(2021-11-04) Wildcard RP: Tasty Edible Scarves?!

Details

Author:	Athena
Summary:	In a Wildhammer marketplace, there's a chance meeting between Oranna, Celaven, Sandy, and Azizia. They talk about food, fashion, and the Archmage Arugula.
Rating:	T for Teen

The air of the Hinterlands is crisp, as the sun shines bright through the intermittent clouds in the November sky. The local Farmer and Trader's market has already been set up since the early morning, a winding trail of stalls and displays periodically interupted by an enormous pine tree or rock. The sound of the market travels quite some distance out, as the Wildhammers call out their wares, prices, and opinions in loud voices that could carry through the skies from gryphon to gryphon in flight.

Oranna Stormbreaker, dressed in an extraordinarily practical long sleeved blue woolen dress with the kind of deep pockets that would meet with the approval of Niris Ference herself, is a picture of dwarven health: her cheeks are pleasantly reddened from the cold, her dark brown eyes bright, and her long dark hair swept up into two coiled braids at the base of her neck. Neither Befound or Boomstick are with her, but in some concession to potential trouble is a small axe strapped to her waist, along with seven bags of various sizes.

She smiles at a vendor, a dark auburn haired Wildhammer almost a full foot taller than herself, and approaches his stall of woven mats and tapestries. Next to his stall is another of alchemical mixtures based from sungrass and purple lotus, and across the way is another stall selling roasted eggs roughly the same size as a gnome baby's head.

Sticking out from the crowd by his unusual height, a smiling kaldorei, Celaven Evensong, walks down the aisle of vendors, twitching his ears at each hawking call. A man with long, flowing purple hair and a close-groomed beard, he is dressed rather impractically in a black and silver robe that looks as if it must be some kind of silk.

He stops at the stall near Oranna, looking with interest at one of the tapestries.

"These patterns must have some cultural meaning, yes?" he asks, in lightly accented Common, glancing to the vendor.

Oranna smiles up at the Kaldorei man, as the vendor begins pointing out which patterns mean what – "An' this one, ye put up in yer mam's honor if she no' be with ye any longer, but this one's no' meant fer treadin'. Ye hang tha' one up. This one, tha's an entryway fer a household o' riders, showing yer deeds"—and Oranna mutters under her breath, but still audibly, "Wildhammer's ha' a pattern fer everything." Her accent is different from the Wildhammer's dwarf, detectable by anyone with experience in Common accents. She points at one high up, with incredible zig zags that strongly resemble lighting bolts. "We've go' one o' those hangin' up," she says in a pause of the vendor's speech. "Drahan, ye still no' ha' its mate fer th' floor in?"

The vendor shakes his head, his waist long beard moving slowly back and forth in the motion. "Ach, no, lassie. Still no' finished, she said." Oranna nods as though she didn't expect a different answer, and looks back up at Celaven. "If yer lookin' fer quality, Drahan here's th' way ta go. Ye willna find better this side o' th' Alteraci mountains." The vendor blushes visibly, but his dark eyes crinkle happily, even as he waves a hand in the air with a "Bah! Th' lass exaggerates."

Sandy comes out of his brother's house, a bit outside of Aerie Peak. He yawns and rubs his eyes once they come in contact with the bright sunlight. He was woken up by noises. A lot of them.
Oh right, it's market day! he thinks, after glancing around for a bit.

He hurriedly goes back inside, slips out of his sleepwear, puts on shorts and his white pirate shirt. He runs to the market and gets there a bit out of breath.

He looks around at the stands. Of course, the warlock isn't looking for fresh products to make a great meal (except maybe for treats for all his pets), but rather for cool magic items or even funny-looking toys. He has doubts that he'll find anything related to the Fel or demons in general since most people of Aerie Peak only tolerate his presence, but he still has hopes!

After a few minutes of looking at the boring stalls, Sandy's eyes turn to delicious-looking roasted eggs. He realizes that he hasn't eaten yet.

Celaven listens carefully to the explanations, nodding along as if recording everything somewhere in the depths of his mind. At the end, he turns to Oranna, and asks, "And there's no disrespect, in a non-dwarf displaying artwork of this kind? I would love to buy one as a decoration…"

Eyes drawn as if by a magnet for the brightest shorts known to Azeroth, Oranna turns and spots Sandy coming down the main path towards the Enormo' Eggs stall. She waves enthusiastically, and calls out, "Sandy!"

