Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 28th June 2011

Characters: Wirnan, Chulash
Description: Wirnan goes to see about a gift for Kaya.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 2, day 10 of Turn 6

Wirnan

Wirnan entered the room and glanced around. Men were hard at work all
around him. He waited and wondered if he should interrupt one of them.
After their conversation, he'd decided he really wanted to surprise
Kaya with a special gift. He couldn't think of anything better that
what he had in mind. He hoped she would like the gift. It made him
excited just thinking about how he would feel when he could surprise
her with it.

There were men hard at work, yes, but that didn't mean Wirnan's arrival
went unnoticed. One was at a good stopping point, so Chulash stepped
away from his project and moved to the man who hovered at the door.
"May I help you sir?" He was an older fellow, but still hale and
hearty and his face lit up with wrinkles when he smiled.

"Ah, hello. Yes, I wanted to see about getting something made that would
allow my..." he paused, "wife to be able to see her reflection. A
mirror of sorts." He knew that of anyone the silversmiths would be able
to create the proper gift. Something delicate yet strong and unique
just like Kaya was.

Chulash ran his hand over his chin. "A mirror, eh? We can do that."
He nodded, then clasped both hands behind him. "How big do you want
it? Ah, come over here." Almost as soon as he brought them together,
those hands released so he could motion to Wirnan to follow him. He
led the Steward back over to a table and pulled out some parchment and
ink as well as a measuring rope. "We can get an approximate."

Wirnan followed, contemplating the silversmith's question. "I really
hadn't thought about size." He stood, thinking for a moment. Should it
be big or small? Maybe something in the middle. He held his hands up to
show a size he had in mind. "Something like this. Big enough we can
hang it if she chooses," he paused, "but what if she wants to hold it
instead?" He pondered aloud.

"I find that most ladies, when having to choose, choose the larger
simply because it frees their hands when they are working on their
hair." And, of course, Chulash would get more from it but that was
honestly not why he suggested it - he had spoken the truth. "Though
that is more costly."

Wirnan waved his hand as though dismissing that last thought. "Yes,
yes. I hadn't thought of that. Why not this size then?" He extended his
hands to show a fairly good sized shape. "Do you think that would
suffice?" He was clearly uncertain and hoping the smith would be able
to offer suggestions.

"That seems a doable size, not too big, but large enough that she'll be
able to see her face and shoulders." Chulash nodded and held up the
rope to the size Wirnan laid out, and made a note on the parchment.
"All right. A simple mirror then?"

"Hmm," Wirnan replied, tapping his finger to his chin. "I don't want
anything too crazy, but do you think we could embellish it somehow. I
would like it to be special, for her."

"The frame can be embellished, certainly." Chulash nodded and tapped
his finger against the parchment thoughtfully. "What would you like to
do with it?"

"What about some flowers of some sort? Something to make it special for
a lady?" Wirnan was totally out of his element here. He truly had no
idea what would be best, but he hoped she would like it when it was
completed. He wanted her to like it so very much.

"Such a thing would be easy to do and women generally do enjoy flowers."
Chulash's hand began sketching out a design onto the parchment.
Tendrils looped about in between large yet delicate blossoms as his
hand guided the charcoal. "Would you like it all the way around, in
all four corners, or on diagonal corners?"

"How about in all four corners. I like that idea. And maybe some more of
those," he pointed to the tendrils, "ivy-like things going partway down
the sides?" He said almost as though in question for he was uncertain
how such a thing would actually look. He'd never really had the eye for
art, which was why he'd preferred his time spent with the animals or
working at numbers and relations as Steward.

Chulash extended the picture. It was a rough drawing but would give a
basic idea of what it would look like. Tendrils twisted down on the
sides and top and bottom, connecting the four corners, an occasional
leaving adding a breath of art. "How does that look?"

"It looks marvelous." He only hoped she would appreciate it as much as
he did. "Do I owe you marks now or later?" He'd known, coming here,
that this gift was not going to come cheaply. Wirnan had already
decided it was worth it. A way to show her how much she really _did_
mean to him.

"I'll need a down payment, to cover the cost of materials." Chulash
explained as he leaned back in his chair. He eyed the design, did a
quick calculation in his head and gave the steward a rather large sum
of marks. It would be enough to buy a bovine for himself! "Is this
still what you wish?"

It was a bit more than he'd expected, but Wirnan wasn't really
surprised. He'd known by adding the embellishments that he would drive
the price upward. Yet, he'd wanted it to be special for her. Taking out
his coin purse, he counted out the necessary marks and paid the smith.

"When can I expect it?" He asked, knowing it would take some time for
the mirror to be created.

He was paid in full and the fact that he was surprised, but pleased, the
silversmith. "Well now, it will take a few sevendays. Have to get the
glass and silver melted, shaped, and smoothed, then the inlay and
etchings. I will let you know when it is done and also inform you if
there will be any delay."

"Thank you," Wirnan replied, before making his way out of the
silversmith's shop. He could only hope that when it was finished Kaya
would be pleased.

Last updated on the July 6th 2011

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Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall