findsthesun | Practice! With Wellard

Practice! With Wellard

A young Elf*, dressed in sturdy green and brown cloth and soft leather shoes, walks into the bar.

It can, perhaps, be forgive if his first reaction is wariness and his hand flicks towards the white handled knife at his belt.

Then he laughs.

"A tavern of Men, in the middle of the forest? I have not heard tell of this."

*see (here) for description of Elves, and Legolas in particular.

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Tavi can't help but laugh. "Much like living elsewhere? Homes in trees and underground--most Alerans would gape and scoff at the notion. We live in cities, or in small farming groups called holts. And most of those cities, at heart, are really forts of some kind, with Legions stationed near by."

"I've never been much of a woodsman, myself," Tavi admits with a rueful smile. "To my uncle's dismay. I can find my way well enough, and track sheep if I have to, but I'm more suited to the Legions and the city."

Closing his eyes briefly, Tavi draws up a mental map of Alera. "A few. None that are too extensive, and honestly with our earthcrafters it's more expedient to use earth than wood, so we haven't gone out of our way to either utilize or cultivate them. But there are a few, here and there. Mostly in sections of Alera I haven't visited extensively, I'm sorry to say. The south, mainly--near Kalare and Attica and Forcia. Though those are... badly damaged. The Kalaran forests especially might come back more, since the war."

Wellard carefully helps himself to a bit of the food before Legolas makes it all disappear.

"The Kraken I saw, after it had been killed. It was a sea monster, much like an octopus or squid, all tentacles and maw, and large enough to pull a ship down to the depths." He shrugs, philosophically. "There are plenty of places on the maps that are still blank, and filled with the warnings of 'here be monsters'. The Kraken had been one of them.

"The Roc is supposedly a bird- an eagle, perhaps, and just as large as you've said the ones in your world are. But there's just one of it as well, and perhaps that's a good thing, as it wouldn't bother with cattle and horses, but apparently takes off with elephants instead."

Legolas does not know the Westron word for elephant and is as such somewhat confused.

"Elephants? Are they some type of prized animal?"

Wellard blinks, a bit taken by surprise by the question.

"I... Not in England, or any other countries I know of. They're... huge animals. Here-"

He does have paper and pen handy. And while Wellard's skills with drawing are much better with technical plans, the idea of an elephant is easy enough to sketch out on paper.

"Apparently they're big enough that several people can ride them, with little houses on the back, I think? A friend of mine would know more about them, she used to live in India, and there are elephants there."

"A mûmak," he says, identifying the creature. "I have not encountered one before, but they are said to be large enough to carry war towers. They are of Harad."

Legolas, quite seriously, says "I must confess I have not learned the manner of tracking sheep."

His straight face doesn't hold for very long.

"They're from India and Africa, in my world. Which is supposedly where the Roc is, if it does exist." Wellard grins. "Though if elephants do, and the kraken did..."

He certainly is wiling to believe in the possibility of the Roc and Giant Eagles.

And will more than likely prepare for the possibility of figuratively running into them with a flying ship.

Thoughtfully, a little behind this, "It would be markedly uncomfortable."

"-What would be?"

Wellard's mind has been on giant flying things, Legolas.

Legolas meets his eyes, and grins.

"Living in a house on a mûmak," he explains.

His lips twitch in a slight grin.

"It would be decidedly uncomfortable, I'd imagine."

"Especially if they are like enough to horses to fancy a roll in wet mud," he agrees, mournfully.

Then: "Not that apples and cheese are lacking, but would you mind if I ordered myself a meal?"

He knows it is rude to eat in front of someone who is not. But real food has sung its siren song.

"It's more complicated than you might think," Tavi says with mock offense, grinning, although there's an undertone of seriousness.

"Granted, it is harder when there are wind furies trying to peel your skin off."

"Yes," he says, I imagine that would be a difficulty."

He tils his head at Tavi. "You were a shepherd, once?"

Tavi smiles a little, wryly. "More than half my life." He isn't quite thirty yet.

"You'd be surprised how many useful things you pick up--like how to introduce a new and potentially dangerous creature to a herd." It works just as well on people.

"No, I do not think I would be," he says, smiling quickly. Be surprised, that is.

"In my admittedly short experience, the most useful lessons come unlooked for."

Tavi raises an eyebrow. "Short by whose definition of the word?" he asks wryly. He's heard stories about elves, during his time at the Bar.

"In my experience, it's never that a single lesson applies to a situation. Lessons are cumulative--part of a greater whole."

"Mine," he replies, cheerfully, "and perhaps--if you learn slowly."

Tavi's expression is very solemn. "It took me whole minutes to learn some things," he replies with dancing eyes. "Even a second lesson--once or twice."

"And that is why I think I shall ever prefer ships to horses or elephants." Dryly.

But yet still grinning.

Then Wellard nods, and glances to see if Ivan, (or any of the other waitrats), is around.

"The food is the same as the drinks- that is, anything you'd wish. The Bar herself is magical and can get it for you, if the kitchen isn't cooking it at the moment."

Legolas gasps with mock-surprise.

Before laughing.

Tavi simply chuckles softly. He likes Legolas' sense of humor.

"It's been a long time since I thought about the sheep," he admits ruefully. Strange, that--considering they changed everything.

"Men in power often complain about not having a chance to remember home," Legolas replies, somewhat sympathetic.

Legolas looks over his shoulder to the Bar, where he sees a drink materialize in front of a strange-looking...Man?

"I will return shortly," he says, not looking back, clearly captured by curiousity.

When he reaches the Bar, he runs his hands carefully over her surface, as if to find the hidden mechanics--a clever work, far cleverer than even Dwarven designs-- for some moments before ordering softly.

Tavi inclines his head a little in acknowledgement, then quirks an eyebrow. "You know something of it?"

Impressed with Legolas' observation skills? Absolutely. About to reveal he's the leader of his people and immensely powerful? Not really.

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Practice! With Wellard

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