Zi'da 88, 718
It had been several trials since Auya, Lenny, and Lenny's family had made the move away from Rharne proper, making way for the villages. They had arrived in Mistral Village several trials back, having been ferried by a Biqaj woman name Cail. Her and Lenny were now looking for a place to build anew. Start fresh. They were following the river west. She walked in boots, wearing leather trousers and a simple, airy blouse, using her newly purchased metal tipped bo staff as a walking staff. Lenny was right next to her, trudging along, his trusty pickaxe slung over his shoulder, his other axes and tools in a roll tied to his back.
"If we're gonna do this how ya want, we're gonna need water access. Build a dock, hire our own boat."
Auya smiled at Lenny, nodding, "Yup, at the very least. Probably one on either side of the river too. You did say the best mines are on the north side of the river. And we'll need resources from the south too I'm sure. If we can gain an extra footing that way... We'll build this on our terms. No one else's."
The walked through the low, muddy banks, looking here and there for a good place to settle on. But they lacked the expertise, "We need a sailor. Someone who can help us here. You brought your coin right?"
She chuckled, knowing he full well had heard the coins bouncing off her hip as they walked, "So what? We look around, but if we see a sailor, holler at them with coin?"
He snorted, "It's how you hired me."
They climbed up onto a stone overhang. Lenny moved to the edge, sitting down hanging his legs over the edge. "You still up for our agreement then?"
She smiled, "Yep."
He pulled the roll of tools from his back and unwrapped them. He held out an axe, and pointed it at a nearby tree, "Go chop that down. You're gonna do it wrong, but that's fine. Ya need to learn to do it wrong to trust doin' it right."
Auya reached out, grabbing the axe, Lenny winking, "I'll find us a sailor."
Auya turned toward the tree, a middling sized red leafed oak. She'd never chopped a tree down before, but her and Lenny made a deal. They were going into business with each other, and that meant they both needed to know how to do all the work necessary for it. And since she intended to branch out. She was not going to be a simple blacksmith. She was going to build an empire. Touching on many different aspects of life, make herself truly ingrained, necessary, vital to everyone.
Their success would require her to be successful.
She looked at the tree. This was the first step. She gripped the ax tight in both hands walking up close to the trunk. She touched the blade to the trunk, right at her waist's height. She switched the placement of her hands. She kept opening and closing her fingers around the shaft, eyeing the trunk intensely.
She then swung it back, high over her should and back, twisting her trunk in the process. Then she brought it swinging over and downward as hard as she could. In an instant, she found herself tripping forward, her hands empty of an ax and her balance throwing her to the ground face first. Hair caught in the twigs and leaves, all she heard was loud laughter from Lenny. She spit out a leaf and looked up, seeing the axe stuck in a branch that had been overhead.
She sighed, picking herself up and dusting herself off. She yanked the axe free, seeing now that Lenny was waving at someone from the river. She walked over, to see who had answered his call.
