Se Riddermarket of Mettarë Joy

Where now are the horse and rider? In here, probably.
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Se Riddermarket of Mettarë Joy


Winter has come to the Mark. Snow has blanketed the green fields in white, and coated the tops of buildings. A cool breeze blows and snow falls gently from the sky as dawn breaks over the Mark turned winter wonder. As the marketplace comes to life for the day shoppers hurry from place to place bundled in thick cloaks, hats, scarves and mitts. Many carry extra packages, some wrapped with bright bows or ribbons. Mettarë is approaching, the Rohirric winter holiday, and the market is busy with people doing their shopping.



Welcome to the Riddermarket!
This is a free RP thread with the theme of a marketplace, so Come in, shop, socialize, wander. Feel free to check out shops, or PM the Riddermarket lædenmanger Shivased if you want to open your own shop.

Open Shops

Ye Olde Pet Shoppe ~NPC: Jacen (Shivased) ~ A shop selling animals and horses as well as animal supplies
Pen and Ink ~ Aethelu~ A shop selling pens, inks, parchment and other writing supplies
CweÞ Ciese ~ Thalionwen ~ Fresh cheeses and other fine dairy products as well as eggs
Né Fugol of Huntanð ~ Fuin Elda ~ Birds of Prey and supplies for hawking and falconers
Glædmód Abiring ~ Daran (NPC of Shivased) ~ A shop for everything sweet. Candy, chocolate and treats galore.
Isengafæme Smithing ~ Rhys (NPC of Rowena)~ A blacksmith shop
Ffermgardd Adref ~ Audley (NPC of Rowena) ~ Gardening and farming supply store
Siltan Bur ~ Elarith ~ A butcher Shop selling a variety of meats
Bits and Pieces ~ Gwai ~ Tack and horse supplies
Golde ge Eorcanstan ~ Aodh Hammerhelm ~ Purveyor of finely crafted jewellery
Holt Leod (Wooden Song) ~ Caddrick (Veowyn) ~ Wooden instruments and trinkets[/color]
Treowwyrhta ~ Æric (Windy) ~ Carpenter shop selling tables, chairs, benches and wood furniture, as well as offering repairs for houses, etc.
Se Hæland Æ ~ Sigrid (Windy) ~ Healing herbs, remedies and supplies
The Copper Kettle ~ Shivased ~ A Tea Shop. Selling a variety of tea leaves and mixtures, fine kettles, pots and other accessories.

Temporarily Closed

Leoht Min Fyr ~ Beda (NPC ofEléowyn) ~ Candles and related products
Awesnis gærwe nædleprica ~ Eldreda (NPC of Taethowen) ~ Essence of Needlepoint, a seamstress and clothing shop

Shops For Sale
Fela Tera ~ For Sale ~ Beadwork, Hair Ornaments and beaded strings for men and horses
Liðefot (The Soft Foot) ~ For Sale ~ A cobbler's Shop. Footwear, shoes and boots
Essence ~ For Sale ~ Essential oils and herbs
Crete Lið ~ For Sale ~ Fine wines
Æghwa ge Beþurfan ~ For Sale ~ A basic grocer selling fruits, vegetables and produce in season
Giong æt Heortes ~ For Sale ~ Toys of all sorts - stuffed fabric or knitted, wooden. Blocks, rocking horses, doll houses
Eldar cú ~ For Sale ~ Archery products - bows, arrows, quivers, and more


More shops will be added as they open or become available to buy.
s
The Cavalry Liaison Office

In the center of the marketplace is the Cavalry Liaison Office. This small building is staffed by Conal, a retired Cavalry Feldmarshal, by request of the Cavalry Marshals, and is the first stop for citizens of Rohan who need to interact with the Cavalry. Rohir can come here to request the help of the Cavalry patrol, report illegal activity, thefts, or other crimes, ask questions about the Cavalry or leave missives and notes for the Marshals.


Shop Rules:
1. Shops must be realistic for Rohan. So no pizza shops, sorry.
2.NO libraries or book shops. The Rohirrim were a people of oral tradition, so would not have had things like that.
3. No repeat shops. If someone sells something already, think of another idea. We don't want overlap.
4.Tag Shivased, the lædenmanger, in the Golden Hall OOC thread for approval BEFORE opening a shop! PM must include shop name and description of what you plan to sell.
5. Shopkeepers are asked to post at least once per thread, to show your shop is still open. Those who do not post for a full thread (approx. 4 weeks) will have their shop placed on the "closed" list, and will be contacted. If the Laedenmanger does not hear from the shopkeeper by the end of the next thread, or they do not post in that time, their shop will be put up for sale.

Thread Rules:
1. Remember, this is a marketplace so posts should reflect that. Shop, socialize, etc. as you would while at market.
2. Red BF0000 is reserved for the lædenmanger
3. Please post your location at the top of your post - Pen and Ink, Streets, etc. so others know where you are.
4. If a shop is listed as FOR SALE, feel free to RP there being a shopkeeper there, within reason. If a shop has an owner, please wait for them to acknowledge you, do not godmode them.
5. HAVE FUN!
Last edited by Shivased on Mon Nov 29, 2021 11:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Golde ge Eorcanstan: NPC ~ Sheemie Rheus

Cold toes drew Sheemie Rheus from his slumber. He wriggled them, but made no move to draw his feet under his blankets, for he lay in that snug space between dreaming and wakefulness with the soft sound of Michæl’s sleepy snuffles in his ear.

The brawny lad kept his eyes screwed tight against the wan light that spilled through the window. He no longer closed the shutters of his little room after sunset. His terror of full dark, and the bogarts and boogermen that might lurk in its fastness, had vanished in the summer.

The Turtle-feller had spoken in his head, after the earthquake that had made the jeweller’s shop shimmy and shake, and his long held fear had vanished.

Poof! Just like that...

Like magic!

Maturin… that was the sköldpadda's name… was chief of the White, and where there was White there was always light.

Sheemie wriggled his toes again and smiled as he felt his wee mouse’s heartbeat against his neck. There were things to do, he knew – brêkfis to prepare and the store to make ready.

Not just yet, though. Lawks, no!

His dream had been a thing of wonder, if a little scary, a place filled with signs, sounds and sigils. He was soft headed and the day’s chores would chase away things he HAD to remember.

Sheemie was one of the White now – the Turtle-feller had told him so – the one that guarded the names, lineage and number of its last tet. He daren’t forget what he’d seen and heard… One day (very soon, maybe?) what he’d learnt could mean the difference between glad and sadness.

The bulky lad’s eyelids fluttered, his breathing slowed, and he walked his dream-scape once more. “Beda?” he whispered. “Wait for me, sweoster… it’s awful hot and dusty…”

--
@Eléowyn
- he hath not forgotten Image the face of his fathers -

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Phiqo

Streets

Winter wasn't her favourite time of year and the golden haired rohir in her mid-twenties drew her cloak tighter around her body as she walked through the snow covering the streets. The cool air filling her lungs and making her cheeks red from cold and Phiqo wished that she hadn't forgotten her cozy scarf at home. Walking past Glædmód Abiring Phiqo made a mental note to visit the candy shop with her friend the next time they saw each other. The plan was for Phiqo and her friend to have a girl's day at the market when Lalaith came to visit next summer. That had been decided during her last visit to her friend in Minas Tirith and she was looking forward to it. On her way to the pet shop the young rohir woman sighed lightly and sent her friend a thought.


Ye Olde Pet Shoppe

It had been a few months since her horse had been stolen by bandits and originally she had thought to wait until Lalaith's visit to get a new horse but she was a rohir woman after all. How long was a horse girl supposed to wait before getting herself a horse? "Hello?" Stepping through the door and closing it behind her, Phiqo pushed back the hood of he cloak while waiting for the owner (Jacen) to notice her. She had tried to shake off some of the snow off of her cloak as snowman wasn't a good look for her but as much as she tried more snow kept falling on her from above. She'd rather be at home with a warm cup of tea by the fire but the fact that she needed to go to the market so stock up on some essentials for everyday living was what had made her go out in this foul weather in the first place. "Sorry for dragging all this nasty stuff into your shop. Snow and I aren't friends. At all."

Taking off her mittens she cupped her hands together and blew some warm air on them before rubbing them together for a moment to trying to warm them a bit before reaching up to get some long blond strands of hair out of her face. "Do you have any horses for sale? I'm here looking for a horse who can accompany me on travels to Gondor and Eriador. Normally I don't travel during winter which will give us a chance to get to know each other a bit before the summer."
Last edited by Rior Laegiel on Sun Dec 13, 2020 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica

Eldreda flipped the sign to open as she yawned, then stretched and rolled her shoulders, wincing at the crick in her neck. Falling asleep at the cutting table had been a terrible idea. She'd forgotten the reputation Taeth had established with Awesnis, and--combined with the fact that it was the only full-service tailoring shop in Edoras and quite possibly the whole of the Mark--Eldreda had found herself practically living at the shop as Mettare neared.

At least, for now, it had helped to keep her from worrying overly much about Taeth. As soon as the last of her Mettare commissions had been delivered or picked up, though, she was closing the shop and heading to the Eastfold to spend Mettare with her cousin.

Eldreda yawned again, then went to put on a kettle for tea. She'd taken down the sign Taeth had hung up about 'no food or drink' after hearing the full story, and then never once encountering the guilty party. Besides, if she couldn't eat or drink the shop herself, she would have starved over the last several weeks.

Hopefully her customers would be in soon to pick up all their Mettare gowns and garb...



OOC: Please feel free to stop by Awesnis to pick up a gown/outfit for Mettare, even if you've never RP'd there before! We can be wibbly-wobbly with the timeline and make it so you commissioned something since the closing of the last Riddermarket. :winkkiss:

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NPC Bran and Rihannon de Argosy, Streets to Awesnis

The arrival of winter brought low temperatures, cold winds and snow to Edoras. Rihannon was used to low temperatures and strong gales, winters in Pelargir were not as mild as people thought. However, snow was a novel experience for her. She delighted seeing snowflakes fall from the sky and cover the fields, streets and rooftops in white. But watching the snowfall from the window of the warm room was not the same as navigating the snow-covered streets of Edoras early in the morning to get to the Riddermarket.

Her brother, Bran, had woken her up early and told her to dress warmly. They were to head out to the Riddermarket for he had a surprise for her. She tried to pry some information about said surprise out of him over breakfast, but he would not budge. Seeing that pestering him was getting her nowhere she headed over to her room to change. Pulling out the rust coloured dress, the thickest and warmest garment she packed, she quickly dressed and braided her chocolate brown hair as close as she could to the style she saw Rohirrim women wear. Bran waited for her by the front door, dressed in the drabbest garments she could imagine. He simply laughed at her raised eyebrow and helped her put on her warm cloak before they headed out.

