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THE THIRSTY MINNOW - AELIA'S ROOM - MORNING
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Aelia starts awake suddenly, her last memory being passing out from exhaustion in the wagon shortly after the attack. Part of her still feels sick from that. A quick look around the room and at least she's confident she's not a prisoner...
Aelia checks herself for injuries, trying to clear away the lingering nightmare of being dragged off in a net, and glances at the dresser for the two usual elements; a calendar, and a note from Phoebe. Reading the note, she sighs, shaking.
Aelia finally gets up, the deer dressing herself and taking the bag of coin and slipping into place, preparing herself to go explore her new... home?
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RESPITE - NEAR THE OLDHAMMER FORGE - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Aelia walks around town nervously, a bit of breakfast in her belly now helping her get the energy, and a convenient map left out that seems to point her to all the kind folks in town. One such marker has led her towards this forge.
Cavro is hunched amongst a stack of baskets just outside the smithy's customer door. The huge gate-like door is partially open as well, both entrances dumping an almost uncomfortably dry heat to those who venture too close. Well, those who don't miss the desert's summer days, anyhow. But the figure by the door is almost unrecognizable to all except those most familiar with the spark-scarred snout poking out from under a burgundy cloak, two beady eyes reflecting the glint of a sweltering forge inside. the figure lets out a quiet sigh as he watches the smith within toiling away on some project, leaning slightly against the stacked baskets.
Aelia comes up behind Cavro, raising a hand in surprise at the sensation roiling out of the forge, Her voice is low, but filled with concern, "Oh gosh! H-has there been some kind of accident? Does Respite have a Fire service?"
Cavro starts slightly, jostling the baskets and stepping back away from the door. "Huhwhat? Ah! No no no it's just a a a smithy." He's speaking in rather hushed tones despite his apparent jitteriness. He glances toward the baskets, righting them in their stack before turning fully away from the forge. Thankfully the smith within doesn't seem to have been bothered by the rustling commotion.
Aelia glances around, feeling rather uncertain about this. "Just a smithy? Are they always so hot?" Whether the forge is hotter than normal or not, it's certainly clear Aelia has never even encountered one, the shy deer taking a step away from the door.
Cavro tilts his head slightly at the stranger before shrugging. "It it it used to run a little cooler... But not not not by much. You need a a a lot of heat to melt iron." He looks back in toward the smithy, shaking his head a bit. "Not that much, but it it it doesn't hurt the metal. More just a bit unbearable to work in." He lets out a soft chuckle, knowing full well he misses the constant high heat of his smithy.
Aelia's ears fall back a little, "I've never really seen a smith before. Never really needed one? I uh... was looking for..." She checks the map. "Cavro? I'm new in town."
Cavro perks up a bit, turning back to Aelia. "Oh? Did you need some some some help with something? This this this is the right place."
Aelia holds up the map. "His was one of the only names on here. This... might sound silly, but... I don't know anyone in town and I'm just... I'm trying to find folks I can..." She pauses for what feels like a long time, hating the feeling that she even has to define this one way or the other. "Folks I can trust. And the map says he's a real good friend."
Cavro blushes, the bit of his snout in the sunlight notably shifting color as he lets out a nervous chuckle. "Oh? I suppose that that that map is from Erika? She's a a a better friend than me. Er... I mean him. Me." He sighs, pulling the cloak back a bit so more of his face is visible. "Sorry, me. Nice to meet you, I'm the smith, Cavro."
Aelia blinks at the badger a few times. She glances down at the map, spotting the words 'by Erika Smithens' in the corner. "Oh! Oh, good! Okay, yes. Yes, this is... Erika's map. Yes. I'm Aelia, the uh... dancer. Hi. Hello." She gives an awkwardly formal bow in her really rather ragged dress.
Cavro chuckles a little at the introduction, bowing his head slightly before glancing toward the smithy again. He turns toward the street. "Ah we we we can talk over this way, if the the the heat is bothering you... I don't want to interrupt him while he he he's working, either."
Aelia nods a little confused as she glances into the smithy, unsure who 'he' is, but following Cavro towards the street. "But I thought you were the smith? Did I misunderstand again?"
Cavro hums, walking along the side of the street for a short distance, coming upon a small cafe that had closed. He sits in the empty chair on one side of the small table, nodding toward the other empty seat. "I I I am. He's ah... Me? It's weird."
