(no subject)

[never_shall_yield]

 
Things are changing for Javert at the moment, and life is complicated. As such, he greets the arrival of the bar today with trepidation at first - but on receiving a note, actually relaxes somewhat. The prospect of some straightforward manual labour is appealing, even if he does not at all understand the warning to ask the trees first. He makes a mental note to avoid this barman: there is clearly something wrong with him.

Anyway, it is a pleasant day, and Bar loans him an axe and saw. Javert takes these things and proceeds outside, where he spends some time examining likely looking trees. He chooses from the outskirts of the forest, because it will be easier to work and, hopefully, to move once felled. A target chosen, he removes his jacket and hat, hefts the axe and gives an almighty swing.

He is not expecting the branch that lashes out, smacks him hard across the face and sends him flying ten feet backwards.

Hmm.

Rubbing his cheek, he decides to pick another tree. And - quietly - asks if it minds being chopped down. Nothing hits him, which he takes as acquiescence...so that is where Javert can be found today, labouring under the sun and discovering that being a lumberjack is not an easy job.

He will be in the bar later, nursing a coffee and trying not to die of exhaustion.


[OOC: Catchable anywhere! Post open for a couple of days. <3

00:15 BST - slowtiming for sleep in thirty minutes! Annnnd, I'm out for the night. Will pick everything up tomorrow, thanks guys! <3]

Comments

[ostro_goth]

Teja is coming through the forest on the look-out for some likely trees himself while Javert is still trying to fell his.

"Greetings, Javert," he says.

He's carrying a smaller axe than usual, just to make his mark on trees.

[never_shall_yield]

Javert straightens, works his axe out of the not very considerable gash he has managed to make so far, and nods.

'Monsieur.'

It is a very big tree, and this promises to be a long task. He wipes sweat from his forehead with his shirted forearm, and eyes Teja's own, somewhat different, axe.

[ostro_goth]

"That is going to become the long beam of your church roof, one would assume?" Teja says.

Without further comment, he offers his axe to Javert to try - it is very sharp, but might lack weight for proper tree-felling.

"You have saws?"

[never_shall_yield]

'It is going to be whatever I need to make from it,' he says, and takes the proffered axe.

'I have permission cut two or three.'

The trunk is so thick he could not get his arms around half of it, so it will likely go far. The drawback being that it will take a long time to fell, and be difficult to work with afterwards. There is a single large saw on the ground, but it does not look as if it has been used yet. Javert gives the axe an experimental swing, and then buries it in the trunk, where it sticks fast.

'The deuce,' he mutters, irritated, trying to yank the thing free.

'Who would ever choose this as a profession?'

[ostro_goth]

"One that has been taught it," Teja says. "Chop at a slight angle, not straight."

[never_shall_yield]

'You have been taught?'

He finds he is not surprised.

And he will try the advice just as soon as he manages to unstick the blade from the wood.

[ostro_goth]

"Well enough for firewood and charcoal," Teja says. "I hardly ever need large trees like that; I take the smaller ones that would crowd the forest. But I know how to fell a big tree; I suppose you're going to use the two-sided approach, so it would not topple upon you?"

[starrydome]

Elrond is dressed for the forest today in leggings, a tunic, and soft leather boots.
His footfall is almost silent as he moves from the shadow of the trees and into the sunlight.

He waits till Javert is not swinging the axe before greeting him.

Always make sure that people know you are passing them when they are swinging an axe.
Especially, if they look like they might not be the most seasoned of lumberjacks.

[never_shall_yield]

He most certainly does not appear to be a seasoned lumberjack. But he does not, and will not, give up.

'Monsieur Elrond,' he says, lowering the axe with concealed gratitude, and nodding at him.

[starrydome]

"Preparing lumber for your - church?" Elrond asks.

[never_shall_yield]

'Yes.'

He looks up at the huge tree, with a trunk so thick his arms would not go halfway around it.

'Two should be enough, I believe. Perhaps three.'

Never mind that he has no idea how to make beams, or planks, or rafters. He will learn.

