(Archive) To read or not to read
Three of the Wulf clan women discuss the merits of literacy - though one of them may have other things on her mind, going by her disheveled appearance.
Sort Date: no date set
Location: Redvyrne Keep
Game Date: December 13, 3025
IC Time: Mid Morning
Weather: Clear
Description: Redvyrne Keep <>
Now the walls of Redvyrne keep stand all around. After laying empty for nearly ten years, these walls are repaired anew: but much was lost. Where the proud walls of stone once stood all around the keep, now much of the perimeter is sod and earth instead of only stone. The stones that remain are blackened from the fires, and overgrown with moss. Where once were well mortared joints, now the walls are crude. Crude, but thick enough.
Also repaired is the main keep, which stands to the south. Its restoration seems more complete, and managed to save much of the old construction. All around is the smell of hay and dung and earth, and twists of grey drift skyward from the smoke-holes.
The day sky is clear with only slight wisps of clouds overhead. The mid morning winter air is cool and dry around you. The moon is not visible.
Contents:
Korrina
Obvious exits:
Apothecary leads to Apothecary.
Gates leads to Highlands - Dunland <>.
Stables leads to Redvyrne Keep <>.
Keep leads to Hall of the Wulf Clan.
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Dunland Time and Weather Forecast
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Real time is: Thu Apr 04 01:07:09 2002
Dunland weather is Clear
Elendor time is: Mid Morning on Sunday of Winter
December 13, 3025
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It is a cold winter's morning, frost rime coating the cobbles and making the footing treacherous for those clansmen and women going about their business this day. The sky overhead is clear, the palest blue, and gathering clouds to the northeast hint at snow to come, for the mountains at least.
Eilbhinn Faol is crossing the courtyard when her foot slips on the treacherous cobbles, and a moment later she is lying on her backside, pale cheeks reddened by more than the wind as she turns her head to glance round in an embarrassed fashion, wondering if anyone was watching.
[Korrina] None but the healer, who's smile is kind as a hand is offered down, though she smells vaguely of old wine and horse. "Are you all right lass?"
Eilbhinn looks up, nose twitching for a moment, but her only words are a subdued, "I'm fine, thank you - save for my pride. Alas, I fear that is hurt indeed." She indicates with a jerk of her head a couple of young lads seated on the low roof of the stables and sniggering away at something or other. But she accepts the proffered hand and starts to pull herself up, murmuring a polite, "I hope you're well?" as she peers at the healer.
Korrina says, "Well." THe healer frowns gently, having helped the girl up, and mmms softly. "I suppose you can say that." The healer swats at dust on her trousers absent mindedly. "Yes. Well. I did not know you'd arrived?""
Eilbhinn gives a rather confused blink at the response, but replies, "I only got back here yesterday evening, actually. I was spending some time with my family," a soft smile at this. "So, tell me, how are things in the Keep? All's well, I trust? We're not heard news of the Ceann for ... oh, so long." She rubs absently at one arm through the thick wool of her winter dress.
[Korrina] Mention of the Ceann brings a little wince to Korri's shoulders. "All is well. The books from th etemple are stored well, the people are getting settled," she trails off with a smile, "your family is well?"
[Rhyessa] The diminuative form of the Coyrlagh de Wulf meanders quietly into the courtyard, missing all the conversation to the point. possibly a good thing given the woman's attitude towards any percieved slight to the Ceann under discussion. She is with her normal guard, the lone Loach Breht.
"Ah, yes, thank you," Eilbhinn replies, nose twitching once again. "Mother was her usual self," here she grimaces, before confessing, "She's so ... efficient. If only I was more like her." And a small sigh - then a frown. "Books, you said? What books?" Her grey-green eyes are alight with interest, and this remains as she turns and notices Rhyessa, offering the woman a polite, "Good morning, Coyrlagh. And to you also," she nods at the guard.
[Korrina] "Coyrlagh," Korrina repeats, turning to peer down at the woman so titled. "Good morning." A nod is given to Breht, a little smile. "Ah, books," se turns back, taking the scent of horsesweat and wine with her back to Eilbhinn, "Yes. From the temple."
Rhyessa ahs softly. "I've been meaning to talk to you about the temple books, but later will do." She smiles slighltly up at Eilbhinn. "Good morning. I trust all is well with you?" Breht just smiles broadly at all around and leans on his spear, he'll wait to socialize when he's off duty.
Eilbhinn raises an eyebrow at the mention of the Temple. "Is that ... wise?" she wonders aloud. Her eyes still reflect interest, though. "Few here have the skill to read them, I suppose. I wonder ... perhaps I could see them, sometime?"
And to Rhyessa, she adds, "I'm fine, thank you - I hope you are, also?" She shifts awkwardly, clearing her throat as though the air were stuffy.
[Korrina] "About the books?" Korrina bobs her head, "Of course. Later. They are tomes on healing and such, lass. I suppose if any think ill of keeping such things, they can curse another the next time some unknown ailment affects their children or catlle."
Rhyessa shrugs. "Praxis would deal with us most harshly if he found out we /hadn't/ saved them." She remarks drily. "Even if I can barely make out the simplest of them I tend to agree with him. The books will be safe, lass, trust me." The Wulf have had that beaten rtaher thoroughly in thier heads.
