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* Lisl sits on the back porch, a little collection of butchering knives in a leather case unrolled on the table beside her, stropping a flaying knife. * Lisl wears a somewhat bloodstained leather apron over her clothes, her shirtsleeves rolled up nearly to the shoulders. * Tarri stops in front of Ellesmere to chew on her lip nervously. She is wearing pale grey robes, a green healer's knot embroidered over her heart. The wide belt around her waist is adorned with two deep pouches and a plain, functional dagger. She takes a deep breath, and heads up the walk, knocking on the door before she can change her mind. * Lisl looks up, and gets up curiously to walk to the end of the porch and peer around the side of the building, keeping her voice pitched low so as not to disturb anyone in the house. "Around back, please." <Tarri> Oh! ::starts slightly at the unexpected direction of the voice, then turns to follow the side of the house around to the back:: * Tarri stops at the corner, looking around curiously. "Lisl? Are you back here?" <Lisl> ::smiles broadly as she resumes her seat, putting aside the knife and bit of leather and standing again:: Tarri! This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you to Ellesmere? Nach is asleep, or I'd have let you in the front. <Tarri> Oh, I hope my knocking didn't wake her! ::she comes forward a little further, smiling shyly:: I'd wanted to talk with you, anyway. <Lisl> ::waves a hand:: If she chooses to sleep, she sleeps. ::gestures to a muslin-draped shape suspended from a hook in the ceiling:: Mind if I work while we talk? I won't if it disturbs you..." <Tarri> ::eyes the shape, then shrugs:: Deer? Or a sheep? ::she grins:: I've been carving up pigs and sheep for a week, now; watching one more isn't going to upset me. <Lisl> ::snorts a little:: Deer. ::gives the muslin a tug, folding it up neatly as it falls off the form of the dead deer:: Carving up pigs and sheep? Are they training you to be a butcher, or a healer? <Tarri> Well... Too often a healer has to cut. It's better if we get a feel for our knives on something that can't feel it any more. And - as a side benefit, the kitchen gets some help with the butchering. ::she grins as she takes a seat on the bench:: It's all very efficient. And pigs' innards are actually very similar to peoples'. <Tarri> We lost four apprentices the first week of the carving, though - back when we were only working on rabbits and fowl! ::she shakes her head in amazement:: I wonder where they thought supper comes from? <Lisl> ::chuckles:: Very practical of them. Although the joints work a little differently, on two feet instead of four... ::selects a flaying knife and carefully works it under the deer's hide starting at the back hocks, over her head:: <Lisl> ::enunciating carefully, a somewhat wicked grin on her face:: The kitchen. <Tarri> ::laughs and nods:: After we're done with the pigs and sheep, they'll move us on to people. ::makes a face:: I'm not really looking forward to that. I don't mind butchering, and the things we're learning are amazing. And I've worked on people before, even cutting - that's not so bad. But *bodies*... ::she shivers a little, then sighs:: Oh, well. It has to be done, I guess. And the Mother knows some of them shouldn't be allowed near their *supper* with a knife, much less a *patient*. <Lisl> ::chuckles, sneaking glances at Tarri as she works:: So, how was your trip? Did you get along well with San's parents? ::working her way up the deer's back, the skin sliding down smoothly as if she were merely peeling off a tight sweater:: <Tarri> ::smiles widely:: Oh, yes! They were so nice! San's dad said, if we could get him the cloth in time, he'd make my wedding dress. <Lisl> ::smiles:: Ah... of course. "Tailorson." ::chuckles a little:: These days, sometimes the name goes farther back... <Tarri> ::nods:: I got the impression it was the family trade - though I think the line's been broken with Sanriel. I've never met anyone more inept with a needle! ::she giggles:: <Lisl> Well, as long as he doesn't stick things to himself, he's doing fairly well... ::kneels as she loosens the skin from the deer's front legs, and pulls it down over its head, separating it with a neat motion and catching the flaccid bundle:: There... <Tarri> Well.. that's the thing - he *has* sewn himself into things. ::she chuckles:: So other than that... that thing with the orcs, we had a wonderful trip. <Lisl> ::raises an eyebrow as she sits again and works on lashing the skin to a willow stretching-frame:: "That thing with the orcs"? <Tarri> Um... I don't know much about it. Some orcs came too close to the village, and they rounded everyone up and the militia went out to deal with them. ::she rubs her cheek a little self-consciously:: <Lisl> ::narrows her eyes a little at Tarri's cheek-rubbing, asking a bit too casually:: So you were away from the front lines when they attacked? <Tarri> ::nods:: We'd gone for a walk... ::she sighs, exasperated with herself:: I tripped over a root or something and almost made Sanriel too late to help. <Lisl> San's alright? I assume he's in one piece, someone would have said something before now. <Tarri> ::nods quickly:: He's fine. Not even a scratch. One of his friends got hurt pretty bad, and he was pretty upset for a while, but he was feeling a lot better when I saw him last. <Lisl> ::nods, only the slight relaxation of her posture betraying her earlier tension:: That's good. <Tarri> ::nods:: So, anyway, I um... ::she glances at Lisl and takes a deep breath:: I wanted to say I was sorry. <Lisl> ::blinks, nonplussed:: Sorry? For? <Tarri> ::squirms a little:: For... not trusting you, when you told me... what you were. ::she looks at Lisl briefly, then stares firmly at the ground in front of her:: I... You'd never been anything but a friend to me and Sanriel. <Lisl> oh. ::sits back in her chair, a little limply:: I... ::shakes her head:: you don't need to apologize, Tarri. Trust is... earned, and I didn't do the greatest job of earning yours. I know that was a pretty big thing to keep from you. But... I hope you can understand why I had to. <Tarri> ::nods:: Of course! But it shouldn't have mattered! I was... ::she shakes her head and smiles somewhat weakly:: What if we say we both made some mistakes, and just be friends again? <Lisl> ::smiles warmly:: I'd like that. ::stands, and moves to hug Tarri, pausing as she glances down at her blood-smeared apron:: Um. <Tarri> ::grins and hugs Lisl anyway:: <Tarri> Thank you. <Lisl> ::laughs and hugs her back, careful not to squeeze too hard:: Thank *you.