In the Tailor\'s Shop

Valerion\'s Tailor Shop

The interior of the shop is well lit, with a cozy warm glow to the place. On tables and shelves there are bright splashes of color, bolts of every type of fabric and lace imaginable strewn about in a system only the owner could understand. A large window faces Lampwright street at the front of the shop, and along the back wall hangs a rack of thread spools, nearly every color possible displayed there. For the most part there seems to be some odd order to the place, and a cleanliness most of the time. The floor is often swept clean and the garments on the dressmaker\'s dummies seem to be taking shape none-the-less. There is a counter near the door, a vase of fresh flowers always seen there, and a small table in the back near the stairs that lead up to a loft. A glance back to the door reveals a sign: Watch Your Step When Leaving and Have a Nice Day.

\"No...not that one. Something more sedate. But...festive in a way, too...\"

Of all things on this sunny afternoon in early September, a Scout of Ithilien--Ceredir by name--is in the tailor\'s shop. The Scout stands fingering a bolt of greyish fabric, laid alongside several similar bolts of fabric of slightly different hues.

The tailor, rolling his eyes behind the Scout\'s back, is clearly frustrated. \"Sir...perhaps if you told me what sort of occassion this is for?\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

\"A homecoming perhaps?\" comes a familiar voice from the arch of the doorframe. Gweneth Bragollach, the younger, slips into the shop, closing the door with the same quiet grace it was opened with. She walks towards the two men, her fingers running across the fabric, her gaze floating over the patterns, \"Or a fond farewell?\"

\"Lady Gweneth!\" the tailor simpers, ever one to sniff out a well-paying customer. \"I\'ll leave you to decide, sir,\" the tailor continues, looking entirely too happy to have an excuse to abandon the Scout. \"What can I do for you this fine day, Miss? Fabric for a dress, perhaps? Lace trim? We have the finest...\"

\"In truth, sir,\" Ceredir has started to reply, \"it is for my...\" Well, his thoughts are never finished. Instead, the Scout presses his lips together briefly, then inclines his head toward Gweneth. \"Good afternoon, Miss. Neither, in fact.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

In contrast her smile is warm and bright, her eyes defying the sentiment, as she offers a slight curtsey in return. Turning her attention to the tailor she lifts a small book held in her other hand, \"More designs. Three to be exact. She requests them by the middle of next month.\" Holding the book out to him, she looks again towards the scout, her eyes softening into mirth, \"Ah, you have found a young women to court?\" she teases.

\"Three?! My goodness!\" the tailor mock protests, but he gives the woman two quick bows and reaches for the book. \"Hrm...hmmm....\" Occupied now by paging through the book and glancing up to look about the shop toward different fabrics, the tailor\'s attention drifts from the conversation between the two customers.

It might seem that Gweneth\'s words have hit their mark, for Ceredir\'s cheeks redden a touch. \"No, no, not at all...\" the Scout says, nervously clearing his throat. \"I wanted to say, though, that...I apologize.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

\"A masterful way to change the topic, Scout of Ithilien,\" replies, moving towards the back of the store and Ceredir himself, \"If you are guilty of any crime then so it must be then that I am guilty as well.\"

She hesitates, thoughtfully, \"Instead, let us say that we both defended what we thought to be,\" again a pause, \"That which should be fought for and casualties of etiquette and manners could be found on either side. And with that, leave the battles of the past where they lie, as memories.\"

The Scout idly fingers two bolts of grey-black fabric. \"If you had a formal occassion, which would you choose?\" he asks almost absent-mindedly, then looks up to study the woman for several long seconds. His words next are chosen carefully.

\"I thank you for that. And I give you my word that they will be left as ..memories. Though...I do believe that it is rather easier from your perspective to name it all a distant past. Rather than a living memory.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

\"I concede that point,\" Gweneth admits, \"But cannot offer more.\"

\"Both are too dark. It should match your eyes, draw out their color,\" she says, looking over the room, \"Though I would be at a loss to find such a color in this den. She smiles, amused, once more then asks, \"So, what is her name?\"

\"You are right, of course.\"

Ceredir leaves the bolts he is standing by and moves over a foot or two to start searching through new fabrics. \"None of these are quite right,\" he frowns. \"Maybe I should stick with my military garb? Though a Scout\'s uniform is really no uniform at all...\" That draws another frown.

