[Haven] Starting Small Scale

[Balthazar Black]

17 Ashan 721

Balthazar returned to the Ashwoods with Elisabeth and his mysterious black leather bag that allowed him to conjure enough weapons or food for a small group of people with the intent to gather some wood and talk to Elisabeth, though he was not quite sure what they would talk about. He wanted to spend a little more time with her because they'd only been reunited recently and he thought it would be beneficial to teach her the things he was trying to learn himself. He wanted to cut down some of the massive trees around the Ashwoods to use for lumber for the settlement but he didn't know how to go about it. He figured that he and Elisabeth- and the ever present shadow, could work through the best way to cut a tree down by starting with some of the smaller ones. The wood would not be quite as useful but it would still serve a purpose. Some could be burned, larger pieces could be used for projects.

"I think this is a good one to start with." Balthazar suggested as the trio came to a tree that was not incredibly tall. It was maybe twenty feet tall, a little less? It was minuscule compared to the two hundred foot trees around them. Balthazar set his back down on the ground and opened the ghost metal latch, pulling back to top and reaching his hand into the bag. A moment later he pulled out a hand axe, then another, and he held one out to Elisabeth. "Have you ever cut down a tree before?" He wanted to learn how to do it before trying to lead his settlers in the effort so this was all a grand experiment.

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 17 Ashan

Balthazar had asked her to accompany him to the Ashwoods on a bit of a field trip. He had been doing that more – asking for her company, if nothing else. As always, she was simply happy he asked. Things had been slowly crawling back to normal between them and it felt nice for him to want to spend time with her.

He hadn’t really divulged to her what they were going to do out in the woods, but Balthazar always had a plan. It wasn’t until he eyed a small tree and handed her an ax that Elisabeth started to get an idea about the reason for the little outing. Taking the ax from his hand, she arched her eyebrow gently as he asked her about her past as a secret woodsman. “There…were not a lot of trees in the Prime Atheneum, so no.” Grinning, she replied, wondering why he might have thought she would. Possibly he thought she had read something somewhere along the way, but the practical experience was always lacking with her.

“About all I know is make sure it falls away from you when it falls….” Of course, that would be an obvious observation. “I’m pretty sure you and I can take care of this ourselves.” No need to involve the shadow, at least in her estimation. In truth, she preferred doing things without them, trusting herself and Balthazar's abilities. Sometrial, the shadows would be gone and it was best if they were left to do what they were meant to be doing - which was something she disliked greatly but tolerated for Balthazar's sake.

“Have you?” Smiling at Balthazar, she inquired. Only fair since he asked her. “Cut down a tree, that is?”

[Balthazar Black]

17 Ashan 721

Elisabeth's lack of experience cutting down trees was not surprising to Balthazar but it meant they were both going into it relatively blindly. She asked if he had ever cut down any trees and while he initially thought to say no, he realized that he had cut down quite a few trees in his time, he had just been using magic when he had. "You're talking to the Bombiero, I cut down many trees in Quacia." Balthazar replied a little smug to Elisabeth. Tree Walkers and trees were probably different but it was the same principle. Drive something through the tree until it splits in half. How hard could it be to do that with axes instead of large, sharp stones? "Not like this, though," He said, raising his axe to indicate that he was talking about cutting it down by hand, "At least, it has been a while." He looked the tree they were going to cut up and down once more before pressing the tip of his axe into the wood and carving two lines about a foot apart from each other on the tree.

"Try to hit within that area when we're swinging." Balthazar took a step back so Elisabeth could see the region they'd aim for and then when she indicated she was ready, he set his hand axe down and pulled out a slightly larger, two-handed axe from his bag. He set it down on the ground next to him and pulled out another which he held out to Elisabeth. "This will probably be better. We can get more strength with both arms in the swing." He said before picking his axe up and walking over to the tree to demonstrate. He took the axe in his hands, slowly drew it back and then swung forward with all his might into the tree. The axe cleaved deep and sent a somewhat uncomfortable shock up Balthazar's arms but he ignored it and pulled the axe free, tearing and pulling chunks of bark out towards them. "Mind your eyes."

