Elendor
Siv Broadens Her View
Siv drops by to visit Ranol, and presents new ideas on her search for a husband.
Sort Date: no date set
Location: Erebor
Description: The Huskarl of Bundazanul lives with his family in a rather modest dwelling. It's neither elaborate or overly large, a visual example of his father's poor choices when it comes to financing. Ranol keeps a rather random schedule, so anyone looking to find the dwarf at home will be hard-pressed to figure out the best time to drop by. But then, not many -do- drop by.
[Siv(#24218)] Well, -one- is dropping by: There's a knocking at the front door at this, a late hour of the night, long after dinner. But then, many dwarves are still about, so it's not unreasonably or rudely late.
Siv waits for her knock to be answered.
It isn't Ranol that opens the door, but instead an older dwarf with blond hair and beard. The resemblance is so strong that this must be his father, for he's too old to be a brother. Ranor looks over Siv in a skeptical manner, then asks in a bland tone, "Can I help you?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Good evening!" Siv answers cheerfully. She gives her long white beard a quick toss--it's her pride and joy, for certain. "You must be Ranol's father. I'm so honored to meet you," she continues. "I'm Siv. I was hoping Ranol is in?"
Ranor runs a hand through his beard, looking her over again. "Aye, Ranor. Come in, then." He says, gesturing her inside. "Come have a seat, I'll fetch Ranol." The dwarf isn't overly friendly, but he's not rude either. He gestures towards a small living room, then disappears down the hall.
The home they all share is clean and tidy, with some nice decorations. There are a few worn rugs laid along the floors, and the furniture is a bit tired, but still nice enough. Certainly comfortable.
[Siv(#24218)] "Thank you." Siv enters, moving into the living room, but not sitting yet. No--as Ranor heads off, she walks around the living room, looking at the nicknacks and pictures, running a hand over the fabric of the furniture, critically. -Then- she sits, composing her skirts.
If there was ever a time that Ranol wished they had an escape tunnel.. The huskarl arrives after a few minutes, his hair damp from being quickly wetted and smoothed back, his shirt looking hastily thrown on over wrinkled pants. "Siv! What brings you by?" From his appearance, Ranol must have been asleep.
[Siv(#24218)] "Ah...you don't keep the strange late hours I do," Siv murmurs, as if chalking that up to some sort of mental tally. It draws a small frown from her. "Well, no matter." Then she stands up, putting a smile back on her face. "Ovor. I spoke to my Thane!" She seems happy about that.
Ranol blinks, surprised. He quickly recovers and runs a hand through his damp hair. "Would you like something to drink? Or.. I think there are some cookies left." Before she can answer he moves in the direction of the hall, "I'll get some.." She spoke to Ovor.. and she's -here-. That can't be a good sign. He retreats to the kitchen to buy himself a few minutes of time.
[Siv(#24218)] Siv nods happily--beaming at Ranol, in fact. "Ooh, cookies would be wonderful, thank you. Did you make them?" she calls, sticking her head out into the hallway to continue chattering at him. "What a wonderful and unusual skill! You've many talents, Ranol. I like that!"
Ranol returns after a few minutes, not yelling through the home to answer her. "Oh, no.. I didn't cook them. My sister did. So what did you talk to the thane about?" He hands her a glass of some kind of mead, sets the plate down on a small table, and sits back down himself.
[Siv(#24218)] Siv takes the glass and swirls the wine a little before sipping it. Then she reaches for a cookie and nibbles a small bite. And -then- she settles down on the very edge of a chair, wine held delicately in one hand, cookie in the other. She turns a bright smile on Ranol. "Oh, it was nothing of consequence. Though the Thane thinks it's important that we grow to know and love one another before we marry."
