haebin: (04)
[personal profile] haebin
Hey hey, Lovelies! It's Sunday and that means, there is a new chapter to read ;)
I hope you'll enjoy it!
♥️


After two days of countless conversations and several meetings with the mayor of Moonhaven, the Earl Hammond Stonemarrow, his personal advisor and his entourage, the city council and numerous guild masters and merchants from the city, Trálír was grateful to be able to enjoy a moment of peace in the chamber provided for him. He lay on the wide four-poster bed, his gaze fixed on the open fire opposite him. With a sigh on his lips, he thought of the fact that it would only be another Tendays until the winter solstice would begin, the unmistakable sign that the time of ice and cold would fall upon the lands.
Over the Blackwater Lands as well as over Moonhaven, the city-state that lay right next to the northwesternmost point of their lands.
The northernmost part of the city also bordered the sea and ended in a mighty harbor. As this was the most important trading center in Moonhaven, there were numerous guilds and markets nearby, as well as the imposing town hall.
As the majority of Moonhaven's inhabitants belonged to the elven race, the large, richly decorated temple with its various outbuildings opposite the harbor was dedicated to Corellon Larethian, the elven god of knowledge.
In the surrounding area there were other impressive temples for the disciples of Mystra, Oghma or Selune, who could celebrate their faith there or retreat in prayer and meditation.
Numerous streams and canals ran through the city like the veins of a leaf as they neared their destination, the sea.
The countless stone bridges decorated with frescoes gave the city a special charm. In the center of Moonhaven there was a large city park bordered on the Great Library, the university, numerous guild halls, the arsenal, an imposing complex of fountains in every direction, warehouses and markets, all surrounded by the high city wall with its countless watchtowers. Around the center of Moonhaven, numerous elves of nobility and rich merchant families had built stately mansions that were impressive and imposing, testifying to wealth and power. The city guard patrolled in front of every house, making sure that the separation between the rich noble families and the working elves was maintained.
In the outer districts of Moonhaven, in the shadow of the city walls, lived the elves who were neither of nobility nor possessed much wealth. Nevertheless, you could sense the almost regal elegance of these people as soon as you rode through the city gates.
Every building in this city was clad in the colors of warm sand, light brown, dark gold or a soft orange.
Moonhaven's castle, where the count lived, was built on a hill to the west of the city with a sweeping view of the sea and the entire city-state in the opposite direction.
Trálír straightened up and approached one of the windows that allowed him a view of the sea.

It was wild and unpredictable, but several sandbanks softened the waves so that the ships - if they made it safely towards Moonhaven - could enter the harbor on calm waters.
It would be some time before darkness fell over Moonhaven and another dinner with the most important representatives of the city would be held for his father, him and their company.
The sky was overcast, the harsh wind of the sea finding its way through every alley of the city, but Trálír planned to leave the cozy warmth of his chamber to visit the market. Ever since he had left Blackwater Castle with his father and their entourage, he had wanted to visit it. Moonhaven's market was known for its variety of goods and he could hardly wait to stroll through the stalls and decide what to buy. He reached for the black felt-wool cloak and draped it around his shoulders as he left the large chamber, lavishly furnished with the finest carved wood, behind him and opened the door. The two guards standing guard next to his door to demonstrate how important Trálír's stay was immediately turned their attention to him and nodded obediently when the elf told them to follow him.

The clothes Trálír wore today were of the finest fabric, but without ornamentation or impressive embroidery, as he wanted to avoid being recognized at the wholesale market. Many of Moonhaven's elves dressed in the finest fabrics, as they had easy access to the cities of the Sword Coast and their goods through the city's harbor.
Moonhaven's trade relations with other large cities in Faerún were of great importance and this was probably the reason why his father had planned this visit. Trade with others secured their own borders and brought wealth. Even more wealth than they could already call their own.
Trálír walked through the long, high corridor, impressed by the uncountable high windows on which the history of Moonhaven was painted on the glass. As the evening was still far away, the sun shone through the stained glass and drew a sea of color on the white marble floor.
Trálír was sure that Moonhaven, which was quite impressive even now just before winter, would only show its special charm in the months when winter would retreat and spring would announce itself. The many tall trees would turn green, as would the numerous hedges and flower arrangements that had been planted on every corner.

