Day 071: Trikru Wood
Summary: Several Trikru (and even a couple of Skaikru) work on clearing land for New Coesbur.
Date: 8 August 2016
Related: None directly.
Wren Fayet Luther Khesu Jumar Sage Thesda Lionel 


Site of New Coesbur, East Shore of Lake Audo
This is a broad, open field of crushed grasses and meadow flowers. The first trees have been felled, and their stumps removed, leaving deep divots of open soil and naked rootballs. Wood has been gathered to be burned that could not be hewned into poles and slats. Crude structures have been built to house laborers. There is always activity around here during the day, and meals are served community style. There is a clear view of the lake and small inlet stream from the knoll, as well as the hulking mass of Alpha Station across the lake.
71 Days After Landing

Wren is a lumberjack and he's alright. Or at least, that's how he feels about it. And a wounded face isn't going to stop him from getting back to the one job that he enjoyed that wasn't killing stuff. Thankfully, his axe has always had two uses behind it. Cleaving skulls and then trees. Which, thankfully, trees have a distinct lack of skulls. It's good work, fulfilling work. So he's been spending the last two days out here, taking axe to wood, chopping down trees, while others more skilled than him busy themselves turning said trunks into planks, boards, whathaveyou. Having just felled one recently and having it pulled out of the felling area by horse, he's now busying himself with takes the branches off.

Fayet crouches over a felled tree, frowning. "<In Trigedasleng> This one has some kind of bug holes in it. I don't know how good the wood is going to be. Fuck," she shakes her head. "<In Trigedasleng> Maybe this one can be dried out for firewood." She grumbles. What a waste.

Luther knows his way around an axe well enough, but he's not a specialist, either at chopping lumber or people, and so he's found himself with a hand-plane, With his shirt tucked into the back of his pants and his weapons set well-aside, Luther is about to straddle the log Fayet indicates to start removing the bark when she gives her diagnosis. "<In Trigedasleng> Well. At least it's out of the way." He gestures towards the tree Wren is working on with one handle of the plane, "<In Trigedasleng> Maybe that one will be better?"

Wren isn't finished to the point where he can start stripping bark off. More to the point, he's chopping off the larger branches, to eventually end with just one long trunk. Roach, the stinky fuck that he is, is happy to stay where he is before having to pull the tree further. But Roach is a big ol Clydesdale, so this is his kind of work. Even if Wren has gotten a couple of complaints about what he feeds that horse. "<In Trigedasleng> Sounds solid." he remarks in a grunt between blows of his axe, severing a branch.

The carpenter eyes the tree carefully, stopping along the way to tap at is and lean down to examine things. "<In Trigedasleng> Looks good. Skinny, but good."

Luther watches the carpenter lean down to examine things and examines things himself. Not the tree though. Grunting to himself, he looks up to Wren, giving a little grin and a shrug, and then moves around to the base of the tree, "<In Trigedasleng> Should I start peeling it then?" Because he's really just here for dumb labor. "<In Trigedasleng> And there's nothing wrong with skinny as long as it's strong. Long is good too."

Khesu comes slowly around the lake from the north, another Trikru showing up and arriving alone. He is on foot and not horsed with his weapons, a big loose ruck with his armour in it and a bedroll are slung over his back. The bearded warrior looks around at the site and those already at work in the area and he actually frowns. Khesu slips off his pack to drop it to the ground, a light bandage barely covering his left eye and the wound in his head. "<In Trigedasleng> Here? This isn't a very defensible position." He grumbles low, "<In Trigedasleng> It's going to need a stockade."

"<In Trigedasleng> That's what she said." Wren comments over at Luther, continuing to chop thick branches off. "<In Trigedasleng> Have at it. It's going to need it done eventually. Chopped into slats, boards, planks, whatever. That's not my job. Markers can handle all the fine tuning. I just cut the stuff down." Khesu's appearance gets a little shrug. "<In Trigedasleng> I don't think it's going to be that large of an issue. At least not right now. Though you're right. Pretty sure defenses will get built. Though I will miss Coesbur's bridge. Helped feed people in an out. But we got around five hundred people to build for. I don't…rightly know who's doing the planning for what goes where, that's above me."

"<In Trigedasleng> Aye." Wren understands. Khesu gives a nod and makes sure his things are put up well out of the way of where people are working, but in a good position so he can keep an eye on it. His bow and quiver case go along with it, but he keeps his axe and his knife. "<In Trigedasleng> For now we can gather and prepare the materials. Shame we won't have time to properly season the lumber ere we'll be having to use it." Not good, but they can deal with those issues next summer. The bearded man with the light head bandage looks around with his one good eye and decides to go over opposite to Wren to help with lobbing off branches along the trunk. He is mindful of his brother warrior's blade and swings to stay out of Wren's reach.

Fayet smirks, turning to look at Luther. "The skinny ones aren't worth it. Doesn't matter how long they are." She walks over to a nearby tree, patting the trunk. "This one'll be good. It's nice and thick and solid. The things I could do with one like that…" There's a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

The news of the new Grounder people right next door did not get very well received at first by Jumar, but once it was made clear it was not a purely military presence, he instead decided to go and see for himself. The Engineer, metalworker, and Maker (in the Grounder language, at least) comes up to the site with hands in his pockets, his short jeans and white short sleeved shirt completed by a pair of worn looking sandals.

