Help For Hire

The bite in the air is something Angel is slowly growing accustomed to, whether he likes it or not.
It's evenings like this when he misses Barcelona the most, with the nights feeling comfortable, the air moist and pleasant, nothing at all the chill here that gets right into your bones.

His thoughts are interrupted by a soft knock at his door, which is unusual, but he's not about to be rude and ignore it. Could be important.
Humming to himself, he opens the door, recognizing the young lad at his door step, though shamefully not remembering his name.

"Oh, er..what brings you out here this evening?" he asks. "Mr...?"

[Image Link Broken: image of Angel opening his door and looking out at Claud]

Claud, that's right, Claud, he thinks to himself, hoping if he repeats the name a couple of times that he'll remember for next time.
Listening to the pitch, Angel finds himself nodding, after all, he could use the firewood, but the thing that intrigues him the most is the offer of hunting skills.
The fact Claud had offered him the opportunity to trade just interests him more, now he won't have to pay out what coinage he has for food.

"You're a hunter?" he asks, "That's a skill I'm in dire need of, I'm at that point where I have a pantry full of spices but nothing to use them with. My budget is..ah..terribly small, but if you hunt for me, I can cook for you?"

The boy is enthusiastic, always good, though judging by the look of him, Claud hasn't had a good meal in a long time, so it's no wonder he's excited.
He wonders just how many houses he went to before getting any sort of interest, if the lad's been selling firewood, it doesn't look as though he's sold a lot.

"Oh, ah, no, no, you can keep the pelts, I'm afraid I'm not much use in that category." Angel can sew buttons, or hem pants, if he needs to, but he's never taken an interest in tanning hides. "So, are you a trapper, or do you actually go out and hunt? I'm curious to what sort of game you can offer."

What good luck! As much as Angel really tries to sustain himself, winters are harder on him than what he cares to admit, and God knows that's just around the corner.
Never would he have ever chosen to live in a place that gets this cold, and it's a thought that angers him more than it should.

"Well, if it's help you need, I will do what I can. You'd be doing me a great service.." he nods towards the batch of firewood, "If you throw in some of the wood in with the deal I can cook something for you tonight, if you wish."

Angel disappears behind his door for a moment to grab his jacket. "Yes, yes, just around back, I'll show you." It seems like nothing Angel owns looks cheap or even slightly worn. Its a wonder where he gets his clothes from.

He leads Claud to the back of his house to his rather modest woodshed. Because of its size, it's clear he's going to need it filled frequently.
Perhaps good news for Claud, but an annoyance for himself.
"I..uh..should really commission someone for something more substantial." he mutters, suddenly feeling a little self conscious about it, even though it's a silly thing to worry about.

Angel flashes Claud another warm smile. "Oh, good, I was hoping you'd say that." He adjusts his coat a little and asks plainly, "I'm ready to leave whenever you are."

Claud has probably gone out on his own plenty of times, and Angel knows that, but this could prove to be educational, plus give him an opportunity to forge a potential friendship.
He's been spending far too much time on his own, which does no good for his mental well being, and he could use another human 'beard' to make himself appear more human to the remaining villagers.

Angel laughs, "Well, yes, if that's alright with you?"

It's one part morbid curiosity, since the extent of his own hunting involves snapping at bugs mid-flight, one part hoping for some time to actually get to know someone from in town, and, if he's honest with himself, it's mostly his protective nature rearing its head.
Claud doesn't appear to be a stranger to the hunt, but it's the least he can do if the lad is going to share his food with him.

"I won't get in your way, I promise."

(Luna and I RP'd a bit in person so here's the log! But we ain't finished yet uwu )

Angel scoffs softly, "I'm no stranger to the beasts and unsavoury creatures in the woods, in fact that's precisely the reason I'd prefer to accompany you. Consider it a bit of insurance? I will do exactly as you say."

Claud takes a deep breath and nods, breathing out slowly. "Alright." Maybe this man knew something he didn't. He looks Angel over and asks, "Do you have any clothing more appropriate for walking through the woods? I recommend changing into that if you can."

Angel looks down at what he's wearing, and realizes that Claud has a point. This is far too dressy to be out in the brush, even if the shirt is more casual than what he usually wears. "Ah, sí, I do, just give me half a moment. We'll still make it out before the sun sets." He returns inside and digs through his clothing, finding the ones he'd worn when he had still been able to do his courier business. They were a decade out of fashion, and worn, but they still fit. Hopefully he's not trying Claud's patience by making him wait.

Claud is all too glad to spend more time inside, and he doesn't think a complaining thought. He might have even started to doze had Angel taken any longer. But as it was, the wardrobe change was quick, and they were soon ready to go out into the winter gloam. Again appraising Angel's clothing, Claud's worries were put at a little more ease; the clothes were well worn but in good order, meaning this man probably did know his way around the wilderness. "Alright then," Claud said, shouldering his pack again, "Shall we be off?"

Angel "Yes, of course." he nods. "Ah..lead the way." he gestures for Claud to go ahead of him. This should prove to be very educational, and maybe with some luck, there would still be a few groggy bugs around that he could take advantage of to tide him over before they bring home something bigger.

Claud nods and exits the home, grabbing the rope to his blessedly empty sled. As they walk along he explains, "I apologize for the long walk; I don't take my hunting gear with me when I sell the firewood, so it's all back at the home I am borrowing for now. You are familiar with where the church is?"

Angel makes sure everything is properly locked up, not that anyone would waste their time stealing from him. "Oh, yes, I'm there quite frequently." It's actually a wonder he's never really taken much notice to Claud before, but then, this is also the first time Claud has really spoken to him.

