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

"Good, it'a been a while since I slept on the floor. " Roisin hummed as she pulled the blanket from her head. She turned to look at him. "How long will you be here?" Roisin asked, fiddling with her earring.

"Here in town?" Jude asked. He glanced out the small window. "I think the others were planning to leave in about four hours or so. If they can all stay on time."

She sighed and sat up. "I owe you an explanation of many things. However, it can get long and boring. So, I would like to know what you heard. I can either confirm or deny. Then I can explain whatever you want afterwards? Does that sound good?" Roisin asked. She was extremely nervous but seemed to be pushing it aside as she cracked her knuckles.

Jude arched his brows. "Roisin, do you actually want to know what I think I know? Or are you just stalling? It will be far less confusing and take less time if you just tell me. Unless you really don't want to. You do not owe me an explanation. Not really. You don't have to tell me anything. But, if you want to explain to me what has been going on and why you are so stressed out these past few days, then I suggest you start from the beginning and tell me everything. If you want to."

She frowned a bit. Roisin opened her mouth but stopped. She reached for her earring but stopped. "I do owe it to you. I want to stall everything, but I know it would ruin the whole point of coming here. I can start from the beginning if that's what you want." Roisin offered as she looked at Jude. Her eyes soften a bit. "Just don't say I didn't warn you about it being long and boring."

"We have time," Jude assured her. "Besides, it will be at least an hour before the laundress returns with your clothes, so you are kind of stuck here. Unless you want to run around in my tunic for all to see."

Roisin smiled a bit before shaking her head. Her face turned slightly red. "You do have a point. It would give the wrong idea and innocent Jude had suffered from my hands." She joked before rubbing her ear.

"Well, I guess I will start with my parents?" Roisin questioned, titling her head. "Yeah. My mother was a warrior in Ironcrest. However she was station to take care of her hometown, Starmeadow. She was tasked to find and bring back my dad, who was build and supplied weapons for the soldiers. He was pretty much an inventor and related to the commander of the soldiers, my uncle." She stopped for a bit. "If you get confused or lost or curious about anything. Tell me." Roisin said.

Jude chuckled and settled in to listen. "I'm following you so far," he said patiently.

She nodded. "So, he tasked my mother to find and bring back my dad. She did find him, but he refused to go back. They argued, and the next thing, they lived together in Starmeadow. They had my siblings and me, but our family didn't last long. My uncle deployed my mother to fight a group of dark elves and died. Most believed she died an honorable death, but I didn't." Roisin became quiet. She started to become upset, but didn't lash out. Instead, she rubbed her ear.

"I discovered two things that I believed her death wasn't due to battle. It was, but not honorable. The battle axe I have was hers. It had a specialty that if the blades were soaked with blood, edible roses would grow. They were basically the same as healing potions. Someone gave my mom a fake one. She had to fight the group by herself. Normally, when a group attacks, all warriors are expected to help. No one did. Worse was that none of the others weren't aware that there was even an attack." Roisin had continued, sighing softly.

"So, I grew to hate my uncle and became protective of my family. Once I became of age, my uncle wanted me to take my mother's job since he hadn't appointed anyone in my hometown. He also offered me my father's job. I wanted to despite him, everyone really. I declined his offer and requested to be tested for the Peacemakers. Of course, this upset my uncle, but he agreed. I nearly killed him when the day came when he tested him. He looked terrified, a funny sight to see." She laughed bitterly.

When Roisin paused, Jude ticked off the main points to show he was following. "Your father was an inventor, your mother a soldier. They met when your mother went to fetch your father, who was related to the commander of the soldiers, your uncle. It was your uncle who tasked your mother to find his brother, your father. Your mother later went to fight a bunch of dark elves on your uncle's command, and she may or may not have been tricked into taking a fake healing potion instead of a real one. There was a group of warriors who were supposed to help, but they were not aware that there was an attack was happening.

"Later, your uncle wanted you to take your father's job of wainwright for the army. You refused to spite him, trained to be a peacekeeper, and nearly killed him in the test? Dangerous test. You have not yet covered what happened to your siblings or your father at this point, but I believe I've followed everything else."

Roisin was slightly surprised but was also happy he was following. "The last reminder of my family was later killed by a group of dark magic users. This group was one of the issues we, Peacemakers, were tasked to deal with. We handled a few since they seemed to be targeting every land there is, including mine and the other members'. It was too late when we went to my hometown. Everything was destroyed. Homes burned and were in shambles. Bodies everywhere." She fiddled with her earring before gulping harshly.

"However, only my home was untouched. I rushed over there, but they were dead as well. My father's body held my siblings' corpses; I had to bury them together as my father's grip was permanent. I was in shock, but I couldn't cry or mourn long enough. I had a job to do. Still, I also blamed my uncle for the destruction of my hometown. Similar to my mother's death, no soldiers were assigned there, nor were they aware of the attack. Then we made it to Pin-" Roisin cut herself off before clearing her throat. She looked away from Jude as she began to tear up.