"That's what he said?" Ranol asks, frowning a trace. How do you tell a woman that you're not interested without hurting their feelings? There is no way, and Ranol is too nice for his own good sometimes. "Did you talk about anything else?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh...that, well, yes," Siv sips again and then nibbles delicately. "He's not married, either, you know. And he doesn't want to die childless like our last Thane, which will leave the clan in terrible circumstnaces again. Ranol....would you be greatly hurt...well, Ovor -does- need a wife...though he has this funny idea about love.... " She frowns and looks up at Ranol over another tiny cookie bite.
"He isn't? I didn't know that." It's the only thing Ranol manages to say as his mind reels in shock at what she's saying. "So.. you were thinking maybe he would make a more suitable .. ah.. canidate?" He asks, a small hint of a smile now.
[Siv(#24218)] "Well........" Siv looks up, her eyelashes fluttering and a sad smile on her face. "I don't want to hurt you.....but you didn't seem interested, after all," she finishes rather flatly. "Still! I need your help! He seems like the perfect cand...erm...match for me. Yes, match, right. But he has this strange idea about love." SHe snorts. "Are you badly hurt?"
Ranol lifts his cup to take a sip and nearly chokes on the beverage. "Oh, no. It's okay. I mean, we barely know each other. Why should I be hurt?" And all at once he feels lighter, free of some of the stress that's been weighing down on him. "So, Ovor doesn't know that you're interested, I take it?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh goodness, no!" Siv gasps, setting down the cookie so she doesn't choke. "Apparently he doesn't like this direct, business approach I've taken." She frowns. "No, not at all. You won't tell him, will you?" she asks suddenly, standing abruptly. "I'd be terribly angry if you did!"
"No no! I won't say anything. Calm down, Siv.." He says in soft voice, gesturing for her to sit back down with a wary glance towards the hallway. "Relax.. I was just wondering." Ranol leans back again, "And .. I don't think so many might be fond of that, no. Maybe you could see if he'll go out with you? Or you could invite him to dinner at your home?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh, no, that won't work either!" Siv cries, not relaxed. "Invite him to dinner?! No, no....someone..." and here she eyes Ranol in a new light, "should suggest the idea to him. Put it in his head. It would make a fine match, don't you think?"
"It would mean more if it came from you." Ranol responds flatly, not oblivious to this game she's playing. "I'm not even of Zinbar, and Lord Ovor is very busy. I can't be bothering him all the time."
[Siv(#24218)] Siv sighs, then finishes her mead, dispensing with the delicate sips. "This is going to be harder than I thought..." she says, sounding frustrated. "He doesn't even know me...and he thinks I'm a kid."
"Are you certain that he's even interested in marriage?" Ranol asks, wondering why he's getting himself further entrenched in this mess. He should cut and run while he can!
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh absolutely!" Siv brightens immediately. "Our last thane as you know--" because of cause -everyone must- know--"died without an heir. Ovor is determined not to let that happen. He just has to find the right woman." She tosses her hair. "Like me." She smiles. "He's Zinbar. He needs children. He's the Thane. What could be bad about it?"
"Okay. If you seriously want to win his affection.. " Somewhere inside Ranol dies a little bit, "you need to start by learning what he's interested in. You have to show that you care about -him- and not just having babies." Doesn't she have girlfriends for this kind of thing?
[Siv(#24218)] Siv leans forward as if taking notes. "All right. Well...what sort of things are -you- interested in? I mean...that could help. Maybe he's interested in what you're interested in...or I could get ideas." She smiles, eyes twinkling at Ranol. "So...tell me about yourself..."
It occurs to him that she could be trying to trick him into something here, and only using Ovor as an excuse, but he's too tired to care and simply takes a long drink of his mead. "Me? I enjoy carving wood. I like being alone. I enjoy training, and I like my work." He shrugs. Ranol isn't that deep, in truth.
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh." Siv looks at her empty mead glass in regret now. "I don't think he'd be interested in any of that, honestly. What do you do when you're alone? Aren't you bored? DO you just wander the halls here?"
