Ithilien, Pelargir, The Southern Fiefdoms (Free RP)

Seven Stars and Seven Stones and One White Tree.
Balrog
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A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Dol Amroth

(Private)

The morning sun peaked over the horizon, a bulge of pink and orange light bursting across the water. The young girl watched it with bubbling anticipation. She watched the waters of the Bay of Belfalas catch fire with the power of the dawn. She loved watching the sun rise each morning, it was the highlight of her day. Each dawn brought a spray of possibilities, a blank slate of ideas and dreams. She placed her hands together in front of her chest, inhaled, and bowed until she was a perfect ninety-degree angle. She held the bow for half a minute then returned to a standing position, exhaling. Pharâzuri smiled, her bright golden hair shimmering in the light of the new dawn. “A day of new discoveries,” she whispered to herself. She took one last look at the sun as it rose up out of the eastern waters. She longed to stay and watch it rise, but she had to get to work, a necessary evil, the payment for being able to watch the sunrise and see it as more than just a rising ball of celestial fire.

The library would be opening soon, and she liked to be there when it did. She wanted to be there before the streets were too crowded with merchants and travelers and sailors. The library was her fortress. She didn’t like people. People made her nervous, they made her uncomfortable. The constant feeling of eyes on her, watching her, breathing on her, forcing her to become smaller and smaller until there was no way she could occupy less space. She pulled the mask over the bottom of her face, covering her nose and mouth. It wasn’t much, but it was a shield against people and their invasiveness. No one wanted to talk to the girl who didn’t want to show her face. They avoided her, ignored her, rolled their eyes and went on about their day. With the mask no one was going to tell her she was pretty, no was going to tell her to smile, no one was going to try and strike up a conversation with her that she didn’t want. The mask was a key to freedom.

Dol Amroth was becoming a beehive of activity already. Grocers, vendors, cheesemongers, restaurateurs, bakers, and fishmongers were already up. The street criers were running to and fro shouting news from Minas Tirith, from Pelargir, from Ithilien. Pharâzuri ignored them. Nothing in those places had anything for her, nothing to do with her. She didn’t like the wide world. It was too big, too frightening. She wanted nothing to do with. She wanted her library, her desk, her ink well and pen. She wanted to transcribe books and scrolls and texts. She wanted to go home, to eat, and to watch the great stars wheel overhead. She didn’t want or need friends or companions. She had her books, her work, her imagination. What more could she ask for?

Today she was lucky. No one even so much as looked at her as she moved through the streets, moving as quickly as she could, nearly jumping from shadow to shadow to avoid having to look at or talk to anyone. She could smell the butchering of fish, the baking of bread, the frying of meats and vegetables. It reminded her that she was hungry. For a moment, just a moment, she considered going up a street vendor and asking for a bowl of something. There was a man selling rice fried with chicken, snow peas, sweet corn, and spring onions. It was tempting. So tempting. He even smiled at her before a large crowd of sailors surrounded the little venue and blocked from his view. That was good though. She would have gone up to him and froze as soon as she had to speak to him. No matter how wide his smile had been upon seeing her, it would not have stopped her anxiety from overwhelming her powers of speech. There would be fruit at the library, fruit and some water. That’s all she needed.

Inside the library, the great echoing atriums felt safe and comforting. She knew every pillar here, every nook and cranny, every possible hiding place or private study corner. The smell of ink filled her senses and set her mind at ease. She exhaled. Her hands had been shaking. She made them into fists and squeezed until they calmed. “You’re safe,” she whispered to herself, “you’re safe.” Having filled her waterskin and grabbed several different colored apples, she came to her desk. Her sanctuary, her home away from home. She knew this space as intimately as she knew herself. She knew the indentations, the ink stains, the flow of the wood’s grain. She sat facing north, away from the sea. When she first came to the library, she had wanted a seat that watched the sea, but the only desks they had were too close together, too clustered. Someone might want to sit next to her or, worse, talk to her. Just the thought made her skin crawl. The view of the White Mountains was lovely as well, a more than decent compromise. Her desk was alone, far from the rest of the scribes. She could hear their chattering gossip. Two men and a woman were talking about some entertainment they’d seen the night previous, some sort of sporting competition, Pharâzuri couldn’t tell what sport it was, not that she would have wanted to talk with them about anyway. They waved at her, then went back to their conversation before waiting to see if she responded. She didn’t wave back.

Once at her desk, she removed her mask and took in a deep, satisfying breath. The mountains were beautiful this morning, purple rimmed with golden yellow. “Good morning,” she mumbled, not wanting anyone to overhear her and think she was talking to them. She took a deep draught of her water skin. The water was cold, almost too cold. It felt good going down her throat. She took a bite of a yellow golden apple. It was soft, sweet, juicy. She wiped her chin with the back of her hand and smiled. Alone in her little world, this moment was good and perfect. She didn’t have to share it with anyone, it was all hers. The work today was easy. Scrolls from up north to be copied and illuminated. It was the story of an ent’s journey from the forests of Doriath across the Ered Luin and finally to Fangorn. It was a long, plodding tale filled with all sorts of details that were unimportant but Pharâzuri loved it anyway. It was a positive tale, a tale of survival and travel to new places, a search for home culminating in the greatest discovery of all. Whoever this “Númenyraumion” was, he captured the feeling of the ent’s plight and ultimate success very well. She dipped her pen in the ink and began transcribing, making sure each letter was perfect and in line, each word, and each rhyming couplet. She lost herself in the work. She worked through lunch, ignoring calls for her to take a break, to join her fellow scribes at the local tavern for a midday drink. She wouldn’t have gone even if she’d heard them calling.

The only thing that brought her out of her focus was a strange flickering out her window. She stopped and looked up. There it was again. For the past six days it had been the same thing in the same place. There was a bonfire somewhere in the hills north of the city. She began to cry. She’d tried to ignore it, tried to pretend it wasn’t what she knew it was, that it was just a random fire out in the middle of nowhere. “Mother no,” she sobbed quietly. “I don’t want to go. Not now, not after I just got my routine. Please, please, please, please, no, no, no...” but the distant flames did not stop, they flickered and burned without regard for her feelings. Her deep blue ocean eyes filled with tears. She had no choice. It was time to go.
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh

Balrog
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A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Dol Amroth

(Private)
CW: anxiety attack

Zîmraban had not set foot in Dol Amroth for over two years now. She did not miss it. There was an arrest warrant with her name on it in the offices of the constabulary for breaking and entering and threat of bodily harm to one of the city’s more prominent administrators. She claimed that the incident was quite overblown, and she had merely suggested bodily harm to the aforementioned administrator. She went on to call him an obsequious windbag and liar. Pharâzuri wasn’t sure she believed her mother. In fact, she was quite certain she didn’t believe her. The law enforcement in Dol Amroth was not a proactive organization, not unless something serious or serial was happening. With her mother, both were of equal likelihood. The two years she had been away and been two years Pharâzuri treasured. She had finally begun to stretch out and become her own woman. Living in the shadow of someone as a bombastic as Zîmraban the Harpy of the Silver Hill was not easy to say the least. She had thrived without her mother’s overbearing presence, the voice always telling her that she was doing something wrong, to stop doing this or that, or to work harder. Pharâzuri had finally accepted her anxieties as a part of her. Her mother had told her since she was a child that she had to push past them or “get over” them, that they needed to be conquered. She was not looking forward to the reunion with her mother. If she had finally decided to make herself known, in the most Zîmraban way possible, it meant she had news of her father. A father that had not been present for 20 years, a father that meant as little to Pharâzuri as the fish at the bottom of the sea. Yet he was a man that her mother had obsessed over for that amount of time, tracking him down, hunting his whereabouts. It was farcical and she wanted nothing to do with it. That did not stop her mother from forcefully involving and guilting her into things.

Things like this. Pharâzuri donned her mask, concealing the look of anguish and frustration from the world, all except her eyes. She made her way home, looking down at the cobblestones the entire way. She both did not want to look at a single person and wanted to memorize the layout of the street so she could visit it later in her daydreams. She took the route slowly, consciously wanting to make her mother wait as long as she could. Her clothes felt suffocating, they itched terribly, and they wouldn’t let her breath. By the time she made it to her little house overlooking the bay, she was in the throes of an anxiety attack. She slumped to the floor against her door. Her heart was racing, beating rapidly and erratically; she clutched her chest hoping that that somehow would calm her. It did not. She still felt like the breath was being squeezed out of her. Her hands were trembling. She tried to make fists, to force them to stop, but that only made them worse. She cried. She cried until she truly couldn’t breathe. She gasped for breath between sobs, trying not to wail and bring the attention of nosy neighbors down on her. That was the last thing she needed. Her stomach clenched up, as if someone had stuck a corkscrew inside her and began twisting. She curled up on the floor, pushing into the floor and against the door. She wanted to be as small as possible. She wanted to stop existing in this moment, this eternal moment that refused let her go. She began to cough, to gag. She wanted to breathe but her lungs refused to allow it. She cried harder; her stomach tightened into even deeper knots. She felt like she was freezing and on fire both at once. She just wanted it all to stop. Finally, a blackness took her and gave her some relief.

But the dream was no real relief. It was the same stressful, nerve-wracking dream she had over and over. Her mother standing over her, she was 5 years old again, she’d just run away from talking to a fruit seller in the marketplace and her mother was scolding her, telling her that she needs to outgrow being such a scared little girl. She grew larger and larger as she went on, until her mother was all she could see. She tried to run, but that only provoked another angry outburst from her mother.

She awoke with her head pounding. Silently, like a ghost in her own home, she gathered the things she would need for the journey. If she refused to go to her mother there was no telling what sort of retribution would be laid on her. She did not believe her mother would hurt her, but she knew well enough the woman’s temper. Numbly, she went about packing several days’ worth of clothing, a blanket she’d sown herself, a waterskin, some dried fruit, some biscuits, and a small wheel of cheese. It was all she had in her pantry after all. She looked at her home from the doorframe and felt a well of tears ready to burst again. Somehow, she knew she was never coming back. Whatever her mother had planned, it would not include letting her daughter have a pleasant, peaceful life. She touched the doorframe. The wood was coarse and the grain uneven. It was perfect. She closed her eyes and tried to picture it exactly in her mind. She would save it for later, when she was forced to confront her mother.

She went around to the back of the house. The mottled grey cat, a stray that had found her way into Pharâzuri’s garden one day, was meowing, looking for some attention, and food. She ran to the golden haired Gondorian and rubbed her forehead against her leg. Pharâzuri wanted to cry even more. “I have to go,” she managed. “You’ll be alright though, little one. Maybe I’ll be able to come back one day.” It was wishful thinking, but it was all she could manage. She headed down the street until she came to the markets again. She knew what she had to do.

“Excuse me, sir,” she mumbled.

The man selling the ponies didn’t hear her.

“Ex, excuse me, sir,” she said, a fraction louder.

“Hmmm?” the man turned around, looked passed her and then turned back around.

She wanted to scream. “Sir?” she said as loudly as she could manage.

“Hmmm, sorry. Didn’t see you there.” He looked genial enough, but Pharâzuri wanted to run and hide. “What can I help you with ma’am?”

Trying not to shrink, she stepped forward. “I’d like to buy a pony... and a saddle.” She held out a rounded out pouch filled with coins. He took it and weighed it with hand and eye. His mouth twisted in a contemplative frown.

“Well, ‘fraid I can only get ye the one or t’other with this much.”

Pharâzuri’s heart sunk. That was all she had saved up. She thought she’d be able to get a pony and a saddle, and maybe some extra rations on the way out. “That’s okay,” she mumbled. “I’ll just take the pony.”