The greened eyed teenager approaches, his eyes going from one, to another, to another… though his eyes are mostly on Wren the woodcutter.

Luther nods at Wren, "<In Trigedasleng> Usually is." He looks over to Khesu and nods as he starts skinning the trunk under Fayet's say-so, using smooth, long pulls of the straight-draw to peel lengths of bark free. "<In Trigedasleng> I figure we'll get metal from the Mountain to make walls." Fayet's commentary draws a scoff, "<In Trigedasleng> Hey. I was a skinny one back when I was a Second. Scrawny, even." He blinks at his own words, and looks down to his work for a moment before he forces a smile back and continues, "<In Trigedasleng> Don't judge something before it's done growing up."

"<In Trigedasleng> It's really the only answer." Wren remarks, picking up a chopped off branch and tossing it aside. He continues to work down the trunk of the fallen tree, thicker ones giving way to thinn. This one happens to be some kind of pine. "<In Trigedasleng> Been in there enough for one lifetime. Somebody can go fetch metal. And we were all skinny as Seconds. Though maybe not scrawny. Mother had hoped I'd be an archer." A shrug at the last part. He doesn't seem too bothered by Fayet's scructinous gaze. "<In Trigedasleng> Nothing wrong with more posts, if nothing else."

"<In Trigedasleng> With the Mountain gone, maybe we have a better chance at getting old and fat," Fayet replies, rolling with it. She marks the tree, heading over to inspect a few more fallen trees.

Khesu drags the limbs Wren has already cut out away from the tree and starts adding them to a big stack. They can be allowed to dry a bit and be cut up for and used for other things. His one good eyes spots Jumar of all people wandering over and this Trikru actually gives him an upnod for greeting. It's hard to tell if Khesu has lost his left eye or if his head injury has left the area too swollen for him to use it.

Hey, Grounders setting up next door would get even his attention. Upon spotting Khesu giving an upnod, Jumar pulls out a hand to wave, "Hey. Thought I'd come and check out the new neighbors. You people are really going at it." Fayet is given a critical eye as she starts to mark wood. "Wouldn't be surprised if you got half the village up in a month with this rate."

Fayet's words draw a distracted little sigh from Luther, but then he clears whatever thoughts were troubling him and snorts faintly, "<In Trigedasleng> We can hope." He even chuckles at Wren, "<In Trigedasleng> Mine wanted me to put on muscle and find a pretty girl or boy to have sex with." He looks over to the approaching Skaikru and studies the figure for a long moment. "The important things faster than that, hopefully. Tondc is crowded." It's not… friendly… but it's not hostile either.

"<In Trigedasleng> Oh see, I had that." Wren remarks. "<In Trigedasleng> First was Gideon, who mother only kind of approved of. Enough to not say anything." Wren starts, continuing to do the chopping thing, nodding at Khesu in thanks for pulling the cut off branches away. "<In Trigedasleng> Then there was Thesda, who mother approved highly of. They were more or less the same person at times, so…you can imagine how strange that." Grunt, chop. Grunt chop. Rinse and repeat. "<In Trigedasleng> And now there's Silver. And that…" he has to laugh and shake his head. "<In Trigedasleng> She approves of the title the heda put on her, the fact that cured Coesbur of illness but…" he rolls his eyes a little. "<In Trigedasleng> She preferred there was someone older." Apparently the fact of Silver's history doesn't even equate into his mother's opinion. "<In Trigedasleng> Boy, she really expected children from and Thesda though. I still haven't lived that one down yet."

"<In Trigedasleng> My mother liked Coran well enough," Fayet adds to the conversation, marking another tree and eyeing the Skaiboy carefully. "<In Trigedasleng> She has been kind and hasn't pestered me for years, ever since he was taken. She should have started pestering me again a long time ago, but she is maybe a little too understanding."

Among the tree clearing is Sage. She has been out and about alone for awhile, but the shadow of the warrior woman soon passes into the general area where the main clearing is happening. She is dressed well to be clearing wood and dead fall, and it is the later that is tossed into a pile as she pauses to see where the working is happening on this side.

Khesu glances around at all who have shown up so far. His baritone rumbles to Jumar, "More will come. We do not have time to waste." He gets more of the limbs from along the tree, trying to keep Wren's footing clear. These the one-eyed warrior drags over to haul up onto the pile. When he comes back, quietly listening to Wren's tale of past lovers, the bearded man then gets a hold of more limbs to drag clear. Some of his attention is for the trees, probably picking on what he'll go have a look at shortly to use his own axe on.

"<In Trigedasleng> One who went to the Skaikru, and one who is? You apparently have a type, Wren." Luther goes back to peeling the relatively-thin trunk, working his way up along it toward where Wren and Khesu are de-limbing. "<In Trigedasleng> And really? Are we counting kill marks now?" His own actual kill marks are easily visible with his shirt tucked into the back of his pants, but that's probably not what he's talking about.

Thudda-thudda-thudda is the sound of horse hooves against soft earth as Thesda arrives, herself light and packs heavy on the back of her horse. Comparatively, she doesn't have much in the way of stuff. But then again, she prefers to sleep in trees save only in cold weather. She looks around for a moment, finds a spot with good thick grass to tie off her horse, and heads in the direction of the gathered folk. As she passes by a divot of a tree that once was there, her expression alters into what can only be best described as stankface. But it evens out as she approaches the others. "Heya." she calls out, lifting a hand to the collective.

