More than Just Crowing About a Just Caws

    It's a lovely, warm morning in the mountains of Eas. With the sun only just starting to climb towards its zenith, the day is likely to get very hot. The air is damp and the wind is just strong enough to send waves lapping up against the shore, where a few freshwater crabs struggle in their duel over a choice meal that was dropped into place by the newer residents of the mountains: an enormous murder of crows. Several thousand of the large-billed variety both admired and feared in Japan, to be exact. Would that constitute more than a murder? Perhaps it is a killing spree.

    Regardless, Elly has taken to adding a visit of them to her morning routine. She personally has made no secret of her liking of the avians. It is why she has sent messages to Rylen, asking for help. While others the birds and cry foul about their presence, she sees things her own way.

    So here she is, standing at the edge of the lake, gazing towards the roost of the Eas crows, some 300 meters away. Even from so far, the trees can be made out, as they appear to be covered with black leaves.

    "I see our guests are having another wonderful morning," she notes to no one in particular. As she does, she draws out a bag of seeds, which she cuts open and empties nearby. She takes a few steps back, to give the birds comfortable access. In no time at all, several do show up, though they hardly seem friendly about it. Instead, they make it clear in their own way that Elly should step farther back. And she obliges.

"Well, you certainly weren't kidding when you mentioned having some new friends." The charming voice of a certain Beastmaster comes from not far off, approaching from a direction opposite of the feathered 'guests' now taking advantage of a free meal. As if it were a completely normal thing, the Pooka just so happens to have his own corvid companion perched on his shoulder, her beek lightly playing with a strand of his white hair.

As he draws closer, Rylen gives a bow to the lady of Eas. "Always a pleasure, m'lady. I have to admit, I was a bit amused to receive your letter. Most people forget that I have a specialty with birds." His character surname /was/ Corvus afterall. It seems appropriate.

"I assume they're making a nuisance of themselves?" He asks, a charming grin on his features. He seems to have kept the scruff of a beard that he grew out during his time protecting Eas and the Fourland Dukedom, and it only seems to add to his rakish appearance.

Uta is currently on a mission to take DosBox from Shibuya to Alne, to visit the Temple of Fashion that is the Chain Mail Bikini +1. But before he can have his audience with Gwen, the Goddess of Glamour herself, there is a journey to go through.

The journey has currently stopped at Eas; Uta's traveller's wagon, a reconverted large white barrel on wheels, is parked in this area. Uta herself is camping just outside it, on a stool; she's reading a leather-bound tome, similar to many brethern neatly piled up right next to her, and scribbling something in a notebook.

Her head does not rise, it keeps switching between the book and the tip of the pen; nonetheless, she comments, "I have made sure to remind her." That was obviously meant for Rylen. "Multiple times a day. Had I done it further, I would have been afraid of Elly threateneing to turn this castle around and send me home."

Dosbox is more or less on Uta's heel, leaning his hardly-cumbersome bodyweight against the stool on which Uta sits. He seems to be lacking his typical nervousness as he is focusing on some kind of magic or another. With eyes that are glowing a copper brown, and hands to match, he seems to be pulling uncut gems straight out of the earth and attaching them to a butter knife in his hand, only to let the gems fall back to the earth and disappear.

DosBox shakes his head, "I'm not a nuisance. I am a helper. Just let me know if you need anything. I'm just... Practicing... My..." He trails off for a second as he finishes his silent incantation, "Magic. But if you need me, just let me know. Yes."

    Elly turns a welcoming smile to Rylen when she hears his voice. Her curtsey has changed for this greeting. It is certainly correct in posture and form, but her face is not bowed so far as before, allowing a warm smile to be seen throughout the gesture.

    "Master Rylen! I am so happy you could come. I know you have been busy. With this particular situation, though, I truly do need your expert assistance." A pause and a soft laugh. "And yes, Uta has been sure to remind me of your expertise. Many times."

    She looks to the bird upon Rylen's shoulder with interest. "And I hope your friend is having a wonderful morning, as well."

    With the conversation getting rather quickly to busines, she steps to Rylen's side, turning her attention on the distant gathering of crows. "They are causing some problems. They are making nests in places where they might be harmed, then chasing people away from them, and they are aggravating some of my farmers by stealing seeds. I have taken to paying for all the losses, which is sustainable for now, but ultimately we do need to get things growing properly for our fall and winter crops to have a fair shot."

