A Grove Pit Stop

Druid Grove, Midday

"First endless snow, and now, rain! Bah! An' I jus' finally got outta da den!"

The light pattering of rain that drums across the canopy of the Druid Grove runs contrast to the bemoaning of the rainbow-ribboned egalrin woman. She's on the slow down from a sharp run, drag lines in the mud bely her landing as she finishes the jog under a large branch for shelter. There's a ruffling of feathers and a bag strapped to her hip, checking the contents. "'kay, da goods. Dry? Yep. Cashmere, silk, birdie-" a tinny tweet comes from her bag, only for her to yank a tiny bird out and jam it into her robes, "-wrong place goober- aaand cotton, good good. And now I gotta find...."

The egalrin looks looks about the grove. Random animals and people resting in shelter. Bird and critters splashing in puddles. "... well dis is gon' be messy. And I forgo' m'brella."

The bird chirps.

"Shut it."

Atrid chuckles as he watches the Egalrin girl finish her landing, he has a fire going cooking some sort of deer or Elk there's a raven upon his shoulder, and a tent nearby. "Hello there lass, ye hungry? I got plenty, I'm makin' a stew, have some hot caf here too." He calls and the Oruch doesn't seem to mind the rain at all, rubbing the world tree and raven tattoos on either side of his head. "Im Atrid."

It looked as if the eglarin was steeling herself to get back into the rain, but that is quickly discarded at the invitation as she spins about. "Food?! Ey yo, fo' sho' shug!" she beams, all but throwing herself at the ground near the fire. "I tells ya, glidin' from th' mountain all th' way ta here works up on heck of an appetite! Especialy in da rain!"

She jabs a hand out towards Atrid. "Pleasure ta meet'chu Atrid! One of the best-y, east ta impress me, name's Slixvah Unmesi!" she happily chirps, all the dour of getting rained on discarded. The tiny bird, a white thrush, peers out from her robe, glaring at the raven.

Atrid laughs and takes the hand giving it a firm shake. "Well hello there Slixvah Unmesi, a pleasure ta meet such a pretty Birb lady." He says with a grin before chopping up some veggies throwing them into the cauldron like pot of water adding the venison to it as well some salt, pepper and some other seasonings. "Ye want some bread with the stew?" He asks as he pours a hot cup of caf for Slixvah. "Since ye gave me her family name, Ill tell ye that I am Atrid o the Earth Warder's clan."

The raven caws and hops down looking at the white tiny Birb, it cocks it's head and stretches a wing over the little birb's head. "Look like Hugin has made a wee friend or in tryin' ta."

Slixvah returns the shake. "Oh hush, but thank you!" she winks before looming over the cauldron. "Yush! Bread's good shtuff." Taking the cup of caf, she leans back into a seat with a thankful nod. "Ah. Family's important in th' Aeries." She clears her throat. "Pleased to properly meet you, much peace and prosperity for you and your clan," she says, changing her tongue from the light and airy to the rough and tumble of Yrch-Speak.

She swaps back to Trade, looking down at the tiny bird. Said bird is squished up, golden eyes hostile at the offending wing. "Oh my god Fiadh, not ever frickin' corvid is out to get you."

"Lies," it chirps tinnily. "Unweaver of fates and detriment to-"

"That's gobbly gook, go say hi," Slix huffs, grabbing Fiadh and holding them towards Hugin. Fiadh sighs, resigned.

Atrid laughs and nods his head switching to Yrch-speak. "You speak the language of my people, and are a beautiful Birb? And why should I stop, it's true I happen to find your coloring rather stunning." He says before continuing to speak. "And it is a pleasure to meet you proper, though peace is a bit tough to come by amongst Oruch even of my clan." He switches back to trade speak ladeling out a bowl of thick hearty stew and a couple of slices of bread and offering it to Slixva and winks back at her. "Besides, do ye really have a problem with flirtation?" Atrid asks with a playful wink.

"Yes yes Hugin be nice, show the little one ye just want ta be his friend. He's apparently had some issues with other corvids, so yer Job is ta show the little one ye dont all want to harm him."

Hugin gives a caw and and hops excitedly, still using his wing to try and shield little Birb from the rain.

