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

She didn't turn around or speak. Roisin stayed still, lowering the hatchet. She wanted to call him out, apologize, and beg him to stay. Yet didn't. Once she felt he was far, Roisin turned around. The hatchet was no longer in a throwing motion. She cursed under her breath as she went inside the cabin.

Jude glanced back once as he walked away, but it was before Roisin turned around. He kept going, slow and careful, until he got back to his temporary home. He was very late to work, but he could spare a few more minutes. With a heavy heart, he took off his new prosthetic and set it carefully on the bed. He simply didn't have it in him to wear it right now. Not with everything that had happened. He got his old leg, put it on, and took a few deep breaths to push down everything he was feeling. No matter what was going on in his life, people were depending on him to work. He only had three days before he had to leave. He needed to do what he could while he could. He headed to work, walking more slowly than usual.

Two days had passed, and Roisin only went to her cabin and to the tavern. She didn't accept any new projects or requests. All she did was look at the blueprint of the leg she made. Roisin even found herself craving wood into Jude's face. This upset her, hurt like hell. It was late at night when she learned today was his last day from Archer. She was drunk at this point and nearly choked on her alcoholic beverage. Roisin demanded to learn where Jude stayed.

Archer gave her the address and tried to give her advice, but she had already run out by then. Roisin ran and ran; occasionally tripping and once faceplanting. This didn't stop her, however; she kept going until she made it there. Without hesitation, she knocked on the door rapidly. Roisin's thought process was juggling between many factors. She thought of apologizing. Maybe confessing. Perhaps spilling everything about herself. It was simply unorganized, something usual.

When the door opened, she looked at him, out of breath. "Jude," Roisin said, breathless. She had dirt on her face and clothes. Her hand was still wrapped up, and a bloody nose. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were frantic and glassy. It was clear that Roisin had been a mess since that day.

Jude opened the door and stared at Roisin in shock. "Roisin? What are you doing here?" he asked, baffled. His nose wrinkled as the strong smell hit him. "Oh, boy, I can smell how much you have been enjoying yourself at the tavern." He stepped aside to let her in. She was so frantic. Had something worse happened?

Roisin carefully stepped inside. She cracked her knuckles, yet kept trying again afterwards despite unable to crack them. Roisin cursed once she tasted her own blood from her nose. "I..." She mumbled quietly as she wiped the blood. Now that she was here, she didn't know what to say. Well, she did but couldn't say them out loud.

Jude shut the door and limped back to find some sort of cloth to give to Roisin for her nose. He hadn't been wearing his leg since he was home, and he'd strapped it on hurriedly to get to the door when she knocked. It wasn't sitting quite right, and his pant leg was bunched weirdly. He'd have to deal with it, but first, Roisin. He found a couple of handkerchiefs and handed them to her.

"Are you injured? Or in trouble?" he asked, trying to figure out what was going on.

She took the handkerchiefs and put them near her nose to stop the bleeding. "Thank you." Roisin mumbled. There was slience for while. She avoided eye contact and kept fiddling with her earrings or rubbing her ear with her free hand.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I just learned you wouldn't be here after today and I couldn't let you leave on a sour note." Roisin got quiet again before swallowing hard. "You never left my mind. Either did your words. You just remind me of someone I lost who wasn't family. Someone dear to me, but it was too late when I recognized these feelings for him." She confessed.

Roisin removed the handkerchief from her nose and stared at it. "I couldn't control my emotions after his death. I was able to when I had to bury my family. But he was my breaking point. So, going to my homeland is important to me. Even if there is nothing left there but their graves." She continued. "So I was upset when I learned that my uncle wanted to fight me and the result in winning and losing wasn't fair. Winning would cost me my life again and losing would cause banishment to visit their graves. I just wanted to see them." Roisin’s voiced cracked towards the end, signaling she began to cry.

Jude stared at her. He still had no idea what she was talking about. What did any of this mean? It had seemed for a moment that she was trying to tell him that she loved him. Then she was talking about being able to or not able to go back home again. What was this fight with an uncle? What did it mean that winning would cost her life? That she'd be trapped into doing a specific job or something? Was she ever going to actually answer any of these questions, or was she only going to continue making these statements that he could not connect together?

"Roisin," he said slowly and clearly, "You are very drunk right now. I think it would be best if you sleep it off. You can stay here and sleep. Then, tomorrow, you can tell me what you are talking about, starting from the beginning, because I do not understand what you are talking about with this uncle and such."