Khesu can't help but laugh softly at what Luther quips about kill marks.

"Yeah, I get that. We've been in the same boat for the last month with winter coming. Tell you what, I'll probably be getting my forge built within the month once I get my billows sorted… if I'm not busy with handling Camp Jaha stuff, if any of you need forge work done and Que isn't available, I can handle it. The least I can do after the Mountain crapfest." Jumar gives a smile to Khesu, "of course, it might take a while. We're still learning all the construction stuff and we don't have a dedicated carpenter yet." Jumar… offering to help the Grounders? Who is this, and what clubbed him over the head to offer assistance to them?

"<In Trigedasleng> Hey." Wren is more than happy to laugh at Luther. "<In Trigedasleng> Gideon and I were together long before she joined the Skiaikru. That was…ten years ago? Back when she, Pontus, and I were all Seconds if I remember right. It was fun, but well, more like a distraction. Not like it's anything I regret. And whatever Gideon wants to do now? Eh, so long as she's happy where she is. I miss my friend, but…she's gotta do what's good for her." he clarifies lightly. "<In Trigedasleng> And Silver doesn't want to be Skaikru. She's trying. Keep telling her things like that take time. She's not lucky like Kai was." At the end though he does bark out a little laugh, even while in the middle of chopping. "I don't know? Are we counting kill marks?" Is that literal or innuendo. Do kill marks also count as belt notches?

Sage still isn't sure about the Skaikru and watches Jumar curiously before she moves to pick up abit more under brush and then settles in front of a couple of trees. Her hands are sitting on her hips with the axe laying against her leg as if she is having a silent conversation with said trees about how they should fall. Sage picks up her axe and calls to the males counting whatever. "<In Trigedasleng> Is this how we do things now? Talk about marks just to get out of cutting trees?" Hey, they are all working, but she has to throw her own tease in there as her axe sinks into a tree. With her braids in a tail her own kill marks slide down her shoulders and stand out as she is still to pale and thin, but it's getting better.

Jumar gets a careful look. Khesu glances at the others, then back to the Skaikru and he thinks about that. After a long moment his baritone rumbles, "They said … something about water. Pipes? Taps. You could help with that?" This Trikru has heard about the Skaikru supposedly going to help them with plumbing. Running water, that can be heated and made potable or for use for bathing. Khesu's calloused hands go back to clearing the last of the limbs Wren has cut so far along the downed tree. His one good right catches sight of Sage and lingers on her a moment. He bares his teeth briefly in a feral grin at her quip, "<In Trigedasleng> We are working!"

"<In Trigedasleng> And all of you younger than Timore, Osam, Fissa, and I." Luther chuckles easily, shaking his head and making sure that all of his dreadlocks are properly pulled back before he gets back to scraping the bark from the trunk. "<In Trigedasleng> So don't go talking 'ten years ago' with me." More laughter, "<In Trigedasleng> I can honestly say I remember things nineteen years ago." Whoops. He blinks, his laughter stilling, and he bends his head to his work again, "Forges are important. I am surprised Skaikru see that, with all of their technology." The last word has a displeased twist to it, and he looks over to Wren, shaking his head, "<In Trigedasleng> I see no reason to count kill-marks. Boasting about that is not something I like to do." Sage's arrival gets an upnod, "<In Trigedasleng> Wren was telling us all about the women he has slept with." Khesu's question gets a sidelong look, the older Warrior evidently curious too, but not about to say it.

Sage let's her back muscles flex as she slides the axe into the tree. While she does not have the same muscles as some warriors she is trying to use the weak places in the trunks to make it go faster. She pauses as she glances back towards Wren, Luther and Khesu. The later gets a return look and then a slow smirk turns up her lips. "<In Trigedasleng> If you say so.." Her eyes linger before she turns to Luther and nods in return. "<In Trigedasleng> Ahh, so that is what I missed…" Her eyes flicker to Wren then and she gives him a curious look but while she might tease or ask a question. She pauses to listen to the answer about the water. Water means baths.. Yes please.

"<In Trigedasleng> But none of you have ever slept with me, which is probably for the best. Don't want to ruin you for all others, after all," Fayet says playfully, crouching next to a freshly-fallen tree to inspect it. She gives Sage a thumbs-up. The talk of running water earns a curious, skeptical look, but she's clearly interested.

Well. Not a single welcoming call. See? This is why she doesn't bother with talking half the time. With a shrug, Thesda looks around for a tree. Except there aren't any, not within close vicinity. There's a wrinkle of her nose, and then something floats past her ears. Turning her attention to Luther, there's a lift of her brows as she folds her arms across her chest and regards him attentively.

"<In Trigedasleng> Alright old man, don't forget to take your cane with you when you go home to sit on your porch." Wren grins, finally finishing one side of the tree, then looking back at the pile of branches that Khesu has picked up. But Luther's last comment gets him to snort, maybe even sputter a little bit. "<In Trigedasleng> I was not bragging. You brought it up first, damnit." And yes, Thesda does get noticed, but not at first because he was chopping stuff. "Thesda. Hey." No, it's not in that ex 'hey bae, sup' kinda way either. It's friendly.

