Solo Remember the Fallen 2

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Continuation from here

Timestamp: 63rd Day of Winter, 515 AV


A plaintive cry startled Seirei out of her thoughts, and she turned towards the tent even as Terrin's head popped out of it.

"Seirei, I hate to disturb you, but the twins are hungry."

Seirei nodded, having recognized what kind of cry it was. She set her tools down, and make her way into the tent. After taking a few ticks to make herself comfortable, she took one twin into each arm so they could both feed at the same time. At a year old, they were getting bigger now. If they kept growing at the rate they were, they'd soon be too big for her to feed this way. She'd have to feed them one at a time, instead. As they suckled, Seirei wondered how long it would be before they were ready to start on solid food. An uneasy glance at her swollen belly told her that it would need to be soon. She was due to give birth next season, and then she would have a third child to feed. Or four, if Waisana was right about her having twins again. And Seirei was inclined to believe her, given the size of her belly.

Before long, Lukar and Lira were full, and blinking sleepily. Seirei cuddled with them contentedly for a few ticks before giving them back to her friend.

"They should sleep for a while, now. Thank you for being willing to watch them for me today. I never would have been able to make as much progress as I have if I had to watch them while I worked."

Terrin grinned, and signed a quick no worries.

"I'm glad to watch them, Seirei. Especially when you're doing something this important. Speaking of which, how is it going?"

It was Seirei's turn to smile.

"It's going really well. I have a design sketch to work off of, and I just finished practicing what I want to do by carving a smaller version of the memorial as a test run. The next step is to carve the memorial itself."

"That's great, Seirei. I know you'll do a good job. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help, okay? With the twins taking a nap, I should be able to help if you need it."

"Well, there is one thing. I need some dried grass for the memorial."

"Dried grass?"

Seirei nodded.

"I need to make a base for the memorial to stand on. I have the planks I need to make one, but I need some grass to lash them together. I could go out and pick some, but it would never be dried enough to use in time."

"We have some at home that I'm sure you could use. I could go get it if you want. Or better yet, why don't you go? You could ride there."

Seirei smiled ruefully at the teasing reminder that she still needed all the practice she could get.

"I will, then. Thanks, Terrin. Oh, and how good are you at weaving?" she asked hopefully.

"Horrible. Why do you ask?"

"Mine isn't much better. I was hoping that you would know more about lashing the planks together than I do."

Terrin laughed.

"How about we figure it out together when you get back?"

"I'm going to hold you to that." Seirei said with a grin.

With that, she left her tent, and quickly located Drelah. The seme gelding was grazing near the edge of their camp. Seirei greeted him with a quick sign. The gelding whickered softly in response to her approach. Seirei curled her fingers into a claw, and rubbed them along the gelding's hide vigorously in a quick grooming. When she was done, she put a yvas on him. Then she placed her hands on Drelah's back near his withers, grabbed a handful of mane, and hopped so she could swing her leg up over the gelding's back, and pull herself up.

Once she was mounted, she stroked Drelah's neck reassuringly for a few ticks. Then she signaled that she was ready, and they were off.

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[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Rather than ride through the gathered tents of the Amethyst Clan, Seirei decided to ride along the outskirts since the Dawnwhisper pavilion was camped near the edge of the city. It would take longer for her to circle around to the area where the Ruby Clan was camped, but she didn't mind. She knew that she needed the practice. As she circled around the edge of Endrykas, the purple tents gave way to blue as she passed into the Sapphire Clan's domain. She glanced to the right as she rode, tensing as she searched for an all too familiar tent. When Lian had owned her, he usually camped at the edge of the city. She didn't know where he was now, or if he was even still living in the city, but she had no desire to see him ever again. If she saw his tent, she would take a wide berth around it in the hopes of avoiding him.

When she turned her head, Drelah started to move to the right, as well, startling Seirei. She quickly gestured with her legs, asking the gelding to return to their previous course. Then she remembered something she had learned last fall. A strider or horse was very sensitive to their rider's movements. By turning her head, her torso had turned as well. Drelah had felt the movement, and responded. Seirei realized that she would have to be more careful or risk confusing Drelah. Drelah also noticed that she had tensed, causing her to tense as well. The gelding's ears swiveled nervously as she searched for the source of Seirei's distress.