She shook her head. "I bothered you enough. I'll come back. I just felt like I need to say this first before anything." Roisin said as she sniffled. "I'll explain everything better. I promise." Roisin spoke softly.

Jude sat next to her on the bed and took off his leg, rubbing his stump gently. "Roisin, are you sure you are okay? I am here to listen all you need, but I am not sure I follow. Why are you here? What do you want to tell me?"

Roisin sighed. "I want to tell you many thing but I want to apologize for that day. I know you were trying to helpful but I was a jerk." She said. "However, I'm aware I'm drunk and not making a lot of sense. Plus, I think your right." Roisin added before chuckling quietly. "I may need to stay over since my knee really hurts and I fell three time, running here." Shw said, embarrassed.

Jude smiled and patted her shoulder gently. "You are welcome here as long as you need. If you give me a moment, I'll get you something to wash up with." He grabbed his leg and put it on before standing and making his way out of his room to the shared bathroom. Soon, he returned with a basin of water and a couple of cloths Roisin could use to clean up with. He scrounged up a tunic, as well, and gave it to Roisin so she could change out of her dirty, bloodied clothing. He left her alone in the room to clean up and change, waiting outside the door until she let him know she was decent again.

She nodded and waited. She touched her nose to see if there was anymore blood coming out. Thankfully, it stopped bleeding. "Thank you," Roisin said softly. Once he left, she began to remove her dirty and bloodied clothing. She used some of the clothes to clean herself, extremely carefully, on some of the new injuries she had. Once Roisin finished, she put on the tunic and laughed quietly to herself. She folded what she had on earlier and grabbed the basin of water alongside the clothes, peeking her head out of the door.

"Where do I put it? Let me do it at least, okay? I've probably woken you up." Roisin hummed. She was speaking much more softly compared to how she normally speaks. Roisin tilted her head a bit when she finished her sentence.

"It's alright. I'm already right here, and it's just around the corner," Jude said, taking them from her. "You should lay down and get comfortable." He put everything away, including the clothes in the hamper for the laundress to pick up, and returned to his room. "You can have the bed. I'll take the floor. Spare me a pillow?"

Roisin sighed softly and let him take the stuff from her. She waited for Jude to come back. "No, you can have your bed. Beds are uncomfortable for me, actually. I'll take the floor." Roisin crossed her arms slightly. "So, spare me a pillow. Maybe a blanket as well. You'll be surprised how comfortable floors can be when you travel a lot." She hummed before snickering and smiling a bit. "Until you wake up to snakes slithering onto you."

Jude chuckled and dug out a couple of spare blankets and a pillow. "With that story, are you certain you do not want the bed?" he asked, amused. He sat down and removed his leg before rolling under the covers. "Sleep well, Madam Roisin."

"Yes, I'm sure. It wasn't me through. However, I wouldn't mind through." She chirped. Roisin took the spare pillows and blankets made a small lay out. Once she finished, she laid on it and throw a blanket over her. "You too, Jude." Roisin yawned quietly.

Jude blew out the candle and settled down, but it took him a long time to fall asleep in the dark room. It was strange having Roisin there in the room with him. He'd heard so many stories about her when he'd arrived, but he barely knew her. Not really. They'd only been around each other a handful of times, and she tended to talk in riddles and didn't want to share anything personal. He could respect that. By the same token, she barely knew him. Not because he was hiding anything, the topics just hadn't had a chance to come up. Yet she seemed attached to him for some reason. What did it all mean?

Finally, he fell into a light slumber that lasted him until early morning. He rose a bit earlier than usual to change and get ready for the day before Roisin woke. Once he'd dressed except for socks and shoes, he sat on the edge of the bed rubbing lotion and ointment on the scarred stump of his leg, which ended a few inches below his knee. It was a daily task that helped keep the scarred tissue relaxed and moisturized for a day stuck in a prosthetic leg. It was also remarkably soothing and something he enjoyed doing before bed, as well.

Roisin had slept right away once the candle was blown out. It seemed like she hadn't slept for a while. However, it could be that she was extremely drunk.

When morning came, she was awake but didn't make it aware. Roisin was on her stomach, hugging the pillow while still under the blanket. She was nervous but knew she would have face what she promised. "Morning," Roisin said quietly. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, preparing herself to discuss her past and anything else Jude wanted to know.

"Very well, thank you," Jude said, finishing up his work. He put the lotion away and pulled down his pant leg. "How did you sleep? How are you feeling after sleeping on the floor?" Not to mention everything that had happened the day before.