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Spicy wanders into the Freehold Hollow, carrying her heavy duffel bags with her, as per usual and her steps slowly takes her across the whole distance to the notice board of the Freehold, she studies what's written there with a soft curiosity. Once that's done, she pulls out a tupperware container and starts eating what seems to be a fancy salad with a lot of colors in it and then pull a rather large can of Arizona peach-flavored Tea from it too.
Sigrun wanders out of one of the cabins set up here, geared up for war as is her typical attire when in the hedge. Even in this hollow. Her shield is strapped to her back, however, rather than carried. She looks a bit tired, but otherwise in good health. It's been a long few weeks, to put it mildly. Spotting Spicy over by the notice board, she starts heading in that direction, too. Vikings love big cold things, let the record show. "Anything good?"
"Hmm, Stuff about Rats, stuff about the diplomatic mission to other freeholds, Summer stuff, which I'll try to bring food for if I can find the time to show up." Spicy replies between bites of her salad and smiles. "Got some stuff working, a Motley in the planning, things are looking up, in spite of everything." she set her salad aside, stands up and offer a hardy handshake to Sigrun in greetings. "Also, I met with June a little while ago."
Sigrun accepts the handshake without skipping a beat. Midwesterners like handshakes, as a rule. "Yeah, I'm staying out of the rat business. I'm still recovering from dealing with Robin. And all the fallout from that. So." So no big knock down drag outs for a while, apparently. "What's the motley you're working on? That's awesome news. And June is the best. She's also the most terrifying of all of us, don't let her adorable face and adorable everything else fool you."
"She showed me the suit of armor you made for her." Spicy nods and return to her seat, resuming her eating then talking pattern. "I had an idea she wasn't only all honey, but yeah she put a smile on me!" a little joke there that might catch? "Yeah, I heard that was nasty business, it's good to take that to recharge you know? Clear your head, sit yourself down and sort stuff out." she nods. "Aurelio, Adela, Annie and I are going for an art-based group, I am still considering the healer motley, but I'm not sure how well I could deal with the oath, given my abilities to also hurt people."
"Ours is just a big silly found family polycule thing. I mean, obviously we Do Stuff. But we've got no particular agenda beyond making the Freehold safer. Whichever Freehold we happen to be in at the time. I think it's neat, the way these themed motleys are percolating up. It's good for us to have people, and it's a great way to share resources, too. I hope you go through with it, and I wish you all the best." Sigrun turns to also look over the notice board, leaning in a bit to read the smaller writing. "Heh. Yeah. She loves that armor. I'm glad it's keeping her safe from getting tossed around. That little bear means the world to me."
"How'd you meet? Did she travel with you here or did you find her here?" Spicy asks, finishing her meal and then drinks half of the water bottle she gets from her bag. "And thanks, finding something like that is going to help me. I'm starting to get a hang on the weird stuff too, so I'm getting more comfortable around the ideas of ...well, everything!" she grins. "How long did it take you to make that armor by the way?"
"We met in Vermont. Same place I met Teagan and Glitch and Johnny. They were already a Motley, I turned up, Teagan followed me around like a puppy for a while. We shared similar ideals. It was a good fit. We've been together ever since. Been a few years now." Sigrun grins aside at Spicy, "Yeah, there's a lot to get used to. It took me a while to make sense of everything when I got out. But I did okay, mostly. It's still a work in progress, I've found. The Hero business is a rough walk, I'm finding." The question on the armor is answered with a grin and a shrug of the shoulders, "About a week, off and on. When I'm not working on projects-- like right now, because I'm donating my money right now --what I do is make billets. For future swords, daggers, and such. Or cut sheet metal blanks for armor. Or treat leather. Or what have you. The more prep work I can do, the faster I can put pieces together. I'm really just a hobbyist, though. Drake cranks things out like a machine."
"I do watch some videos on Youtube about forging between the cooking ones and it looks like a really, really complex process. Like, small details I'd never think about can mess up the whole thing." Spicy comments with a little nod. "It takes a whole lot of mind to make stuff like the sword you passed on to me." she gesture to her brain and making an expanding motion with her fingers. "I've not met with Drake yet I don't think, I don't think, but it's good that the freehold has craft people like you two, wether they consider themselves hobbyist or pros."
"I think it's helpful! I forged a new blade specifically to take out Robin. And a shield, for that matter. With special attention paid to what I'd need for it to do versus my usual weapon that I carry. It's an interesting process, the design process I mean. And how much different two weapons can be if you create them properly." Sigrun looks back to the board again, frowning just a touch. "I'm not sure what to do with that sword. It's actually quite useful. Very quick, and very sharp. Someone could get a lot of use from it. But it also killed a prominent member of the Freehold, and it seems strange to just give it away. I've been kind of torn. Do you want to take a look at it? Maybe you'd like to replace the one you've got already?"
