Bassas

[Kirsui]

"Still, I wish I could have done something to help. It looks and sounds like you did fine without me though."

Tearia smiled faintly, and finally took a bite of the bread she had bought. Truth was that she was surprised that she had gotten away with what she had done. She had pretty much mentally prepared herself to the worst case scenario where she wouldn't manage to escape.

Not that Vukasin needed to know that. She was content on letting him believe that she had never considered the possibility of not escaping.

"So when is your next performance? I used to love listening to you when we worked in the mine. It would be nice to hear you again."

She chuckled.
"Oh, I don't know", she said.
"I perform when I feel like it - or when I need money or a place to sleep in. Sitting on a branch is all fine I suppose, but it doesn't beat the luxury of sleeping in a bed every once in a while."

She tilted her head.
"I came to Bassas mostly for information - not that the rumours are the best source for that, but anyway. There's been some troubles in New Westminster from what I've heard, was kinda wishing I'd hear more of that. The inn is the best place for rumours, and it's also rather conveniently the best place to perform."

She cringed.
"Too early for performing though. And there's way too many people in the inn at this time of the day. Planned to wait for the evening - and maybe make a few more flutes or so while I wait. I broke one of mine the other day and it needs replacing."

[blaqknoise]

"Oh, I don't know. I perform when I feel like it - or when I need money or a place to sleep in. Sitting on a branch is all fine I suppose, but it doesn't beat the luxury of sleeping in a bed every once in a while."

"The same could be said about the forest floor."

"I came to Bassas mostly for information - not that the rumors are the best source for that, but anyway. There's been some troubles in New Westminster from what I've heard, was kinda wishing I'd hear more of that. The inn is the best place for rumors, and it's also rather conveniently the best place to perform. Too early for performing though. And there's way too many people in the inn at this time of the day. Planned to wait for the evening - and maybe make a few more flutes or so while I wait. I broke one of mine the other day and it needs replacing."

Vukasin had also heard that something happened in New Westminster, but he hadn't heard what. There was a lot of talk about the princess being dead, but not much else.

"What exactly have you heard about what happened in New Westminster? I only know a little, and those are mostly rumors so I have no idea if they're true or not."

[Kirsui]

"What exactly have you heard about what happened in New Westminster? I only know a little, and those are mostly rumors so I have no idea if they're true or not."

Tearia snorted, thinking of the rumour she had heard just a moment ago in the town.

"I've heard so many different versions that I honestly don't know what really happened. I gathered though that some guy gathered an army, convinced some dragons to join his cause too, marched them to the capital and issued an attack."

She shrugged.
"Details of the battle are hazy. Some say the dragons got out of control and slaughtered everyone, others tell of some magicians burning down the whole palace. But that's just lies, I saw the castle while I was flying here, and it's far from burned down or destroyed."

She shook her head.
"Something's not right thou. The capital eerily quiet compared to how it used to be. Might be 'cos the King's dead and this stranger now rules. I hear the princess died too, though judging by the stories I hear she might just as well have sprouted wings and flown out of the castle. Can you believe people actually argue about whether she was fed to the dragons, assassinated, or killed while she single handedly fought off the whole army with her father's sword?"

[blaqknoise]

Vukasin listened with great curiosity at what Tearia had learned about what happened at New Westminster. It seemed she had gathered a lot more, and a lot better information than he had.

"A man that convinced dragons to join him and gathered a big enough army to take over the castle. That's quite the story."

Vukasin started eating the meat he had bought earlier. It was nice to finally have something to eat, even if most of it had been bought by Tearia.

"It will be interesting to see what this new guy is like. Maybe he'll take notice of what's going on in the mines and try to make things better."

[Kirsui]

"It will be interesting to see what this new guy is like. Maybe he'll take notice of what's going on in the mines and try to make things better."

"Wouldn't count on that", Tearia said bleakly as she shook her head.

"He's pretty much gotten New Westminster under an iron fist. I heard stories of his dragons going around the lands, destroying, eating and looting what ever they want. If that keeps up, his men are bound to take the lizards' example sooner or later - if they already haven't. And if this new 'king' isn't interested of keeping his men under control, I don't think he cares much for the mines... Or any of the other slaves."