As they walked through the Riddermarket to their destination, Rihannon’s eyes darted this way and that, taking in the people and the shops. She noticed how people watched them and mused how the two of them made a rather peculiar sight. She was dressed in the Gondorian fashion, somewhat bright coloured and warm, but still not warm enough for Rohan’s winter. She was aware that her height, hairstyle and clothes made her stand out as a foreigner. On the other hand, despite his height and olive complexion, Bran managed to blend in. It was a particular skill of his that he managed to hone to perfection.

“We’re here” Bran’s deep and quiet voice shook her from her musings and she looked up to see which shop they stopped at.
Awesnis gærwe nædleprica” she read the sign out loud. “Essence of Needlepoint?” she looked at her brother who smiled and nodded confirming that she translated the name of the shop correctly. “Bran I don’t think I need more clothes…”
He looked at her with an eyebrow raised, reminding her at Roderic for a moment, and chuckled. “Usually I would agree with you, but you do not have clothes appropriate for a winter in Rohan.”
Rihannon nodded acknowledging that her brother had a point. When they packed their belongings for a trip to Edoras she did not anticipate that she would stay here during the winter.
“I took the liberty of giving your measurements to the seamstress” her brother continued. “In addition to a par of warmer tunics and skirts I asked her to make Mettarë gown for you.”
“A Mettarë gown?!” she exclaimed. “Bran why? You didn’t have to go through all that trouble!”
“Consider it an apology of sorts for keeping some things from you,” he said with a soft smile and despite being cross at him for that she hugged him tightly.
“Thank you,” she told him when she let him go. Bran smiled and brushed the snow off her cloak, opened the door to the shop and gestured for her to enter.

“Good morning mistress” Bran greeted Eldreda as they entered. “I’m not sure if you remember me, I was here a few days ago just before closing time to order a Mettarë gown as a surprise for my sister…”

OOC: (( @Taethowen - I'll take you up on that offer of a Mettarë gown for my Gondorian NPC. :-) Since it didn't quite jive with the rest of the text I thought I'd write a quick description of what Bran asked. A pair of everyday shirts/tunics and skirts in the style and colour that Rohirrim women would wear. And for the Mettarë gown he asked one in the viridian colour. That was specific and it could be something Eldreda could use to remember him by if you want to of course. He comes from a merchant family that deals in textiles and spices, so he knows colours. Sorry if I'm a bit longwinded here, just thought I'd shovel information at you. :-) ))
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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica

Eldreda had just finished her first cup of tea when the bell of the door jingled. It seemed the customers were starting early today, and while she would have liked a few more minutes to herself, it was a relief. The sooner customers came in, the sooner she could close up the shop for the holiday.

Eldreda smiled as a young man (Bran) and woman (Rihannon) entered the shop. She'd been so busy the last few days--weeks, really--that she couldn't quite place the face of the young man as he greeted her. She did recall his voice, though, because it was not often that someone in the Mark requested a shade of viridian. It had honestly been so long since she'd heard the term that it had caught her off guard.

"I do remember," Eldreda smiled, though her eyes were weary. "The viridian gown, yes? I assume it's for this young woman?"

Eldreda nodded to the Rihannon. "Would you be willing to try the gown on? I need to check the hem and make sure it's not too long, and I'd prefer to check the fit overall as well. If you would follow me to the back, I'll help you put it on."

((OOC @Nessa Saelind - Perfect! Eldreda will probably get curious and ask about the use of the word viridian. Her cousin Taeth (the one who actually owns the shop) was in Gondor for several years, and she might ask if Bran or his family recalls meeting her. Feel free to have him say yes or no. Taeth would have been using a fake name, so Eldreda will ask using that one, lol. Anyone who encountered her in Gondor during her stay wouldn't know her as Taeth.))

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Ye Olde Pet Shoppe
NPC: Jacen


Jacen whistled to himself as he bustled around opening his shop. He paused occasionally to glance around and grin to himself. His shop. That thought still gave him goosebumps. And to own the shop he'd always worked in and loved, at only 16! Setting the last of the puppies back in their newly cleaned pen, he spent a few minutes petting them, then set down their food and water and took the pail of dirty bedding and mess to the manure pile out back.

He was just coming back in when his first customer arrived, bringing in snow and cold air with her. Westu hal, he greeted her, setting the pail behind the door to the back room and grinning. Don't worry about the mess, a mop will set it to right. When she asked for a horse he nodded, his head cocking slightly to the side in thought. They had a lot of horses back home, but it would take a few days to get those, so he'd have to go with what was in the stable. Which wasn't a bad thing, actually. There were three in the small stable out back that his sister had brought to Edoras, and any of them would work for travelling.

I do have horses, but only three to choose from right now, he replied. They are of good breeding, my family's own stock, and would do you well for travel. He motioned for the woman to follow him out back where the small stable was, and the three horses tied under the overhang, yet to be released into the small yard for the day. This one is the oldest, he's 9, he said and gestured at the first horse, a small, sturdy bay gelding. 15 hands tall, and what he lacks in size he makes up for in capability. He's great for travel.

Motioning at the next one, a tall grey mare, he patted her rump. She's only 3 and has just started training, but she's steady and got a good head. She'll be good for whatever you want to train her for, but she may not be up to a lot of travel quite yet. Last he patted the wide palomino rump of the final horse. This lad's six. He's got some draft in him. Sturdy and strong, he can work as well as ride if you want.


@Rior Laegiel

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The Cavalry Liaison Office

Éomund slowly entered the Riddermarket and made his way towards the Cavalry Liaison office. He had drawn patrol duty and this would be the first time he was doing anything officially for the Cavalry in Medesuald. As luck would have it, he was to be paired with the First Marshal. Granted, he was slowly getting to know her, but she still brought out a sense of fear from him. Granted, it was slowly starting to develop into the healthy fear that most people had of their superiors. But even so, he was not certain how he felt about being in the presence of the First Marshal without any older cavalry members about. "Get yourself together," he muttered. "What would Grimthian think about your knees knocking together right now." He adjusted his cloak and insignia and stepped into the office. He looked around, not sure what he was supposed to do next.

@Shivased @Lailyn (I guess this should be the first stop of patrol duty?)
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Artanis / Éomund / Brandor / Zarâm

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NPC Bran and Rihannon de Argosy with Eldreda at Awesnis

When he noticed the number of finished outfits in the shop, Bran wasn’t particularly surprised that the seamstress had trouble recalling his face. After all, coming to Awesnis before closing time had been intentional. He had stood across the street undetected observing the shop and the woman (Eldreda) who worked there, wanting to get a feel of the place before he decided to enter and commission a gown for his sister.

He hadn’t offered the seamstress his name, nor had he given detailed instructions regarding the clothes for Rihannon. From his observations, the seamstress was a master craftswoman, and Bran was not in the business of offering unsolicited advice to masters or mistresses of any craft. The only request he had, other than to fashion the everyday garments in the style and colour the Rohirrim women would wear, was that the colour of the material for the Mettarë gown should be viridian, to compliment Rihannon’s eyes.

The seamstress might not have remembered his face, but she had recognised his voice and remembered the term that he used, which was far more important to him. He was pleased that she did, and he smiled at her, bowing his head in acknowledgement. Stepping aside, he gently guided his sister forward.

Rihannon’s green eyes shone with curiosity and excitement as she looked at the seamstress and then at her brother. She arched her eyebrow at him and got a mischievous smile in response. Despite her curiosity, at her brother’s behaviour, she refrained from commenting. She focused on the seamstress who wanted to know if she would be willing to try the dress.

“Oh yes, please!” She replied excitedly unclasping her cloak and handing it to Bran who folded it neatly and then leaned against a wall.
“Go on then,” he said smiling at her, enjoying her excitement. “I’ll be here.”
“Mhm, taking note of the fabrics no doubt,” she said quietly for she’d noticed that her brother was watching the shop with interest.
“A quirk of the trade,” he replied quietly, but she could see amusement in his eyes. He gestured to the seamstress and she walked over to the woman who was curiously watching their exchange.

As they made their way to the back of the shop Rihannon felt strangely self-conscious. It wasn’t the first time she got fitted for a dress, and she knew that she was being silly. Perhaps it was the fact that she was not back home in Pelargir, or even in Minas Tirith, where seamstresses and fashion were known to her. She was in Edoras before a seamstress whose name she did not know.

“I’m sorry, I’m being rude!” She exclaimed looking at the woman (Eldreda). “Where are my manners?! I haven’t even introduced myself and I’m standing in front of your, ready for a fitting. I’m Rihannon, and you’ve already met my brother Bran” she said quickly, her cheeks slightly flushed, but she felt some of the nervousness leave her.

@Taethowen
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Lailyn, Cavalry Liaison Office
Bundled deep in the folds of her green cloak, Lailyn took her time that morning to revel in the beauty of the freshly fallen snow. So it was that she arrived after one of the wigends on duty that day.

"Oh! Good morning!" She greeted Éomund brightly as she tugged her hood down and golden hair spilled over her shoulders.

The office had been spruced up some since her first day; a pile of blankets sat on a small table beside a row of chairs, a kettle, cold and empty, awaited her attention and candles and a few lamps brightened it up during the dark winter. It was all very tasteful and neat. Lailyn had insisted upon something comforting for folk who might come in distraught about one thing or another.

After she hung up her cloak revealing a dagger strapped to a belt over a dark brown dress, she glanced at the notice posted with this month's patrol assignments. "I know you aren't the First Marshal, so I suppose that means you must be Dryhtguma Éomund." Indeed, his insignia confirmed at least the young man's rank.

"I'm Lailyn. How did you get so lucky as to draw patrol with a Marshal?" She asked with a kind smile, hoping she would not make him any more nervous than he already might be. "You were quite handy and calm with those horses at the butcher, I did appreciate your help!" She assured him though she was not sure patrol duty with a Marshal was a very good reward. "Is this your first patrol?" she asked as she set to starting a fire to warm the place up.

(OOC @Dimcairien Luiniel I think so but feel free to make it your own! @Shivased Barring some disaster, I might have Lail beg off early so she can pop by some shops if that's ok.)

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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica

Eldreda was quiet as the brother and sister, their relation obvious by the way they interacted with each other, spoke together before the young woman followed her to the back. When Rihannon introduced herself and her brother (Bran), Eldreda nodded with a slight smile.