Aelia begins to take a seat, but as Cavro speaks, she all but jumps up in surprise, "Wh-what!? You? L-like two people but..." She clamps a hand over her mouth and sits back down, voice growing quiet again, as she laughs a little nervously, "I mean, ha, th-that's impossible, right?"
Cavro leans back at her reaction, quickly looking around for passers-by, and thankful they had stepped away from the smithy before he mentioned it. "Yes, please..." He clears his throat, adjusting himself in the chair. "It's a a a strange story, but not an an an impossible one."
Aelia puts a hand to her chest, feeling her heart beating. "Not impossible. H-how? Did you... start out as the same person?" She swallows. "Like, the two of you sharing a body?"
Cavro tilts his head a bit at the specific question. "Er... Not as as as far as I know? I ah... Woke up one day. In the woods, somewhere SouthEast of town. It it it happened to Erika too. I hate to to to say I'm glad, but if it hadn't... I'm not a survivalist." He lets out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "When we finally got home, we we we found out that there were dopplegangers of of of us. Just kind of... Living our lives?"
Aelia listens very carefully, considering the details, her voice tinged with dread, "Waking up somewhere new... no explanation why? I..." She swallows, "But you say they were living seperate from you? How... how strange. Are... they friendly?"
Cavro hesitates, nodding. "I suppose... I I I haven't heard anything bad about them. Erika's was was was an elemental, I think? She ah... Died and and and then came back, when they they they tried to help her. Nesseth was going to do do do something else, I guess, for the one in my forge? I haven't met him... And then all this this this attack stuff started."
Aelia shivers. "Y-yeah. I was on one of the caravans that got attacked yesterda-" She flinches at the slip. "A... awhile ago." She takes a deep breath. "Cavro... I... I'm just trying to start a life here where I don't have to be afraid. But... this happened to me too."
Cavro gives a sympathetic nod, sighing. "I am am am sorry you went through that. I I I promise Respite isn't normally this way. How do you you you mean that, though?"
Aelia smiles at Cavro's response, folding her hands over her lap. "I... lived in Sarn, in Policaster. I'm a Dancer, or... was. Then one day, I went to bed... and I woke up over a week later, in some tavern down by the docks. It's happened a few times since then too. Over and over, I wake up somewhere else. Until finally..." She motions a hand around town, "I'm here. And I'm scared. And I've never told anyone but no one else's experiences have even come close!"
Cavro sits back in the chair, looking concerned for Aelia. "That does does does sound very disorienting. You don't have any any any clues on what is happening to you? In those lost days?"
Aelia hesitates again. "S-some. The other person... the elemental or whatever she is... s-she leaves me notes. She left me this map! She seems to want to help me... I guess she's stuck with the same problem that I am."
Cavro nods, smiling a thin smile. "I don't know if if if it's a comfort or not... I only woke up in a strange place once... And and and I remember every moment. But I would be glad to to to help you, however you need it. I have a a a lot of spare time, with half the the the guard gone toward the mountains."
Aelia breathes a bit of a sigh in relief, "I don't... I'm afraid of letting people know. But I've not really got a whole lot of options. I can't get a job if I'm just going to disappear for weeks at a time, you know? I've got a little bit of coin... Phoebe told me to buy some new cloths. Th-that's her name, my... 'other half'. Phoebe."
Cavro chuckles quietly, "I... don't even know the the the other smith's name... He's just been using mine. Might not even have his his his own name. But ah... Maybe you you you can still work as a a a dancer? Else, someone might be be be happy to help... Or. Well. Phoebe could work the the the job, too?"
Aelia giggles a bit, "I... I hope so. I can't speak to her. But I've written her a few notes too, when I'm able. M-maybe if you can help me talk to Phoebe, to find a solution to this... I can help you talk to the other you too?"
Cavro hums at this, then smiles broadly and offers his hand, the forearm that pokes out of his cloak covered in a gradient of spatter scars. "Deal, Aelia. I would be be be happy to help, even if you didn't offer."
Aelia unclasps her hands, reaching out to gently take Cavro's hand. "That's so, so very appreciated, Cavro! You... you have no idea how much this is already a weight off my chest. Just having shared this is... a lot. Thank you, thank you so much."