He tried to make conversation with her for nearly ten minutes as he showed her the ponies, but she was so focused on trying not to cry that she only heard half of what he was saying. She selected a small, lonely looking creature, piebald and brown.

“That one, eh? Seems like you two might have something in common. She’s a bit skittish but she’s solid. She won’t bite. She’s not fast and she can’t carry much weight.

She gulped, summoning the last reserves of her courage. “That’s fine.”

They traded coin for pony and soon she was on her way. It occurred to her after she was several blocks away, leading the pony by some reins the merchant felt merciful enough to give her, that she could have gone to another place to buy a pony, but she’d been so flustered by the amount he was charging that she lost all train of thought. She looked at the pony. It didn’t look all that bad. She scratched the creature’s neck and was given a soft whinny.

The city faded behind them and with it, all that Pharâzuri had ever wanted. She left her home, her library, her sanctuary, her life, her everything. She was about to see a world she never wanted to see. Would the sunrises look the same where she was going? Would they fill her with the same sense of confidence? Or would they feed the uneasiness in her mind and let it grow like a tumor?

“It’s about time!”

Her mother. It had been two years since they saw each other. The sun was setting on the day after she’d seen the fire. Her mother had ridden down from the hills on a massive horse, dwarfing her and her little pony. She looked as determined and obsessive as ever. There was a light in her eyes now, she really believed she’d found him.

“Hello, mother.”
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh

Balrog
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The Swashbuckler
Minas Brethil, the Anfalas

(Private)

“You moron, you’re holding it wrong!” Katla laughed uproariously and, with a flick of her wrist, sent the elder boy’s weapon flying out of his hand. It clanged against the backdoor of the bakery. The owner would not be coming to check out what was happening behind his shop. The alley, during this time of day, belonged to her. She swung her bo staff down in a sharp arc and brought it down on the boy’s head; it connected with a satisfying THWACK. He grunted, his eyes crossed, and he tumbled backward. Without wasting a second, Katla was on top of him, straddling his bulky body as best she could. She dropped her staff and formed fists. She wailed on him. Punch after punch, hit after hit. She felt powerful. She felt like a king. She watched as each blow landed, disfiguring and maiming the boy that thought he could challenge her. He was not the first, and he would not be the last, but this would be the last time he tried to take over her territory. Another blow landed, knocking out one of his teeth, it stuck in her fist. Satisfied that she’d made her message very clear, the little blonde girl picked up her bo staff and gave him a final jab in the belly. He coughed, rolled over, and spat up blood. He looked like he’d been run over by a wagon.

“I’m thowwy, I’m thowwy, you wi’ you wi’ do’ kill me, plesh do’ kill me.” He threw up, sending his breakfast all over the dirt-packed alleyway.

“I’m not going to kill you, Marcel. I’m not that kind of leader.” She kicked his booted foot playfully. “Get up and get yourself cleaned up. You report to me now. Do I make myself clear?” She bent down and looked at him. He really looked pathetic like this. He’d woken up today the leader of the Fletcher Alley Boys, a group of ten or so that liked to terrorize local shops with rocks through windows and dead fish nailed to doors. They were such amateurs. She wanted Fletcher Alley. It was where they made arrows (obviously) and she was going to need a good supply of them someday. Marcel was her man now. He didn’t have a choice. She didn’t kill on the first confrontation, but a second... well she’d never had a second confrontation with someone so there was no way of really telling. She made it worth their while to avoid crossing her. Three boys came up behind her and picked him up, dusting him off, and began dragging him off. He wasn’t able to walk under his own power. She didn’t give him a second thought. His boys were her boys now, he was just another runner for her.

“Well, I think that’s all for the day,” she said in her best speech-giving voice, a loud and clear one that projected strength and confidence. “Go home.”

The crowd dispersed, boys and girls, darting off in all different directions. They weren’t all from the dockside, her people. Some were from up on Nob Hill, where all the rich folks lived cloistered away like monks, others were from the northside of town, where it was harder to eke out a living. Others lived down Butcher’s Row or on the Fisherman’s Wharf, they all smelled like the inside of a slaughterhouse. They were all her people. They looked to her for guidance, support, and advice even though she was only seven. She gave it all freely too, but she would brook no rebellion or dissension in her ranks. She had gotten good with the bo staff, watching the students fight in the warehouses from the rafters and practicing on her own. Marcel would probably agree.

With the acquisition of the Fletcher Alley Boys, she controlled nearly a third of Minas Brethil’s streets. There were other gangs, but they were run by adults, and as ambitious as Katla was, she knew she wasn’t ready to face off against adults. Soon though. Soon she would have all of Minas Brethil under her sole control. It was just a step in her master plan of course.

Once all her people had gone home to their parents or aunts or guardians or whatever they had, Katla made her way down to the docks. The ships were still coming in. She liked watching the ships come in. She loved being able to identify each and every kind of ship. She knew the difference between a packet ship and a whaling ship, a naval vessel and a civilian privateer. She watched the ships every day. She began to recognize the captains and crews of the vessels that came in. Some were traders, looking to offload goods from who knows where, others were looking to sell fish or whale parts, others came to port for the entertainment district. She didn’t have anyone in Entertainment Square. It was hard to get young people into those kinds of establishments. Even the less than scrupulous places wouldn’t let kids near them. Soon though.

She climbed up onto the roof of the harbor master’s office, quick and lithe as a cat. This was the best place to watch the ships come in. She could see miles and miles from here and she didn’t even need spyglass. She wanted one though. She had had one, but it broke when she was running from some fat butcher who caught her stealing some of his venison. She’d dropped it and the venison. That had been a bad day. She’d just have to steal a new one. Any one of these ships would have one. The question, though, was one of security. Which could she sneak aboard and infiltrate the captain’s quarters?

One was coming in just now that looked promising: the Queen Berúthiel’s Revenge. She liked the name; it was mean and nasty. The ship was a two-masted brigantine. It was big and probably full of treasures. Katla wanted, no, Katla needed to get aboard that ship.

Getting aboard a ship was the next phase of her master plan. She would leave a trusted second in command of her gang, then she’s would set sail and learn from the best pirates. She’d learn first-hand how to sail, how to plan voyages, how to navigate the seas. Once she learned all there was to know, she was going to get her own ship with her own crew and become a dreaded pirate. She was going to be scarier than all the other pirates before her. Castamir, Bluebeard, Elda the Bright, Old Snake-in-the-Eye, they were all going to be footnotes in her story. She was going to be Katla, the Pirate King of the Golden Fleet.

It was getting late. As much as she wanted to stay and watch Queen Berúthiel’s Revenge make port, she knew her mother needed her back home. She cast one more look at the beautiful ship, a two-headed mermaid as the figurehead, and climbed down off the roof. She would be back tonight. She was going to get a look at that ship no matter what!
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh

Steward of Gondor
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Calithildis (Cali)
Dringolben Residence, on the outskirts of Dol Amroth. In the forge building.


Cali took a little while to recover enough to continue speaking, while Fuin hugged her in a comforting way. It helped somewhat, and in fact, Cali thought vaguely, it was something not even Cali's mother could help a lot with, for she was too closely affected by it, and it was different, somehow. Cali finally let herself cry for a little while, but it didn't last forever like she feared it would.

When at last, she had calmed enough to keep on, Cali brushed the tears from her cheeks, speaking a little easier now. "I begged Ryn not to go... I feared for him... somehow, I knew from the moment Berthion died that I would soon lose Ryn too. I don't know exactly how I knew, but I did. I just... didn't know that it would happen as it did." She sighed, deciding she needn't go into all of that. "I wish.." she sighed, shaking her head, and focused on what she wanted to tell Fuin.

"Father's drinking became even worse after..after Ryn... perhaps he.. knew it was his doing. I... I went to the forge one day, I don't remember why.. and found him passed out, drunk. I looked at what he was working on, and.. I thought, 'My goodness, even I could do better than that!'" She managed a weak smile. "So I did.. and then I couldn't stop, because.. people kept asking for weapons and armor, and I couldn't..I couldn't let our name be tarnished.. and I couldn't let anyone learn of how poor my father's work had become...But more than that, I couldn't bear to think of others going into battle with armor that wouldn't protect them as it ought to."

She sighed, looking down. "I spent so many nights, working in the forge after all others were asleep... my father never knew. Only one other person ever knew; my closest friend, and only because she caught me at it, one evening, when she came to try and beg me to come out and socialize again." She smiled faintly, recalling how surprised Iole had been, and how she had vowed to keep Cali's secret. They didn't even dare tell the boys from their group of friends, because then it would never have remained a secret.

"Sometimes, Father would come to the forge in the morning and find an entire order of weapons finished and be confused because he didn't remember making those... or he would find that something he had been working on the night before was far better workmanship than he had thought it was when he left for the night.. and finished when he thought he'd left it unfinished." She shook her head a little, missing him too. "He never knew that I did any of it.. he always thought he was too drunk to remember doing it. And when people complimented his work, I..never said a word to correct them.. it was hard, sometimes, but... that wasn't why I did it. I.. had to let them believe it was Father's work."

She hesitated, finding it easier to tell now that she'd gotten past the painful details. "When the city was evacuated because of the war... I was made to leave along with all the other women who were not needed for some reason. I couldn't..find a way to tell my father why I did need to stay. And..then he died, and.. I thought that was the end of my smithing. Until I found this forge, and that it still worked.. and.. I don't know. I couldn't resist. Iuldir caught me one day, and begged me to teach him... and how could I refuse?" She smiled faintly.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

High Lord of Imladris
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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Rillewen

The tears came and Fuin sat quietly as they fell. It was good, even if they were from something terrible, they were healing even if at the time it felt worse to sit in the grief and let loose ones anguish. Fuin had learned that the hard way, over millennia of trying to keep the pain back and muffle it down where it couldn’t be heard or seen.

She sat listening as Cali managed to continue the story giving enough details to know what had happened. “You did it to save people and to keep your name untarnished for your father in his grief, and for Iuldir.” She said softly, Cali had likely never once thought of keeping the name untarnished for herself, and yet she was a great credit to it; forged in a fire of strife and made of the sternest steel. "Your name, and the reputation of your house is intact because of you and no one else." She said softly

“Your father is gone now, his reputation cannot be broken now even if you say you did some of his work for him, you could say he was blinded by grief, not alcohol. You can take the name you deserve Cali, there is no dishonor on your father for you doing that. If anything, it is a testament to his skill - how much you were able to learn from him without him truly teaching you the same way he did his sons.” Fuin said softly, still rubbing soothing circles round on Calis back.

“It will be hard, but nothing is impossible, men of Gondor will buy from you even if you are a woman, you fought through everything to help your father, I know you can do this when you are ready to do it.” Fuin sat with her still, "You are a smith, it's in your blood I've seen your eyes light up when you are working the metal. Do not make yourself suffer needlessly for a ghost of the past. You would not tell Eowyn she could not ride to war, do not tell yourself you can not do this. You can. You are doing it and doing it well. Your work will always speak louder than any fool that thinks what hangs between his legs somehow makes him able to decide what makes a great smith."

Steward of Gondor
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Calithildis (Cali)
Dringolben Residence, on the outskirts of Dol Amroth. In the forge building.


Cali sat quietly, wiping at her eyes now and then. It was difficult, telling about her father and her brothers, but at last she had let the tears flow without much hindrance, and now there was a relief in that, at least. Sharing some knowledge about her family had been of some help to her, in a way. It didn’t take away the pain of the losses she’d suffered, but sharing it with someone who understood, who wasn’t already feeling pain from the same loss; it was a new feeling. It occurred to her that, having lived as long as she must have, Fuin must have lost a lot of loved ones over time, besides just Cala and her brother, and therefore, understood most of how Cali felt. Though, of course, there was some part of this that she doubted anyone could fully understand.