"I'm Eldreda," she replied as she pulled close a curtain that separated the fitting room from the rest of the shop. "Honestly, I don't recall if I got your brother's name or not the evening he came in. I've been without apprentices helping me and so getting everything finished in time for Mettarë has blurred together. I mostly only remember that he used the term viridian, which is not commonly known among Rohir."

Eldreda fetched the viridian gown from the shelf of nearly-finished projects, carefully unfolding it as she waited for Rihannon to disrobe.

"Now, what do you think?" Eldreda asked, holding the gown up so the woman could see the style of it before slipping it on.

((@Nessa Saelind I didn't want to describe the gown too much in case you have something specific in mind! Feel free to describe it yourself!))

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Phiqo

Ye Olde Pet Shoppe

”Westu Hal, my name is Phiqo,” she returned his greeting while following the young owner of the pet store to the stable. This was the first time was was here and she didn't think they'd met before but she could be wrong. Phiqo wasn't very good with faces and though she'd never been to the pet store she'd been to the animal rescue and adoption center years ago. If she remembered correctly a woman had been the owner of that place when she'd adopted her cats. Two grey striped cats who were brothers and had come as a package deal, having had the need to be adopted together. The horses presented to her were all beautiful and she was sure the two boys would find good homes and make wonderful companions when the right persons came along which she was sure they would eventually.

"Hello there,” she spoke with a soft voice as she approached the grey mare. She was still young but Phiqo wouldn’t mind training a horse. She wasn’t in any hurry and it would probably do her some good to stay at home until the mare was ready before going on her next travel. ”You’re beautiful, aren't you?” patting the mare's neck with slow strokes as she spoke "At least one of us won't have any trouble finding the right boy," unfortunately the rohir had let who she thought was the right boy get away from her. She hadn't seen him in years and should probably find herself another boy but the heart wants what the heart wants and love isn't as easy to forget as it might seem.

"Do you have a name princess?" Asking the mare but turning to her owner (Jacen) for a moment for him to answer before turning back to the horse. "If not we will choose a name for you together." Smiling friendly Phiqo looked forward to bonding with the mare. "How much for her?" stepping away from the horse to talk to the only other human in the stable (Jacen) at the moment. "Is there something else I should know about her? Like, is she comfortable around other animals? Other than horses I mean. The reason I'm asking is because I have two male cats at home and they're friendly but also snuggle bugs. They loved to be in the stable hanging out with my previous horse. I'll introduce her to them slowly of course but if she's scared I'll have to be extra careful until she gets used to them. I don't want her to be scared if or when they approach her and want to be around her in the stable or outside for that matter."


@Shivased

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Shivased
On Patrol - Cavalry Liaison Office


Riding in through the Riddermarket gates, Shivased pulled Storm to a halt and studied the market around her. People were bundled up, hurrying here and there on their errands, moving with a purpose mostly driven by the desire to get out of the cold. She gave a small shudder and nudged Storm into a walk again while pulling her cloak a little tighter around herself. Usually she would be one of the people hurrying to somewhere warm, but today she was on patrol, wearing her full Cavalry uniform. If there was one good thing about wool jerkins and tunics, heavy breastplates, and thick wool cloaks lined with fleece, it was that they kept one warm, especially with a heavy sheepskin over her saddle and a warm horse under her.

Coming to a halt outside the Liaison Office she dismounted and tied Storm to the hitching post out front before heading in, noting as she came through the door that her partner was already there. Westu Eomund hal, she greeted the lad with a smile. I hope you're ready for a long, cold day. I hope you brought a horse, I prefer to patrol from horseback, given I can't usually see over the crowd. She gave a self-deprecating grin; it was true. She was rather short for a marshal, standing only 5' 3" tall. She turned to Lailyn and gave a small wave. Westu Lailyn hal. It looks good in here, I'm glad to see things spruced up a bit and more welcoming. I'm afraid if it had been up to the Marshals, we'd have filled it with weapons and such so that people would be scared to come in here!

Then, wanting to get on with the patrol she motioned to the door. Eomund, we'd better get to it. Lailyn, don't feel you have to stay here all day. We'll check in regularly in case someone comes looking for help.


Ye Olde Pet Shoppe
NPC: Jacen


Jacen watched as the woman, who he now knew was named Phiqo, looked over the horses he'd presented before approaching the filly and asking what her name was. She doesn't have one yet, he explained. We - that is my sister, brother and I - wait until the horses are 3 or 4 before naming them, so we can see their personalities. We just call her the grey filly right now. He knew to many that sounded silly, but it was how his father had taught them. When the woman asked how much she was, he had to do some quick calculations in his head. He didn't want to sell too low, and risk his sister's wrath! Ten gold pieces for her. he said after a minute, his voice firm. Given her breeding she was probably worth more than that, but he wasn't willing to charge too much.

She's sweet and friendly. She likes playing with the other animals on the estate, and never minded the cats around. But she's not fond of dogs, she kicks and bites at them if they're too playful. She's pretty steady and has a good head on her, she's smart and learning quick. She's not fond of walking through water, but with a bit of training she should get over that. he explained, hoping he was giving the right information. She's trained to tie, pick up her feet and stand quietly for grooming, and we've started her under saddle.


@Lailyn No problem! Go shop! @Dimcairien Luiniel Feel free to head out into the street, Shiv will follow!
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Né Fugol of Huntanð - Opening

Fuin had heard the falconry shop in Rohan had closed and had travelled to see if she could purchase it and open it back up, the market was looking quite lovely under a blanket of snow even with foot prints tromped through it. The elf came dressed warmly and a nice woolen grey cloak several days before cleaning and scrubbing until all the dust from the store was gone. Then near the mid of the month she came with a small wagon drawn by her horse, in the back of it many cages large and small kept warm under thick blankets with hay under them to keep the bottoms of their small cages from being too chilly. Most of the trip from Rivendell she had let them exercise and practice returning to her making sure they were properly trained. However once she had gotten nearer to Edoras she had set them in their cages with hoods on so that they. Most were use to each other so an owner could have multiples and not worry about a fight unless they were silly enough to try to give one bit of food between all the birds.

She went inside and started a fire in the small shops fire place and began bringing the birds in a few at a time. Most were young adults and Fuin spoke softly to them taking their hoods off and making sure they were calm before she went out to get another couple birds. Until the store was filled with falcons and hawks ranging from a few small sparrow hawks; excellent of messengers, to the staple hunting red tail hawks, and sakers and goshawks, and a few peregrine falcons. Once the birds were in she brought in a few more crates, these were filled goods to put on the shelves for those that possibly needed new supplies with their birds or replacements for worn supplies before moving the wagon out of the way to where it could sit safely for the rest of the day her horse stabled comfortably for the time being.

Upon her return to the store the shelves quickly filled with hoods and anklets and jesses of different sizes and dyed in different colours, though many were browns and greens, some were blues and reds, others purples for those that liked such bright things. She set out a bunch of abas as well most of the time she did not need to use such things when trimming beaks or claws but some birds did need them even with her, so she had no doubt there would be many needing them here. Behind the counter she set up one perch though with a peregrine that was not for sale, she was an older bird but still a good hunter, and a swift messenger when needed. with a sharp eye that watched Fuin as she worked. She was the mother of several of the younger peregrine falcons that Fuin had on the perches in front of the counter and was Fuins first bird that she had bought in this very shop many years ago.

After several hours Fuin decided that the shop was ready and it was now nice and warm and the birds were no long puffed up to keep themselves warm but relaxing comfortably preening feathers and eating the last bits of their meals, her own peregrine gave her a 'kak' and Fuin gave her a gentle rub on her belly knowing the bird well enough though she wouldn't suggest doing the same to many of the birds she had for sale until their owners knew them exceptionally well.

"Right. It's time to open the store and see who gets to go to their new homes." She said and headed to the door and flipped the sign so that it was officially open to the public and made sure that the door was in fact unlocked.

@Shivased If I could get Né Fugol of Huntanð moved to the open section that would be fantastic thanks.

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Aethelu, Pen and Ink

It was starting to get cold now in Edoras. Aethelu had wrapped up warm as she’d left her house and hurried to her shop. Snow was falling, lightly covering the ground. It was quite a beautiful sight, but she would be happy to be spending the day inside. She did have some presents to buy ready for a trip home for Mettarë, something nice for her mother and father. Thankfully, she had a little help in that matter, as long as he had finally decided to get out of bed.

The shop was cold as she opened the door, and even closing the door didn’t help. Aethelu kept her cloak, scarf, and gloves on as she moved behind the counter. Right at the back of the shop, there was a little stove which would help warm the place up a little. In a shop full of paper, she had to be careful though, making sure it was fully extinguished every night. Stamping her feet to keep warm, she set about preparing the kindling and wood. It wasn’t long before she had a little fire going, huddling next to it to warm up her hands. When she at last felt like she could feel her fingers and toes, she finally removed her warm weather gear. The stove was warm enough now that she could set a little kettle on top to prepare some tea.

As she sat behind the counter, cupping the teacup in her hands, she felt a sense of calm. With the snow falling outside the window, it was certainly a lovely sight. It was to be her first Mettarë back in Rohan for a long time. She was looking forward to it, even if it wasn’t going to be quite the family gathering her parents were hoping for. Watching through the window, she waited for her little helper to appear, hoping he had managed to complete his (in her mind) very simple shopping list.

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Phiqo

Ye Olde Pet Shoppe

Listening to the owner (Jacen) talk about the mare and she made mental notes in hopes of remembering it all. Phiqo was glad that she didn't have any problems with cats because she knew the ones she had a home loved being in the stable and she knew they missed their old horse friend. Hopefully they would be friends with this mare too.
"Is she ticklish when getting her hooves groomed?" Phiqo asked as she reached for her purse and paid for the horse.

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Æric and Edda

Edda was scoffing down the largest and fluffiest sweetroll that the baker had had, sticky icing all around her mouth and on her reddened cheeks. Her eyes still shone with joy from the riding lesson and was still trying to tell her father about what she had done, despite her mouth being full. Normally Æric would be quietly reminding her not to talk with her mouth full, bad manners and all that, but when she was this excited he just did not have the heart to stop her muffled re-telling. Even though he had seen it all. He was also glad that Edda was off that giant horse, though his stomach rumbled menacingly at the thought of her picking that horse again next time. And there would be a next time, there was no way he could turn back on his promise now, not that he ever would despite the concerns he harboured of her riding horses that big. But he had to agree with the riding instructor, she was a natural. 'Just like her mother' he thought with a twinge of sadness.

