Ewald takes in the priests words and follows along behind hoping the girls will return to the party. His eye is taken by the slightly dilapidated state of the 'Temple' and he wonders how a god can die...more how can someone willingly give themselves over to serving a dead god.
Then shaking himself he follows the priest into the shadowy building.
Amunrel takes a good look around gauging the state of the church and its occupants.
"Would it be possible to ascend to the top of your bell tower, it looks like you can see all around here from atop and I was wondering how you maintain all of this, I assume donations would be welcome?" Amunrel asks.
Ewald hangs back...letting the more diplomatic members of the group deal with the niceties of gaining permission to enter the belfry.
His eyes drift now and then towards the door in the hope that the ladies might soon rejoin the party.
The church tower is in fact a spire with no easy access . Looking up , you can see the bells in the semi darkness and on one side there are ropes for ringing them...
Amunrel takes a good look up and around making the effort to see if he can spy the missing pet bat or an easier means to get up there to check if necessary...
Alas while ou do spot some bats up there , there seems to be no easy way to go up there ...
"Wow that is quite the climb, I wonder how they clean and service the bells?" Amunrel openly asks as he shields his eyes perring up at the top of the tower.
"I wonder if Vi could charm them to come down here?" Amunrel whispers then shakes his head at the thought.
Vivaeri couldn't quite hide her worry as she walked beside her sister. She hated to play the card she was about to try, but she felt it was best, for Halsanna's sake. Vivaeri could take disappointment from her father. It hurt, but it still felt easier than watching it befall Halsanna. "I mean...Father did want us to help find those animals..." Her voice was faint as she spoke. She did not dare force the matter.
Vivaeri dearly wished she had not tried to guilt her sister into coming back. It felt as if she had betrayed Halsanna somehow. She couldn't hide her guilt at having possibly upset her sister further, and there was a hint of fear in her eyes as well. It was selfish, but she always assumed that Halsanna would always be harder to upset than herself, that she would always be the stable one while Vivaeri would be led about by her emotions. Moments like this took her out of her comfortable element. Still, sometimes she wondered if the way Halsanna handled things when she was upset worked out better for everyone in the long run. To her, Halsanna seemed to take her problems inward, to work away at them. Vivaeri tended to...externalize...to put it charitably.
Chewing her lower lip slightly, she hugged her sister, whispering, "Okay. I'm sorry 'Sanna...just take your time..." As she let go she tried to reassure her, "I'm going to see if there's anything I can do. Probably not much, but it should be a laugh to see whats-his-name tripping over the pews chasing that bat. I'll heckle for the both of us." She neglected to call Ewald by name. Best not to right now, she thought.
"Get inside too. Can't go catching a cold, now..." she said with a smile as she backpedaled away before turning.
As soon as she was out of sight, her smile had disappeared. She was furious again, now more about Ewald's presence having upset her sister more than his presence itself. If the pain in her foot hadn't left completely, she didn't notice now as she now stomped towards the church. Schemes and mischief of all sorts were budding in her mind. Making Ewald Salodar's life hell underneath our chaperone's nose? Sounds like a challenge... She was beginning to smile again...
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"Yes," Adjunta says, glancing up, "you have bats up in your belfry, and my companions are missing a pet bat. It's a particularly fine bat specimen, clearly marked, and I assure you worth money. We think there's a good possibility that it might have moved into Aroden's spire with the rest of it's kin, and we came here to ask your permission to look for it up there, but you must forgive our naivety as we can see no way of getting up there. How do you maintain your bells?"
Ewald's eyes widen slightly at the priests words...Magic of that sort is something he has little experience off...on the border it tends to be relatively unusual in patrol work. He is more used to healing spells and lesser offensive magics and the thought of walking on air is in itself mind boggling.
Ewald's eyes widen slightly at the priests words...Magic of that sort is something he has little experience off...on the border it tends to be relatively unusual in patrol work. He is more used to healing spells and lesser offensive magics and the thought of walking on air is in itself mind boggling.
"How frequently do you clean or service the bells then?" Amunrel asks genuinely curious.
"Well if we did use them it would have to be with the aid of someone who could charm the lil' beggar down..." Amunrel adds slyly looking at Ewald with a grin...
I don't exactly understand what you mean by servicing the bells .
We ring them several times a day as I'm sure you heard them if you have been in town for a while . There are no real need to clean them then since the ringing itself help to shake any dust free . Otherwise , we need to replace the ropes every ten years or so and we check the clappers then . As for rust , they are made of bronze and can last for centuries .
"Nice, so when was the last time they were checked then if its only once every ten years?" Amunrel looking up and mentally wondering how long these bells had been in use.
About two years ago now .
"Should be in good shape then, how frequently do you ring them?" Amunrel asks still looking up mentally comparing them with the elven equivalent.
