31st Fall 522 AV – Syka Commons
It had been a strange morning, though strange was a relative term to him now that he wasn’t living the same day over and over again – it felt somewhat cheap to use the word now, but there was no other word for it. Alric had decided to take the first step in his attempts at integrating into Syka properly, taking the advice from those he had experienced advice from within Cervisi’s loop. He had tried to find Buraga, only to be nudged sideways into helping Randal transport cargo from the newly arrived Veronica. He didn’t mind, odd jobs were mostly what he had been doing for a season or so, but every time he caught sight of Buraga someone – or something – had appeared to distract him, the Ranger Leader slipping away once it was dealt with. He knew Buraga was busy but it was starting to seem contrived.
“Where’d the grumpy bugger go now?” he muttered to himself, putting down one of the crates that had broken his sightline for the sixth time into the pile with the others. They had taken everything off of the Veronica already, now they were sorting them into type and intended end location for others to pick up an begin transport.
“That can only mean Buraga,” Randal chipping in cheerfully, patting Alric’s shoulder and gesturing to other items that still needed sorting, “he’ll turn up. Patience is a virtue, he is busy. And calling him grumpy all the time probably won’t make him want to talk to you much, he has done much and deserves some respect”
“Just because I tell the truth doesn’t mean there is no respect. He’s a tough old man...doesn’t mean he isn’t a grumpy one. Last time we met he wants to fight” Alric said, turning to make his way towards the working pile and rubbing his neck slightly at the memory”
“Fight? What for?”
“A test, I think. Spar really. He’s quicker than he looks, I’ll give him that” he told Randal, getting a laugh at least from the Founder.
“Sounds like Buraga. A good sign that, he won’t waste his effort on things he sees as pointless. But...perhaps you have a point about the other thing. Still, I’d get to know him. No one isn’t a product of their lives...you should know that well enough by now”
Alric merely grunted at that as he heaved another crate onto his shoulder and made his way towards the intended pile – there was a lot of metal this time, and general supplies for the mercantile. He noted that there were also some crates that were picked up purely by Rangers – weapons and related gear Randal had told him, without much extrapolation. Alric saw the sense of that. The settlement was not overly well defended in ways he was familiar with. No walls, few barriers and to make sure others were not injured no traps close to the settlement as far as he could see. Certainly he didn’t feel safe about the idea of an attack from outside being repelled easily. Syka had some strong figures, capable mages and more...but people could be thinned out, separated or captured, thus diminishing the force Syka had in a concentrated position.
“Lost in the black dogs again?” Randal’s words cut through his thoughts and he realised he had stopped in front of a pile of crates but had not put his down.
“Black dogs?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Dark thoughts. I was told things were...difficult for you”
“Stu has been talking I see...remind me to have a talk with him in return”
“He is obliged to tell the Founders some things. We have a duty of care to all here. He was...not overly specific. He felt it best to keep some of your counsel, but he told us enough to know at least some of the reasons you have been...a bit apart from us”
“That’s why I wanted to find Buraga” Alric said, offering nothing else as he was unsure how much Randal knew.
“I’d not recommend talking problems out with him unless it’s to do with settlement protection, Ranger activities or martial training. He doesn’t...have much...”
“I know. No, it was to join the Rangers and try to start learning something to make myself useful. I had hoped to get it done today and then maybe get some Wilderness Survival skills training arranged. I’d ask you but you’re too busy”
“How do you know that?”
“Because earlier in the season I got trapped in a time loop and lived the same day a hundred thousand times...or some ridiculous number anyway. You took me out to the Cheenga Ruins that time but it was clear you were very busy handling other matters and that proper lessons were best given by others. I don’t know who you meant, so I was going to ask Buraga, given his position”
Randal merely looked at him for a long while, as if trying to detect if Alric were trying to deceive him, or was joking – he wasn’t and so after a time the Founder merely nodded and gestured for him to follow in the man’s wake. They made their way to the communal Fish Cleaning Station, where they found a woman that Alric had seen but never had chance to speak to. They watched for a few chimes as she carved up the game she had brought back – some kind of pig by the looks of it from Alric’s guess. She was focused, concentrated, but not ignorant of their presence as she showed.
“Come to just ogle? Last man to just stare at me didn’t like what happened. Still...he was obvious about what he looked at. I’m busy Randal...who is this?”
“His name’s Alric, and I thought maybe you could show him something about the wilderness and how to survive it. I don’t have the time” he said, eyeing Alric then briefly.
“Founder’s life ever busy I see...I seem to remember teaching you what I know. And I don’t look busy to you?” she asked, gaze still not raising to meet theirs as she worked upon the carcass, removing the skin now and hanging it upon a rack towards the back, “fine...I’ll show the green one what you want...but you need to have someone take over here or this’ll be a waste. We still need to talk by the way...things being missed”
“Done, I’ll send someone over. Getting more people up to scratch is more important than one carcass, I’d trust you to teach better than most. After all you taught us. As for the rest, yes we will. When you get back. Give it time, there were bound to be teething issues. And thanks Indigo. Alric, listen to her, she’s one of the best” he slapped his shoulder and with that was off back towards the docks, pulling someone aside along the way and pointing back to where Indigo and he were stood.
