wildmage_daine | (no subject)

It's been a hard week for Kitten.

Which isn't to say it's been all bad. There are plenty of things around the apartment that appeal to her, and she's shown even more fascination with the laptop than Daine had. The rats have almost stopped being afraid of her. And Daine's just about finished modifying a backpack into a cozy, secure means of transportation that'll keep her well-hidden. Once that's done, it'll be much easier to at least take Kitten to meet folk, even if she can't romp around in the open.

But there are still times when Daine has to leave her alone at the apartment. There's her job, and her more unofficial (but still important) rounds, and errands. It seems like every time Daine leaves her behind, Kitten turns an even more sullen shade of gray before crawling beneath the bed to sulk. Daine's explained the gravity of the situation as best she can, but that doesn't make the reality of it any less frustrating.

Part of her half-expects Kitten to act out in some way. When it does eventually happen, there's at least one small mercy: Daine's still in the building. In fact, she's still in bed. She's woken by tiny paws on her cheek and the concerned squeaks of Thistle and Poppy. Daine lifts her head groggily, wondering what the fuss is about, and the rats' explanations sink in just as Daine catches sight of the light spilling into her hallway.

Kitten is gone, and the apartment door's been opened.

Daine sits up sharply, reshaping her ears, and her heart sinks when she hears a familiar whistle and the click of someone's lock giving way. "Curse it!" she hisses, scrambling out of bed as quickly as she can without hurting the rats and dashing for the outer hallway. "Curse it, curse it..." She swings out into the hall, glancing both ways, and just spots the tip of Kitten's tail disappearing into her next-door neighbor's apartment.

She presses her lips together, swallowing the several things she'd like to say, and tiptoes down the hall as quickly as she can. "Kitten!" she whispers as loudly as she dares. "Get back here!"

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Eowyn had been quietly enjoying the warmth of her chambers from underneath a blanket. She had a book about a red-haired child with a great strength of imagination and did not plan to leave her small fortress unless required.

When her locked door unlocked itself, though, she sprang to action. She expected none this day, and none had keys to her chambers except the owner of this property. None should be entering here, and she was thus wary of any that did.

She did not reach for her sword, but she did pick up a large statue of a horse and turn carefully to see what was at the door.

A ... drake? She had no treasure for such a creature, though she had never seen or heard of one so small.

"I have nothing that you would seek here," she told the drake firmly.

Kitten looks from the woman to the statue and back, then sits up on her haunches and chirps a greeting. A moment later, a rather mussed-looking Daine appears in the doorway, looking aghast.

"I'm sorry!" she blurts, scooping up the dragonet and ignoring her squawk of protest. "She didn't mean any harm, she just..." Daine glances down at Kitten and puffs out a sigh, exasperated, but not unsympathetic, "... I think she's just bored, is all. She's not used to being cooped up." She almost adds that Kitten might not have understood that this room wasn't also Daine's, but Kitten's no fool. The door was locked, and it smelled like a stranger, and Daine would've showed her any spare rooms she had lying around by now.

It was almost as if she were being greeted by a colt or a puppy, which was not at all what Eowyn expected a drake to do. But there were many ways of being in this place, so perhaps there were also many ways of being a drake. It was possible that this drake had no interest in treasure nor in enspelling her.

When a young woman rushed into Eowyn's chambers after the drake and immediately scooped it up while offering apologies, Eowyn was both further confused and more understanding of the situation.

"Is she young, then, and prone to outbursts when she is bored?" she asked curiously.

Well, she sounds fair sensible. Daine blinks, thrown by how easily the woman takes it all in stride. But maybe she shouldn't be - they're both in Darrow, after all. The city's thrown worse things at folk than a young dragon, even a misbehaving one.

"She's still a baby," Daine confirms, hiking the dragon up onto her hip and frowning when Kitten squirms to be put down. "And... well, she didn't get bored so much back home. Not like here. But she still knows better than to go letting herself into locked rooms." Kitten makes a universally rude noise in response to that, and Daine flushes.