\"Did I say it was a woman?\" Ceredir turns briefly to Gweneth and smiles before kneeling to look through some low-placed bolts of fabric. \"I should not dwell on the past and bitterness. There is nothing to be done, as you say, and nothing to be gained but more pain, when the original cannot be undone.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

\"You did not, but,\" she tilts her head, \"You offer no explanations and it is my bad habit to make assumptions for they amuse me so,\" she replies, seemingly genuinely cheerful and lighthearted.

\"This one?\" The Scout pulls out a corner of a very light grey fabric.

\"It is a pleasant enough assumption to make,\" he smiles. \"And I take no offense at it at all.\" Another smile again, this one a bit more mysterious. \"And yet, I do believe that I will keep my reasons to myself.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

With a melodramatic sigh, she concedes, \"My interest forever piqued by the mystery.\" She glances up to his held corner, \"Ah, yes. Much better.\"

\"Perhaps you have news or tales so placate my interest in the mean? Of the east or of the people you protect?\"

Ceredir tugs out the bolt of fabric from the low shelf and stands up. \"If you recommend this, then I will go with it on good faith.\"

\"Ah...no m\'lady,\" he continues. \"You would not have heard, of course, but I am banned from fighting until November, though I retain my position with the Scouts of Ithilien. To my shame, I punched a certain Knight..\" he pauses to glance at her significantly..\"and I am being punished for it, rightly so.\"

\"I am sorry about it. My temper got the better of me.\"

Another pause. \"I hear it is a family trait.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

\"Passion is often mistook as temper and curmudgeonry,\" the Bragollach says, sounding like a repeated lecture, \"Though the two are their own. Though it is said that my family has a firey disposition and temper, I would argue that if it were so, my Prince would not settle for a family of nobles filled with resentment, stubborn notions and hateful ichor. Instead, he supports a family of powerful passions that drive us toward great things befitting our bloodline.\"

She adds, \"This is not to say it cannot drive us towards lesser pursuits but it is not an ignoble trait. Though I cannot say for you, but I would examine if it is temper or passion that drives your actions and consider what the answer means to you.\"

The Scout runs his hand along the cloth, directing his concentration on that, seemingly, as Gweneth speaks.

\"Perhaps it was passion that fed the anger. Wanting to know who I was and why and an unceasing anger that I did not have what others all around me had. But...I cannot say.\"

\"And what of now? I have this answer but not the answer I wanted, of course. And anger against it is useless. So if I have this passion that you describe, what do I make of it and where and how? Put my anger to good use, the Rangers tell me.

Learn to unleash it against the enemy. Control it don\'t let it control you. I try these things.\" He smiles a little. \"I would have you explain the last that you said, though--consider what the answer means to me?\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

She nods, \"The blood of old grants those with it much, including such traits. If a man is destined, to some degree, to have an ill temper and a pugnacious style to his person does it not keenly matter that he examine his nature and what it means to him? Does he fight his nature? Embrace it? Use it, as your Rangers have spoken of to fuel to to some other\'s purpose? To fuel your own?\"

She smile, losing some of the seriousness of the topic, \"I suppose I always thought of it sort of as a pantry given to you. You cannot choose the ingredients of your dish, but you can choose what recipe you wish to follow.\"

\"Spice cake, I should think. But none too sweet.\" Ceredir smiles.