Listening to the elf, Cali wiped her eyes again, nodding slightly. "Yes, I suppose, if Cala was able to make them respect her, then.. I could do the same, eventually. Perhaps, one day, Gondor will remember that Dringolben women are just as good smiths as any of their men.” She smiled softly, wondering about that… was it really possible? By rights, she ought to be in her own forge, in the White City. But at the moment, it felt far too painful to even think about going back to Minas Tirith, and to her father’s forge. To think of being there, where she had grown up and suffered her tragic losses, and to have to actually be confronted with the fact that her father was no longer there.. She didn’t know if she could do it. How her mother managed to stay in that city was beyond her; Cali hadn’t set foot through the gates since the evacuation, before the war.

“I could work here at this forge, and make things… we could sell them without anyone even knowing, at first. Then, when they learn that it was I who made them… perhaps that would show them that I’m just as good as any man.” She added thoughtfully, reminding herself that this forge was just as good, and held far fewer memories that would be painful to have to face. She could do that. In fact, she had been doing something similar; having Iuldir make what he could (with Cali doing a large portion of the work and finishing touches) and then letting Iuldir sell the wares as his own, claiming he’d learned from his grandfather. Cali could make far better and more difficult things and let folks make their own assumptions at the first, only letting them learn the truth once they had tested and tried the products and knew them to be well-made. Then, surely they couldn’t try to claim that she didn’t do good work.

“I just... I never really thought much about making a name for myself,” She explained. “I intended, when Iuldir begged me, to merely teach him so he could carry on our family’s legacy. I planned to teach him as long as it took, always keeping in the shadows, myself, but let him grow into the name our family has been so proud of for generations." She stared thoughtfully at the forge, considering the idea, then looked up at Fuin. "I suppose I must eventually share the secret with Ivornith. But… Iuldir was so excited today, I didn't want to take anything away from him. It...it might be a while before I can make it known, even to Ivornith, that it was I who taught him in the beginning."

She smiled slightly, thinking of her nephew. “He’s come a long way, you know. He’s learned so much in such a short time. I think, before, he was more excited about being able to bring in some income to help his mother than anything, but now he’s come up with this idea to help his friend, and I’m very proud of him. I hope he will become as good or better than his father, or my father. Especially my father..” She sighed softly, then added, “Sometimes, he reminds me a great deal of Ryn.” She gave a sad smile. “He was always getting into some sort of mischief… but he was always willing to help others, and do things for his family and friends, and he could always find someway to cheer up a friend, and…” She paused, swallowing the lump down. “Iuldir is very much like his uncle.”
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

High Lord of Imladris
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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.

@Rillewen

Fuin sat quietly. “I am certain you can, you’ve already made a name for yourself even if they thought it was your fathers name. I was taught by your family nothing is impossible even when I was quite sure something was impossible.” She said with a small smile. “Cala's little brother taught me that much, and even though he proved me wrong, I don't think even Cala being able to work on her own and being so busy she had no time for me made me prouder than being proved wrong. You are Iuldirs first teacher, you will always be special to him.” Fuin glanced around the forge so silent at this hour yet every item in here had been touched by someone Cali cared about, built by a legacy that was beyond her own imaginings had been until Fuin had arrived.

“But you don’t need to be content with that if it’s not all that you want.” Perhaps it was and Fuin was pushing because she saw so much of Cala, but she’d seen something she was certain of it,. There was something more; there was some longing that she had given up on as a dream never to be had or seen. She spoke of telling Ivornith eventually and she nodded.

“You don’t have to tell everyone immediately indeed Iuldir was very happy with his news today." Fuin sat listening to her talk about what he already could do what he's done how much he is willing to help people and she could not help but smile. "I didn't know Ryn but I knew Rada, and they were a lot alike. This may seem strange since you are his teacher, but, if you need help telling Ivornith, ask him. He's smart he'll help you without a second and if you thought he was excited about his own news." Fuin shook her head a small smile still playing on her face. "I would bet a mithril helm that Iuldir will be as excited if not more so to help you share your secret and tell the whole world how wonderful a smith you are and that you were his teacher."

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Cali listened quietly, and nodded thoughtfully as Fuin told her she could do more, that didn't need to be content with just being in the background. Having heard now about her ancestor, Cali began to think that perhaps she could change people's opinions. Though her father had always told her that smithing was a man's trade, she could prove wrong anyone who dared say a woman couldn't do as well. Iole had once called her very brave, though Cali didn't really feel that way. She remembered her friend saying that, and worrying that if anyone found out, that her family's business could be ruined. But would it? Cali figured she could stand to learn a great deal more than she already did, but she knew that she did good work, and that she had learned more from her father than he could have guessed.

And it did bother her, deep down, to have to keep quiet and let others take the credit. Not that she wanted to boast of her own skills, but it had been very tough always letting everyone think her father made everything. All the work she did, she had to tell everyone it was his work. Cali couldn't help remembering how difficult it had been not to say anything when, giving Unalmis the set of armor she had specially designed to accommodate his injured shoulder, he had complimented her dad's work and ingenuity. It hadn't been merely hard; it had even hurt a little to have to let another take credit for that. For her idea, and her design and her work.

"Perhaps..." She agreed softly, thinking on all of those things. "I will think on it." She promised, still a bit hesitant. "I don't..know if I feel ready to tell the world, yet... but, at least if Ivornith knows, it will require a lot less bribery in regards to Rissy." She said with a small smile. "I have to buy her a new doll next time I go anywhere that I can get one, as a reward for doing so well at keeping quiet. I honestly didn't expect her to be able to..." She smiled, thinking about Iuldir. It was true, he did seem confused when Cali made him promise not to tell anyone. He seemed as if he was pleased to have an aunt so 'amazing' as to be able to do such things. Cali didn't feel like she was amazing, but perhaps she'd come to be something of a role model for her nephew. She wasn't sure she was worthy of such a high honor, but she did agree with Fuin; Iuldir would be more than happy to spread the word about her, once she was ready to tell.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

She nodded. “I had wondered how you had kept her quiet on it, someone her age is quite the liability when it comes to secrets like that.” Fuin said with a chuckle. “And Ivornith is a good start I think, and it is probably better that it comes from you, than it comes from Rissy slipping.” Fuin tried to imagine what the lady of the house would be like should she discover such a secret had been entrusted to a toddler and not her. Indeed Fuin could not see that ending well, she could see that bothering Ivornith greatly, she was kind and she was smart.

“I do not think that that would end well at all if she were the one to let it slip.” Fuin said calmly, “I have already softened the blow already, I caught how she looked at me when I said the first smith of your house was a woman.” Fuin mused. “I was surprised she did not circle back to it after Iuldir had interrupted me to tell her about his smithing apprenticeship. I could see the question on her face as plain as my ears mark me an elf." Fuin shook her head, the forge was far cooler now that it was night and the coals were out even if the heat from the forge bed kept the small building warmer longer. "I expect eventually I will have questions to answer there relating to that especially if she remembers in the next day or so before work."

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Cali smiled faintly at that. "Ivornith was indeed surprised, but she had no reason to argue the matter; she wouldn't have known one way or another." She pointed out. "If you had told that to my father, on the other hand..." She trailed off, sighing, and thought about all the times she had heard her father state that smithing was a man's work, and though he had answered her millions of questions, he had told her she ought to run along and stop spending so much time around the forge, as it wasn't a place for a little girl to play. But the place had been fascinating to Cali as a child, and since that was where her daddy and big brothers were, she'd wanted to be there with them. Then as she got older, she had spent time there while Ryn was learning the ropes, unknowing that she, too, was learning it all for herself.

Cali wondered, if he were alive, what Ryn might say about all this. She had, since he died, tried to keep from letting her thoughts linger overmuch on him, but it was something she had briefly wondered about periodically, only to push such thoughts to the back of her mind. Now she let herself wonder about it for just a moment. She didn't quite know how what his opinion might be about it, but she couldn't help hoping that it was something he would have been pleased about. That led to something she hadn't thought about in a long time... a time when she was young..younger than Iuldir was, and she had pleaded and pestered her father until he finally relented. Despite multiple arguments that smithing wasn't for girls, he had helped her to make something. Granted, she'd only done a few minor things; hammering a bit at the anvil (and doing so exactly as her father said to do) and a few other small things. And the only reason he let her was because she kept reminding him that all of her brothers had been allowed to do at least that much at a much younger age, and that it wasn't fair not to let her, too. Though he had done most of the work, she remembered how very pleased she had been to have made something herself, and had run to show off to Ryn.

Ryn had been delighted to learn that she had somehow, against all odds, convinced her dad to let her make something. He'd been thrilled for her. And he had also dragged her along to go run and show all of their friends and proudly announce to them that Cali had made it, with father's help. She smiled faintly, remembering how he had spoken of how fun it would be if they could both learn to do that stuff, and maybe someday could work the forge together, just as they did everything together. That memory had been forgotten until just now... they were so young, and all they'd had to worry about then was whether they got in trouble for the countless mischief Ryn always found for them to get into.

The thought of it made her feel a bit better; knowing that Ryn would have been proud of her for doing this. While they couldn't fulfil the dream of working together in the forge, as he had spoken of that day, he would, of course, always remain in her thoughts and in her heart. That was the only time she'd been given any opportunity to do anything in the forge, that her father knew about. She didn't know why she hadn't remembered it until now, either, but it was a good memory, one to cherish... partly because of how Ryn had reacted. She smiled faintly, holding onto that memory as she looked up at Fuin. "Can I show you something?" She asked softly, thinking of something she'd like the elven smith to see.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

They sat in quiet for a while after Cali had said that if she’d said such a thing about the first smith in the family to the young womans father. He would of course be the sort to tell a grandmaster smith that was a woman that a forge was no place for a girl. Fuin would probably have laid the man out in all honesty, the Fuin that had known Cala would have done the same by the end having learned enough from Fuin to know what she could get away with and if it hadn’t been for Cala she probably would have laid the smith out the first time she’d met Cali’s ancestor. In fact Cala had threatened one persons nose with a set of tongs at least once while Fuin had been there in the back watching quietly proud of her former apprentice all those years ago.

She smiled as well for a moment. Both of them lost in their own fantastic memories from their pasts. What memory it was for Cali Fuin wasn’t sure but Cali did finally speak again it was asking to show her something. Fuin gave a small smile and a nod, not sure what she was going to see but she was excited about it. Cali was quite secretive about many things so she hoped this was an excellent step in the right direction for her.

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Calithildis (Cali)
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Trying to dry her eyes, Cali stood and went to where she had stored the aprons and things. There were worn, old gloves and other things which were seen upon first opening the door. She dug back further, past all of these, to where a little wooden box was stashed. Cali had stashed her treasures where she felt they would be safest...hidden among things which would seem uninteresting to thieves. Inside the box were two items...one, Fuin had described to her earlier, but that was not the one she wanted to show the elf. Taking the other item from the box, Cali smiled slightly down at it, then carried it over to Fuin, holding out a simple cloak pin* to her.

It was in the shape of a half-circle, with a star on one side of the arch, and polished to shine except where the metal had been purposely twisted to make it look nice. There, only the edges of the twist were polished, leaving the rest dark. On a smooth surface that was bent upward to catch the end of the pin and hold it closed, there was etched a symbol which looked like several overlapping initials. Cali knew that Fuin would not recognize the significance of this, but it certainly held much significance to Cali.

