Petulant Men

Writers: Chelle, Vix
Date Posted: 27th February 2009

Characters: Tanas, Parale
Description: Tanas and Parale meet for the first time and argue over berries.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 1, day 12 of Turn 5

Parale was on the cliffside, collecting marshberries. They would create a rich, purple dye that she could use for the tunics she'd been sewing. She moved slightly, paying attention to her foot placings as she worked. She was on a small, well-used path, but it was still easy to slip on loose rock.

Humming as she worked, she wondered if she might go find some of the smaller red berries to use for the skirt she'd sewn for herself. As she pondered, she heard footfalls behind her. Carefully shifting her basket, she turned.

Bucket in hand, Tanas frowned as he climbed. This would normally be an apprentice task, but the youngster who had been sent to gather berries for Tanas had brought only a small amount, and many of those were too green to be of use. The apprentice had then pleaded that the berries were not ready and had grown sparsely anyhow. "He lied," Tanas muttered as he glanced about at the clusters peeking from beneath the leaves.

It wasn't hard to spot the man and Parale was curious that a man should be out berry picking. "Aye sir.." She tried to speak up, but didn't know if he had heard her or not.

Startled, he glanced toward the sound. "You – what are you doing here?"

She gestured to her basket as if it was obvious. "Berry picking...And you then?"

He glared at her, offended at her boldness in questioning him. "I need those."

"There are plenty for you in the bushes that way." Her eyes narrowed slightly at the look on his face. He certainly didn't seem a pleasant sort. Unconsciously, she moved her basket slightly behind her, putting her bulk between him and it.

Tanas was startled at his reaction: women simply did not deny men in that way. "And exactly why do you think you need them?"

She thought about saying 'I wouldn't be out here picking them if I didn't need them', but she thought better of it. Schooling her face into the most polite mask she could come up with, she said simply, "To color the tunics I'm sewing and perhaps to manage a few bubblies for my fosters."

He was even more surprised by this. "Color your tunics? What could you know about dyes?"

"Well there's what I've taught myself through trial and error. but my father, he was a weaver, he showed me a bit before he. . .passed." Her chin was stubborn. She had long ago accepted her father's death and she wouldn't mourn any longer.

At least the woman had learned her skills from a weaver, though why the man would have taught his daughter was definitely beyond Tanas' understanding. "You may know a bit, but you're not a weaver. _I_ am."

"Never said I was," Parale stated matter-of-factly. If he had been anyone else, she might have looked at him like he was a trundlebug. However, his rank deserved a modicum of respect so she reigned in her tongue. Still, he was *rude*

He was thrown by her reply but continued anyhow. "As a weaver, I have rights to the materials that I need to pursue my craft"

"Aye well there are plenty of berries right there as I said before. So you just have at it." Parale moved to pass him, knowing she had enough in her basket for her needs.

He edged his body to block her. "And you can pick more for yourself. I'm a weaver and my time is valuable. I can take these and finish my work that much faster."

"As a weaver you have no right to take what is not yours. As a holder, I keep what I have labored on unless I wish to give it. And in this case, I do not wish to give anything." She kept the anger from filling her voice and face, but she resented the way he bullied her especially since she was a decade older than he was, by the look of him. "So move aside, or bless Faranth I shall have a talk with Lord Warder Ishek." Her eyes had hardened to an almost marble and a smart person would notice the way her voice had no inflection, belying her absolute fury underneath it.

The mention of Ishek gave him pause. Tanas had never met the Lord Warder and had no idea what the man would say in this situation. He uttered a derisive snort to cover his uncertainty. "I think that I should talk to him about this situation and let him no just how disrespectful the women of this Hold really are. Until then, keep your berries." He pushed past to make his way back down the hill, jostling her basket as he moved.

She continued to frown as she watched him head down. After he was out of earshot,
she giggled. He'd forgotten to pick any more berries. She bent down to pick up some of
her scattered fruits and then sighed, deciding to get herself back to the Hold. The sun
was out and she needed to make sure Petris hadn't skinned his knees again. "Mischievous
boys and petulant men.."

Last updated on the February 28th 2009

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Petulant Men