"We traveled to another member's homeland. It was a forest town, filled with lovely people. We stayed there for a while. I can't remember why I didn't tag along with the others, but I stayed at the sleeping quarters we were given. Then, he came to him. Bleeding and heavily injured. I tried to stop it. I asked what happened, even looked for my mother's battle axe, but he just pointed outside. He went limp afterwards. He just stopped moving. His eyes..." Her voice creaked as her body shook slightly. Roisin remained quiet, realizing she never took a moment to speak about her past or anything.

"Do you still want to hear more about the massacre, or should I explain something else?" She finally asked. Roisin figured he heard the details of the massacre. It was pretty much what everyone used to describe her to outsiders and newcomers.

"Keep going," Jude said, keeping his expression and voice level. "There is a lot more to go, I imagine."

She nodded as she continued. "I gently put aside his body and grabbed my axe before I stepped outside. I can't remember much as I just saw red and my mind wasn't clear. However, I can remember asking who killed him and killing whoever was in my way. I managed to get an answer and head towards the town hall. The other peacemakers were talking with the culprit, unaware. According to them, I was soaked in blood and had crazed eyes. Animalistic, I guess. I didn't explain anything but went straight to attack the dark mage. Of course, they tried to stop me from attacking, but it didn't truly work as I was about to attack them. The dark mage had teleported away, but that's not what stopped me. Twin forest elves begged for help, did. All of us stopped and went to help. I mainly only helped the small elves and went back for his body." Roisin had cracked her crackles.

"They went to me, but I dared them to stop me from taking his body to my hometown. Only the leader spoke after the silence. So, I went to my hometown and buried him. Then we all went to report to the king, and he gave us the choice to either continue or resign. They all did but one." She said, finally looking at him. She had tears rolling down her face, wiping them away. "Now you know. It wasn't what you expected, huh?" She said.

Jude mostly looked confused even as he tried his best to display empathy. "You... stopped in the middle of trying to avenge the death of... this person whom you have never named... because a bunch of elves showed up? Were they standing around watching you fight with your friends and just decided to speak up in the middle of the fight? And did all but one choose to resign or keep going? Who was this person who died, and why were you going to his town in the first place?"

Roisin laughed a bit. "Children. They were children, and they needed help. Well, it was the sister who begged for help as the dark mages attacked once I started killing. The others weren't aware of the stuff based on an illusion spell the dark mage put. They all resigned, but one didn't, as he felt the incident could be swept under the rug. He's still part of the Peacemakers, but now isn't really traveling but selecting the newest members."

She shook her head. "It's my hometown. His town is now part of the forest and hasn't been livable since. Pinlas was buried in my hometown." Roisin's eyes widened when she finished her sentence. She got up quickly. "I..." Roisin began fiddling with her earring. "Now you understand why I've been stressed?" She said, trying to shift the attention to why she was upset. It seems like the name alone was a can of worms she didn't want to open. It may explain many things overall.

"Not really," Jude admitted. "You still haven't explained anything about this uncle challenge thing or why you'd be forced to take your mother's job or why - if your uncle did indeed orchestrate the death of your entire family - you do not want to face him, or why nothing was done about him, or why you are still alive after everyone else died."

"Ever since I defeated him for the Peacemakers, he has become bitter and upset about me winning. He wants a rematch, but he knows I would refuse. He's only forcing me take my mother's job because he believes I'm the only one deemed fit as well for my father's. Plus, I don't want to suffer the same fate as my mother if I don't complete a task or upset him. My uncle is well respected and is the right hand of the king in my homeland. They will never believe me, plus my uncle has a lot of people wrapped around his finger." She explained, calming down a bit. His last question threw her off. "What do you mean by that? Do you think I want to live?"

"He can't make you do anything," Jude said patiently. "If he could, he already would have, and you would not be here working as a brilliant inventor and smith. And what I mean is: your entire family was killed. Why? Why all of them, every single one, except for you. Why? Why leave you alive? You are a loose end. A dangling thread. The one person who is suspicious about why the others died, so... why were you left alive?"

She looked at him. Roisin frowned, thinking. "I don't know. Maybe suspicion may arise, but that wouldn't matter. It may even be celebrated if my homeland blames me for what happened in my hometown." She said. "I never really consider it. What if the duel wasn't about choosing but a tactic for something?" Roisin questioned as she sat back down. "It would explain why Axa came and warned me."

"That would make sense," Jude nodded. "It could be that there is a much bigger problem waiting there." He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know you are feeling a lot of pain for the possibility of not being able to go home and see the graves of your loved ones, but... your loved ones are not there at the graves, Roisin." He squeezed her shoulder lightly. "They are with you. They are with the people who remember them. They are with the people who remember and celebrate them. You do not need to return to the gravesite for that. You can do that here and ignore your uncle and whatever twisted games he may be playing. That is not cowardice. That is wisdom."