(linked to this event)
A bell jingled as the door to Shining Star Glassworks opened. Nelian hurried out from a storeroom to take her place behind the counter. "Good morning, s- oh!" Her greeting cut off with surprise as the man turned to look at her, a wry grin on his face. "Mister Whitemane! I didn't expect you in so early!"
"Good morning to you, as well." Ciarth nodded to her and resumed his walk through the shop, looking over the glassware with an appraising eye.
Noting that her master wore more formal attire rather than his usual shop wear, the journeyman glassmith gave him a quizzical look. "Going to the temple this morning, sir?"
He turned and blinked, then looked down at himself and chuckled. "No, I....didn't give it much thought. I suppose it's a bit much, but....well, never mind that." Glancing back at Nelian, he regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "Do you enjoy working with me, lass" Am I a fair employer?" Seeing her moment of hesitation, he waved a hand. "No fears, I won't hold what you say against you."
"Well," she began, and then paused a moment before continuing, "you don't push us too hard in our work, and you pay a good wage. You're a skillful master in the craft, and we've all learned much, the apprentices and myself."
"You make me sound as flawless as this piece of crystal."
That made Nelian grin a little. "You always said flattery would get us everything." Then she cocked her head to one side. "You never talk about yourself at all, though. The rest of us here, we share meals and talk of our families, our dreams....but you always shy away from such things. I've never understood why." Then the bell jingled again, as a young couple came inside. "Excuse me, sir." She approached them with a welcoming smile. "Good morning, gentles! How can I help you today?"
"He doesn't remember." The words were spoken softly, under his breath, as Ciarth strolled past shelves of snowglobes, each containing small figurines of blown and tinted glass. "He's forgotten, and he's happy."
A short while later, after the couple had made their selection of some fine crystal goblets and left, Nelian came over to find him standing by the wind chimes in the window. He had gently tapped the pendulums to set them in motion, and was standing with eyes closed, listening to the soft tinkling sound. "Mister Whitemane," she asked, "are you all right?"
"Hmmm?" He opened one eye, and then the other, looking down at her. "I am, yes, thank you. It's just....this is a good life, day to day, shaping glass into delicate artwork. Sometimes, sometimes I dream of another life, doing grand and amazing deeds." His mouth shaped itself into a melancholy smile. "This place being what it is, Rhy'din I mean, I'm sure that somewhere out there in all the myriad ways, there's a version of me that has gone done just that. Toppled dark wizards or saved whole cities from destructions....but despite such wonders and glories, that Ciarth will never know the peace and calm of a simple life. For that, I would pity him." Then he turned to face Nelian, his expression cheerful again. "Well, I should be on my way. You'll see me this afternoon, m'dear. Take care of this place until then!" Flashing a grin, he headed outside into the Rhy'din sunlight.
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Nelian looked up from her customer as the bell jingled, and smiled as she spied Ciarth entering the shop. He was dressed in his usual tunic and leathers, and snagged an apron off the hook as soon as he was behind the counter. "Afternoon, Nelian."
"Afternoon, sir." Opening the till, she slipped the coins in and handed the customer his receipt. thanking him for his patronage. Then she turned to look at her boss with a grin. "Done with the temple, then?"
Pausing in the midst of tying apron strings, he raised one eyebrow at her in a quizzical look. "Pardon?"
She blinked back at him. "You stopped by the shop this morning, not long after I opened up, looking like you were going to temple services."
"Unless you opened the doors late, lass, I was still in the midst of my breakfast at that point." Chuckling, he shook his head and gestured towards the storeroom. "Check on our supplies of white sand. I've got that order of stemware to fill for Nicole's Bistro, and I don't want to use second-rate materials." Seeing that she was still standing there, staring at him, he raised his hands and gestured for her to move along, a glint of amusement in his eyes. Once she was about her assigned task, he paused a moment, as if daydreaming, and then shook his head again. "Silly dreams."