Jumar gives a shrug, "I'm not an agro-tech, but I know the Chancellor is interested in offering assistance. Once our water system is done, we'll see." Then Luther gets a look, as if hearing a child speak. "Where do you think technology comes from, thin air? You get your basics covered and get your technological foundation started from there. The one I'm building is centuries out of date, but without factory station… gotta start somewhere, and I can remodel as we go. Pipes are easy. Your problem will be the pumps. Those need maintenance. Luckily, you're right next door to a bunch of mechanics."

Khesu happens to be of similar age to Luther with only a couple of years between them. The bearded warrior gives a soft huff of breath for Fayet ruining them. Hah. Thesda arrives on her horse and Khesu offers her an upnod, but as it his custom, he doesn't always speak much. Unlike say, Luther. Instead, he goes back to pick up his axe and waits to see what Jumar may have to say. Pumps, mechanics. Khesu doesn't even know what those words mean. He gives a slow blink with his one good eye, then nods. Maybe he should go cut down that tree now. That's something he knows how to do. Yes.

"Considering the third dataslate today just died on me, I don't think our technology is infallible," Lionel interjects as if he has been here the whole time. He hasn't, but he did kind of come into the settlement the wrong way, so it was easy for him to show up where Luther is peeling the bark. He looks over at Jumar, and he scowls slightly. "You're doing that thing again, Beckinson… when you kind of sound condescending and domineering, and make yourself look like a big asswipe." He looks down his nose at the teenager. "I know you're just a teenage dirtbag, but really…"

Sage arches an eyebrow at Jumar but has nothing to say to the male as Fayet comes over to look at the newly down tree. There is a moment were Sage says nothing and then she chuckles softly, "<In Trigedasleng> I never thought of that challenge Fayet, let me know how it works for you.." She is amused as she passes the woman with a touch of her shoulder and she heads towards the last larger tree and goes back to eyeing it as she sweat runs down her back. Thesda she doesn't know but she gives the Scout a upnod as she starts to walk around the tree. "<In Trigedasleng> Luther, we have had this talk, you are not old, so stop trying to get all the woman to trace your scars!" Yep, then she is around the tree and peering at it as she weighs the axe in her hand.

"Sage." Thesda regards the woman, momentarily distracted from her expectant expression directed at Luther. "<In Trigedasleng> You're too skinny. We need to get you nice and plump for the winter." Considering a moment, she looks around, and snags a bucket, heading for the shore.

"<In Trigedasleng> Generalities. Not specifics. Not names. Not numbers." Luther clucks his tongue, and then laughs easily at Fayet, "<In Trigedasleng> That sounds like a challenge." When Thesda joins in, Luther raises up the straight draw he is peeling the bark with in greeting, then looks back to the Skaikru. "I cannot imagine a forge in the Sky." He shrugs, admitting, "Then again, I cannot imagine a city in the Sky either." Yes, he talks. A lot. But at least he listens too. "Lionel kom Skaikru. Welcome to New Coesbur. It is a little… rough." He might be grinning, but he does it looking down at the trunk he's de-barking. "<In Trigedasleng> And they like tracing my scars. Especially the ones on my back." The ones that look like claw-marks.

Lionel's arrival is noted. Khesu raises his axe to sort of 'wave' a welcome to the other man, Skaikru or not. Only … the words he exchanges with Jumar gets them both a look from the dark bearded Trikru. He lifts a brow at Lionel as if to ask 'is that really necessary?' but says nothing aloud. Instead of comment he goes on over to choose himself a suitable tree to drop and eyes it carefully, walking slowly around to be certain of which way it may be inclined to fall, and to make certain it's far enough off that it can't possibly fall and strike any of the others even if the branches burst and it should shatter. Evergreens can be brittle. When he's satisfied, Khesu begins to swing his axe. The almost meaty CHUMP of the steel biting into the tree is clearly audible.

"<In Trigedasleng> A shame I will say that Thesda always seemed to appreciate my scars more than Silver does." Wren chuckles, going to the other side of the tree, starting to chop the branches on that side now. "<In Trigedasleng> She just views them as injuries to take care of. The romance is completely lost on her." He doesn't sound like he's being serious about that. "Ah, Lionel, come to watch the work, eh? Heard the talk of previous partners and you just couldn't help but intrigued, yes?"

Then there's Lionel, who gets the trademark scoff from Jumar, "you try being told off about your job and see how you like it Mr. Guard Corporal person." Narrowed eyes look bemusedly at Lionel, "shouldn't you be patrolling the wall or something, or polishing Hectors boots?" Jumar snorts, then starts heading back in the direction of Camp Jaha, "don't answer that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have actual work to do that doesn't involve pop culture references. Thank god."

Fayet cracks up at Sage's quips, and gives a 'what she said' point when Thesda points out the warrior is too skinny. She heads over to inspect the tree Sage felled. "<In Trigedasleng> Ooooh, I like this one. It even smells good." She looks over at Luther. "<In Trigedasleng> I suppose it all depends on if you're up for challenges, /old man/," she teases with a grin. She gives Lionel a nod and a grin for his sick burn, calling over, "Only chop the marked ones!" When Jumar mouths off, she calls out, "Don't talk to an adult like that, young man." She stands up, the well-muscled carpenter taking an imposing stance.