Words - 1164
.
It had been a strange morning, though strange was a relative term to him now that he wasn’t living the same day over and over again – it felt somewhat cheap to use the word now, but there was no other word for it. Alric had decided to take the first step in his attempts at integrating into Syka properly, taking the advice from those he had experienced advice from within Cervisi’s loop. He had tried to find Buraga, only to be nudged sideways into helping Randal transport cargo from the newly arrived Veronica. He didn’t mind, odd jobs were mostly what he had been doing for a season or so, but every time he caught sight of Buraga someone – or something – had appeared to distract him, the Ranger Leader slipping away once it was dealt with. He knew Buraga was busy but it was starting to seem contrived.
“Where’d the grumpy bugger go now?” he muttered to himself, putting down one of the crates that had broken his sightline for the sixth time into the pile with the others. They had taken everything off of the Veronica already, now they were sorting them into type and intended end location for others to pick up an begin transport.
“That can only mean Buraga,” Randal chipping in cheerfully, patting Alric’s shoulder and gesturing to other items that still needed sorting, “he’ll turn up. Patience is a virtue, he is busy. And calling him grumpy all the time probably won’t make him want to talk to you much, he has done much and deserves some respect”
“Just because I tell the truth doesn’t mean there is no respect. He’s a tough old man...doesn’t mean he isn’t a grumpy one. Last time we met he wants to fight” Alric said, turning to make his way towards the working pile and rubbing his neck slightly at the memory”
“Fight? What for?”
“A test, I think. Spar really. He’s quicker than he looks, I’ll give him that” he told Randal, getting a laugh at least from the Founder.
“Sounds like Buraga. A good sign that, he won’t waste his effort on things he sees as pointless. But...perhaps you have a point about the other thing. Still, I’d get to know him. No one isn’t a product of their lives...you should know that well enough by now”
Alric merely grunted at that as he heaved another crate onto his shoulder and made his way towards the intended pile – there was a lot of metal this time, and general supplies for the mercantile. He noted that there were also some crates that were picked up purely by Rangers – weapons and related gear Randal had told him, without much extrapolation. Alric saw the sense of that. The settlement was not overly well defended in ways he was familiar with. No walls, few barriers and to make sure others were not injured no traps close to the settlement as far as he could see. Certainly he didn’t feel safe about the idea of an attack from outside being repelled easily. Syka had some strong figures, capable mages and more...but people could be thinned out, separated or captured, thus diminishing the force Syka had in a concentrated position.
“Lost in the black dogs again?” Randal’s words cut through his thoughts and he realised he had stopped in front of a pile of crates but had not put his down.
“Black dogs?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Dark thoughts. I was told things were...difficult for you”
“Stu has been talking I see...remind me to have a talk with him in return”
“He is obliged to tell the Founders some things. We have a duty of care to all here. He was...not overly specific. He felt it best to keep some of your counsel, but he told us enough to know at least some of the reasons you have been...a bit apart from us”
“That’s why I wanted to find Buraga” Alric said, offering nothing else as he was unsure how much Randal knew.
“I’d not recommend talking problems out with him unless it’s to do with settlement protection, Ranger activities or martial training. He doesn’t...have much...”
“I know. No, it was to join the Rangers and try to start learning something to make myself useful. I had hoped to get it done today and then maybe get some Wilderness Survival skills training arranged. I’d ask you but you’re too busy”
“How do you know that?”
“Because earlier in the season I got trapped in a time loop and lived the same day a hundred thousand times...or some ridiculous number anyway. You took me out to the Cheenga Ruins that time but it was clear you were very busy handling other matters and that proper lessons were best given by others. I don’t know who you meant, so I was going to ask Buraga, given his position”
Randal merely looked at him for a long while, as if trying to detect if Alric were trying to deceive him, or was joking – he wasn’t and so after a time the Founder merely nodded and gestured for him to follow in the man’s wake. They made their way to the communal Fish Cleaning Station, where they found a woman that Alric had seen but never had chance to speak to. They watched for a few chimes as she carved up the game she had brought back – some kind of pig by the looks of it from Alric’s guess. She was focused, concentrated, but not ignorant of their presence as she showed.
“Come to just ogle? Last man to just stare at me didn’t like what happened. Still...he was obvious about what he looked at. I’m busy Randal...who is this?”
“His name’s Alric, and I thought maybe you could show him something about the wilderness and how to survive it. I don’t have the time” he said, eyeing Alric then briefly.
“Founder’s life ever busy I see...I seem to remember teaching you what I know. And I don’t look busy to you?” she asked, gaze still not raising to meet theirs as she worked upon the carcass, removing the skin now and hanging it upon a rack towards the back, “fine...I’ll show the green one what you want...but you need to have someone take over here or this’ll be a waste. We still need to talk by the way...things being missed”
“Done, I’ll send someone over. Getting more people up to scratch is more important than one carcass, I’d trust you to teach better than most. After all you taught us. As for the rest, yes we will. When you get back. Give it time, there were bound to be teething issues. And thanks Indigo. Alric, listen to her, she’s one of the best” he slapped his shoulder and with that was off back towards the docks, pulling someone aside along the way and pointing back to where Indigo and he were stood.
Words - 1164
.