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| Old Blood, New Connections [FIN]; [P] Bear Cook | |
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| Topic Started: Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:06 am (936 Views) | |
| Shan Orison | Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:06 am Post #1 |
 
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If one traveled south of Gloomwood, south of Calmonah, south of Kellen and even most of the Norwood Forest, one reached a land of hills and valleys by paths wide, small, and needing a ladder to navigate. Here, a series of settlements lived in relative contentment to the rest of Imythess. Here there were no heroes except for the everyday, humdrum variety that didn't save cities but performed quiet miracles so commonplace they weren't notice by the outside world. It was a land of farmers, of craftsmen, and of witches. Walking one of these lazy paths that wound around trees and hills rather than over or through them was an unassuming man in plain brown and worn white. He was tall and gangly, with long auburn hair he had tied back with a leather thong as he read from a book. Upon his back was a mostly empty old bag and a oddly shaped case, both carried with the ease given to familiar burdens. The man flipped between two sections of the book, one filled with beautiful illustrations and calligraphy, the other with the hen scratches of a practical writer only making notes for himself. Shan may be going to visit his mother, but that didn't mean he couldn't study on the way. When he had finally broken his self imposed exile from home with a skinsharer named Vivianne, he'd agreed to visit home more, keeping in contact with his closest relative through more than just letters. It was more than a bit aggravating for Shan, but it was only fair to his mother, and he traveled a great deal anyway. Might as well travel home from time to time. His steps wound around trees that grew more and more familiar with each step. These woods were a second home to him as a young boy, and the smells and sounds, though only subtly different from other forests, welcomed him home more than every person in Sten's Creek shouting the words to him at once. Not that he planned to go to Sten's Creek. He was more than happy traveling the road until he could cut through the forest and reach his mother's cottage directly. Rumors about himself and Vivianne still hadn't died completely, and he'd prefer to avoid the friendly interrogations of the villagers if he could. A bird chirped and flitted to a nearby tree. Shan put his book down to admire the plain brown bird. Really, all he needed to see was his mother and these woods. That was home to him. |
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| Bear Cook | Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:22 am Post #2 |
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Ban grumbled as he trudged through the forest, searching for the road he had lost, his mother had given him directions to one of his relatives, he longed to know more about his mother's side and reestablish the connection with them, maybe he even had cousins, that would be nice. He finally broke from the forest onto an actual path, he smiled as he checked the sun, using it to figure out which way was the southern path, though luck would have it he might not need to bother, a man a bit down the road was looking at some nearby birds, maybe he knew the area, or even more unlikely, he might know where his aunt was. He walked over, calling out, "Hey there fellow traveler, if you would, do you know the area? I'm looking for someone, I know she lives somewhere in the area but my mother's directions are a bit... lacking seeing as how I had to follow a path she hadn't been to in over two decades. Do you know where a woman named... Annabelle Foster lives?" Yes, that was the name, Annabelle Foster, his mother, Teresa, had given her these old directions and he had set out to find his extended family. |
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| Shan Orison | Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:42 am Post #3 |
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Shan turned when the birds flew off at the sounds of someone else walking through the forest. Shan turned to see a strange, tall man with bright spikes of blond hair secured with a bandana. He had green, world weary eyes, but a friendly grin set off most of the intimidation his large form gave. Shan was a bit shocked by the man's question, though. "Mistress Foster?" Shan asked, using the formal version of the name. "You've come a long way to see her. I can show you how to reach her, if you want. I'm heading there myself." Two decades? Shan's second thoughts noted. That's as long as you are old. Certainly, your mother was a witch at that point, but certainly not one people would go out of their way to see. If his mother had been here recently, sure, but twenty years? That's just odd. Perhaps she impressed her, Shan's optimism said. Who knows? She was passing through here long ago, went into labor, and Mother was the midwife who brought her son in the world. That wouldn't make her send her son down here. He's obviously not with child, his pessimism countered. What if he's out to attack Mother? The rest of Shan's mind stared in silence. Yessss, that sounded better before I said it. It's still possible, though. Then we'll stay out of the way and help clean up, Shan's second thoughts said. "Shall we go? We'll be cutting through the woods up ahead, as a warning. It's faster. I'm Shan, by the way. Traveling bard." He held out his arm for a handshake. "So," Shan said as they started out, his curiosity trumping his prudence. "What brought you all the way out here that a city healer couldn't handle? You don't have to answer if you don't want. I'm just curious." |