    She turns her attention back to Rylen. "I want to stress that I personally find them remarkable. I watch them every morning. They are so clever. And honestly, I also think they are lovely creatures. I was hoping you could help me integrate them into our lands. They came here by the will of the Goddesses and this gift should be appreciated. In addition to the Rose, perhaps we might add these wise Crows to our symbols. At least, that is my hope."

    And indeed, ever since the birds appeared, The Right Clothes have agreed. The raven black dress that the Baroness wears today is accented with feathers on her shoulders and the lower hem of the skirts, and a silver pattern of the birds carrying the Rose of Eas winds about the bodice.

    Elly hears the usual self-deprecating comments from Dosbox and turns to look at the gnome for a moment. Her glance is not critical. Not today. There is something else in there, carefully conveyed with a fragile smile and the motion in her eyes: compassion. "Your shiny stones are a help. The crows seem very fond of them." And they are hiding such things throughout the woods.

Ever the performer, Rylen gives a nod and a bright smile towards Uta, "Always preaching the good word for me, I see. It's always appreciated, your grace." The Spriggan gets an exaggerated, elaborate bow. For anyone that knows the two, this is common-place between them.

When he rises again, he slightly pulls the sleeves of his robe back. The blue fabric has been masterfully stitched with feathers, suggesting that maybe others have decided to play into this whole 'bird' thing revolving around the Beastmaster. "Ahh, please do excuse me, I don't believe we've met." He offers to the Gnome. "But no, I wasn't referring to you, my friend. Simply to our feathered guests yonder." He motions with a hand. "I'm Rylen Corvus. Beastmaster and Representative for the Crescent Moon Guild of the Olympus Alliance." The guild is, first and foremost, known for being a newbie-helper organization.

At the same time, his own bird hip-hops down along his arm, eventually settling on his outstretched fingers. Turning his silver eyes back to Elly, he smiles with his usual good-natured warmth, "Kyo is doing just fine. I actually brought her along as I thought she might help with training our wild friends, here." The bird's head tilts, her feathers ruffling.

"It's likely to take time, but I'm certain we can find a way for everyone to live together peacefully. Though, perhaps, the larger task will be figuring out how to feed them without interfering with the rest of the Eas expansion plans. The best way to train them is with food, so we're likely not to see a decrease in that, at least not at first."

Dosbox has been more or less unaware of what happens to the gems after he sends them back toward the earth, but lo and behold, crows seem to be snatching most of them before they can disappear back into the ground. This raises the corners of DosBox's mouth ever so slightly, and a small glint appears in the short gnomes eye. He does not make any attempts to stop the crows in their activities (he seems amused by their antics) as he continues his spellwork.

The spell he is trying to perfect at the moment is a relatively powerful spell that he as called Gem Sword; it's intent is to be a group spell that would provide his allies with a bit of extra bite. It seems it also provides entertainment for greedy avians. He stops his work briefly when Rylen introduces himself; he stands and bows, taking his hat off with a flourish. The large gem on the tip of his had drags on the ground slightly.

"Ah. Yes. I am Borywick Rockborer, a humble Gemworker. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am here accompanying Miss Uta here on her travels. At your service, of course."

    Elly turns her attention from Rylen to Kyo, as the bird hops so obediently down to perch on the offered fingers. "She is most welcome and appreciated."

    Rylen's every word is carefully considered and stored away in her memory. It is not a shock, of course, that animal training will require food. But it is fortunately also a problem that can be addressed with minimal pain. "I will increase the urgency of my requests. I am certain that the Dukes will appreciate the business as we get a grasp on the situation here."

    She smiles and notes that the crows are already helping. They are stimulating the economy quite nicely. At her expense, to be sure, but she will forgive them that.

    The birds are also beautifying the forests of Eas. The cunning eye will notice several glinting items tucked in a branch, or partially under a tree root. The crows have been most busy taking things. The children of Eas have made something of a game of it, warming to the creatures even if their parents have not.

    "I am relieved, honestly. I would dearly like them to stay and be part of our future. I suspected they were scared off from their homes due to the earthquakes. I was the first refugee to live in Eas. I like to think that these crows are the most recent."