Cali stood quietly while the elf looked it over, wondering what she might think of it, and curious as to what she might say about the pin.


*like this, but with a star on the smooth side above the clasp, and the overlapping initials on the little flap that catches the pin. And it’s polished, as described.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

She waited patiently as Cali slipped over to where the aprons and gloves where stored and pulled out a small box and brought something from it to her. She took the cloak pin in her hand and looked it over. The shape she recognized immediately as the makers mark of the house simplified into a pin and it brought a smile to her face. She ran her fingers over the design feeling its evenness and it’s strength. She worked the pin portion a few times the steel was hardened nicely and held its shape but still gave enough to function as it should.

She turned it back over to look close at the engraving on the star and was confused by it. She Could pick out multiple letters but only could place two initials at her first guess which were for Cali and her brother Ryn, whom the young woman had seemed incredibly fond of. She ran her finger over it and the polish of it not knowing who else the initials might be for but smiled.

“It’s well crafted, did you make it?” She asked honestly impressed, Cali at this point if she had would be no elfs apprentice. Not because she didn’t have the skills for it but because as far as Fuin was concerned - she had already far surpassed the title of apprentice, and very likely in the forge of Imladris would be working towards becoming a Mastersmith right now given what Fuin knew about her work on armor and weapons though she’d not seen any from the girl, if this was a taste of what she could do… Cali was in no need of help beyond perhaps the odd bit of instruction on more advanced things and perhaps the confidence to call things her own.

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Cali smiled a bit, then shook her head in reply to the question. "My brother made that, it was the first thing that he ever made entirely on his own, without any help. He was..." She paused to think for a moment. "Just a bit older than Iuldir is now, I think. It was a birthday gift for me. He designed it and everything." She added, feeling rather proud of her brother for having done all of that on his own.

Having seen the puzzlement on Fuin's face as she examined the etching, Cali couldn't help a tiny smile. She lightly touched the initials. "That was our secret symbol, for the five of us... Ryn and our friends, I mean." She explained, holding back a sigh; she missed the others tremendously sometimes. She had missed them ever since that tragic day when Ryn died... they had still been there, only Cali wasn't there, in spirit. Not really. And then she'd been too busy working at the forge to give herself any time to relax and see her friends, and before long... she began to feel like she was no longer part of their group. Now, they seemed to have all gone their separate ways, and it was strange because when they were growing up, they were all inseparable. Cali tried her best not to think too much about Nal, knowing he was also in the service of the rangers now. Same as Ryn had been. And anyone who knew that boy would know to worry about him. Best not to think about that.

Instead she tried to keep her thoughts focused on the present. Fuin had asked if she had made this, and she wondered if perhaps she ought to show her some of the things she did make. "I only have a few things here which I made," She explained, hesitating a bit. "Most of that which I've made was sold...a few were given to my friends, before they.. ran off into unknown danger." She frowned, wishing those boys had never gone on that adventure. If only she could have talked them out of it... At least, as far as she knew, Trev wasn't dead or anything, but she wished he had stayed in Minas Tirith. "If you'd like to see some of my work, I still have a few things around here?"
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen


Fuin handed the pin back to Cali, curious about what danger Cali was referring to exactly. The Rangers perhaps? At least now with the fall of Mordor it was far less dangerous to be a ranger than it had been a few years ago even. Or perhaps it had been before the war. That seemed like it would be known danger though so Fuin simply nodded, not wanting to pry on something that was sensative, having finally heard what had happened to Ryn the brother that seemed to be the closest in age to Cali.

“It is a masterfully made pin I would love to see some of your work even if you only have a few pieces left,” She smiled “I’ve seen Iuldirs it would be good to see some of yours.” She chuckled a little at that that she had seen perhaps everyone elses work in the family other than Cali’s so far. She hoped though that her thoughts on the pin, which had been forged by her brother carried over to her work. Considering how hard and steady she had worked on the spokes for the wheel chair, she had little doubt that she would have a good amount of carry over in terms of technique.

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Cali took the pin back, gazing at it for a moment. She could feel the tears threatening to return, but was resolved not to let them. She had already cried enough for one night. It was nice to hear Fuin complement her brother's work, and almost wished she'd had some of his later work with her. The partially finished sword, for instance, which Cali had finished and given to Nal. If she hadn't given it to him, she would have kept it and cherished it, and could have now showed it to Fuin... but it had been fitting to give it to Ryn's best friend. She wondered if the weapon had served him well thus far, and hoped so.

After carefully putting her pin back in its hiding place for safekeeping, Cali took a moment to cover the box up again. She wore the pin sometimes, but kept it where it wasn't likely to get lost, or, if in the unlikely event a thief decided to rob their house, it wouldn't be discovered among what little valuables they had in the house. Out here among old leather aprons and tools that no one would look twice at, she figured it was far safer. The pin was as valuable to Cali as the marking tool was to the entire family, and she kept them together.

Having stowed her treasure away alongside the one which Fuin had once given to her ancestor, Cali went to a chest that was pushed off to the side of the workshop, out of the way of everything. After blowing the dust off the top, she opened it and brought out a few various things which she'd made, among them a few weapons, and a couple of different pieces of armor, both leather and metal, and laid them out for Fuin to see. She felt a bit self-conscious about her work, though she had no reason to be. Some of these were things she had made back when she was doing the work in her father's stead, back in Minas Tirith. Others she had made more recently, using this forge, and all were just as well-made or better than what her father might have done in his better days.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

She looked at the armor and the weapons her fingers tracing over the handle and pummel of one of the swords and then over the leather armor that was there. She lifted it up and looked it over checking stitching and riveting as well as the hardening of the leather into form.

“These are excellent Cali” Fuin said softly, “If your brothers excellence was the pin,” She said as she lifted out one of the metal pieces of armor it was heavy, but not needlessly so the angles and curves of it exquisite and made to deflect a blade away from the wearers vital organs no matter how dead on the blow. “These pieces are yours, I honestly could not call you an apprentice or even a journeyman under me.” She said calmly.

“At the very least you are a smith, by your own right and hand, perhaps even a Mastersmith, and all I can do for you is show you a few tricks and things to make life easier for you because I’ve done this long enough.” Fuin said absolutely serious as she set the armor back down, “If anything when you come out as a smith, should you do that you will have them accusing you of having stored your fathers works to pawn off as your own until they realize there is now way that you could hide as much work as you likely will do”

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Cali looked down, a bit shy at the compliment, and unsure she really deserved such high praise as all that. "Thank you, though I'm not sure I'd consider my work to be that good..." She shrugged slightly, then paused at the one thing Fuin said. "The pin was not by far Ryn's finest work." She felt it important that was known. "He did much more than that... that was merely the first thing he did entirely on his own." She considered a moment, then added, "He was making a sword..." She sighed, trying not to feel regretful at having given it to Nal. "I wish I could show it to you. That was...a lovely thing. It was lightweight, a bit smaller than the typical swords I would see them making for the army, but so beautifully made.. I finished it.. and gave it to one of his closest friends, who had need of a sword like that. It seemed fitting, I suppose."

She nodded at Fuin's mention of how people would probably think she was trying to pass her father's work off as her own. "I suppose that is a risk," She agreed, having already thought of that possibility. "There will be some who would think that." That was another reason she hesitated to consider losing the secrecy. "Though, of course... if I do ever make it publicly known that I'm making the things, if anyone tried to accuse me of that, I could always let them watch me make it and then dare them to say I didn't." She added with a small smile. Let them dare. When Cali was ready for that, she would prove to the naysayers that she was just as good as anyone. But was she ready? She still felt nervous at the very thought of it. And she definitely wanted to let Ivornith know before anyone else, as she was family.

After a moment of thinking on those things, Cali picked up a bracer from the things which she had laid out. It was very basic, made of leather with nothing fancy on it, but it was quite stiff and marginally heavier than what one might expect of a leather bracer. Hesitating, she handed it to Fuin to inspect a bit closer. "This was..um, one of the first pieces I did like this, but... well, I had this idea to make the leather armor a bit more..protective." She mentioned. "It's only a little bit heavier than the regular kind, but...I stitched a very, very thin plate of metal in between the layers of leather.. the edges filed of course so it doesn't cut through the leather or the stitching. That particular one isn't all that great, of course. As I said, it was sort of..a prototype? But... I've been trying to think of ways to improve the armor so that it's more effective." She explained.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

She wanted very much to shake Cali until she accepted that indeed she was an excellent smith and that she was worthy of praise but she had a feeling that that wasn’t about to happen even if she did shake her. Especially as she spoke about the sword that she had finished and given to one of his friends. "If he needed the sword it is better in his hands than before my eyes." She mentioned casually before she blinked as Cali commented about daring them to say she didn't do the work as they watched her forge. It made her smile, yes indeed there was that spirit she'd seen in Cala, the clearly had been passed down through the generations even if it had been a long time since women had been running the family forges. She was pleased

When she was handed a leather bracer, she’d seen it and had figured it was some of her early work it wasn’t quite a nicely crafted as the others. This made her question why she was being handed this particular piece that wasn't as fine as some of her other work but she noticed the added weight and was very quickly informed why.

Fuin looked at it, and understood then why the work was not as polished. It was a test piece to see if it would work. Fuin looked it over, indeed it wasn’t that much heavier then a normal leather bracer but a thin plate of metal between the layers of leather… that was.

She was a little jealous that she hadn’t thought of it honestly and then she felt proud for Cala. That woman in whatever hall of men she was sitting in would be looking at the two of them and elbowing all the other male smiths of her line going ‘SEE THAT”S MY GIRL!!!!’ That was something Cala would do and if Cala wasn’t, Rada would be. Probably slapping the nay sayers with his wooden archer arm to boot.

“It’s brilliant Cali. Have you tested it against a standard bracer?” Fuin asked wanting to know just how much more effective it was.

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Cali paused to consider how to answer that, smiling faintly. "Myself; no. I mean, I tried, a little, but I'm not entirely sure the best way to go about something like that..." She explained, as that wasn't really something her father had done a lot of; inventing new designs and things that needed to be tested. "I..did, however, make a complete set like this for a couple of friends. I was told they held up rather well in battle, and I'd consider that quite a field test, if anything is." She smiled faintly.

"I also didn't exactly have much chance to try and further testing before I learned what they were up to." She added with a sigh. "But... one of those friends, I assume still uses that armor.. he is in the rangers, last I heard anyway. If you happen to see a rather..clumsy or lost young man wearing a ranger uniform, it's probably him." She added with a light laugh. "Or if he's involved in some sort of chaos..." She added thoughtfully, shaking her head a little.

That led her to think of another thing, and she dug into the chest again, this time pulling out a folded paper. "I..actually, well. I designed some special armor for him, due to an injury he'd sustained... it seems to work alright, but, perhaps you'd like to take a look? I'd welcome any suggestions you might have to improve it. I had a little trouble figuring it out for a while, but then.. I think I came up with a solution. There might be a better one though.." She offered the paper with the sketched-design of the armor she had made a while back, which had helped him survive through that battle which might otherwise have been deadly.

She pointed out the different aspects, unsure how clear her sketching was. "He is unable to lift his arm past this point," She demonstrated, "So I added like, a sort of um..pulley thing, so that he can use this arm to pull the other one up, sort of to defend himself if needed, or just if he needs to raise his arm for some reason." She paused to try and think of what else, as it had been a while since she made this, "And, with a bit of extra protection here, to cover the weak shoulder.. and then of course the whole thing has the hidden metal under the leather.. all while still being made to look like a standard ranger uniform... That was a tough one, I will admit." She paused, thinking. "I might be leaving something out, it's been a while since I made this... sometime before the war."
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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She frowned slightly at the thought of testing something in the field though it couldn’t possibly be worse than a standard leather bracer so she supposed it made sense. “If the ranger wearing it approves you can’t possibly get higher praise than that, and I have seen a number of clumsy young men in armor about Minas Tirith.” Fuin snorted "I am sadly not sure that that is specific enough to an elf, most younger men are not... graceful in any way." She said with a nod before she took the piece of paper that was offered with a drawing of what seemed to be the most complicated leather armor she had ever seen.