As they passed out of the Sapphire Clan, and into the Diamond Clan, Seirei began to relax once more. And when she did, Drelah calmed as well. The rest of the ride was uneventful, but Seirei was still glad when she reached the Sunweaver pavilion. One of Terrin's younger cousins greeted her warmly, a child of about ten whose name Seirei couldn't quite remember. When the boy realized that she had come on business rather than looking for Terrin, he scampered off to find his father.

"How may I help you?" the man asked briskly, after offering a warm greeting.

Seirei explained her need for dried grass, as well as what she needed it for. She also promised to pick some grass to replace what she used once she had the chance to do so. The man nodded absently as he considered her request. Then he grinned as they began to haggle in earnest.

"We do indeed have the grass you need. And I could sell you some for say...five gold mizas?"

Seirei's eyes narrowed at the man's opening offer. Five gold mizas was a very steep price for dried grass when an endless supply of it grew all around them. Especially when she was going to replace it later.

"I didn't bring any mizas with me, since I was hoping to borrow the grass and replace it later rather than buying it outright. But I could offer you a trade, instead."

The man's eyes brightened with interest.

"A trade? What kind of trade did you have in mind?"

"Once I have finished carving the memorial I am working on, I could carve something for you in exchange for the grass. Enough beads to make a necklace, perhaps. Or a few stirring rods you could use for mixing paint. Maybe even a small bowl. And you will supply the wood for me to carve for you."

The man considered Seirei's offer for several chimes.

"And you would still replace the grass if I agree to this?" he asked sharply.

Seirei laughed.

"No. If I am to buy the grass rather than borrow it, then the grass is mine. I will not be replacing it."

"But you won't actually have paid for it."

Seirei grinned, and shook her head.

"Not in mizas, perhaps. But a trade is the same thing. Instead of mizas, I will be paying for the grass with my time and effort. I will not fall for that trick."

"Fine, I'll take the beads. Painted red, of course. It would be nice if they had designs, but I won't insist on that since you're using the grass for a good cause. But you have to supply the wood you use to make the beads."

Seirei nodded, and signed a quick agreement. The grass wasn't worth much given how plentiful it was, and how easy it was to gather. It wasn't as if she needed a specific type of grass in order to weave a complex pattern into a basket, or something. But she needed it now, so she couldn't go pick some herself and wait for it to dry. That made it more valuable, so the man could name his own price...within reason. It helped that beads were easy to make, and the willow wood she used to make them was easy to find. She knew that she might have some beads she could use as payment already, so she wouldn't even have to make them. So she agreed quickly. It was the best type of bargain, with each party thinking they had gotten the best deal.

The man went to fetch the grass she'd traded for, and helped her tie it onto her yvas with a bit of rope. Then Seirei rode back to the Dawnwhisper pavilion. The ride was a peaceful one that Drelah seemed to enjoy as much as Seirei did. As she rode, Seirei paid close attention to the way the gelding moved as she walked. She tried to shift her weight in response to Drelah's movements, and in doing so, she improved her balance, making it more pleasant for both of them.

Once Seirei was home, she dismounted, and she quickly untied the grass, and set it aside. She removed the yvas, and thanked the mare for allowing her to ride her. She also plucked a few handfuls of grass to offer Drelah as a treat, and patted his shoulder before sending him off to graze. Then she made herself comfortable, and got back to work.

Terrin was busy with a fussy Lukar, and Seirei didn't have time to wait for him to settle her son down. She would have to begin without him. Seirei divided the grass up into several sections. When that was done, she picked up one of the sections, grasping one end with both hands. She bent the grass, forming a loop. Then she tucked the end through that loop, and pulled it tight. Once more, and she had tied a simple knot. That would hold the grass together as she worked.

She divided the grass into three equal sections, and began braiding the grass into a rope. When she was done with the first section, she moved onto the next. Then the next. After all of the grass had been braided into ropes, she gathered up her planks, and lined them up next to each other on the ground. Then she used the grass rope to lash the planks together. That would form the base of the memorial she was carving.

With that task done, she examined her work. The base looked as though it would be sturdy enough to support the memorial. But that presented another problem. How would the memorial be able to stand on the base? Or at all? If the strider was standing on all four hooves, the weight of the wooden statue would be balanced in a way that it could stand without support. But as it was, it was a different story. The rearing strider would not be able to stand with all of its weight balanced on its hind hooves.