    Though Uta is quiet, Elly keeps an eye on her. She is very curious what has the young woman so eagerly writing notes. Or.. well, writing or drawing something, anyway. Seeing her so focused, though, she will respectfully not bother her with questions until later.

"Well met then, Sir Rockborer. Any friend of Uta's is a friend of mine." Rylen grins towards the Spriggan. "Our resident kung-fu nurse is family, so anything you have need of, feel free to let me know." The Pooka may not be blood-related to Uta, but he has pretty much adopted her as one of his own, regardless of if she approves or not.

"The most important thing in regards to training a bird is consistancy. Set up scheduled feeding times and locations. Have the same individuals or group of individuals in charge of the feeding so the birds come to associate them with food." Rylen begins to explain. As he does, Kyo hip-hops up along his arm again, before taking wing to join some of the others. She may not be part of the flock, but she seems to integrate well enough.

"Once you've associated them to you enough to build trust, you can start to train them with animal handling techniques. They can be fiercely territorial, so it's important to direct that against people you don't like, and away from people you do." He smirks then, seeming amused at the prospect of Wake wielding a murder of crows upon her enemies.

"So, step one, earn their trust. Step two, training. Step three, profit." This is followed by a laugh.

Dosbox returns his hat to his head, hiding the fact that the top of his head is mostly vacant of hair. Seeing as though the Baroness and the gentleman seem to be working on business, and introductions are handled, the diminutive rock gnome returns to his seated position and gets back to his spell practice. Still, he keeps an ear open this time in case he can interject to offer his assistance.

    "It seems I have, by habit, fallen into step one. I will simply continue the feeding routine each morning and perhaps add an evening visit, to ensure they are not getting peckish."

    Was that... no. It could not possibly be a pun from the baroness.

    "I have no skill in training animals, but there are some people here who do. Perhaps I could get a Lander or two to assist me. Then I can hire an adventurer to train them up a bit. That way, if I am called away, there will be backups for me. Consistency, as you say."

    The crows seem at least comfortable enough to feed without further troubling over the presence of the adventurers. The sheer volume of the creatures, and their considerable sizes, does beg the question about who should be feeling nervous about whom.

"Such is the life of a most notible of nobles. There always seems to be something new that wants your attention." Rylen folds his arms across his bare chest, one eye looking to where Kyo is making herself comfortable among the other avians. "I can likely lend you a few people from the Quick-Feather Ranch to assist, at least in getting things started. It's good employment for those who don't want to get involved in combat as much as others." Crescent Mood did tend to find work for those who didn't want to risk their lives, and memories, fighting monsters in the world.

"If nothing else, training them to think of Eas as their home will allow them to act as sentries. Anyone unusual tries sneaking in, you're going to hear about it." He tips his chin to the birds, who are likely making themselves quite known at the moment. "They might act as discouragement for some of the lesser flying monsters as well, which would offer the citizens a measure of safety they wouldn't have otherwise." He suggests, perhaps as a way of 'selling' their presence to the citizens of Eas.

"Kyo is mostly my eyes in the skies when I'm traveling. Altering me to trouble on the road and carrying messages when I need it. But I imagine there's so much more you could do if you have them in numbers."

Dosbox grins in spite of himself at the Baroness's pun. Puns are the Rock Gnome's one true weakness, and he can never, EVER let a pun go by without giving it company. He wouldn't want the pun feeling lonely, now would he? DosBox mutters, albiet quietly, "There is little more RAVEN-ous than hungry crows." Puns should come in even sets. That is DosBox's true belief. He tries his very best to return to his spellplay between very soft chuckling.

"And any friend of Uta is any friend of mine, too," Uta replies, distracted, as she keeps taking notes. "And, honestly, it's me who's accompanying DosBox on his journey towards apprenticeship under Haru. Which goes through Gwen's shop. Job interview. I think he'll shine."

She finally looks up, and with surprisingly serious poise, the jocular effect comes from playeing the part absolutely straight (unlike the overly posh British accent of yore), so that a passing noble unfamiliar with the group would be forgiven for believing Uta to actually be a noble. "It would be doing the world a slight, Sir Rylen, not to propagate your fame. Your skills are a blessing upon this Land, and as such they must not be hoarded. They are to be bestowed on as many as one reasonably can. For thus is the Will of the Goddesses." It will likely not escape Rylen that the noble mannerisms Uta is displaying have been picked up from Wake.

