Through the woods we ran

[galrad]

Who: Keith galrad and you!
When: Any time between May 6th and 14th. Boy trains a lot and is building a shack!
Where: Beyond the city walls, past the slums and towards the wilds and the forest
What: Keith's way of working out his thoughts has always been through combat- maybe that's the Galra in him. Come spar with him, learn a little basic swordsmanship, or ask him what the hell he's doing building a shack out in the woods!
Warnings: None for now

I. Sparring

[ Keith's way of working out his thoughts had always been through combat. Maybe that was the Galra in him, but there was something about the focus of having a sword in his hand, the burn of his muscles put through a harsh workout- it all helped him to settle his mind. Back in the desert, on nights he couldn't sleep, thought he was going crazy searching for nothing more than a feeling, he would head out into the dunes, and either speed through them on his hoverbike until the wind bit through skin and bone, cut hard enough, deep enough to forget, or, like now, he'd look to put himself through his paces. It had been the same in the Castle of Lions, even more convenient because of the provided pre-programmed training bot. If it had tried to kill him on one occasion, well- what was an attempted murder between constant companions? Besides, Keith had never exactly gone easy on the poor thing... It had kind of seemed only fair, after the fact.

Now, though, Keith was trying to balance all of the information that had been provided to him since his arrival. Witches. Monsters. The infection spreading across the land, the part that the locals hoped they had to play... Wasn't the task of saving their own universe enough? Was it selfish of Keith to still wish to go home, to let them deal with their own problems?

Could he forgive himself if he did?

No one had tried to stop him when he had passed through the gates. Maybe no one dared, or maybe they hoped he'd do something- die, take out a few shade creatures, he didn't really know. All Keith knew was that he had thinking to do, and the best way to do it was with the steel blade strapped to his back, as far into the woods as he dared where he hoped for silence. For peace.

Cutting at trees weren't the ideal enemies, but they were better than nothing. Keith started with a few warm-up stretches, a few practice swings to get himself accustomed to the blade he had coaxed one of the local blacksmiths into allowing him to borrow. It wasn't anything like his bayard; customized in every way to his body; from the grip of the hilt to the weight to maximize the power of his swing. Nor was it like his Blade of Marmora, heavy with purpose but lithe and deadly sharp.

Keith settled on his target; a rotting stump in the middle of the clearing he had chosen for his practice space. Blowing out a slow, steadying breath, Keith readjusted his hold on the sword. And then, he lunged.

II. Home Sweet... Shack?

[ City living had never been to Keith's tastes. He could tolerate it- he'd had to endure it on more than one planet, on more than one occasion- but if he had a preference? He'd take being alone in the desert any day.

It was kind of the Coven to house them, no matter how temporarily- but that was the thing, Keith wanted to make it as temporary as he could.

He wasn't any stranger to roughing it; to making due with whatever he could. He wasn't even averse to sleeping on the streets i he had to- but beyond the wall was something almost familiar. The wild and untamed landscape beyond the wall, beyond the slums where the presence of people and monsters alike began to thin and the danger of the blight became more apparent. He was looking for a patch of uninfected land. Maybe if he got lucky, the bones of an existing structure that he could build off of.

Apparently it was Keith's lucky day.

He'd hiking through areas around the city for a couple of days, looking for the right spot. Kosmo at his side and sword strapped to his back (just in case). Radiating outwards slowly, not wanting to be too far from the city itself. The signs of population had thinned to almost nothing, only the occasional mossy lump of man made wood or rusted hunk of something poking from the ferns to mark human presence. He was following along a gentle stream when he found it.

It didn't look like much, it didn't look very good at all really, but it had four walls (well, three- but he could work on that!) was next to a water source, far enough away from any cwyld infection that he wouldn't have to worry so much about Kosmo, had enough of a clearing that if Keith put his mind to it he could start tilling the land, plant some fruit trees and vegetables- yeah. This could work.

So Keith began to transfer supplies in and out of the city, bartering labor to borrow tools, salvaging whatever scrap he could find in the rougher parts of the city that might have been able to find a use for.