It seemed the roll was too much for Edda as she handed the sticky remains to her father and without thinking wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Edd- argh, Edda!" She looked up at him with a confused look on her face and he merely shook his head and sighed. Who was he kidding, she was going to need a bath after this anyways. Well they both were he mused as her sticky hand grasped his free one, making both of his hands sticky as well.

As they reached their small shop, Æric nudge the sign carefully so as to not make that sticky too and turned it to show it was open again, before he let them in and guided Edda back towards the kitchen to give her a bath. As he passed through the main room of the shop, he could not help but wonder if there was going to be much work this winter. People tended to hunker down and not really bother with repairs unless they were important. He had enough saving to survive the winter without work, but he was loathe to start using it, as well as itching to get back to work and do something productive. Not even his apprentice had anything to do, spending most of his time fulfilling orders of musical boxes and other trinkets which seemed more the thing with the coming Mettarë. Maybe he should take some lessons from the lad..

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NPC Bran and Rihannon de Argosy with Eldreda at Awesnis

Rihannon wasn’t the least bit surprised when Eldreda remarked that she couldn’t recall if Bran had introduced himself or not. Knowing him, he probably didn’t, preferring to put the focus on the reason he was at the shop rather than his name. However, Eldreda’s comment about working without apprentices did surprise her. She had noticed the substantial amount of finished and almost completed outfits in the shop and she couldn’t help but wonder if the seamstress even left her shop to go home and get some rest.

As she disrobed waiting for Eldreda to get the gown Bran had commissioned for her Rihannon mused about the unusual situation the seamstress found herself. It was clear to her, from what she had seen of the shop so far and from Bran’s choices, that Awesnis was a well-established clothing shop. Judging from the number of finished outfits the shop, its owner and staff had an excellent reputation. The rustle of fabric interrupted her musings and she looked at Eldreda who carefully unfolded the viridian gown and held it up for her to see.

Upon seeing the gown for the first time Rihannon let out a surprised gasp. The gown was of made in the style similar to the formal gowns Lady Éowyn usually wore. It had a wide boat neckline and very long and wide sleeves. She noticed some of the traditional Mettarë motifs embroidered on the neckline, sleeves, bodice and the accompanying belt. Hellebore flowers and holly intertwined on the neckline and sleeves, while other Rohirric motifs adorned the bodice and belt.

Rihannon was a member of a wealthy merchant family from that traded in fabrics and spices. Both her mother and her formidable grandmother made sure that all the de Argosy children were familiar with various type of fabrics and knew how to recognise their quality. Rihannon and her cousin Nessa were taught embroidery at an early age and although she wasn’t passionate about it as she was about cooking, she nonetheless enjoyed the craft and was always willing to learn more.

With that knowledge, she could easily recognise and appreciate Eldreda’s skill. The attention to detail was clear from the embroidered hellebore flowers that looked almost lifelike. She eagerly, almost reverently reached out to touch the gown, to feel the fabric. She felt the softness and the quality of the silk bagatelle under her fingers and a happy smile lit her face.

“Oh, Eldreda! This is exquisite!” Rihannon exclaimed looking at the seamstress, elation clear on her face. “You are amazingly talented and skilful to have managed to do this in such a short time! And to do all of it without help…” she paused and bit her lip hoping she hadn’t hit unintentionally touched a sore spot. Perhaps the recent fire at Edoras was the reason for their absence.

An idea suddenly took shape in her mind and she bit her lower lip once more uncertain weather she should voice it or not. She looked Eldreda in the eyes and noticed how exhausted she was and decided that she’d take a gamble. Bran could scold her later if he wished.

“Eldreda,” she said carefully before the woman could help her into her new gown to make the finishing touches. “I hope you won’t think me presumptuous… But I’d wanted to ask if you might need an apprentice?” she asked in a low voice hoping her brother wouldn’t hear. “That is if you’d accept me as an apprentice?” she said and a slight flush coloured her face. “But, if that’s not possible could I at least ask you to teach me how to embroider some of the motifs on the gown? I really do like them.”

OOC: ((@Taethowen sorry for the lateish reply, the dress description was the stumbling stone here. :-) The dress is inspired by Éowyn's coronation gown and the 12th century Norman noblewomen's gowns. If that helps you visualise things better. I've read that Éowyn's coronation dress was made from silk bagatelle, but if you think that there wouldn't be sufficient qualities of such material in Rohan let me know and I'll think of something else. BTW I hope it's OK that Rihannon asked for the position of an apprentice? Of course, you don't have to accept, she'll be fine with it.))
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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica

Eldreda couldn't help but smile as Rihannon looked at the gown in awe, pleased that the woman was satisfied with it. Before she could help Rihannon into the not-quite-finished gown, though, Rihannon was suddenly asking about apprenticing. Eldreda paused, the look on her face turning rather wide-eyed and owlish as she blinked in surprise.

"I, ah..." she murmured. "Normally I would be thrilled to have an apprentice, but I'll admit it will be a bit of a challenge right now. Once my Mettarë customers have finished picking up their gowns, I'm heading out of town for a while. My cousin is the one who owns this shop, and she's..." Eldreda hesitated. Most of the Riddermark would have likely heard by now about the Second Marshal, but people didn't always immediately associate Eldreda with Taethowen. "She's had some hardships lately, and I'm planning to go visit her for several weeks. I also prefer to see some work samples from potential apprentices."

Eldreda began to gather up the skirt of the dress to drop it over Rihannon's head, then. The laces along the back were threaded but not tightened, but adjusting it for proper fit from there would only take a few moments. Pinning the hem up to the proper length would be the most time consuming.

As Eldreda helped Rihannon into the gown, though, she thought. It would be helpful to not have to shut the shop down entirely while she was away, but would Taeth chew her out for leaving someone completely unknown in charge of running it? With Mettarë soon passing, and winter setting in full-force, the shop would not be incredibly busy, though. Maybe...

"What if you helped me out here for the rest of the day?" Eldreda offered as she retrieved her pins, motioning for Rihannon to step up on a short stool before she sat on the floor and began pinning the hem up to the proper length. "Tell me what kind of experience you have, and perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement. My cousin's estate is in the Eastfold, near the Anorien border, so I can't avoid being gone for at least four or five weeks, and it would be nice not to have to close the shop entirely for that length of time."

((OOC @Nessa Saelind - There are definitely sufficient quantities of that type of fabric, Taeth's specialty is tracking down luxurious textiles and keeping them in stock at Awesnis, lol! Also, with the apprenticeship, OOC I'm more than happy to have you on! I will probably do a little time skipping in my next post just so we can wrap this up soon too, if that's all right.))

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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica

Nothing ventured, nothing gained was the popular saying. However, when Rihannon saw the surprised look on Eldreda’s face after she asked about the possibility of becoming her apprentice she was afraid that she had committed a terrible faux pas. She placed a hand over her mouth, feeling flustered, her cheeks reddening further. However, Eldreda didn’t appear to be offended, merely troubled and she soon realised why when the seamstress offered a short explanation of her situation.

Rihannon let out a relieved sigh, thankful that her impulsive request caused no harm. She could handle the embarrassment caused by her impulsive actions, but she would never forgive herself if her words (no matter how well-meant) hurt or caused further harm. For a while both women were silent. Eldreda helped her into the gown and busied herself with adjustments. Rihannon was lost in thought, wondering if there was a way for her to learn from Eldreda. Despite the eagerness and impulsiveness of her request, she could afford to wait – a privilege that not many women had. Moreover, Eldreda made a good point earlier, for her to even consider Rihannon as a potential apprentice she would need to demonstrate her skills to the seamstress.

Unfortunately, all of her finished needlework was back home and it would take time (not to mention the material) for her to make something that she was satisfied enough so she could show it to Eldreda. Perhaps she could ask the seamstress to assign a task or some kind of project for her to complete while Eldreda was absent from Edoras… The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed to her. Neither party was formally committing to anything, but a chance was still offered.

However, the seamstress managed to surprise her again. As she motioned for her to step on a stool so she could pin the hem she suggested that she remains in the shop for the rest of the day and help out. She let out a joyful cry and smiled widely at Eldreda.

“Thank you! I’d love to,” she told the seamstress who was still busy with the hem of her gown. “As most other wealthy ladies in Gondor, I was taught to do needlework since I was a young girl. I’m afraid I’ve never made an outfit for someone, nor do I have the knowledge to do that,” she paused thinking about the various knitting, crocheting and sewing projects she did over the years, including preparing linens and other items for her dowry. “My finest works were those I made as a part of my dowry,” she said quietly and bit her lower lip. “Most of it is embroidery, but there are some knitted and crochet things there… I wish I could show it to you,” she said with a sigh. “However, that is neither here nor there… If you’d like, that is if it would be alright with you I was thinking… I am in no rush,” she said with a wry smile, aware of her status and privilege. “Since you will probably need to discuss this with your cousin, maybe you could give me some sort of assignment? A project of sorts that I would need to finish by the time you get back?” Rihannon hesitatingly suggested. “This way you have no formal obligations toward me and you get to judge my skill based on something concrete, not just on my word…"

OOC ((@Taethowen - no worries about the time skipping, feel free to go into Warp 9 if needed. :-) And if you need to do some godmoding because of the fast-forwarding thingy, go right ahead. BTW I hope it's ok that I've suggested that Eldreda gives Rihannon a project she can work on. It can be whatever you want. And while you're absent from the Plaza (regardless of how long that will take, I'm in no hurry) I can post about Rhiannon working on your project in the Life in the Mark thread. :-) ))
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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica


As she pinned up Rihannon's hem, Eldreda thought about Rihannon's proposition. It really would be handy to have an apprentice in the shop. She did not fancy going through another Mettarë gown season alone, and then of course there would be some who wanted gowns for the Summer Festival next year too.

"An assignment might work," Eldreda said as she stood again, setting the pins on the table and straightening her own skirt. "Even if you haven't made a garment completely from scratch, do you have the skills for basic stitching and mending? Over the winter, mending is usually the majority of the work the shop sees.

"Now, let's go show the gown to your brother. I want to see you walking, too, to make sure the hem is actually right." Eldreda held out a hand and helped Rihannon off the stool, then carefully arranged the gown's short train behind her.

Eldreda drew the curtain back, and motioned for Rihannon to walk to the front of the shop.


((OOC @Nessa Saelind - I'll do the project assignment and time skipping in the next post, I'm tired today and couldn't figure out how to do the transition, and figured Bran would need a way to exit the shop too, lol.))