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 17 Ashan

Grinning at his bold mention of “Bomberio”. Elisabeth laughed. “Little troublemaker is more like it, but I accepted that a long time ago, love.” She watched as he sized up the tree, remembering that Quacia was The Creep, right? Balthazar had been on so many crazy adventures, it was hard to keep them all straight sometimes. He, of course, remembered them all – good and bad. He rarely talked about his early life, preferring to tell her stories of places and people that were more relevant to their lives. Quacia was part of a set of stories he had told her one night back in Rharne, along with being Vri-marked and a vague reference to the trial he had become Fire-Forged. The whole story about that trial wouldn’t come until much later though.

Her eyes watched as put lines in the tree, to indicate where to hit, but before they got to work, he changed his mind, offering her a two-handed ax instead. Shrugging her shoulders, not having a preference and trusting his instincts on the matter, she aimed the ax where he had indicated and swung against the tree, noting the vibrations as the ax hit the solid mass, shielding her eyes a bit as he tore a small wedge of bark out when he released the ax and followed suit with hers. “Eyes minded,“ she confirmed, gifting him a bit of a smile.

It was after a few swings that words found their way into the air again, trying to find a topic that wasn’t uncomfortable for them to speak about out loud with their shadow there. “Do you have a specific plan for the trees? You haven’t said much but I’m used to you having a plan, so I figure there is one rummaging around somewhere in your mind.”

Her current plan regarding the tree was to continue hitting it until he told her to stop. Using both arms, she swung as hard as she could, noting the differences between swinging an ax and a sword. The head of the ax was heavy, causing her to employ more strength to see it hit its target while blade work was all about finesse with power behind it. Also, the weight distribution was much different, pulling her balance off just a bit, causing her to adjust.

[Balthazar Black]

17 Ashan 721

Balthazar thought to counter Elisabeth with the idea that he never caused a little trouble. When he caused trouble he generally caused a lot of trouble. Just look at his current situation? He didn't counter her though, not needing the last word in every regard and especially not at the moment while they had some work ahead of them. He wanted to learn to do this well so he could help instruct his people in how to do it. He swung his axe and it bit into the tree, then he tore his axe free and Elisabeth swung her axe. At first he only thought about it like work, cutting down a tree to cut down a tree, but he realized on his second swing that this was a good opportunity to get a feel for the weight and form behind swinging an axe. He shifted his stance and his grip a little to see if he could find a more comfortable one. Putting one hand higher up on the handle allowed him to throw more force behind the swing when he swung it downwards- which Elisabeth would be able to see him testing with various half-swings into the air.

However when it came to swinging the axe sideways he found it easy to twist at his waist and put his back into the swing- no, not just his back, his whole body. His second swing he used only his back but on his third he stepped into the swing which gave it considerably more force. He was still using two hands but for the time being that was just fine. Elisabeth eventually inquired exactly what Balthazar was hoping to do with the wood and he gave her a sly smile. "Well once we start cutting down larger trees, I'd like to get a logging and lumber operation going. As for this tree?" Balthazar swung into the tree again and bark went flying. With more people the bark would most certainly have been a problem. Maybe they needed some form of cover for their eyes? No, no they did not have that... perhaps next time it would be better to cut off the bark before they started swinging into the tree. "This is practice. If we can't cut this down, how can I get the settlers to cut down a bigger one? I'm not sure how much use the wood will be at this size but I'll try to make something useful out of it."

He wasn't entirely sure what he would or could do with it but he'd work on something... probably training weapons. Balthazar had already thought about cutting off the branches and grinding them against the windbreak'd jagged stones into rough sword shapes. "One trill, this bark is annoying me." Balthazar said as he set his two handed axe down on the floor and picked up the hand axe he'd begun with. He moved closer to the tree and took a measured chop at it to shave some bark off the side. He tilted his head a little, decided it was a good idea, and then began chopping the bark off from the area they were striking at.