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| Bear Cook | Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:02 am Post #4 |
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Ban nodded, shaking the man's hand, "I'm Banagher, wandering chef, you can call me Ban if you like, as for why I'm going to see her, I'm her nephew, her sister is my mother. I come to find what relatives I have and try to reestablish connection with them, I figure visiting my aunt would be a good start, so here I am, wandering around looking for her home, now what about you, why are you going for her Shan?" He would listen to his new traveling companion as they walked. He finally noticed the surrounding forest, is was so much different then the northern forests, this place just had a different feel to it, more wild and in tune, not cut by the hands of man but more like it was sculpted from the hands of mother nature. When they started to cross into the forest Ban smiled, he was at home in the woods just as he was at home in the mountains and all parts of the wild, it was his bear side that made him feel so at home in nature, he was part wild animal, a powerful were-bear, but first he was a chef, a proud chef with skills greater then most, but he was still behind his masters, maybe he could cook for his auntie, that would be nice, sitting around the fire and catching up with family, yeah, it would be nice, all that was left was the walk there and he could meet his aunt. |
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| Shan Orison | Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:22 am Post #5 |
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They were just entering the shortcut through the woods when Banagher, wandering chef, dropped the grandfather of all cannonballs on Shan. He stopped dead in his tracks, his frozen brain working furiously under the surface. "Your aunt?" he managed to ask. "Your aunt is Mistress Annabelle Foster?" His mother is your mother's sister? But the only sister she has is... Yes, Second thoughts, his logic took over, always cool and dealing with facts free from emotional consequence. Teresa Foster, her younger sister and the youngest Foster. Cut herself from the family when she ran away to marry a werelion, which was convenient since her parents disowned her for running off to marry a werelion. She's been missing ever since, assuming to be living in her own version of happiness with the werelion's pride. Does that mean he's part werelion? his curiosity asked. That would be wicked. Yes, yes it would, but the important thing here is... Shan's second thoughts began, trailing off as Shan began to speak. "Is...Is your mother named Teresa, perchance? I'm only asking because, well, I'm going to see Mistress Foster because, well, I promised her I'd visit home more..." He decided to stick out his hand again. "Hello, I'm Shan Orison, son of Annabelle Foster." |
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| Bear Cook | Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:35 am Post #6 |
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Ban gave him an odd look, how did he know his mother's name, when he reintroduced himself as the son of Auntie Annabelle, Ban laughed, shifting into his hybrid form from sheer joy, picking up Shan like a doll and hugging him, hoping he wasn't crushing his cousin, he put him down, standing tall, now easily seven and a half feet tall, "It's good to meet you cousin, and yes, my mother is Teresa, but she changed her last name to Burklin once she married my father. I can't believe me and my brothers have a cousin, and a bard no less, please tell me about your travels as we go, I would like to know as much as I can about my family." He noticed Shan seemed... smaller, then before, that's when he noticed he had shifted, his body covered in brown fur and his normally loose clothes tight on his heavily muscled body, he chuckled as he shifted to his humanoid form, "Sorry about that, when I get to excited I shift forms, I almost gave you a real bear hug if I shifted into my bear form." He rubbed the back of his head, he was so excited, he had a cousin, family that wasn't obsessed with fighting and killing and defending the honor of the monastery, but that could wait, he waited to follow his cousin and hear about his life. |
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| Shan Orison | Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:52 am Post #7 |
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"Ooof," Shan huffed as Ban suddenly turned to grab him in a torso crushing hug strong enough to lift Shan from the forest floor. "Nice to meet you," he managed to squeeze out before the cook let him back down. Ban was excited to meet Shan, it seemed, and was more than excited to learn more about him. So excited he sprouted dark fur and grew another foot and another dozen pounds or so of muscle...wait, what? Ban looked bashful and shrank back to a more human shape. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "When I get too excited, I shift forms. I almost gave you a real bear hug if I shifted into my bear form." "That's alright..." Shan said, computing this new information. "Just a bit...surprising." He regained his breath. "Um, I can tell you a bit, if you want," he said, continuing through the woods. "Though most of it could be summed up with 'I reach a town, I play for a room and a meal, two sometimes, I hear the local news and stories, and I move on to the next town.' I find room and board more profitable than money. In cities I perform in the streets or an inn if I can swing it, make enough to get by, then spend it all before I leave. Sometimes other things happen, but um..." Shan trailed off. Outside of a bardic tale, he never enjoyed sharing tales of his adventures, even to his mother, though he suspected she knew about them anyway. "Well, I'm a bit surprised to find out you're a...um...you can change to a bear, to be frank. I don't know a lot about my Aunt Teresa, but I always heard she eloped with a...well, a werelion. Probably I misheard, though." |
