[Mistral Woods] That's Not My Name

25th of Saun 724

Beyond the city of Rharne lies the Stormlands, which is home to a number of farms, forests, fields, Lake Lovalus, and the River Zynyx. This subforum also includes the Stormwastes to the south.

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Elowen
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Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2024 11:21 am
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Re: [Mistral Woods] That's Not My Name

Elowen watched Cassander and Karl like a hawk, hoping to glean some knowledge from what was unfolding in front of her. She already knew that eye contact alone would not cut it in the recall game. Ark had done it to her so many times that he would look at her, consider her for a moment and then ignore her. It was infuriating when it happened, but there just wasn't anything in it for him. As far as she understood.

It seemed to be similar with Karl. So Elowen wondered what Cassander would do about that. Would he give up like she often did?

Of course not.

Instead, his voices became firmer. Something she had noticed before but it came out even stronger now when there was no other distraction, nothing else to think about. It almost seemed like Cassander was used to giving out commands. The girl frowned and cocked her head to a side little. Perhaps that was the trick she needed - order with intention and mean it.

Elowen smiled when Karl trotted over to Cassander at last. She near wanted to join in with the celebrations. But then it was her turn and nerves suddenly danced right under her skin.

She nodded back to Cassander and swalled once before raising her hand with the treat. "Ark!"

It took her a moment or two to realize that there would be no reaction from the black pup who continued to chuck his branch around.

Her heart hammered in her chest and her cheeks reddened a little. Elowen knew this was not a competition, nor was she being tested. She knew she asked Cassander to help her and that's why they were doing this together. But still, she hoped that perhaps, by a strike of luck or miracle, Ark would be obedient out of the blueand he would just run over to her straight away.

She stretched her hand up even higher. "Ark!"

There was still no response. Now Ark seemed to be settling down to vicious chewing instead.

Elowen dropped her arm to her side with a fierce frown taking over her face. How could she call him to her if he wasn't even heeding her voice? She pressed her teeth together giving her features a sharp look. Perhaps she had to use all the tricks she saw Cassander do.

She looked towards the man and tried to hide the frustration she felt behind a strained grimace of a smile. "Can take treat bag?" She asked. Perhaps the size of the prize needed to be bigger...louder.

She then called her pup's name a third time but her voice was level, grounded. The frustration undoubtedly seeped into it but gave it a quality of finality. She shook the bag also.

It was hard to tell whether it was the way she spoke the pup's name or the sounds of the treat bag, but Ark did pause and look her way.

That was only half the battle. Elowen knew that. So she tried to maintain the air of dominance she was hoping that she was exhuding.

"Come," she said in the same tone, but this time she also tapped her thigh twice.

It was a fraction of a moment when Elowen believed she had failed and Ark would ignore her. But contrary to the embarrassment unfolding in her mind, the pup dug its paws into the ground and took off running towards her.

The girl's behaviour changed straight away too. Her stiff features loosened and a quick, ringing laugh escaped her.

"Well done!" The girl praised the pup, taking another leaf out of Cassander's book before she gave Ark the promised treat. A moment after, as he munched on it with just as much vigor as the stick, Elowen looked at Cassander. Her eyes, as cold as they were in their colours, were now sparkling the same way a sun would reflect of a stream. But there was something more - unchecked curiosity.

"How you do it?" she asked. "How you speak so...determined?"
word count: 680
Language legend: Gernevoir (Fluent), Common (Conversational)
Elowen's appearance
Petit, 153cm (5') tall 15 arc old.
Always wears a head scarf that fully covers her hair.
Comfortable, loose clothing that does not accentuate her body shape in any way.
Clothing is clearly worn and mended but does not appear scruffy.
No jewellery or other marks on her body.
Face has gentle features.
Eyes are round with blue-grey irises.
Wears a small pouch with a Sunstone and a
knife
at her belt.
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Cassander
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Re: [Mistral Woods] That's Not My Name

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Cassander didn’t say anything when it was Elowen’s turn, but stepped aside and watched her, arms clasped behind his back, the expression on his face calm. It was obvious that she was nervous – her cheeks had reddened a bit – and he didn’t want to make it worse by standing too close to her and paying too much attention to her. He didn’t think that she’d appreciate that.

Ark seemed to be about as obedient as Karl was, he observed with a raised eyebrow, judging by the way he refused to listen to his name. Maybe, he thought with a hint of amusement, he had decided to take a page out of Karl’s book.

