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Evening was starting to fall but it was still plenty light out, perfect for doing a bit of crafting to unwind from the day. Aureus set down the deer hide bundle of various items. He wanted to make something special for Eliphas and he'd thought of doing another bowl and maybe a braided leather band. Hopefully the other man would find some good use for them in his spells and rituals. First things first though, he needed to get a fire going. Well, he didn't really need to necessarily but it was a chilly autumn evening and he'd appreciate the fires warmth. Aureus set himself to moving stones about to build a fire ring next to the lake so that he could keep a better eye on the fire. The stones, a particularly flat one, would also be a nice place to set a few things such as the bowl to try and fire it a bit better. He'd also debated burying it next to the fire but that was an experiment for another day.

Rhythm didn’t go out on her own very often, but she took little feather along with her and the two of them walked further north. Eventually the evening lowered over them and they appeared at the edge of a lake. Rhythm knew that at the very least she could potentially pick up some clay to bring home with her. Feather sounded a tiny alarm to make Rhythm aware of the other wolf in their vicinity.

The old woman didn’t often meet a wolf who was disagreeable so she offered a quick greeting. ”Hello, I hope I’m not disturbing.” She mentioned softly. If he didn’t want her presence he could easily shoo her off. However, if she got lucky maybe she would meet another crafter. It was a beautiful evening, she could do with some pleasant company.

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Aureus was engrossed in what he was doing, carefully arranging the stones to get the desired effect. He was so engrossed he didn't quite notice the approaching woman until she spoke. He jumped but soon relaxed when he realized it was just a blind old woman. A very old woman. He eyed her for a moment, suspicious and wary as to what a woman of her age and condition was doing out here all alone. It made him think of childhood stories. Was she a witch of some sort? A spirit in disguise?

Well, either way she wasn't a threat and he didn't see much of a point in chasing her away, especially if she was mystical in origin. "Oh, uh, no. I'm just going to get a fire going. Thought it was a nice night for a fire, maybe a bit of crafting. You're welcome to join me if you want. My name is Aureus."

Rhythm would have been vastly amused by the young man’s internal assessment of her. Being described as a witch would have given her endless joy. Still, he seemed polite and not overly aggressive so Rhythm found it easy to offer him a smile. His answer was easy enough but she did catch the hint of trepidition in his vocals. It was quite the evening, one that would easily summon the spirits.

”Fire is a good idea.” She agreed as a chill ran through her old bones. She was going to have to start wearing a cloak in the next season. ”I’ll accept that invitation, what are you making, Aureus?” Rhythm shuffled closer and made herself as comfortable as possible. ”My name is Rhythm, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

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Aureus placed the sticks into the the fire pit. He formed a square like shape out of some branches that had fallen and then in the middle he laid down kindling and a little bit of dry grass for a starter. The woman introduced herself as Rhythm and accepted his invitation for company. "Oh, a little bit of this and that. Another clay bowl and I'll just see how the evening goes. What about yourself?"

He picked up a piece of flint in his mouth and began to strike it against a piece of metal which Griff was holding. It was easier than him trying to hold both pieces and aim. It took some doing and just about threw a kink in his neck but eventually a spark flew from the flint and started a small fire. It slowly began to grow, spreading from the starter, to the kindling and finally to the little logs formed from the branches.

Aureus moved to the deer hide bundle he'd brought with him and unwrapped it. Centered at the middle of the hide was a blob of clay that he'd dug out of a river bed in Auster. He wanted to make another bowl for Eliphas eventually but he was currently experimenting with a few shapes and depths. He also wanted to mix two kinds of clay together. He had one chunk that was reddish in color and another that was lighter, almost a gray. So he set to trying to mix them together with his paws. He wanted to combine them into something he could mold but he didn't want to mix them completely. Having different bands of color was part of the goal.

”Oh a potter, eh?” Her voice showed her excitement. The old woman was teaching her yearling granddaughter the art. She was very new and Rhythm hadn’t the heart to tell her how much practice she was going to need, but she was determined. Which was enough for the old woman. ”I was planning on gathering a bit of clay from the lake.” She looked back over to the lake, her unseeing eyes lingering that general direction.

She stood up, her tail flicking as she silently asked Feather to lead her towards a nice patch. As Aureus worked on the fire Rhythm padded closer to the water to pick up a bit of material to work with. Carefully she picked up some of the wet material. She mixed some of the wet material with a bit more dry stuff before making her return to the young man and his fire.

She settled down slowly, her old bones creaking as she made herself comfortable once more. Her silver marked paws were muddied but that was fine. ”What methods do you use for your pots, Aureus?” She asked softly while mixing her clay to the correct consistency.

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Aureus continued to work and combine the clay until he was satisfied with the marbling of the clays. At that point he started rolling it into his paws. It felt weird between his paws and he'd probably have to wash them in the lake to get rid of the clay that was cementing itself between his toes. "That's a good idea to use the clay from the lake. Let me know how it works. I've brought a couple chunks of clay I found in various areas in Auster."