[blaqknoise]

"An iron fist, eh? It sounds like the mines all over again... If he doesn't care about what his men do, or about anything, then why did he want to be king in the first place? I doubt it was just a "maybe being king will be fun" thing."

Vukasin found this to be quite an interesting subject. He wanted to find out more, rather than guessing and assuming.

"You know, I think the wood from the trees here would be good for making your flutes. Not that I know much about making flutes, but I see people crafting stuff with the wood here all the time."

[Kirsui]

"An iron fist, eh? It sounds like the mines all over again... If he doesn't care about what his men do, or about anything, then why did he want to be king in the first place? I doubt it was just a "maybe being king will be fun" thing."

Tearia shrugged. She really had no answers for that particular question - it had been nagging her as well. She knew there had to be some reason... But it completely escaped her, and all she could do was speculate.

"You know, I think the wood from the trees here would be good for making your flutes. Not that I know much about making flutes, but I see people crafting stuff with the wood here all the time."

Tearia gave the trees a calculating look. She took a bite of her bread before she stood up, walking to one of the closer trees and examining the structure. She came to the conclusion that the trees indeed were fine around here. She would need to get a larger branch out of one of these trees and make a larger flute out of that.

However, that would take her some time to finish. She would work on it while travelling, and thus was in no hurry to cut a branch from the larger trees.

That decided, she turned her attention to the smaller trees and sought out one with small enough branches. Satisfied with what she had found, she dug out her knife and cut a suitable looking branch. Then she returned to the tree stump and sat back down, examining the piece of wood that would become one of her flutes.

"So what have you been up to?" she asked as she cut the branch to a more suitable length and began to work on the flute.

"I pretty much covered what happened to me", she continued, flashing a smile at Vukasin. "Your turn to share a story now."

[blaqknoise]

Vukasin watched Tearia examine the trees. It seemed like she was looking for the perfect branch or something. A few moments later she found one, cut it off the tree, and then came back.

"So what have you been up to? I pretty much covered what happened to me, your turn to share a story now."

"I wish I had a story to tell." Vukasin replied as he let out a deep sigh. "All I've done is survive. Wake up, hunt, eat, sleep, repeat. Most of my life so far was spent working in that mine... I don't really know how to do anything else..."

[Kirsui]

"I wish I had a story to tell. All I've done is survive. Wake up, hunt, eat, sleep, repeat. Most of my life so far was spent working in that mine... I don't really know how to do anything else..."

Tearia gave a sympathetic smile at Vukasin. His life sounded fairly wolfish, and she understood why.

"You'll get over it, eventually. It'd help if you had something to do, something to aim for..."

She shrugged.
"I was a bard even before the mines. That's what got me into this mess in the first place, you know. It... was difficult to start performing again. I was afraid that someone would recognize me, especially after what I did in Kelast."

She paused to examine her soon-to-be flute. She smiled, satisfied at her work so far.

"But I love to perform, it's always been the centre of my life. And while I was afraid to do it again, I found out that it helped to sing, play and tell stories at inns again. Sure I'm still cautious, but with something to do it's easier to get some sense of normality."

[blaqknoise]

"You'll get over it, eventually. It'd help if you had something to do, something to aim for..."

Tearia was right, he did need something to aim for, but what?

"I was a bard even before the mines. That's what got me into this mess in the first place, you know. It... was difficult to start performing again. I was afraid that someone would recognize me, especially after what I did in Kelast. But I love to perform, it's always been the center of my life. And while I was afraid to do it again, I found out that it helped to sing, play and tell stories at inns again. Sure I'm still cautious, but with something to do it's easier to get some sense of normality."

"I can't sing or play any instruments like you can though. I don't know what talents I have, if I do have any."

Vukasin looked down at his bag of coins.

"I need more money as well, and I have no idea how to get it."

[Kirsui]

"I can't sing or play any instruments like you can though. I don't know what talents I have, if I do have any."

"I'm sure there's something for you to do", Tearia said with a smile.
"You'll know what it is when it comes across. Don't worry about it too much."

"I need more money as well, and I have no idea how to get it."

She glanced up from her work, but quickly shifted her gaze back at the flute.
"I could help you out", she said tentatively.
"At least until you figure out what you can do."

[blaqknoise]

"I'm sure there's something for you to do. You'll know what it is when it comes across. Don't worry about it too much."