"Everyone is family, here," she resumes, once she drops the act. "Hopefully Borywick as well, once we manage to get him hired by Haru." She seems excited at the prospect, but then again, there are not that many things Uta isn't excited about.

For the first time, she goes serious. A frown. "...Puns? Again?" Wake seems to have been doing this of late. A sigh, and tip of her fountain pen dances into a quick scrawl, scribbled to the side of her booklet. "Note to self: join forces with Kauchemar. Formulate diagnostic protocol to detect primary cause of pun production. Seek cure."

    Dosbox's comment gets a smile from the Baroness. She does not make puns with any skill. Nor does she realize she made one a moment ago. She can appreciate it, though.

    Rylen's compliment, though, poses that challenge that the Japanese face so regularly. Accepting a kind or appreciative word while very clearly downplaying the matter is foundational.

    "You are very kind, Master Rylen. While I have been blessed many times in this world, what people tend to associate me with is truly the result of the efforts of others. I need to better show my gratitude to them."

    She keeps an eye on Kyo. Or tries to. This is something she has been trying to learn, as well. The large-billed crows do not all look alike. But her eye is untrained in swiftly distinguishing them.

    "I would be very pleased if you could send some people to assist. I will make sure that I have a few Landers ready to learn from them. Or, if there are adventurers who would like to be a regular part of Eas, they are welcome. I will ensure they get help settling into a proper home or room, if they prefer."

    Rylen's description of just how many things the crows are capable of is surprising. "I think perhaps I will be asking many questions of those you send, as well. I know pigeons were used as messengers. I did not realize that we might train crows to do the same. This would be so very helpful, when I have secret messages to send to the Dukes. They are understandably reluctant to relay everything through adventurers whose loyalty is not as clear to them. Ciphered messages carried by an animal will be prefered to some of them, at least." Alliances and guilds, it seems, are generally the first loyalties of most adventurers, after all. Not to mention how the Dukes often do not even trust their own families. Hm. Most Dukes ESPECIALLY do not trust their families.

    Elly looks confused when Uta focuses on the 'highest' form of humor. "Puns? Well, Dosbox did share one, but it was very welcome. And yes, hm. If he is to be hired by Haru, he should be thoroughly prepared for the meeting. To put himself in the best light."

Rylen's laugh is full of light in that way that could be infectious to some. "True enough, my Gnomeish friend." He seems to enjoy the puns, even if Uta may believe it is something that needs medial treatment.

"Ahh, perhaps I'll have a chance to make use of your wares someday, then. As a martial-artist, I don't use much in the way of weapons or armor, so accessories are where I get most of my stat bonuses from." His robe is likely in his armor slot, but the Beastmaster also has the jeweled peko feather in his hair and a bracelet on one wrist.

It's not hard to spot that Wake is attempting to track Kyo, so Rylen leans in slightly, offering a secret. "Look for the one with the silver band on the leg. That's Kyo." He suggests, offering her a playful wink. "That's how she carries messages for me."

He looks back to Uta and Borywick, "I certainly wish you luck in finding gainful employment. If it doesn't work out, you might be able to get some funding to open a shop of your own somewhere. With the war on, I imagine there's plenty of uses for those with skilled hands."

Dosbox smiles nervously, scratching the back of his head, "Yes, well, I don't necessarily have the skill yet to start my own shop. I have been mostly focused on the support role of Adventuring. This current act is just my attempt to, ah, take control of my own life. Go the direction I have wanted to go all along. I appreciate your kind words. I hope the skill of my hands will allow for me to be useful to others soon."

    Elly laughs at the very simple and obvious clue from Rylen. "That is very practical." Someday, she will know them by sight. She wil crack the code on plumage and beak shape and... another day.

    Today, Rylen is clearly laying out a very obvious solution to Dosbox's situation. "You make such a good point, Master Rylen." Shifting her focus to the gnome, Elly continues, "I understand it is skills you hope to gain. But when you are interested in having your own place, there is a lot of room around Eas, and with the Oympus headquarters here, you have access to wealthy customers. You can, in time, establish a reputation here for yourself. When you think the time is right, of course. I regularly invest and support that kind of work, even if it is not done in Eas."