"I work on my woodcarving." Ranol answers easily. "When we were traveling, I liked riding and looking at the scenery. Here, I look at the stonework." He shrugs. Maybe he can scare her away in boredom? "What do you do in your freetime?"
[Siv(#24218)] "I tool leather, usually with runes or flowers," Siv replies eagerly, proud of her skill at this. "Look." She pulls a braid forward--the cord entwined in it decorated with tiny, painstakingly worked runes and--now that they are back home--flowers. "I should work on bigger projects, but I like these."
Ranol nods in appreciation, taking a curious look before leaning back in his chair again. "Ovor works with leather as well. That's something in common." He forces a smile, asking next, "What else?"
Siv frowns. "I read? I....practice with my axe, but that's not unusual. He is so caught up in paperwork and work," she sighs. "He won't be an attentive husband! Now you, on the other hand, seem to have lots of free time to spend with children!" That thought brightens her.
"Free time? Me?" Ranol shakes his head in disagreement. "I was sleeping because I was on my feet the entire day. I didn't even get home until well after dinner." Part of that is his own doing. The less time at home the less he has to interact with his father, but he'll never openly volunteer -that-. "A thane is far more prestigious a husband. See if he'll have dinner with you.. I think that's a good first step."
[Siv(#24218)] "But..but...you just said one of your hobbies is being by yourself. And you really don't have a lot of hobbies to fill your spare time!" Siv protests. "Of course you'd have time for children. They'd be important to you!"
Ranol runs a hand through his hair again, the still-damp inky locks sticking every whichway at the disruption. "Well.. I... yes, children would be important to me. Of course they would. But they're also a lot of responsibility, and I have a demanding job. It wouldn't be fair to the woman I married. What if I had to go on another trip for several years?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Several years! Oh, no, that just won't do," Siv shakes her head. "You can't get me pregnant and then leave me here years on end, fending for myself and worrying about whether you're dead or alive! THat would be horrible. No, you'll just have to conduct your business here. There's no reason in the world to leave here, in fact."
Ranol stares at her, then answers quietly, "I'm huskarl. If Braldor tells me to go on a trip, I'll go on a trip. I think that whoever I married should be understanding of how important my job is to me.. " He says carefully, glancing uneasily towards the open doorway that leads into the hall.
[Siv(#24218)] Siv, of course, glances behind her, toward the door. "Someone coming?" she asks. "Well...yes...I suppose so," she then answers Ranol's comment. "I guess Ovor is the better choice?"
"You said before that you wouldn't be happy with another clan, so I don't see how it could work out." Ranol responds in a tired voice, turning his gaze back to her. "My family is around.. probably listening from down the hall." He says with a smirk, then grows serious again. "Siv, you're smart.. lovely.. you know what you want. You just need to find a dwarf that wants the same thing. It would be easier than trying to convince someone to change everything, don't you think?"
[Siv(#24218)] Can a dwarf blush? Siv does seem to redden a little under that beard. She sets the remnants of the delicately chewed cookie down. "Well...I'm sorry to have troubled you, Ranol," she says, glancing nervously over her shoulder a few times. "Perhaps you'll help me find someone, though? I'd appreciate it..." She stands up...backing toward the door.
Ranol is tired and his mind isn't as sharp as it usually is. When she blushes he looks a bit surprised, thinking back on what he said to draw that reaction. He stands up, moving across the room, "I'll see you to the door."
He gives a glance down the hall, but it's actually free of eavesdroppers. For all he knows his father might be the only one home right now. "I.. could keep an eye out. But, most of my friends are Bundazanul's. I'll look, though." He pulls the door open for her.
[Siv(#24218)] Siv, too, looks up and down the hall nervously. Then she turns back to Ranol. "Well, that's all right. At least you'll look," she smiles--and then quickly and impulsively she kisses him on the cheek and hurries out the door.
