Chapter 20: the Guild

"Violin practice?" Graum asked, feeling like he should know what that meant but the knowledge escaped him.

"Yeah" Rheske replied timidly. Although Rheske was a talented violinist, the exposure and attention she often received still made her uneasy and nervous.

Graum realized that there was a miscommunication, albeit on his part. He should have phrased his question differently

"No, what I meant was… what is a violin?" Graum asked, this time more directly.

"Haha It's a musical instrument!" Rheila laughed at Graum's ignorance.

"Was that what you were playing?" Asked Bjorn, recalling the wooden object she had when Tanora took him to the forge.

Rheila turned to Bjorn with a surprised expression; the way he made it sound, sounded like Bjorn didn't know what a violin was either

"Do you not know what a violin is either?" She asked almost unable to believe it.

"Haha! Such niceties weren't around back in the village." Laughed Bjorn.

Rheila then shifted her glance to graum, awaiting his excuse as to why he didn't know what a violin was, as if it were a common house hold item.

As rheila's eyes met Graum's, he looked away. He didn't want to explain that such luxuries weren't a priority when survival wasn't guaranteed where he was from.

"I just don't know what it is." He shrugged.

"It's a musical instrument, just like sissy said." Rheske explained, "Since I need it anyway, I'll go get mine." She remarked raising her hand,gesturing with her finger: one moment. as she then headed up stairs.

In Rheske's absence, Rheila pressed the issue.

"Geez I just can't believe you don't know what a violin is…"

Graum felt annoyed and attacked by Rheila's remark.

"Comming from someone who almost got bested by goblins…" he sneered under his breath.

Bjorn however, heard Graum's comment and nudged him with his elbow.

"That was rude" Bjorn remarked, hoping Rheila wouldn't hear.

"What was rude, what did he say?" She asked hearing bjorn, but not graum.

Beads of sweat formed on bjorn's brow as he was now put on the spot. He could tell Rheila Graum's rude remark and risk upsetting her, or come up with something else.

"I, er… uh…" bjorn fumbled.

Rheila watched in amusement as Bjorn struggled to come up with something to say.

"No need to hurt yourself, if you don't wanna tell me that's fine!" She playfully replied, easing some of bjorns panic.

As Rheila and Bjorn went back and forth, graum observed their encounter. He was trying to figure out how much of 'his rude personality' Rheila could handle before she would get offended. However before he could come to some sort of answer, Rheske returned, carrying a small sodden box.

"I'm back!" Rheske timidly announced as she stood next to the closest table, setting the wooden box upon it.

"Wonderful!" Bjorn exclaimed

"Let us see this violin…" graum remarked, his tone full of skepticism.

Rheske then unlatched the wooden box and pulled out the wooden instrument. As it happens graum had seen this object before, he however never learned the objects name. Relief and disappointment washed over him. He was relieved of his own ignorance, but also disappointed because he thought the object would be something… different. Especially with how Rheila made the object sound.

"I've seen one of these before…" graum stated.

"You've seen one… but didn't know what it was called?" Rheila skeptically asked.

"It was a long time ago" graum answered.

As Rheila and graum went back and forth, Rheske turned her attention to the clock by Tanora's desk.

"Sorry, but I gotta get going!" Rheske announced, packing up her violin.

Bjorn, Rheila and graum looked to Rheske.

"Alright Rheske, see you later!" Rheila warmly replied.

"Bye" replied Bjorn and graum as they watched the Imalidae girl, with her violin case leave the guildhall.

"What are your plans for the day?" Rheila asked looking to Bjorn and graum, shifting her eyes from one to the other.

Having just woken up, graum hadn't planned that far ahead or at all for that matter. Meanwhile Bjorn had his mind on familiarizing himself with the guildhall.

"I think I'm going to look around! If I'm going to be staying here, I'd like to be familiar with my surroundings." Bjorn answered, eager to begin.

"I'd love to show you around… but I'm expected to be somewhere soon." Rheila smiled wryly.

Believing that he caused rheilas smile to diminish, Bjorn waved his hands back and forth

"That's quite alright, Tanora briefly gave me a tour… I just wanted to look around for myself." He said, trying to restore her smile.

All the while graum watched their exchange, He noticed Bjorn was quick to answer Rheila, and even quicker to try and get her smile.

'Does.. does he like her?' Graum thought.

Rheila smiled when Bjorn assured her that he wasn't disappointed. She wasn't sure if he expected her to volunteer to show him around, but she was glad that he didn't assume that she would. She then shifted her eyes over to graum, awaiting his answer with curiosity.

When she shifted her eyes they met with Graum's. Realizing she was expecting an answer to her previous question, graum gave it a thought.

"Uh… I'll probably look around as well. Unlike Bjorn, I wasn't given a tour." He replied, his tone passively aggressive.

"Haha! Jealous, brother?" Bjorn laughed smugly, like they were locked in a competition and Bjorn had just gained the advantage.

"Oh, well… I may not be able to give you a FULL tour.. but I could at least get you started!" Offered Rheila, sensing the passive aggressiveness in Graum's tone

"That isn't necessary! Besides, you're expected else where." Remarked graum, noticing Rheila's somewhat guilty expression.

Bjorn, unaware of the subtleties that were taking place, smiled happily.

"Alright! Let's start with where we are, the foyer!" Rheila began as she gestured broadly to her surroundings. "The foyer acts as the common area for the guild. Whether it's accepting quests-" she explained gesturing towards Tanora's desk along with the giant board that had a plethora of papers affixed to it, off to the desks side "-or even grabbing a bite to eat!" She continued, turning to her left, she motioned towards the kitchen and dining tables "or even taking a brief respite, from questing or even to talk to other guildmates." Rheila concluded.

Graum watched and listened, absorbing what Rheila had to say. Her explanation was short and concise, she easily broke down the foyers role.

"Any questions?" She asked

Graum and Bjorn shook their heads.

"Alright if you'd follow me." Suggested Rheila, walking towards Mystilynn's office.

And just as they were instructed, Bjorn and graum followed.

"As you both know, this is Mysti's office" Rheila pointed, as she walked past continuing down the hallway, only to stop in front of a red door "this is the guilds library…" she remarked averting her eyes away from the door.

Graum noticed Rheila avert her eyes from the door, but thought it best not to ask about it. There was clearly a reason why her eyes darted away from the library…

"A library is where one studies, yes? Do you study there Ms. Rheila?" Bjorn happily inquired.

Rheila's eyes widened then returned to normal, her expression almost changing to that of horrified. But she kept her expression under control.

"I uh… do not." She replied with a wry smile, "let's keep moving" Rheila added, changing the subject as she continued around the corner. "Bjorn this should look familiar! On the left is the forge."

Rheila stopped, giving graum a moment to peer in side. As he did, graum saw a variety of tools and instruments used in forging equipment. Many in which looked familiar to him, from the descriptions Bjorn had given him when ever Bjorn talked about forging.

"I'm sure this will make you happy brother." Remarked graum looking over his shoulder to bjorn.

"Aye!" Bjorn replied "that's if I'm aloud to use it!" He finished.

"I don't see why you wouldn't. Just have to get permission from Mysti first." Rheila answered.