    She listens to Dosbox's words with her usual care. She nods slowly and points out, "I believe others already believe you are valuable as a friend. You are not simply useful. You are a person worthy of respect and love."

    And while it may not have been pointed out previously, Elly is so very proud to hear Uta reference the Goddesses. It makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, really. I mean, lately lots of things give the baroness/priestess/orphan mother warm fuzzies.

"Well, there are ample opportunities to build those skills and plenty of individuals who might be able to bolster and support them, if needed." Rylen takes a step towards the Gnome, "For example..." The man mouths something, his lips moving but the words not finding voice. The Peko feather hanging from his hair briefly shows gold along the spine before going dark again.

RYLEN_HAGALAZ_PEKO_ARMY_FEHU_AURA_ARTONELICO

The power washes over Borywick, causing his hands to become more sure at their task. It's almost as if a feeling of confidence follows with it. "People are here to help. As Uta has said, if you're family, you have my support as well."

He looks over to Wake then, giving a nod in her direction. She has seen this particular ability before. Rylen, a warrior Legend in his own right, is most known for his support of others, and thus the strange power that runs through him plays into that, it seems.

Dosbox visibly winces at the Baroness's comment on his self-worth. The gems that he is working with fall to the ground abruptly, ever so briefly startling the crows before they rush forward and nab them up. The next words that leave his mouth are practiced, as if he has responded to this statement before. An attentive and practiced ear would catch that he doesn't necessarily mean these words, but the necessity of them being said is warranted, lest the conversation hang up on this topic... And DosBox's self worth is not a topic he particularly likes to focus on, "Of course, milady. Every single living thing deserves love and respect." He leaves the bit about, '...whether they get it or not is another matter,' unsaid.

With the wave of magic that enters DosBox, he clearly feels the boost of self-confidence as he continues his work, and at least for a moment, he seems to be having a real increase in productivity on his spellcrafting. The Rock Gnome puffs up his chest a little, sealing the gems firmly to the butter knife in his hand before letting them return to the earth. I strong success, to be sure. Perhaps multiple targets next...

DosBox clears his throat, and adopts a more neutral tone, "Well, at the moment, I have steps to take before I can truly say that I, ah, belong anywhere. There are very few that I can even call friend, much less family. Still, I hope that, in time our familiarity will be much closer." Left unsaid, of course, is his acknowledgement that he must be little more than a pet project to Uta for her to lose interest in later. However long he can be of use to her in this role is up to her, though his heart very much does enjoy being used in such a manner when compared to how he used to be used. "I thank you most graciously for your consideration and kindness."

Uta stops her note-taking to look up. Despite her distraction up to now, she seems to pick right the right moment to catch the glimpse of gold. Whether she recognizes what's going on or she just thinks it's a shimmer of the light, that's another matter.

Uta's eyes turn towards Borywick. It's hard to see what she's thinking, or exactly what she's looking at: her eyes are... not quite -defocused-. More like, 'looking beyond'. Her expression, pensive.

After a few moments, she offers a light smile. "Well, we are Travel Buddies," she says to DosBox. "And roommates too, technically." During the road trip, Borywick has been a guest in Uta's wagon. So that's technically true. "Even if we've been taking turns mounting guard outside the wagon and sleeping, technically. But still! It's a start. Relationship building takes time. Or, I suppose, relationship digging, in your case?" She offers, scratching her head. "Is it how Gnomes bond?"

    Elly is usually on the creating end of the Legend gift, but she has been the recipient of it before. From Rylen, actually. Rylen's usage gets an appreciative nod. There is something amazing in it, and seeing it in use draws Elly's focus to the Beautiful One, who gave that gift to her.

    This naturally calls for a moment of silent prayer. Others may find it hard to say what role she puts first, baroness or priestess, but in most situations, they are aligned. And family comes before all else.

    Her focus drifts back to the crows. Leaning down, she lifts a rock where some seeds were rather out of reach. She scoops them up and hesitates for a moment. Instead of simply casting them back to the earth where the birds can easily reach them, she settles on a knee and holds both her hands out.