The drake squirmed in the young woman's arms as the young woman explained both the drake's age and her behavior. The noise that the drake made was known to all and its meaning was easy to decipher, which was more than amusing. It was clear that the drake was intelligent, as the drakes of Eowyn's world had been.

"She may indeed know, but like many younglings, she may choose not to obey. Tis harder to teach the second than the first. But I have no treasure in this room for her, so she will likely not find what she seeks in this locked room."

"Treasure?" Daine repeats, and even Kitten stills in bewilderment before squawking in clear offense. Daine flushes crimson, both embarrassed by Kitten's behavior and a little indignant on her behalf. "She's not a thief," Daine says firmly. "She likes making stones light up when she comes across them, but she wouldn't take things that didn't belong to her."

Kitten points insistently at the statue in the woman's hand, then flares her nostrils and huffs out a breath. "I think she's curious about your statue," Daine translates, a little uncertainly. "I was Assistant Horsemistress back home, so she knows horses and ponies."

In her ignorance, she had offended both woman and drake, and Eowyn reminded herself again that there were many ways of being. She should not have so assumed and now she likely seemed cruel and unfriendly.

"My deepest apologies to you both," she said sincerely, and accompanied her apology with a dip of the head that she hoped would signal her deference to them both in her offense.

"Drakes in my own world care naught for anything but treasure and will do much to obtain it. I can offer only this as an explanation for my rudeness."

The subject of the horse statue and horses in general was much more comfortable, and she brightened as she put down the statue on the table.

"My people are known for our care of horses in my own world. Outside of our land we are called the Horse Lords, but I disdain such terms. I am Lord of no horse, nor are any of my kin."

Kitten lets out a faint, dubious snort, but they both know that different realms have different sorts of dragons. They seem to tend towards the unpleasant end of the scale, but without actually speaking to any dragons (or drakes) from other realms, Daine can't entirely fault folk for whatever they might think of them. She just wishes Kitten didn't have to contend with whatever reputation other dragons might have. It's hardly fair.

"We call 'em dragons, back home," Daine offers, no longer sounding quite so defensive. "Most of them are still in the Divine Realms, but they're... well, they're not so different from two-leggers, really. They've got powerful magic, and they're clever, but they're not nasty or greedy or anything like that." She hadn't known Kit's ma for very long, but she got the sense that she'd as soon avoid humans and their treasure.

Kitten nods in agreement, then looks up at Daine and chirps. "I'm only putting you down if you promise not to touch anything," Daine says, looking stern and unwavering until Kitten nods humbly. Only then does she carefully set the dragon back down on the floor. Kitten trundles over to the table so she can look at the statue more closely, though she keeps her paws to herself.

Daine brightens in turn when the talk turns to horses. She thinks she'd like the sort of folk who focused their care on horses. Those around the palace tend to be good sorts, like Onua and Stefan. "I know plenty of horses who'd turn their noses up at anyone being lord of them," Daine says with a grin. Cloud, first and foremost. She can just about hear the snort she'd let out at the very idea. "The Queen's riders start out on mountain ponies, and you have to work hard to earn their good behavior.

"I'm Daine," the girl adds, belatedly realizing she hasn't even introduced herself. "And that's... well, her proper name is Skysong, but most folk just call her Kitten."

It was interesting to watch the drake - dragon - walk to the statue and observe it, and Eowyn smiled to see it. Then she turned her attention back to Daine.

"If Skysong is her name, and she be not offended to be called it, then I shall call her by that name," Eowyn noted. "I am pleased to meet you both. I am Eowyn of Rohan, and I believe we may know the same type of horses."

The Mearas certainly would object to the idea that anyone was lord of them.

"What do you think, Kit?" Daine asks the dragon. Few folk make a point of calling her Skysong, but whether it bothers her or not is up to her. Kitten looks up at the woman, considering, then nods.

Daine grins up at Eowyn as Kitten trundles off to explore more of the apartment, though she doesn't wander out of anyone's sight and keeps her promise not to touch anything. "It's nice to meet you as well. I s'pose I should've introduced myself sooner. I'm only just next door." She'd been hesitant to acquaint herself with others in the building, at first because she was wary of settling in, and then because she was wary of two-leggers dropping by when her apartment is as likely as not to have a number of non-human visitors at any given time. Even if there wasn't a handful of crows or some other feral or semi-feral animal in residence, the rats are steady fixtures. And she can't really blame anyone for being leery of rats.

