where racing through his mind.

He laughed quite a bit at her story, “Hey, it’s a start, isn’t it? Some theory is fine, but as you can see, practice is the best teacher there is. Besides, one learns from his mistakes, more often than not...” fittingly, Stefan was about to live what he just said, making the big mistake with the glove... but Reven didn’t seem to care. Actually, she seemed to like the glove he improvised. It was a novice work, so it was hard to tell if she was lying or not, but he was thankfully for her appreciation.

Still, something was quite off... and he knew what. With a smile, he got up from his seat and went to the counter in front of the store. Reven could hear voices, both from Stefan and Karlak. It sounded somewhat quickly paced, like talking about business, and the conversation itself went for a couple of minutes, until at last, Stefan came back with something in his hand.

It was another glove, but quite different from the other; it was also made of leather, but of higher quality, made by a professional. It also covered only the palm, the thumb and the index finger, along with the forearm area. “Take this...” he said as he handed it to Reven “It is the other part of the set of archer’s gloves. With that, you should hold the bow... I think that’s how it works, I never used a bow in my life.” He shrugged “But don’t worry about me. I prefer bracers myself, but the gloves were to keep me warm... still, I’ll work it out. I always do.” He chuckled a little bit “Besides... you did help me to keep me warm, my dear, and I’m thankful for that.” Finally, Stefan winked at Reven, took his cloak and left the shop, at least happy that he managed to know someone.

OOCGood quality Archer glove:-3GM