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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica

Holding his sister’s cloak in his hands, Bran leaned on the wall and watched as she followed Eldreda to the fitting room. He smiled as he saw that the excitement and eagerness over the gown overcame Rihannon’s self-consciousness that sometimes overtook her; especially in situations where she was unsure how to act or in the presence of people she did not know well. But his sister was made of sterner stuff and he knew that she would quickly master her nervousness.

In the meantime, he was content to stay where he was, observe the front of the shop and listen to the voices of his sister and the seamstress that were coming from the fitting room. He was not eavesdropping, but simply watching over his sister as was his duty as her older sibling. He moved quietly from his spot, draping his sister’s cloak over the counter, as he walked to the shelves containing bales of fabric. There was a wide variety of textiles in different colours and finishes. Linen, cotton, lightweight wool from Gondor, even silk. Bran’s eyebrows rose in surprise, he did not expect such a rich and diverse selection of fabrics in a clothing shop in Edoras. Although, he would be the first to admit that he was operating on preconceptions. After all, every corner of the world had noble houses and people who had assets to afford luxurious fabrics.

As he mused whether to enquire about a possible business arrangement the sound of the curtain moving made him turn around and gasp. Rihannon was a vision in viridian. She walked over to him with a radiant smile, the gown fitting her perfectly. He smiled at her, overjoyed to see her smiling and happy. He motioned for her to twirl around and she did so making sure not to mess up the pins Eldreda placed on the hem.

“What do you think?” she asked him excitedly.
“You look beautiful djanim,” he replied, although beautiful was an inadequate term. Rihannon beamed at him and drew her into a hug, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. He looked over at the seamstress who was watching them with a small smile. “You have exceeded my expectations mistress Eldreda!” he complimented her skill. “And I see Rihannon is beyond pleased with your work. Thank you for making her happy.”
“Bran…” his sister said quietly and he let her out of his embrace.
“Yes, djanim?” he asked looking at her, noticing that she was wringing her hands nervously.
“I asked Eldreda if she would allow me to become an apprentice in the shop,” she started in a rush and his right eyebrow arched in surprise. It was a rather unexpected turn of events. “Nothing is finalised yet, but she asked me if I’d be willing to stay at the shop and help out for the rest of the day… I know we had other plans, but… Please, Bran…”

He was silent for a time, thinking and observing his sister. Rihannon was nervous, holding her hands clasped in front of her, trying to maintain calm although anyone with eyes could see her excitement. He wasn’t sure what came over his sister that made her ask the seamstress if she could become an apprentice. He suspected that his sister’s boundless curiosity and the quality of the embroidery on the gown had something to do with it. He mulled over her request; there was nothing wrong with it, although women of Rihannon’s status did not aspire to become seamstresses. However, he knew that his sister didn’t like to be idle and that she wanted to be something more than a wealthy merchant’s daughter who would one day be married off according to her station. Rihannon was a romantic at heart, and wanted something more from life, although she rarely voiced her desires. She was a good daughter and the best sister and he would not deny her the happiness she deserved.

“Of course you can stay djanim,” he told her and reached out to take out the bag with the coins he set aside to pay the seamstress for the dresses. “Here,” he said placing the bag in her hand and closing her fingers around it. “There is more than enough there to pay for your outfits. I’ll be out and about the Riddermarket and try to find some presents to send back home. I’ll come to pick you up at the end of the day and you can talk my ear of then.”

OOC ((@Taethowen well there's Bran making an exit stage left :-) so you can write the time skip at your own pace.))
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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica


Eldreda couldn't help but smile as she watched Bran and Rihannon interact. She'd not had siblings of her own--the closest thing to a sister she had was her cousin Taethowen--but she'd been close to her now-deceased parents, and recognized the bonds of close family with ease.

She flushed when Bran praised her skill, nodding to acknowledge the compliment. As Rihannon discussed the potential apprenticeship with Bran, Eldreda took the opportunity to lean against the counter and rest for a moment.

When Bran placed the pouch of coins in her hand, Eldreda tucked it aside in her pocket. She could tell by the weight that there was a sufficient amount set aside for the garments he'd commissioned for Rihannon, and possibly far too much. But she could count it and return any overages when he came to retrieve his sister later.

As Bran exited, Eldreda took Rihannon back to the fitting room, carefully extricating her from the Mettarë gown, and shuffling her in and out of a few more of the garments that Bran had commissioned, just to make sure of the fit on them.

Once that was finished, and Rihannon was dressed in her original garments again, Eldreda began showing her how she kept track of the garments that had been commissioned, and where she kept various supplies around the shop. The day passed quickly in a blur of helping customers, finishing last-minute alterations to garments, and watching how Rihannon coped with different tasks around the shop.

When the sky was finally darkening at dusk, the shop finally fell quiet, and Eldreda breathed a sigh of relief before turning to Rihannon with a tired smile. "You did well today, I'm very impressed! I've been thinking about a task for you. You said that you've never made a full garment before, correct?"

Eldreda gestured for Rihannon to follow her to the back of the shop, where she pulled out a large, leather pouch from a shelf. "These are the patterns my mother made when my cousin and I were apprenticing with her. I'd like you to study them, and to pick out one--probably an undershift, that doesn't require much shaping--and to construct it while I'm away. I don't expect it to be perfect, but I would like to see how you do at solving problems on your own."


((OOC @Nessa Saelind - I had a little bit more planned, but I'm about to be running late for a Thing, so I have to cut it off here! I'll definitely be able to do 1-2 more posts to get this all wrapped up with you over the next day or so.))

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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica

Rihannon hugged her brother tightly and whispered a thank you before letting him go. She knew that he was surprised by her request and that he would have questions for her later, but he did not discourage her and for that she was grateful. When he left she turned to Eldreda who gestured for her to return to the fitting room. The seamstress helped her out of her Mettarë gown and then there were a few more garments that Bran commissioned for her to try out, to see if everything fit.

The dressing and undressing took a while, but Rihannon didn’t mind it. It was fun in a way. After Eldreda was satisfied everything was right and Rihannon was back in her rust coloured gown, her first lesson began. The seamstresses started explaining her system of tracking commissioned garments, and after she was sure the young Gondorian got the hang of it she showed her how she sorted the fabrics in the shop and where various supplies were. Rihannon listened, watched and made mental notes. She wished she brought some parchment and a pencil to make notes of all of this, but perhaps it was better if she didn’t have a pen and paper. The mind needed exercise as well as the body.

Time seemed to fly while she was assisting Eldreda in the shop. Customers came in to pick up their finished outfits and there was always some last-minute alterations to be done. A few of the customers expressed their surprise at seeing a prospective apprentice in the shop; their comments were positive and Rihannon was glad to see that attitude. At times the shop felt crowded with the two of them and the chatting customers, but by the end of the workday they managed to sort everything out and everyone left the shop satisfied.

When the last customer for the day left, the shop was quiet again and Rihannon found that she craved those quiet moments after interacting with so many people that day. When Eldreda told her that she did well, she smiled at the seamstress happily. So many things went into working at a clothes shop, some of which she was familiar with such as accounting, sorting fabrics and talking to customers. Others, like measurements (which differed from those they used in Gondor), or making a full garment and how Eldreda formed prices she was not so familiar. When the seamstress gestured for her to follow her to the back of the shop Rihannon followed curious to find out what was next. Eldreda pulled out a large leather pouch from one shelf and as when she opened it Rihannon saw that it was filled with patterns. As she observed the patterns Eldreda’s mother created she listened to the seamstress’ instructions. She was quiet for a long time, thinking about the instructions she was given. Finally, she chose one pattern, a simple undershift, as Eldreda suggested.

“I think this one will be good,” she said gesturing at the pattern she chose. “From what I can see it is simple enough for a novice to make it and yet,” she looked at Eldreda as her lips quirked into a smile. “I have a feeling that the simpleness is deceptive.”

OOC ((@Taethowen sorry for the late reply, I didn't have time to finish this last night since I work an early morning shift.))
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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica


"The trick with simplicity is that it must be perfect," Eldreda said, returning Rihannon's smile. "There is nothing to hide your errors. No fancy embroidery, no texture to the fabric. Just the material and your stitches. So take your time with it. Focus on precision rather than speed. You're welcome to any of the supplies in the shop, just keep track of what you use. The Lædenmanger has a key to the shop and will be able to let you in while I'm away."

They continued to chat while Eldreda began balancing the ledger and preparing the shop to be mostly-closed for an extended amount of time. "With the Mettarë commissions picked up, things should be quiet here for a while. If you're up to it, it will be sufficient if you're here just a few days a week to take on any mending that needs to be done. If there's anything you're not confident about getting done, just be honest with the customer. If they give you trouble, get in touch with the Cavalry Liaison office here in the Riddermarket."

A little while later, when Bran returned to retrieve Rihannon, Eldreda handed him back a much lighter pouch of coins. "You gave me far too much, and Rihannon was very helpful today, so she's more than earned a discount on the garments you commissioned."

(OOC @Nessa Saelind - I did a teensy bit more time-skipping here, hopefully it's okay! I anticipate that there will be a new Riddermarket thread up by the time I return, but it probably won't have advanced terribly far. Posting Rihannon working on the project in LitM (either the Mettarë thread or the regular thread is fine) would be perfect, and I'll read up on it when I get back. I figure one or two more posts each, hopefully, will get this bit finished up? Feel free to have Bran ask about a trade deal!)

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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica

After she gave told the reason for choosing that particular design Eldreda smiled and then patiently explained the purpose behind her suggestion about a simple design. Perfection in simplicity was a poetically apt explanation. If an apprentice wanted to work on complex projects they needed to show they knew how to do the basics. And the foundations needed to be perfect, for they needed to stand the test of time. It would be stupid, embarrassing and not to mention wasteful if you made a gown, spend so much time on the embellishing embroidery only for it to tear simply because your stitches were not done properly.

She nodded her head in acknowledgement when Eldreda mentioned that she should focus on precision, not speed, and was slightly surprised that she offered that she could use supplies from the shop for the project. She just needed to keep track of them.

“Oh! Thank you Eldreda,” she said gratefully. “I don’t want to take anything from the shop if it’s not absolutely necessary,” she explained. “There are some old linens in the house Bran and I are staying… Well, rags might be a better description,” she said and laughed. Mentioning those reminded her that she needed to clean the windows of the house and start preparing it for the holidays. Bran would help, of course, but she was the mistress of the house where they were staying and the majority of the housework would be on her. “I’ll practice my stitches on them before I even attempt to do anything serious.”