Now it's Ranol's turn to blush. When she kisses him his face colors considerably. He smiles in spite of himself, and rubs the back of his neck. "Of course. I'm happy to help." He says awkwardly. As she hurries out, "Thank you for visiting, have a good night." Then he quickly presses the door closed and tries to sort out exactly what's going on.
[Siv(#24218)] Well, -one- is dropping by: There's a knocking at the front door at this, a late hour of the night, long after dinner. But then, many dwarves are still about, so it's not unreasonably or rudely late.
Siv waits for her knock to be answered.
It isn't Ranol that opens the door, but instead an older dwarf with blond hair and beard. The resemblance is so strong that this must be his father, for he's too old to be a brother. Ranor looks over Siv in a skeptical manner, then asks in a bland tone, "Can I help you?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Good evening!" Siv answers cheerfully. She gives her long white beard a quick toss--it's her pride and joy, for certain. "You must be Ranol's father. I'm so honored to meet you," she continues. "I'm Siv. I was hoping Ranol is in?"
Ranor runs a hand through his beard, looking her over again. "Aye, Ranor. Come in, then." He says, gesturing her inside. "Come have a seat, I'll fetch Ranol." The dwarf isn't overly friendly, but he's not rude either. He gestures towards a small living room, then disappears down the hall.
The home they all share is clean and tidy, with some nice decorations. There are a few worn rugs laid along the floors, and the furniture is a bit tired, but still nice enough. Certainly comfortable.
[Siv(#24218)] "Thank you." Siv enters, moving into the living room, but not sitting yet. No--as Ranor heads off, she walks around the living room, looking at the nicknacks and pictures, running a hand over the fabric of the furniture, critically. -Then- she sits, composing her skirts.
If there was ever a time that Ranol wished they had an escape tunnel.. The huskarl arrives after a few minutes, his hair damp from being quickly wetted and smoothed back, his shirt looking hastily thrown on over wrinkled pants. "Siv! What brings you by?" From his appearance, Ranol must have been asleep.
[Siv(#24218)] "Ah...you don't keep the strange late hours I do," Siv murmurs, as if chalking that up to some sort of mental tally. It draws a small frown from her. "Well, no matter." Then she stands up, putting a smile back on her face. "Ovor. I spoke to my Thane!" She seems happy about that.
Ranol blinks, surprised. He quickly recovers and runs a hand through his damp hair. "Would you like something to drink? Or.. I think there are some cookies left." Before she can answer he moves in the direction of the hall, "I'll get some.." She spoke to Ovor.. and she's -here-. That can't be a good sign. He retreats to the kitchen to buy himself a few minutes of time.
[Siv(#24218)] Siv nods happily--beaming at Ranol, in fact. "Ooh, cookies would be wonderful, thank you. Did you make them?" she calls, sticking her head out into the hallway to continue chattering at him. "What a wonderful and unusual skill! You've many talents, Ranol. I like that!"
Ranol returns after a few minutes, not yelling through the home to answer her. "Oh, no.. I didn't cook them. My sister did. So what did you talk to the thane about?" He hands her a glass of some kind of mead, sets the plate down on a small table, and sits back down himself.
[Siv(#24218)] Siv takes the glass and swirls the wine a little before sipping it. Then she reaches for a cookie and nibbles a small bite. And -then- she settles down on the very edge of a chair, wine held delicately in one hand, cookie in the other. She turns a bright smile on Ranol. "Oh, it was nothing of consequence. Though the Thane thinks it's important that we grow to know and love one another before we marry."
"That's what he said?" Ranol asks, frowning a trace. How do you tell a woman that you're not interested without hurting their feelings? There is no way, and Ranol is too nice for his own good sometimes. "Did you talk about anything else?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh...that, well, yes," Siv sips again and then nibbles delicately. "He's not married, either, you know. And he doesn't want to die childless like our last Thane, which will leave the clan in terrible circumstnaces again. Ranol....would you be greatly hurt...well, Ovor -does- need a wife...though he has this funny idea about love.... " She frowns and looks up at Ranol over another tiny cookie bite.
