Pitchforks and Forges [attn: Bella/Derren]

[Roan]

Paks

Paks did a double take, “There are horses as small as that?” She laughed softly, “I doubt I’d be intimidated so much by one so small.” The horse behind her winnied again. She looked over her shoulder, “What would you know?”

‘It’s good to see you laugh, even if it is a small one,’ Jesi said, giving her a wink.

The Ji’val looked back to the blacksmith, “It’s when they get to be about his size that I start to struggle. I mean look at him! He could end me if he wanted, and all it would take is a well placed kick.” She shook her head, “I don’t deal well with animals that are bigger than me.”

‘My big tough Ji’val. . .afraid of horses. You amuse me.’

The horse winnied again.

“See? I’m telling you, he’s laughing at me. He knows I don’t even know how to lead him and wouldn’t know where to start when it came to anything else. About all I know how to do is shovel his shit. . . but preferably without him in the stall. I mean. . . look at how big he is!” she added. The horse in question wasn’t actually all that big, standing at just over fourteen hands.

[Bella]

Derren knew very well that horses came much bigger than this one, but he certainly had no intention of pointing that out to her at this point.

"By and large, treat a horse with respect and they will treat you the same. Much like any creature, human or otherwise. Their hooves do not go in all directions, so you can do much to avoid that well-placed kick. Your average horse really had no interest in hurting you or anyone else, so long as you treat them well."

He gestured to the horse that she kept conversing with. "Even if you just talk to them like you might someone you know, it can go a long way to establish a...working relationship, you might say."

[Roan]

Paks

The horse winnied again, as if confirming what the blacksmith said. Paks looked over her shoulder, “Who asked you?” The horse snorted and pawed at the floor of his stall as it nodded its head. Paks laughed softly and shook her head, “I’m tellin’ you. . .he totally understands what we’re saying.” Tilting her head slightly, she realized she didn’t know the man’s name, “Since I’m going to be working out here for the foreseeable future, I’m guessing our paths will likely cross quite a bit, what with you being the blacksmith.”

‘What’s this? Are you going out of your way to introduce yourself? Light be praised!’ Jesi said, appearing just behind Derren.

‘What? I can’t be nice?’

‘Sure you can, but lately, you’ve been more about hiding in your hermit hole in the infirmary and only talking to people you have to talk to,’ Jesi replied with a warm smile. ‘This is a nice change.’

Paks seemed to glance over the man’s shoulder, but then turned her attention back to him, “I’m Paks. Ji’val, if it wasn’t obvious.”

[Bella]

Derren returned a small smile. There was a little part of him, hidden in his infrequently-seen sense of humor, that wanted to let her continue believing he was just the blacksmith...but even if he wasn't Oathsworn, it wasn't in his nature to keep up subterfuge.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Paks Ji'val," he said with a small bow of his head. "I am Derren Jolstraer Asha'man," he introduced himself. "I am not the Tower's blacksmith by trade, but I was raised with it. I come here to relax, as it were. I like to work the forge, I like to help the blacksmith out, and I like to be around the horses.

"As such, however, our paths will indeed cross often enough." He paused, glancing at the horse who had indeed seemed to be having a conversation with the young woman. "I could help you get better used to the horses, if you like," he offered on an impulse, another infrequent personality trait.

[Roan]

Paks

The Ji’val’s eyes went wide when Derren revealed he was an Asha’man.

Jesi appeared just behind him once more and was laughing her light-hearted, sing-song and infectious laugh, ‘He is an Asha’man! That physique? He would have fooled me. . .he DID fool me.’ She laughed some more and shook her head, ‘Oh I wish you could see your face. My heart. . .you better say something, or at least close your mouth before a fly finds its way in.’

Paks snapped her mouth shut before nervously licking her lips. “Ah. . . Asha’man. Suddenly, she wanted to just get back to the task assigned to her, but she couldn’t very well run away from an Asha’man could she?

‘Why so squirmy? Nothing’s changed. Come on. . .don’t close up on me or him now.’

Paks thought back through her conversation, hoping to light she’d not said anything inappropriate. Reaching up, she rubbed the back of her neck and gave a soft laugh, “I. . .thanks for offering to help.” Part of her wanted to say yes, and that same part of her was more at ease with him than she’d been with anyone since that day.

“Uhm, but. . .I’m sure an Asha’man’s got better things to do with his time than show me the finer parts of being around horses,” she said, stammering only a little.

[Bella]

Derren almost regretted having told her, watching her demeanor suddenly change. She tried to hide it, but he had been a Grey--and accustomed to studying a person's minute details for interpretation--for too long to miss it. Where she was unguarded before, now she was suddenly uncertain.