As Eldreda started balancing the ledger Rihannon took a broom from the corner of the room and started sweeping the shop floor. As they were working on their respective tasks they managed to chat pleasantly and Rihannon felt relaxed and safe in the shop. She liked it here at Awesnis with Eldreda and she was looking forward to the challenges in front of her. However, she was surprised when the seamstress mentioned she could open up the shop and gave instructions on what to do if she so wished.

“But I thought you were closing the shop for the holidays?” she asked confused. “It’s not that I would mind coming in, after all, someone needs to check on the shop regularly, especially in winter, to make sure that there’s no damage and that everything is in working order…” she paused. “And of course you’re running a business, every day the shop is closed you lose money and as my mother is fond of saying ‘Unicorn tears don’t pay the bills, dear.’” she said laughing softly, feeling a pang of longing for her parents. “I’ll do my best, but I don’t think you’ll turn much profit, well at least until I learn more than I know now.”

They continued with their work and just as Rihannon finished tidying up the shop Bran arrived to take her home. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Today was a good day.

“Please mistress Eldreda,” Bran waved his hand at the seamstress comment that he had given her too much. He returned the pouch to her. “Don’t sell yourself short. As I’ve already told you, you are a mistress of your craft. And most importantly, you made my sister very happy, and that means more to me than you can know,” he said with a smile. “Besides, word around the Riddermarket is that you’re closing the shop and leaving Edoras for the holidays. And a closed shop does not profit make. And while we’re on the subject of profit,” he said and Rihannon suppressed a sigh. Bran de Argosy, the charming Merchant Adventurer. “I was wondering where do you get your fabrics from? You have an excellent selection here mistress Eldreda, and since our family deals with textiles I was wondering if an arrangement could be made?”

OOC: ((@Taethowen - no problem with the time skipping. I'll try to incorporate Rihannon working on her task in the Mettarë thread, or the regular one, depending on how my plotting and writing plans turn out :-) BTW, Bran is bening Bran. Feel free to roll your eyes at him. :D ))
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Aethelu and Dicun, Pen and Ink

The shop had finally warmed up. Aethelu sat happily by the stove, practising some new lettering techniques on some scrap paper. She had wondered about making up some nice cards for Mettarë that people could send to their loved ones, especially if they were unable to visit during the holiday. It was all about finding the right way to write things to look decorative. It would be nice, though she was going to need to shut the shop for a few days from tomorrow. Hopefully once she was back, she’d be able to get it all figure out.

All of a sudden, the door swung open, the handle hitting the wall with a loud thud. It gave her such a shock; she nearly fell off the stool she was sitting on.

“Sorry,” came the sheepish voice from the doorway.

“I should think so,” she sighed, taking in the sight of her snow dusted brother. “Come in and shut the door, at least let’s keep the heat in.”

Dicun quickly closed the door behind him, glad of the warmth in the little shop. He moved across to the counter, setting down two parcels. “I have done as asked,” he said with a smile, gesturing to the parcels. Aethelu carefully opened each one up to check he had managed to find the correct gifts. A shawl and fingerless gloves for their mother and a leather bag for their father.

“Perfect,” she said softly, wrapping them back up in their paper. Reaching under her counter, she found the basket she kept ribbons in so she could finish off the gifts. “You know,” she began as she tried to find the perfect colour for each parcel. “I still don’t see why you couldn’t take a few days of leave to come home with me. It would only be 2, 3 days at most. With Arlette we could even be back in a day.”

Dicun sighed, running his hand through his hair as he always did when he was nervous or stressed. “You know why. Look what happened last time I took leave.”
As she finished trying the ribbon, Aethelu couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Dicun, Edoras isn’t going to end up on fire twice in just a few months.”

“You say that now, but you never know. Best I stay here, just in case. As long as one of us goes home for Mettarë, it’ll be fine.” He was smiling again, and she couldn’t help but smile back. Now they were older and living separate lives, she found their relationship was far closer than it had been as children. Now the 7 years between them didn’t seem to matter so much.

“Fine,” she threw her hands up in defeat. “Fine, but if I have to spend the next few days listening to mother complain about it, on your head be it. Now, would you like some tea, or do you have other plans for the rest of the day?”

“No plans,” he replied, taking off his gloves and loosening his scarf. “Unless some crisis occurs in the next few hours.”

Aethelu laughed as she poured a cup of tea for Dicun and topped up her own. “The cavalry has certainly made you more cynical than I remember. But for now, let’s just relax and enjoy the snow while we stay inside. It will be a cold journey home tomorrow morning.”

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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica


"I was more closing out of necessity," Eldreda explained to Rihannon. "I need to go and spend some time with my cousin. I don't know what you might have heard since arriving in Edoras, depending on how long you've been here... but she was the Second Marshal.

"The shop will definitely need to be checked on, and the Lædenmanger would have taken care of that for me while I was away, but if you're able, then it would be preferable for someone to be here every few days. Don't worry about the profit. Sometimes the appearance of a consistent presence is more important."

When Bran tried to pass the pouch back to her, Eldreda's eyes and mouth narrowed just a bit. "Please, sir," she said firmly, pressing the coin pouch back into his hand. "I don't need charity. I have charged what I believe to be a fair cost for all the work I've done, and while the shop being closed for a while will put a dent in profits, it will by no means put it under."

When he turned the subject to textiles, though, she calmed a little. "My cousin has been the one who sources the fabrics here," Eldreda answered. "She spent several years traveling and establishing relationships with textile producers from Dale to Eriador to Gondor. She's been... preoccupied with her Cavalry duties for the better part of this year, though, so I don't know what the status of all those relationships are at the moment. If you want to write down what textiles and such you can possibly acquire, though, I will take the list with me and consult with her while I'm away.

"Although... it's possible you've already encountered her," Eldreda realized. "She was in Gondor for a few years, beginning about a decade ago. For some of that time, she went by the name of Lomiel."


(OOC @Nessa Saelind - gossip surrounding the Second Marshal would be about the traitors that infiltrated Helm's Deep. Taethowen was stabbed in the back--literally--and nearly died. And for Taethowen-as-Lomiel in Gondor, the short story is that she fell ill there during a journey, lost her memory for a time, and when she got her memories back it was too much of a hassle to correct everyone about her real name, so she just kept going by Lomiel. She was recovering for several months from that illness, and started working as a seamstress in Gondor to pay back the healers who'd cared her for so long. And then she started tracking down textile sources. I've not figured out any firm locations of where she traveled within Gondor, though, so I'll leave it up to you whether you want Bran to have some memory of her or not.)

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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica

Bran took note of Eldreda’s reactions when he insisted she take the money he set aside for his commission. He had taken into account the amount of fabric needed for the garments, the quality and price of the fabric (including various taxes that could be levied for imported luxury goods) and what the seamstress would charge for her work. Granted he had based much of his calculations on the prices of goods and services in Gondor, but based on the amount of material, its quality and the quality of Eldreda’s work he thought the amount given was correct. However, he mused as he listened to her talking, she was right. Although he certainly could afford to pay (and was always more than happy to reward quality) higher prices for quality services, not all of her customers could. If people got the impression she was overcharging for her services, just because a rich merchant from Gondor was more than willing to pay more, she could lose a lot of her regular customers.

When the focus of the conversation turned to textiles, Bran found Eldreda’s response rather interesting. Apparently, her cousin, who was the owner of the shop, was a Cavalry member. From what rumours and gossip he heard around Edoras, and if he managed to connect the dots, her cousin would be the very same Marshal who had recently been seriously hurt in Helm’s Deep.

“I do not believe I had the pleasure of meeting her,” Bran said after a long pause referring to Eldreda’s mention of her cousin’s sojourn in Gondor. “Our family is from Pelargir, and besides I spend 6 to 8 months at sea…” he said with a wistful smile. He missed the sound of the waves, the salty scent of the sea, the cry of the seagulls. “I will have that list ready for you by tomorrow morning mistress Eldreda,” he said after a while. “If you need it sooner than that let me know.”

OOC: ((@Taethowen - sorry if my reply is on the shortish side and kind of ends abruptly. I was racking my head while editing and I couldn't find a smarter transition/ending and I didn't want to keep you waiting, since I'm not sure how many RL things you have to do and the holidays are practically upon us! Bran and Rihannon haven't been in Rohan long, they don't know many people and he's piecing information from what he hear around town. I tried to keep information as vague as I could. ))
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Awesnis Gaerwe Nædleprica


Eldreda sighed with relief as the money situation was finally settled, and she was glad that Bran didn't press the issue further. As they continued to speak, she began packaging up Rihannon's garments.

"It's no matter." Eldreda shook her head and waved a hand when Bran said he didn't recall encountering her cousin. "And tomorrow morning will be fine for the list, though I hope to leave as early in the day as possible. It's a long journey to the estate, and I'd like to arrive before Mettarë if at all possible. I can meet you back here at the shop briefly."

Eldreda handed over the carefully packaged bundle of clothing to Rihannon with a smile. "I look forward to seeing your project upon my return."

She nodded to both Bran and Rihannon then as she led them toward the door. "I'm sorry to rush you, but I do have a journey to prepare for. I will see you in the morning, Bran."


(OOC @Nessa Saelind - I'm planning to make my Plaza exit within 24 hours from now, so I sped this along a little to start wrapping it up. There's no need to RP the next morning, I'm not sure I'll have time to respond to it. I will be doing some stuff with Taeth off-Plaza, though, so I might contact you on Discord to see how we want to progress a possible trade deal with Taeth/Eldreda and Bran's family, if that's all right?)

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Ye Olde Pet Shoppe
NPC: Jacen


Jacen took the money handed to him and tucked it in the pocket of the apron he wore, working hard to suppress a wide grin. He'd made a sale! A big sale! It was one of his first, and he was so proud of himself! He untied the mare and backed her out from between the other two, then gave her a quick pat on the nose and a goodbye. She wasn't a horse he was overly familiar with, as he hadn't had much of a hand in her training, but he liked to say goodbye to all the horses his family bred when they went on to new lives.

No, she's not ticklish with her feet. She's trained to stand quietly, lift her feet when asked, though she does need a bit of a hard tug on her fetlock sometimes with her back feet. She can be a bit stubborn. He gave her forelock a pull and held out the lead to Phiqo. The halter and lead are good quality and brand new, and if you need any equipment for her, I can provide it or there is a shop down the street. Was there anything else you're looking for?
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Lailyn
Cavalry Liaison Office

When Shivased entered, Lailyn rose from her place by the fire and gave her a respectful nod. “Thank you, First Marshal. I’m so glad you think so.” With low flames now crackling merrily away, she cleaned her hands on an old handkerchief and smiled. The nerves she had, and tried to hide, about the First Marshal fell away with the woman's praise and lightheartedness. The offer to leave the office was welcome especially given the festive season.

