Post for Thor meeting Alric, on Loki's land.

[hamm3rtime]

Alric met Thor here. This is the continuation of that thread.











Laughing quietly, Thor considered that Loki probably would take better to being held in high regard than Thor would. In many ways, the younger brother needed the encouragement. In others, it might be unwise to feed his wishes to dominate and be pampered. In either case, whatever Loki had seen in such honors, Thor was unsurprised that the younger brother had happily accepted them.

"My brother enjoys his words. And accepts such titles far more readily than I. I thank you, for you have been most gracious."

Comments

[knighterrantofthedragon]

If Alric saw it, he's not commenting. He simply smiles amiable and nods in answer, quite content to not poke at Thor's emotionally tender spots.

"I'm glad to hear it. If it would not be too intrusive, then, tell me of yourself. I've heard only a little, through Loki, myself."

[hamm3rtime]

"..." Hm. How to respond to that? So much had changed, and Thor had no wish to re-open the wounds that were his past. So he would simply share topics from his life in New Dodge, then.

"I am the Crusher of Grapes, and sometimes the Lifter of Heavy Things, at the Lady Regina's Winery."

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Alric blinked at that and chuckled lightly with a nod. He couldn't help but imagine Thor announcing in just that manner upon his arrival at a party.

"...unusual titles, I must say, but good, respectable work nonetheless."

He pauses a moment. It was of course something of a glaring omission that a member of a royal house was so eager to avoid discussing his home that the work in which he expressed his greatest pride was manual labor. Something to ask about another time, perhaps, when they knew one another better; for the moment, it seemed it could only be too intrusive.

"Should you ever need another pair of hands with regards to the latter, please do not hesitate to call upon me."

[hamm3rtime]

Grinning as Alric found amusement in his phrasing, Thor glanced away. The Thunderer found himself grateful that there were no personal questions, after all.

At Alric's offer, Thor nodded courteously. "I thank you for your offer."

"And what might you tell me, of your own life?"

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Alric paused a moment, considering that--he raised his eyebrows, but glanced downward at the same time.

"Of my own life..? Mm... well, I do not wish, of course, to be unduly evasive, nor to prattle on at too great a length... I suppose the matter of greatest import to me in the last two years has been my errancy, my... quest, as a Knight-Errant of the Order of the Dragon, the final step of my initiation. It was my quest to travel to every sovereign nation of Eyuin, my world, to earn a token of goodwill for my homeland, Kaitheny."

He pauses briefly before continuing, to clarify.

"A mission of diplomacy, in essence, although in truth, many quests in one; to earn the goodwill of a sovereign who bears a legitimate grievance often requires acts beyond the limitations of diplomacy alone. Still, I was on my way home, when..."

He trails off, spreading his hands to the side with a little smile, indicating the whole area around them.

[hamm3rtime]

Legitimate grievances? Thor wondered on what that could mean. There was also an odd lack of familial mentions, aside from the half-brother who Alric had mentioned earlier.

Not really sure if either topic was appropriate for discussion, Thor nodded his understanding instead. "Then have you brought these tokens of goodwill, to this place?"

After 6 months, it was possible to use the hopper to return home. Thor would point that out, if Alric did not alight on that topic, first. The quest seemed as an important one, and Thor did not wish for Alric to fail.

[knighterrantofthedragon]

Alric chuckled and shook his head. He didn't come off as though he was really being all that evasive, so much as succinct (at least, succinct for him), and didn't show any real signs of the sort of discomfort Thor seemed to have on subjects of family and home.

"Ah, no, I believe they stayed behind--aboard the ship by which I was traveling. If our return operates as advertised, I hope to find all I left as it was."

He pauses a tick, there, before continuing.

"...although, I may well return here for a time, once I have fully completed the obligations of my quest. I must say I am intrigued by the trade opportunities of this place, and it seems as though there is a need for investors, here. ...although, certainly, Eyuin is by no means ready for all that New Dodge represents."