Aran was back in the place he met this collector guy. Their trade would take place soon, after Aran shared the information he knew with other gembounds. It was.... a much simpler trade than Tahi had to do, and Aran wondered why. Was it because he was hoarding the information while Tahi had none? It didn't matter much, anyway. Aran was looking for the other deer, however, to ask a favor and to share some of that information, too.

It shouldn't be too hard to find the other deer, even without sight.

"Tahi? Are you here?" He called out through the place, if not, well, he could come back another time.

@Tahi-shei

Tahi-shei was in Canis, in fact. He was doing something unusual this time -- today, he was picking carefully through the various bones. He'd been instructed to find one that spoke to him, and his indecisiveness was, as per usual, getting the better of him -- Aran's voice was a welcome distraction. "Oh! Yes, I am!" he called back, scanning for the barasingha and then trotting over to him (intentionally making noise, so that Aran knew in which direction to look).

His head tilted slightly to the side. He had to admit, Aran not being wary of Canis confused him. Certainly, he would have been. "What did you need, Aran?"


@aran

The voice of Tahi-Shei and the noise he was making made Aran turn his head in that direction, vague form of the deer coming to his sights that he did have. He was completely unaware that the other deer was making so much noise on purpose, but it didn't matter anyway. Aran didn't find himself afraid of this place, just like he didn't find himself afraid of the other place that had bad memories. Of course, his body had reactions and told him to leave the places, but he simply told it to shut up and that he had other, more important things to focus on.

Maybe if he could see it would be worse, but it wasn't like he'd run into the alligator again anyway.

"I have some information to share. And a few questions if you would answer them."

@Tahi-shei

Tahi-shei's eyes lit up. "... That can be arranged," said the deer. He did not guard his information jealously by any means -- he was always willing to share it as long as someone asked, and sometimes even if they didn't. But the opportunity to learn more intrigued him -- getting to know more without even having to harass someone older than him? That was a treat indeed. "Out of curiosity, where did you get this information?" And, hopefully the second part of that went unsaid -- and why have you decided to share it?.


@aran

Tahi seemed welcome for information, Aran did know he was pretty curious. Even when he was without his antlers, the deer had asked Aran about the throne, Aran wondered if he ever did find anything out about that thing. There had to be some kind of magic that would help out with that, but he wasn't there to ask questions about that, anyway.

"I found it some cycles ago." Aran responded.

He didn't steal it, at least he wasn't aware that he stole two of the scrolls. One came from the cart that was running.... Along with some of his other items too.

"I got them from some sled on legs... It was running, dropping things everywhere some time ago. A lot of gembound were there collecting things."

It was hard to recall all that happened then, but he did remember some of it.

@Tahi-shei

"Interesting," he murmured, considering that. It struck him that this information must have been related to his dear old nemesis, but he didn't say as much. He'd been looking for Aran anyway -- no interest in telling him just what Tahi-shei had sacrificed for this, but. He hummed softly. "I actually have something for you," he said, and walked a little ways away to retrieve Elias's stone from where he had left it before returning.

Tahi-shei set it gently at their hooves. "I, ah... managed to take out the lizard on my own time. I figured that I ought to bring you his stone; I wanted it revived anyway, but I do not think I could have done it myself, and you sacrificed so much on my behalf."


@aran

Before Aran could talk more, Tahi mentioned having something for him. Aran was confused, really. He'd not done anything that would warrent Tahi giving him anything. Maybe a trade for the information he brought? Aran hadn't prompted a trade, though, really it seemed like the other deer might fair better with.... Less trading. Maybe.

"I've not done anything that would require getting something in return." Aran voiced before Tahi walked off to get whatever it was that he was handing over.

What could it be? Honestly, the deer didn't particularly think that Tahi could ever commit murder himself. The other deer was far too soft for it, based on their previous conversations (except for the one when he reemerged out of his chrysalis). He supposed he was wrong, though, when the horn shaped crystal was dropped at his hooves with a soft sound of it being placed there. Tahi wanted the stone revived? He wanted someone to revive the stone that he took from the gembound to kill it?

"You don't owe me anything. For trying to help you - or going blind. I knew the risks when I took it." Aran voiced, tone not wavering. It was all true, too, Tahi didn't owe Aran anything.

"Why do you want it revived?" Aran would do it, of course, since Tahi asked it of him, but it felt strange. To revive someone that the both of them had tried to murder - and that one of them had murdered. At least stones like that didn't remember anything. The child that came from it would not know of the things that happened in its previous life. Unless Aran or Tahi decided to tell it - Aran almost found that thought to be interesting. Perhaps he would, tell it. See the reaction it would have.

@Tahi-shei

His face twisted, though Aran couldn't see it. "I... suppose because I think he could have been better, if he'd been taught otherwise. And because I think that this way, there is a life taken and a life gained -- a neutrality." Tahi swallowed hard. "He believed that the sum of life was to kill others, lest you yourself be killed. He told me himself that he would not have cared if he'd killed you, really killed you." He shook his head slightly (not that he could dislodge the Crown; he'd already tried) and gently bumped Aran's shoulder.

"In any case, if you feel so strongly about it, consider this payment for telling me whatever information you have." Aran's give-and-take attitude about the world confused him, being someone who gave so relentlessly of himself -- but it was just how Aran thought, he supposed, and so he'd just have to deal with it.


@aran

Tahi's statement made sense. Take a live, make a new one. It was a trade, he supposed. What the deer didn't understand, though, was the being taught bit. Tahi knew what Aran was like. Aran couldn't raise a kid. There was nothing about the deer that was caring for raising a child. Sure, he could teach basic magic things, but he would never be able to raise someone.

"I won't be able to teach it those things, you know." He replied with a pause. "But I will revive it."

Payment for the information he was giving - Aran wasn't planning on asking anything of the sort. He was going to share it, ask a question in return for it, and call it a day then. He supposed, though, that it would be fine. Before the deer could forget the stone was there, Aran scooped it up with his mouth and placed it in the bag hanging from one of his antlers that was made by James some time ago. He really needed a new one - James had shown him how to make it, but that meant somehow learning the spell to do it.

The bag did, though, hold the information Aran wanted to share. Setting the bag back down, the scrolls stuck out of the top of it.

"I came to share what is etched on those." He said, pointing at them. He could see their vague shape, Aran was just lucky to have memorized what was on them before he went blind. Not that he was giving the scrolls away, though, he would never do that. "You could say that I was told to."

@Tahi-shei

"Maybe ask the Seven or the Bonebound if they'd raise it," he offered gently, and then was immediately distracted by the promise of information. His eyes lit up and he gently laid the scrolls out, 'reading' them once, twice, three times and then continuing to focus on the information they offered. "... This is fascinating," he admitted, suddenly eager to try all three of these things (except the one with the cow; that just felt...gross).

Passing up the cow thing, he instead turned his attention primarily to the sugar and the boats. "I assume you aren't giving up the physical scrolls," he began, "so I hope you do not mind if I take some time to study these?"


@Aran