Work All Day, Sleep All Night (or other way around)

Another tree fell down with an impressive crash, and Eryk was about to jump on it to start removing twigs and branches. The sending startled him and made him stop, though. Instinctively, he turned toward the direction of the sending, his hand clenching on the ax, just in case the intruder was malicious.

As it was the other treeshaper of the ragtag group, the carpenter relaxed, but just a little.
“Trees fall where they fall, was it a storm or me.”, he said, maybe a little gruffly, as he had been interrupted.

She’s cute., was his first thought, at which he paused. Eryk clenched the hand around the ax handle again, as the second thoughts came in: Oh no.

Now that he had paused the work, and the warm spring evening made things grow and bloom, he could not evade the memories he rather had forgotten. Eryk’s loneliness had grown a lot during the times in the vicinity of the Beacon, and now that he had paused to think, he …

His romantic track record was not the ideal one. If he ever had had a crush on someone, they opted toward someone else more handsome or otherwise capable. If he had managed to thaw someone’s heart, they had stopped visiting or an accident had taken them away. Or sometimes, simply, he was beaten to the punch. Eryk simply was not the kind people picked, and he tried to push the loneliness and hurt away.

He decided to suppress and suffocate the feeling of whatever had made him think she was cute. The carpenter was well aware that the world did not owe him anything, least of all companionship.

“I’ll chop down just a couple of more and do more detailed work tomorrow.”, he then promised to the wolfrider. “With ropes and giving direction, and so on.”

Eryk was not at all magically inclined, so he did not see the glow or feel the magic happening. Yet, he kept his blue gaze on the wolfrider with keen interest, maybe a little more keen than what was necessary. As much as he tried to understand the explanation of pain, he did not. Other than of those who walked and talked.

“Well, a root rot could have stricken.”, he then said, “or fungus, bugs or a skyfire bolt.” He then said, “then woodpeckers after the bugs, more fungi, until the tree dries or rots. And that’s why they drop their seeds, and eventually fall and die. To make room for new saplings and growth.”

Seemingly, that was what Tambri was trying to urge with her magic, as new twigs emerged.
Eryk scoffed lightly at the effort the other made for the thing that happened naturally — but he also realised that others like Danik would have had a gentler approach.

“It’s not like I hurt them for fun.”, he then defended himself, “not all of us are magically gifted, or fit to live in dens and caves. I need to build shelter, I need structure, and the logs will provide that.”
Not to mention warmth of the fire, but he did not say that out loud.

“And I said, I will. Tomorrow.”, Eryk said with a huff. There seemed to be a clash of cultures going on, but he really wanted to get back to work — and take a dip. Preferably in the cold spring river, not in the cave’s hot springs. He needed the cold to cool down his feelings. For some reason this maiden made him feel hot and bothered.

“Look, I’m sorry I am hurting the forest. I promise it will be over before you know it. But meanwhile, I suggest you reside in some other part, because these pines are the best for my log cabin.”, the carpenter then explained and wondered if it had been just Tambri urging new growth after him, or did Juniper also have his mitts in the process. At least the older wolfrider male did not come yapping around and tell Eryk how to do his job.

“Then I will have to build a shed for firewood, round pole fences, shelter for Asi, barn for hay in the winter.”, Eryk listed his plans, “that means a lot of log, and I mean A LOT.”

Well, maybe the felling of the trees was not over too soon, coming to think of it.
“You’re always welcome to come see how the logs are used by non-magic elf.”, he then invited the wolfrider to visit. Haha, fat chance. As if. Yeah right.

“I’ll take back the promise, building will be over later than sooner, I guess.”, he then said truthfully.

The sending and the frustration within were making Eryk’s head ache — but considering his weird feelings inside, it was a welcomed change. Silently he watched as the other swayed onward, clearly struggling to continue.

The carpenter tutted his tongue.

“Ain’t you wolfriders an odd bunch.”, he said with a low tone and approached the maiden, still keeping at least two arms length of a distance.

“I am trying to say, that I will be felling trees for a while, and that you might be more comfortable elsewhere while it is done.”, he suggested, “you see, I don’t know this fancy-schmancy magic like you lot do, but makes sense that you don’t feel the pain when you are … someplace else.”

He looked at the light-coated wolf and pondered IF it knew the way back to the cave complex. Surely it did?
“I think I’d better walk you back to the caves, you might end up in a bear’s den otherwise, or human village, or troll trap.”

Not that Eryk knew it there was troll traps — at this point he might expect about anything.

Eryk took the battering of the sending with silent acceptance. Then, he sighed and whacked the ax on a tree stump, retrieving his coat from a branch next.

“Ask Juniper for a den.”, he suggested as he wore the coat over himself, and could not help but to imagine the two treeshapers together, huddled close to inspect and learn about the local flora, finding kinship and what had you. He pulled the ax off the stump and swung it over his shoulder, trying to push the misery and lack of connection away.

“You are clearly exhausting yourself. Come on, I’ll walk you to the caves. You don’t have to go inside, especially if the weather is nice, but someone ought to look after you.”, he said to Tambri, motioning her and her wolf to follow.

Of course, he could have easily built some sort of shelter for the wolfrider maiden, but seeing how she reacted to him getting the raw materials, the carpenter had his doubts of her being comfortable in a tree house or some such. Oh well, he might as well build a platform in one of the trees, until he got the watch tower started…

“I dunno, he seems to have mellowed out since Greywing and others disappeared. Dunno what’s up with that, though.”, Eryk commented, but could not provide details, since he had really not been interested of the intertribal conflicts and other unnecessary things. The speech was a welcome change and the carpenter sighed in relief.

Although, it seemed like Tambri had over-exerted herself; he stopped and watched the maiden going to the wolf, but … not climbing on it to ride?
He watched, then cocked his head to the side as if to say ‘well?’

“Huh.”, he breathed out loud at the scene. Then looked at the wolf, then at the maiden.
“You gonna carry her, if I pull her on your back or?”, he asked the wolf, although Eryk had his suspicions that the wolf heard only “uuu ooaa aeeyyy hh” and understood speech even less, unless he said ‘food’. He knew that Wolfriders had a better bond and some way of communicating with their bonds, but he had a hunch that the wolves back at home understood the word ‘treat’ for certain.

“Hey, Tambri, want me to push you on wolfback or should I carry you?”, he then asked the maiden.