He wondered what Elowen would do now, but he didn’t say anything.

“Of course”, he replied when Elowen asked for the treat bag, inclined his head slightly and handed it to her. Ark wasn’t the only one who looked her way when she shook it. Karl who had devoured his treat abruptly focused on her and wagged his tail. Would he get another treat now?

Karl made a step towards Elowen, but Cassander grasped his collar and shook his head. “No. It’s Ark’s turn now”, he said and stroke the dog’s head with his other hand. He didn’t want Karl to interrupt Ark’s training. Karl did of course not understand what his owner was saying. For a moment, he struggled, trying to escape, but eventually he relaxed. He really liked treats – and alcohol – but he also enjoyed being stroked a great deal!

“Well done!” Cassander agreed when Ark finally ran towards Elowen and released Karl who started to jump around excitedly, as if he wasn’t aware of the fact that Elowen had praised Ark.

Cassander wanted to show his disapproval, but found it impossible not to grin.

When Elowen asked him how he spoke so determinedly, he paused for a moment and cocked his head a little to the side before he smirked. He didn’t mind her curiosity. On the contrary, he appreciated it especially since she had been so shy before. So, he replied in a friendly tone of voice, “Karl isn’t my first dog, Elowen. I had another dog before him. Her name was Harley. I still remember some things about my life with her. It’s important to speak firmly and with determination if you want your dog to listen to you.”

The same was often, but not necessarily always, true when it came to people, although he had the suspicion that some of his subjects had only followed him because of his position and not because of himself in particular. He wondered if Elowen had caught a glimpse of that as well. There had been something in her eyes. She was unusually perceptive for someone her age, and he had told her a little about himself, about what his parents and the place where he had grown up had been like.

He wasn’t somebody who overshared though.

He’d let her think that he was a young man from a privileged background with everything that came with it a little longer.

With that thought in mind, he looked at the dogs instead and asked Elowen, “Do you think Ark can sit on command?”


word count: 557
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Elowen
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Re: [Mistral Woods] That's Not My Name

Elowen nodded. Of course he had a dog before. That was part of the reason why she asked for his help but she had forgotten. Now she wondered what kind of a dog it was. It probably was not a street dog like theirs were now since his parents were wealthy. But she liked the name Harley.

The girl finished stroking Ark to allow him to enjoy his treat in peace and she righted herself. She looked ahead and for a moment seemed lost in her thoughts. But the truth was that she was just...there, not really thinking. She was looking ahead into the woods because they were there but there was nothing happening between their trunks. She was listening to the whispers of the wind but not really trying to understand what they were telling her. But most of all, she was aware of their fury friends and Cassander. Even Pea in the treeline. And it was that which she appreciated the most. The moments when it wasn't just her. But not in countless arcs, could she have never thought that something like this would happen when Meira was still alive. There was no need to then. They had each other.

And though she missed her still in an odd way that wasn't truly familial, Elowen had to admit that the way her world expanded a little, with all its good and bad, was in general rather enjoyable.

Cassander's words broke the girl out of her moment's peace and she blew some air out. "Don't know," she admitted. "Don't think so. He not listen to his name. Like Ark not his name at all. He sit. But will he if I say so?" And she shrugged, watching Ark as he finished his snack and walked over to Karl, tail swinging, tongue hanging out a little.

"Karl know?" She asked and looked from the two dogs up at Cassander with raised eyebrows.
word count: 329
Language legend: Gernevoir (Fluent), Common (Conversational)
Elowen's appearance
Petit, 153cm (5') tall 15 arc old.
Always wears a head scarf that fully covers her hair.
Comfortable, loose clothing that does not accentuate her body shape in any way.
Clothing is clearly worn and mended but does not appear scruffy.
No jewellery or other marks on her body.
Face has gentle features.
Eyes are round with blue-grey irises.
Wears a small pouch with a Sunstone and a
knife
at her belt.
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Cassander
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Re: [Mistral Woods] That's Not My Name

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Cassander noticed that Elowen looked ahead for a moment, as if she were lost in her thoughts. Or maybe, he considered, she was listening to the forest. She was unusually in tune with nature, or at least more so than most of the people in Rharne proper. He looked towards the forest, wondering what was going on there, but he didn’t notice anything, besides the clean, earthy smell of the forest that was so different from what he was used to and the sounds that Karl and Ark were making.