Kitten chirps, and Daine turns to see what's got her attention. The dragon is pointing at a surprisingly familiar weapon, and Daine gapes. "Mithros, you've a sword?" It's not a weapon she personally uses, but more to the point, it's not a weapon she even expected to see here. "Did you bring it here with you, or does someone in Darrow actually make them?" She assumes the former, but part of her really hopes for the latter. She misses her bow fiercely, and though she knows it'd be frowned upon if she carried one around, it would still be nice to be able to practice.

"We are all of us busy with our own lives," she excused Daine and Skysong. Even living near someone did not ensure that they would interact, especially if their ways of spending time were quite different.

She glanced at Skysong and smiled to see the dragon pointing at Eowyn's sword.

"It is mine, forged for me when I was old enough to wield it safely and brought with me from my land when I arrived here."

Daine smiles, more than a bit wistful. "I was always best with a bow, but mine didn't come with me." The only thing that did was the Badger's claw, and while she's grateful to at least have that token, she can't help but feel a little resentful that it - and Kitten, now - are the only pieces of home she has. Granted, her clothes would've stood out terribly, and she's not sure she'd wear them much. But clothes are easy enough to replace. Weapons, she's gathered, are a bit more complicated.

"Not many women back home know how to wield a sword," she adds, looking up at Eowyn curiously. "There's Alanna the Lioness - she's the first Lady Knight we've had in ages, but she had to disguise herself as a boy to manage it." There's a reassuring familiarity about Eowyn, and Daine gets the feeling that she'd be more at home in her realm than Darrow, but the thought of a girl getting a sword once she's old enough to wield it is still jarring. "Are you a knight, too?"

Eowyn was less than skilled with a bow, though there were archers among the eoreds. She was far more skilled with the sword and lance and hoped to fight with them rather than a bow should it be needful.

"It is not entirely common in my own world either, though it has been more common in the past. I am a shieldmaiden of Rohan," Eowyn replied, and if her head raised slightly at the title, she did not mind it. "I was trained to the sword with my brother and cousin. I will defend my land and my people until my death, if it was so needed."

"Shieldmaiden," Daine repeats as Kitten whistles, impressed. "Alanna would like the sound of that." Maybe if no other girls were inclined to try for knighthood - and so far, none have been - they might be enticed by calling it something else.

Then again, the Lioness might just as easily balk at the thought of calling it something different just to soothe folks' nerves. If it's as good as a knighthood, why not call it what it is?

"Have you been tending to it yourself?" Daine might not know how to wield a sword, but she knows they need upkeep. Knights are expected to know enough about smithing to keep their own weapons in good repair, but they'd still need a place to do it. "I don't suppose you can just take it to the blacksmith's for sharpening."

The dragon's impressed whistle caused Eowyn to smile, as did Daine's statement about this Alanna. There were more women warriors than she had once thought, and she was pleased to hear of all of them.

"Nay, there is a shortage of smithies in this place, but I have a whetstone and oil. I have not fought against a true foe here, so I have put few dents into my blade."

Daine nods in understanding. It makes sense; aside from the police, she's never seen anyone carrying a weapon openly. She's not even sure it's allowed. It's one of the many things that makes Darrow feel so strange to her.

It could be worse, though. At least, with her magic, she could make herself a weapon if the need truly arose. But while some folk might hide knives or guns about their person, it seems a shame that there's no way to advertise that you know how to defend yourself - or someone else.

"And proper foes tend to show up all sudden-like," Daine says with a rueful wince. "Even if I had my bow here, I'm not sure I'd've had it with me when those things showed up on New Year's." She'd call it a lesson learned, except she's still fair certain it'd be frowned upon to bring a longbow to a fancy gathering.