About 6 times a day except for special occasions like weddings
"Really, is there any special psalm or musical theme involved?" Amunrel asked much more interested and no longer looking up the bell tower.
"Not just the weddings obviously but where I'm from they usually use that to tell what the time is even occasional messages, you wouldn't believe the number of times that's been used to remind members of my people about important little details like anniversaries for example..."Amunrel explains."So when they ring the bells next we should see some movement up there then..."Amunrel nods to Ewald nonchantly as if stating something so obvious that it required no answer to.
The priest begins to get into details of what bells are used and in what occasions . This might be fascinating to Amunrel but ...
"And on this occasion... exactly how long before they're rung again today?" Amunrel asks.
"Oh Ewald you might want to go outside and wait for my nieces in case they turn up, we wouldn't want them straying off now perhaps you can get them to help keep an eye out for their friend's missing pet," Amunrel nods to Ewald."Oh Adjunta you might want to witness this in here after all it isn't every day you'll have this opportunity you know," Amunrel points out to Adjunta as the elf returns to listen to the priest.
I'm just saying that the priest is already helpfull and ready to speak for at least one hour of what seems to interest Amunrel . Now one hour might not seem long for an elf ...
Amunrel hopes to continue the conversation just long enough to see the bells in action and then proceed outside once they're rung in case Ewald needs help spying a bat with a ribbon tied around its neck...
However he just couldn't resist adding an retort to his remarks from earlier hopefully the young human ranger would understand what was really being said but this is Amunrel's first time in a church of Aroden and he was hoping for some helpful advice from Adjunta since he knows more about this than he does...
Ewald smiles wanely at Amrunels suggestion..."Aye...but if you hear me yell for help come running will you"
He walks out onto the porch of the church and sees Vae approaching alone from the direction of the Inn
As she closes he holds up a hand in the gesture for a parley hoping she will at least hear him out with no interdference from her family or his he feels he might just be able to explain himself
Vivaeri was still running scenarios of mischief through her head when she arrived at the church. Seeing only Ewald waiting outside apparently waiting for her through her back off her game though. Ugh...patience...patience...let him dig his own grave...
She approached and crossed her arms, managing to hold back the barbs that she wanted to spew and simply asking "What?", though that word could have had icicles falling from it.
Amunrel shivered before sneezing suddenly.
"Is it just me or did it get suddenly cold?" he asks noone in particular.
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"Ah, evening does approach," Adjunta explains to the elf, "and things do cool off by night . . ."
Adjunta turns to the aged priest.
"I suppose what my companion really wants to know is if our missing bat is up there, and sadly at this point that is a big 'if', but if our bat is up there is there any way for us to safely and harmlessly retrieve the animal that would be acceptable and non-intrusive? I imagine at this point all we'd like to do is find some way of checking."
Ewald winced visibly at the icy dart that was aimed at him.
"Please...I'm not here to play the aggrieved suitor...all I came for was to seek some answers. I'm a forthright man unused to deception and, if I offended you by mine, I apologise. Ask yourself this though..if I had walked into the Inn at the beginning and announced who I was would you have even talked to me..or would you have just run away again?"
He shrugs and shakes his head
"It's obvious that you have already formed an opinion of me even before we met and I for one will not take an unwilling or reluctant bride. You have to know this was not my idea it was thrust upon me as well. Do you think I was enamoured at the idea of marrying a woman I had never met? I thought I was getting some overly hysterical Miss just out of the schoolroom not a..."
His voice tails off as he catches himself before he digs a hole under himself
Ewald winced visibly at the icy dart that was aimed at him.
"Please...I'm not here to play the aggrieved suitor...all I came for was to seek some answers. I'm a forthright man unused to deception and, if I offended you by mine, I apologise. Ask yourself this though..if I had walked into the Inn at the beginning and announced who I was would you have even talked to me..or would you have just run away again?"
He shrugs and shakes his head
"It's obvious that you have already formed an opinion of me even before we met and I for one will not take an unwilling or reluctant bride. You have to know this was not my idea it was thrust upon me as well. Do you think I was enamoured at the idea of marrying a woman I had never met? I thought I was getting some overly hysterical Miss just out of the schoolroom not a..."
His voice tails off as he catches himself before he digs a hole under himself
Amunrel whistled.
As the priest and Adjunta turned to look at him."Oh sorry just thought I felt the unmistakable signs of thunder, or it could be someone's father rushing back on horseback..."Amunrel's voice trails off as he begins to walk back to the entrance of the church.
"Please excuse me for a moment I'm just going to check to see if Ewald's met my nieces yet," he explains as he goes.
Ewald winced visibly at the icy dart that was aimed at him.
