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RESPITE FALLS - WESTERN WALL - MID-MORNING
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Nesseth 's frills flex and fan out a little, trying to catch the sunlight as it creeps in over the horizon. As the seasons grow colder, the sun takes longer to rise, leaving him feeling almost uncomfortably cold in the mornings. As his frills start to warm up, he shivers a little from the difference in temperature from his head to his core, leaving him feeling perhaps a bit more alert as the warmth invigorates him.
Kira makes her way up onto the wall to report the completion of her sunrise rounds. Not seeing this morning's duty captain, she just alights on one of the wall's crenelations and watches Nesseth's frills with momentary curiosity. She doesn't stare too long before speaking up. "Guard Nesseth? I've finished up for the night. Would you inform the duty captain for me when you see them?"
Nesseth hums curiously and turns towards the voice, only to smile and nod at Kira upon seeing her. "Oh! Morning, Kira. Sure, I'll go and let them know. I'm about to head back that way on my route anyway."
Kira smiles and bows her head in thanks. "Thank you. How has your morning been? I do hate these long nights... so cold and dark, but then they make my work all the more important."
Nesseth takes a moment to rub his arm, just to get a bit of warmth in it. "It's been fine so far, though I really could do without the cold sometimes. At the very least, it makes the sun a lot nicer to greet when it rises."
Kira smiles. "Yes. It does. At least I can warm up by the lamps, though." She takes a moment to adjust her wings on her back. "I like warmer nights better. More folks around to talk to."
Nesseth hums and nods as he casts a glance over at the lack of lights on in most of the houses at this time of day. "Yeah... yeah, it's a lot easier to stay out at night when we're not shivering. If I could, I'd still be bundled up beneath the blankets myself."
Kira adjusts the small puffy scarf around her neck, using it to cover more of her torso and hands. "I like it when the forge is running late. It's always nice and warm there, but Cavro hasn't been working late much... and the last time I saw him..." She trails off, frowning.
Nesseth tilts his head curiously, latching onto that with some interest. "Oh? What about Cavro?"
Kira shakes her head a bit. "When I last spoke with him, he seemed confused... denied things I know to be true."
Nesseth raises an eyebrow. "Confused, hm? Like... how so? This might be important."
Kira flutters up into the air again, wanting to keep her wings from cramping in the cold. "He would only say that he and Erika were friends and not mates."
Nesseth hums quietly, this bit of info seeming to put him a little more at ease, if only for a moment. "Mmh... I had a feeling, but now it's good to know that it wasn't just suspicions on my part for Cavro... Something's not right."
Kira gives a little chittery noise of discontent. "I don't like doubting my friends, but something is wrong, yes..."
Nesseth rubs a finger against the scales on his chin, thinking. "There's been some similar troubles with Erika recently, like her not remembering her relationship with Cavro, but I've thought something was wrong with both of them. Anything else that you might be able to tell me about your recent talks with Cavro, Kira?"
Kira shakes her head. "It was only one talk... but he didn't stumble on his words as normal. And Erika's garden has gotten strange, yes. More than just blossom season being over... it feels wrong. Not quite like the blue flowers, but related?"
Nesseth tilts his head. "Wrong? I've not been in Erika's garden lately, but... can you describe that?" He pauses, then starts to walk back along the wall, motioning for Kira to come along with him, "And now that I think about it... might be worthwhile to cut my patrol a little short here so we can see Cavro."
Kira flutters along next to Nesseth. "Yes... it is... thick... things grow too much for the cold nights... and the smell of the place is... hungry is the best way to put it. It wants to take more, despite its new growth."
Nesseth frowns a little as he makes his way along the wall and down a set of stairs back into the town proper. "Unwelcoming, almost... certainly unnatural even for someone as skilled with plants as Erika is. Have you felt anything similar from Cavro's smithy?"
Kira follows along, trying to remember the conversation. "No... it was very hot, even for the smithy though... but it didn't feel wrong like the garden."
Nesseth hums again as he takes a turn along a familiar, well-trodden path towards the guard barracks. "Okay, well... that's something out of the ordinary, even if it isn't as outwardly concerning like the garden... Hopefully the captain will see fit to let me jump on this immediately."
Kira flies along with Nesseth. "Yes... I hope so too. I worry about him..." She shivers a bit, only half from the cold. "Though I don't know I'd be much help talking to him again..."
Nesseth comes up to the front of the barracks and makes his way in, followed by Kira. "Well... we can figure it out once we get the all-clear from the captain. Let's go ahead and deliver those reports, first..."
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OLDHAMMER SMITHY - MID-MORNING
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Cavro is energetically puttering about the smithy, having started well before dawn broke. The huge doors are only cracked open, enough that the occasional passer by pauses to glance in and greet the badger, though many stop briefly just to bask in the heat pouring from the gap. Cavro nods to any that say hello, but doesn't drop his tools for anyone not coming to him with an order. This has been his mode for days now, and the furnace has barely had a chance to cool between. Against his normal precautions, he's working shirtless, an unscarred torso and upper arms highlighting the heat scars on his hands, forearms and snout even more than normal.
Nesseth comes to a stop just outside of the smithy just to bask in the heat radiating from the entryway, having bid farewell to Kira on the way over after the moth started getting a little unnerved. Even from his brief moments standing outside, however, he's able to sense that the forge is running hotter than usual, and as he goes to push the door open, he has to squint a little against the flow of hot air. "Well, I'd ask if you're here, but I guess the forge answers that. Morning, Cavro!"