She frowned trying to understand just the complexities of this armor and was astounded by them. She wasn’t sure she approved of helping someone stay in the rangers with limited motion that could prove deadly if whatever operated that pulley to raise the arm fully was severed leaving the man and those with him exposed needlessly. It was not her place to criticize that though, she was here to help with teaching them to smith, but she was a soldier, and knew the dangers of that. The ranger in question also likely did and had probably felt confident as long as he had the armor.

“It is not a design I would have come up with, I must admit, as a soldier I’d have been wary sending someone needing aid to raise their arm into battle even with the aid of the armor but the design itself is flawless.” Fuin said calmly looking it over closely. “I don’t think I could improve on it at all. You are brilliant with your designs.”

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Dringolben Residence, on the outskirts of Dol Amroth. In the forge building.


Cali was a bit surprised by Fuin's words, the fact that she didn't think she could improve on it at all. "Really? I... flawless?" She definitely hadn't expected that, and it meant a lot to her to know she had done so well with something so difficult and complex. "Thank you.." She smiled faintly, though not sure she'd go so far as 'brilliant'. "And.. yes, I agree with you completely on the other matter, but... well, you don't know Nal." She said with a sigh. "He's um..not so much a ranger..as a foolish, headstrong boy who refuses to listen to reason." She explained, rolling her eyes. “I feel sorry for whoever had to train him.”

"Honestly, I think he had little interest in the rangers until he got hurt... then, suddenly he was set on joining... as if, people telling him it would be impossible for him to do it suddenly made him want to do it all the more." She shook her head a bit, not understanding why boys were so dumb and stubborn sometimes. "Iole and I tried all we could to talk him out of it.. I'm sure his father tried..everyone tried. He just...there's no convincing that boy once he sets his mind on something." She sighed. “He and Ryn were so..alike.” She added softly. "Anyway, seeing as nothing could talk him out of it, I made up my mind that he was at least going to have some proper armor..." She frowned. "Armor that wouldn't fail him."
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Rillewen

She smiled as Cali agreed with her about being wary about having someone like...Unalmis as a soldier beside them but had to stop herself from laughing at the comment about people telling him things were impossible simply drove him harder.

“Osse on a rampage, are you sure he’s not related to you? That’s almost word for word what Cala said to her brother when I first met her.” She shook her head. “I suppose encouraging those stubborn traits would have you friends with people equally as stubborn over the years.” Fuin shook her head. “I am glad he has a friend like you that made him armor that would protect him and make it so he could help those around him stay safe.” She said with a chuckle and wondered for a moment if this Nal was the guard that had walked her violently concussed walking corpse of a body up to the House of Healing when she had made it to Minas Tirith months ago. She shook her head no, Cali had said he was a ranger not a guard in the city. Though she supposed sometimes Rangers could be both.

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Calithildis (Cali)
Dringolben Residence, on the outskirts of Dol Amroth. In the forge building.


Cali smiled a bit at that. She felt sure that if she could have met her ancestor, Cala, that they would have gotten along quite well. She shook her head slightly as Fuin asked if she was sure she wasn't related to Nal. "As far as I know, he's not." She said with a small smile. She declined to add that, as kids, Ryn and Nal and Trev had often acted as if they were brothers. And of course, little Toby had always been sort of like a little brother to them all, not just Trev. It was nice that, even though she never saw any of the rest of them anymore, she did at least see him sometimes.

Growing thoughtful on that matter, Cali gathered up the armor pieces and packed them carefully back into the chest, along with the weapons and other things she'd pulled out, careful to avoid putting too much of it on top of a little green bundle down in the bottom corner of the chest. She paused to run a hand lightly over that, then quietly closed the chest and stood, letting her thoughts stray a bit as she returned to sitting by Fuin. There was a reason she kept that bundle in there, close enough to take a look at it once in a while... and also another reason why she kept it hidden, out of sight.

"Nal and Ryn were very close friends.." She mentioned, returning her mind to the conversation. "I couldn't stand it if..if anything were to happen to him too.." She said softly with a small shrug. "And my closest friend, Iole, she rather..likes him, though I never told you that." She added with a tiny smile. "I imagine she'd be devastated if he were hurt again.. or worse." She paused. "And so would I, of course. We were all very close. It's strange, how far apart we've all become.. you know...since Ryn.." She frowned, feeling a different sadness over that. Not the sorrow of grief, but of wistfulness. "Perhaps I'll go back to the city someday, and see if I can find them again."

(OOC: Since I'm talking about your characters a bit here, I thought I might ought to tag you @Ercassie , so you can see :) )
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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She watched as everything was neatly packed away memories too painful to keep out and fresh, mostly because of the loss of her brother but close enough to hold tight when need be. She let out a long breath as Cali explained just how important Nal was to her now that her brother was gone and couldn’t help but smile as she was let in on gossip that she wasn’t allowed to know technically. “Well I suppose I’ll be able to keep that secret, and at least you won’t need to buy me any dolls for my silence.” She said with a chuckle ast they sat in the quiet forge for a while longer.

“I am sure that the armor you made your friend will serve him well, I don’t think Iole will have much to worry about at least when it comes to him and his armor at least. Though if he’s clumsy like you say perhaps we should make a leather armor for him with air bubbles in it so he bounces.” Fuin said with a chuckle. Sure that Cali was in far better shape than she was when Fuin had found her earlier.

“I think though I am ready to go back to sleep, we can work some more tomorrow - I saw that my husband is on his way so we won’t have too much longer I have a feeling that he’s got someone from the House of Healing with him though who I don’t know. So the more work we can get done on the chair and the more I can help teach you what little tricks might help you as well as Iuldir the better.” Fuin said standing slowly "And I would go back to the city, time passes differently for elves because we live forever unless we are killed or choose not to and while the war is over, there are still dangers, you do not know how much time any one has. It took me a very long time to learn that, that letting grief stop you from doing things will wear upon your soul until it has rusted through like armor left in the rain." Fuin headed for the door, a bit of a low point after everything that they'd gone through understanding Cali's wistfulness at the thought of seeing her friends perhaps once more. "I had ages to learn and I still haven't learned fully, it's why I'm in the House of Healing, trying to regain the bits of me lost from clinging to tightly to memories of ghosts and not... Living."

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Calithildis (Cali)
Dringolben Residence, on the outskirts of Dol Amroth. In the forge building.


Cali smiled slightly at Fuin assuring her she could keep the secret. "It really isn't much of a secret, to be honest. I think everyone knows it except for Nal, really." she smiled slightly, recalling Iole's frustration with the rather dense boy she had taken a liking to. Boys in general, Cali always felt, were rather dense anyway. Nal was exceptionally so, she figured, if a girl could kiss him like Iole did and he still didn't figure out that she likes him. She paused to pretend she was seriously considering the air bubble idea, then shook her head. "No, he would pop the bubbles for the pleasure of popping them." She decided, with a light laugh. It definitely felt strange to be laughing after all of the sad emotions she'd dealt with just now.

Cali had, momentarily, forgotten how late it must be by now. Fuin returned it to her attention when she said that it was time to sleep. Though Cali felt slightly surprised to recall that it was, in fact, a time when they ought to be sleeping, she nodded. "I hope you have pleasant dreams, Fuin." She told her, smiling slightly. "And thank you... for listening, and everything." She paused, thinking for a moment as she followed Fuin toward the house. "When you return to the houses.. if you should see my mother, Maeth.. would you tell her that I miss her?" She wanted to ask if she might have seen Iole, but..Cali didn't know if her friend still worked in the houses, as Toby had not seen her, last time she spoke to him. Cali had no idea where to find her friend, as none of her letters had been able to locate Iole.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen

Fuin nodded, she had to agree with Cali's assessment, there was a very good chance that everyone knew to some extent even if they didn't want to really admit that they did know. This Nal though, he was curious as to why he wouldn't know but when Cali stated he'd pop the bubbles in a bubbled set of leather armor she couldn't help but laugh. He was that sort then, even though Cali had not said anything specifically she had said enough that Fuin knew full well what it was that she meant.

Fuin started towards the door nodding as Cali wished her pleasant dreams, she hoped for that as well, the elleth hoped that Cali would have lighter dreams now that she had shared a portion of her grief with someone. She glanced at Cali who was following her back to the house as she asked if Fuin would tell her mother that she was missed.

"I will; I will make sure she hears it rather than if." Fuin said with a smile her fingers finding the door handle to the main house though she didn't open the door quite yet. "I am sure your mother will be happy to hear from you."

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Calithildis (Cali)
Dringolben Residence, on the outskirts of Dol Amroth. In the forge building.


Cali smiled slightly, glad to hear her say that. "We've written letters..." She mentioned, not wanting Fuin to think she hadn't had any contact with her mother. "That's how I knew she had thought of selling the forge... and how she knew how I felt on the matter." She shrugged. "I convinced her to merely rent it, for now." She added. That was another thing; she didn't know if she could stand the sight of some stranger working in her forge. Not only would she have to be confronted with the fact her father was no longer there to do it, but to see a stranger there? She had no idea if the renter was even worthy of the forge, but it was the best solution she could come up with to appease her mother and not lose her forge entirely.

She knew her mother would, indeed, be thrilled to hear from her though, in some other manner besides letters. One day, perhaps, she could make herself come visit her, but not yet. Iuldir and Rissy would soon be going to visit her, and Cali would probably bring them, instead of Ivornith, and then she could see her mother and meet outside the city, hopefully. She still felt very reluctant to venture into the city of her childhood and face all of the memories that awaited her there. And then, also, she remembered, in a few months there would be a faire and it was usually a fun time, especially for children. Cali used to go there every year with her friends, until... the tragedy, of course. But the children, Iuldir and Rissy, would enjoy it there. Cali thought on that, wondering if perhaps she might take them there, and..perhaps, her friends might even be there... she might have a chance soon to reunite with them after all.

(ooc: Seriously though, can't you just imagine Nal playing around, popping bubble wrap just for the fun of it? :lol:
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Present Day.
@Rillewen


Fuin gave a smirk and a nod "I suppose you're right, though I am honestly humored by the thought of her face hearing a hello from you via me if she's the nurse I'm thinking of." Fuin turned. "She will probably think I've completely destroyed the place and corrupted everyone in your family I've come across." After all the Fuin mused to herself she had absolutely developed a reputation at the House of Healing. With that they slipped into the house and Fuin headed to the room she'd been shown to. She was quite certain that it was Rissys room, the bed was short and there were simple toys mostly put away a few rag dolls and the straw mattress

She sat down on the bed and gave a small smile remembering Cala's suggestion the day she'd bought mattresses and bed for all three of them for ther new home Her finger traced over the patchwork quilt the covered the childs bed, there was love in every stitch, something that made Fuin happy considering what the Dringolben family had been when she had first found it, Cala would be proud of everything that her family had done, except perhaps forgetting to teach the women to forge. But she was here to fix that. With that Fuin laid down and stared up at the ceiling until she fell asleep.


