Making My Way

[Uruz Teiwaz]

With Odette’s hospitality I decided to get a fresh set of clothing as well as a whetstone so I could at least tend the blade of my ax and my dagger. I may have looking like a beggar in my current state but by Odin I was not one! Since I did not know how much such things ran I went to tend the more important matters first that being a merchant that carried goods for tending steel. At least with my sheer size most of the weak D’Angelines gave me a suitably wide berth.

[Kendrick Deveroix]

Mirsada and I had returned, however reluctantly, from my estate in Namarre and back into the bustle of the City. It was strange being back, with the house quiet, no thumping feet, no pounding of small fists on the door to my study. The first week had been hell for me, a hell revisited that I never wanted to see again, and eventually it drove me out of the house.

I didn't know where I was going when I left, but I'd done a lot of thinking over the past month. I didn't know what it was; mayhap to make my father proud, where ever he was now, or mayhap to simply extend the estates, to give me something else to focus on. There was a burning need in me though, something gnawing at me, and I knew I needed to venture in something. Something different, to keep my mind off of things. Something that could bring greater wealth and acclaim to the Deveroix name.

I found myself walking, struggling to keep out of dark thoughts as I moved. I didn't move out of peoples way; they moved out of mine, though I didn't really understand why. I didn't scowl at anyone... Not badly, anyway. Dressed in a clean, pressed shirt of crimson, I looked about me, sharply interested in what the stands sold, what the people said. A large man was coming at me, dressed poorly indeed, but with a hard look about him that spoke more than just someone who saw hard times. Idly I wondered what brought him to his current state. "Looking for something?" I asked when he drew near, my tone conversational if not friendly.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

One of the D’Angelines spoke to me? I paused and glared a bit as I suspected the harder looking man was probably assuming me a thief. Not that I was opposed to going to vike if my need called. That was what these thin bloods did not understand about my people. We come from a harsh land where one must take what they need or perish. There is nothing evil about it but simply need and the strong survive and the weak perish.

It would not do to enrage the authorities though so I responded in my normal bass tones “I am doing a bit of shopping for supplies and yes I have some coin on me I am not stealing.” I am sure I sounded a bit defensive but I was just that around this race of pretty boys who always seemed to look at me with contempt.

[Kendrick Deveroix]

What in Eluas balls had crawled up his ass?

I merely looked at him, raising one eyebrow for his open rudeness. "Shall I congratulate you on having coin, or would you like to assume aught else before you know what I am thinking?" A frown etched at the corners of my features, but I continued looking at him, waiting for his response. He was large - large enough to overpower me, assuredly, but I wasn't intimidated by it. No, his reaction only proved my theory of a man fallen on hard times, a man who'd seen harder times than this. Someone who was trying to find his way. Julie would have helped him, I knew, just as I knew I shouldn't live my life doing what she would have done. Elua knew she drove me insane often enough.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I grunted as he became almost as defensive as I was “Comes from being accused as a thief several times today already. Or if you like we could get into those who have found it amusing to pick fights with the big Skaldian.” I rolled my shoulders “But you are right I was pretty rude when you had not been rude to me yet.” I did not apologize but I did acknowledge it “And to be totally honest I have had to do a bit of stealing as of late I just did not plan any this particular day.”

[Kendrick Deveroix]

I blinked as I looked at him; he rolled on like a out of control carriage. "First off, I don't find it wise to pick a fight with someone undeserved - not unless I'm drunk, and I haven't had any scotch yet today. Secondly, whether you steal or not matters little to me right now, not so long as you keep your hands out of my pockets, but if you do that then we'll have to see to amending the picking fights comment."

My tone was dry as I answered him, though my eyes and interest was keen and sharp. "What are you looking for?"

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I let out a bark of laughter “I am not D’Angeline so I tend to keep my hands out of other men’s pockets.” I then sobered my mood a bit “As for what I seek it is a whetstone just like the giant who Ponar defeated used to carry. Though I hope to come out better than those two Ponar got shard of the stone in his skull and the giant well he perished.”

[Kendrick Deveroix]

His bark of laughter was unexpected to say the least, but I have a half grin for his joke. "No, no mens hands in my pockets," I said, shuddering at the thought of it.

"Right, whetstones," I said as I looked up and down the rows of stalls. "Ah... Well shite." I looked up at him with a grin. "I have no idea. But I do know there's none that way," I said as I gestured the way I'd just come from, "And since you just came from that way..." I pointed a third way, to my right. "Lets try down there, and while we walk, you can tell me what you do for a living."