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 17 Ashan

Well, it wasn’t a typical outing for the two, save for the presence of the shadow, but nothing with Balthazar ever was typical. He had the ability to make every trial a new adventure, wanting to experience everything. Being in Haven without his magic, he had been forced to rely on and build other skills, as had she. Logistics, gardening, and leadership were some of her newest abilities, although one might saw she always had a knack for logistics.

Elisabeth secretly suspected that Balthazar was using their outing as a way to increase skills with his combat ax, and those suspicions were proven correct as she watched him experiment with grip and stroke. If he looked up, he’d note her watching him, amused while continued to chop away at the area he had indicated for them to cut at.

Her question brought about a whole new topic. Logging and lumber operation? He was ambitious – that was for sure.

As to what to do with the tree they were currently attempting to chop down, she had a thought. "At the Munny Farm, they put baby plants into these wooden structures called ‘frames’. They are really nothing more than wood nailed together in a bit square that you can load up with planting material and put the baby plants into, instead of the ground. Kind of like a little plant nursery. I’m sure this wood could be used for a few of those. The Munny’s only have so many, and we’ve rounded up a lot of resources that we are trying to plant and get going. Just a thought…”

She stepped back as he told her to hold so he could take care of the bark, watching him sheer off pieces from the tree, examining them as they hit the ground near her feet. “I bet we could use the bark for something too. I just don’t know what yet."

Considering the problem before her, she got back to work once he signaled it would alright, using the strength she had to power through a swing, jamming the ax into the wood and wiggling it free once again.

[Balthazar Black]

17 Ashan 721

Balthazar did not know much about planting trees but he trusted Elisabeth to provide sound advice so when she suggested they might be able to use what they cut down now to plant new trees, he nodded to her. It would be useful to get more trees planted near Munny Farm. They might be able to replace all that was lost eventually and then the windbreak would no longer be needed... then again if they lost the wind power because they put up trees then they would have no need for the windmill they were considering making. Running a settlement was a complex task when one good deed could take away something they wanted to capitalize on. However if he had to choose between a windmill and a good logging industry, he would choose logging for Haven.

He didn't say much about what she'd said because he didn't think the notion of planting more trees really required a long conversation and shaving the bark off the tree was taking more of his focus than he thought it would. He was being careful not to cut himself as he took shorter, targeted swings at the tree with his right hand. Wielding an axe with two hands felt different than using it with one hand and not really in the same way a sword did. Both had a heavier top like a hammer that required more cleaving force behind the swings, but his hands moved on the handle of the two handed axe a little to strengthen his swings- sliding along with the swing. They did not move when he used the one handed axe causing every blow to have a little bit more shock to it.

He worked slowly to avoid injuring himself and when the bark was finally cleared away from where they would be swinging into the tree he stepped aside to take a short break and allowed Elisabeth to swing her axe into the tree. His arm was a little sore from shaving the bark but his mind distracted him. Elisabeth suggested that the bark could probably be used for something and Balthazar shrugged. "We could collect it and use it for a fire probably. If the bark from the Phoenix trees has the same properties as the tree itself, it might be useful in alchemy as well. With some more supplies I could probably create a... fire resistant paste of sorts." They could paint the buildings with it too if it worked.

After a few more trills he decided he'd had enough rest and picked his two handed axe up off the floor to help Elisabeth finish cutting through the tree.

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 17 Ashan

What he was doing seemed to be taking a lot more of his concentration than originally anticipated. True, clearing the bark from the tree was a completely different motion, but it was interesting watching Balthazar work his way through the problem. When magic wasn’t an option, one had to use the other tools at their disposal.

That had been the main theme for the pair since arriving in Haven. Elisabeth had her magic but hadn’t used it – for the most part – in front of him. Training on her own had slowed things considerably in terms of progress. Balthazar was reluctant to train her in Defiance due to his own emotional relationship with her, and the void left behind being blocked from his own relationship with the elements. It was a bit of a tangled mess, but she understood. The young mage had pushed on and gained a curious mutation in the process.

But for the rest, both Elisabeth and Balthazar had been forced to learn new skills regarding helping a settlement grow. For him, it was a return to his childhood, or at least the parts of it she understood. For her, brand new skills. She was learning about leadership and gardening on a grand scale. Settlement logistics as well. Resource management was a huge part of it too.