Seirei glanced at the base, deep in thought. What if she were to drill holes into the base? She could then carve spikes on the bottom of the strider's hooves that would fit into the holes, and be driven into the ground beneath the memorial. That would in turn anchor it, allowing it to stand on its own.

So Seirei went to fetch her drill. She stared at the base of the memorial for several chimes, picturing how the finished product would look in her head. By doing so, she had a firm idea of where the holes needed to be. Then, using her drill, she drilled through the planks. As she worked, she was careful to space the holes evenly, and position them so the strider would be directly in front of the wave. When she was done, she double checked to make sure the holes weren't too far apart. They weren't, so it was time to move on to carving the memorial itself.

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[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Carving the memorial was very like carving the simple figurine she had made for practice in some ways. At least the stages were the same. Begin by carving out a rough form. Then add details in layers until the final form has been achieved. It was the scale involved that was different. Seirei had never carved anything that was life sized before. Nor had she ever carved anything close to this size before. The closest she had come was a chest she had worked on several seasons ago. And she hadn't even carved the chest. She had just carved designs into the top of it.

As a result, it took longer than Seirei would have liked for her to carve out the rough form of the strider and rider. Close examination of the unfinished piece told Seirei that her initial carving had not revealed any flaws in the wood she was working with. That discovery was an intense relief. She paused to consider whether she should switch and work on the ship and wave next. Would it be better to carve out the rough forms of each piece first, then go back and work on carving out the detail work? It might save her some time if she did that. But after giving the matter some serious thought, she decided to finish carving the part she was working on entirely before moving on to the next. Even if it took longer in the long run, she thought it was the best thing to do. Her thoughts were focused on the strider and the Watchman riding her now. Her eyes were seeing how the ears should be shaped, and how the forelegs should be curved as the strider reared in challenge. If she were to force herself to switch focus now, she might lose sight of what she wanted to carve.

Having a design sketch to work from was as much of a hinderance as it was a help. It gave her a rough idea of what the finished product should look like, but her drawing skills simply weren't good enough to give more than a rough idea. So the sketch was more helpful as a way to get the placement of various features correct as she began work on the details.

Under the careful attentions of her chisel, the strider's ears slowly began to take form. They were perked forward, tense, and alert to the oncoming danger. The nose grew longer, and narrower as she shaped it. And the eyes began to take form. Seirei felt her chisel bite deep into the wood as she carved the edges of the eye she was working on, giving it definition.

The passage of time meant nothing to Seirei. She was so lost in her work that only the wood she was shaping existed in her world. One layer of detail merged into another. And another. Without conscious decision on her part, the strider began to look a lot like Kairi. Some of her stubbornness, and fierce need for freedom crept into the strider's stance, and expression as it challenged all who would threaten the Drykas people. Her rider, somewhat less defined in that he resembled no single person, wore a stern, forbidding expression. A silent promise that all who meant harm to those under his care would perish.

When she was finally satisfied with her work, Seirei turned her attention to the spikes she had carved on the bottoms of the strider's hooves. With a critical eye, she examined them. They had to be sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the statue, and strong enough not to shatter when they were driven into the ground repeatedly. As a result, they were thicker than the spikes used to anchor the pavilions. The statue was a lot heavier than a tent, after all. But at the same time they weren't too thick to hold a good point. If they weren't sharp enough, they wouldn't be able to be driven into the ground. Especially in colder seasons when the ground was hard, and frozen. Once Seirei was satisfied that the spikes themselves were good enough, she began to sharpen them by carefully scraping off bits of wood with her chisel until the ends formed sharp points.

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[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei took her smoothing cloth, and carefully rubbed it all over her strider, and rider. Using small circular motions, she made certain not to miss any part of the statue. By the time she was finished, there were no rough areas where splinters might form later.

The last thing that had to be done was to carve the wave, and the pirate ship riding it. Unfortunately, that would also be the hardest part. Seirei stood, and stretched. Her legs were starting to cramp up from sitting for so long. Her hands ached from all the work she had done, and she shook them to loosen up the muscles. She gave herself a short break to walk around the camp, and ease the stiffness in her limbs. Then she went back and made herself comfortable. It was time to get back to work.