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| Bear Cook | Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:12 am Post #8 |
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Ban nodded, listening to how most of his travels were actually quite a bit like his own, instead of performing switch that out with cooking, he also carried around his pack filled with odds and ends for cooking. When he heard that Shan thought his mother married a were-lion Ban frowned, "That was my mother's first husband, he died protecting her and his son, my elder brother, Shishio, she remarried, this time marrying a were-tiger, he was murdered and he was the father of my other older brother, Tenzho, now she is married to my father, he's alive and well, he brought us to a monastery in the mountains made for were-creatures, we were raised there, but I can tell you all about that when we meet Auntie." He followed Shan for a while, still admiring the forest, he looked to Shan. "My mother doesn't like to dwell in the past to much, she's mourned for both of her dead husbands, grandpa helped out with that... oh, he's not our grandfather by blood, he found momma when she was crying at her first husband's grave, helped her get back on her feet, even adopted her as his own child, he helped raise Shishio, Tenzho, and myself when our fathers couldn't, he's very close family. Though he really only has us as a family." He smiled as he walked, this was the first time he was having a normal conversation with his family, usually it ended up with him talking about cooking, martial arts, or how he should be having kids so his mother can be a grandmother, this was a nice change of pace. |
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| Shan Orison | Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:37 am Post #9 |
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"Oh," Shan said, feeling awkward about bringing that up. "Sorry, but I didn't hear much about Teresa after she left. She, um, wasn't popular with my maternal grandfather. Granny Foster wouldn't have minded, but she died in a storm a few years before, so it was his word that ruled in the house. He's dead now, of old age, so you don't have to deal with him. My uncle Brendon, though, um..." He took a deep breath. "Grandpa Foster wasn't pleased with your mother, and, well, our uncle Brendon doesn't agree with him..." Shan shook his head as he moved a small branch aside. "Sorry, I'm still rather shocked by the coincidence. I mean, a new cousin out of nowhere? I'm just...well..." Shan realized there was no nice way to phrase his paranoia, so he chose bluntness. "I've met people out to trick me before, is all, so if you're lying and are after my mother, it'd be wiser for you to leave now. Sorry, I just need to get that out in the open now. Your story is detailed enough that it's probably true, but I still worry." Pissing off the werebear, Shan's inner critic said. That sounds wise. |
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| Bear Cook | Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:59 am Post #10 |
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Ban nodded slowly, it was true, he had seen people out to hurt his father and had tried to trick him to get to the mountain of a were-bear, though Ban usually could destroy them in hand to hand combat, which meant they were lying, father's friends had to be strong or else they would be ignored, it was the kind of man he was, the strong survive, the weak leech off the strong. Ban shrugged, "If you were tricked before it's understandable, people have done the same to try and kill my father... so I test them the only way I know my father would approve of, fighting. I beat them with my martial arts, if I deem them strong I tell them where my father is, if I find they are weak, then I know they are not his friend." Ban kept up his pace, staying just behind and to the side of Shan. Ban started to rack his brains, his mother hadn't even mentioned what his auntie did, maybe he should ask Shan. He turned to him, "What does Auntie Annie do anyway, momma never spoke of her much, said it was a secret, something she shouldn't spread around, so I don't know anything besides Auntie has the same eyes as momma, the same eyes we have." He chuckled as he just realized this, they both had their mother's green eyes, even further proof they were related, though he hoped they would make it to Auntie Annie's house soon, he wanted for them to sit down and talk, maybe even let Ban use her kitchen to cook a meal, that would be nice. |
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| Shan Orison | Mon Oct 31, 2011 3:22 am Post #11 |