She turns back to Celaven, and smiles broadly. "I dinna see why there would be. Drahan, ye wouldna say no ta a Kaldorey puttin' up one o' yer ma's brilliant creations now, would ye?" Her face is open and happy, and if the vendor had any other answer on another day, on this one at least he grinned back and spread his arms.

"Ah, no, o' course no'! Wha' ye lookin' fer, sonny?" Drahan looks over Celaven, glancing a little down and then way, way up. "Somethin' nature respectin', if I had ta guess. Got somethin' o' tha' righ'….ah, here tis." He pulls a woven mat clearly meant to hang on a wall, a pattern repeating that suggests a mountain and trees growing up and through it to abstract triangles that suggest leaves at the top. "Good one fer a home o' mountain workers, an' those tha' manage th' forests."

Oranna beams at Celaven.

"Oh, that's perfect," Celaven's face lights up. He pulls out a small, embroidered coin purse. "Yes, I'll take that one. To be honest, I've only just moved to this continent not long ago — this will certainly make my new place feel more like home."

His eyes track over to the unusually-dressed human, and he raises his long eyebrows. "He has a very particular sense of fashion, yes?"

Oranna laughs, and shrugs. "Oh, aye. He's a good lad. Young," she says as Sandy approaches. She looks back at Celaven and says in a lower voice, "Ah, I mean, e'en fer humans. No' jus' young like humans are young, I mean, no' tha' ye migh' no' be young, as a Kaldorey, I dinna mean ta assume. Ah." She trails off, a blush forming on her cheeks.

Drahan chuckles, and tells Celaven the price of the wall hanging, a reasonable 80 silver, pulling the wall hanging off its display.

Sandy waits patiently for the three eggs to be ready to be carried away and eaten until he hears a familiar calling him out. Oranna!

He waves at her but stays put, waiting for his food to be ready. Once it's done, he grabs whatever container they were put into, throws coins on the stall (he's not certain if he paid using gold or silver coins, but Sandy's got his priorities). He runs to his dwarven friend, beaming. "Hi Oranna! It's been so long!"

He then turns to Celaven and offers him a huge smile too. "And hi to you too!"

Celaven happily gives Drahan the 80 silver without haggling, and packs the wall hanging with a careful reverence.

To Oranna, he adds quietly with a grin, "I am rather young, by the way I count these things. Only a few centuries."

After Sandy runs up and greets them both, he says cheerfully, "Hello! Are those eggs a specialty of the region?"

Sandy shrugs, and starts messily devouring one of the eggs. After a few bites and after wiping some yolk off of his face with his sleeves, he says: "I have no idea, but they're delicious!"

Oranna laughs at Celaven's 'youth' but nods. "Oh aye, a wee Kaldorey babe ye are. Dinna mind me, jus' a mere fetus o' 92." She blinks oddly with both eyes in an attempt at a wink.

At Sandy's arrival, she grins and shakes her head fondly. "Oh, aye, bit o' an unusual thing here. Fair certain they're Wildkin eggs. They've go' some o' them here, fer some reason. Th' Wildkin I mean. They're native ta yer land, though, as I understand it." She pulls out a cloth napkin from one of her large bags and offers it to Sandy. "Careful now, lad. Dinna want ta get tha' on yer nice shirt. Wha' would Cress say?"

Celaven's eyes go a little wide at that description, and his smile falters. "Wildkin eggs? I… I suppose it is a cultural thing. I'm sure there's other food to choose from."

Sandy stares at the eggs after learning that they're from Wildkins. He frowns a little. Didn't Auralind mention that those were sacred, or something? He waits for Celaven's reaction before eating anymore of those. He doesn't want to give Kaldorei anymore reasons to dislike him! Once Celaven gives his "approval", Sandy goes back to eating a few bites of the eggs.

The warlock then looks at his sleeves, now full of yolk. "Uuh, maybe… Maybe Cress would be inspired to make a yellow and white shirt? It's not that bad!"

He grins as he gratefully takes the napkin that Oranna offers him and wipes some of the food of his face again.

