As kind as Willow's words were, Bjorn rode along in a dejected silence.
Willow crested the hill, and found that, not far from the coast, the path snaked down again into a vast valley. She could see the other side of the expanse, and just barely made out the split in the trees. The cleft in the countryside seemed to run on forever to the left and right, or at least as far as the allomancer could see.
At the center of the valley ran a wide river, which split around the prominent cairn at the center of the valley.
"They say that a god eater's bones were laid to rest here. When it threatened the land, a warrior blinded it with her arrows and then rode its body into the ground, carving out this valley," chimed Bjorn, paying more attention to the sky than the landscape.
Going down the hill, the weather began to get worse, with the rain getting heavier and heavier. Creative's coat was dry and warm, but the boots were just keeping her feet from sinking into the mud. Were she to look back, Willow would find that she left no muddy prints in the ground.
The rain was almost enough to distract one from the whirring and the clicking that took the place of normal, wildlife sounds. Songbirds hissed notes that were more or less metallic, squirrels clattered and clicked on the tree branches, and a deer bounded across the road on legs that hissed like pistons. It was like someone's approximation of nature, and it all reminiscent of the doll-like mechanic Willow had met.
They had been walking for almost four hours, when they came upon a cart stopped at the edge of the wide river. It was small, being surrounded by some of the small folk that seemed to inhabit this realm. There were a few spriggans that reminded Willow of bonsai trees. A few odinkine were perched in a tree near-by, watching Willow approach.
A few small golems, about the size of the spriggans, appeared to be arguing with the group with the cart. Another pair of creatures, a type Willow had not yet seen, were policing the discussion. They were like centaurs, if centaurs had the bodies of dogs, instead of horses. Both were armored and armed to a degree, but also were no taller than the others.
One of the bonsai spriggans kept pointing at the river and rattled angrily. The golem brought up its hands, and answered in a voice that sounded like the tapping signal of a telegraph. The dog-centaur assuaged them in some kind of language that seemed to make heavy use of Rs and huffs.
"There used to be a bridge here," remarked Bjorn, looking up and down the waterway, "From what I can hear, the golems dismantled it and the spriggans are enraged. Something about crops. Something about spoiling."
[The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Once she had taken in the view Willow processed that this was a proper journey. Her wishful thinking told her that the Floating Islands would be on the other side of the hill, but this was turning more into The Witcher and her quest seemed like it was taking her to the other side of a country. Sensing some less than thrilling footage, Willow turned off her camera to conserve battery. Occasionally she turned it back on to capture some wildlife and rain ambience, and then kept the camera on when she reached the dispute by the river.
“Had low key been hoping that tongueberry would let me understand the lot of you,” Willow said back as she registered the various noises. “Is there anything against me just crossing the river? Or do I need to settle some local politics?”
“Had low key been hoping that tongueberry would let me understand the lot of you,” Willow said back as she registered the various noises. “Is there anything against me just crossing the river? Or do I need to settle some local politics?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"If you swap a tongueberry with everyone here, you would understand them," answered Bjorn in a way that almost sounded like he didn't understand how arduous and unpleasant a task that would be. He shifted over to Willow's other shoulder, trying to avoid the gazes of the odinkine in the trees, "I've seen some swim the river before, it isn't deep. You could probably stand with the water to your waist, but such a depth is hazardous for any of the kinfolk."
Willow could see the river press on lazily, and it did seem shallow enough to wade across. There was even wildlife in the river, cranking fish torpedoed up into the air, with metal bodies that glimmered on the dour day. She could just make out the form of what looked like a bear further down the river, swiping its metal paws through the water.
"Badu da, da tada dadet teda ta be," pulsed one of the golems.
”Ritta tatta ta tet ta pa pept ta thok!" roared a spriggan, throwing its arm up in the air. It walked back over to its cart and pressed a rooty palm to one of the wheels. The argument continued without it, and it sulked until it saw Willow.
It shook its head, and appeared to squint its glowing eyes.
"Dokka det det titeu te…" said the spriggan, before running over to this tall, blonde stranger. He rattled wildly, tossing his arms towards the cart.
"He says, 'You! Giant! Help me! Carry my cart across the river, and I will reward you.'" translated Bjorn, gruffly, sneering at the well-dressed spriggan "And just so you know, he didn't ask as nicely as I interpreted it."
