Tired of the heat, Bianca waited in the Tavern. She watched as the last couple walked out the door. As soon as the door banged shut, she scrambled up on a table. Steadying, she braced herself as she got ready to jump to the table directly across.
Frightened, Bianca spun around. She paused for a moment, staring at Ling. Did she want to risk it? She shifted her weight, and the table wobbled beneath her... Trying not to look disappointed, she just shrugged at Ling and slithered back down onto her seat. Head in her hands, Bianca sighed and stared at his flavored ice. "Wanna play a game," she asked?
Ling held out the bowl of flavored ice with the spoon in it offering it to Bianca and shrugged, smiling. Having now ruined a little bit of her fun, he saw no issue with seeing her have some more, probably equally enjoyable entertianment, "Sure, what do you play lass? Besides, you cant get in trouble if I am with ya now can ya?"
Garen stepped into the tavern to find refuge from the unrelenting Sun outside. His red hair was embarrassingly frizzy, despite his attempts to keep it contained in a braid. He breathed a sigh of relief when he got inside the cool air. Taking a seat with Ling at his table, he uncorked his waterskin and took a long drink from it. "You know it's not the heat I mind, it's the humidity. I feel all sticky and wet. At least Sirison is dry. Hi Bianca. You probably don't remember me, the last time I saw you you were a baby and I've been busy with my studies of late"
"Unfortunately no", Bianca replied to Ling with a big grin on her face. "Oh! I was gonna say, why don't we play share the ice, but you read my mind so thank you!" Bianca turned as Garen sat down. "I don't really remember, sorry. But what have you been studying?" As she talked, she then realized, "Hey! I've got an eye like one of yours!"
Ling laughed at her comment to Garem and smiled, "I like this game. Dont eat it too fast, or your brain will freeze lass." He said in a slightly silly voice, rubbing his temples and crossing his eyes. Then tilting his head and shaking the fake brain freeze off. He sipped on his mead.
Ling sat back and sipped on his cool mead, relaxing and chuckling at Bianca's brain freeze. "Well lass, what other plans do you have for the day? As it is still young. There is much you could do." he asked, wondering what the young lass had planned besides jumping around the tavern, or if she had planned anything at all.
Ling sat back and tilted his head, sipped his mead and thought. He should probably go work in his forge or tend to his fields. The irragation could use some work. He got up and started for the door. "Well, I should go work my crops. Have to check them for bugs and make sure they are getting enough water." He said, pausing at the door. "Do you want to come lass?"
Concern quickened her steps toward the tavern. Having just left the tower, Althena's thoughts turned away from Rune and the Accords to the more imminent concern - the army camped just outside the town's walls. She knew that Bianca would not be at the Warren. Something in her heart told her the young Riven would be wandering the town, and what better place to explore than the Shady Corner? Realizing that there would be no one else about the tavern at this late (early) hour, she pushed open the doors, and stepped into the cooler interior, green eyes searching out her young ward.
Surprised to find herself with an armful of Riven child, Althena blinked at Bianca's question. Physically shaking her head to clear the cobwebs of the past few hours intense conversations and events, she pushed Bianca to arm's length, turning her head toward Ling. "Ling?" she asked, "what is Bianca talking about?"
Ling, mug in hand, bandana off tilt and half way out the door leaned back and shrugged. "I've got some crops I have to look after, make sure the damned pests stay away, check the bloody irigation troughs, stuff like that. If Bianca isn'doing much today, maybe she can come help me and get a peice of candy or something." He said, sipping his mug and shrugging, looking over to Garen. "OI Garen, you wanna come then too? We can spar or something later."
"Of course I'm up for a friendly spar", Garen said to Ling, "But I know precious little about cultivating crops so you'll need to teach both Bianca and me" He turned to Althena and said, "With your blessing we will take Bianca to Ling's farm. Rest assured she will be safe with us. I'll make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble"
Glancing between the elf, uordeq, and riven, Althena gave a great sigh. Perhaps it would not be such a bad idea for Bianca to be out of the town for a few hours. Turning to Garen she said, "She has my blessing," she raised a hand to forestall any further outburst from the child and continued, addressing Garen with a slightly stern look. "For a few hours. Garen, I will place her return to the Warren in your hands. I expect to see Bianca before darkness falls."
Poppy walked through the tavern she looked a little rough around the edges and a little paler the normal. "Hey, guys" she said giving a soft nod to everyone who had collected in the tavern. "surprised you arent with Goose little one.. " she said at Bianca with a light laugh. "At least you have seem to make new friends to find trouble with" she said glancing up at Garen and Ling while ruffling the riven's hair a tad.
"Of course," Ling laughed as he picked up a mostly full mug off a table that had been left alone, before heading out the door drinking the one he had been drinking from. "Yep, she'll be home before the last light leaves the sky." He called out headed down the south road.
Ling, ever drinking in the tavern, was down to his undertunic, a sleaveless shirt and belt that showed off his tattoo running up and down his arm, an ice cool mug of sweet berry mead and tilted his head, watching from a table or two down. It was quite warm out today and it frustrated him. Heat was sapping his energy slowly. Regardless, his frozen snacks from glesmyr helped a little. He dipped the spoon into the bowl of flavored ice he ate from and shoved it into his mouth, watching Bianca... "Oi lass, what would Althie say if she saw ya doing that? She and poppy would be worried sick if you got hurt while playing around." he said calmly taking a sip of his mead.