He stifled a sigh and instead offered a small smile. "An Asha'man has to do with his time what things he chooses to," he said simply. "I would like to help, if you would like to accept."

[Roan]

Paks

Paks had stared down at her feet, absentmindedly kicking the basket as he said his time was his to do with as he pleased. Part of her wondered what that might be like. She’d been a learning rank for how long? Looking up, the woman gave a small, but warm smile, “Seriously?

“You’d help a simple Ji’val like me?” She reached up and rubbed the back of her neck, “I’d. . .I’d like that, but. . .” She let go a sigh and looked off in the distance, “I’m kind of under lockdown with the infirmary.”

Kicking the basket again, she shoved her hands into her pockets, “I. . .uh. . .heh.”

‘You? Shy? I don’t believe it, my love. Since when do YOU get shy?’ Jesi exclaimed, standing at Derren’s shoulder.

Paks looked from Jesi to Derren, not bothering to reply to the image of Jesi. She couldn’t quite bring herself to explain WHY she was under lockdown at the infirmary, and part of her hoped it wouldn't’ come up.

Giving a one-shoulder shrug, the Ji’val added, “I’d. . .I think we’d need to get permission. Either from the Yellows, or the Mistress of Training, or perhaps even both. It was like moving mountains to get them to let me out of the infirmary during the day.”

[Bella]

Hearing about the "lockdown" in the infirmary that she was under told Derren who she was. He had heard about the...incident, for lack of a better word, with their former Amyrlin. He had not been in the Tower at that time himself, but everyone had learned of it in the time that followed. One of those things was about the trainee who had lost someone, and been in the infirmary since.

Interesting... he thought, but she was allowed out now and with minimal supervision, so it might not be that difficult. Perhaps he could even help. Horses could have power that way.

"Well, I happen to know the Mistress of Training, as well as one of the long-time Yellows in the infirmary," he said simply, not mentioning the fact that he was actually related to them. "I will speak to them and see what they will be alright with. They know me as well, so I am sure they will be willing to consider it."

[Roan]

Paks

Paks gave Derren a small smile, “I appreciate that, Asha’man. Thank you.” She looked back to the bucket of manure, “I suppose I should get back to my chores. If the Yellows and Mistress of Training agree to it. . . I look forward to learning more about these beasts from you.”
~~~ Gareth Asha’man, a hulking yellow who could have been a blacksmith himself, visited Paks early one morning before she began her day full of chores and told her she would report to the stables and work with Derren Asha’man twice a week to learn how to work with horses. Both the Mistress of the Kitchens and the Stable Master wouldn’t be so pleased. . .it meant they wouldn’t have her at their beckon call on those two days.

The Ji’val couldn’t help but smile since her first day working with Derren would be that very day, saving her from mucking out stalls.

‘It’s nice seeing a smile on your face for no reason,’ Jesi replied as she walked along side Paks to the stables.

‘I do smile,’ Paks countered.

‘Well. . . you do NOW, but it’s been a while since you have. It’s a nice change.’

The Ji’val’s thought swirled. On the edge, there was always the hint of much darker thoughts. . . darker memories. It took effort to keep those thoughts at bay. Those very thoughts seemed to spiral around the hole in her spirit left where Jesi’d been yanked from her. Heaving a sigh, Paks did her best to keep those darker thoughts at bay as she reached the stables. Somewhere not too far off, a rooster crowed. It was still early in the morning, and a slight chill was in the air.

As she entered the main barn, she saw Derren waiting for her. She gave him a small but warm smile, “Good morning, Asha’man.”

[Bella]

This morning, Derren was wearing a shirt. He had chosen to forego the Asha'man jacket, however. It was best to be comfortable when working around horses, he'd found.

He had arrived at the stables early that morning, before the Ji'val, so he leaned over the edge of one of the open air stalls. The horse inside lifted her head from the hay she was eating, eyed him for a moment, and then went back too it. He chuckled quietly, and let his thoughts wander.

Not for the first moment, Derren wondered what it had been about the young woman that had drawn him to offer his help. It wasn't that he was an unkind man, not at all, but he wasn't generally the most outgoing of people when the matter wasn't something for the Grey Ajah.

Upon hearing her steps, he turned to see the Ji'val walking up. She greeted him and he offered a small smile in return. "Good morning, Ji'val," he said. "I'm glad you decided to take me up on my offer." He gestured to the mare in the stall, munching away on her hay. "That's Doll. You can see the swell of her stomach, expecting her latest foal any time now."