A bell jingled as the door to Shining Star Glassworks opened. Nelian hurried out from a storeroom to take her place behind the counter. "Good morning, s- oh!" Her greeting cut off with surprise as the man turned to look at her, a wry grin on his face. "Mister Whitemane! I didn't expect you in so early!"
"Good morning to you, as well." Ciarth nodded to her and resumed his walk through the shop, looking over the glassware with an appraising eye.
Noting that her master wore more formal attire rather than his usual shop wear, the journeyman glassmith gave him a quizzical look. "Going to the temple this morning, sir?"
He turned and blinked, then looked down at himself and chuckled. "No, I....didn't give it much thought. I suppose it's a bit much, but....well, never mind that." Glancing back at Nelian, he regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "Do you enjoy working with me, lass" Am I a fair employer?" Seeing her moment of hesitation, he waved a hand. "No fears, I won't hold what you say against you."
"Well," she began, and then paused a moment before continuing, "you don't push us too hard in our work, and you pay a good wage. You're a skillful master in the craft, and we've all learned much, the apprentices and myself."
"You make me sound as flawless as this piece of crystal."
That made Nelian grin a little. "You always said flattery would get us everything." Then she cocked her head to one side. "You never talk about yourself at all, though. The rest of us here, we share meals and talk of our families, our dreams....but you always shy away from such things. I've never understood why." Then the bell jingled again, as a young couple came inside. "Excuse me, sir." She approached them with a welcoming smile. "Good morning, gentles! How can I help you today?"
"He doesn't remember." The words were spoken softly, under his breath, as Ciarth strolled past shelves of snowglobes, each containing small figurines of blown and tinted glass. "He's forgotten, and he's happy."
A short while later, after the couple had made their selection of some fine crystal goblets and left, Nelian came over to find him standing by the wind chimes in the window. He had gently tapped the pendulums to set them in motion, and was standing with eyes closed, listening to the soft tinkling sound. "Mister Whitemane," she asked, "are you all right?"
"Hmmm?" He opened one eye, and then the other, looking down at her. "I am, yes, thank you. It's just....this is a good life, day to day, shaping glass into delicate artwork. Sometimes, sometimes I dream of another life, doing grand and amazing deeds." His mouth shaped itself into a melancholy smile. "This place being what it is, Rhy'din I mean, I'm sure that somewhere out there in all the myriad ways, there's a version of me that has gone done just that. Toppled dark wizards or saved whole cities from destructions....but despite such wonders and glories, that Ciarth will never know the peace and calm of a simple life. For that, I would pity him." Then he turned to face Nelian, his expression cheerful again. "Well, I should be on my way. You'll see me this afternoon, m'dear. Take care of this place until then!" Flashing a grin, he headed outside into the Rhy'din sunlight.
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Nelian looked up from her customer as the bell jingled, and smiled as she spied Ciarth entering the shop. He was dressed in his usual tunic and leathers, and snagged an apron off the hook as soon as he was behind the counter. "Afternoon, Nelian."
"Afternoon, sir." Opening the till, she slipped the coins in and handed the customer his receipt. thanking him for his patronage. Then she turned to look at her boss with a grin. "Done with the temple, then?"
Pausing in the midst of tying apron strings, he raised one eyebrow at her in a quizzical look. "Pardon?"
She blinked back at him. "You stopped by the shop this morning, not long after I opened up, looking like you were going to temple services."
"Unless you opened the doors late, lass, I was still in the midst of my breakfast at that point." Chuckling, he shook his head and gestured towards the storeroom. "Check on our supplies of white sand. I've got that order of stemware to fill for Nicole's Bistro, and I don't want to use second-rate materials." Seeing that she was still standing there, staring at him, he raised his hands and gestured for her to move along, a glint of amusement in his eyes. Once she was about her assigned task, he paused a moment, as if daydreaming, and then shook his head again. "Silly dreams."