Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » The Blacksmith and The Bookworm (1x1)

She followed her into the house. She paid attention to everything, Miss. Merril said and pointed at. Roisin was amazed at how well the house was made. It made a lot of sense why she felt a familiar feeling when she approached the house. She nodded as she looked at the inside of the room. "Four bits, correct?" Roisin asked as she took out four bronze coins. "And where's the bank located?" She asked. Roisin was planning to exchange her gold coins the next day, as travelling here made her tired. Moreso with how packed it was.

"Dead center of town," Miss Merril replied as she took the coins. "Take the road that brought you here, go back the way you came, and turn left at the statue of the owl fighting a beaver. Keep going until you see the sign of a stork. That's the bank. If you reach the wood carving of a trout, you've gone too far. Easy enough to find."

Roisin smiled slightly. "Okay. So, this town adores animals a lot," she said as she reached for her earring. She began fiddling with it. "Thank you, Miss. Merril." Roisin said before entering the room. She didn't close the door yet as she carefully looked at everything. Once she did, she closed the door before throwing herself on the bed.

"And watch out for the Werewolves. It's coming up on their time of the month, and they always get lively around this time. I suggest carrying a waterbottle and giving them a good squirt in the face if they get too pushy," Mis Merril grumbled, hobbling away. "Let me know if you have any other questions. I will fix you a snack. This time only since you are traveling." She headed for the kitchen to do just that and wait for Roisin.

Roisin had nodded about the werewolves and only perked up at the idea of squirting them in the face with water. This idea surprised her, but she didn't question it further. Roisin had put her stuff on the bed before quickly following Miss Merril. She was pondering the idea of werewolves being squirted in the face with water. It was a funny image to imagine, but it was a useful tip for her stay. Of course, her thoughts shifted to what kind of snack Miss. Merril would make.

Miss Merril quickly put together a sweet and savory platter that was similar to a charcuterie board with squares of meat, cheese, nuts, fruits, and a few little candies. Pitchers of lemonade and water sat on the table waiting. She set it out on the table in the dining room and went into the kitchen to clean up. The dining room had two small tables, one tall and one short, to cater to people of different sizes. It was cozy, with comfortable chairs, and everything a dwarf could want.

Her eyes widen slightly at the sight of the food laid out on the table. It reminded her of the picnic she had with Jude. Roisin smiled slightly before going to the table with one of the chairs. "Thank you." She said as she began to pick at the food and eat it. Roisin can admit this house was cozy and very catered to dwarves. She was pleased with her decision to rent the room here.

Miss Merril finished her work in the kitchen and came out, drying her hands. "I've got more work in the garden. If you've got questions or need directions, you can come find me." She walked down the hall to the front door and out into the garden once more, plopping her hat on her head as she stepped out.

"Yes, ma'am," Roisin said. She would ask if she wanted help once she finished eating. The food was truly delicious, and so was the lemonade. Roisin took her time eating what was given and washed what needed to be washed afterwards. She dried her hands before heading outside, where Miss. Merril was. "Thank you for the snack, Miss. Merril." She said before rubbing her ear. "Would you like some help with the garden?" Roisin asked.

Miss Merril waved her hand. "You're a guest. Guests don't do yard work," she said dismissively. "I assume you have your own purpose for being here. Rest, work, business, whatever, I'm sure it's more important than yanking weeds."

"It can't be too important if I don't know where he works or even live at. Plus, I would rather have something to do before I feel crazed without doing anything with my hands. I'm an inventor and blacksmith." She explained, truthfully. Miss. Merril was great about being a guest, and she herself knows it, but it was something she desired to do. It was a vacation with a slight work outside of Valebright.

Miss Merril looked at her, confused, but then shrugged and waved a hand toward a large picnic-style basket sitting in the yard. Instead of picnic supplies, the basket held an assortment of small handtools, gloves, and other random items. "Tools and gloves are in there," she said. "Help yourself, if you're so bound and determined."

Once Roisin had settled in, Miss Merril finally asked, "So, you're here to find somebody? Not that you have to tell me nothin'. Ain't my business. My business is to house and feed a few weary travelers, not nose into their business, but mayhap I can help ya."