"Well thank ya regardless, ya flatter me," Slixvah snickers. "I can feel ya on dat shug, m'fam's had th' same hard times." Accepting the food readily after downing some of the caf. She's got half a slice of bread laden with soup half jammed in her beak before being asked a question. "Mmmrhph?" Swallow. "Oh hell naw, shug. Dana said let da world be pretty and hi hello I'm da world, bask in my glorious beauty wit' as much flirtiness as ya want!"

"Compliments inflate her ego to astronomical levels. The fallout is upon thyself now," Fiadh's tinny voice warns before peering up at Hugin. "... I will allow it," they grumble, closing their eyes and resting under the shielding wing.

Atrid smiles and nods his head. "And if I want to do more than just flirtin'? Say take ye out get ta know ye?" He asks with a smile taking a long sip of his own car before filling his own bowl with stew and two slices of bread, using the bread like a spoon and slurping/chomping it down. He looks at Fiadh. "Ye know li'le one tha' Oruchs have a thing fer the rough and tumble, tough, survivalist types right?" He gestures to Slixvah. "Egalrin Druid, who...." He looks at her. "Wait did ye say Dana?!?!" Atrid laughs pulling out his own symbol of Dana that hangs about his neck. "Aye Dana does say ta bask in all the beauty of the world, does this mean ye too think there is beauty in me too?" Atrid grins and tosses her a wink as Hugin curls a wing around Fiadh with a happy caw.

Slixvah laughs, waving a dismissing hand. "Oh, ya a hoot, Atrid. That'll take several months, a few life and death adventures, and a handful of parties! Flattered tho'!"

She grins. "Eyy, Ceiwen- Dana- get a lotta praise fro' me. But not close on tha'- Ain't druid. Think mo' like a purveyor of oddities and occultly things, I like th' mojo tha' makes most people a lil' cray cray."

Fiadh makes a grunt of annoyance at being hugged.

She looks over at Atrid before nodding once. "I mean, I see beauty in all peoples, so yeah. I also see it in stories and places, and all th' in between spaces. Li', did y'know ya can use two feathers ta make a bolt of lightin'? It works better if ya scream somethin' goofy!"

Oh. She's lowkey crazy.

Atrid laughs and nods his head a bit. "Did I say more fer this second? I said get ta know ye lass which takes time indeed. I can give it several months o hangin out and gettin ta know each other and a few loife and death adventures, Parties well I do enjoy Mead and lots o mead, though I will no' deny tha' when I par'y I tend ta ye know dance around a foire." He teases with a smirk and he takes another bite. "I mean there is beauty in all things just as there is darkness and ugliness in all things too." He says with a firm nod. "And who cares what makes most a bit cray cray I like nature, but occulty things are rather fun too!"

"Shall see if fate tumbles down tha' way o' not. Ri' now I'm mo' focused on my wings aching like hell and fixin' it with dis bomb soup," Slixvah snickers. "Well yuh o'course. Can't have pretty wit'out ugly. Can't have happy wit'out sad. Life wit'out death. Sanity wit'out madness."

There's a long pause as she makes a loud slurping from her stew. Egalrin woman tilts her head. "Oh do ya now? I'd be interested in know wha' ya know! How long you been out 'ere in th' Grove? I don' come here too often."

Atrid smiles and shakes his head as he eats more step chewing and swallowing. "Oh sweet beau'iful Birb ye want me ta spill my secrets." He mock gasps. "Well what would ye say if I told ye I just tinker and dabble and like the idea o it, it interests me. See people think that jus' because Druidry is of nature that there's no occult to it. But is not all things that Cannae be explained occult? Strange and weird?" He asks with a playful wink. "I mean...if yer wings be sore and achin' I can always give them a massage ta try and help, if tha's agreeable to ye."

Slix snaps her fingers. "Drat, ya figured me out. I'mma secret hunta!" she laughs. "Oh no fo sho. Dere's occult in everythin'. It's th' inbetween. Th' unpenned. Th' unspoken. Druidry gets all of them vibes and puts 'em ta real work," she gestures out to the Grove itself. "But I figure out da inbetweens, tie 'em inta knots, make a pretty bow outta them and somethin' blows up. Sometimes."

Fiadh grumbles, "A mockery of The Tapestry with all your string tying and cutting-"

"Buuuuuuuuuuuut it works!" Slix counters, poking the little bird on the forehead until they're squished into a white fluff ball. "Hm? Naw I'm good, shug. Thanks tho!"

