Timestamp: Fall 10, 515 AV
Talya had chosen to stay within the city that night. But even so, she found herself restless, as she often did, and unable to sleep. She ventured out onto the beach at the last possible moment, and decided to camp out beneath the stars. She had been lucky- the moon was nearing fullness, and its light was more than enough to light her way. The aid of the sparkling silver stars within the dark blue sky only magnified this fact, perhaps twofold, especially, when she realized as she looked up, as there was little to no cloud cover to halt or obscure the passage of their simple illumination. Her eyes glimmered within the moon's light, as she listened to the crashing of the waves into the shore; they seemed to be creeping closer and closer now, she could almost hear it as she walked along, her dress swishing around her ankles as she moved. She continued only another few paces before stopping, deciding that this was as good a place as any. She set down her things, and decided to set up camp. Since the night was still fairly warm, and because she didn't want the light to effect her view, she chose not to build a fire, only a tent, to help block the wind that rolled in from the bay. She could sit inside the lip, and from there, still see the stars while keeping herself less sandy and a bit warmer.
Talya pulled her wrapped up tent away from her other things, and dropped it rather unceremoniously in the sand. She heard it hiss as it fell upon the dry, beige grains, as it left its indentation. Talya smiled sheepishly as she bent down beside it, and began to unravel her things. She wanted to make the tent quickly so that she would have more time to look at the stars. When everything was unwrapped, Talya began by pulling out the items she would need to make the tent's frame. This consisted of four longer sticks, which had been sanded down. There were holes at the end of each, for a string to go through. Also, each had a base which had been hollowed out, several inches into the stick. There was also a small piece of hempen rope, which Tal pulled away from the other pieces in the set. She set them all beside her, and then proceeded to work. She began by picking up two of the sticks, and attaching them to one another. She did this by holding each of the sticks near their bases, and then twisting one of them into the hollowed out portion of the other. Winding them until they fit nicely, as though she were treating it like a screw. The portions of the stick with the holes, rested on the outside of the now larger stick she had made. Talya then did the same with the other two sticks left sitting in the sand.
Talya now had two large sticks to work with. She placed one atop the other, trying to keep their lengths even as she formed a cross. Following the length of the sticks with her eyes, so that everything remained as balanced as possible, when she felt as though she had finally gotten it right, she braced the sticks with her hand, and then picked up the little piece of rope with the other. Slowly, she began to wind the rope around the crossed section of the sticks. Moving it left and right, until every inch was accounted for, and the rope had nearly been expended. It was like sewing a button into place- easy at first, but then more difficult at the end. The little bits she had left kept slipping through her fingers, but after several tries, Talya managed to tie it off and bind everything into place. With this done, she set the frame aside, and then picked up the canvas for her tent. She brushed off some of the sand, letting it whir onto the ground. The rest of her things- which had been on top, rolled into the sand and sat. Nothing moved but the Ethaefal, who guided herself over to the side of the structure she had made with the wooden pieces. She picked it up, and held it against her hip, as she slipped one corner of the canvas over the frame- sliding it through a hole at the bottom. She repeated this with the other four corners with some difficulty, and thus finished the main portion of the tent.
All that remained now, was to set the tent in place. This was easy- Tal went and gathered the last of the pieces. She let the sand fall away and flicked off some extra when she picked it up. There were four wooden pegs- she had made them long ago. She walked around the tent she was building- and set one peg by each of its four corners. When she was done, she wound up back where she had began. She smiled as she bent down, and looped one of the small pieces of rope around the peg a few times. It came out of the sand a little, but she nudged it back down with her foot, and then looped the other end of the hempen rope through the hole at the base of the wooden beams. She then tied it off and bound that corner into place. Talya then continued back around the tent, repeating the process with each of the corners until each was done. Then for good luck, she went back around, and pushed the pegs farther into place- since she felt it wasn't as strong as dirt, and soil, and it may become even more lopsided and potentially dislodge if she moved around too much. When she was done, Talya stepped away and dry washed her hands. Sand fell from her palms as she moved over to the opening of her tent, and sat within its lip. Some sand instantly filtering onto the base of the canvas as she made herself comfortable, curling her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around them, as she looked up at the sky in awe, happily drinking in the sight of all the stars.