Oranna nods. "Oh, aye. I'm no' one fer eggs in general. If yer lookin' fer somethin' o' th' vegetable way, Michaeala down th' way sells a lovely fried zucchini an' winter squash. She makes them righ' ta order, so they're a good treat fer a colder day." Oranna gestures down the path, pointing to the right side. "I wouldna mind some, myself. I can show ye, if ye've a mind ta it." She holds out a hand to Celaven. "Oranna, Oranna Stormbreaker. An' this lad here's Sandy Spelbond, wearin' a Cressidha Aspenwood original, who I am sure could make a yellow an' white shirt if she pleased, but probably wouldna make it look like spilled yolk." Her voice is light and joking, and her face shows her affection easily.

"Oranna Stormbreaker, Sandy Spellbond, Cressid… oh!" Celaven's ears perk up again. "I think we're colleagues! I moved here to meet more people in Cobalt, after working in Kalimdor for a time. I'm Celaven Evensong, pleased to meet you."

Oranna lights up and laughs. "Oh! I'd say wha' are th' odds, but these days it seems tha' Elo's managed ta hire half o' Azeroth ta Cobalt. I've been takin' a break from some o' th' bigger jobs, an' havena met some o' th' newest recruits. It's good ta meet ye. Elune-adore," she adds, her accent flavoring her Darnassian just a smidgen, her 'r' rolling just ever so slightly still.

Sandy gasps. "Oh! I think we haven't met either! Celaven, right?" he seems to be thinking to himself. As he heard that name before?

"Nope! I'm sure no, I don't know you!" he adds, grinning. "Welcome to the Company!"

He motions to offer some of his food to his two friends.

Celaven politely declines the wildkin egg, and says, "I would happily accompany you down to the squash and zucchini chef."

Oranna shakes her head to the egg, waves to Drahan cheerily, and says, "Oh aye, righ' this way." She walks with a stride of someone used to walking with much taller folks, and waves to several of the other vendors as they pass, grinning broadly at one with a collection of axes and hammers of various sizes and shapes, some of which appear to almost glitter with an electric sheen in the light. The stall is directly across from what appears to be more of a little hut with a large window than a stall, where the smell of frying oils and spiced sauces wafts out in gusts of steam in the colder mountain air. Oranna is the perfect height for the window, and leans across the counter with familiarity.

"Michaela! How are ye, lass? Could ye get me two o' yer autumn specials? Make one a bit on th' larger size, if ye would. Kaldorey size, I mean ta say." She slides the coins across as she speaks. The dwarven woman Michaela is a woman with the roundest, reddest cheeks possibly ever seen outside of a children's illustrated book, with dark hair wrapped in a large crown braid. She nod nod nods, and disappears faster than a mouse darting into a mousehole into the back of the hut.

"Oh, thank you," Celaven says, seeing the coins exchange hands. "Let me treat you, next time we meet?"

Sandy whispers "Oh right…" as he realizes what he just offered to Celaven. He follows the two, a bit silently.

After Celaven asks to pay for Oranna's meal next time, Sandy interrupts and claims: "No! I'm paying for the next thing you two want!.." He looks at the stalls around. "What, uh… what would you like?"

Oranna waves a hand amiably. "O' course! Always meant ta try some o' th' Kaldorey treats. Didna get much chance o' it when th' Company was tha' way. Mostly jus'…killed trolls."

Oranna laughs at Sandy's declaration, and shakes her head. "I'm mostly jus' makin' my rounds, talkin' ta folk. We're still establishin' good relations with th' vendors here, fer th' Shop. Bargrimm's got th' mind tha' I make th' better face fer it, but well." She blushes and shrugs. "I do like seein' wha' they've got on offer."

Celaven smiles at both of them. "Then I will make good on my offer someday when we are at a kaldorei market, and I can buy you some excellent spider kabobs or some such. And I will thank you for your hospitality today."

He looks around the stalls. "Perhaps when we have the food, the three of us could find some drink?"

Sandy shivers at the mention of eating spiders. "… Sure!" he forces himself to answer. "That would be… really great! Anyway, what would you both like to drink?"