"Please...I'm not here to play the aggrieved suitor...all I came for was to seek some answers. I'm a forthright man unused to deception and, if I offended you by mine, I apologise. Ask yourself this though..if I had walked into the Inn at the beginning and announced who I was would you have even talked to me..or would you have just run away again?"
He shrugs and shakes his head
Vivaeri's crossed arms tightened and her frown twitched. Damn it! How dare he be reasonable!?
"It's obvious that you have already formed an opinion of me even before we met and I for one will not take an unwilling or reluctant bride. You have to know this was not my idea it was thrust upon me as well. Do you think I was enamoured at the idea of marrying a woman I had never met?
As he continued, Vivaeri sighed inwardly. Gods, fine! If he's going to try and make things right and if he's in the same boat as me, then I might as well try to calm things before Halsanna gets ba...
I thought I was getting some overly hysterical Miss just out of the schoolroom not a..."His voice tails off as he catches himself before he digs a hole under himself
"What?" she asked the way a white dragon breathes ice.
She quickly shook her head, as if arguing with herself. Damnation! That's enough! He's already playing the apologetic schoolboy and it's painful enough to watch as it is! "Alright. Fine. I judged you unfairly and you weren't what I was expecting either. You're not some pampered fop who couldn't find his own ass without his servants helping, so I can't hold that against you. And my sister thought well enough of you before you made her so angry that she's gone off to forge instruments of killing." Let that detail hang ominously for a moment....and...continue. "And fine, you don't want to be forced into marriage either. Welcome to our very exclusive club. But...." She raised one pointed finger before faltering. She was ready to go into a new spiel about what she was still angry at him for, but she couldn't list anything she wasn't guilty of herself. Her right eye twitched as she sought frantically for something to throw at him. Damn it! I'm not done being angry yet! "...we have a job to do, so let's see to that, shall we?" she mumbled as she stomped inside.
Damn it!!
Amunrel peeks outside making show of stretching a hand out gingerly and looking skywards as if expecting rain.
He then drops the hand and looks around outside.
"Hello, made up have we?" he asks cheerfully.
"Apparently the bells are rung each day so hopefully when they do our little friend should be making an appearance... unfortunately he's very probably up there..." Amunrel says stretching forward so he can point upwards at the bell tower.
"So what was that about forging weapons or did I misunderstand something?" he asks Vi curiously as he regains his balance.
Amunrel peeks outside making show of stretching a hand out gingerly and looking skywards as if expecting rain.
He then drops the hand and looks around outside.
"Hello, made up have we?" he asks cheerfully.
"Mweh..." Vivaeri muttered as she walked alongside her uncle. She would never go quite that far. Gods, I swear sometimes Uncle is having a laugh...
"Apparently the bells are rung each day so hopefully when they do our little friend should be making an appearance... unfortunately he's very probably up there..." Amunrel says stretching forward so he can point upwards at the bell tower.
"So what was that about forging weapons or did I misunderstand something?" he asks Vi curiously as he regains his balance.
"Helps her think." She replied softly. And even more quietly, and to her uncle only, "Keeps her from punching people."
She eyed the bell tower, looking for any open windows. "How do we keep it from just flying outside if we manage to scare it out of hiding though?"
Ewald followed Uncle and niece back inside thankful that Vae was so mad seemingly at herself she could not see the wry smile on his face.
"Hmmm...maybe there's hope for us yet" he thinks..."just maybe"
Ewald followed Uncle and niece back inside thankful that Vae was so mad seemingly at herself she could not see the wry smile on his face.
"Hmmm...maybe there's hope for us yet" he thinks..."just maybe"
"I was thinking maybe a song to enthrall them to come down and dance for their supper or would that be a little too elaborate?" Amunrel sighs putting his arm around Vi's shoulders.
"Now I was wondering if either of you or both did decide to say your marital vows what church would be the best suited for your weddings?" Amunrel asks.
"I'm not rushing you its just that I look around here and it got me wondering what you would consider suitable... either of you that is," Amunrel adds.
"Ooh! Tell you what how about we consult with the good father on traditional wedding practices according to Aroden's faith?"Amunrel moves ahead to turn and face the pair of them.
"What do you think? Is it something you'd like to know about?" Amunrel asks.
Ewald followed Uncle and niece back inside thankful that Vae was so mad seemingly at herself she could not see the wry smile on his face.
"Hmmm...maybe there's hope for us yet" he thinks..."just maybe"
"I was thinking maybe a song to enthrall them to come down and dance for their supper or would that be a little too elaborate?" Amunrel sighs putting his arm around Vi's shoulders.
"Now I was wondering if either of you or both did decide to say your marital vows what church would be the best suited for your weddings?" Amunrel asks.