The high elf and the soldiers following him walked down the stairs and Trálír nodded to the elves coming towards them. As he and his entourage of two soldiers stepped out of the castle gate, there were many elves on the streets of the city-state, despite the late midday and the gloomy and cold weather.
And even though this was Trálír's first visit to the city, he knew that he only had to head south to visit the market.
It was enclosed by a wrought-iron fence and had a gate in each direction through which you could enter. Moonhaven was known for its craftsmen's wares such as weapons, pottery, cloth, fabrics, shoes, baskets and ironware. Sheep, ducks, chickens, geese and pigs were for sale to the east of the market, but Trálír's path led him west. His heart skipped a beat when he found the first market stall selling opium, fennel, aniseed and gentian, licorice or other spices and herbs. This was exactly what he was looking for. Trálír walked past the stall with a knowing look on his face as the owner of another stall loudly announced that the books in front of him were only half the price.
His interest was piqued and he strolled slowly to the market stall, nodding politely to the older elf and skimming the titles of the books lined up in front of him. He picked up a book entitled “The Book of Inner Alchemy” and skimmed through it.
Anwyn would certainly be interested in this book.
“The Manual of Bodily Health” he would acquire as well as “On Antidotes”, “On Potions and Elixirs” and “On the Refinement of the Alchemist's Craft”. The elf's face beamed as Trálír opened his coin pouch and placed several silver coins in his open hand, thanking him. A soldier offered to carry the books for Trálír, but he gratefully declined.
Walking past all the ingredients offered at several market stalls, he searched for sublimates, salts and essences, ashes, vitriols and suspensions for using them to create potions, elixirs and coatings.
The soldiers accompanying Trálír gave each other astonished looks as he bought ingredients like Mugword, Acorn Truffle, Autumncrocus, Wispweed, Rogue's Msorsel and Mergras from various merchants, as well as various salts, sublimates, essences and ashes. By now carrying several bags and pouches full of ingredients and the books in his hands, Trálír made his way back to the castle, satisfied.
This would be his gift to Anwyn, as he knew deep down that her cleverness and the knowledge she had acquired so far would make it easy for her to make potions and the like in the future.
Making potions was almost as easy as baking bread. You just needed the right ingredients and had to pay attention to how they should be used.
Elated, he thought that he only had to spend this and the next evening in Moonhaven before it would take him back to the Blackwater Lands and Anwyn.

*****


As the winter solstice was near and the cold season with masses of snow and ice would not wait much longer to break over the Blackwater Bay, Anwyn had decided to spend the whole day near the beach, at the edge of the forest and in the woods as there were still enough wild fruits, seeds, roots and mushrooms to collect that she wanted to preserve for the winter and the long period of cold. Her father would also only spend a few more days at sea, as the waves were getting wilder and more unruly by the day and the currents were gaining strength, so there was a danger that the fishing boat could be swept out to sea. In addition, the constant wind from the west was cold and unpleasant and the icy water was a challenge for the old fisherman when he dipped his rheumatic hands into the cold water to pull the full nets into the boat.

The wide path that wound eastward directly from Blackwater Castle between the sea and the dense forests had the odd fruit tree along the way. Anwyn knew that it was not appreciated when the humans took the fruit, but the winters were so harsh for every creature in the bay that it was overlooked as theft under the laws of the land. So far, no one had ever been taken to the castle dungeons for it, but with the ruler’s fickleness and dislike of his human people, it would probably only be a matter of time. Despite everything, Anwyn now stood among the trees and harvested quinces, which she would use to make delicious fruit leather and quince mustard. A few apples and pears also found their way into her basket.
She would cook them into jam or cut the fruit into slices and dry them.
So far her search had been successful, as she had also found black elderberries. As she had collected a full bag of them, she planned to boil some down into syrup and perhaps press the rest into a bottle of juice. Not only did the elderberry juice taste delicious, it could also be used as a medicine when someone was suffering from a painful cough. She had also collected numerous nettle seeds and barberry berries, which she would use to make jelly.
Lost in thought, Anwyn now walked through the dense branches deeper into the forest. Her eyes glided through the dense greenery in search of hazelnuts and walnuts.

