Practice! With Wellard

[findsthesun]

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.

Comments

[student_of_impossibility]

Tavi nods slowly. "I... can see why it would carry some troubling connotations, then." He purses his lips.

"That's far closer to the Canim's blood rituals, I think, although it isn't exclusively that. But... yes. Our crafting is just that: crafting. For creating things--enduring works of stone to live in and protect ourselves with, blades which don't lose their edge, for shooting with unparalleled accuracy, for creating heat in the dead of winter, for healing..." And he smiles a little. "For flying, even."

Sighing, he admits, "It can be... misused. Horribly so, and has been. But that isn't about the power, but the user. Fundamentally, the land protecs us, and we give it... companionship, perhaps, in return."

And then, after a pause: "...Yrch?"

[findsthesun]

Legolas laughs slightly.

"Not a pleasant topic of conversation, Tavi," he says, grin still on his face. "It is enough to know that they are many, and foul."

[student_of_impossibility]

Tavi makes a face.

"I know the type. We had that, disgusting, bug-like creatures called the Vord. They produced this... wax, croach. Nearly destroyed three or four races all at once before we stopped the queen."

Or rather, before he stopped the queen. But he'd never take credit for it.

[findsthesun]

Legolas's smile stiffens.

"As I said," he replies, "not a pleasant topic of conversation."

[student_of_impossibility]

Tavi gets the point, and changes the topic. He is a diplomat.

"You've mentioned the forest several times now. What is it like to live there? I have to admit the only forest near my childhood home was..." He pauses. Covered in croach, to be exact, but he won't bring that up again. "...Untraversable. And I haven't had particular occasion to spend time in the forests of other regions of Alera."

After a moment's thought, Tavi decides he really ought to fix that. His next vacation, maybe.

[findsthesun]

"'Tis mostly a beech wood," he says, "though there are large stands of oak trees. I should say it is much like living elsewhere. We have homes on the ground and in the trees, except the palace which is below the ground. We live in peace, except when that peace is invaded. We have feasts and dancing at times."

He shrugs, slightly. "We trade along the river with the Men of Dorwinion and Lake Town and other places." Then, a quiet laugh. "There is a reason Men call it Mirkwood, and the Elves of Rivendell call it Taur e-Ndaedelos. 'Tis not an easy place to navigate, if you do not know the way of it."

Then: "Has Alera many forests?"

[student_of_impossibility]

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."

[findsthesun]

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.

[student_of_impossibility]

"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."

[findsthesun]

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

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

[student_of_impossibility]

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.

[findsthesun]

"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."

[student_of_impossibility]

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."

[findsthesun]

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

[student_of_impossibility]

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."

[findsthesun]

Legolas gasps with mock-surprise.

Before laughing.

[student_of_impossibility]

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.

[findsthesun]

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

[student_of_impossibility]

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.

[findsthesun]

"Elven memory is better than that of Men," he replies, with a quick smile.

[student_of_impossibility]

Tavi just regards him for a moment intently, and then smiles, silently raising his cup a little salute before taking a sip.

[findsthesun]

His smile widens into a grin.

"Do not worry," he tells him, after a moment. "I shall not tell anyone you are visiting a tavern."

[student_of_impossibility]

"There are those," Tavi says with extreme dryness, "who might say it was an improvement on my occasionally serious nature."

But then, who ever trusted Max's opinion when it didn't involve tactics, anyway?

[findsthesun]

"I have no such excuse," Legolas murmurs, before taking another sip of Dorwinion.

[student_of_impossibility]

Tavi gives him a sympathetic look. "If it is any comfort," he offers, "you won't lose any time while here. So long as you are sober when you leave, no one will know any differently."

His instincts are talking to him. He's trying to ignore them in favor of logic.