Vukasin wasn't so sure about how long it would take him to "come across" it. He didn't know where he should start, or how he could start.

"I could help you out, at least until you figure out what you can do."

"That's very kind of you, but I'd feel bad about you just giving away money that you earned and I haven't."

Vukasin leaned back on his elbows and looked up into the sky. There had to be something out there for him... something more than this.

"You travel around a lot, don't you? What kind of stuff do you do when you aren't performing?"

[Kirsui]

"That's very kind of you, but I'd feel bad about you just giving away money that you earned and I haven't."

Tearia chuckled.
"Don't worry about it too much. You can always pay me back later, if that makes it any better."

"You travel around a lot, don't you? What kind of stuff do you do when you aren't performing?"

"I go raven", she said as she glanced at Vukasin.
"It's a good way to gather information, even better than visiting the inns. And information is an important part of what I do. People ask travellers what is going on outside their homes, and what would be a better way to tell that than seeing it with your own eyes?"

She resumed to work on her flute.

"Not only that, but being a raven is less hazardous than showing my real face sometimes. Did you know I sneaked into Daishtan a couple of times, not too long ago. No one looked at me twice. I was just another raven to them."

[blaqknoise]

"I go raven. It's a good way to gather information, even better than visiting the inns. And information is an important part of what I do. People ask travellers what is going on outside their homes, and what would be a better way to tell that than seeing it with your own eyes?"

This didn't help Vukasin much. He was hoping that she did some sort of work on the side. Something that he might be able to do so that he could break out of his normal routine life.

"Not only that, but being a raven is less hazardous than showing my real face sometimes. Did you know I sneaked into Daishtan a couple of times, not too long ago. No one looked at me twice. I was just another raven to them."

"I couldn't do that as a wolf. I may look normal in the forest or anywhere that wolves normally are, but once I get near a town or a farm people start freaking out. Wolf fur has a pretty good price too, so it's not uncommon for some hunters to spot me and try to hunt me down."

It seemed the only time Vukasin ever got any excitement was when he was being hunted. He was getting pretty good at getting rid of the hunters quickly though.

"Perhaps I need to travel around like you do and maybe I'll find something."

[Kirsui]

"I couldn't do that as a wolf. I may look normal in the forest or anywhere that wolves normally are, but once I get near a town or a farm people start freaking out. Wolf fur has a pretty good price too, so it's not uncommon for some hunters to spot me and try to hunt me down."

Tearia could imagine the trouble in taking the form of a wolf outside forests, especially with Vukasin's fur colour. Black had better price than brown.

"Perhaps I need to travel around like you do and maybe I'll find something."

She shrugged, offering Vukasin an encouraging smile. Then her expression became thoughtful.

"Can you fight?" she asked, suddenly changing the subject.

[blaqknoise]

"Can you fight?"

"That I can. I've gotten a lot of practice from hunting and from fighting off hunters. Why do you ask?"

[Kirsui]

"That I can. I've gotten a lot of practice from hunting and from fighting off hunters. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just curious", she said with a faint smile as she lifted the flute closer to her face to inspect it. She brushed a bit of wood dust off of it and resumed her work.

"I take it you fight in your wolf form", she continued. "I don't see you carrying weapons."

[blaqknoise]

"I take it you fight in your wolf form,I don't see you carrying weapons."

"That's right. In my wolf form I am quicker and more agile. My claws work as well as any sword or dagger, along with my teeth. Plus I can still use my other powers while in wolf form. Without weapons I don't look so threatening either, so no ones pays much attention to me."

[Kirsui]

"That's right. In my wolf form I am quicker and more agile. My claws work as well as any sword or dagger, along with my teeth. Plus I can still use my other powers while in wolf form. Without weapons I don't look so threatening either, so no ones pays much attention to me."

"I suppose that makes sense", she said with a laugh, then absently touched the hilt of one of her swords that she carried on her back.

"I need to have these. I discovered I have some other powers, but they're not much use if someone comes charging at me."

[blaqknoise]

"I need to have these. I discovered I have some other powers, but they're not much use if someone comes charging at me."

"Oh? You have other powers too? I figured you might, seeing as I have them."

Vukasin leaned forward and had a curious look on his face.

"So tell me, what are these new powers you have?"