Eowyn had not attended the gathering on the mountain and she was glad of it. She was wary of that place after her experiences with the mistletoe this year and last, and the stories that had come after the year-end gathering had not made her less wary.

"Yes, it is considered unseemly to wear a swordbelt constantly here, and it is no less likely to be so for a bow," she agreed. She had learned that only after doing so.

"Does anyone in the city make such weapons?" she asks, more wistful than hopeful. She doubts she'd be able to find anything close to her old bow, but it would be nice to have something. Elsewise she'll get out of practice. Maybe it'd be unseemly to walk around with a bow at hand, but an unstrung longbow doesn't look like much more than a stick to folk unaccustomed to such sights. Surely no one would mind her practicing in the woods or somesuch, away from the city proper.

Kili might make weapons, as Fili had made jewelry, and Tauriel might also have some skill with it, but she did not know whether either of them would wish to do so. There was a peace in this place that could not be understood and was not always welcome, but oft it was.

"There may be some, but it is a skill not commonly associated with this time, I think. But I do know several warriors and would be pleased to ask on your behalf."

Daine lights up. Truth be told, she wouldn’t have been that surprised if it turned out that no one in Darrow had the skill set, let alone the inclination. She’s good with a bow and know hows to maintain them, but she’s never actually made one before. Even if she had the necessary tools, it’d be lots of trial and error before she even made one that worked, let alone one that worked well.

“Would you?” she asks, and Kitten perks up in response to her excitement. “I don’t expect I’d ever need to use it, not here, but it’s different back home. I don’t want to get out of practice.” She’s not sure how it all works, going home, but she knows she doesn’t want to show up suddenly unable to draw her longbow. It’d be fair embarrassing, if not dangerous.

"I understand this. I practice each day, for I do not know if it is my last here, and my land is at war. When I return, I must be able to defend my people as if I have not been gone at all," she explained seriously.

Few understood the need to maintain such skills and she was glad that Daine was one of them.

"I'm sorry." Daine sobers at the news; she knows how serious war is, and how frustrating it must be to be stuck here during such a time. "Mine was... well, it was never officially war, but it was near enough. Things had calmed down before I came here, but..." she shrugs uneasily. There's no guarantee that they won't be attacked again, or that there won't be another clash between the human population and some of the immortals that have been brought through already.

Eowyn nodded. She had not intended to speak of war and warriors, but she was not ashamed nor saddened. It was what it was, and she was who she was. Neither of these things could be altered, even if she would sometimes wish that her land at least was not at war.

"We were besieged, when I came here. One moment I was within the caverns and preparing to defend my people and the next I was in the woods."

"Then it'd be especially needful to keep in shape," Daine says with a nod of understanding. She wants to say something about the siege, too - she's been in one, though not recently - but she's not sure what there is to say. It's fair awful, knowing that there was a battle on and that you don't know how it'll end - that you won't know until you're back home, and then you'll just be in the thick of it. She doesn't want to draw more attention to how frustrating it must feel.

Instead, she ventures, "There are other warriors here? From realms like ours?"

"Indeed so," Eowyn replied, and was pleased that she did not have to explain further why she kept in shape. Some had questioned her choices even after she had explained her people's history, though none that were close to her.

"There are several warriors here from many realms. Some are more like ours than others, but all are warriors."

For all that Darrow's mostly been fair peaceful, it's still reassuring to hear. Daine's felt desperately out of place since her arrival, and though she blends in well enough - one of the few things in Darrow she'd taken to with a will was the clothing, delighted as she was to find that women and girls wear breeches all the time without anyone thinking twice about it - it had also served as proof that anyone else like her might blend in just as easily. She hadn't wanted to assume that there were folk from realms like hers, but it was discouraging to think that there might be, and she'd never know.

"Are any of them archers?" she asks hopefully. She's walking proof that you can be an accomplished archer and still not know how to make a bow, but maybe someone has one she could at least try out.

"There are some," Eowyn replied, and was glad to give this news to Daine when she seemed so hopeful to hear it.

"Shall I speak with them and ask if they would wish to meet another?"

Surely Daine would not ask about being an archer if she were not also one, or wishing to be one.