He had the clay rolled into a ball and at that point he pressed his paw in the middle to start making the indentation for the bowl. "Well, I first roll the clay into a ball and then use my paw to make an indention in it. Sometimes I add in straw but I want to try without for this project. I'm also wondering i heating it near the fire will make it dry faster. What about you?"

Slowly her clay was molded into a more usable consistency, micing the too wet with the too dry brought her to a perfectly moist ball. She debated her course of action while she worked. To make a pinch pot or a coil pot. Sometimes she made slab pots, but it was better when she had her usual crafting spot. She had more tools back in Abaven to help her make even pieces. ”It’s a little loose.” Rhythm commented as she molded and shaped the pieces. ”Not the best, but I’ve worked with worse.” She chuckled softly while enjoying the heat of the flames.

”Not a bad method.” Rhythm commented as he mentioned his idea for the fire. ”I’ve had mixed results before.” She started, unseeing gaze looking into the fire. ”It dries it well, but I wid up with cracks more often.” She told him as her own little pinch pot began to take shape.

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Aureus carefully worked his paw in slow circular motions, moving from the center outwards until he had a good bowl shape. In his maneuvering the edges were cracking a bit so he ran his paws along the edges to smooth the cracks. If it was a bowl just for himself he'd have left it as it was but he started fussing with the shape, moving and adjusting the clay until he finally had something he was pleased with. He really wanted something nice for Eliphas. Aureus carefully scooted the bowl toward the fire, close enough to get the benefit of the dry heat but not so close that it would dry too fast and crack.

Aureus nodded as Rhythm spoke. "Yea, I've had that problem too. I'm hoping if I keep it further from the fire it will go a little better." He suddenly chuckled and glanced at the woman. "One time I made a bowl and used a lot of straw. I moved it too close and it caught on fire!"

Deciding to keep himself busy while the pot dried and mostly to enjoy the fire, Aureus pulled out three strands of leather from his bundle. They were thin strips of deer hide that he had first tanned and then cut with help from Griff's sharp beak. The strand in the center though was clearly cut with his own teeth. It was rough and ragged but he intended to braid them together into a stronger cord so he hoped that would help. He carefully positioned three of the strands so that they lined up evenly at the top. They were close to the same length though the middle one was a touch longer.

"So with your pots what would you say is the best way to dry them? Have you found a good way to help them hold up against water?"

Rhythm was creating more of a pot than a bowl and as Aureus shaped his craft she did the same. As the man widened its opening Rhythm built hers up, she wanted something she could put a stopper in, perhaps put a bit of her arthritis medicine within it. She worked it carefully, adding a bit of her more damp clay as it became distressed and too dry in some parts. Slowly her work was coming into fruition. The walls of her vase were thicker, a potential problem during the firing process. The young man mentioned his own problems with cracking and Rhythm nodded in understanding.

She burst out in laughter as he described his unfortunate mishap with straw in his pot. She chuckled amusedly, placing one clay covered paw over her mouth as she laughed. ”I’m sorry,” she continued to laugh while working on gaining control of herself. ”I am curious though,” she took in a deep breath, giggles stick wracking her frail frame. ”What did the finished result look like?” Likely it was too cracked and burned to make much of, but there was a chance that when the straw burned out it left and interesting piece.

”One of the best pots I have was an accident,” She explained as he asked about water proofing and drying. ”The fire was incredibly hot, no one could touch it for days. I thought my pot would be dust. It was covered in ash, but it was harder than any clay i’ve dried. It was beautiful as well, I couldn’t see it but the ash seemed to help glaze it in the hot temperatures.”

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Aureus carefully seized the top of the three strands in his mouth, being careful this time to lock his teeth together in a stronger hold to keep them together without severing the leather. He set his paw down on the strands and then carefully made a loop as he set the down. He released the strands and examined his strategy for a moment. Using his paws he carefully flipped the strands over then seized one end in hid mouth while holding the rest of the strands down with his paw to make a knot. There we go!

He maneuvered a rock over top of the knot to help hold it still while he braided since he wasn't nearly as dextrous. "Well… I mean it did look pretty neat. The straw burned out so there were a lot of holes in it but it didn't make a very good bowl."

His ears perked up as Rhythm spoke of a pot she'd made by accident. "That sounds really neat. Do you happen to remember what you did to make it turn out that way?"

Rhythm may have asked the young man what he was doing if she could have seen him working on his braid. She didn’t know how to braid or weave, she was much better with clay. Without sight, using her sense of feel was more accurate on her pots than some kind of basket or rope. She may have had a little luck with braiding perhaps.

Carefully the old woman worked on finishing her little vase, her paw pads were run over the curves and shapes in her clay as she searched for cracks or imperfections she needed to fix before placing it near the fire to begin drying. When she was satisfied she debated about placing it directly in the middle, kind of like the pot she was talking about. She wasn’t sure it was hot enough though.