Maybe you found him dragging a long rusted looking sheet of tin out towards the woods, or perhaps you were drawn by the hammering of an axe against a tree- but Keith wasn't about to say no to an extra pair of hands helping him in his endeavor. Because really, the shack needed some work.

Comments

[thisisamazing]

This far out? I'm gonna guess 'fixer upper' is being kind to it. [Hiccup laughs. He's been out this way a couple times, and from the air, the only abandoned houses he's seen have been - ramshackle, to put it lightly. Barely recognizable as dwellings in a lot of cases. Still, he does have to give it to Keith, it's nice out here, away from the sounds of the city.] Yeah, I'd love to see it!

[He follows Keith at an easy pace, letting Toothless bound along as he pleases - the dragon shows much more interest in leaping after Kosmo like a playful cat, 'smiling' a big gummy smile and barking out a sound of greeting to the wolf. One good thing about the friends he's made here, Toothless gets to socialize with their companions; he's gotten along well so far with both Kosmo and with Newt's Greg, which is good - he's not used to being the only dragon around.]

No criticism from me, but did the witches give you the whole disapproving talk about living outside the wall?

[galrad]

Are you insulting my new home away from home before even seeing it? Careful, you won't get an invitation. [ Keith teased, chuckling a bit before moving to collect his tools, grabbing some of the smaller planks he had already planed. ]

Since you're here, you might as well give me a hand hauling this stuff over. Unless it's too heavy for you. [ You noodle. ]

Oh yeah, they didn't think much of my idea not to take one of their newly evacuated houses. ...I get that we're an unexpected crisis, but I think kicking people out of their own homes was a pretty classless thing to do in order to provide for us. I'd rather just find something on my own than take up on that kind of "charity".

[ He started off in the direction of his new found shack. It wasn't far from where he was working, it couldn't be after all. He didn't exactly have a horse or anything else to help him haul heavier stuff to the home. Really, all they had to do was walk through a large boulder bordering a slight hill, and it was there, nestled near the stream and underneath the shade of thick grown trees, a two level rotting former home. Old, but not ancient. Mossy but recoverable, the wood not so rotted away that he'd have to start from scratch. ]

There she is. Home sweet home. [ Keith gestured to it with a fond smile, before pulling the wood to the stack he'd already worked on, waving the other to follow him inside. ] Come on.

[thisisamazing]

You know, I think I'll live without one. [He jokes right back. Hiccup is already moving to grab some of the wood before Keith asks; it's automatic, the reaction. Back on Berk, if you walked by someone doing construction, you stopped to help if you could. It's a different situation these days than it was six years ago, when most houses were brand new due to being lit on fire on a regular basis, but old habits die hard.

Despite his more slender physique, this is a familiar arena, and he doesn't seem to have much trouble carrying a reasonable amount of wood. (It's no crazy feat of strength, but you know.)] I know what you mean. It's- I don't like the thought. It's crowded back in my village, but I'd never dream of kicking someone out of their home to house someone else. I don't think I'll be staying in the Haven at all, out of principle. Besides, too much potential for property damage, and you know, we need to make a good impression if I don't want them to ban Toothless on sight. [He casts a glance back at his very large and very heavy lizard.

Once they reach the place Keith has picked out, Hiccup laughs, despite himself, shifting the bundle of wood on his shoulder before setting it down on the grass.] Gods. That's, um. She definitely needs some fixing up.

Decent frame, though, assuming the wood is still good. You're going to need bigger logs than this if you want to reinforce that second floor, though.

[galrad]

[ A rumble of laughter escaped Keith at the other's quip, and he shook his head. ] Your loss then, it's going to be pretty awesome when it's done.

[ Keith hummed in agreement. There wasn't much he could say that hadn't already been said between them on the circumstances in the Haven. It wasn't right how they were handling things. Maybe if instead, people had invited them into their homes, instead of kicking others out... but then perhaps there wouldn't have been enough space-

There had to have been a better solution. An arena transformed, a new section built for them beyond the wall, anything else. He sighed, shaking his head. ] What's done is done, I guess- but I'm not going to condone it.

You have any luck finding somewhere else to stay yet?