Willow could see the river press on lazily, and it did seem shallow enough to wade across. There was even wildlife in the river, cranking fish torpedoed up into the air, with metal bodies that glimmered on the dour day. She could just make out the form of what looked like a bear further down the river, swiping its metal paws through the water.
"Badu da, da tada dadet teda ta be," pulsed one of the golems.
”Ritta tatta ta tet ta pa pept ta thok!" roared a spriggan, throwing its arm up in the air. It walked back over to its cart and pressed a rooty palm to one of the wheels. The argument continued without it, and it sulked until it saw Willow.
It shook its head, and appeared to squint its glowing eyes.
"Dokka det det titeu te…" said the spriggan, before running over to this tall, blonde stranger. He rattled wildly, tossing his arms towards the cart.
"He says, 'You! Giant! Help me! Carry my cart across the river, and I will reward you.'" translated Bjorn, gruffly, sneering at the well-dressed spriggan "And just so you know, he didn't ask as nicely as I interpreted it."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Those tongueberries sounded blasted inconvenient for polite interaction, but Willow made a point of committing them to memory; just in case. Looking past the dispute, she figured she'd have an easy enough time simply Steel pushing herself over the river, and it wasn’t until the spriggan stormed towards her that she gave the situation any further attention. Looking sidelong towards Bjorn as he translated for her she then cast a rough gaze down to the spriggan.
“Translate, if needed,” Willow said to Bjorn as she looked past the spriggan towards its cart, and gauged whether she could pick up the cart through sheer grit and farmborn muscle; or if she would need to invest precious pewter into the endeavor. “My aid depends entirely on the reward. If it’s not to my liking, then I am simply crossing on my own. You get bonus points if you’re hauling any Pewter.”
“Translate, if needed,” Willow said to Bjorn as she looked past the spriggan towards its cart, and gauged whether she could pick up the cart through sheer grit and farmborn muscle; or if she would need to invest precious pewter into the endeavor. “My aid depends entirely on the reward. If it’s not to my liking, then I am simply crossing on my own. You get bonus points if you’re hauling any Pewter.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
The spriggan wrenched its hands together when it realized Willow was going to haggle with him. He walked over to the cart, and came back with a cabbage. It was fresh and crisp looking, and Willow could see the wooden cart was loaded with them. For her it would be like hoisting a small tub over her head; a small tub filled with cabbages.
The little merchant rattled his offer.
"He says he'll give you one, and… his friend has a pewter figurine he'll part with," Bjorn interpreted, looking over at the other spriggan, who just seemed to notice the negotiations were going on.
The little merchant rattled his offer.
"He says he'll give you one, and… his friend has a pewter figurine he'll part with," Bjorn interpreted, looking over at the other spriggan, who just seemed to notice the negotiations were going on.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Oh no, I just want…”
“Show me the figurine,” Willow said, more a demand than a request. Realistically she’d agreed to a troublesome task for a pretty cheap fee, but allomancy had made her begin seeing Pewter as more precious than Gold; at least with Pewter she could survive better, while Other Willow would just scowl at her some more. If this figurine was even a few mere grams, that could be make or break for her. She still would need to be smart about it, but it was the difference between flaring for twenty seconds or for three minutes.
Willow froze as her stomach growled in discontent. Oh, right, her morning routine had been interrupted before she could even finish her tea, to say nothing of missing elevenses; she never had much of an appetite right after waking up. Even though it was a mere cabbage hoisted in front of her, it was a normal bit of food that wasn’t packed to the gills with heavy metals (that she couldn’t burn off) and petrol. Scowling indignantly she grabbed the cabbage and walked over to the small cart, plopped the offered cabbage back in its place, and took a look at how best to hoist this small tub. With luck and careful footing she hoped she could do it through sheer gumption and no need to dip into her Pewter reserve.Wooorrggglllggll…
“Show me the figurine,” Willow said, more a demand than a request. Realistically she’d agreed to a troublesome task for a pretty cheap fee, but allomancy had made her begin seeing Pewter as more precious than Gold; at least with Pewter she could survive better, while Other Willow would just scowl at her some more. If this figurine was even a few mere grams, that could be make or break for her. She still would need to be smart about it, but it was the difference between flaring for twenty seconds or for three minutes.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Now that Willow had taken an earnest interest in the cart, everyone had stopped to look at her. For one, she towered over all of them, and that in itself was imposing to behold. The only people who had managed to overtake or reach her height were Creative and Clever. Secondly, she looked to be seriously considering how to solve the dispute.