Karl, he observed, was growing restless again. He abruptly pulled his gaze away from the trees and stroked Karl as he wondered if he already knew how to sit. He looked at his dog that had started to wag his tail and wanted to know, “Karl, can you sit on command?”

Karl looked at him blankly and wagged his tail even more before he turned to watch Ark.

He found the other dog much more interesting than the strange red-haired human he lived with now!

“No”, Cassander concluded, casting a glance at Karl, and grinned slightly. “He would like to let you know that he is very good at wagging his tail though, and he sometimes sits when I give him treats.”

“Perhaps, that’s the way to go?”
he mused and gestured for Elowen to give him another treat. Once she had done so, he held out the treat to Karl, looked at him and sternly told him, “Sit!”

Karl turned away from Ark for a moment, but all in all, he didn’t really obey. He just continued to wag his tail. A moment later, he barked.

“Sit!” Cassander repeated.

Karl didn’t react.

“Sit!” Cassander told him.

At the same time that he said that, he gently pushed down Karl’s behind so that he would know what “sit” meant. Karl didn’t resist, but as soon as Cassander had let go again, he started to nudge him and whined most pitifully. Cassander gave in and fed him the treat.

“It will probably take a few tries for him to learn”, Cassander concluded and shrugged his shoulders. He was not embarrassed at all by the fact that he didn’t have Karl under perfect control yet. There were very few things about his dog that had the potential of embarrassing him (although he drew the line at butt-sniffing), and besides, there was nobody that could gossip about him and try to ruin his (and his dog’s) reputation anywhere nearby.

(Had he thought about that more rather than being mostly focused on his dog, he would have found that refreshing.)

“Would you like to give it a try with Ark? Maybe, he’ll be more interested in sitting than Karl here”, he said to Elowen before he mused, “Maybe I should show Karl a bottle of beer rather than a treat. I did promise him beer”, he remembered and cast a glance at Karl.

Karl barked.
Last edited by Cassander on Sat Oct 26, 2024 5:31 pm, edited 2 times in total. word count: 502
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Elowen
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Re: [Mistral Woods] That's Not My Name

Elowen observed Cassander's interaction with Karl like a student warching a live demonstration from a teacher, not wanting to miss anything. She used to watch Meira that way too whenever the old woman was schooling her in the way of the herbs. That was the only way she knew how to learn.

It was fascinating to watch Karl react to his owner's voice, trying so hard to ignore the distraction that Ark was presenting. When asked for the treat, she opened the bag for the man to retrieve one.

The girl tilted her head to a side as she watched her companion take a hands on approach, pressing the dog's behind to the ground. Maybe that was it too? She knew animals did not understand human speech. So how could they understand a vocal or any other kind of command without being shown first?

A moment of clarity came over Elowen. Ark probably did not answer to his name because he did not yet understand that was his name. Maybe he had a different name from before. Wide eyed she watched her new four legged friend as trotted over to them, looking at Cassander and the treat he was feeding his own fury friend. Then Ark looked up at Elowen with a clear question in his gaze - what about me?

The young apothecary nodded at Cassander's words almost absentmindedly as she was considering her own conclusions. "Practice," she said but it was an answer made only with half her attention before she realized that was also another ingredient in the whole training stew. After all, that was another aspect from her own time as Meira's helping hand. Observation and practice. Elowen could not help herself but begin drawing parallels between her own learning journey and that of her dog.

When her companion asked about Ark's interest in sitting, the girl swayed her head from side to side like a pendulum upside down in thought. "I try," she said a moment later. Retrieving a treat herself, she passed the bag to Cassander so she had both hands available. There was no shame in her for wanting to imitate the other man to the T. How else was she supposed to learn? Thanks Meira.

"Ark?" She said. And since the dog had already been looking at her, or well, the treat in her hand, she knew she had his attention. So Elowen stepped closer and Ark's tail began wagging a little faster.

"Ark, sit," she instructed the dog and waited. But it was only his tongue that fell out of his maw and his tail that gained speed.

The girl shifted in her position and tried to stand a little bit more rooted and with her shoulders wider, like Cassander, in an attempt to exude confidence and authority. But with her petite frame and full 5' height, it looked a little more comical and not like her natural posture at all that it was no wonder that Ark did not react the way he should when she spoke his name again.