[ Keith asked it as he smiled, setting down the timber he was carrying to wave the other to follow him inside. ] The structural frame inside is fine, the wood is solid and still dry. The roof seems to have held up well- although it still definitely needs to be replaced. The only issue, is... ah..

[ Leading the way inside, it was easy to see what Keith was talking about without him even gesturing at it.

The entire backside of one wall was collapsing outwards, folding back like the peel of a banana and leaning out into the woods. ]

Three walls and a roof over your head are better than none, right? [ He smiled wryly, glancing back at the other and shrugging. ]

[thisisamazing]

Not yet. I figured Toothless and I would just pitch a tent until I can get something built. The weather's so warm I don't even really need that much unless it rains. [It's a lot warmer than he's used to, actually. Summer on Berk is still a relatively cool affair.] But- yeah, it's... a better option than moving into someone else's stolen house.

[With lumber deposited, Hiccup steps into the shack, touching and appraising the wood. Sure enough, the frame isn't too bad - old, but still fairly sturdy. The roof could use a bit of work just to make sure it's up to code, from what he can see, but- Yeah. It's missing most of an entire wall. Or, not missing, just... leaning. Drastically.

Hiccup has to stifle a laugh.] That's... Well, it gives you room for expanding? Or if you're happy with the size, it's fixable. I've seen worse damage.

[galrad]

[ The shack inside seemed much more spacious than it had from the outside initially- maybe it had sunk a bit backwards into the ground, or perhaps it was just that the outside looked so- sad, but Keith wasn't kidding when he'd said that it at least had potential. ]

Well, if you want to pitch your tent around here it's fairly cwyld free- I checked. [ He had to keep Kosmo safe, after all, and he was sure that Hiccup had the same feelings for Toothless. He'd heard that animals were more susceptible to the disease, and he wasn't about to let it happen to Kosmo if he could help it. ] Allura's not moving in any time soon, and there's plenty of space, you're welcome to it until you find something else, if you want. Safety in numbers too, so I hear.

[thisisamazing]

[Definite potential. Hiccup moves around the place like he's inspected buildings for damage a thousand times in his life, zeroing in on problem spots, periodically knocking his prosthetic foot lightly against the floor as he walks to test the wood for soft or rotten boards.] Allura? Is that your friend? [He steps back a bit to look up into the second floor - which needs a bit of work, but he can already visualize what needs to be done with it. An aside,] You're going to have to replace at least three of those beams, I think.

[A pause as what Keith said sinks in.] Yeah? They do say it's safer out here to live in pairs or groups, which might be good for both of us, with Toothless and Kosmo being here. [He smiles wryly.] Assuming you don't mind roommates! I can at least pull my weight with the reconstruction. It'll be easier to get large pieces of lumber here with a dragon.

[galrad]

Yeah, friend from home. Came in through the mirrors at the same time I did- we did, I guess. [ He gave the other a half-smile, thin and wry, crossing his arms and shrugging his shoulders a little. He watched as the other went around kicking the support beams, not saying much as he let the other do his examinations. ] Yeah? Well, good to know. Probably would like to start with that so that the whole thing doesn't cave in on me as I do the rest. [ He chuckled a little, shaking his head. Yeah, that was absolutely the last thing he needed thanks. ]

If I minded roommates I wouldn't have offered. You won't even come close to the most annoying person I've lived with. [ That award would go to Lance, thank you very much. And even Lance he managed to get along with- some of the time. ] If you want to, I'd be happy to have you and Toothless here. The extra set of hands, wings and paws certainly wouldn't go unappreciated either.

[thisisamazing]

You're lucky to have a friend here. I kind of wish Astrid had shown up with me, but at the same time, it's probably better she's still in the village to take care of things. [Hiccup heads up the old, half-broken ladder, climbing carefully and surprisingly nimbly on his prosthetic foot, to get a better look at the upstairs. Or what's left of it.] I don't think these will collapse out of nowhere, but they won't take any weight either. Surprised they did in the first place; I would have put in another support beam or two.

[Then again, these are the slums. These shacks were probably built by people who didn't have much knowledge or materials to go around.

He flashes a smile.] I'll take you up on the offer, then. Mind if Toothless and I take the loft once I build it up?