"Ooooh I remember!" he exclaims, turning to Oranna. "You've been meaning to open a shop! Is that what you've been doing? Do you plan on opening it here?"

"Oh, ah," Oranna says, patting her waist. "I've got my water, but if ye'd like ta try some o' th' finest Wildhammer ale and beer they've got, ye'll want ta talk to the Thunderbrews here. Part o' th' same clan down south, jus' th' Wildhammer branch o' it, but part o' th' family business from generations back, as I understand it." She points to a large white tent cover. "They've go' a couple other on offer, but if ye value yer liver, dinna try th' Darkmountain beer. They mix it with some sort o' other liquor, and it can get a man twice as stout as ye are lad drunker than a Bronzebeard on Winter Veil."

She turns to Sandy and nods a little. "Oh, aye, planning on opening it in Ironforge, at th' house, but plannin' on havin' a bit o' it here as well, likely somethin' much like a stall here, jus' temporary. An' somethin' where we could work with th' folk here." Her face darkens on some thought, and her brows draw in. "An' given enough time, make sure they know th' sort o' good tha' Bargrimm is."

As they talk, the sound of food being dropped into hot oil gets louder, and then quieter as its removed. The young dwarven woman pops out just long enough to set the food onto the ledge of the hut, long strips of zucchini and squash fries wrapped in a paper cone, sprinkled with sea salt. Oranna, apparently used to this method of delivery, takes the smaller one for herself, and passes over the larger to Celaven with a bright smile.

"The people seem fond of you here," Celaven says, "so surely they must also value this Bargrimm. What kind of a shop will it be?"

Sandy playfully narrows his eyes at Oranna. "I know what you're doing! You're making it hard to buy you something, but I will find something for you before the market closes today!"

He nods joyfully at her explanation. "That's great if you work here a little bit! I live here now!"

He then listens to Celaven. "Yeah, why wouldn't they like him?"

Oranna's face goes a little stiff at the mention of the Wildhammers and Bargrimm, but it clears quickly as she beams once she begins speaking. "Bargrimm's a tinkerer, one o' th' best an' brightest. He's been workin' on some designs, mostly how to improve th' safety ratin' o' goblin schematics, an' he designs prothestics. Got himself a leg he built an' designed himself, after he lost one in the First War. Been working on how ta do more o' tha', for those tha' need it. 'Stormbreaker Arms (And Legs!)' fer th' time being."

Azizia gets down from the back of the gryphon that brought her all the way from Stormwind to the Hinterlands. After hearing words of this Farmer and Trader’s market, she knew she had to come here, if only to get out of Duskwood and all its troubles.

The Draenei has her hair in a bun with two curly strands of hair falling to the side of her face. She’s wearing a long, off-shoulder green top with ample sleeves and pink details woven into the fabric as well as some tight black silk pants. A beautiful golden pendant falls from her neck onto the top of her sternum. Even if hidden, the silver and gold bracelets on her wrists cling as she walks towards the market.

Azizia looks and feels a bit overwhelmed by all the stalls. She, who usually loves shopping, feels lost with all the unfamiliar smells of both the food and the Hinterlands itself. She maybe shouldn’t have come here on her own for her first time.

The Shaman just ends up standing in the middle of the market, staring blankly at the stalls around her. Meanwhile, a hundred thoughts run through her mind as she thinks about where she should begin.

"Aww that's such a cute name! It all sounds so awesome!" Sandy smiles.

Oranna goes quiet and walks away from the stall a bit, before continuing. "There's a bit o'…an old history of Bargrimm an' his kin here. But we'll set it ta righ'…eventually."

Celaven chuckles, "Yes, a clever name. And it sounds like a most beneficial goal…"

As he looks across the stands, Celaven's eyes are drawn to the tall draenei woman. He can't help himself glancing up and down her fashionable ensemble, respectfully, of course.

"It looks like there's another visitor from out of town," he finally says, nodding towards the draenei. "She seems a bit lost?"

Sandy gasps as he looks at Azizia.
"Oh wait I know her! She's also in the Company, I think. She Didn't speak common back then, but I remember she took care of me when I was a bit, uh… sick, after the Company's latest party!"