On the one hand, she searched the forest floor for the overripe fruits and picked them up while her gaze also went upwards and plucked the nuts from the branches she could reach.
There would be a lot of work waiting for Anwyn in the next two days, but she looked forward to it calmly, because this way she could distract herself from her longing for Trálír, who was currently staying in Moonhaven. When he returned, they would perhaps have two or three more days together before the first snowfall hit the land.
And then the long period of waiting would begin, of retreat, of isolation. Winters had always been hard in Anwyn's past, but since Trálír had entered her life, they would be even harder as she would not see each other for several weeks.
A sigh slipped from Anwyns lips as she bent down to pick up some hazelnuts and only a breath later she smiled, remembering the days before his journey, building the dovecote and returning a short time later with his carrier pigeon Minerva, who he acclimatized to it and to Anwyn's presence to ensure they could stay in contact over the winter.
Minerva was a beauty, with snow-white feathers and reddish eyes. The pigeon was trusting and extremely clever, cooing happily when Anwyn approached the Bird house and spoke to her. A bright laugh escaped her and Trálír when Minerva jumped onto Anwyn's hand in surprise, making excited melodic noises. Trálír mischievously explained that Minerva was one of the more talkative homing pigeons in the castle’s dovecote.

When an icy breeze blew through the trees, Anwyn unconsciously shivered all over. She was wearing an undergarment and a dress made of heavy wool, thick socks and a heavy and warm cloak to keep out the cold, which she now realized was more of a failure than a success. Her long curls, which she now often wore loose, kept falling over her shoulders and into her face when she leaned forward. She picked up some nuts with her right hand while she grabbed her hair with her left and threw it back over her shoulder with a slightly exasperated sigh, when suddenly a dark voice rang out.
“Greetings.”

(no subject)

Date: 2024-10-20 11:37 am (UTC)
profiterole_reads: (Default)
From: [personal profile] profiterole_reads
Oh no! What an ominous ending!

(no subject)

Date: 2024-10-20 03:54 pm (UTC)
yourivy: (Default)
From: [personal profile] yourivy
Das war wie immer ein sehr schönes Kapitel - ich finde, du bist extrem talentiert darin, Dinge zu beschreiben, so dass man gleich die ganze Situation bildlich vor Augen hat. Moonhaven klingt nach einer Stadt, die ich gerne bereisen würde :)

(no subject)

Date: 2024-10-26 07:50 pm (UTC)
yourivy: (Default)
From: [personal profile] yourivy
Es ist so schön, zu lesen, dass ich dir mit meinen Kommentaren eine Freude machen kann.
Und das mit dem Wunsch, zeichnen zu können, kann ich so nachvollziehen. Manchmal fallen mir so Sachen ein, die ich total gerne als kleine Cartoons oder Comicstrips umsetzen würde, aber ich kann leider auch null zeichnen :(

(no subject)

Date: 2024-11-09 12:37 pm (UTC)
yourivy: (Default)
From: [personal profile] yourivy
Ich kann nicht einmal einen graden Strich zeichnen :o
Ich auch nicht Dx

(no subject)

Date: 2024-11-12 03:13 pm (UTC)
yourivy: (Default)
From: [personal profile] yourivy
*drück*
Ich finde es immer sehr schwierig, überhaupt auf irgendwelche Dinge zu kommen, die ich gut kann :(

(no subject)

Date: 2024-11-14 06:35 pm (UTC)
yourivy: (Default)
From: [personal profile] yourivy
Das wäre für mich heute sogar ziemlich hilfreich *rotwerd*

(no subject)

Date: 2024-11-15 05:13 pm (UTC)
yourivy: (cat_with_pumpkin)
From: [personal profile] yourivy
Vielen, vielen lieben Dank ♥
Das tat so was von gut zu lesen, gerade jetzt, wo ich mal wieder sehr an mir selbst zweifle ♥ ♥ ♥
Ich glaube, ich werde mir den Kommentar ausdrucken und irgendwo hinhängen/abheften, wo ich ihn sehen und lesen kann, wenn es mir schlecht geht ♥

(no subject)

Date: 2024-10-21 06:19 am (UTC)
montmartres: (Default)
From: [personal profile] montmartres
♥️

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haebin

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