As she considered the cart, an odinkine landed on the edge of it. She had rich brown hair, bound into thick plaits, and was burdened with a pack. The harpy made a few words in her harsh, shrill language in a soft voice at Bjorn. Bjorn ignored her, and she frowned.
Meanwhile, the two spriggans had begun to argue, rattling and thoking angrily at each other.
"The figurine wasn't actually promised," revealed Willow's translator, "The merchant is trying to convince his friend to give it up."
This convincing devolved into a fierce squabble, where the one spriggan swiftly pilfered the other. As he walked back with the figurine the other whined after him in a tone that sounded like wood being rubbed together. When it was presented to Willow, she found it to be a figure of a young woman asleep. The weight of it definitely felt like pewter, and it had the same luster.
As she considered the cart, an odinkine landed on the edge of it. She had rich brown hair, bound into thick plaits, and was burdened with a pack. The harpy made a few words in her harsh, shrill language in a soft voice at Bjorn. Bjorn ignored her, and she frowned.
Meanwhile, the two spriggans had begun to argue, rattling and thoking angrily at each other.
"The figurine wasn't actually promised," revealed Willow's translator, "The merchant is trying to convince his friend to give it up."
This convincing devolved into a fierce squabble, where the one spriggan swiftly pilfered the other. As he walked back with the figurine the other whined after him in a tone that sounded like wood being rubbed together. When it was presented to Willow, she found it to be a figure of a young woman asleep. The weight of it definitely felt like pewter, and it had the same luster.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
With a punctuated pull of Iron, Willow yanked the figurine out of the spriggan’s hand and snatched it up in her own. Turning it over for a quick inspection she gauged its purity. Unfortunately she was still new to the whole business, but with how much Pewter she’d seen in the past few months she at least had a leg to stand on. Back in Regular World, most modern Pewter was made with Antimony. Her stomach didn’t like Antimony, but she didn’t think much on why her stomach preferred Lead in her Pewter. For now, the figurine looked like genuine Pewter, and she immediately began dissecting it with her eyes to determine how best to consume it without access to her metal files.
Willow’s eyes darted towards the spriggan who had parted with the figurine. Reaching both hands into pockets, she withdrew a few items. From one hand she pulled a couple metal coins, which she handed to the spriggan. They were just a couple basic yener coins she kept for Steel pushing, but they were shiny and foreign; so perhaps they might make the spriggan feel better about what she was going to do next.
With her other hand, Willow pulled out two of the copper-aluminum struts, and placed the figurine between them. Once she’d discerned the most hazardous angles, she twisted the struts against the figurine with a few grunts of effort as she deformed the lovely piece of work. Once it was as cylindrical as possible she put the struts back in her pocket. Reaching into the cart she tore a leaf off of her head of cabbage, wrapped it around the figurine, and raised the unholy unwich towards the sky.
“I. Am. Metal-Eater!” Willow roared and she shoved the combo into her mouth. She’d never had a problem swallowing pills, but this was a PILL. For good measure she flared her existing Pewter reserve, and swallowed hard against the unchewed wrap of green. At least three separate times she thought she was going to choke, but powered through it before feeling confident enough to grab another leaf of cabbage. Chewing the bland leaf, she swallowed the chaser, urging the poorly thought out plan down into her stomach so she could quash the Pewter flare. Finally she gasped and stood as she felt the weight settle. With hard eyes she looked across the crowd.
“Let’s get the cabbage cart moving, shall we?”
Willow’s eyes darted towards the spriggan who had parted with the figurine. Reaching both hands into pockets, she withdrew a few items. From one hand she pulled a couple metal coins, which she handed to the spriggan. They were just a couple basic yener coins she kept for Steel pushing, but they were shiny and foreign; so perhaps they might make the spriggan feel better about what she was going to do next.
With her other hand, Willow pulled out two of the copper-aluminum struts, and placed the figurine between them. Once she’d discerned the most hazardous angles, she twisted the struts against the figurine with a few grunts of effort as she deformed the lovely piece of work. Once it was as cylindrical as possible she put the struts back in her pocket. Reaching into the cart she tore a leaf off of her head of cabbage, wrapped it around the figurine, and raised the unholy unwich towards the sky.