The next morning the family was up earlier than even Fuin as use to but she crawled out of bed and helped cook breakfast and clean up afterwards bidding farewell to Ivornith with the rest of the family and promising that she'd make sure that Iuldir was safe while working in the forge today. Once the lady of the house was gone Fuin got a grin on her face, it was time to get back to working on the chair for Caleab - hopefully they would be able to get far more done today perhaps even getting one of the wheels completely finished.

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Calithildis (Cali) and Iuldir


Iuldir could hardly wait to see his mother leave, at last. Of course, it was no secret now that HE was going to get to learn smithing, so he merely had to endure a lot of worried 'don't burn yourself' and 'listen to what Fuin and Cali tell you' and 'You be careful, alright?' sort of things. He thought it would never end. The boy understood that his mother was worried, but he was certain he wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt, he was careful and Cali always made sure he was safe, so there was no reason for his mother to worry! But he endured it anyway, assuring her repeatedly that he'd be careful and listen and all that. Finally, it was time to get to work.

Cali had been rather quiet most of the morning, and once Ivornith left, she ruffled Iuldir's hair and smiled slightly. "Do you need me to tell you a few more times to be careful?" She asked teasingly.
"NO!" He protested, sighing. "Please, can't we get started?" He asked hopefully. "We might even have time to get the whole chair made today!" He grinned.
Cali smiled a little. "Well, you DO need to be careful.." She grinned slightly and then took Rissy up to the loft to keep her out of the way, giving her plenty of toys to keep her occupied, and then went to get her apron. "Iuldir, don't forget your apron." She called, still teasing.
"I'm putting it on now." He rolled his eyes, knowing she was only picking at him.

"Right then," Cali smiled, finishing with her apron strings, and passing Iuldir his gloves. "Shall we finish making all of the spokes, or finish one wheel and then move on to the next?" She asked Fuin.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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@Rillewen


Fuin felt for Iuldir and the excessive amount of be careful and warnings to listen. She had to admit she was not use to apprenticing people quite his age. Most elven parents were more detached, though honestly most elves didn't even think about apprenticing until they were over 50 years old which meant that for the most part they were far more mature than Iuldir was. She was however certain that Iuldir would be safe, and that they would get a good amount of work done.

As the three prepped in the forge, Fuin had to wonder if with how things were changing if Rissy would understand that Cali's secret still needed to be kept. That would be interesting to see she thought as she put on the apron that she had worn the day before and grabbed the gloves which were a bit big on her but not terrible.

Fuin looked over the work that they had done the day before as Cali finished with her apron strings. "We finish the spoke s - we want things to be made as evenly as possible and the best way to do that is to do one side and then the other so that we remember everthing without having to go back and check." She said motioning to the pile of rods that they had already created yesterday. "That said Iuldir, have you ever let the forge?" She asked curious just what he had done and if he needed to learn to do such things not exactly knowing what steps Cali had taught him. She motioned to the small box of tinder and the flint stone wanting to see him start up the forge, a task itself if one didn't know how to do it, and that would be a good enough lesson for day one, normally she'd do more but they needed to get this chair finished.

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Young Mylien (5 years old)
Third Age Dol Amroth
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Her father had not come home, the Knights and her had hoped he would but after a week beyond when he had been suppose to go home they had taken the little girl kicking and screaming and biting for she refused to believe that her father was gone to an orphanage. The Headmaster there had not taken to kindly to the little girl that acted more like a wild beast in an attempt to get away and had said he would make a proper lady out of her so that she could be adopted.

That had not worked and the Headmaster had ended up with a butter knife in his hand before she had run away and never come back after over half a year at the orphanage where she had needed to scrape by on whatever food she could steal as part of her punishments for not behaving or acting like a lady or running to the docks to try to see if her father had come back was missing out on meals. She became incredibly use to going hungry for days at a time so when she was on the streets of Dol Amroth once more, filching the odd apple or loaf of bread was easy and she knew the streets better as well and was able to hide from the Swan Knights that had once been so kind as to let her sleep safe in the guard house which now sought to drag her back less kindly to the orphanage after all these months.

She had found herself a nice small hole down a narrow back alley that hardly anyone could fit down even she had to turn her body sideways a bit to make it through the back alley itself no full grown man could actually get in to her hiding space until it opened up a bit between four buildings there she drug several boards and some scraps of fabric thrown out by those far better off that couldn't make something more out of the ratty linens. Mylien turned them into a bed and the boards into a lean-to wedged between the buildings to keep the rain and the sun off of her. The winter would be cold but she figured she could get more fabric and perhaps some more boards until she had herself a whole enclosed space where she would be able to stay warm in the colder months. She remembered how cold it had been in the orphanage during the winter, the Headmaster too cheap to make sure it was well heated or that the children had good blankets or were well cared for and looking presentable except when the Prince was come around or someone that wanted to possibly adopt a child. And then only the healthiest and calmest were cleaned up and made presentable, the rest were put out to work or in the case of Mylien locked in the basement so she couldn't interrupt the adoption process since she'd done that the first time.

She stood admiring her work with the boards they were angled so that the rain poured hopefully, Mylien was not an engineer after all into the alleyway and ran away from her little home that she had built. She was quite proud of herself, she wished she could show her pa, but a year on she understood that he wasn't coming back, that she was on her own now, and the home that they had lived in was gone, some other lowborn workers lived there now and they had no time for a girl that had once lived there. Times were far too tough for that.

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Calithildis (Cali) and Iuldir


Cali nodded, having thought that plan seemed best, herself. She finished getting her gear on while Iuldir grinned and stepped forward. "Yes, several times." He answered, grabbing the flint stone. He figured that might be something they'd better not tell his mother; she'd probably faint if she knew he was doing all that. But Cali had had him doing this for a while now, and soon he had the forge lit and everything.

Cali smiled a bit, turning to Fuin. "That's one of the first things I taught him. He usually lights it, now, so he gets plenty of practice doing it." She explained. She remembered the first time she'd had to do that herself, and how unsure she'd been about whether she was doing it right. Thankfully, she'd watched her father do it often enough that she was able to draw on her memories and managed to get it done.

"Now what?" Iuldir asked, eager to get started once he had the forge ready to go. "How many more bars do we have to do? Will I do the same thing as yesterday?" He wondered, excited to be getting back to work, even though his arms still ached slightly from all the efforts of the day before. "Do you think we'll be able to finish it today?" He asked, hopeful. "What else will we need, after the metal part's done?"

"It's hard to say, Iuldir. It takes a while to make each part, after all. But we'll see how much we can do today." Cali answered. "As for what else... perhaps we might stretch a piece of leather across to form the seat? It might be more comfortable than metal.. and perhaps to support his back, too?" She suggested, welcome to any better ideas Fuin might have.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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The Outskirts of Dol Amroth
Present Day.
@Rillewen

Fuin smiled and watched as Iuldir lit the forge with a sure and steady hand and nodded approvingly of how Cali had trained him that way. "Excellent, I got to miss him lighting it yesterday." Fuin glanced over the bars they had, they had done eight of them yesterday today they should be able to do another eight easily as they were not going to have to go through the long drawn out process of introductions today.

"The bars we'll finish we may even be able to push to get the smaller wheels done as well today as we'll need a few spokes for them as well though they will take almost no weight they are more for balancing." Fuin said They would be much shorter in fact if they did four long spokes like the did for the big wheels they could probably slice them in half and save a bit of time. As she figured they would only need four spokes each on the smaller wheels if they wanted to be extra sure on them they could do three.

The chair Fuin had been on was wood and a bit rough a stretched leather might be good. "I think leather is a good idea, we can make a out of metal and stitch the leather around the frame work on each side as well as the back. The chair I was in was wooden and a bit harsh to sit on, though it was better than walking I don't think I'd want to sit in it for more than an hour or so. "Cali for the most part you know what Iuldir can do so far in the forge, I am at a bit of a disadvantage that way my first thought would be for him to practice putting metal into the coal bed and getting some work on the bellows in on top of the assitance with the tongs while we're stretching the metal and shaping it. However you would be the one to know if he can do more, I've just promised he won't burn himself or get hurt to his mother." Fuin said a smile tugging on one side of her mouth, indeed Iuldir would likely be a 'swift' student under Fuin, but that was because Cali had put in the work, Fuin had no illusions otherwise.

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Calithildis (Cali) and Iuldir


"Yes, that's about the sort of things he usually does, though sometimes I have him hammer while I hold it and give directions.. or sometimes I'll have him hold the metal while I hammer. I don't know exactly if I'm giving him some jobs he ought not do yet, or if I ought to be having him do some things that he hasn't... I've never actually taught this sort of thing before," She admitted. "It's hard sometimes, trying to remember what all my father had my brothers do as they were learning.. I wasn't there all of the time, and some of what I remember may be a bit off as far as how old they were when they did this or that." She explained. "So, I've mostly been just having him aid me and letting him do different things when the opportunity arises and I think he seems like he'd be capable."

Iuldir retrieved the tongs, waiting for the word on putting metal into the fire, and nodded in agreement with what his aunt said. "I've done a lot of different jobs." He said proudly. "We've made lots of things, and she lets me help as much as possible." He was eager to show that he knew plenty, though wasn't sure if he knew quite as much as he thought he did. When they told him to go ahead, he carefully moved the metal into the fire just as Cali had shown him how to do, and then stepped back to wait. The waiting was definitely the hardest part of all of this.
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Parting the Shadows
Belfalas
(many years ago)
~ ~

It was the butterflies fault, she thought glumly, from her current perch on a long fallen tree branch. The branch sat at the edge of a meadow, and where a few hours ago the grass had been lushly green spotted with effervescent colour of the wild flowers under a brilliant sun, as the dusk had fallen the world had become a colourless grey and a bite of cold had crept through the breeze.

Shivering slightly she wrapped her slender arms close, and tried to chafe some warmth back into her body. Mama was going to be so mad, was the next realisation to flit across her young mind, as she eyed her surroundings warily. The eaves of the wood that she had run happily through under the dappled sunlight felt much different in the deepening darkness; twisted and gnarled, the trees seemed to crouch menacingly, just waiting to pounce on an unwary traveller.

Mama had always said she shouldn’t go into the wood on her own, not until she was older, and Papa had promised to give her more lessons in woodcraft; but she’d seen the brilliant butterfly dancing at the edge of the forest that bordered the lands about their home and she’d just wanted to get a little closer. She hadn’t meant to lose sight of the house, but every time she’d approached, it fluttered just a little further away, and she’d chased unthinkingly after it, until they’d burst out into this bright meadow. Running and dancing, she’d played with the butterfly, laughing until her sides hurt as it flitted this way and that. And then she’d been so tired, she thought she’d just close her eyes for a moment before making her way home, the bright sun making her so drowsy. When she’d woken, she’d been so confused to find the sun had already made its own way home, and left her alone in this strange meadow, that she hadn’t known what to do.

Biting her lip, she looked about her once more. But the shadows under the trees seemed to have deepened, and though she’d spent some time with Papa in the woods, so excited to be along on a real adventure, there was still so much she didn’t know. After all what if she got turned around, and instead of walking across the wood, she ended up only walking deeper into the trees, never to be seen again? Brushing her long, dark hair behind her ear, she firmed her young shoulders. No, she decided, it would be foolish to get herself more lost, the best thing to do was to wait for Papa to find her, for she was sure he would already have started looking when she wasn’t home for dinner.

Wait .. was that? The shout that came from the wood followed by the long, low whistle, made her heart jump with relief. “Papa” she shrieked, almost jumping up and down as they traded whistles and calls back and forth before the figure of a strong, tall man strode from the wood. Papa had been a Ranger in Ithilien, and he knew everything there was to know about adventuring in the woods. Her slender body crashed into her Papa as she threw her arms about him, squeezing him as tightly as possible.