Hugin hops in front of fiadh. "No Pokes...pokes rude.." He caws out mimicking the speech of Atrid as best as he can. "Oi Hugin, be nice fish is her pal she's not gonna hurt the wee one." He rolls his eyes. "But ye see there's the natural order, the order o loife and death and the loike. But what would ye say if I told ye that what I loike researchin' is ways ta try and circumvent it lookin' inta the stories, o bringing things back and such.

Fiadh unfloofs and points a wing at Slixvah. "Even my sworn adversaries come to mine aid for your transgressions," they declare in a tinny, deadpane tone.

"Trus' me Hugin, you ain' gotta be around Fifi all day. If I don' knock 'em down a peg every ten minutes they's gonna be mo' annoyin' than me!"

"Slander."

The eglarin pulls her eyelid down at Fiadh and makes the sound of blowing a raspberry. "Anywho! I'd say... Das sounds ri' up m'alley! What kinda things ya lookin' to bring back an' such? Spirits? Animals? M'dead houseplant that despite me waterin' decides ta crap out on me?" A pause. "No zombies tho' otherwise I'm gettin' a priest and I'm gonna smite somethin'."

"We have past with the undeath."

"My homies /hate/ the undead."

Atrid smirks and scoots closer hip bumping her. "I mean all o it, and if I can raisem, I can turnem too, tha's the beauty o the necromantic arts. Ye can raise a minion or two or wha'ever ta stand between ye and yer enemies, ta be fodder fer em ye know?" He says with a wicked grin. "I know I know Necromancy, not very druidic o me ta be talkin' about, nor very much in the ways o honorin' Dana but there be somethin' about it ye know?"

Hugin looks at Slix and if a corvid could he'd be blowing a raspberry at her before Cawing at Fiadh, a sound that says clearly I'm not your sworn Adversary I'm friend.

Seems like Fiadh clearly understands Hugin, as she chirps back at them just as clearly. "Bold of you to assume friendship, but I shall allow acquaintance for the time at present."

Slix looks dubious, scooting and leaning a bit away. "I mean, yuh, I use necromancy too. And I ain' gonna lie an' say I ain' know 'bout risin' minions, but be right careful. Das a slippery slope to a loads of stuff. Main thing wit' me tho' is that if I screw 'round in bad stuff that lil' goober over there will prolly kill me."

Fiadh simply tweets once.

"It don't look it but they's the scariest thing."

Atrid chuckles and slides a bit further away from Slix raising his hands. "My apologies, lass I wasnt meanin ta freak ye out, just bein' playful and flirty is all." Atrid says slipping back closer to the pot to show he's giving the space. Finally finishing his stew and making himself another bowl. "Aye I know how slippery a slope it can, be but maybe ye and I can keep each other grounded so as not ta fall too far inta the darkness." He than looks to the little floof. "Ye aren' tha' scary little Birb, no' even Hugin is scared oh ye." And as if to prove the point he caws saying fine acquaintance but you know you like me and want friends.

Slixvah relaxes, skulling her stew and caf as she gives a crumb of bread over to Fiadh. Fiadh simply stares at it. "I am a magical being, I don't need-"

She gives it to Hugin readily.

"-betrayal of the highest order."

"Ahhh. Good stuff, thanks Atrid!" She shrugs once. "Maybes! Gonna need a lil' rapport built befo' we figure somethin' like tha'."

Fiadh puffs up. "I tolerate Unmesi because she is useful for the Tapestry. I am the culmination of wisdom and all that is to come. Akin to a canary in a mine, I am- *tweet*!"

Slixvah stuffs Fiadh into her robes. "Alright, das 'nuff outta you, Soz, they's act like a mighty wise dragon ninety nine percent of da time. Aaaanyways-!" she gets to her feet and rolls her shoulders. "Atrid, m'guy, thanks fo' da delish food, refresh, meet, greet, chat, and gab! I gotta get dis bag delivered ta a literal bear that's prolly also a druid 'fore too long now. Pleasure ta meetcha!"

Atrid nods his head. "But o'course I was just meanin' ta be friendly, I hope I didn't make ye uncomfortable. I ain't been in this place long, recen'ly arrived actually." He says with a chuckle. Laughing at Fiadh's response to Hugin getting bread. "Oh he really doesn' loike ravens do he?" Atrid says before nodding again. "Aye ye take care and be safe, and yer welcome. I hope ta see ye again soon, the pleasure was all Moine."

-End Scene-