KORBIN
And round about his home the glory
That blushed and bloomed,
That blushed and bloomed,
Noting the interest, Korbin let the notes trail off and offered the instrument up to Loren to inspect. The music box was very thin, small enough to fit on his outstretched hand - though Korbin did have fairly large hands - and the tines were almost frail, and seemed only loosely attached. "A kalimba," he explained. "They come in different sizes... it really is a toy though. It's the first instrument kids are given, usually." Most often the only one too. Few had the time and resources to waste on anything else.
Content to let Loren play with it, Korbin took the chance to warm his hands back up.
"Oh? And how is that? Well, it might become your problem if they keep it up. It would be fairly easy to lump all the Launeleyns together and decide we didn't need any of them in Halo at all." Not that he had any such intentions, but the elders were grumbling.
Loren's comment made him grimace, half amused, half grumpy. "And I already regret it," he quipped back. His grin was a bit wolfish; if this was the way it was going to be, he might not be entirely adverse to the whole 'advising' business. "But well... Something that involves the community. With Deepfrost coming, there will be no shortage of things that need doing. Everyone will be busy... but they also won't let you stand alone if you come and ask for their help. If you offer something as thank you for labor, they will take it. If you mention lessons and such while working, they'll be more inclined to listen. You gotta place yourself on equal ground with us, Loren. Physically, socially, mentally."
That was the key. Bow the stiff outlander neck and admit you don't know everything. Show some humility and respect, and it would be returned tenfold. Just look at where they were now; something as simple as respecting a custom was already making Korbin's walls come down. Not all the way, not easily, but it was a start.
Content to let Loren play with it, Korbin took the chance to warm his hands back up.
"Oh? And how is that? Well, it might become your problem if they keep it up. It would be fairly easy to lump all the Launeleyns together and decide we didn't need any of them in Halo at all." Not that he had any such intentions, but the elders were grumbling.
Loren's comment made him grimace, half amused, half grumpy. "And I already regret it," he quipped back. His grin was a bit wolfish; if this was the way it was going to be, he might not be entirely adverse to the whole 'advising' business. "But well... Something that involves the community. With Deepfrost coming, there will be no shortage of things that need doing. Everyone will be busy... but they also won't let you stand alone if you come and ask for their help. If you offer something as thank you for labor, they will take it. If you mention lessons and such while working, they'll be more inclined to listen. You gotta place yourself on equal ground with us, Loren. Physically, socially, mentally."
That was the key. Bow the stiff outlander neck and admit you don't know everything. Show some humility and respect, and it would be returned tenfold. Just look at where they were now; something as simple as respecting a custom was already making Korbin's walls come down. Not all the way, not easily, but it was a start.
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed.
Of the old time entombed.