"He isn't? I didn't know that." It's the only thing Ranol manages to say as his mind reels in shock at what she's saying. "So.. you were thinking maybe he would make a more suitable .. ah.. canidate?" He asks, a small hint of a smile now.
[Siv(#24218)] "Well........" Siv looks up, her eyelashes fluttering and a sad smile on her face. "I don't want to hurt you.....but you didn't seem interested, after all," she finishes rather flatly. "Still! I need your help! He seems like the perfect cand...erm...match for me. Yes, match, right. But he has this strange idea about love." SHe snorts. "Are you badly hurt?"
Ranol lifts his cup to take a sip and nearly chokes on the beverage. "Oh, no. It's okay. I mean, we barely know each other. Why should I be hurt?" And all at once he feels lighter, free of some of the stress that's been weighing down on him. "So, Ovor doesn't know that you're interested, I take it?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh goodness, no!" Siv gasps, setting down the cookie so she doesn't choke. "Apparently he doesn't like this direct, business approach I've taken." She frowns. "No, not at all. You won't tell him, will you?" she asks suddenly, standing abruptly. "I'd be terribly angry if you did!"
"No no! I won't say anything. Calm down, Siv.." He says in soft voice, gesturing for her to sit back down with a wary glance towards the hallway. "Relax.. I was just wondering." Ranol leans back again, "And .. I don't think so many might be fond of that, no. Maybe you could see if he'll go out with you? Or you could invite him to dinner at your home?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh, no, that won't work either!" Siv cries, not relaxed. "Invite him to dinner?! No, no....someone..." and here she eyes Ranol in a new light, "should suggest the idea to him. Put it in his head. It would make a fine match, don't you think?"
"It would mean more if it came from you." Ranol responds flatly, not oblivious to this game she's playing. "I'm not even of Zinbar, and Lord Ovor is very busy. I can't be bothering him all the time."
[Siv(#24218)] Siv sighs, then finishes her mead, dispensing with the delicate sips. "This is going to be harder than I thought..." she says, sounding frustrated. "He doesn't even know me...and he thinks I'm a kid."
"Are you certain that he's even interested in marriage?" Ranol asks, wondering why he's getting himself further entrenched in this mess. He should cut and run while he can!
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh absolutely!" Siv brightens immediately. "Our last thane as you know--" because of cause -everyone must- know--"died without an heir. Ovor is determined not to let that happen. He just has to find the right woman." She tosses her hair. "Like me." She smiles. "He's Zinbar. He needs children. He's the Thane. What could be bad about it?"
"Okay. If you seriously want to win his affection.. " Somewhere inside Ranol dies a little bit, "you need to start by learning what he's interested in. You have to show that you care about -him- and not just having babies." Doesn't she have girlfriends for this kind of thing?
[Siv(#24218)] Siv leans forward as if taking notes. "All right. Well...what sort of things are -you- interested in? I mean...that could help. Maybe he's interested in what you're interested in...or I could get ideas." She smiles, eyes twinkling at Ranol. "So...tell me about yourself..."
It occurs to him that she could be trying to trick him into something here, and only using Ovor as an excuse, but he's too tired to care and simply takes a long drink of his mead. "Me? I enjoy carving wood. I like being alone. I enjoy training, and I like my work." He shrugs. Ranol isn't that deep, in truth.
[Siv(#24218)] "Oh." Siv looks at her empty mead glass in regret now. "I don't think he'd be interested in any of that, honestly. What do you do when you're alone? Aren't you bored? DO you just wander the halls here?"
"I work on my woodcarving." Ranol answers easily. "When we were traveling, I liked riding and looking at the scenery. Here, I look at the stonework." He shrugs. Maybe he can scare her away in boredom? "What do you do in your freetime?"