“There you are, we’ve been worried about you”, the deep rumble of his voice made her feel so safe as he knelt down to her level and wrapped her up in a big hug. “I’m so sorry Papa, I didn’t meant to, I promise, but the butterfly was so pretty and I was all lost and alone, and the wood looked so scary in the dark and I didn’t know what to do, but I knew you’d find me”, the words poured out of her in a rush, and though she tried to be a big girl and not cry, her voice trembled just a little on the last words. “None of that now, daughter” he answered with a kind look, “there’ll be time for explanations when we get you home, Mama will be anxious if we take much longer. But first, let’s get you properly attired.”

She looked down in wonder as he wrapped a belt around her, a small knife already nestled in the sheath. Confused she could only blink her wide grey eyes, she’d thought maybe Papa would scold her for being so foolish, not that she’d get such a lovely gift. “You’ll need a lot of lessons to use this, but clearly it’s time I taught you a few more skills, just remember with a knife at your side, there’s a lot you can do even if you’re feeling lost and scared and far away from home. For now, just remember you’re never alone.” With a kiss on the forehead, and another tight hug, Papa rose to his feet, and taking her hand tight in his, they made their way home through the woods.

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Present Day.
@Rillewen

Fuin nodded "Sounds like he's got quite the skill set already I don't think anything you've said is something that he shouldn't be doing. Though we will need to likely only pick a few things that he's learned today so that his mother won't get too suspicious." Looking at Iuldir, "I think him knowing how to do everything day one even with an elven instructor would be a bit much for her to believe, especially since we've promised he'll learn to do this safely." She said motioning for Iuldir to help with the bellows while they waited for the metal to heat.

They worked quickly and efficiently with Fuin taking over the moving of the metal so that it could be a more efficient as they worked to get the spokes of the wheels all finished. Fortunately with Iuldir's secret being known to Ivornith they were able to work without fear of being caught in the forge or pushing closer to when Ivornith returned Cali would be watching so it would make sense for her to be in the forge watching so that she could make sure the Iuldir was safe while Fuin was away and still practicing.

They managed to finish off all the spokes for the wheels in a decent amount of time so that they were able to start in on the center hub for the first of the big wheels.

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Young Mylien (5 years old)
Third Age Dol Amroth


She'd gotten her hand rapped more than once trying to take food over the last few weeks, the merchants in the market had figured her out and she was there thieving too often from them. She was eyeballing one table but when she looked at the stall owner his eye was already fixed on her even as her stomach grumbled loudly at having not eaten in a few days, something she had not been use to for a while. She headed away from the crowded market too many eyes on her that knew what she was who she was she wandered through the Merchants quarter absentmindedly until she found herself standing in front of her old home. She stood for a moment leaning against the neighbours house. A family lived there now. A mum a pa, and two children, who were busy working helping their parents with the catch of the day. She bit her lip, she didn't really remember her mum at all, would she have known to keep him from going out during that storm?

Possibly. Mylien hadn't a clue a storm was coming, he should have though shouldn't he have? Did he leave on purpose? Was she too much trouble that he just left? Did mum leave the same way? She didn't even know, she'd been too young, she thought she was dead but then her father was suppose to be too... but the more she thought of it, what fisherman would go out into a storm knowingly? She sank down into the dirt defeated her little shelter was the only thing she had now. All it would take is some skinny mean urchin to find it and it would be gone to, she dug her fingers into the dirt trying to keep her mind off of everything anything. She didn't even realize tears were streaming down her face silently watching something that she could never have as far as she was aware. She was a dirty rotten orphan that nobody wanted that had been made clear enough to her at the orphanage. Her eyes finally stung and she took in a shaky breath and scrubbed her face hard with the back of her arm smearing dust and tears across her cheeks and eyes. This had been a bad idea and it hadn't gotten her anywhere. She stood up she needed to take care of herself. Nobody else was going to. With one last sniffle she headed towards the docks. Perhaps she could get work there, helping carry fish of boats or maybe on a ship, she was small and could fit places others couldn't perhaps she could fix things on the ship if they taught her.

The first step towards to docks was terrifying she had quit going there long enough ago now because she had finally given up on her pa coming back. But her feet knew the way even if her mind was hesitant on it.

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Calithildis (Cali) and Iuldir


Cali smiled a bit, nodding. "We can tell her he worked the bellows mostly." She said, thinking. "And handed us tools... and observed a lot." She tried to remember the sort of things she'd done to help her father, since he wouldn't let her do any actual training like her brothers, she'd done a lot of 'helping' by passing tools and running to get things for the men. "I have a feeling Ivornith wouldn't be too pleased if we tell her he's already handling hot metal with the tongs, and lighting the forge and all of that stuff." She added, guessing about how well that would go over. One day, perhaps, Ivornith would realize that Iuldir was not a small child like Rissy anymore, and didn't need to be protected quite as much as she seemed to think. Yet, at the same time, Cali could sort of understand, after all.. seeing as the woman had lost a great deal of people who were close to her, she might fear that she would lose her son as well.

After they had worked for a long while, Cali stepped back, wiping her forehead with a rag and admired their work. "They look quite night, don't you think?" She asked Iuldir, smiling. He grinned, nodding. "I can't wait for it to be done. How much more do you think we lack, Aunt Cali?" He wondered, trying to imagine what it would all look like. All he saw now were a lot of metal bars, that looked very nice, but were clearly not a wheel yet.
"First we have to finish the wheels, I'd imagine, and then.." She glanced at Fuin. "You've seen one of these finished, what do you think?" She wondered. "Wheels first, then frame?"
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Fuin frowned slightly. "Alright the bellows and tools and watching makes sense, but he is learning to start up the forge as well, Ivornith will need to accept that he is learning to use fire to shape metal, he can't practice that without me here if he doesn't know how to start the forge properly and safely." Fuin said calmly. "I can take the heat from his mother on that one" Fuin leaned back as they finished for the day relaxing in the forge building. "Tomorrow we can say he's been practicing working with tongs and metal putting cold metal into the forge for me that way he can start learning to use tongs which takes a good bit of practice." She said calmly. Indeed she didn't think that such a thing would be horribly dangerous learning to start a fire was excellent survival knowledge even if starting a coal fire was much harder. Moving cold metal with tongs was not dangerous at all so she doubted his mother would have any issues with that.

Fuin looked over the pieces that they had already worked on yes it was a lot of bars, and the makings of a central hub for one of them. "Wheels then the frame." She nodded, she'd seen one of these chairs yes but she had not seen it being built but that seemed to be the most sensible method of building it. Perhaps if they could get everything done she'd be able to make suggestions to the House of healing that perhaps the forge of Dringolben could make improved chairs for them if the chairs worked, Fuin would likely see if the Abad Nestad of Imladris might get a few wheelchairs as well for patients though there were fewer and fewer these days which would be a good way to help keep the small forge afloat in terms of keeping the family fed, clothed, and the forge stocked with what it needed to run.

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Calithildis (Cali) and Iuldir


"Oh, yes. Good point," She agreed, having forgotten about that.. that she couldn't very well say that she was lighting it, once Fuin was gone. This was new to her, letting Ivornith know about things, when she was used to keeping it all completely secretive. She found it slightly amusing, the wording Fuin used, about taking the heat... but didn't comment. Smiling faintly, she looked over their work so far. "Are you paying attention to that, Iuldir?" She wondered. "What you're learning today, as far as your mother is concerned?"
"Yes." He grinned. "I'll try not to mention anything else. But can I do some of the hammering?" He asked, hopefully. "Please? I won't tell mother I did."

Cali paused, considering that, and glanced at Fuin, wondering what she might say about it. Personally, she was a bit torn; on one hand, he had done some hammering before, and she could guide him on how to strike and when, and at what angle and such.. It would make him feel he was doing more of the actual work, probably, yet on the other hand, if they were busy working and couldn't direct him, and he messed up, there might be a flaw they might not be able to work out of the finished product... "He's done a bit of hammering before, but usually as I'm telling him how and when," She told Fuin, so she would have some idea what he'd done before in that regard. "What do you think?"
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Fuin gave a small shrug, they were still working on the one hub and honestly she doubted the child could actually hit it hard enough that he'd miss shape it between her and Cali both hammering as well. "I don't see a problem with it, the hub is thick enough that it will hold the heat long enough to give instruction." She didn't add that she doubted he had an arm strong enough to move the thicker heavy metal that would be making up the hub enough that a simple shift of where the hub was by herself or Cali or a good strong strike from either of them couldn't undo any work that he did in one strike.

She'd been proven wrong before though by this family, and she had been smart enough back then to not say it was impossible. She wasn't about to break her streak of not saying things were impossible and then having them happen. "Alright we'll get this hub finished, Cali can tell you when to strike between her and I and we'll get it done even faster." Honestly it wasn't going to be faster, it would be slower, children and animals tended to make things slower however part of teaching children to do this sort of thing was having patience with said child. She pulled the orange hot piece of metal from the forge and set it on the forge ready to be struck to keep evening out the curve of it.

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Calithildis (Cali) and Iuldir


"Alright then, it's agreed." Cali nodded. "Here you are," She offered one of the extra hammers to the boy. Iuldir grinned, thrilled that he had a chance to do the actual hammering. "I'll do exactly what you say to do," He promised. Taking the hammer, he waited for their instructions, and once it was time to start working, he made sure to strike just the way Cali told him to do, trying very hard to make sure that he did his best work on this project. Having done this sort of thing before a few times, he didn't need quite as much instruction as he would if it was his first time doing it, and Cali watched carefully, instructing him whether he needed to angle the hammer or hit harder or when to hold off. After some time, the hub for the first wheel was finished and Iuldir looked very proud to have done the hammering for it.

"I think it's about time we break for lunch, don't you?" Cali asked Fuin, thinking the children might be getting hungry by now. She wasn't entirely sure of the time but it seemed like it was probably about noon by now. "We've done a good amount in such a short while," She added. Yes, it probably would have gotten done quicker if she or Fuin had done that last part, but it was nice to let Iuldir get a bit more experience in, and seeing how happy he looked to have had a part in hammering it made it worthwhile, to Cali.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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The young boy worked hard listening carefully and doing as instructed by Cali who seemed to know intuitively what was needed in terms of actually getting the hub shaped properly. All that was left for the hub was to attach it to the axel and the OTHER hub, but for that they would need the other hub.

"I think lunch would be fantastic." She said not needing to eat yet but she knew children and how they could get when they got too hungry. Iuldir for his part was absolutely beaming with the work he'd managed to do. As they stepped out of the forge it was already a bit after noon from what Fuin could tell. The sun was past the noon point in the sky but they would be able eat and then they would be able to get back to work. As they walked to the house Fuin glanced towards where the cart was coming from far off in the distance. It would at at the latest midday tomorrow unless they drove that wagon all night she doubted that would happen.

As they sat and ate, and Cali worked on feeding Rissy they talked about the next steps which would be finishing the wheels and get started on the main frame of the chair itself.

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Calithildis (Cali) and Iuldir


The lunch break was a nice refresher, and Cali insisted Iuldir drink plenty of water to replenish whatever he may have sweated out during his work. She'd learned early on how easily dehydrated one could become when working in the heat, and also remembered as a little girl that she used to bring her father and brothers glasses of water when they were hard at work. Soon, the lunch break was over. Glancing up at the sky, Cali figured they'd have several more hours to work before Ivornith would be home, and in that time, she could do plenty to help make the work go by quicker. "I think this time, Iuldir, you ought to work on some other things. It'll give your arms a break, and that way you won't be too tired and achy to do anything tomorrow." She tried to give a reason why it'd be best for him not to do too much of the hammering, so the more experienced smiths could do that and get it done faster.