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Shan blinked, truly looking at Ban's eyes for the first time. He'd immediately believed the man when he said he was related to Shan at first, only doubting when he'd thought about it. Now he saw what his subconscious registered. Ban's eyes were his mother's eyes, were his eyes, green eyes that went back, if Shan could believe it, to his great-grandmother Foster. His hair might be his fathers, but those eyes were pure Foster. "You have a point with the eyes," was all Shan said aloud. "And I was only worried about you tricking me to get to Mother because of our location. Normally, I'd assume you were tricking me for other reasons. And, if it's all the same, I'd rather not fight you. You almost crushed me when you were being affectionate." Shan tried to play it off as a joke, but it was true. In physical combat, Shan was no match for Ban. "I can understand why Teresa wouldn't share Mother's profession. I've found it best not to mention it outside of the hills either, since it has rather negative connotations in most of Imythess. What Mother does, just to set the framework, is act as a healer, a midwife, an adviser, and a settler of disputes in Sten's Creek. There are women like her in most of the valleys around here. They can be meddlesome busybodies, but they're the ones people turn to when they need help. That's why I called her 'Mistress Foster' earlier. She's in a profession that demands respect, though, well, I'm sure the son of her lost sister is going to get a lot of leeway in that department. "What she is...is a witch, and I'm sure she can confirm your story far better than I could. She uses magic as little as possible, as most witches do, but she experiments a lot more than others..." A thought suddenly dawned on Shan. "And, um...She had an accident when I was fifteen or so, so...well, as she puts it, her temporal morphic field is in flux. She's working on stabilizing it, but last I was here, it was still...Sorry, this is embarrassing to talk about. Sten's Creek and elsewhere's adjusted to it, but..." Shan found himself unable to say it. "Well, don't be shocked if she doesn't look quite as you'd expect. Hopefully, it won't be an issue." |
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| Bear Cook | Mon Oct 31, 2011 3:50 am Post #12 |
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Ban listened to Shan, nodding his head as he put it to memory, she was a midwife, adviser, and the person that settles disputes, she sounded like a mayor or elected official. Though his eyes widened when he heard she was a witch, his mother had no aptitude for magic so he had never considered it an option, he thought his mother's side would be normal, not something as exciting as a witch. When he tried to explain what had happened to his mother several years ago it only confused Ban, temporal whoosey whatsits is in a flux... it made no sense to him, he had no knowledge about magic, only cooking and unarmed combat. Ban scratched the back of his head absentmindedly, "Well when we get to Auntie's house I can cook for you and Auntie, I can gurantee a delicious meal. As for Auntie's looks, I don't really know what she should look like, maybe next time you two can come and visit momma, I can lead you two there, though it's a bit of a journey deep into the Gwilikith mountains through harrowing tests of strength, courage, and power, but I can pass at least one of them. The other two are about... fifty fifty since one of them is a fight with a were-fang drake and the final test is to push open a giant stone door, took me and a close friend all of our might to open the door and we barely made it through." He chuckled as he remembered Rin, she was easily excitable and as on a very dangerous journey to collect some mystic artifacts, he hoped to meet the girl again, next time when he had his own diner, but that wouldn't be for a while. |
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| Shan Orison | Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:30 pm Post #13 |
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Shan love the idea of food, even if Ban was only half as good as he suggested he was. He tried to keep a straight face when he described the trials Shan would have to face to reach his aunt Teresa, but found his eyes widening in spite of himself. "Your family doesn't care much for visitors, it seems. Would a broomstick help navigate that?..." Shan began to ask. He would have commented more, except the forest broke away to reveal a small dirt path, wide enough for two to walk abreast and not too steep for a small cart to climb. "We need to head this way," Shan said, pointing uphill. "Mother's cottage is at the top." They trekked up the path, curling around a steep section of hill until they reached the top where, deep in the woods, Shan's mother dwelt. The cottage was small by the standards of wealthy homes, perhaps, but in the city three or four poorer families would be living in the same space. It was erratically kept. The door was colored a bright green with shining hinges, and the walls were freshly whitewashed, but the thatch roof could do with some replacing long ago. It was now sporting mold, small ferns, and even a sprightly baby tree. The dirt path led right to the front door, but Shan led them around on a flat stone path that wound through his mother's gardens, each plot designated for a different purpose. The only fence was a wooden one set up near the hill's edge, and it looked built to keep something small from falling though, rather than keep pests out. "This is it," Shan said. "That's the house, these are the gardens. The outhouse is over there, if you need it. Here's the water pump and here's," Shan reached a second door, this one of simple polished wood, "the