[Siv(#24218)] "I tool leather, usually with runes or flowers," Siv replies eagerly, proud of her skill at this. "Look." She pulls a braid forward--the cord entwined in it decorated with tiny, painstakingly worked runes and--now that they are back home--flowers. "I should work on bigger projects, but I like these."
Ranol nods in appreciation, taking a curious look before leaning back in his chair again. "Ovor works with leather as well. That's something in common." He forces a smile, asking next, "What else?"
Siv frowns. "I read? I....practice with my axe, but that's not unusual. He is so caught up in paperwork and work," she sighs. "He won't be an attentive husband! Now you, on the other hand, seem to have lots of free time to spend with children!" That thought brightens her.
"Free time? Me?" Ranol shakes his head in disagreement. "I was sleeping because I was on my feet the entire day. I didn't even get home until well after dinner." Part of that is his own doing. The less time at home the less he has to interact with his father, but he'll never openly volunteer -that-. "A thane is far more prestigious a husband. See if he'll have dinner with you.. I think that's a good first step."
[Siv(#24218)] "But..but...you just said one of your hobbies is being by yourself. And you really don't have a lot of hobbies to fill your spare time!" Siv protests. "Of course you'd have time for children. They'd be important to you!"
Ranol runs a hand through his hair again, the still-damp inky locks sticking every whichway at the disruption. "Well.. I... yes, children would be important to me. Of course they would. But they're also a lot of responsibility, and I have a demanding job. It wouldn't be fair to the woman I married. What if I had to go on another trip for several years?"
[Siv(#24218)] "Several years! Oh, no, that just won't do," Siv shakes her head. "You can't get me pregnant and then leave me here years on end, fending for myself and worrying about whether you're dead or alive! THat would be horrible. No, you'll just have to conduct your business here. There's no reason in the world to leave here, in fact."
Ranol stares at her, then answers quietly, "I'm huskarl. If Braldor tells me to go on a trip, I'll go on a trip. I think that whoever I married should be understanding of how important my job is to me.. " He says carefully, glancing uneasily towards the open doorway that leads into the hall.
[Siv(#24218)] Siv, of course, glances behind her, toward the door. "Someone coming?" she asks. "Well...yes...I suppose so," she then answers Ranol's comment. "I guess Ovor is the better choice?"
"You said before that you wouldn't be happy with another clan, so I don't see how it could work out." Ranol responds in a tired voice, turning his gaze back to her. "My family is around.. probably listening from down the hall." He says with a smirk, then grows serious again. "Siv, you're smart.. lovely.. you know what you want. You just need to find a dwarf that wants the same thing. It would be easier than trying to convince someone to change everything, don't you think?"
[Siv(#24218)] Can a dwarf blush? Siv does seem to redden a little under that beard. She sets the remnants of the delicately chewed cookie down. "Well...I'm sorry to have troubled you, Ranol," she says, glancing nervously over her shoulder a few times. "Perhaps you'll help me find someone, though? I'd appreciate it..." She stands up...backing toward the door.
Ranol is tired and his mind isn't as sharp as it usually is. When she blushes he looks a bit surprised, thinking back on what he said to draw that reaction. He stands up, moving across the room, "I'll see you to the door."
He gives a glance down the hall, but it's actually free of eavesdroppers. For all he knows his father might be the only one home right now. "I.. could keep an eye out. But, most of my friends are Bundazanul's. I'll look, though." He pulls the door open for her.
[Siv(#24218)] Siv, too, looks up and down the hall nervously. Then she turns back to Ranol. "Well, that's all right. At least you'll look," she smiles--and then quickly and impulsively she kisses him on the cheek and hurries out the door.
Now it's Ranol's turn to blush. When she kisses him his face colors considerably. He smiles in spite of himself, and rubs the back of his neck. "Of course. I'm happy to help." He says awkwardly. As she hurries out, "Thank you for visiting, have a good night." Then he quickly presses the door closed and tries to sort out exactly what's going on.
Players: Siv, Ranol
Located in: Erebor