"Ark," she said and she tried to step to his side to push his bottom down as well. But as she was about to give the command whilst physically teaching the dog what the command meant, the girl miscalculated the distances that when she would bend over, the treat would follow and get closer to the pup. "Si---"

Ark did not hesitate one bit. An opportunist in nature and untrained pup in the heart, he snapped up the treat even before Elowen managed to put enough pressure on his sacrum to demonstrate what she meant.

The whole thing took a trill. Trill that was long enough for Ark to leave Elowen dumbfounded with fingres covered in saliva.

Then the heat came into her cheeks in a flash of embarrassment that she did not understand the reason for but it arrived fast and sat in quickly.

She had been outsmarted by a dog. If that wasn't funny then...

At first, her shoulders trembled a little bit, then a little more as a laugh began to bubble up and then ring out.

"Maybe he is too smart for me. Like this, he'll be teaching me how to train him." Which in a strange way was exactly what was happening.
word count: 725
Language legend: Gernevoir (Fluent), Common (Conversational)
Elowen's appearance
Petit, 153cm (5') tall 15 arc old.
Always wears a head scarf that fully covers her hair.
Comfortable, loose clothing that does not accentuate her body shape in any way.
Clothing is clearly worn and mended but does not appear scruffy.
No jewellery or other marks on her body.
Face has gentle features.
Eyes are round with blue-grey irises.
Wears a small pouch with a Sunstone and a
knife
at her belt.
User avatar
Cassander
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Posts: 125
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2024 4:58 pm
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Renown: 75
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Re: [Mistral Woods] That's Not My Name

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As soon as Cassander stopped pushing his bottom down, Karl stood again. He didn’t really understand why his owner had touched him there, and he found the gesture a little unpleasant to be honest (He preferred having his head stroked!), but he appreciated the treat he’d gotten afterwards a great deal, and he hoped there’d be more treats.

Maybe he could persuade the strange red-haired human to give him more treats somehow? He whined again and wagged his tail as quickly as he could. The red-haired man did briefly look at him, an amused little smile tugging at his lips, but to Karl’s disappointment, he didn’t give him anything. Why didn’t he give him anything?

He was a good boy!

When Elowen handed the bag of treats to Cassander, Karl watched them with interest. Maybe he’d get something now? He barked excitedly, but his new owner just shook his head.

“Later”, Cassander said and stroked him. “Now it’s Ark’s turn. Let’s see how he’ll do, shall we?”

Karl didn’t really understand what Cassander was saying, but he saw that Ark was getting excited and that Elowen had a treat in her hand, so he started to wag his tail faster again as well. He positioned himself just a little closer to them so that they wouldn’t be able to overlook him.

Cassander shook his head in amusement before he turned to watch Elowen, arms crossed over his chest. He could tell that she was determined, and that she was making an effort, and he inclined his head to show his approval. Ark, he observed, seemed to be a bit more rambunctious than Karl though. He wondered how that was going to affect things.

When Ark snatched the treat right out of Elowen’s hand rather than allowing her to push his bottom down, he suppressed a laughter lest he embarrassed her. The girl’s cheeks were already suspiciously red as is. He only allowed himself to laugh when she did so.

“Apparently, you’ve been outsmarted”, he agreed. He felt quite happy and relaxed in spite of the fact that the training hadn’t gone entirely as planned and in spite of his initial trepidations. “Maybe our dogs will end up training us”, he mused and glanced at Karl who was watching him again now. The Boozehound was quickly becoming an important part of his life.

“Now then”, he said and glanced towards the hut. “Do you have a bowl, Elowen? I promised Karl beer if he learns something, and I prefer to think that he learned at least a little to-trial.”

While Karl had mostly stared at Cassander blankly whenever he had said something before, his ears immediately perked up when he heard the word “beer”. He didn’t really understand that word either, but he knew that he got his favourite drink whenever the strange red-haired human said it.

He absolutely loved beer!

word count: 502
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Elowen
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Re: [Mistral Woods] That's Not My Name

In her sheltered experience, Elowen never got to experience what it felt like to be a teen with fluctuating moods. She was familiar with the bouts of irritation she experienced directed at Meira. They were like waves hitting her sometimes before receding. But they tended to be manageable. But since the woman's passing, countless trials ago and Elowen's forceful integration into the local life as the new apothecary, the girl was faced with new experiences.

In this case, despite the moment being joyous for a wink, it all suddenly rushed back at the teen. The laughter slowly died away and her body tensed. Her cheeks were still on fire, redder perhaps even. It seemed this time the embarrassment wasn't letting up that easy.