    A few crows take notice, but seem wisely cautious. One can never know just what someone like Elly is up to, after all. In time, though, a particularly curious bird alightss on her left thumb. It turns its head to give her a most piercing look. The bird, being some 20 inches in height, has a weight to it that sends the smallest shifting in its perch. The bird steps to the side slightly, tightening its grip, and then pecks at the seeds. It is, of course, not terribly careful with its pecking. Still, Elly refuses to flinch. She doesn't speak, either.

Dosbox smiles weakly, playing with the large dodecahedral gem on his hat absently, "Mostly, Gnomes show affection by the gifting of craft works, though I have yet to produce anything of giftable, more permanent worth as of yet. I have, I believe the term is, ah, Haru-like arms?" The Rock Gnome wiggles his arms as if they were noodles. He hopes this is an in-joke and not a derogatory term for their friend. That would make things awkward. "What I do lack in strength, however, I make up for in magical might. This concept, by the by, is what led me to seek Haru's knowledge in the first place. He managed to bypass the problem in such a way as I one day hope to. Seeking the guidance of one who already has done so may help me along, after all."

"Well, regardless, anything you need, feel free to ask." Rylen chuckles to himself, the power flickering away from the feather in his hair. "Helping people is the main purpose of Crescent Moon, and I would be a pretty sad representative if I didn't try to embody that ideal."

He looks back to Wake, then, "I'll stick around for a while and help with the initial stages of getting your flock bonded to the area and the people of Eas. Put in a few calls for some support from the Ranch. After that, well..." He smirks, "I've got a certain Salamander who will get a bit upset with me if I don't stop in from time to time." He's likely speaking of Xander, who appears to have become his partner as of late. Rylen is quite open about it, Xander ... not so much.

For now, he lingers, watching Wake and her interaction with the birds, likely just observing to give notes at a later time.

Uta is enrapture by Wake's whole ritual. The listening, the nodding. The prayer, the action. The waiting. The success.

"The gift of craft works..."

It is only after those words escape her mouth that Uta becomes aware that, without her even noticing, her fingers have silently reached for the pendant on her necklace, an exquisite bas-relief of a songbird with its wings spread, resting on a 'hook' whose tip is a gem the same color as its owner's irises.

She looks left, and right, and quietly her retracts her hand. "You'll get there. Accessory Forging is a matter of precision, not brute strength. Low amounts of force is the way to go."

She presses a blot on her notebook, and when she's confident that no smudges will be produced, she closes it, along with her tome. As she stands up an begins to shimmer items away into her inventory, she continues, "Did you know that playing the guitar gets in the way of you being able to play the piano?" She interrupts her tidying up, to hold up one hand, palm facing forward, while she points at it with the other. "Playing the guitar will make you develop calluses on the hand that presses down the strings. They need to exert a lot of force, and be strong, and protected. They sort of become the Tanks of Fingers. Unfortunately, this gets in the way of the extreme sensitivity needed to play the piano. That's a squishy clothie kind of skill."

Not that her hands have much in the way to show as far as calluses or lack thereof goes -- her hands are covered in long white gloves that cover almost all of her arm. "I'm sure you'll find the perfect teacher in Haru. You'll come up with breathtaking piano four-hand compositions"

"Oh, him! The Salamander. The Salamander who Shall Not Be Named. That Salamander. Tell You-Know-Who I say Hi!", Uta adds to Rylen.

    The feeding goes on for only a little while, a few precious seconds that don't quite make up half a minute. The bird then flutters away. For a time, Elly just watches it go.

    "Fly free, little one," she says faintly.

    For a while she stays as she is. Eventually, though, duty calls. She rises and turns her attention first to Rylen.

    "I appreciate your help so much. I will be delighted when all the residents of Eas are at peace, having learned to delight in each other's company."

    She then faces Dosbox and Uta. She considers them for a time.

    "I would love to guide you to Gwen's store, but I must go to the Westelande. One of my family has passed their rites and become an adult. I will go to celebrate him and ensure that he has all he needs to be successful. If you would like to join me there, first, though, I know Tae and I would both appreciate your company."

    She leaves the invite hanging in the air for now. "I am going to go deal with some of that food excess problem. Anyone who can help is welcome to join, certainly." With that, she makes her way back to the castle, where a meal is waiting.