Oranna looks over and sympathy is easily visible on her face. "Oh! One o' th' draney. Aye, probably could use a bit o' help." With an easy stride, she approaches the Draenei woman with a smile. "Archynon Porous!" It's close, anyway.

"D'ye remember her name, lad?" Oranna says to Sandy as she walks towards Azizia.

Sandy shrugs. "I have no idea! I was asleep most of the time!"

Oranna chuckles.

Celaven follows along behind Oranna, giving a wide smile at the draenei woman and tucking a stray strand of his long hair behind his ear nervously.

Azizia turns around to the sound of Oranna's voice, even though with all these people around, she's unsure if the woman is even talking to her.

"Hello," she answers, looking at Oranna, thinking that her face looks familiar. She then looks at Celaven and although she knows she has never met him, something about him looks familiar as well. After that, she stares at the third person of the group and mutters something in Draenei. Something not very polite.

Oranna smiles, and tilts her head a little to one side as she gets close enough to see Azizia's features. "Oh! I remember ye – ah, th' Company party after, ah, things went….ah. Anyway, ah, I'm Oranna, Oranna Stormbreaker, one o' Cobalt's. This yer first time ta th' market here, lass?"

The shaman nods. "Yes, I remember I see you then. I am Azizia, shaman. It is first time here, yes, I do not… know where to start."

Sandy takes a few steps forwards and stands behind Oranna, still holding the egg and a half in his hands. "Hey, you speak common now! Do you remember me?"

She nods. "I have always. And I do remember boy with orange hair."

"I'm afraid I missed that party. In any case, I am Celaven Evensong, another of your colleagues," Celaven gives a small wave with one hand.

Oranna eats one of her zucchini fries, nodding at Azizia, and glancing around the market. "Were ye lookin' fer anythin' in particular, lass? Clothes? Throwing hammers? Fightin' hammers? Regular hammers?"

"Evensong? Like Anareline?" Azizia realizes that if the answer is 'yes' those last names sure can come in handy.

"Clothes is good. I have good hammer from company member already."

Sandy exclaims excitedly: "Right, clothes! That's such a good idea! I'm going to buy you something you can wear, Oranna! Thanks, Azizia!"

Azizia ignores him completely.

Celaven blinks at Azizia. "You have met my mother? How…? Why…?"

Oranna laughs, and shrugs. "If ye'd like, Sandy. I'll ha' ta' turn ye ta th'….ahhh…." She turns slightly in place and seems to be muttering a phrase under her breath that sounds like, 'never eat shredded wheat' while looking at the largest mountain. "North. Tha's where ye'll find Dottie. Nice lass. Jus' make sure ye speak up. She's gone a bit deaf in one ear. She's a fair hand with th' needle though. Nothin' fancy like Cress' work, but good serviceable stuff, with some Wildhammer flair."

"Aha! I have heard about you, then. I helped Anareline and other Kaldorei with problems with magical artifact. Scythe of Elune," she sighs. "We try, at least."

Sandy hands his eggs to Azizia, who just stares at him in surprise, as he says: "You all stay there! I'll go find something for Oranna and I'll be right back!"
He then dashes away in the direction Oranna sent him towards.

Oranna turns on her heel at that, and gasps. "The Scythe of Elune! Ye know wha' it is then, an' where it's come from? Did ye e'er sort out how it came ta summon tha' worgen of Duskwood?" Her voice is excited, and she's talking much faster than before.

Celaven looks between the two of them, feeling a bit lost himself.

Oranna looks up at Celaven. "Th' Company did some work down in th' Duskwood, an' we ran into a lad who'd dropped a Scythe o' Elune in a mine, an' summoned a fair patch o' Worgen. We managed to do some help there, but couldna find out more about th' Scythe or wha' it was, or how it got there. I tried th' libraries, but no' surprising, neither Ironforge or Stormwind had any information on it. Been left wonderin' this whole time."

"Elune summons worgen?" Celaven looks scandalized.

Oranna shrugs helplessly. "An' some dark riders lookin' fer it, aye. Real mystery, it was."

Oranna looks to Azizia and eats her fried squash while listening intently.

Celaven takes a bite of his own fried squash, which he has definitely been enjoying this whole time, but looks to Azizia. "Did you find anything out about it? Surely Elune isn't the source of the worgen?"