Iuldir was slightly disappointed about that but didn't argue, nodding slightly, because his arms were slightly tired, after all the work yesterday and then what they'd done so far today. He followed the others into the forge once they'd cleaned up after lunch. "What now?"
Once Cali had Rissy situated up in the loft again, she tied on her apron once more. "I suppose we'll make the other hub. That makes the most sense, wouldn't you agree, Fuin?" She asked. "What job do you think would be best for Iuldir, this time?" She added, deciding to let Fuin make the call on that, being more experienced at teaching it and all. Cali picked up her hammer and slid it into the loop on the side of her apron, designed for holding the hammer when not in use.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Fuin was in agreement with Cali in terms of his arms. He would likely be very sore tomorrow as it was after having worked the day before as well. She ended up drinking several glasses of water and was happy that she wasn't having to teach Iuldir the same, she had to remind herself that likely they had never worked this hard or long in the forge with the heat as high as it was if they were keeping it a secret from the boys mother.

"Yes we will be doing the second hub next, so the first thing you can do is put the ingot in the forge itself. While we're doing that perhaps you can get us the metal to create the outer rims of the wheel and the frame of the chair." Fuin said as she slipped the apron back over her head and tied it back on, "and you can also put the spokes in the first hub for us as it should be cool enough after sitting in the quench during lunch that it won't be too hot for you to handle with gloves on." Fuin said calmly. Indeed it would be hard work but it would be different from what he was already doing and would very likely make it so that he felt he did a lot of work on the chair itself even if it wasn't necessarily directly forging it. Putting parts of it together would be a lot of work as well." Fuin said as she pulled the hub they'd left in the quench free and setting it aside.

As they worked on the second hub Iuldir took his task extremely seriously getting the metal that Fuin had said to get, and then working on putting the spokes into the hub in the punched in openings for the spokes. Several were tight and when he struggled Fuin said he could line them up and tap them with a hammer to get them in and that he should tap all of them so that they were all in the same depth so that the wheel would turn easily. By the time he was finished with that her and Cali had managed to finish the second hub which meant that they were getting exceptionally close to finishing the wheels

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Calithildis (Cali) and Iuldir


Soon, the metal for the second hub was heating, and Cali watched for a moment to see how Iuldir did with putting the spokes together. She smiled, nodding approvingly as he followed Fuin's advice about tapping the spokes in with a hammer. Having made a few wheels in her life, she'd have given the same advice herself. Once it seemed Iuldir was working well enough on his own, Cali turned her attention to the other work. "It might go faster if we each work on one thing," She suggested. "I could make the other hub, for instance, while you make the outer rims? Or however works best for you."

Once it was established who would be making what, she got to work. Without having to guide Iuldir through the process and supervise him with every hammer-strike, Cali was able to work much swifter at it, and showed no hesitation in how to strike the hammer, or when it was time to reheat. As she worked with quick, sure strikes of her hammer, the hub quickly began to take shape and before long she put it into the basin to quench. Pulling off a glove, she paused to wipe her forehead, and froze as her gaze fell on the doorway...


Ivornith

There was a bit of a storm brewing on the horizon, and Ivornith worried about her little girl becoming frightened by the thunder this would bring. Though she knew Cali could handle it, she preferred to be home for her. Not only that, but hanging up laundry to dry would be pointless if it was only going to storm soon, and so the family had agreed that it would be best if she simply went home early. She hastened her steps, hoping not to get caught in the rain, even as a few drops began to sprinkle down on her shoulders. Soon, home was in sight, and she entered, setting her things down, but no one was in the house. Then she remembered that Iuldir would be in the forge, learning, and assumed Cali would be there, supervising.

Ivornith did not purposely sneak up to the doorway. It just so happened that there was the sound of more than one hammer at work, which baffled her as well as covered up the sound of her soft steps on the grass. Peering in through the partially open doorway, she feared to find that her boy was already handling red-hot metal and trying to hammer on it simultaneously, which seemed like a very good way to get burned if one isn't used to doing so. But to her great surprise, it was not Iuldir who was pounding away at the hot metal. She blinked as she observed, for a few moments, as Cali and their elven visitor worked on parts to their project. It was not Fuin she was watching with such astonishment, however, but Cali... working swiftly and deftly as if she'd been doing this sort of thing all her life.

When at last Cali, after expertly dropping a metal thing into the bucket, spotted her, there was a brief pause between them, in which time Iuldir looked up and saw her standing there. "Mother!" He leaped up, looking a bit alarmed (though trying to hide it, but who did he think he was kidding?) He glanced over at Cali and back to her, hesitated for half a second and then burst out with his explanation, "Fuin started teaching aunt Cali how to do forge things too, so she could help us..."

During the brief pause, Cali and Ivornith's eyes had met. Cali knew she would never buy any story but the truth. "No, Iuldir, it's alright." She told him, shaking her head. She hesitated. "I think the secret is out.."
Iuldir looked at Cali, eyes widening a bit as he realized she was finally going to tell, and felt excited, yet also wondered if he would be in trouble for lying to cover for his aunt...

Cali took a deep breath, turning to Ivornith. "I don't really know how to explain.." She looked down at the hammer, feeling a bit guilty for having kept it from her sister-in-law all this time. "I-I've kept it a secret so long... but.. I absolutely know what I'm doing, and.. well, I've been teaching Iuldir for a while now, in secret... I'm sorry we kept it from you, but... I was afraid to let it be known that I was running the forge.. people tend not to be very accepting of a female smith." She watched her, worried she might be angry.. fearing she might forbid her from teaching Iuldir any further, or something terrible like that.

Ivornith still stood in the doorway, speechless, and glanced around at them all, having to take a moment to process all of this. "I... I don't believe it." She murmured, stunned. Partly, that she had been oblivious to it all, but also.. the fact that Cali was so skilled and had never told anyone, not even her own family. She finally ventured into the building, as the rain began to patter down a little harder, and looked around at her family, then her gaze finally settled on Fuin. "I know little of these things, but this skill takes a long time to learn, doesn't it?" She asked, thinking Cali looked quite experienced, based on what she'd seen a moment ago. "She is...quite skilled, isn't she?" She turned to Cali, not angry, but amazed. "I can't believe you never confided in me."
Last edited by Rillewen on Sat Sep 18, 2021 4:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Present Day.
@Rillewen

Fuin was busy working hard on the outer rims of the wheels as Iuldir was finishing up on the hub with the spokes. She watched Cali work, she was a fantastic smith that knew what she was doing exceptionally well, and the fact that she didn't think anyone would buy from her made Fuin upset. That she felt she needed to hide her skills made her madder and she lowered her head and hammered hard pushing to get the portion of the wheels that she was using completed. After a while she finished stretching the first section of metal so that one of the wheels would be done, and was just starting on the second when she heard Cali finish the second hub.


The sound. or... Fuin suppose the lack of it stopped Fuin mid swing as she looked up having been so focused on wheel she hadn't heard the door open. Fuin for her part was still, she had wanted Cali to share her secret but wasn't sure this is how she had wanted it shared. She slipped her hammer into her apron and moved the hot metal she was working with into the edge of the forge itself so that it would cause issues. even as Iuldir jumped up trying to explain. She stood back as Cali decided to come clean she motioned for the young boy to come near her as Cali explained even as it started to rain and Ivornith stepped fully into the forge. Eventually the womans eyes settled on her.

"Yes, it takes years to get as good as Cali is." Fuin said calmly, "She at the very least would be considered a full smith in my elven forges in Imladris, and I'd probably be pushing her to start thinking on her master piece to become a Mastersmith." Fuin said calmly. The skills Cala had learned had been passed on well throughout the years. Fuin for her part sighed as Ivornith seemed shocked amazed even that she had not been confided in. Fuin had wondered how Ivornith would react, she had hoped it would be like this and she gave Iuldir a small smile as so far it seemed to be what Fuin had thought would happen. Her skills were foremost in Ivorniths thoughts. "She's also been an excellent mentor to your son who is also quite good already at everything that I feel he should know for his age."

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Calithildis (Cali), Iuldir, and Ivornith



Cali looked down, unsure how to reply to Ivornith, feeling a little bad, but also relieved that she didn't seem angry. "I didn't exactly confide in...anyone, Ivornith. Once, Iole caught me, just as you did now, and I..was forced to tell her, and made her promise not to tell anyone. But.. aside from her, we five are the only ones who know about this."
Ivornith slowly took a seat on a bench nearby, still a little dazed by all of this, nodding slightly as Fuin answered. Just as she thought from what she saw, Cali was very good. Too good to have only done this a short while. She frowned, pausing as the number struck her. "Five?"
Cali hesitated. "You, and I, Fuin, Iuldir, and Rissy."
Ivornith blinked, looking around, half-expecting to see little Rissy doing some sort of forgework herself, but didn't see her daughter. "Where is Rissy? You mean she knew about this?"
"We fixed her up a play area up in the loft," Iuldir spoke up. "Are you upset, Mother?"

Ivornith glanced up, still trying to take all of this in. "I'm..not upset, no.. perhaps a little that you've obviously bent the truth a bit.." She frowned, unsure exactly how to feel about all this. "And that Rissy knew about it before me..."
"We couldn't help that," Cali said softly. "I couldn't exactly teach Iuldir without her finding out, since she had to be nearby... I'm sorry, I didn't really mean to deceive you.. but.. there were so many reasons-"
"I heard your father, often enough, telling you that the forge was no place for a girl, when you used to ask about helping." Ivornith remembered, nodding quietly. "I understand... I'm sure that you felt you must keep it secret, and had your reasons. But you could have told me. I would not have told anyone."
Cali nodded slightly, unsure how to reply.

"I suppose, then, I needn't be so worried about Iuldir, if you've already taught him so much." Ivornith realized, thoughtful as she tried to get accustomed to the idea of it all.
Iuldir grinned. "I wanted to tell you all along, Mother. I think Aunt Cali's one of the best smiths I ever saw."
"I'm not surprised," She smiled slightly. "I used to watch your father sometimes. She...reminded me a bit of him, how fluidly he worked, and how well he knew his craft." She smiled a bit sadly. "I'm glad that you are learning the same craft.. and he would be very proud of you." She told her son, then glanced at Cali. "And I'm sure he would also be proud of his little sister."
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Fuin watched the family interacting and almost laughed at Ivorniths reaction to Rissy knowing before her. He had to cover her face with her hand to hide her smile and glanced away. It was exactly what she thought would happen. The poor woman was trying so hard to comprehend how her baby girl knew before her. It was inevitable that the child would have known with Cali and Iuldir looking after her. She took it so very well over all and Fuin let out a little sigh.

Indeed Ivornith reiterated that Cali's father constantly told her no that it was no place. That she would have helped protect Cali's secret and Cali wasn't sure how to react to that. Trust was a fickle thing when it came to secrets she knew that well.

"No you do not need to worry about Iuldir at all. I am glad I came when I did, as it meant this." Fuin motioned to the entire room and everyone in it. "Was going to happen sooner or later, I honestly was not sure when Cali would actually tell you but I knew it had to happen eventually though I think this was far faster than Cali would have liked." She fell silent as Ivornith talked about how fluid Cali's brother was, she would have liked to see him work, it was a pity that she had not come back for so long. Perhaps she could have kept Cali from having to have had the secret but things always seemed to happen in a specific time.

Fuin went and started to shut down the forge latching the massive bellows shut so that it couldn't blow back, she was happy to sit back and watch and listen.

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