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Tempor Amuta: Getting Started
Sep. 21st, 2011 07:02 amTempor,
The enclosed letter of introduction makes clear that you are my representative at the Grante branch. You have my full backing in whatever decisions you make. Do whatever is necessary to bring their records into line with our standards.
With warmest regards,
Mores
----
Tempor hoped that he remembered the local language well enough from his lessons. He picked up his trunk with some effort, and walked inside the grim, grey building.
It took him a moment to see clearly once inside. The daylight outside had been sharp and glaring, but only a small portion of that light slipped through the dusty windows. A large lantern aided three clerks as they worked.
Tempor set the trunk down on the floor, uncertain of what else to do. One of the clerks glanced up at the sound, then leaned back and rapped on the wall behind her with her knuckles.
The dim light was unkind to the man who walked through the door. His florid face stood out like a rash among the gray stone and old wood, and his large frame would have been more at home somewhere with fewer walls. He sported a mustache that nearly touched his sideburns, but no beard. Tempor, having known a few dwarves but no humans before today, found the missing beard more distracting than the presence of the mustache.
"What brings you by?" the man asked. Tempor appreciated the polite tone of voice, and tried not to shrink beneath the gimlet stare.
Tempor produced the envelope from his pocket, pausing a moment to make sure it was the correct letter. "I'm Tempor Amuta. Mores sent me," he said simply. He hoped that would be sufficient explanation.
The man took the letter, then backed up by the lantern to read it. Tempor could hear him breathing through his nose. Finally, the man refolded and pocketed the letter with a scowl.
"I'm Rawlins Colborn. This is- was my bank. Elfreda, take Mr. Amuta to his office." With that, he left back through the door.
The clerk that had looked up earlier carefully set her quill down and dropped from her chair to the floor. Her cheeks were ruddy and her face was thin, but she managed to look cheery and natural in the lantern light. Tempor wondered how she could look so similar to the man and yet so different. "Come this way, please," she told Tempor. When he lifted the trunk once again, she frowned briefly. "It's upstairs," she said apologetically.
Tempor bit the inside of his lip and moved the trunk to the corner of the room, out of the way. Elfreda gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to it before you go home tonight."
That only reminded the elf that he had no idea where he would stay. He fought panic as the human woman led him up a narrow flight of steps. Where would he start looking? How would he know who was reliable? He barely paid attention to where they were going, and nearly ran into the door when she stopped.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
Tempor sighed and tried to sum up his thoughts in the unfamiliar language. "This is all very new," he told her. She seemed as confused as he was, for a moment.
"Oh, do you mean new to you? The building's been here a while, after all."
Tempor nodded.
"Well, I hope you manage to settle in," she told him, opening the door.
The room boasted a large window with light bars that may have held panes at one time. Now, the wind slipped inside easily, stirring the cobwebs that lurked in the corners. The desk and chair were much like the ones downstairs, and looked recently added. Dusty shelves stood bare. There wasn't a lot of room to move around, but the shelves added plenty of storage space for Tempor's needs.
"This is-"
"Oh, I know."
"Very good!" Tempor finished, wishing he knew a better word for his relief.
"It is?" Elfreda asked.
"Light!" he exclaimed, gesturing at the sunlight that gripped the edge of the desk. "And air!" he continued. "It's like home."
"You don't mind being on the third floor?" she asked, incredulous.
Tempor shook his head. "I love it," he told her. "I worked in a tree at home."
She stared at him for a moment, and he realized that the trees around here, however impressive, were probably nothing like the ancient giants at home. The thought of working on a tiny branch made him smile.
"Well, if there's anything you need," she began.
Now he found himself on familiar territory. "Please show me back downstairs," he told her. "I need an item from my trunk, and the books."
The enclosed letter of introduction makes clear that you are my representative at the Grante branch. You have my full backing in whatever decisions you make. Do whatever is necessary to bring their records into line with our standards.
With warmest regards,
Mores
----
Tempor hoped that he remembered the local language well enough from his lessons. He picked up his trunk with some effort, and walked inside the grim, grey building.
It took him a moment to see clearly once inside. The daylight outside had been sharp and glaring, but only a small portion of that light slipped through the dusty windows. A large lantern aided three clerks as they worked.
Tempor set the trunk down on the floor, uncertain of what else to do. One of the clerks glanced up at the sound, then leaned back and rapped on the wall behind her with her knuckles.
The dim light was unkind to the man who walked through the door. His florid face stood out like a rash among the gray stone and old wood, and his large frame would have been more at home somewhere with fewer walls. He sported a mustache that nearly touched his sideburns, but no beard. Tempor, having known a few dwarves but no humans before today, found the missing beard more distracting than the presence of the mustache.
"What brings you by?" the man asked. Tempor appreciated the polite tone of voice, and tried not to shrink beneath the gimlet stare.
Tempor produced the envelope from his pocket, pausing a moment to make sure it was the correct letter. "I'm Tempor Amuta. Mores sent me," he said simply. He hoped that would be sufficient explanation.
The man took the letter, then backed up by the lantern to read it. Tempor could hear him breathing through his nose. Finally, the man refolded and pocketed the letter with a scowl.
"I'm Rawlins Colborn. This is- was my bank. Elfreda, take Mr. Amuta to his office." With that, he left back through the door.
The clerk that had looked up earlier carefully set her quill down and dropped from her chair to the floor. Her cheeks were ruddy and her face was thin, but she managed to look cheery and natural in the lantern light. Tempor wondered how she could look so similar to the man and yet so different. "Come this way, please," she told Tempor. When he lifted the trunk once again, she frowned briefly. "It's upstairs," she said apologetically.
Tempor bit the inside of his lip and moved the trunk to the corner of the room, out of the way. Elfreda gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to it before you go home tonight."
That only reminded the elf that he had no idea where he would stay. He fought panic as the human woman led him up a narrow flight of steps. Where would he start looking? How would he know who was reliable? He barely paid attention to where they were going, and nearly ran into the door when she stopped.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
Tempor sighed and tried to sum up his thoughts in the unfamiliar language. "This is all very new," he told her. She seemed as confused as he was, for a moment.
"Oh, do you mean new to you? The building's been here a while, after all."
Tempor nodded.
"Well, I hope you manage to settle in," she told him, opening the door.
The room boasted a large window with light bars that may have held panes at one time. Now, the wind slipped inside easily, stirring the cobwebs that lurked in the corners. The desk and chair were much like the ones downstairs, and looked recently added. Dusty shelves stood bare. There wasn't a lot of room to move around, but the shelves added plenty of storage space for Tempor's needs.
"This is-"
"Oh, I know."
"Very good!" Tempor finished, wishing he knew a better word for his relief.
"It is?" Elfreda asked.
"Light!" he exclaimed, gesturing at the sunlight that gripped the edge of the desk. "And air!" he continued. "It's like home."
"You don't mind being on the third floor?" she asked, incredulous.
Tempor shook his head. "I love it," he told her. "I worked in a tree at home."
She stared at him for a moment, and he realized that the trees around here, however impressive, were probably nothing like the ancient giants at home. The thought of working on a tiny branch made him smile.
"Well, if there's anything you need," she began.
Now he found himself on familiar territory. "Please show me back downstairs," he told her. "I need an item from my trunk, and the books."