She took a step toward the desk and drummed her fingers on the surface, considering. “If you’re quite sure, I would not mind the chance to visit a few shops…” And to avoid sitting idly in the office alone where she knew the events in Helm’s Deep would unfold in her imagination. She had not known what to believe when the flurry of rumours reached her ears but Taethowen’s letter was concerning to say the least.

“I would not shirk my duty, either. I’ll be around the market should anything come up and I’ll tell anyone I meet that they can talk to me regardless of where I am. I’ll be sure to stop back here this afternoon,” she promised Shivased before the pair would depart for their patrol.

After Éomund and Shivased left, Lailyn sat at the desk. While waiting for the embers in the fire to die down and seeing no point in putting a kettle on if she were leaving, she leafed through a small pile of reports on the desk which consisted of nothing more malicious than a lost cat. Though the cat was much beloved and reportedly a good mouser, it made for a refreshing change of pace.

She set a quill to a fresh sheet of parchment and wrote out a notice for anyone who might stop by the office while it was unattended:
Mettarë greetings!
If you require immediate assistance, Cavalry patrol are on duty in the marketplace and should be readily available.
If you have any concerns to bring to Lailyn, she may be found at one of the following shops - Ye Olde Pet Shoppe, Awesnis gærwe nædleprica, Glædmód Abiring, Treowwyrhta.

It was possibly a bit of an ambitious list and the last shop was written after a moment’s hesitation. She did not actually have any business to conduct there this time, it was merely a social call that was somewhat overdue. Before she left, she chucked a bucket of water on the fire for good measure (Edoras certainly did not need more buildings to burn down) and tacked the notice on the outside of the door.

Né Fugol of Huntanð
She did not get far before she deviated from her plan. Hopefully popping in for just a moment would be fine. The sign for the recently opened falconry shop beckoned her to come welcome the market’s newest shopkeeper.

“Westu hal,” she greeted Fuin brightly as she stepped inside. “I noticed your shop was new and I-” For a moment, she was distracted by all the different birds perched in their cages and the array of falconry tools of which she knew very little.

“Oh, they’re all so beautiful!” Her gaze paused appreciatively on the peregrine behind the counter who held herself with a regal air. Feeling many keen eyes upon her, Lailyn took a few slow steps toward Fuin hoping they would not stir too much at a stranger’s presence.

“I wanted to welcome you and introduce myself. I’m Lailyn. I help in the Cavalry Liaison Office as a civilian. If you ever have concerns or see something strange in the market, please come talk to me or whoever is on staff in the office. It's just down the street.” She waved her hand in the vague direction of the office. Her voice was measured and even, hoping to convey there was no cause for concern and this was all routine. “Wigends will be patrolling the market regularly though I daresay no one will be able to surprise you or your birds,” she finished with a smile.
@Fuin Elda

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Né Fugol of Huntanð

She knew that it would likely take a little bit for customers to come in perhaps she'd send the birds out with little flyers to drop on Rohan and surrounding countries that the falconry shop was once again open when a cheery voice greeted her shortly after the jingle of a little bell which got the attentions of the youngest birds though they didn't do more than turn their heads.

"Westu hal!" Fuin said with a big smile as the woman was stopped midsentence as she looked over the birds who now were looking at her for several moments. The oldest went back to preening themselves for the moment, the only ones that didn't were the adolescent peregrines who kept their attention on Lailyn even as she stepped in calmly and slowly. "Thank you Lailyn, I'm Fuin and I will most certainly keep that in mind, though I think if anyone thinks to do thieving Lóithne here would be on them faster than they could run." Fuin chuckled giving her peregrine another gentle rub though she did note the direction that the woman motioned in terms of where the Cavalry Liaison Office was, she was certain she'd be able to find it fairly easily. "And don't worry I have them trained to not get too excited at anyone new being around them, especially when they are in their cages. They get a bit more excited out of their cages when they get to fly so they have enough exercise, so I hope the market doesn't mind if I deal with the pigeons to give them something extra to do until they find homes." The elf said noting the womans slow careful movements watching the menagerie about her. "Though I may need to be careful incase Ye Olde Pet Shoppe has any small creatures stored outside that the birds will hunt." The word hunt brought a sharp kak from Lóithne and shifted her weight forward looking like she was about to launch herself until Fuin held her hand up splayed a sign she'd taught the older bird to stop her from taking off at least when she was in a building. Fuin was of the mind to let her fly as she liked if she was outside but in this small shop her flying around would just cause a lot of chaos, the bird twisted her head shifted and looked at the elleth before she sat back.

"Aside from the Liaison offices whereabouts is there anything else I should know, aside from that I should be careful with my fire place after the fire that swept through recently?" She said remembering that not long ago she had brought a bunch of supplies (mostly a ridiculous amount of nails) to help with rebuilding and giving some treats to the children that tended to still have a lot lost that wasn't as essential as many other things and toys and treats were not as necessary in rebuilding so often got overlooked though she doubted anyone would remember that she was that crazy elf.

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Lailyn, Né Fugol of Huntanð
It was nice to hear the Rohirric greeting from the elf who was clearly familiar with some of the customs of Rohan and indeed sounded like she had been here for some time at least prior to opening the shop. Some of the birds seemed interested in watching her and others were very calm, hardly taking much notice of her at all. Fuin’s assurance helped though Lailyn still tried to speak in a soft voice, not wishing to alarm the birds. She didn’t know if they had sensitive hearing or not but knew many animals did not like loud noises or sudden movements.

“Well met, Fuin,” she greeted the elf. “And Lóithne." She said, letting her gaze linger on the bird, wondering if she understood. "That is a beautiful name.”

Fuin’s mention of hunting and flying over the market seemed to excite Lóithne. Just as the falcon appeared about to jump into flight, the elf formed a gesture and the falcon settled back down. The discipline and intelligence on display was quite impressive as well as the elf’s obvious skill and dedication at her trade. Lailyn longed to reach out and stroke those sleek feathers but knew it was not quite the proper thing to do especially considering their sharp beaks and talons and that they were not exactly pets.

“They are very well-trained,” she complimented the elf. “I’m sure no one would mind their flying over the market and city.” She paused to consider, then added, “well, I suppose the pigeons might but I cannot speak for them...” There was a mischievous glint in her hazel eyes at her jest but it faded with the memory of the fires.

“No, I don’t think there is anything specific you should know other than it might be wise to carry some weapon if you are suited to doing so.” It was worded more as a question as she was unsure if the elf had any skill or experience in combat. “You seem quite well-informed. No doubt you have heard some rumours but there should not be anything to worry about,” she stressed the last sentence, not wanting to cause concern. “If you have any questions that I might be able to answer, I am happy to help! And if you don't mind my asking..." she hesitated, unsure if the elf would think her foolish for her questions. "I wish I now had a reason to get a falcon for myself. Are they solely trained for hunting?"

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Né Fugol of Huntanð

Fuin smiled and laughed at the comment from Lailyn about not being able to speak for the pigeons. "No I suppose they would not like the raptors flying over the market, though I think there are a good number of visitors that may enjoy the lack of... possible airborn catastrophy should they be driven off by flying birds." She blinked a bit at the comment that it might be wise to carry a weapon if she was so suited, she decided for the moment to concentrate more on her other question.

The elleth slipped out from behind her counter and headed towards some of the small sparrow hawks. "The larger ones are trained for hunting and messengers. She said motioning to the most of the birds, "They are quite useful as messengers as unlike many birds kept for message sending, they can feed themselves as they fly. Though if they are abused or ill treated you'll find they will just fly off on their own. One must remember when they are in flight they are free so one must treat them well or they will be off and you're message will not get through." She said calmly. " Now the sparrow hawks..." She said moving towards the smallest cages she had with small birds that were at best half the size of the next smallest birds. "These are purely trained as messengers as they can't take down any prey that is overly big enough to feed both you and the bird. Though if you are starving a sparrow for each of you is better than nothing I suppose." She said tipping her head slightly and sliding a fine glove on her hand and opening up one of the sparrow hawks cages and stuck her hand in in a fist and the little bird hopped on and she pulled the bird out letting Lailyn look at the little bird closer.

"You should be able to stroke her back if you'd like, this is a little sweetheart of a bird for a hawk." She said cheerfully, "I know the look in your eyes wanting to touch them for they are not common animals to keep or be able to touch." She pulled a small bit of rabbit so that the bird was focused more on Fuin and the tiny bit of food in her hand than the Rohirrim that was standing behind her. Of course now she felt like she could ask the question that had tugged at her mind when Lailyn had mentioned it.

"I tend to carry several weapons when traveling and am... well suited to them though may I ask why I would need them here in the market?" She had to ask "As I have not heard any rumors really, just news of the fire, I am, despite my knowledge of Rohan am not local so I suppose I will be among the last to hear rumors until I make more friends here in the market."

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NPC Bran de Argosy, from Awesnis to Treowwyrhta

Bran walked out from Awesnis and moved to the side of the shop. For a few moments, he stood there mulling over what happened. His sister’s potential apprenticeship during their sojourn in Rohan could be a good thing. For a while now, he and Roderic had thought that it was time for their sister to spread her wings and find out what kind of person she could be if given the freedom she desired. Only time would tell what would become of this. He shrugged and moved away from where he was standing, rejoining the flow of shoppers and passers-by on the streets of the Riddermarket his thoughts turning to his next task.

He had taken Rihannon here to surprise her with her new garments, but he had also planned to walk around the marketplace with her so they could seek out gifts for their family. She had a knack for finding interesting gifts, especially for children. However, today he would have to do without her so he turned his attention to the shop signboards hoping that something would inspire him. After a while, the signboard with the words Treowwyrhta caught his attention. Bran stood in front of the carpenter’s shop and looked at it thoughtfully an idea forming in his mind. Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone, as the saying goes, and possibly annoy his cousin’s husband with his choice of gift for Ellin. Bran grinned, the idea was appealing.

“Good day to you master carpenter,” he greeted the man cheerfully as he entered. “I was wondering if I might commission you to do some Mettarë gifts for my young nephew and my cousin’s daughter?”

