@Raisins
Ivornith and
Saffyre Stone
Ivornith listened to the steady various dripping sounds around the house as she worked on sewing a patch on some trousers for Iuldir, inwardly sighing as she wished she could get the roof fixed. Rissy was so little, she didn't even know it wasn't normal for a house to leak like this, she thought sadly. As she knotted the end of her seam, Ivornith wondered how much it would cost to get it fixed.. to pay someone. But she knew already it was beyond what she could afford. If Cali and Iuldir were to start working the forge, and getting paying customers, then perhaps their fortune might change, but from the talk she'd had with Cali last night, it seemed her sister-in-law was rather reluctant to make it well known just yet, being so uncertain about how well-received she would be, if people found out about her being the smith of the forge.
As she was selecting a fabric scrap to add another patch on, she was surprised to hear a knock at the door. She paused, then recalled Fuin having mentioned expecting her husband to arrive today. Was he already here? She hurriedly set her sewing aside, telling Rissy to stay there as she went to the door. To her surprise, it was not an elven lord standing upon her doorstep, but a disheveled, drenched child. It took her a few seconds to recognize the girl. "Goodness, what happened to you?" Ivornith exclaimed, ushering Saffyre inside.
"Nothing," The girl looked a little confused, then looked down and realized. "Oh. I was just playing in the puddles." She explained. Standing on the mat, she glanced around, blinking at all the buckets catching leaks.
"What brings you here?" Ivornith wondered. "Saffyre, you're drenched. Would you like a towel?"
"No, I'm alright. The rain is fun." Saffyre smiled, then hesitated. "Um... I thought you ought to know that Grandma is quite upset that you didn't come today." She said, rolling her eyes.
"Oh no!" Ivornith frowned. "I thought for sure she wouldn't want me to, after last time..."
"Yeah, I know. You'd think so, but..." Saffyre sighed. "Anyway. You probably oughta hurry and get there as quick as you can, she's...pretty angry." She told Ivornith apologetically.
"Yes, of course, that's fine." Ivornith replied with a sigh as she went to grab her cloak, a bit disappointed as well as worried. The woman had a good amount of wealth and power, and could potentially make it difficult for her to get any job around here, if she so chose. "You run along home and tell her I'll be there as soon as I can, alright?"
"Um.. I'm not going back there right now." Saffyre said. "I've.. got a few things to do. Just.. I'd get there as quick as possible, if I was you. But just so you know, it's awfully muddy out there."
"I can tell from looking at you," Ivornith replied with a small smile, hurriedly gathering her things. She put on her cloak to keep the rain off, and then sighed. "Rissy, we'll just have to get Cali to watch you today, I'm sorry sweetie."
"Sorry to bring the bad news." Saffyre added, feeling a bit bad, but... she figured it wouldn't be fair to Ivornith to not even know the ogre was expecting her, after all.
"No, you have no reason to be sorry." Ivornith assured her. "Thank you, for coming all this way to let me know." She took Rissy's hand and ushered them all out, then hurried through the rain to the barn to leave her with Cali, assuming Saffyre would go on to whatever other errands she had to do.
Calithildis (Cali) and
Iuldir
They were making very nice progress, and Cali was feeling quite pleased with how quickly the work was getting done, despite Iuldir having difficulty with his arms. She might have laughed if it weren't for the fact she knew just how miserable that could be. Instead, she felt a bit of sympathy for him every time he winced. But the chair's frame was taking shape very nicely, and soon it was almost time to begin welding pieces together. She was preparing to help Fuin get the chair put together when Ivornith and Rissy ran in. Cali paused, confused for a second, as it didn't seem like lunch time, and further puzzled as Ivornith looked ready to be heading off somewhere. The explanation soon came.
"I'm sorry, I've just found out I
do have to go to work today," Ivornith explained swiftly. "I'll have to leave Rissy with you, Cali.. I hope you don't mind?"
"Yes, of course." Cali nodded.
"I'm terribly sorry to leave so suddenly." Ivornith added to Fuin. "I have to go, or I may not have this job anymore... I'll try and be back as soon as I possibly can." With that she quickly kissed Rissy, waved to Iuldir, and then hurried out, trying to keep her cloak closed around her to keep as dry as possible.
"Well." Cali sighed softly, upset for Ivornith's sake more than anything. "Seems like she can never make up her mind what she wants, that woman... poor Ivornith." She led Rissy over to sit on the bench. "You stay here out of the way and watch quietly, alright?"
"Why's she gotta be like that?" Iuldir frowned, annoyed that his mother had to rush through the rain just because that rich woman said so. "Why couldn't she just let mother stay home out of the rain?"
"Cause, she's an Ogre." Saffyre spoke up from the doorway. "At least, that's what I call her." She added, stepping the rest of the way inside. Having watched Ivornith bring Rissy here, she had become quite curious what might be in there, and so ventured forward once she left, and peeked in. Overhearing them discussing her grandmother (who else could they be talking about, after all?) the girl couldn't help but speak up. Now, even more curious, she stepped inside and looked around. "What
is all this?" She wondered, wide-eyed. "What's that?" She pointed to the thing they seemed to be making, not really noticing how alarmed Cali and Iuldir looked at her invasion into the barn. Then, noticing that the other person in there had pointed ears, her eyes got even bigger. "Are you an
elf?" She asked in amazement, not even considering the fact she may have trespassed into an off-limits area.