Roisin smiled slightly before going over to the basket with gardening tools. Before she grabbed the stuff she needed, she had rolled up her sleeves. Soon, she came back to Miss. Merril and settled nearby. She was prepared to help her with anything, plus this moment was becoming nostalgic to her as a memory had resurfaced in her mind. One where she was helping her father plant vegetables.

"Yes, his name is Jude. Lovely eyes and hair. He always has a smile on his face." Roisin said without much thought. "Oh, he also has a prosthetic leg, though I'm unsure if he's using the one I made or still using his old one." She added, frowning as she thought whether he was using this old leg or the new one.

"Jude, eh? Looks like you've got it bad," Miss Merril chuckled. She sat back on her heels to think. "We have two Judes. Jude Sumbry and Jude Foster. I dunno if either of them have a fake leg. We have a few fake legs around here. The Sumbrys live out on the edge, long walk from here. The Fosters..." She paused for a moment to remember. "I think they are near the lumber mill, on the processing side. You could try there."

Roisin tilted her head slightly when she mentioned she got it bad. She let out a soft sigh when she heard about there being two people with the same name. "I suppose I can, but I wouldn't know what to say. Plus, I don't want his parents to assume anything that may embarrass him." Roisin added as she looked at the garden. Indeed there was many weeds in the garden. She began pulling them out with care.

"So," she said, amused, "you have come all this way to find the man, but now you think you might just turn and walk away? Come along, girl. Go find your man and talk to him. If it comes to the parents, friends find friends all the time. No subtext needed."

Folk around here were very straightforward. No faffing about, and no dithering. It served no one any purpose to be dithering about, and it could be potentially dangerous with most of the jobs they worked.

Roisin's face flushed with color. "I suppose you're right. He's a friend, and nothing else." She said, even though she herself didn't believe her words at all. Roisin knows she has mixed emotions towards Jude, but would rather not label them until she feels it's right to do so. "I'll seek him tomorrow after exchanging my gold coins." She added, continuing to pull out weeds.

The dwarf shrugged. "Alright. If pullin' weeds is really that important to ya, I won't stop ya. Just don't pull any of my plants." She turned her attention back to her work and busily weeded away until she was satisfied. There were more weeds to pull - there were always more weeds to pull - but she'd done enough in that area. She stood, brushed herself off, and left Roisin to do as she wished, leaving the tools and the basket out for her. There were other things that needed attending to in the house. It was a large, old house, which meant there was always something to do. It was not Miss Merril's job to keep her guest entertained, just to ensure she got a good night's sleep and breakfast to fuel her day to do whatever it was she was here for.

"I won't, I can assure you that," Roisin said as she continued. She became extremely focused on pulling the weeds; she nearly finished most that was nearby and even those that weren't. Roisin looked at what she had finished, letting a soft sigh escape her lips. She cleaned up the area and returned inside. Roisin was unsure where to put the tools or the basket, so she put them near the door with care. Roisin then entered the room she was renting and laid on the bed. It was comfortable, but has been awhile she actually found one she liked.

Meanwhile, Jude had no idea Roisin was in town. He was hard at work in the company's accounting office along with three other people. The office was situated in the third floor of the mill. Well, technically, the "mill" part of the mill was two stories tall, meaning there was no actual second-story floor, so many people referred to the third floor as the second floor simply because it made more sense. The mill below bustled with activity and roared with sound, but the accounting floor was reasonably quiet thanks to good insulation, filled with the background hum of machinery and the scratch of pens on paper.

After work, Jude went for a walk and a quiet think in the woods, but he did not go far. His new leg made it very easy to get around, though he had taken to soaking it in water overnight to short out the camouflage spell (he hoped the spell would break completely soon as he doubted this constant water bath was good for the intricate metal), but with the full moon so close, the werewolves were in a mood. It was too much of a nuisance to go too far into the forest and risk getting caught up in their games.

After a bit of time in the woods, he went home for dinner and enjoyed his evening with his family before heading to bed, none the wiser to Roisin's presence.