Seirei began by examining the piece of wood again. Further examination revealed no flaws that had been missed by her first inspection, and that put one worry to rest. It also gave her an idea about how to shape the wood. The bottom was flat, so she wouldn't need to carve any spikes to anchor it so it could stand properly on its own. And she could use the natural curve of the wood to help form the wave.

With chisel in hand, Seirei began doing just that. Working with the shape of the wood, Seirei chipped away at the wood to make the curve even more pronounced. At the top, she left plenty of wood to carve the ship when the time came. The most difficult part of the wave was the top. It had to curl in on itself, so that it looked choppy, as if it were being driven by a strong wind hurling it into shore. Seirei wanted anyone who saw it to imagine the sea spray stinging the faces of those who worked the ship, driven by the wind that fueled the wave.

Once she had finished carving out the rough form of the wave, Seirei began working on the ship that rode it. That was harder, still. Even with a design sketch to work from. Her hands were slow, and hesitant as she worked, a reflection of her uncertainty. She hadn't seen many ships in her life, so her idea of what one should look like wasn't as certain as she would have liked. And although she had seen one recently enough that the image was fresh in her mind, it was the stuff of nightmares. The ship that haunted her dreams at night was more like a monster that filled the nightmares of a child than anything realistic. But did that really matter? Seirei wasn't carving the likeness of a ship for someone who worked on one. Nor was she carving a toy to be floated down a stream by a child. She was carving a dark, terrible threat to the Drykas people. One that they had overcome despite their losses. In this case, the emotions she wanted to convey with her memorial were more important than getting every detail perfect.

With that thought in mind, Seirei returned to her task. Like with the practice figurine, she worked from the bottom of the ship up. This was because the base of the ship was easier for her to manage than the sails, and the poles they were attached to. When it was time to work on those, she did the best she could. The poles were thin, and straight. The sails were simple square ones. Seirei tried to give the impression that they were blowing in the wind, but she was uncertain as to how well she managed it.

There were fewer details needed for this part of the memorial. But she tired to give the wave a polished look, and add a roiling, frothy look to the top of the wave. The ship itself, she left somewhat vague. Partly out of her lack of knowledge, but in some ways, it seemed fitting to do so. The ship represented a nightmarish threat that her people had overcome. Nightmares were often vague, threatening things, filled with terror and unease. Emotions were more powerful than images in a nightmare. And it seemed right to add this quality to her memorial.

The light of Syna was starting to fail as Seirei smoothed away all of the rough areas. Still, she had enough time to finish the task, and position both parts of the memorial together. She had to call Terrin to help her drive the spikes into the ground so the strider could stand since she didn't have the strength to do it herself. But when Seirei saw the finished memorial, and compared it to the image she had in her mind of how it should be, she was deeply satisfied with the end result. She hoped that others would be too, when it was presented at the funeral.

Seirei wasn't quite finished yet. She wanted to coat the wood with oil to give it a good shine. But that could be done tomorrow. She didn't think there was enough time left to get the job done before dark. And she didn't want to rush through the task, and risk damaging the memorial. So she thanked her friend for watching the twins while she worked, and asked if he would be willing to return tomorrow so she could finish the memorial. He agreed, and called his strider so he could head home. Seirei watched him go, then headed into her tent. The twins would want their dinner soon, and Seirei wanted to spend some time with them after a long day of work.


Note3769 words

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[Rufio]

　

◃ g　r　a　d　e　s ▹

xp

Observation +4
Childcare +1
Investigation +1
Negotiation +1
Planning +2
Intelligence +2
Horsemanship +2
Riding, Horse +3
Weaving +1
Carpentry +1
Carving +3
Endurance +2
Philosophy +1

lores
Terrin: Supportive & encouraging
Riding Horses: Sensitve & highly responsive
Riding: Harmonizing balance with horse's gait
Lian: Unpleasant memories
Bartering: Trading services in place of gold
Weaving: Rope out of dry grasses
Seirei: Creative & imaginative
Carving: Working from sketched designs
Carving: Roughly at first adding detail later
Carving: Tackling life-size works
Carpentry: Carving strong supports
Carving: An art born of the heart & soul


penalties
Palms feel a bit raw for 24 bells without treatment/12 bells with; arms & shoulders will ache for 24 bells without treatment/12 bells with.


A lovely, enjoyable read. If you feel I missed anything, or have concerns, lemme know via PM! Don't forget to edit your request in the queue. Rx