[starrydome]

Elrond runs his hand up the tree, the way you would touch an animal perhaps.
"It is a good tree for that," he says.

"Have you any wax to seal the ends with?"
He asks him this, instead of asking if he intends to cut them all alone. He likely does.
But he may not object to a little knowledge about tree hewing and the proper treatment of lumber. If it is presented right.

[never_shall_yield]

Javert looks blank.

'I do not know what you mean.'

At least he is honest about his failings.

[hecu_marine]

If it helps at all, one of the other people in the woods isn't all that lumberjack-inclined himself. It's September in not!Scotland, the start of the red deer rut, so Shephard's been scouting out the local stags; the sound of an axe drew his attention.

At some point when Javert looks up from the work, Shephard'll raise one gloved hand in greeting.

[never_shall_yield]

The breaks are becoming fairly regular the further he gets; this is tiring work, and he has very little idea what he is actually doing. Which, the further he gets through the trunk, is becoming more of a problem - the thing is huge, very thick, and he has very little idea which way it will fall at this stage.

So. He nods in return to the greeting, and then turns his gaze upwards.

This does have the potential to go very wrong.

[hecu_marine]

"Don't think I've run into nobody out here who was choppin' down trees," says Shephard conversationally. "This for firewood, or you got a building project in mind?"

Damn, it'd be good if Danny were here. Shephard's taken down a few trees in the past, but they've been small ones; his brother's the one who was going to work for the lumber companies.

[never_shall_yield]

'I am building a church,' he says, eyes still up at the branches.

'I need lumber for the roof. I have permission from the barman, if that is your concern, monsieur.'

He sounds preoccupied, probably for obvious reasons. Today's task has already left him with a nasty bruise rising on his cheekbone.

[hecu_marine]

"Naw, I figured- it ain't my business about permission," says Shephard, waving one hand. "I was askin' on account of this lookin' like a fair fine specimen of a blackthorn you got here. You plan on usin' all the branches once you git it down, or just the trunk?"

[never_shall_yield]

'Oh.'

He is still not used to people not actively trying to block this venture, and looks a little taken aback.

'I have plans only for the trunk, monsieur. I need to make beams and rafters for the ceiling. I am not interested in branches.'

[gredya]

Oh. It is that person again. And now he is in the woods, and he does not look very comfortable in the woods, and here is Gredya on four feet and very comfortable in the woods.

It's time for another round of how-close-can-we-get-before-spooking-the-human.

[never_shall_yield]

Javert does not notice that he is not alone for a good few minutes, being fully engrossed with his task, and the fact that after many long hours of labour, the tree is not so far from falling. He thinks. He is not altogether sure, but it is creaking rather a lot, and swaying in the breeze which is not strong.

He has to stop to catch his breath, and also to weigh up the possibilities. It is then that he spots the...is it a wolf!?

Whatever it is, it is far too close, and he goes completely still.

[gredya]

So yes, it turns out the answer today is Very Close. Gredya has been sitting down--lying down, in fact, with her forefeet crossed in front of her--for a good while before the human spooks.

She wags her tail ironically when he sees her. Go on, the wood-cutting show is great entertainment! He makes funny faces every time he swings the axe.

((Oh god I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, poor Javert. She'll go away soon, I promise.))

[never_shall_yield]

Javert blinks at it.

Then he looks at the axe in his hand.




[OOC: Hee! No need to apologise. :D]

[gredya]

She tilts her head, has a good long look at him and his axe, and then grins a big canine grin, her long red tongue lolling out and all her white teeth showing. Still not getting up.

Of course, it's not like she has any idea how to cut down trees either. What do you think she is, some kind of lumberjack?

[never_shall_yield]

He takes a step back. Not being any kind of expert on animals - or even much of an amateur really, except with horses - he does not know what that grin means. He just knows it is showing its teeth.

'What do you want?' he barks, shortly.

Somewhere around knee level, the half-cut tree trunk creaks ominously in the breeze.