"I can take a look at it! Sure. I'm curious about the differences between it and other blades." Spicy smiles a little, with more ease than her usual. "And yeah, the designing part is often shown in those videos and sometimes it's hard to stick to it because the material doesn't always quite follow what you want it to do." she rolls her shoulders. "Well, it ended a former member of the Freehold but it also ended a threat to the Freehold, that's also an important part of the history too."
Sigrun bobs her head once, "One sec." Then she turns about and heads back into the former cabin. When she returns, she's carrying a black handled blade in a black leather sheathe. It's a bit wider than most long swords, at least judging by the sheathe. But when she draws it and offers it over across her arm, it's got a clear leaf shape, and is wider near the tip than it is at the ricasso. Perfect for cleaving, less ideal for stabbing, but still with a nice sharp point. "It's a bit heavier than most, but you're probably up for the weight to look at you. It's much faster than my usual sword. And still cuts remarkably well. I could have maybe made it more lethal if I'd had more time and money, but... Had to build her on a budget."
Spicy takes the blade carefully and seems surprised by the weight of it, yet unbothered by it. "Yeah that's a heavy one." she swings it in the air, showcasing that, indeed, she can wield it properly one and two handed. "It's a strange little blade, I keep imagining it's much longer than it really is, but damn, If I get a hit on someone with this, it's definitely going to keel." she says returning the joke from another time they met "If you'd want to let me have it in exchange for the one you gave me previously I'm game." she returns it to Sigrun with a firm nod, maybe a little giddiness to her too.
"I think giving it away and getting it off my mind would help me move forward, honestly. It was made to be fast out of the sheathe, to be stealthy while in it, and to work well in close quarters. We knew Robin was at home, and had a general idea of her home's layout. So it worked really well in those circumstances. If you like getting in close and powering through your enemies, that's a good blade for that." Sigrun slides the blade back into its sheathe when Spicy hands it back to her, only to offer the sheathed weapon to Spicy with a shake of the head, "No trade necessary. Take it. Please. Now that I've offered it, I just want it out of my life. She had a name, but you can pick your own. I don't mind."
"I'll happily do that for you!" Spicy takes the offered blade and takes a quick look at the sheath too, holding it with both of her hands casually. "What's the name you gave it to her? What kind of meaning does it have?" she asks, curious, interested. "And yeah, building on a budget is a challenge sometimes, the result can suffer for it, but it also can be an excersise in creativity." she says, considering the weight in her hands. "Thank you for it by the way."
"Níðnanamaðr," which sounds a bit like Neethdnanmadthr. Which probably doesn't help. "It means... uhm. Outlaw Slayer. Níð meaning, essentially, outlaw. Which has a different connotation in old norse than in English. To be an outlaw isn't to be a brave rugged individualist fighting the good fight. It's to be a wolf in the wilds, living outside the community's law. The duty of every free person being to end that outlaw given the chance. So. It was appropriate. But. It also has a lot of baggage to it, obviously. I won't be upset if you rename her, is all I'm saying." Sigrun tucks some of her hair back behind her ear and flashes Spicy a quick smile. "The shield is impractical for you, or I'd offer it. It's just a buckler. I made it for the cramped quarters."
"Ultimately I think I might try to learn to fight with a weapon in each hand." A roll of her shoulder and she set the blade on the ground and rest it against the nearby bench. "A shield feels a little off with how I engage into a fight." a little shrug "I feel as if that's more to protect me than other people? Probably because I don't know how to use one." she looks around again. "I'm going with a team soon in the Hedge to investigate the weird blight going on, I'm hoping we find something interesting, but I imagine I'll have to keep some stuff away from the group. I imagine something dead is safer."
"I'm heading to Old Iron on a diplomacy mission, or I'd be all about going after the roots. When you get back, let me know what you uncover. I'd be happy to help out in the future, if my schedule allows. We owe it to the Riverfolk. Poor people lost several of their number to the roots recently." Her frown deepens at that. "A lot of people feel that way about the shield. But I use it to protect myself and others. But, as you point out, I've mastered its use. It's a weapon in my hands as much as my sword is, and I know how to exploit it in combat. But I'm mostly a defensive fighter anyway. Get you in close, stop you with my guard, and tear your shit up. It's an effective tactic if I can draw in a lot of attention."
"I think it's a question of playing to our strengths there. I'm an Ogre, there's satisfaction in how hard I can hit." she grins a little bit there, flexing her fingers a little bit and with a shrug. "And I did start to accompany people home when they want me to." She smiles. "Keep 'em safe and sound and stuff, there's fun in that too, so I guess that's where my protective streak is." She seems thoughtful for a moment. "Do you know if there's any sort of Martial position in the spring court?" She shrugs there. "Old Iron? Hmm, where is this one? I know a few peoples are going to Patriarch's tree."