back door." Shan took a breath to steady himself for whatever he may find beyond and opened the door. "Mother? I'm back," he called out. The back door lead into the kitchen, the most expansive area on the first floor with an iron stone, a cauldron, a sink with it's own water pump, cupboards, and an ice box. Decorative plates were displayed on the top shelves, souvenirs of far off places the witch had been. Herbs hung from the rafter's here, drying out for storage. To the uninitiated, who hoped for something more witchy, it looked like a regular country kitchen except for some of the varieties of drying herbs. A stack of nesting stools sat in a corner, along with a small step ladder. A large, wooden table surrounded by four chairs shifted the one room story from the kitchen to the sitting room, where an overstuffed sofa and rocking chair sat facing a floor to ceiling bookcase stuffed with old tomes. A narrow stairway next to the bookcase led upstairs. From there one could see the other side of the front door, where the front area of the house was kept squeaky clean. Various workbenches lined the walls, and a rollaway cot rested on its side, ready to be used. A hat stand with three different sizes - small, medium, and slightly more medium - stood ready by the door, along with a pair of canes. Shan noted three things missing: the medium sized witches' hat, the large canvas bag that always sat by the front door, and his mother. "It seems she was called out," Shan said, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. "She took her emergency kit with her, so it could be anything. I can't say when she'll be back." Shan looked, listened, and smelled his childhood home. This was a far cry from a place that had you open a heavy stone door or fight a were-fang, whatever that was. "Um, I guess I could make us some tea. Did you want to tell me more about your family? I'm really not sure what to say about mine." Edited by Shan Orison, Tue Nov 1, 2011 11:27 pm.
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| Bear Cook | Tue Nov 1, 2011 11:22 pm Post #14 |
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Ban nodded, following Shan, though what he had said was true, the monastery hated non-were-being creatures, the last time he brought a friend to the place the were-boar nearly tried to bite his friend's head off. Ban followed Shan to the house, it was odd looking for him, it was so... old would be the best term for it, the thatch needed to be replaced, he didn't know how to do that really since his own home had tiled roofs. When they walked into the back door Ban saw the kitchen, it was better then he hoped, he could make some good food in there, when they made it to what he assume was the living area he realized just how small the place was, the entire house could fit into his home's dining room. When Shan mentioned she was out and if he wanted tea, Ban smiled, "Yes, please, some tea sounds great." He waited for Shan to make the tea before beginning, "Well... my father is the Head Guardian at the monastery, it means he's the strongest person in there, to prove how strong he was he used his human form to fight a were-wolf, he felled him in one punch, sometimes they say father is a were-stone, tough as stone, strong as stone, unmoving like stone. My brothers are also accomplished guardians, they keep the peace and kill bandits and raiders that find the monastery. I became a chef instead of following the family's way, only momma and grandpa encouraged me to keep on cooking, I always thought both of my brothers hated me, since grandpa was the strongest elder and he paid special attention to me, even kicking out chefs from the kitchens so I could experiment and learn how to cook. I'm an accomplished chef sure, but not a master, not yet." He chuckled as he drank his tea, perhaps Shan had something to say, after all, he wanted to learn more about his cousin to. |
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| Shan Orison | Wed Nov 2, 2011 1:06 am Post #15 |
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Shan brought the tea over to Ban, who waited until he had the tea cup in his hands before speaking. He sipped the hot liquid as Ban shared a bit about his family, his life growing up, and what inspired him to become a wandering chef. His home also sounded much more grand than the small witch's cottage they currently sat in. Well, Ban's grandfather kicked out chefs? From the kitchens, plural? And his father could beat a transformed werewolf as a human? Shan wasn't certain where to begin with his life to hold Ban's interest. "Well," Shan said when Ban seemed to finish. "Um, I can't claim anything as exciting. I, um, grew up here. I'm an only child. My dad died when I was two, and I got my red hair and fiddle from him. My mom's the local witch, so I grew up in hand-me-down clothes and learned a lot more about birthing and injuries and dealing with the dead than most people before I was fifteen. I got interested in barding when I fell in love with fiddling after getting stuck in a old dwarf mine shaft for a bit over a week and realized I could play and get paid too if I was a bard. Um, the only other family nearby is Uncle Brendon, but I'm thinking we should hold off meeting him. He's still somewhat sore from Teresa's departure, though one of my...our cousins wouldn't mind meeting you. "Sorry, um, that this bit of your family isn't more exciting. I mean, I could share stories from my travels, but I've never heard anything about my father punching out a werewolf or anything like that." |
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