Azizia shakes her head rapidly, trying to keep up with every question that Oranna asked. "I think we know less, now. Caspis - soul mate of Anareline - said it might not be Scythe of Elune. Just Scythe. But we know that Kaldorei priestess, who used for power, took Scythe to Duskwood. For understand it."

Oranna nods at this, looking thoughtful, chewing her food slowly. "Fascinatin'," she says. "D'ye know how th' priestess came ta it?"

Celaven makes a hmmmm sound. "I cannot imagine Elune being the force behind the worgen, but a rogue priestess, perhaps…"

Oranna makes a similar hmm sound at Celaven's comment, and almost absently offers Azizia one of her zucchini fries. "Summoned maybe somethin' similar as tha' one lad up north did? What was his name — Archmage Arugula? No, Argul, tha's th' one."

Azizia shakes her head again, still holding Sandy's eggs in her hands, clearly looking uncomfortable with them. What is she supposed to do with that? She politely declines the zucchini, she already has too much of someone else's food on her plate hands.
"She found Scythe after praying. She did not create or anything."

Oranna eats the fry, and frowns a little. "Aye, th' Argul lad, he pulled th' worgen direct. Been wonderin' how tha' scythe played inta th' mix o' things. Wonder how th' lass got th' Scythe herself, an' wha' she was prayin' fer."

"She prayed for power to fight demons. But she started using magic she did not understand or know where it come from to help, which is… umm…" she pauses, as she seems to be listening to something in the wind. "Which is @!#ing stupid, if you ask me."

Sandy comes back running, holding a folded pair of brown Dwarven shorts in his hands. He hides it behind his back as he gets close to the group.
"Guess what I got you, Oranna!"

Celaven nods, "I know my power is from the Light, and Elune. I would hope that my brothers and sisters in the Light would show more caution than that."

Oranna's face shows she clearly doesn't disagree with Azizia's assessment, but turns and looks at Sandy's offering, laughing cheerfully. "Oh, aye. S'ppose we'll match a wee bit, then?" She holds out a hand for the shorts. She smiles at the shorts fondly, her eyes a little sad.

"Sometimes folks jus' want ta help, ta do good, but they canna see th' difference between helpin' an' gettin' more power, no' after a point. Nothin' ta do but stop 'em, after tha'," she says to the shorts, because shorts understand. She forces a smile, and looks back way, way, way up to Azizia. "But, I'm sure ye could use a break from thinkin' on th' things. Did ye want ta see th' clothes? There's also a stall no' too far from Dottie's with some verra interestin' jewelry. No' Wildhammer make, this one's from some gnome crafters tha' set up here, an' I should warn ye tha' they may no' be entirely on th' up an' up, if ye take my meanin', but pretty ta look a' all th' same."

"I would be happy to accompany you," Celaven smiles at Azizia. "I haven't been to that side of the market yet, myself."

Azizia basically throws his food back at Sandy as she listens to Oranna. The warlock, meanwhile, just raises an eyebrow at his friend, wondering why she's being all philosophical to the shorts. Should he start talking to his shorts, too? Is that a thing?

Azizia nods at both Celaven and Oranna, keeping what she said in mind, knowing all too well of what she's talking about. "I would love to look at clothes and jewelry, yes! I would enjoy company, yes." She finally looks at Sandy for the third time today. "Maybe not all."

Oranna folds her shorts one handed, and puts them in a bag in a show of dwarven nimbleness, smiling at Sandy. "Thank ye, lad." She nods at Azizia and Celaven, pointing over yonder. "Follow me, an' remember, speak up. Ye dinna want ta ask fer a 'wider scarf' an' ha' her come back with a 'spider scarf.' She makes them out o' spiders. No' th' silk. Th' spiders. It's…unique." Oranna's face says 'horrifying.' The dwarven hunter blazes a trail through the market easily, waving at the vendors she recognizes as she goes, a thoughtful expression tugging at her brows as she walks.

Sandy waves at them all as Azizia follows Oranna with eyes wide open in fear of what she's going to discover in that shop - other than spider scarves. "I'll catch up with you later! I already saw the clothes, I don't need to see them a second time! See you!"

Celaven follows along behind them, curious about these tasty, edible scarves…