Talya had chosen to stay within the city that night. But even so, she found herself restless, as she often did, and unable to sleep. She ventured out onto the beach at the last possible moment, and decided to camp out beneath the stars. She had been lucky- the moon was nearing fullness, and its light was more than enough to light her way. The aid of the sparkling silver stars within the dark blue sky only magnified this fact, perhaps twofold, especially, when she realized as she looked up, as there was little to no cloud cover to halt or obscure the passage of their simple illumination. Her eyes glimmered within the moon's light, as she listened to the crashing of the waves into the shore; they seemed to be creeping closer and closer now, she could almost hear it as she walked along, her dress swishing around her ankles as she moved. She continued only another few paces before stopping, deciding that this was as good a place as any. She set down her things, and decided to set up camp. Since the night was still fairly warm, and because she didn't want the light to effect her view, she chose not to build a fire, only a tent, to help block the wind that rolled in from the bay. She could sit inside the lip, and from there, still see the stars while keeping herself less sandy and a bit warmer.
Talya pulled her wrapped up tent away from her other things, and dropped it rather unceremoniously in the sand. She heard it hiss as it fell upon the dry, beige grains, as it left its indentation. Talya smiled sheepishly as she bent down beside it, and began to unravel her things. She wanted to make the tent quickly so that she would have more time to look at the stars. When everything was unwrapped, Talya began by pulling out the items she would need to make the tent's frame. This consisted of four longer sticks, which had been sanded down. There were holes at the end of each, for a string to go through. Also, each had a base which had been hollowed out, several inches into the stick. There was also a small piece of hempen rope, which Tal pulled away from the other pieces in the set. She set them all beside her, and then proceeded to work. She began by picking up two of the sticks, and attaching them to one another. She did this by holding each of the sticks near their bases, and then twisting one of them into the hollowed out portion of the other. Winding them until they fit nicely, as though she were treating it like a screw. The portions of the stick with the holes, rested on the outside of the now larger stick she had made. Talya then did the same with the other two sticks left sitting in the sand.
Talya now had two large sticks to work with. She placed one atop the other, trying to keep their lengths even as she formed a cross. Following the length of the sticks with her eyes, so that everything remained as balanced as possible, when she felt as though she had finally gotten it right, she braced the sticks with her hand, and then picked up the little piece of rope with the other. Slowly, she began to wind the rope around the crossed section of the sticks. Moving it left and right, until every inch was accounted for, and the rope had nearly been expended. It was like sewing a button into place- easy at first, but then more difficult at the end. The little bits she had left kept slipping through her fingers, but after several tries, Talya managed to tie it off and bind everything into place. With this done, she set the frame aside, and then picked up the canvas for her tent. She brushed off some of the sand, letting it whir onto the ground. The rest of her things- which had been on top, rolled into the sand and sat. Nothing moved but the Ethaefal, who guided herself over to the side of the structure she had made with the wooden pieces. She picked it up, and held it against her hip, as she slipped one corner of the canvas over the frame- sliding it through a hole at the bottom. She repeated this with the other four corners with some difficulty, and thus finished the main portion of the tent.
All that remained now, was to set the tent in place. This was easy- Tal went and gathered the last of the pieces. She let the sand fall away and flicked off some extra when she picked it up. There were four wooden pegs- she had made them long ago. She walked around the tent she was building- and set one peg by each of its four corners. When she was done, she wound up back where she had began. She smiled as she bent down, and looped one of the small pieces of rope around the peg a few times. It came out of the sand a little, but she nudged it back down with her foot, and then looped the other end of the hempen rope through the hole at the base of the wooden beams. She then tied it off and bound that corner into place. Talya then continued back around the tent, repeating the process with each of the corners until each was done. Then for good luck, she went back around, and pushed the pegs farther into place- since she felt it wasn't as strong as dirt, and soil, and it may become even more lopsided and potentially dislodge if she moved around too much. When she was done, Talya stepped away and dry washed her hands. Sand fell from her palms as she moved over to the opening of her tent, and sat within its lip. Some sand instantly filtering onto the base of the canvas as she made herself comfortable, curling her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around them, as she looked up at the sky in awe, happily drinking in the sight of all the stars.