Claud felt a bit foolish, of course, the man was probably religious. "Ah, I see, good. Well, I'm staying in one of the disused cabins near the church, so, well you know where that is I'm sure. But the edge of the wood is right there and I can take you to my trapping sites. Hopefully we'll see a deer or something larger than a rabbit." Realizing he was rambling a bit he quieted down and concentrated on navigating the snowy path.

Angel follows a few paces behind, inwardly cursing the weather. "A deer would be nice. I could do a nice jerky of it...it could last us for days and days." Claud seems so nervous, but he's not sure if it's just his presence, or if Claud is just naturally anxious. Might be a combination of the two.

Claud agrees with a hum, "Yes, there's much I, we, could make from a deer, it would be most useful..." He goes quiet again, this time preoccupied with thoughts of bow strings and arrows and other such things he needed or would need. After a few moments he notices Angel falling behind and he begins to slow his pace; was he walking too fast for the man? Surely Angel's stride should be longer than his own.

Angel cocks his head at Claud slightly, wondering why he slowed, "Sorry..am I going too slow?" It's really out of politeness, since he has no experience hunting the way a human would. He wants to observe, but perhaps he's just adding to Claud's anxiousness.

Claud shakes his head and smiles. Under the open sky, despite the cold, Claud seemed a little more at ease. This was his element and he wasn't intruding in someone's home, which always made him uneasy. "Not at all. When the road is wide it is good to walk abreast."

Angel: lol goes back to my loving these huge intimidating looking dudes, but no, they're actually these sweet tempered doting babies who look out for other babies

Angel "Oh.." He never thought of it that way. He'd mostly walked behind to be polite, allowing Claud to assert a bit of dominance perhaps, since he was the most experienced of the two. Still, he said he would do as Claud asked, so he keeps the pace.

Claud smiles warmly and then turns his attention back to the road. "Have you ever hunted at all? For sport, even?"

Angel "Ah, no, never. I'm from a much bigger city, there was never the need to." he shrugs slightly, keeping his head tilted towards Claud so he can hear him the best. "Markets everywhere."

Claud ponders this. He hadn't gotten up the courage to go to market in town yet, but he'd seen it. It seemed unimaginable, many markets like that, all going on at the same time. "It must be very noisy," he muses aloud. "And there are many herdsmen then too? With sheep and cattle?"

Angel laughs softly, "Very noisy, but I happen to like it." He still hasn't adjusted to the small town living yet, and wonders if he ever truly will, but he continues to answer Claud's questions, "Sí, sí, but not so much in the city, more on the outskirts, on the hills."

This man /likes/ the noise? Claud couldn't handle it, though he didn't grow up in town so maybe it was just a matter of acclimation. "Are there forests too," he gestures generally to the towering trees around them, "Or is it open pasture?"

Angel "There's a little of everything," he replies, "Forests, hills, oceans, cliffs. Sometimes you have to travel out of the city for it, but it's all very pretty." he clicks his tongue slightly, possibly nervous, "The trees aren't quite so..eugh..thick where I was from. Not like here."

Claud just had more and more questions the longer Angel spoke of his homeland, but he worried he would pester the other man should he voice them all, so he kept quiet. That last comment made him chuckle a little though, "Really? That's hardly a forest isn't it? More like an orchard." Then his smile faltered, maybe that was rude of him.

Angel cocks his head slightly, "Well, maybe compared to this..I've seen greater forests than this in my travels, but the forest here just seems denser to me. I don't know why." Some sort of curse, he'd assume, something dark and suffocating, but he doesn't give voice to those thoughts.

Claud is relieved when Angel doesn't get upset, and he hums in agreement, "Yes, there is much that is alive in the forest. The trees grow close and they hide many spirits and creatures. The press of life is all around." He looks into the wood along the road, almost fondly, or maybe something more like a deep reverence.

Angel, for a moment, wonders if Claud isn't human. The way he speaks makes him feel like a much older race of creature, yet he smells human, seems human in every other aspect. Strange. Perhaps he's just more enlightened. "Hopefully no creature with ill intent will cross our paths tonight, hm?"

Claud "Indeed," he chuckles again, "Unless it tastes good, of course. Then I would welcome it." The road curved and the church with its outlying buildings can be seen in the distance. Smoke rises from a chimney or two, the only sign of human life in the growing darkness. "Are you alright to walk on in the dark a little? I want to preserve what lamp oil I have."

Angel "Oh yes, I'll be alright. I'm more comfortable when it's dark anyways." He simply takes off his glasses and places them into an inside pocket. There won't be any reading done on this little trip, so there's no need to even have them.

Claud nods, pleased, and they continue on, though he wonders if Angel's eyes were injured in some way, and what were those things he wore on his face for? Soon they're on the church grounds and Claud directs them towards the small building he was borrowing. "It's just. ah, back here. Sorry the walkway isn't very clear, not many come this way." The snow isn't beaten down like it is on the more traveled paths, and it comes up to their knees in places. Leaving the sled by a small woodpile outside, Claud shoulders the door open and beacons Angel inside. "Please sit if you like, I'll only be a moment," he murmurs, lighting a singular candle.

Angel could feel the snow giving away with each step, the satisfying crunch becoming louder as it got deeper and less disturbed. Very pleasant, really. "Of course.." he replies at the offer following Claud inside. Oh dear. It didn't seem like Claud had that much at all. This place felt small compared to his own home, the echo was almost deafening, but he won't say anything, it'll embarrass the boy. Quietly, he takes a seat and waits.

Claud stows his pack in a corner of the single room cabin and grabs his bow, which he strings, pulls on the quiver and the trap-setter in its carrying case, and checks his knife and various coat pockets. Securing the lantern to the back of his belt he turns around, "Alright, that's all I need. Shall we go?"

(TBC!)