Ark had finished his treat, licking his maw. In his youthful eagerness, he trotted over to Elowen and nudged at her with a wet nose, exploring the possibility of more yumsies. In the throes of trying to deal with the re-emergence of shame, Elowen re-directed the pup away from her and staring at the ground she got up, brushing herself off.

What Ark managed to do was humorous and smart. The girl knew that. She did not quite understand why it was affecting her so much so suddenly. Not even the biggest hint that she couldn't look at Cassander, gave her a clue that she was downright embarrassed because he saw what has happened.

So when he asked for a bowl, Elowen was glad for a task that would give her something to do and take her away for a moment. Although her the self-imposed awkwardness made her all stiff. She was too self-aware once again.

Disappearing into the shack, she released a quick, deep breath once in the shadows of her humble home. [iWhat the...[/i] And she moved inside the shack to stand away from the window but further in the shadows whilst still being able to see outside where Cassander and the dogs were. She felt a little bad now for pushing Ark away. But the pup seemed unphased as he tried to engage Karl in a game again.

The girl took in another breath and grabbed a bowl before returning outside. She was still a little stiff and the closest she got to looking at Cassander was to graze by his shoes. So she focused on Karl a little more, placing the bowl before him. She also gave the Boozehound a good rub behind the ear.

Ark came over again, curious about what was happening and wondering if it was something he could partake in too. Although he had made a fool out of Elowen, she could not be upset at him. He was just a pup, learning new things in a language he did not yet understand. She wished things were easier. She wished he could talk and understand what he was being told.

She grabbed the pup around the neck and brought him to her for what would otherwise be a big bear hug, if she wasn't so petite.
word count: 517
Language legend: Gernevoir (Fluent), Common (Conversational)
Elowen's appearance
Petit, 153cm (5') tall 15 arc old.
Always wears a head scarf that fully covers her hair.
Comfortable, loose clothing that does not accentuate her body shape in any way.
Clothing is clearly worn and mended but does not appear scruffy.
No jewellery or other marks on her body.
Face has gentle features.
Eyes are round with blue-grey irises.
Wears a small pouch with a Sunstone and a
knife
at her belt.
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Cassander
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Re: [Mistral Woods] That's Not My Name

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Elowen stopped laughing, and her body tensed, he noticed and furrowed his brow. And what more, her cheeks seemed to be even redder than before. He wondered what was wrong. As far as he was concerned, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Their dogs’ training hadn’t gone perfectly, but they had both handled it with a sense of humor, hadn’t they? Had her failure affected Elowen more than she had initially let on, or was something else going on?

“Do you need anything, Elowen?” he asked her after a moment of hesitation. He didn’t say more though lest he made her uncomfortable. He noticed that she already avoided looking at him as is.

Did she expect him to disapprove of something? He couldn’t figure out what he was supposed to disapprove of.

He knitted his brows together in worry for a moment before he schooled his face into a calm and friendly expression.

He held himself straight.

In his old life, when he had still possessed a modicum of power and influence, people would have descended on him like vultures at the smallest sign of weakness. In spite of everything that had changed, some of his old habits persisted, or at least resurfaced from time to time.

A few moments later, when she disappeared into the shack – to retrieve the bowl he had asked for – he inclined his head. “Thank you, Elowen”, he said and smiled at her before he turned to watch the dogs. Ark seemed to try and persuade Karl to play with him, he noticed.

He laughed when Karl barked excitedly and started to jump around Ark. He didn’t intervene, but let the dogs have some fun. By now, it was obvious that they got along very well.

Where was Ark’s owner though?

She still avoided looking at him when she returned. Instead of looking into his eyes or at least at his face, she was staring at his shoes. He abruptly stared at his shoes as well. They were reasonably clean, considering that he had been walking around in the forest with them.

“Are you upset?” he asked.

Karl for his part wasn’t particularly concerned about Elowen’s behaviour. He wagged his tail happily when she rubbed him behind the ears. She did a really good job at it in his opinion!

And when the red-haired human opened a bottle and poured beer into the bowl, he was the happiest dog in all of Idalos.

He practically inhaled the alcohol!

“I don’t think beer is a good for you”, Cassander apologized to Ark and stroked him, if Elowen allowed him to do so. “Karl is a special kind of dog”, he explained, but otherwise let Elowen have that moment with her dog. He still didn’t know what she was upset about, but hugging Ark seemed to help her. In his old life, Harley had often been a source of comfort as well.

word count: 497
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