Sage gives a low chuckle from behind the tree before she comes around the other side and glances towards Luther. She narrows her eyes as she looks him over and then calls back. "<In Trigedasleng> If you say so Luther kom Trikru!" But then Thesda is mentioned how skinny she is and she places her hands on her hips and watches the departing Scout and calls. "<In Trigedasleng> Is that an invite to dinner?!" She is thin, her curves hanging around are a bit on her hips and her breasts but after the mountain it could be much much worse.

Sage looks to see where each tree might be dropping, and so Wren and Khesu get a nod. She then ducks back to slides the axe into place and wack it hard. "<In Trigedasleng> Fayet are you going to need the trees cut smaller? And if so, here or are we moving them?"

Luther scoffs at Fayet, "<In Trigedasleng> I am always up for a challenge, wood-worker." One dark eye closes in a wink at the younger woman, and then he looks over to Sage again, "<In Trigedasleng> You don't have to take my word for it." And the Warrior twists alongside the tree, presenting his back toward Sage even as he laughs at Fayet's chastising of Jumar, raising one hand to smother his laughter behind one of his wrists.

"Oh, good… I'll let Kane know that you're, once more, being an immature little fuck, Beckinson… I'm sure that Saint-Claire is gonna enjoy knocking you down a peg or two… I bet the latrines in Alpha Station need a good washing!" He doesn't actually seem annoyed at Jumar, but he smirks heavily as the boy goes running away from the confrontation. He makes shooing gestures. "Run away, run away… as fast as you can." Then he offers Fayet a broad smile as she calls out after him. "He's not going to be invited back if he doesn't learn to stop being an egotistical little turd." He tilts a glance down to Luther, and he chortles slightly. "I like it rough." He delivers this in perfect deadpan. Wren's offer of talking about previous partners makes him laugh. "Oh Eden… where do I begin?"

Thesda gives Sage a bit of stinkeye. Not that she doesn't cook, but Thesda's version of cooking is kill it, clean it, roast it on a spit, consume. She shrugs, and having dipped the bucket in the water, starts to lug it back. "<In Trigedasleng> Can we keep some trees? For shade. And training." And climbing, of course. She scrounges about, finding something to use as a dipper, and walks toward those that are working. A sidelong smile is granted to Wren as she lifts the pail in offering, and then looks over her shoulder. "Li-nell kom Skaikru. I have a question to ask."

Jumars reply to Fayet? Nothing. Why is a Grounder acting like she's his mother? This is a question that Jumar doesn't want answered, though he does glance to Lionel at the shooing with a 'wtf, really' look. "Whatever you say, 'Weeks'. I was only over here to check out the neighbors and offer help." Jumar gives a quick smile to him before waving as he heads out.

"Doubt you could handle him." Wren notes wryly over at Lionel in regards to Luther. There's a glance down the tree trunk now that all the branches have been removed and the majority of the back removed. There's a satisfied nod at that. "Indeed. Where do you begin, hmm. I would figure a man who talks the talk, could just as well walk as well. Unless, you just like to brag that is." The smile is returned back to Thesda, but Lionel has the lion's share of his attention, even as he picking up nearby branches and tossing them aside.

"I think he just tried to use my surname as an insult," Lionel chuckles under his breath. "Eden… some of these kids are really stuck with the maturity of ten year olds." Then he blinks around as Thesda uses his name in a rather interesting way. He grins broadly at her, hands resting on his hips. "For you, you can call me Leo… like the Lion." Good thing Kai isn't here to facepalm at that, because she totally would. He then gestures for the good Grounder lady to ask her question.

Sage gives a long draw out sigh at Thesda, "<In Trigedasleng> Don't look at me like that, your started it! If your going to complain about me being thin, I assumed that meant food.." She shrugs but she is very amused as she goes back to sliding the axe into the wood. But at Luther's moment, she stops the blade so as not to be slashing when he shows his back. Those silver eyes flicker up and down it before she smirks softly, "<In Trigedasleng> What did I saw the last time we met?" She teases him and leans over to kick his firm ass with her foot in a little push so she can get back to cutting the tree. The other Lion/Jumar conversation is just confusing to the warrior so she goes back to waiting to see what Fayne is going to want.

All these interactions. Khesu takes in some of them as he's able, watching and listening, but most of his attention is on his work. His axe is swung at an angle with each blow to quickly cut a pie wedge, which he works to widen occasionally as he works deeper into the tree. He glances up with his one good eye as he's getting closer to heartwood at the center, but stops when the whole tree shudders. A wipe of his axe to check if he needs to sharpen it, then he goes around the other side and double checks his angles. Aye, that'll do well. With a slow breath, he starts cutting a new V on that side that is slightly higher than the first. Slowly as it goes deeper and wider, and closer to the heart wood, this Trikru is now paying his full attention to listening to the tree he's working on.

It's getting very close now to almost overlapping the inner edge of the first cut.. and then they can hear it. That tell tale pop and the start of a crackle. Khesu backs off fast, "<In Trigedasleng> Coming down!" To warn the others. DOWN it comes with a ground shuddering crash - more or less right where he wanted it to go. Very good.

First Thesda makes sure that Wren has had some water if he wants, and then her attention is briefly granted to the Skaikru in question. "Ley-o." she repeats. Anyone who knows her will know she's playing up her accent a bit. She smiles at him, and then lifting a hand, points toward the thrusting ring of Alpha in the distance. "That is part of your station." Not her question, obviously. "Has anyone yet tried to climb it?"