She chuckled again at his description of his poor burned out pot, much like she expected of it.

”If I had to guess, I would say it was the intensity of the heat. The hotter the fire the more like stone my pots come out as. I’ve never had trouble with them succumbing to liquid after being fired so heavily. The glaze seemed to have something to do with the mass amounts of ash it was placed in.” She explained to the best of her ability, she couldn’t know for sure but it seemed like a good hypothesis.

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus nimbly took the left strand and crossed it over the middle so that it became the new middle. He then held onto the bottom of the strands with one paw and used the other to tighten the braid. He then moved to pull the right strand over the new middle and repeated the steps. It took him longer than it would a more agile creature but he was nothing if not stubborn and determined and so he continued working until he had a full braid. He then tied a knot at the end to finish up the project. It was short, only a foot long, but this was more of a test before he tried doing something even longer.

Aureus felt sorrow brush his heart for a moment as he listened to Rhythm speak about the heat and its effects on pottery. His heart ached for his mother again. This was the sort of thing he wished his own mother had been able to spend some time teaching him. It struck him suddenly that he and his siblings were essentially orphans now. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat, grateful that Rhythm couldn't see him. "Thank you, I appreciate your wisdom and I'm going to try that with my next pot! There's a boy I like who likes to create potions and things so I know he'd appreciate some good waterproof bowls." It felt good to say that he had a crush. This was, again, information he wished he could talk with his parents about.

Especially in her old age Rhythm found herself fitting into a motherly type roll. From Valentine’s mysterious litter to the orphaned young of Abaven. It was good for her heart, and she liked to think her presence was a comfort to them. She noticed the subtle change in his voice but she remained silent on the matter as he went on to give her more of a glimpse into his life.

Rhythm grinned at his confession, he sounded so pleased to say it. The notion of young love brought her warmth in her heart. Even through all of the darkness in their world there was always a spark of hope and one could always find love. ”I’m sure he will!” She agreed, wondering what kind of potions and ‘things’ Aureus spoke of. ”Vases like this one are helpful too,” she motioned towards her own creation as she rotated it for more even drying. ”Have you ever seen a cork tree? When you cut the bark to shape it makes an excellent stopper.” Rhythm offered the knowledge, wondering if the crafter’s interest had thought to utilize such a resource.

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Aureus settled down on his belly to wait as his pot continued to dry. He leaned over and rotated it carefully, trying to ensure that each side would get exposed to the fire in an even manner and thus dry more evenly. His ears perked up as Rhythm mentioned a vase. He hadn't heard of a vase before. He leaned over to get a better look. "That looks pretty neat!" He could see how one could shape the clay up into that shape. His paws were much bigger than hers though so he'd probably need to take a stick or something to clean up the opening.

"No, I haven't. What does a cork tree look like? Are there some that grow here in Boreas?" He'd love to make a unique pottery set for Eliphas. He'd present the bowl as a gift first and then maybe with practice he could present some vases. Would Eliphas like flowers? He could create one without a cork to put some flowers in.

She wondered absently how much the young wolf might have allowed her to pry and she almost asked about this boy he was pining after. He didn’t go on to talk much about him though and Rhythm moved on happily. She enjoyed talking about her little crafts and bottles. They were one contribution she could add that had physical value. Beyond what she could teach or tell the younger generation.

”If I remember correctly, it’s actually a type of oak tree.” She offered him with an amused smile. ”I found a grove close to the Bifrost once. I’m not sure they can handle winter weather.” Rhythm continued before rotating her little pot once more, this time flipping it upside down. ”It’s not a huge tree, but the bark is soft and porous. You should only harvest vertically, if you make a ring around the trunk you will kill the tree.”

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Aureus listened attentively, trying to glean all he could from the woman's knowledge. It surprised him that cork was a type of oak tree. He was used to considering those trees to be particular hard and difficult to work with. He was pleased though to hear she'd found a grove near the Bifrost. That wasn't far from where his pack was located now. If he put his mind to it he should have no problem finding the tree. He nodded as she mentioned to only harvest vertically.

"How do you harvest it? Do you just use your teeth and then shape it to fit the container?" He wanted to know the best way to get a good seal so Eliphas would be able to keep his potions for longer.

Rhythm tried to remember how a harvest went, too long had passed since she’d witnessed it and even then she couldn’t see. She thought for a long moment, he was correct in his assumptions. Shape and fit, ready to go. ”You have to slit the bark.” It was still a protective layer for the tree. ”Then you can simply peel it away from the tree.” She continued, trying to remember if there was a drying process. ”Boil the pices to soften them and shape it how you wish, with something sharp. If you know someone with a primate companion I’d recommend you teach it how to wield knives.” She chuckled softly in amusement.

”Alright young man, I should be on my way before someone starts to miss me.” She groaned as she stood up and shook herself off a pace or two away. ”It was a pleasure meeting you. Good luck… with everything.” She gave him a wink despite her sightlessness and turned to go back to Abaven.