A plan was forming in my head, and I gestured for him to lead the way.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I grunted and turned the way he had indicated “I hope I find one I fear I have not cared for my steel well since I have been on the run since my hall was burnt.” I shook my head “It cannot be helped though till I find a regular job and a means to support myself. For now I make my way as best I can.”

[Kendrick Deveroix]

I nodded as we walked, my gaze remaining on the stalls around us rather than on the big man I was walking next to. "What are your skills?" Bluntly put, but unless given no other choice, I was a man of little words. A pile of horse dung lay on the street in front of me and I stepped over it, waiting patiently for his response.

[Uruz Teiwaz]

This D’Angeline spoke plainly and I appreciated that “I can fight as can about everyone who once held the title of Jarl. My specific skills tend toward blades in general.” I looked at him and shrugged “Any fool can make a horseshoe and I can as well but it takes talent to craft a blade and that is something I am relatively skilled at. Though at present I would” I stepped around the pile of horse dung he avoided “shovel things like that” I pointed with my thumb “if it kept a regular income for me.”

[Kendrick Deveroix]

Curiousity filled me at whatever a Jarl might be, but my attention was momentarily distracted from inquiring by the rest of what he said. The corner of my eye found what he sought and I gestured reflexively, angling my course to stop by the stand that sold them. "You are a smith, then? You could make swords, or knives and daggers?"

I was sure my calculating was evident in my eyes, but given all I'd thought about before now I didn't care. Was it really that easy? Had I found who I sought before I really had to look?

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I noticed his gesture as well as the fact he was considering something and I altered my course as I answered "Yes, I can. All those great Skaldian weapons come from someplace after all" I grunted. "I was what your people would consider a noble but our land is harsh and everyone must have a trade of some form or another. Mine was a blade smith." I gave a bitter laugh "Also in our land one does not hold onto things unless they are lucky and quick. I seem to have failed in one of those ways as my enemies burned me out."

[Kendrick Deveroix]

If I had to sum him up in one word, it would have been bitter. Honest, but bitter, though I supposed he had a right to it. "And so you came to Terre d'Ange," I finished. "And looking for work. Get your whetstone, and let me buy you some lunch. I'd like to hear some more of smithying, and what exactly you're able to do."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I snorted “More like ran for my life here as those who loose in my country tend to be dead. And sure I will talk at you a bit it is nice to not have someone looking down their nose at me.” I spent a bit of time fussing over which stone. Since I could not buy multiples with the coin I had in hand I settled on a medium grade stone. It was coarse enough I could take notches out of a blade if they were not too deep yet fine enough I could touch edges. The situation was not ideal but it was the best I could do. I did some haggling and managed to get though it used all the coin I had gotten from Odette.

Once done I returned to Kendrick “I got my stone though now I am flat broke again.” I grimaced it seemed like I took two steps back for each one foreword.

[Kendrick Deveroix]

My mouth twisted slightly at his words, and I gestured him to follow me as I turned and walked away. "Keeping your hands out of others pockets is a good way not to end up dead here," I said as I looked up at him. He was large, but I wasn't intimidated or scared, and neither did I look down my nose at him. The only bad things I could really say for him is he needed a change of clothing and mayhap a bath, though I hadn't gotten close enough to know that for sure, nor did I want to. "The Cockeral isn't far away from here; lets head over there, eat some lunch and talk a little more about smithies."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I grunted in my own way of agreeing and fell in step with him. “Well I have not taken to overt robbery recently and I have a roof for now and some food in my belly so I should not have to rob anyone in the near future.” It was a simple statement of fact. Robbery and raiding were not things my people did for fun, but when we find ourselves in need we are not bashful about taking what we need.

[Kendrick Deveroix]

"I should hope not," I said, looking at him sideways as we walked. "I don't expect they'd take it easy on you just because you're Skaldian," I added, a touch of wry amusement in my voice. Humor, if incredibly dry. "Have you eaten lunch yet?"

[Uruz Teiwaz]

“I suspect I would get double” I looked at him out of the corner of my eye “and no I have not. I might wither away soon if I am not careful.”

[Kendrick Deveroix]

I chuckled, noticing the telltale building of the Cockeral coming up to our right. "Well, we can't have that. Here we are, lets get some food in that gullet and talk about metalworking."

[Uruz Teiwaz]

I simply grunted in response and followed in his wake.