"That's probably true. I'm a Fairest. I relish elegantly carving my enemies to pieces in an elaborate sword dance. I'm not knocking the 'run at them and hit hard' style, any. June and Sturm use it to good effect." Sigrun's smile finally disappears, replaced by a hopeful smile sent back Spicy's way. "Claviger, right? Is your martial role? They're your hedgenauts and diplomatic escorts and soldiers and such. And Old Iron is up in the Lehigh Valley. Bethlehem and Allentown and them. I'm going up there to see if I can't find Enyo Stygia and King Kril of the Kraklin."
"I should probably try to see if there's a space for me in that particular role." Spicy ponders aloud and nods. "I'll look to talk to one if we have one." She scratch the back of her neck. "I've not hung about them a lot lately." she chuckles, maybe a little embarassed. "Yeah I think I heard that name or read it on one of the postings here." she points to the message boards. "Enyo Stygia, sounds like a grim name? Do we know anything about them?"
"They used to be the Sun's Tongue here some years ago. They got into a beef with King Kraklin who challenged him to a duel. The King says Stygia cheated. He shut the freehold to us and is now allied with Old Iron, I take it. Thing is, Sygia is now up in Old Iron, himself. So that fucking makes no sense. It smells fishy as hell. And I want to get to the bottom, there. It feels to me like he turned coat, left the freehold, and took the Kraklin with him, if you ask me." Sigrun's shoulders shrug a touch, "Only one real way to find out."
"Who's going with you?" Spicy asks, curious, taking a seat where she was eating her food earlier. "And I agree, that does sound a little bit like a weird coincidence we should probably be wary of. There's some mystery there that might end up with a dagger in someone's frosted flakes." Spicy shrugs "I imagine approaching other Freehold has to be kind of a careful affair"
"Lucia, Alain, Petra. A pretty solid team, actually. I'm mostly there as diplomatic security. Since I can murder good and also make nice words." Sigrun's choice of words there was no doubt done for humor. "Yeah, it's a touchy affair. Crowns can get egos, especially ones as longstanding as ours. And egos create umbrages. And umbrages make grudges if they're not addressed. Fortunately, I'm from Minnesota, so saying I'm sorry a lot is par for the course, really. My goal is to meet Stygia, pick his brain about the Kraklin, and maybe meet up with them, too. We'll see. Once I get back, I plan to use what I've learned to pay a visit to the Kraklin."
"Maybe that'll be a pleasant encounter with tea and some good food." Spicy suggest with a casual shrug then ponders aloud. "Speaking of, do you know what's the Summer crown's favorite food?" she tilt her head to the side "And by the same token, what's yours?"
"Never met him," Sigrun admits with a shake of the head, "he's a bit of a recluse and a bit of a dick, from all accounts. Could be wrong on that. But. I've never met him. And I figure any leader who's never bothered to meet his NCOs is a piece of shit, anyway." Candor from the Summer. Quelle suprise. "Not that I've sought him out or anything. But I take a dim view of leaders I never see actually leading. Maybe Summer will be different." Sigrun's smile twitches in a manner that implies she's not holding her breath. "Favorite food? Depends. If I'm heading to battle, I eat a high protein low carb meal with lots of veggies. If I'm drinking, I eat a high fat meal with a ton of protein and some carbs. If I'm celebrating, I love a good roast pig, potatoes and mead. For dessert, I love Boston Cream pies. Or custards. I'm pretty much a whole foods junkie, though. So. Your mileage may vary."
"Ah, I see!" Spicy smiles and makes a mental note about the particular of Sigrun's preference on food and quickly takes further notes on the favored foods. "Good to know. And to keep on the topic of food, I have a job at a greasy spoon dinner now. Ask June where she met me, that's where I got the job. It's not too far from my place either!"
"Ooh. I like diner food. When I'm being bad, I mean. I'll ask June and maybe we can stop in! I owe her a date night. Several, actually, at this point, I think." Sigrun glances up at that and notes, "Crap. I should probably go get dinner started, myself. Or they'll just find my credit card and order cheesesteaks again." Grumbling, Sigrun gives Spicy a pat on the arm. "It was good catching up. I'm glad you're landing on your feet. Enjoy the new sword, and let me know if I can be of any help to you, okay? You're cool, and I like you."
"Thanks, that's been a pleasure." She smiles a little bit there and waves her way. She return the arm pat. "You're cool too!" a little smiles "And have a good meal, this was nice catching up with you."
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