The rope ladder had been a nostalgic reminder of his childhood, a connection to a friend he'd thought he'd never see again when he'd made it. Having Rance laugh to see it had warmed Kel's heart as much as it had the raven's, but in the past week he'd spent with his friend he had laughed and smiled more than in all the months he'd been on Caido prior to their reunion.
LongNight had changed that a little as time had gone on and the darkness hadn't lessened. Kel burned timer candles to mark the days so they knew how long was left (still not entirely convinced the sun would return after the days dragged on without a dawn or moonrise to reassure them), but they were both too used to being active to enjoy being cooped up for so long in such a small space.
It was a profligate waste of resources to light the little clearing, but Kel knew how to render more sap in a way that it would burn on the torches so they didn't have to use his precious supply of oil. Once the week was over they could do some shopping in town to get Rance cooler attire, but there was no denying that he was better padded against the game he suggested, and the wind-spirit flashed his friend a bright grin at the suggestion. "What's he done this time? Stolen your rightful crown? Enspelled your dear lover?" It was kindness on Rance's part to let him play the Sidhe prince, halfbreed that he was, but he appreciated it all the more.
He knew the plants around the clearing by heart already, and he moved to the east to inspect a couple of spear-like branches from a flexible young tree, finding the growth nodes and making two quick, clean cuts with his heavy knife. He stripped away the leaves, leaving two bendy sticks that were roughly the length of 'swords', thicker at the base and narrowing to sharper tips that might risk a papercut at the wrong angle, but were better than anything too thick and unyielding that could bruise. He tossed one to Rance with a grin and took up his stance - what there was of it.
"En guarde!"
LongNight had changed that a little as time had gone on and the darkness hadn't lessened. Kel burned timer candles to mark the days so they knew how long was left (still not entirely convinced the sun would return after the days dragged on without a dawn or moonrise to reassure them), but they were both too used to being active to enjoy being cooped up for so long in such a small space.
It was a profligate waste of resources to light the little clearing, but Kel knew how to render more sap in a way that it would burn on the torches so they didn't have to use his precious supply of oil. Once the week was over they could do some shopping in town to get Rance cooler attire, but there was no denying that he was better padded against the game he suggested, and the wind-spirit flashed his friend a bright grin at the suggestion. "What's he done this time? Stolen your rightful crown? Enspelled your dear lover?" It was kindness on Rance's part to let him play the Sidhe prince, halfbreed that he was, but he appreciated it all the more.
He knew the plants around the clearing by heart already, and he moved to the east to inspect a couple of spear-like branches from a flexible young tree, finding the growth nodes and making two quick, clean cuts with his heavy knife. He stripped away the leaves, leaving two bendy sticks that were roughly the length of 'swords', thicker at the base and narrowing to sharper tips that might risk a papercut at the wrong angle, but were better than anything too thick and unyielding that could bruise. He tossed one to Rance with a grin and took up his stance - what there was of it.
"En guarde!"