Cavro pauses, looking up from his task before he cracks a smile in Nesseth's direction. He turns away from the hot iron flatbar on his anvil, setting his hammer down on the workbench. "Ah, good morning Nesseth. What brings you by today? An order to fill, I wonder?"
Nesseth leaves the door slightly ajar as he steps into the forge area, though making sure to stay out of the way as he always does. "Yeah, I was hoping to get a few more of those custom bolt tips you'd crafted a few weeks back. They've been working nicely for me out on hunts, so I figure a few spares wouldn't hurt to have." He takes a moment to stretch, grateful for the warmth, even if the reason for his arrival isn't specifically for that, "How've things been going for you lately?"
Cavro hums, nodding slightly at the request. He seems to be taking a few moments to recall, but really he remembers the bolt tips quite clearly. "Ah... yes, I recall them. I think I have something much better in mind, though, but you'll get what you need first!" He nods again, turning on the spot as he wanders over to a heavy book laid out next to an overstuffed outgoing crate, scribbling Nesseth's order. Or... Would be... What he puts to paper isn't even recognizable as letters. The pages before are filled with chicken scratch lettering, but still legible chicken scratch. "Hm... I have hardly left the smithy, actually. So much to do!" He seems very happy about the workload.
Nesseth scoots a little closer and takes a peek at Cavro's order book, half out of curiosity and half to see what all he's been up to lately. He tilts his head curiously at the chicken scratch script, but doesn't comment about it. "I hope you've been at least getting enough sleep, though?" He chuckles after a moment, "Also, you've got me curious now, when you say you've got some ideas in mind."
Cavro grins, nodding. He hasn't returned the question of wellbeing to Nesseth, moving straight back toward the furnace after he finishes scribbling meaningless curls on the page. "Enough sleep for me, yes. At least an hour wasted last night!" He tsks at the iron bar still clamped in his vice, the surface blackening as it cools. "Always ideas, but not many chances to try them. Everyone has their need in mind, but it's alright." He glances over his shoulder at Nesseth. "I just enjoy being at the forge more than anything, whether I'm making nails or brackets."
Nesseth chuckles as he leans lightly against the box of outgoing orders, his gaze shifting up towards Cavro from the order book. "Fair enough! Like I said before, when you do something you enjoy, it doesn't even feel like work, right?"
Cavro smiles, nodding slightly after a moment of thought. "I... Guess you did say that, hm? It is true." He releases the vice on the still slightly orange bar, shrugging. "Shaping the steel, fanning the flames. It feels natural." He picks up the hot iron, a light sizzle coming from his palm as he lifts it easily without the slightest flinch. There is no smell of burning beyond the already brimstone-like odor of the forge. The badger turns to the furnace and reaches into the infernal maw, setting the bar among the burning coke.
Nesseth blinks and looks up from the book again as the sound of sizzling catches his ear, only to kind of stare in disbelief as Cavro handles the bar without any seeming pain or trouble whatsoever. He hums and leans back again, thinking. "You've been working this place for so long, I'm sure it all feels like second nature at this point."
Cavro steps back from the furnace, ash falling from his hand and forearm onto the floor. He lingers, watching the fire for a few seconds before turning toward Nesseth with a smile. "All my life, really. The fire and iron might as well be siblings." He gives his arm a little shake, the clinging ash falling from undamaged fur and skin. "How many bolt tips did you want, by the way?"
Nesseth hums thoughtfully. "Just a few should do... maybe about five? I've still got all the ones from the previous order, but I figure having extras wouldn't hurt."
Cavro chuckles, nodding. "As you like. I can make a few of what I have in mind, too. You'll find them very satisfactory." The badger is displaying a lot of confidence for something that he hasn't even started sketching out, though he does move toward his stockpile of scrap steel to pick out the premium parts for the job.
Nesseth smiles. "Don't worry, Cavro. I'm in no rush if you've got more important orders to take care of. I'm definitely looking forward to testing out the stuff you make, though." His eyes scan around as Cavro goes about doing his thing, noting all the stuff that seems unusual from the badger's usual methods.
Cavro spends a few moments at the large drawers full of spare material, staring at them until he pulls one out and immediately fishes out enough for what he needs. "Well, I'm honestly fairly well caught up. I can do your bolt tips while making some brackets and punching out some more nails." He chuckles, apparently very comfortable with multitasking on projects now. "Mh. I do need to get started, though, if they'll be done when you want them."
Nesseth nods as he shifts away from the crate, adjusting his gear a bit as he stands straight again. "In that case, I'll leave you to it, Cavro. Thanks for the quick chat, and the warmth." He flashes a quick grin as he starts to head towards the large double doors, "I'll be back with payment in a bit, but for now I'll get out of your hair."
Cavro seems to have taken Nesseth's first sentence as a close to their conversation, giving the lizard a cursory nod and smile before beginning to draw a crucible from the furnace, once again with a bare hand, to start the melting process for his handful of iron. The badger is apparently hypnotized by the furnace as he waits for the first iron bar to be ready, seeming to forget Nesseth hadn't left yet.
Nesseth hums thoughtfully as he watches Cavro for a few seconds, then shakes his head and heads back out into the street. He has some interesting things to examine when he next get an opportunity...