OOC: ((@Winddancer - in the end I've settled on a wooden horse and 2 decorative chest, one is for his sister, but we'll touch on that when we get there :-) ))
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Lailyn, Né Fugol of Huntanð
Lailyn chuckled at Fuin’s comment about aerial catastrophes - there was a benefit she hadn’t considered! Her attention was captivated by the birds and everything Fuin had to say. It was a lot to take in and she tried to appreciate them for their individual qualities; each one seemed to have a unique character and appearance not unlike people or horses and they were more versatile than she thought.

Her eyes widened as she watched Fuin handle one of the sparrow hawks and offer the chance to do exactly what she’d been hoping for. Apparently her feelings were written all over her face, which was nothing new. She reached out, slow and hesitant, her fingers curled in, and gave the sparrow hawk a soft caress.

“Oh, it’s so much softer than I imagined!” She whispered, smiling from ear to ear. “What fierce and graceful creatures.” Her eyes shone with admiration but she pulled her hand away, not wanting to push her luck.

And it was a good thing, too, because Fuin’s question (which was entirely reasonable) made her shoulders tense. The bird might sense her shifting mood even if it may not notice the change in her expression.

The elf’s proficiency with weapons was welcome news. “Well, that’s good to hear…” she murmured. The answer to Fuin’s question required candor and she delivered her answer as such. “I’m not sure I would listen to rumours, they have a way of bending the truth around here. But I will tell you because I was there - this summer, a woman was stabbed in the market streets. There was no danger to anyone else but since then, it seems prudent to be...ready. Just in case.” With the unfortunate but necessary information out of the way, Lailyn sought to end on a more positive note. “As I said, I’m confident you’ll be fine. Between the Cavalry patrols, your falcons and your own wealth of experience, I would not worry if I were you.”

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Æric and Edda with Bran

Work had been slow these past few weeks. In fact, there had been no jobs at all. Looking up at Edda as she sat by the table and drew on a scrap of paper, he could feel his stomach clenching with worry. He was going through his meagre savings far faster than he would like, not helped by the cost of the riding lessons Edda was now taking. He would have to see if he could somehow exchange some work for those lessons, repair the barns or something like that. He really did not want to tell Edda that she could no longer have any lessons.

"See Papa!" She called out enthusiastically, lifting the paper to show her drawing. He blinked furiously, hoping to be able to work out what it was, though gratefully she provided the answer for him before he made a fool of himself as he was definitely not about to say what it actually was. "The horse I was riding yesterday!"

"Of course!" He exclaimed, giving her a huge smile, relishing in the joy on her face. "Just as beautiful as you are.." He smiled even more as she giggled, putting the paper back to continue drawing.

Before he could return to his own project, the door to the small store opened, both of them looking up to see wo it was. As the man greeted them, Æric slid from his stool and with a smile waved his hand towards an empty stool for the man to sit on.

"That should not be a problem, what kind of gifts did you have in mind?" Æric waited for them man to be seated before he went back to his, Edda suddenly perking up at the word gifts. "Look! I drew a horse!" She exclaimed, once more showing off the doodle that looked like a circle had exploded.

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Né Fugol of Huntanð

Fuin tipped her head back slightly as Lailyn said what had happened, it wasn't a rumor coming from her by the way she was saying it. "That seems like quite the issue." She said softly, and put the small sparrow hawk away and pulled off the glove. Latching the cage for the bird shut.

"I take it that it hasn't happened since at least?" She said calmly after she took a deep breath. "I will be fine I tend to keep Lóithne with me but will probably keep my knife on me after this in case though unless they are well trained I should be fine even today." She smiled and gave a small nod. "I am not part of the cavalry but if there is an emergecy, aside from today," she chuckled, "You're welcome to call on help from me if the shop is open in the future if there are issues and you are by yourself." She said looking over the shop.

"On a nicer note, do you know how long Treowwyrhta is open tonight? I've been horribly silly and not brought myself a seat and I am not willing to stand around all day every day." Fuin said the right side of her lips tugging up in a half smile. "I'm old enough I've earned the right to sit at work, and it would be a horribly long time to get something from Imladris when I am know Rohan is quite skilled with word craft."

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Lailyn, Né Fugol of Huntanð
“No. It has not...not in the market.” There was no way around it; there had been another stabbing but that one was strictly Cavalry business and not something she could discuss openly. What little she knew had come from Taethowen’s brief letter and she frowned at the thought of her friend’s peril. After a pause, she continued, “and I do hope it doesn’t happen again.”

“Thank you.” Her eyes widened a little in surprise. “That is a very generous thing to offer, I only hope I never have to take you up on it. I carry a blade with me now, too, and I know how to use it though I would rather not...” The dagger at her waist was hidden beneath her cloak and she felt it weighed with memories. She forced her shoulders back so as to instill confidence in Fuin for what would she think of someone who seemed full of fear? The elf was so calm herself hearing the news. “Many of the shopkeepers are Cavalry members as well themselves. I think between all of us, everyone will be safe.”

The conversation’s change in direction certainly was a nicer note, as Fuin put it. “Treowwyrhta?” she asked with a glance out the window, not that the shop could be seen from there. “I’m not sure. I’m sorry, I don’t know what hours every shop keeps....” she trailed off in thought. “I imagine it is similar to the others but the carpenter has a young daughter so he may close earlier than some.” She smiled and briefly wondered just how old Fuin was not that she would ever dare to ask.

“He did some repairs for me not so long ago and did a very fine job. I’m sure his other work is just as good.” Realising she was speaking fast and possibly with more warmth than might be warranted, she took a breath and slowed down. “Ah, I don’t know much about carpentry but I think a chair should be straightforward compared to my house. I’m hoping to stop by later myself but I have a few other errands to finish first.” She retreated a few steps toward the door even though part of her wanted to linger with the birds.

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NPC Bran with Æric and Edda at Treowwyrhta

As he entered the shop the carpenter (Æric) got up from his chair and motioned at him to come in and have a seat. As he walked over and took the offered chair he noticed projects in various stages of completion scattered around the workshop. A girl (Edda), the carpenter’s daughter he assumed, who looked a few years younger then Ellin was drawing something. Before he could answer the carpenter’s question about his gift ideas, the little girl looked up, all smiles and excitement, exclaiming that she drew a horse and promptly showed him her drawing.

Bran looked at the drawing and then focused his attention at the girl. “That’s a beautiful horse you drew,” he told her seriously and then smiled at her. “Tell me little shield-maiden, could your father build me a wooden rocking horse for my nephew? One that would be just as beautiful as your drawing?” he asked the girl, his voice serious, but his eyes were filled with joy and laughter.

“What do you think master carpenter?” he asked glancing at the man and smiling. “Could such a rocking horse for my nephew be made? Granted he’s just a babe, but it is not every day that his uncle gets to visit Rohan. And of course, I would be remiss if I did not get a gift for my cousin’s daughter. I was thinking of a chest for her, something she could use now to put away her books and toys… And in that in the future it can be a part of her dowry…” he said thoughtfully testing the idea. Turning again to the carpenter’s daughter he asked “What say you little shield-maiden? Did I do well?”

OOC: ((@Winddancer this is the chest I had in mind, but it can have typical Rohirric motifs instead of birds and flowers. :-) ))
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Æric and Edda with Bran

Edda beamed at the compliment, looking at the drawing before placing it back on the table to continue. However the man's question had her looking back up, her eyes darting quickly to her father. Her small face crinkled into a thoughtful look as she was not quite sure what it was the man was talking about. A wooden horse? One that rocked? Not having seen or heard anything of the kind, she could not quite picture what it was that he meant.

"What's a rocking horse Papa?" She asked her father, though just as he was about to give her the answer, she cut him off and spoke to the man. "My Papa can build anything! Even a horse!" Her eyes lit as she thought of her father building a horse the size of the one she rode for her lessons, though she could not quite see how it could be made to rock.

Æric couldn't help himself, chuckling as he reached over and ruffled her curly red hair, guessing what she was picturing. "No darling, it won't be as big as the one you ride, it would be for a small child. One younger than you. Don't you worry, I will make sure you test out that it rocks well enough before we sell it to the gentleman, ok?"

Winking at his little girl, he turned his attention back to his customer. "Sure, I think I can make one of those. It would be my first, but it shouldn't be too hard. Any preference on the colour? And any preference on the carvings on the chest?"

"My horse has black hair!" Edda exclaimed as if she owned the horse, her father smiling and slowly shaking his head as if he had tried to tell her several times that she did not own it.

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Branimir "Bran" de Argosy with Æric and Edda at Treowwyrhta @Winddancer

After he told the carpenter and his daughter, for the little girl was an eager listener, what he wanted to be made (a rocking horse for his nephew and a decorated chest for his cousin’s daughter) Bran stood next to the carpenter’s table and observed the interaction between Æric and Edda. The little girl’s faced crinkled in confusion at his request; perhaps the child had never seen a wooden rocking horse? Bran wasn’t familiar if such toys were common or popular in the Mark. Would a child in the land of the riders surrounded by living, breathing horses they could (eventually) ride, even want a wooden rocking horse? He supposed the same thing could be said about toy boats and children living in cities, towns and fishing villages around Côf Belfalas… He would certainly not commission a carpenter in Pelargir to make a toy falkuša for his nephew.

The thought made him smile, and the smile broadened as he heard Edda proudly proclaim that her father could make anything one could imagine. As the carpenter explained what a rocking horse is and how big would the toy be, Bran took the opportunity and looked around the shop. The space was neat and tidy, the tools clean, sharp and put in their place. A slight nod indicated both his satisfaction with what he saw and the silent confirmation and agreement with Edda’s statement. Yes, he did believe that Æric could make anything one could imagine.

He returned his attention to the carpenter when he was asked about the colour of the horse and the carvings on the chest. He chuckled slightly as the little Rohir lass exclaimed that her horse had black hair and as her father slowly shook her head. The Gondorian merchant wondered how many times had the carpenter patiently explained about the ownership of the horse to his daughter.

“I am tempted to say white as snow,” Bran replied cheerfully after he thought about the question for a while. “In honour of the magnificent mearas. However, I feel that after a few hours of play the horse would not be white anymore,” he chuckled imagining the scene. “And my sister-in-law would surely assign me to clean the toy until it was snowy white again,” he spoke in amusement, a fond smile on his face indicating that everything that was being said was in good humour. “Perhaps mahogany bay or seal brown would be a better choice?” he said after a while. “As for the carvings on the chest… It would be nice to have some typical Rohirric motifs… Horses are the obvious choice,” he laughed again. “But although Ellin, my cousin’s daughter, would quite enjoy horses I think simbelmynë would be… Ah, if not a more suitable choice, at least it’s an interesting choice…” he trailed off and shrugged his shoulders.
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