ain't no party like a ranger party [open]

[elfstone]

Who| Thorongil and anyone!
What| That great big open party log I promised! Thorongil is taking a different approach to this Arena, and that approach involves giving people free food.
Where| Around the arena -- generally in the forest area.
When| Late week 1, post-Bilbo and Sam )':
Warnings/Notes| Feel free to respond using the log prompt itself, but if you have another idea, feel free to throw it at me in a toplevel! Thorongil will be wandering around the Arena hunting for food, so he could stumble on conceivably anything. Ragnar, Anna, I'm looking at you two especially.

For many of you, this Arena will be one of the most traumatic things you've ever experienced.

For Thorongil, it's Tuesday.

Most nights, he camps with a fire. Reckless? Perhaps, if he were trying to win the Arena.

But that's not Thorongil's goal.

He hunts during the day and cooks what he catches at night: if the firelight doesn't draw in other Tributes, the smell will. It's been a few days. They're probably starting to get hungry.

Approach in the open, and he will greet you with a nod of his head. Try to sneak up on him, and he will hear you. "You'd better come out into the light," he will say, putting a hand on the long, sharp spear he's made for himself. "I know you're there."

Comments

[elfstone]

"Into the light, I said. Come! I won't harm you," says Thorongil, letting the spear fall back to the ground next to the rock he's sitting on. "Did you come for the fire, or for a meal?"

He makes no move to stand, and his hands are resting on his knees. He doesn't look friendly -- Thorongil is notoriously bad at looking friendly -- but while he's a little frightening, he's not threatening.

[reassures]

The weapon is the main thing that has Nill's concern, at least for the most part. Her eyes dart to it again, understandably wary, but now that his hands aren't actually near it she doesn't seem quite as wary.

She finally steps out of her hiding spot, obviously small and perhaps not suited to the sort of environment that the gamemakers have decided to throw them into this time. She lifts her hands at first, as if about to gesture something, but realizes with a small frown that it would be useless. Likewise she has no pen or paper to reach for. In the end she settles for rubbing her arms in the hopes that it's an indicative enough response. The fire. She must be hungry, as are many of the tributes, but she doesn't spare the food so much as a glance.

don't worry about the delay at all! I will backtag into forever. Also, can he see her wings?

[elfstone]

Understanding and confusion cross Thorongil's face at once.

"It is the cold, then," he says, looking at her curiously. "Well, you are welcome to warm yourself here for as long as you wish." He nods at the place across the fire, giving her permission to sit.

It's only when she's settled that he asks the question. "Can you not speak?" The way he asks it makes it clear that he's guessed and is looking for confirmation rather than demanding that she talk to him.

yes!

[reassures]

While Nill makes an effort to still look wary and hesitant, the idea of sitting beside the fire sooner is far more appealing than making a point of showing her distrust. Nill makes her way over quickly and takes a seat beside the fire, holding her hands out toward it to warm her numb fingertips. At the same time her wings spread out a little to let the warmth seep into her feathers. The skin there is so thin that her wings get colder than even her fingers, and she'd mostly been trying to keep them as close to her back as possible to keep them warm. If he looks carefully he might see a few ice crystals on the feathers until the heat melts them.

She lifts her gaze to him for a moment before shaking her head, and making a gesture with one of her hands towards her throat. Mute, though she's not sure if that message is conveyed well. For all she knows he might just think she doesn't want to speak.

[elfstone]

His eyes widen when he sees her wings unfurl. The hand that's been resting thoughtfully against his mouth drops.

"Well," he says, "that's something I have never seen before."

[reassures]

The reaction isn't exactly new. Nill offers him a small smile in return, if slightly tense, scooting a little closer to the flames. It would be really nice if she could turn around and let them warm her back and wings as well, but she does not know the man that she has joined, and does not have enough trust in the inherent good of people within Arenas to turn her back to him. Instead she spreads her wings a little more, taking the opportunity to offer them more warmth while giving him a chance to look at them if he wants to. People usually do.

[elfstone]

Thorongil is interested, but doesn't want to pry or stare; his gaze turns thoughtful, losing its acute curiosity. Staring at features of another race of free creatures is rude.

"A pity you have no easy means to tell me about them, and about yourself. I would know, if you were willing to tell."

Barring that, he thinks he'll ask if she wants to sit in companionable silence, or if she wants him to talk. Thorongil tells a good tale, when he has the mind to, and when he has a willing audience.