The grate hall rumbled with the sounds of orders and tasks that's needed around camp. Only being in the hall for a minute was enough to cause a pressure on any elf's head, the noise rumbling into their ears. Tahliz huffed, chewing on the last of his lunch, Qahnaar rubbing her temples from the noise. The dark wood of the hall made the hall seem endless but the second someone touches the walls, the hall feels much more suffocating, making Tahliz tense and try and stay near a window to breath air that didn't come from another elf.
"You just got back, how are you already so run down?" Ventus called from behind Tahliz, his more lighthearted tone had opened a more calmer environment within the hall. Even if Tahliz was the only one who heard it.
"You try climbing clifts with a stag on your back" Tahliz tried to match his joking tone but his voice sounded more irritated then he felt.
"Yeah, everyone's buissy, if you're free maybe you could help me out?" Ventus asked, leaning on the wall next to the window seel that Tahliz was resting by.
Tahliz looked up at him, wondering what task that a strong and often independent warrior, like Ventus, would need from a smaller apprentice, like Tahliz. "What do you need?" Tahliz asked, now more curious.
"I need help fixing the wall, we had finished the main structure but the older parts of the wall is noticeably weaker. I need your help to do the heavy lifting with me" Ventus gestured out of the window, pointing towards the wooden beams to fix or replace foundations.
"Sure, it'll be better than any job in here" Tahliz nodded, feeling a relief that he wouldn't have to be stuck, feeling suffocated in the grate hall. Ventus, in return, have a bright smile, jumping off from where he was leaning on the wall and began to lead Tahliz to the lumber.
"The north side of the wall is still standing but the main foundations are old now and after a blizzard like what we had, it won't last long" Ventus explained. The young warrior had began to lift one side of the large beam, awaiting for Tahliz to pick the other side up to bring it on the inside of the wall. Tahliz followed his lead, hauling the large wood over his shoulder, feeling Ventus watching him. The appearance just looked up and waited for Ventus to take the lead, where he took the path from the lumber pile inside the wall where a few tools were set up. The tools sat next to an exposed part of the foundations, the older wood looked half rotten away and in desperate need to be replaced.
"Didn't think it'll be this bad" Tahliz commented, gently feeling over the splintered wood.
"Yeah, this part of the wall isn't visited often, thus lead to it rotting away" Ventus stretch after he placed the lumber down. Picking up the hand saw and making mental calculations of where to cut the new beam. Tahliz felt awkward as he just stood watching Ventus trim and cut down the wood, until Tahliz was needed to hold the wood still when replacing the old foundations.
Dim lights filtered the hallway, the emptiness was far more comforting for Tahliz than the crowded hall. He was able to lean back and wait patiently as Ventus worked on crafting new beams and foundations. Tahliz couldn't help but watch, mainly since he had nothing else to do. He watched Ventus having to constantly check his calculations and then cutting the wood again, never once asking for help. Not that Tahliz was complaining, he caught himself enjoying the sight, Ventus kneeled as he carved the wood into a clean cut.
"I forget just how tedious this can be" Ventus took a breath once he finished trimming the wood down into the beams. Taking Tahliz out of his thoughts.
"Seems boring" Tahliz smiled back softly, trying not to have his eyes glued to Ventus's form and muscles. "Why was I staring?" Tahliz paniced mentally as he slowly realises that he had admired Ventus a bit too much. "I mean he's a strong warrior, good at his job and..." Tahliz felt like a kitten seeing a mouse for the first time, watching Ventus work on something as simple as crafting beams.
Ventus didn't need to instruct Tahliz in what he needed to do, it was a simple fix. Quickly grabbing his side of the wooden beam, lifting it up to check the fit next to the existing one. "It'll do" Ventus commented, moving the bean to rest on the wall so they could take down the old one. The two worked in silence, taking out old nails and slowly but surly took the first beam out. "Say, Tahliz, do you know how to replace a beam?" Ventus asked once they had placed the beam into its new spot.
"Not really" Tahliz confessed, feeling a ball of embarrassment in his chest.
"Want to learn?" Ventus asked, handed him the hammer and nails, "it's actually, surprisingly easy"; he had this soft but also bright smile that made Tahliz feel a wave of comfort.
"Right, first off, you need to make sure that the beam stays in place when you hammer in the nails, if it moves you have to tear it all down and start over. So that's why I'm going to hold it for you" Ventus schooled, holding the beam in place like he said he would. Tahliz nodded and looked at the beam, not sure where to start. "We don't have any other beams in to connect it to so we're going to bolt this one into the wall first" Ventus continued, gesturing to a spot where Tahliz could start. He nodded and got to work, using the bolts to bolt the beam in place, creating their starting point, Ventus watching with a nod here and there.
"Good" Ventus nodded, pleased with his work. He let go and the beam stayed put, Ventus then went to the two beams that lined the floor, beginning the process of removing the rotten wood. Tahliz working on the other side until both beams were removed. "Now, I'll do this side and you'll do the other, we need to nail the two sides to the bottom of the main beam" Ventus gestured to each side and each spot as to where to add the nails. Tahliz nodded and prepped his beam, mirroring Ventus's work.
As Tahliz worker and nailed the beams together, he found Ventus to be right, it was a simple job. "Now these are the only really bad ones, the other coukd hold on for a while more" Ventus explained, getting up and brushing his hands off. "You got any other jobs to do?" He looked over to Tahliz, the apprentice getting up and beginning to pack the tools away.
"Not that I'm aware off, I did only just got back" Tahliz gave a smile, preparing to put the tools back in storage.
"Want to tag along with me? You haven't done a patrol yet have you?" Ventus asked, looking a little hopeful at Tahliz. An excitment bubbled in Tahliz, a patrol was a larger task, circling the tribes land to check for anything out of the norm. Most of the time it was to keep bandits off their hunting ground or even to check the land itself, preventing pant diseases from harming the forest or the genral wildlife. It's a more honourable task that requires the focus and concentration.
"Yes! I mean, yeah I'd love to" Tahliz couldn't contain his smile, he felt his eyes brighten and Ventus's smile brightened with him.
"Well, I have a night patrol, get yourself rested for it" Ventus ordered, keeping a more authority tone, a pride within that tone of voice. Tahliz felt his stomach flip, his heart beating against his chest and he grew thankful of the dim halls to hide a sudden flush to his cheeks. "Shhhhh- Ah! Why was that?- why did it effect me so much!? Fuck" he kept a soft smile as he began to walk towards the barracks but his mind raced with his own thoughts; all whilst Ventus's voice echoed through his mind.
"I'll meet you in the grate hall at sunset" Ventus instructed, walking past him towards the gates, most likely on guard duty. That didn't stop Tahliz from thinking over how Ventus spoke, the sterner tone and order had caused his heart to race and that feeling in his stomach left a weak sensation throughout him. Tahliz shook his head with a sigh then made his way to the arean, just behind the barracks and next to the great hall. "I've always been needing time alone to practice, it'll get me out of my head" Tahliz could hear how unsure his own thoughts were, he just hopped he'll be able to get his head back into working.