* * Tarri smiles as she sits back down, and fishes a neatly-folded rag from her pouches. She begins to dab at the blood smeared on her robe. "So... How was *your* Midwinter?" <Lisl> ::grins:: My Midwinter was... eventful. Hot. Occasionally embarrassing. Pick one. <Tarri> ::blinks, then grins:: Only one? <Lisl> ::laughs:: Alright, all of the above. The Alani are... ::shakes her head a little in disbelief:: a *very* friendly people. Occasionally a little *too* friendly for my comfort, but Kevil's parents were great. ::with a sparkle in her eye:: And I got to chase borju-- er, bandits. <Tarri> ::looks confused at the beginning of the explanation, then her face clears:: Ah! You went to visit Master Kevil's family? That was nice of them, to host his friends... Was it very far away? <Lisl> ::nods:: Quite far... a few weeks, by ship. He comes from a desert city. <Tarri> ::looks at Lisl sternly:: A desert city. By ship. <Lisl> ::holds up her hands:: Truth. We took ship to nearby, and then walked through desert to his home. <Tarri> ::looks dubious:: It must be a very strange place. <Lisl> ::shrugs a shoulder:: Very different from here, but... well, desert is desert. There were certain similarities to Anauroch, tho' *certainly* not the in temperament of the people. <Tarri> Well, it sounds really fascinating! <Tarri> ::grins:: Though I don't know if I could really properly celebrate midwinter without snow... <Lisl> ::nods:: It was. Kevil's birth-mother was just wonderful. ::grins:: And I *did* miss snow, but I hear I didn't miss too much of it. Besides, I've had years enough of it to save up a few times in the warm. <Tarri> ::blinks at the phrase "birth-mother", but doesn't ask.:: <Lisl> ::notices Tarri's blank look:: Families are put together a little differently there, too. <Tarri> Uhm... okay. ::looks vaguely concerned:: Isn't he courting Loria? <Lisl> ::smiles a little enigmatically, but doesn't elaborate:: Yes. <Tarri> ::bites her lips, then sighs:: None of my business. I just hope she's careful. <Lisl> ::smiles a little wider:: Loria's a sharp girl. I think she'll do fine. <Tarri> ::nods:: <Lisl> Anyway, the ride back was a bit more eventful than we'd have liked-- we were attacked by pirates, and Loria took a blow to the head, but she's wholly recovered now. <Tarri> ::eyes widen:: Pirates??? Oh, no! But... everyone's fine? <Lisl> Well... ::knife-sharp smile:: There's a good score of pirates who won't be sailing ever again, but the *rest* of us are fine. <Tarri> ::looks relieved:: That's good... <Lisl> ::face hard, eyes calculating as she stares off the porch into the woods:: "Good" will be when we catch up with that vixen of a pirate captain again... <Tarri> ::blinks:: Vixen? A- a *woman* pirate? <Lisl> ::shakes her head, coming back to herself as she stands and selects another knife to start jointing the deer:: Yes. They're not so common, but they are out there. And this one... ::shakes her head, making a low growling noise in the back of her throat that makes the listener's hair stand on end:: <Tarri> ::shakes her head:: I'm glad I don't sail. <Lisl> ::grins:: Hey, I was just a passenger. But... bandits are bandits. You find them wherever you find people they can prey on. <Tarri> ::nods:: Yes, I suppose so... ::she shivers:: Another reason to like teleporting. ::musingly:: I wonder if San will learn to do that...? <Lisl> ::shudders a little:: You *like* teleporting? Oh-- Mother took you, didn't she? <Tarri> ::nods:: She was really great! It didn't make me *nearly* as sick as when Lady Natovna did it! <Lisl> ::chuckles dryly:: That's because she didn't want to put up with a few centuries of hearing me gripe about it. <Tarri> ::giggles, then yawns:: Oh! ::she looks up at the darkening sky:: I should probably be getting back... <Lisl> ::nods:: ::gestures towards the door with the knife:: Do you want to come in and wash up a bit, first? You look... ::chuckles, and picks up a cloth to wipe a smear of blood off Tarri's cheek:: well, *I* don't mind it, but I imagine the gate guards will think otherwise... <Tarri> ::giggles:: Sure... Though I don't think they'd really have much to say... ::she touches the embroidery at her breast:: Healers... ::she shrugs:: But I should wash my face and hands at least, yeah. <Lisl> True. ::grins:: Good thing you're trustworthy, or you could get away with murder. <Tarri> ::laughs:: Do you know how often they make us recite the healer's oath? By the time I'm done with the training, I don't know if I'm going to be able to kill my own rabbits anymore! <Lisl> ::shakes her head with a snort:: "Reminders"... I remember when an oath given once was taken as secure. <Tarri> ::thoughtfully:: Well... I think they really want to make sure we think about it, and make sure we understand it. <Lisl> ::nods reluctantly:: Alright... that I can see. ::uses the rag to wipe off her knife, and throws the muslin over the stripped deer again:: Come on, let's get you cleaned up. <Tarri> ::nods and stands to follow Lisl:: |
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