Fayet rolls her eyes as the teenager flounces away. "If you're not using him, lion man, I know some archers in need of target practice," she deadpans. "<In Trigedasleng> Then it's up to you to prove it, then," she says to Luther with a little flick of her wrist, heading over to check Khesu's tree. She follows Thesda's gaze to the station when she asks her question, dreading where this is heading.

"Sage, we're just felling and stripping the trees here. No need," she adds, answering the warrior's question.

Wren is more than happy to take the water offered, giving a thankful nod and smile at the Wantoppa. "<In Trigedasleng> Thanks." he makes to say. But even can't deny the idea of something climbing that…thing, causing him to look out across the lake at it. "Huh. That thought would occur to you, wouldn't it, Thesda." he remarks, then making to look at the direction the tree is falling. Oh good, not anywhere near them.

Luther looks over to Lionel, shrugging slightly and chuckling, "Doesn't everyone?" By his tone, he rather doubts it. Thesda's request causes Luther to shake his head in amusement, pointing up the slope to the heavier forests up there. And then Sage is pushing him in the ass, and he sways easily, chuckling, "<In Trigedasleng> People always change their mind. It pays to make sure." At Khesu's call, Luther looks up, making sure that he's out of the way… and he is. And finally, he nods to Fayet, accepting her words quiet readily. "<In Trigedasleng> It is."

"Ah… what?" Lionel blinks at Thesda's words. He turns to look at the spoked, incomplete torus that stands out across the lake. Then he looks back to Thesda, and he chortles slightly. "Ah, uh… I don't think the Chancellor would be terribly keen… but no, no one has attempted to climb it… except to get salvage some of the higher-up parts." He tucks his hands into the pockets of his fatigues, shrugging hsi shoulders a bit. "Maybe if you volunteered to help us salvage some stuff at the topmost areas, he might let you climb it." He blinks doefully. "Which is what you wanted to do, right?"

Khesu did have enough sense to pay attention to the fact that some of the trees are marked and others are planned to stay. Once his is down, he starts to walk up it's length to go find where the top tapers enough that it's a suitable place to buck it. Then like Wren before him on the other tree, he starts the back breaking work of taking off the branches - back breaking because it requires a lot of bending when striking. But Khesu's experienced with bucking trees and takes his time, pacing himself. He does cast his eye back towards the others to keep tabs on what is going on with them, especially when he needs to wipe his sweaty brow. Then, back to work. It's going to be a long, hot, sweaty work day with plenty of water to drink after that hard party in Tondc.

Thesda beams at Lionel, possibly because he didn't ask her why. To her, the answer is obvious: because it's there. "You are very smart, Ley-O. Tell your steheda that I would like to do this thing. Thesda." In case he didn't catch her name when they stormed the Mountain. She adds, resettling the bucket against her hip, "You could climb it with me if you like." There's a study of him through her lashes, and then she's off toward Luther to offer him water as well.

"Let you know. She will hound you about it until she can. I know that look in her eye." Wren quirps lightly, starting to move off a little ways towards the next standing tree, this one a tad bit thicker than the rest. There's a glance to look up the length, perhaps making sure the shaft is straight. And then at the base, making sure there's nothing out of order. Finally a look around, as if trying to gauge where he's going to fell the damn thing to begin with. Even with a messed up face, he's still more than happy to cut another down. And it's way too hot out to both with a shirt, so that gets stripped off and tossed with this things. And then gets to chopping, first trying to make wedge shaped hole on one side. Which is where he plans on how to direct it's fall.

Lionel just blinks at Thesda, and then looks around him to see if she's serious. Then he nods ever so slightly. "I uh… I might recommend you ask him yourself, Miss Thesda… it is going to sound… vaguely crazy coming from me." And Kane already vaguely sure that Lionel is the Guard Clown. He doesn't need to sell that. Then he clears his throat slightly, looking around to Luther and Wren. "Alright, how can I help here?"

"The first way you can help is to get all of the penis jokes out of your system. I doubt there is one we have not made in the past hour, so save yourself the trouble," Fayet replies to Lionel. "After that, maybe get to stripping branches, yeah?"

Luther points over to where another straight draw rests on a recently-made stump, then demonstrates the grip, both hands on the two handles, a sharp jerk to make the blade bite, and then a long, smooth draw to peel of a section of bark. "It takes some getting used to. Don't think of it anything like a woman. Unless you do something wrong," he flashes his teeth at the women around, "the tree won't bite you. Women are rarely so considerate."

"I prefer it when they bite." Wren grunts between swings. Yeah, he's still listening.

Lionel gives a low, boyish chuckle at Fayet when she says the word penis. But then he clears his throat and almost blushes as he realizes his own immature foibles. He gives the carpenter a wry smile, and then nods. "I'll strip whatever you want me to strip." His grin redoubles, and those dimples are in full-force. At Luther's observation, Lionel quips back, "Or men." Then he offers a slight nod, and claps and then rubs his hands together. "Stripping branches, got it."

Thesda lets out a soft chuff. "Others like it when I bite." Said almost precisely at the same time Wren makes his comment. She offers Luther the pail and dipper so he can have some water, and then she looks over her shoulder at Lionel. Ohhhhh. She nods a little, and resumes patiently waiting.