"Gorum's would probably be appropriate..." Vivaeri muttered before focusing her attention fully on the problem at hand. She tried hard to ignore her uncle's further attempts to raise her spirits. She just didn't trust herself enough to think about that matter for long without letting her claws out again.
"Trying the same song I used on the frog probably wouldn't be a good idea, would it? It puts people to sleep, and we don't want the thing falling to its death." She shrugged, and asked no one in particular even though she knew who was most likely to have the answer, "Bats sleep like that though, don't they? Hanging from places?"
Ewald gives the elf a considered look before speaking...
"I'd say it was a bit early to be making wedding plans considering we still aren't sure if there is going to BE a wedding..but to answer your question..if it does happen....my Parents will want a full scale formal affair..me I'd as soon have a priest of Cayden speak a few words over me...err us in a festhall and make a party off it"
at Vaes sotto voce comment he laughs..."Well theres something to be said about slinging a girl over your saddle bow and riding off going hell for leather with all her relatives in hot pursuit but unfortunately I walked here and besides the girl has usually arranged her abduction in the first place"
Ewald's words stung Vivaeri, despite his attempt to turn things towards good humor. To her, it seemed as if the image he described as inverted for her: Her relatives had arranged this and seemed all too eager to see her married off. Was she that much of an embarrassment to them. To hell with what they think...they're no family of mine, not like Father and 'Sanna, or my uncles...
She cleared her throat, trying to be as business-like as possible without being overly cold, as hard as that last part was... "So, bats? If we had some people spread some cloth under the bell, giving it just enough slack so that it wouldn't break the thing's neck if it falls, could I just get on a ladder and try to put it to sleep?" She showed no hesitation about getting so high off the ground. She had quickly taken on a worrying acclimation to heights after seeing someone walk a tightrope for the first time. It had probably done few favors for her father's heart when she was a child...
Ewald shakes his head.."I don't think that would work..you were right when you say bat's sleep hanging upsides down so it wouldn't release its grasp even if it did fall asleep"
He looks up gauging the distance.
"No someone's going to have to go up there and fetch the thing down and I guess that means me"
He looks to Amrunel..."We'll need a ladder and a net..ideally we should have a rope and a grappling hook too for safeties sake"
Ewald shakes his head.."I don't think that would work..you were right when you say bat's sleep hanging upsides down so it wouldn't release its grasp even if it did fall asleep"
He looks up gauging the distance.
"No someone's going to have to go up there and fetch the thing down and I guess that means me"
He looks to Amrunel..."We'll need a ladder and a net..ideally we should have a rope and a grappling hook too for safeties sake"
"Or something they might like to eat or drink after all you're a ranger coax them down, perhaps Vi can sing a song something to wake them up and you can think of something that might draw them down here or outside if you like..." Amunrel sighs.
"So you'd rather be drunk when you're getting married? Funny I thought human weddings involved getting drunk the night before but then if these arranged marriages are the norm for you Taldorans its no wonder you'd rather get paralytic than see if your intended bride might be worth getting to know before taking the dip," Amunrel notes wondering if Ewald realised how deep a hole he was digging for himself.
"Excuse me father, when exactly will the bells be rung next?" Amunrel asks the priest.
"How many people do you need to ring them by the way?" he asks looking curiously at the bell ropes.
Vivaeri bit her tongue before going off on Ewald for suggesting that he go up instead. Oh yes, we can't have our ladyfolk going up ladders and such! The delicate things would just swoon and fa-damn it girl, focus! "Hmm...what do they eat anyway? Bugs? I can make it sound like some are about..." she said with a gesture, using her cantrip to throw her voice behind the others. "...like so."
She didn't comment on Amunrel's further needling one way or the other. Half of her hoped it wouldn't boil down to an argument between her uncle and Ewald, while the other half hoped for an opportunity to jump in on her uncle's side.
She turned to Adjunta, trying to take her mind off that issue if only for a moment. "You don't have any orisons you could use to draw it out or catch it, do you?"
"So you'd rather be drunk when you're getting married? Funny I thought human weddings involved getting drunk the night before but then if these arranged marriages are the norm for you Taldorans its no wonder you'd rather get paralytic than see if your intended bride might be worth getting to know before taking the dip," Amunrel notes wondering if Ewald realised how deep a hole he was digging for himself.
Ewald thinks that this family seems to be determined to misunderstand him...he is finding this whole situation ridiculous and it shows in the somewhat tense tone in his voice
"That's not what I said..and I'm quite willing to get to know my intended if she gives me the chance..but I see no reason why a wedding can't be fun...and not a bunch of priests chanting for hours on end..begging your pardon fathers"
"Now as to our batty friend up there I'm not sure we could tempt him with a tasty bug..some of them eat fruit you know and I still need to get close enough to him to tempt him"