“I. Am. Metal-Eater!” Willow roared and she shoved the combo into her mouth. She’d never had a problem swallowing pills, but this was a PILL. For good measure she flared her existing Pewter reserve, and swallowed hard against the unchewed wrap of green. At least three separate times she thought she was going to choke, but powered through it before feeling confident enough to grab another leaf of cabbage. Chewing the bland leaf, she swallowed the chaser, urging the poorly thought out plan down into her stomach so she could quash the Pewter flare. Finally she gasped and stood as she felt the weight settle. With hard eyes she looked across the crowd.
“Let’s get the cabbage cart moving, shall we?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
The spriggans watched, one amazed, one horrified as Willow summoned the small figure to her hand. A fog of whispers rolled in around her at this miraculous gesture. Her show gained even more traction as she proceeded to mold the statuette. Then, silence followed as she formed a bolus with the cabbage leaf and the pewter ball. Even Bjorn was taken aback at the consumption, and he already knew Willow was strange.
It was now that the odinkine in the tree began to speak among themselves. Their eyes were on her, intense and bright.
Willow's gift to the bereft Spriggan was not entirely met with the reaction she might have expected. The little, walking bonsai considered the coin, at first indifferent, like a runner with their consolation prize. Then, he tilted his head. Some fae air took him over as he rattled after Metal-eater.
The wheeler-dealer spriggan put up a hand to the other, but was forcefully shoved into the grass by his partner. Willow was faced with an expression on the mask of the strange spriggan. Their kind were naturally stone-faced, having only masks of wood, and glowing eyes, but she had seen a gaze like this before.
She had seen it back when one of his kind tried to belt her with a shoe, before bailing out her window.
"He says he needs more," clarified Bjorn, "three more and it will make the perfect offering he says."
With a fierce shake of the head, the spriggan held up all of the fingers on one of his hands, and Bjorn interpreted, "Four. He wants four. He wants to know what you want for four."
This spawned another angry argument between the two spriggans. One of them kept pointing at the cart, while the other shook the coin in his face.
It was now that the odinkine in the tree began to speak among themselves. Their eyes were on her, intense and bright.
Willow's gift to the bereft Spriggan was not entirely met with the reaction she might have expected. The little, walking bonsai considered the coin, at first indifferent, like a runner with their consolation prize. Then, he tilted his head. Some fae air took him over as he rattled after Metal-eater.
The wheeler-dealer spriggan put up a hand to the other, but was forcefully shoved into the grass by his partner. Willow was faced with an expression on the mask of the strange spriggan. Their kind were naturally stone-faced, having only masks of wood, and glowing eyes, but she had seen a gaze like this before.
She had seen it back when one of his kind tried to belt her with a shoe, before bailing out her window.
"He says he needs more," clarified Bjorn, "three more and it will make the perfect offering he says."
With a fierce shake of the head, the spriggan held up all of the fingers on one of his hands, and Bjorn interpreted, "Four. He wants four. He wants to know what you want for four."
This spawned another angry argument between the two spriggans. One of them kept pointing at the cart, while the other shook the coin in his face.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Be glad you got what I gave you, you malformed maple,” rumbled a Britanic growl as the teen got very close to the wooden mask. Face contorting into a pugnacious scowl, Willow gave the spriggan a hard and heavy glare. “The only reason I’m agreeing to help move this cabbage cart is because of that figurine. I was all in favor of leaving you stranded here and your kraut to wither. Now unless you have more Pewter, I suggest you get in the cart and hang on. I’m not exactly in the mood to entertain a haggling spriggan at the moment, and am keen to pitter patter.”
Standing back to full height, Willow began to position herself by the cart. Part of her did feel bad about strong-arming the spriggan, but she was in a hurry and the rain was wearing down on her; it’s only really comforting for the first twenty minutes, and then stops being fun once your socks get wet.
“Hey Bjorn, what’s with the other odinkine?” Willow spoke softly to her traveling companion. “You’re ignoring the lass, and the others are spoofing Gossip Girls. Something up?”
Standing back to full height, Willow began to position herself by the cart. Part of her did feel bad about strong-arming the spriggan, but she was in a hurry and the rain was wearing down on her; it’s only really comforting for the first twenty minutes, and then stops being fun once your socks get wet.
“Hey Bjorn, what’s with the other odinkine?” Willow spoke softly to her traveling companion. “You’re ignoring the lass, and the others are spoofing Gossip Girls. Something up?”