Fayet looks over at what Luther is doing. "I find angling the drawknife is better when doing big jobs. Holding it straight like you are is better for when you need fine control." Hey. She's a carpenter. She knows wood. Actually, that's a delightful double entendre, so she decides to say it aloud. "I know wood." She grabs the other drawknife and sits on one of the de-branched trees and demonstrates the two techniques. "See? This… versus this." She gets back up, putting it back on the stump and going back to checking and marking trees.

"So Fayet…" By the tone in Wren's voice, there's a lewd joke incoming. He keeps hacking away at the tree, big swings making the chunks of bark and wood fall asleep or fly away from him. "..it would be a good guess that you know a great deal about how to handle wood properly, yes?" It's a good thing he knows not to ruin a good innuendo by snickering. "Take a firm grip, doesn't it?" However, he stalls a moment, looking over at Thesda as their comments match. "You had no complaints from me." he finally says, then going back to swinging.

Luther chops in the draw when Thesda comes by with the pail and dipper, leaning over to take the dipper, sipping one down, and then filling another to pour it over his head. He shakes out his dreadlocks after wetting them down, then drops the dipper back into the pail, "Thanks. And yes. Biting when it's wanted is great." Shaking his head at Lionel, he shrugs helplessly, "Or men. But stick to branches or shirts for now." He looks over to Fayet as she corrects his form, apparently secure enough in himself to take the correction without complaint, "Work the angle instead of forging straight ahead without a care. Makes sense."

Lionel is biting really hard at his inner cheek when Fayet says that she knows wood. Nope, nope. He isn't, he isn't… "Do you know of the rare Arkadia wood?" He is. He flashes Fayet another wide smile that brings a bit of light to his too-blue eyes. He does try to pay attention to what Fayet is demonstrating despite his joke. He tilts his head slightly, and then nods. "Alright… wood." And he steps aside to find himself some wood to play with.

Thesda another soft snort, and with a shake of her head, Thesda makes her way over to Fayet, holding out the pail. "<In Trigedasleng> Boys." she says in exasperation.

Luther is given an approving nod. Theeeeen Wren had to start it up again. "I can handle wood better than anyone you know," Fayet replies to Wren, deadpan. So much for avoiding penis jokes. "The trick is knowing the right level of moisture when you're working it. Too dry and it's an ugly disaster, but too wet and you lose all control." She grins up at Thesda, taking the dipper and drinking two ladlesful. She bats her eyes. "<In Trigedasleng> I'm not a boy. Can I still play?" Then, she turns, looking at Lionel. She gives him a look. "What did I say?" she scolds him mildly… but then she takes his bait. "All right. No. I do not know of the rare Arkadia wood. Tell us all about it."

<FS3> Wren rolls Resolve: Failure. (6 4 1 6 4 2)

Luther deadpans, "I heard there was no wood in the Sky City." He holds up one finger on one hand, pointing it straight, and then letting it droop, "Just 'soy.' Whatever that is besides soft." Both hands return to the draw knife, and he angles it properly this time, pulling it back toward himself and nodding, "You know wood, Fayet kom Trikru."

"<In Trigedasleng> Girls play better than boys, in my experience." Thesda's tone is quite innocent, of course. Last but not least, the water comes around to Lionel. "Tell us of this Arkadia wood, Ley-o."

"The Skaikru have wood? I don't believe it." Wren joins in with Luther on that particular comment. "I'm not sure they'd know how to handle real wood if they ever got their hands on it. Though, I'm not Maker, not something for me to teach." There's a look over at Fayet. "A master of your craft, indeed." But all all tongue-in-cheeks, and he's really unable to hold back in his laughter, which starts as a giggling snort at first, before he finally has to stop chopping to just straight bust a gut over it. "Y-yes, Lionel. Tell us all about how the Skaikru handle their special breed of wood." he says between roiling bouts of laughter.

Lionel decides to not completely let this whole thing turn into nothing but penis jokes. He sobers a bit. "We actually had a tree on the Ark… we called it the Eden Tree." He smirks then at Luther, his expression a frank so there. Then he snorts slightly at the teasing from Wren and Luther, but he is grinning slightly as he does. "Ask around tomorrow… you might find someone who wants to share that information."

Fayet smirks smugly and puts her hands on her hips, pretending to inspect a tree she has already inspected.

Luther can't help it, he looks over to Wren, "<In Trigedasleng> So you don't think your Skaigirl can handle wood, Wren?" Shaking his head, he tsks softly. "<In Trigedasleng> Should I tell her you said so?" Lionel's response causes his humor to fade for a moment, perhaps recognizing the solemnity of the statement, and then he chuckles, "One piece of wood in the whole Sky City?" Tsk tsk.

"<In Trigedasleng> Sure as hell not asking Kai that." Wren remarks, settling down a little, wiping a little tear away from his eye. "<In Trigedasleng> Shit, I did walk into that one, didn't I. Ah well. She's learning. We all have to start somewhere and I'd like to think I'm an adequate teacher." But with that said, he gives a couple more swings. "One tree? In your whole skaigeda? Must've been a very impressive tree if you kept just the one."

"Trees do not grow in space," Lionel explains. But then he shakes his head slightly. "Alright, I promised I would help… so off to help I go." He offers a small grin to the others before he starts to step away to go blend into the background with Khesu.