Eilbhinn nods to Korrina. "Healing tomes would be of great value," she states, though something in her voice suggests her interest may lie deeper. She picks up on Rhyessa's remark and enquires guilelessly to the Coyrlagh, "You have trouble reading too? Mother taught me the letters once, but - it's hardly something there is much call for. Usually one can ask a Derwydd, if the need to write a letter arises - oh!" She covers her mouth hastily and stares at the frost-encrusted cobbles.
Rhyessa shrugs. "Most of our population is incapable of reading." She remarks drily. "I, myself, only recently attempted to learn." Under duress mind you. Praxis and KOrrina have both had a hande in the conspiracy to get the Coyrlagh to read. She didn't ask. /of course/ not. and if you belive that I have a bridge to sell you.
Korrina chuckles softly at the Coyrlagh's statement. "Many derwydd's cannot even. But there are those that can. I learned from my mother as well." she admits towards Eilbhinn, smiling warmly and brushing a bit more dust from her trousers.
A soft, "Ah," is Eilbhinn's only response to Rhyessa's words. She does not look up. When Korrina speaks, Eilbhinn seizes gratefully on the change of subject. "Your mother taught you? Your parents live near here?" A slight frown as she realizes she has never heard the healer mention any family - or perhaps it's merely the fact that Eilbhinn has noticed Korrina's dust-smeared trousers?
[Korrina] "Family? Not any longer, I fear. They," there is a subtle glance towards the Coyrlagh, "were felled in a fire some years past. But aye, she taught me, when I was young."
Rhyessa chukcles at Korri but not without sympathy. "Fire has claimed many lives, especially in Kierguard, many I remember myself, though I was very young when Tet'nak decided to burn the place." She reaches out to the taller woman. Giving her arm a reasuring squeaze. "Those who can tend to pass on the knowledge to thier children, but as most /cannot/ so very many grow up never learning about books."
"I'm sorry," Eilbhinn murmurs to Korrina. "I didn't know." Her grey-green eyes are sympathetic. Then, to Rhyessa, "Well, knowing how to read is hardly necessary, is it? What use would books be to a plough-hand?" She waves one hand dismissively. "Though it is important to preserve knowledge, that much I agree."
[Korrina] "Preservation of knowledge. Even without letters our Derwyddi do such quite well lass." Again that tiny smile, and then suddenly a little frown. "But you will excuse me? I fear I've some preservations of my own to attend to." Not to mention a bath, she certainly doesn't.
Rhyessa shrugs slightly. "But even Derwyddi may forget, if the only one who has the knowledge dies before they may pass it on." She understands both systems, "But both Books and Derwyddi may lie, so as always the truth is in other hands."
Eilbhinn shrugs. "Men lie - such is our nature. How can any system of preserving knowledge remain untainted by that?" Then she nods to Korrina, and smiles. "Of course. Don't let me detain you." She coughs into her hand.
Rhyessa smiles faintly. "some men lie more than others... but I /do/ have messages to send." More attempts at tracking down the Ceann de Wulf. "Perhaps some other time we can finish this dicsussion?"
Eilbhinn inclines her head to Rhyessa. "As you wish. Though I fear I am a dull debater." She offers a little smile of apology at this. "And I too should be on my way. Farewell, for now." She nods then turns away to cross the courtyard with quick steps, as though late for an appointment.
=== Korrina's DESC ===========================================================
A tall and slender woman, with hair the colour of warm spring earth that hangs in a limp braid down her back. Startling blue-grey eyes look out of a heart shaped face, delicate and fine in feature.
She wears a chemise of creamy white, neither too fine nor too coarse in make, and over it a finely woven woolen dress in the greens of Wulf clan, slit at the front to show the chemise beneath, tiny embroidery ringing the dress' hems and borders. It is enlarged upon the false sleeves, where wolves nip at each others tails from shoulder to wrist.
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=== Eilbhinn's DESC ===========================================================
You look upon a young woman, of perhaps just slightly more than average height. Her hair is long and dark, slightly curling, and reaches unbound down her back to just above waist level. It is held back from her face by two silver combs. If one looked closely, one might recognize that these are engraved with stylized wolf-shapes. The woman's face is heart-shaped, its features delicate and its complexion light, and is dominated by a pair of wide grey-green eyes. Her slender form is clothed in a simple dress of green wool, though the fine weave of the material suggests that the cloth is of good quality. Embroidery at the hem and neckline traces out interlacing designs. Outdoors, a cloak of grey wool is worn, pinned at the left shoulder by a silver brooch in the form of a wolf's head.
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=== Rhyessa's DESC ===========================================================
Dark curls twist down her back falling beyond her waist. They are bound only by a single black ribon, barely visible in their ebony cascades. Utterly invisible, except for the traces of red that make her hair seem to glow. Her complexion is as brazen as her attitude. Her small delicate features have a decidedly feline cast to them, and her large golden/amber eyes cant at an almost haugty angle. She is almost child small, standing not an inch over five feet, but her figure is too good to be that of a child. Her fingers are long and delicate, but calused, as if used to very hard work. Like the cat she resembles, hard muscle ripples liquidly under her smooth skin. Her clothing is simple, but close fitting, just loose enough to alow freedom of movement, without risking getting caught on anything. Only two things about her stand out, a long, thin scar running from her left ear to the middle of her left cheek, and the silver ring on the third finger of her right hand, a wolf's head. Players: Eilbhinn, Korrina, Rhyessa
