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edenfallingObserve the productivity of a bored Liz:
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A Beautiful Friendship
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"There you go, bird-girl -- the University," Marcan said, waving his hand at the imposing stone building running around three sides of this square. "Just knock on the door, tell them you'll trade Snowtalk for a place to stay and someone to teach you proper Common."
"Thank you," Ekanu murmured, clutching her bag tightly as the reality hit her. She was in Estara, the great city of the southern lands, and unless she wanted to make bead-work for the traders, this University was her only way to find honorable housing.
"Drop by the warehouses sometime," Marcan said, clapping her on the shoulder. "Tell us how you're doing -- if you want to get away, we'll hire you."
"Oh. Thank you." Ekanu steeled herself against her sudden wish to take him up on that offer -- she was a daughter of the First People and she had faced far worse than a stone building.
She nodded to Marcan, walked forward, and knocked on the iron-bound door.
"Just a minute!" a voice called from inside, and there was a series of clattering thumps. The door swung open, revealing a disheveled boy with brown hair flopping into his face. "Welcome to the Estara chapterhouse of the University the home of knowledge my name is Denifar Rollesdun how may I help you?"
Ekanu blinked. She understood more Common than she could speak, but she'd grown accustomed to the slower, drawling accent of the traders, not this breathless jumble. "More slow, please?" she asked tentatively.
The boy shook himself into full awareness and peered at her. "Oh! You must be a foreigner -- sorry I talk so fast. I'm Denifar, and I'm on door duty this afternoon. Do you have an appointment with any of the Masters?"
Ekanu shook her head. "I come from north, from ice. I want to learn Common. Marcan says I trade Arhadikim -- Snowtalk -- for sleep and food."
"Soro Sura live again, you're a Snow Person!" Denifar leaned forward, curiosity lighting his face. "I always thought the traders were pulling our legs, saying people lived up where it's always frozen. What's it like?" He paused. "Oh, and what's your name?"
"Our land is cold," Ekanu said truthfully, "and beautiful. I am Sulila Ekanu sur Shima nem Koshva. I want trade for sleep and food."
"Huh. Well, it would be cold if it's all ice," Denifar said, slouching against the doorframe and shoving a hand in his pocket. "You'll have to talk to the Masters about your arrangements, but I bet they'll give you anything you want if you'll teach someone Snowtalk. Follow me... what was your name again?"
"Sulila Ekanu sur Shima nem Koshva."
It was Denifar's turn to be overwhelmed by a rush of syllables. "Sorry, I didn't catch that." His eyes lit up again. "They say a lot of barbarians have names that mean things -- like words, not just names. Does yours mean anything?"
"My people not barbarians," Ekanu said firmly, having had quite enough of that misapprehension during her journey south. "But my name is words. I Listen, once Laughter, once Bright Like a Star, of Thousand Birds family."
Denifar cocked his head. "So your name right now is I Listen?"
"Yes."
"What's that in your language?"
"Ekanu."
Denifar nodded to himself. "So without your old names, you're Ekanu Thousandbirds. Do you mind if I call you that? It gets the first part right, at least." He grinned hopefully.
Ekanu consider this. Her name would most likely be mangled some way or other, and as Denifar said, at least this version kept her chosen name accurate. And the switched order would be easier for these people to remember. "Ekanu Thousandbirds. I keep for now."
"Great!" Denifar said. "Now I can introduce you to the Masters, instead of just saying, 'Hey, a girl from the Snow People showed up and wants a place to stay.' Follow me -- they'll sort out how to trade languages, and I'll get you a room and something to eat." He motioned Ekanu through the doorway, into the shadowy interior of the building.
Sparing a final wave for Marcan, who'd waited patiently through her conversation, Ekanu followed Denifar into her new home.
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Finished transcribing the Dueling Club scene. Oh, I have plans for that scene... evil, evil plans. Muahahahaha!!! *ahem*
It's funny. When I'm depressed, I torture Ginny. When I'm bored, I torture Ginny. And when I'm happy... well, I still torture Ginny. Man, I'd feel really mean about that if I didn't know she's fictional.
I'm much nicer to Ekanu. Usually. But then, I haven't figured out the details of some of the uglier parts of her life. Like the crash-and-burn disaster that is her attempted romance with Denifar, in their early twenties.