And now? Cutting down trees.

Surviving in the outdoors was something Elisabeth had never thought she would have to concern herself with, but in their short time in Haven, she was learning quickly that everything had a purpose and one needed to use all the resources at their disposal, and every part of those resources. When she asked about the bark, that was what she was concerned about. If you only took part of a resource, it was wasteful.

Nodding at his reply, she smiled. “Using it for fires would be good. I guess we will have to test its properties to know for sure. We can do that later…” She was tempted to call forth Fire and test it right at that moment, her spark pulling her to do just that, but she remembered Balthazar’s reaction when she had done something similar with the trees themselves and decided to refrain. Instead, she offered up another idea.

“I’m pretty sure they could use such material at the farm too. If it’s just normal bark, that is. I remember hearing something about something they use called mulch. It’s a mix of things they put around the base of a grown plant to keep moisture in the ground.”

Shrugging her shoulders a bit, she started hacking away at the tree again, noting how tired her arms were getting. Cutting down a tree, the motion of the ax, was much different than training with a sword.

[Balthazar Black]

17 Ashan 721

Mulch? Well Balthazar certainly hadn't considered using the bark shavings for that but it could be useful if the Munny family knew what to do with it. He made a mental note to give them some of the bark but not all of it. He wanted to work on building a fire without magic because while Elisabeth had the luxury of conjuring flames at will, he did not. After what felt like a very long time, the duo finally cut the tree deep enough that its own weight began to tip it over. Balthazar put an arm across Elisabeth and took a few steps back from the tree while the little wood left holding it up began to crack. It wasn't a massive tree but he felt nervous about it coming down all the same. He couldn't immediately tell which way it was going but a few moments after the surprise passed he realized it would come down towards them. They'd cut the angle that direction. His eyes widened a little bit and he moved Elisabeth out of the way as the tree came down- the shadow, who had been more calm, moved out of the path of the falling tree on their own.

It crashed into the ground with a thud but Balthazar maintained his footing and held Elisabeth to help her because he knew she had a falling issue. After a few trills when the dust settled, Balthazar let go of Elisabeth and gestured towards the tree. "We did it," He said somewhat victoriously before moving over to the twenty foot wooden tree laying prone on the ground and picked up his hand axe again. "Lets... trim the branched off so it's easier to move back towards the settlement." Balthazar's expression shifted into a grimace as he realized this was going to be a bigger job than the two of them could handle with their limited experience. They could trim the branches, it as as easy as swinging an axe into a tree but the tree would be heavy and hard to move, even after the branches were trimmed. "This might take a few trips."

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 721, 17 Ashan

Balthazar often told her that showing was always better than telling. When his protective instincts kicked in, moving her physically out of harm’s way, that was simply one way in a myriad of ways that the man continued to show her how he felt. He was never going to be overt with public affection – it wasn’t who he was. Unfortunately, all affection currently was public affection and to that end, even the protective touches were a welcome thing.

Holding on to his arms as the tree crashed, she couldn’t help but smile -just a little- as he proclaimed their victory over the tree. “We did indeed. Poor tree. Never stood a chance.” Letting go when he did, it appeared that they were going to be cutting off the branches for easier transport back to the settlement. Hearing his comment, she nodded. “Are you thinking of cutting the tree up into smaller sections to transport?”

Following his lead, she started with the smaller branches with a hand ax, chopping at them with her ax. Some took just a few swings while others, a bit more. The tree wasn’t very mature so there weren’t extremely thick branch stems to deal with, which was a good thing. Using the hand ax was much different than the bigger version. Her arms were already a bit tired and the shorter movements seemed to tax her muscles in new and painful ways.

Her mind went to the branches they were cutting off, curious as to what could be done with those. Always mindful of not wasting resources, Elisabeth decided to speak her concern. “Did you have an idea for what to do with these branches? I’m thinking the smaller ones easier could be chopped up for kindling for the campfires around the settlement. Not sure about the thicker ones though.”

Always thinking…