\"As for purpose, I seek it still. Perhaps in the Scouts, but it is too soon to tell. A path is not clear to me, and many things,\" he incines his head to Gweneth, \"are new. But tell me what you may of your House? I am sworn to make no claim on it, yet that does not stop my curiosity about it.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

\"I would say the Bragollach are, generally, more humble and lacking prententiousness than most nobility. They do not have the inclination of busying themselves with trivialities, their own or of others. \" She pauses, \"I apologize. I tend to often mimic my tutors in style, much to the detriment of the quality of my lectures. Is this the sort of thing you wanted to know? Or did you mean specifically of histories and relations? Holdings? Or something else?\"

\"No, that is a start, for certain, and history I could find in the library, certainly--or I would imagine so? Unless there is something significant to know. I just...\" Ceredir pauses to try to work it out. \"I apologize on my part. I think that anything at all at this point. I have no true direction. Have never had any, in fact, so that whatever you are able to offer...well, I sincerely appreciate it.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

She asks simply, \"How do you want to die?\"

\"Excuse me?\" Ceredir blinks, taken aback. \"Not at the hands of the Enemy, if I can help it at all. Preferably in my bed of old age, but if it is to be in fighting, then let it be a glorious death.\"

\"Why?\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

\"For me, I imagine how I want my life to be when I die. Who I want around me, if I want anyone around me. What memories I have of my past, what accomplishments. And then I work back from that.\" Gweneth continues, \"I often read in tales of people regretting so much at death. Lost chances and opportunities. So, it is morbid, but I often ask myself, when I am dying how will I reflect on this?\"

She laughs, a bit nervously, \"My ladies would be aghast if I told them this. I would appreciate it if you kept my thoughts on this private. It is not a mode of thought that would be favorably viewed for a young lady to have.\"

\"I like it.\"

\"I will say nothing, but I like it. It is not so much morbid as a worthy way to think. It keeps you from throwing your life away on trivialities. Or..\" and here Ceredir smiles wryly, \"anger.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

The young girl nods, \"If a glorious death is what you wish, then you should seek out a martial life in service to Gondor and let all else fall to the wayside save the risks of battle, and pray the risks are greater than those of your peers. If you seek the hands of your children on your shoulders as you lay in bed and fade away, then I would say to leave war behind and seek a family and a trade.\"

She smiles, \"But I am pleased you think well of my philosophy. I have thought of writing on it, but it is not yet a proper time for such things in my own life path.\"

\"Lady Gweneth,\" Ceredir smiles, \"I have no skills in trade other than the tannery business. And that trade is filthy and without much honor. But worse, it holds many bitter associations for me from which I wish to dissociate myself, as they only feed my anger. So the only thing open to me is the military. I do not seek glory and prowess as a warrior. I seek to do my duty and secure a safer world for the children that I wish to have. That is all.\"

\"You should write it down. Who is to say what is too young for such a thing? For if you do not do it now, then perhaps one day it will be one of your regrets.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

\"I have considered that, but I say I am too young and adhere to my own sense of discipline that you will find pervasive in the Garden. And though it is hard to believe that I am saying this now from our first meeting in Dol Amroth with a drunken boy stumbling down the streets, but I think you sell yourself short. You are not so old that you cannot apprentice to another in a trade you fancy. It would be harder, that is for certain, but luckily, you may possess traits of passion and dedication that cannot be swept from your blood lightly or easily. But that is only true if that is what they mean,\" she smiles once more, \"To you.\"

\"Though, I fear I have overstayed my errand and will be late to another if I do not depart with some haste. It is well to see you in better spirits, Ceredir. Hopefully when next we meet they will be better still.\"

Despite his earlier words about leaving the past behind, Ceredir colors. \"It seems now,\" he says slowly, \"so long ago. Much has changed, not the least of which is the...people..I have met. No...\" he shakes his head, \"I would not leave the Scouts now. I suppose that will be my career and any wife that I take will suffer for it, but I think that is the way it will be.\"

\"And I thank you again, Gweneth. I am glad we can talk...now. It means...well, I am not certain I can explain what it means to me, to put it into words.\"

[Gweneth(#24427)]

Sadness creeps behind her smile, \"It has meaning to me as well, though I rather not put them into words.\" With that, she curtsies once more then smoothly caries herself to the door, calling out behind her, \"I shall return come the fifteenth of October, milord Valerion,\" and then she is gone.