"<In Trigedasleng> You heard him, Wren. Trees don't grow in space, so your Skaigirl is used to very small wood. It all makes sense now." Fayet tosses her head, flipping her dreadlocks over her shoulders triumphantly before sashaying over to Thesda for more water.

Luther nods with a grin at Wren's response, approving of Wren's acknowledgement of the point. "<In Trigedasleng> I'm sure you are." And then Fayet lays in the burn, and Luther leans against the tree he is skinning, doubled up laughing, "<In Trigedasleng> Do… do you need me… to get Galle… for that burn?" His laughter continues, and then he realizes what he just said, and it cuts off to mere chuckles, and then nothing.

"<In Trigedasleng> That's entirely true." Wren is happy to agree. "<In Trigedasleng> But that was of course until she met me. She had to get used to fact the fact if she's going to be Trikru, she'll need to be able to handle a greater amount of wood that's currently on the Ark." He eyeballs Fayet for a moment longer. "<In Trigedasleng> I'm fine, my face took that one. I just kinda hope for Fayet's sake that her skills with her mouth are just as good as her hands. It would be unpleasant if she wasn't able to backup her own craftsmanship, might get a bad reputation of not knowing how to handle all that wood properly. Because she certainly talks a big game."

Fayet bats her eyes, leaning against a tree. "<In Trigedasleng> I have never known anyone to be dissatisfied with my work, but I supposed, like all craftsmanship, the work speaks for itself. Or limps for the next few days. Keep an eye out." She stands up straight, stretching a bit. "<In Trigedasleng> And I have other stretches of forest to inspect. Keep working that wood, boys. I promise, it won't make you go blind."

"<In Trigedasleng> No, Fayet, that would be all the masturbation." That might make the Warriors go blind. Luther controls the last of his laughter, getting back to work skinning the trunk. If you know what I mean. Looking over to Wren as he works, Luther notes, "<In Trigedasleng> I think she topped both of us that round."

As she heads away, Fayet can't help but toss in one more bon-mot. "<In Trigedasleng> And that's just the way I like it…"

"<In Trigedasleng> You can only make so many allusions to something before you start to run out." Wren grins, turning to the other side of the tree to actually to chop it down. "<In Trigedasleng> I mean, anything more and you just start to get mean about it. Shame I've already got someone otherwise I might just go see if she can back up that all that talk she makes." It's an amusing little thought, but clearly not something he's going to take very seriously. Though that little quip,he just sorta gestures at her. "<In Trigedasleng> That is what you call a horrible tease."

Luther chuckles again at Fayet's words, then looks over to Wren, then studies Fayet as she walks off, "I… don't know if that was teasing. That may have been information for future use." He doesn't sound convinced, however, even if he follows it up with, "Maybe I'll try and find out later. After the last trip to the Mountain ever." Because that's a wonderful way to change the subject.

"Good luck with that." Wren notes. "As tempted as I might be, don't exactly think Silver would be all that pleased with it." Cutting down a tree is hard work. Enough that he can't just sit there and do it all in one sitting. There's a pause, a push against the tree. Good, not going to fall by accident and he sets his axe down for a moment, sitting on the cleaned log from earlier. "Yes, well. That's a business you're welcome to. I'll be too busy here. Besides, I don't relish having to discuss or argue what belongs to who. I would just say burn the entire thing from the inside and be done with. Once the Skaikru figure out what to do with the innocents in there. I can't see fighting over resources is going to do anyone any good. But, Oxfor did say he was owed that, so." A shrug at the last. "Glad it's not me."

"And that is why it is good to be unattached." Luther's words might be… marginally convincing. And that is why it's good to have a change of topic, "I thought I might try to convince Miss Missiles to blow it up after we have gotten what we want from it and the innocents out. If there are any innocents besides the children."

"True, but I won't deny caring about Silver. She's a good woman, but she refuses to let me stand in front of her. Says that if she's going to be respected, she'll do it on her own merits. Not because I protected her from it. An a strong will like that is…attractive." Considering his last two previous women, there might be a trend there. "Probably for the best. Each side take what was agreed upon, and bury the rest of it. And there's a few. I was told there were at least two adults who turned on their own people. The one that was giving their soldiers incorrect places to send men and the other who helped get a message out that they were still alive in inside."

Luther shrugs his shoulders, "If they turn their coats to save themselves, what is to stop them from doing it again? I say, if they took Trikru blood to save themselves, they have already put their lives ahead of their humanity." Then again, Luther has never been a man who doubted his own morals.

"This is just what I'm hearing second-hand. I don't know all the details to really have much of an opinion about it." Wren remarks, who seems rather passive about the entire thing. "All I know is that when the truth finally came out about what was really going on, some did something about it. It sounded to me like the general populace, anyone not joined with their soldiers, doctors or leaders didn't know what they were doing. Only that the blood aspect wasn't exactly explained. Which I suppose makes sense. If you're going to unspeakable things, you don't let everyone know what exactly you're doing."

"If they didn't know, they didn't know. If they knew…" Luther shrugs helplessly, "Anyone who makes that choice is beyond saving if you ask me." Of course, no one asked him. Shrugging his broad shoulders, Luther hefts up the draw-knife, gesturing to the next log, "Time to keep working."

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