---------------------------------------------
A Beautiful Friendship
---------------------------------------------
"There you go, bird-girl -- the University," Marcan said, waving his hand at the imposing stone building running around three sides of this square. "Just knock on the door, tell them you'll trade Snowtalk for a place to stay and someone to teach you proper Common."
"Thank you," Ekanu murmured, clutching her bag tightly as the reality hit her. She was in Estara, the great city of the southern lands, and unless she wanted to make bead-work for the traders, this University was her only way to find honorable housing.
"Drop by the warehouses sometime," Marcan said, clapping her on the shoulder. "Tell us how you're doing -- if you want to get away, we'll hire you."
"Oh. Thank you." Ekanu steeled herself against her sudden wish to take him up on that offer -- she was a daughter of the First People and she had faced far worse than a stone building.
She nodded to Marcan, walked forward, and knocked on the iron-bound door.
"Just a minute!" a voice called from inside, and there was a series of clattering thumps. The door swung open, revealing a disheveled boy with brown hair flopping into his face. "Welcome to the Estara chapterhouse of the University the home of knowledge my name is Denifar Rollesdun how may I help you?"
Ekanu blinked. She understood more Common than she could speak, but she'd grown accustomed to the slower, drawling accent of the traders, not this breathless jumble. "More slow, please?" she asked tentatively.
The boy shook himself into full awareness and peered at her. "Oh! You must be a foreigner -- sorry I talk so fast. I'm Denifar, and I'm on door duty this afternoon. Do you have an appointment with any of the Masters?"
Ekanu shook her head. "I come from north, from ice. I want to learn Common. Marcan says I trade Arhadikim -- Snowtalk -- for sleep and food."
"Soro Sura live again, you're a Snow Person!" Denifar leaned forward, curiosity lighting his face. "I always thought the traders were pulling our legs, saying people lived up where it's always frozen. What's it like?" He paused. "Oh, and what's your name?"
"Our land is cold," Ekanu said truthfully, "and beautiful. I am Sulila Ekanu sur Shima nem Koshva. I want trade for sleep and food."
"Huh. Well, it would be cold if it's all ice," Denifar said, slouching against the doorframe and shoving a hand in his pocket. "You'll have to talk to the Masters about your arrangements, but I bet they'll give you anything you want if you'll teach someone Snowtalk. Follow me... what was your name again?"
"Sulila Ekanu sur Shima nem Koshva."
It was Denifar's turn to be overwhelmed by a rush of syllables. "Sorry, I didn't catch that." His eyes lit up again. "They say a lot of barbarians have names that mean things -- like words, not just names. Does yours mean anything?"
"My people not barbarians," Ekanu said firmly, having had quite enough of that misapprehension during her journey south. "But my name is words. I Listen, once Laughter, once Bright Like a Star, of Thousand Birds family."
Denifar cocked his head. "So your name right now is I Listen?"
"Yes."
"What's that in your language?"
"Ekanu."
Denifar nodded to himself. "So without your old names, you're Ekanu Thousandbirds. Do you mind if I call you that? It gets the first part right, at least." He grinned hopefully.
Ekanu consider this. Her name would most likely be mangled some way or other, and as Denifar said, at least this version kept her chosen name accurate. And the switched order would be easier for these people to remember. "Ekanu Thousandbirds. I keep for now."
"Great!" Denifar said. "Now I can introduce you to the Masters, instead of just saying, 'Hey, a girl from the Snow People showed up and wants a place to stay.' Follow me -- they'll sort out how to trade languages, and I'll get you a room and something to eat." He motioned Ekanu through the doorway, into the shadowy interior of the building.
Sparing a final wave for Marcan, who'd waited patiently through her conversation, Ekanu followed Denifar into her new home.
---------------------------------------------
Finished transcribing the Dueling Club scene. Oh, I have plans for that scene... evil, evil plans. Muahahahaha!!! *ahem*
It's funny. When I'm depressed, I torture Ginny. When I'm bored, I torture Ginny. And when I'm happy... well, I still torture Ginny. Man, I'd feel really mean about that if I didn't know she's fictional.
I'm much nicer to Ekanu. Usually. But then, I haven't figured out the details of some of the uglier parts of her life. Like the crash-and-burn disaster that is her attempted romance with Denifar, in their early twenties.
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Date: 2004-09-12 11:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-12 04:30 pm (UTC)