The metal armed lad had been otherwise pulled away to other more fertile pastures to sow….whatever wild oats are. The young dwarf had heard that saying from one of the farmers which had given him a lift and stated that schools such as Hoseforn’s were great for sowing them. The insinuation was lost on the sheltered mind of the cadet however. Arn finished his draught of ale after Finn had also drunk to his health. This insinuation was the least of the pressing conundrums that began to rise in his mind. He had many questions. The answers did not manifest from the bottom of the mug he was drinking from no matter how convenient it would have been. No longer the center of attention, the cleric in training considered what had transpired. Finn had stated that his uncle, a man who had once been of great renown and which had fallen to neglect due to his dabbling in magic that went beyond the socially accepted practices of shamanism, rune crafting, and to a very small extent the healing magic of a cleric. Why had his uncle chosen to embrace another family? Something else that baffled him was the whirlwind of emotions that had manifested themselves in his stomach like a maelstrom that threatened to engulf him and sink him to depths of uncertainty. These feelings were the kind of which he had never felt before. Had his father played a part in his uncle’s departure? What exactly had transpired to make such a celebrated figure be so taboo? Would he face the same treatment after his own stay at Hoseforn’s? At this difficult time in his life, the wise words of his old drill sergeant were like a life preserver in the raging waters of confusion. [color=f26522]“When in doubt, stuff your face full of food and mead!” [/color] The table in front of him practically groaned and was filled to the brim with food. The other people at his table started to talk to each other. While the young dwarf still did not know his reason for being at this place among other unknown variables, he figured the best way to attack this issue was to treat his time at Hoseforn’s as a mission. The first thing was to gather information. His hands reached for the delicious smelling dishes all around him. Dwarves had no social norms or etiquette when it came to feasting. This was evident in the hearty portions and quick disappearance of the food from Arn’s plate. While they were not pigs when it came to eating, they still where not shy in their delight of enjoying food. Indeed, it was actually considered a compliment to the cook when food disappeared from plates and was consumed heartily. The constant shoveling of food actually helped the dwarf to stay out of the various conversations around him and afforded him the opportunity to really take a look at his table mates. The Dwarves kept just enough tabs on people in regards to military movements and political situations that could translate to said military movements. Apart from that, very few interchanges of culture between nations ever transited across the huge gates of Iron Keep. This meant that ignorance was a two way streak. He knew very little about those on his table and in turn, those around his table, save probably Finn, knew very little about him and his people. Arn’s eyes delighted on the variety around him as much as his taste buds delighted on the bounty of food. Taking in every detail he could, he began at one end of the table to his right and swept it towards the left making sure to commit to memory as much detail as he could of the people fate had managed to sit around him. He began with the water soaked girl who had commented on Finn’s metal arm. At the time, Arn had only slightly nodded in her direction. [color=00a651]"Rune magic? Runecrafting and regular crafting really do go great together."[/color] He remembered her comment and while not blatantly staring he took in her sight really looking at her for the first time. She was very well put together. Slender frame and riged, almost bark looking tan skin made her look like a pretty flower come to life. While dwarves did not really have a type of woman in general, they were not blind and appreciated the physiology of other races if nothing more. Kyera was attractive for sure and it did the young cleric no harm in acknowledging that. His face shifted to the left as his hand picked up piece of bread which he dipped in what looked like hearty stew and then lifted the soaking morsel to his mouth. The young cadet appraised his so called cousin and the two girls who sat opposite of him. The pink haired, fluffy tailed girl with big almost bunny ears was for sure eye catching. He had never seen anything like her before. Not in the limited amount of books that was available to him. Basedon the reactions of others at the table, the purple skinned, spectacled horned Anisel specifically, the dwarf inferred that Selene was not a common sight. An almost inconceivable smile quickly fluttered along his lips but he hid it behind a mug of ale. While he did not necessarily have anything against mages, he enjoyed the banter between the human Ixus, whom he recognized as having been the one to get bumped upon his arrival, and Anise. The blonde haired Calven seemed to be a child trapped in a grown up body. Apparently, Arn was not the only one who did not fully appreciate the boy’s bubbly demeanor. His ears caught more than he intended from the trio to his left. [color=92278f]“Our own persons, by our own efforts,”[/color] Arn digested the saying Finn had offered the lass named Valeria. The girl had light hair matching that of his so called cousin and looked very much human. However, the hue of her skin led the observant cadet to bet there was more to the delicate porcelain like face. To a dwarf, family was first and foremost. The honor of the clan needed to be upheld over your own desires. Unknown to Arn, this was the reason why Krum had fallen to whispers. He had pursued a passion and neglected his rightful place as the heir to the StoneHammer clan. Indeed, the young cleric was only at the school to add the necessary skills of being a battle field medic. In this way enchance his own honor and by association, that of the clan. The sweet dulcimer like voice of the lady directly in front demanded his attention as he gulped down a hearty helping of sweet roasted ham. [color=7bcdc8]”Meh I’m only in this for the money…”[/color] The cleric raised an eyebrow in a mixture of agreement and denial of that statement. It was almost a dwarven trait to pursue riches and glory. However, very few did so as adventurers. Lorelai intrigued the young cadet. Not only because she was very exotic but also because she gave off an air of self-assured deadliness that made a few hairs on his back shiver. He was not necessarily afraid but for a dwarf who had been raised all his life in battle, reading your enemy’s battle ability was a skill that was pounded into you quite literally. He was surprised how much complete strangers were willing to disclose to each other. While emotionally speaking, this opened up conversation and fostered friendships. Logically, it was beyond the dwarf’s understanding. However, this did not stop him from gathering any and all data. [color=2e3192]"Just how far could these cases span over Ealinata...?"[/color] He stopped mid chew as the conversation turned away from magic aptitude, mythical progeny, and other mundane subjects to actual practical concerns. While the dwarves did little to react to the woes of the rest of the world, even the Iron Keep had experienced a certain increase in patrols and the feeling of some underying danger could be felt in the upper echelons of leadership. Of course, as a lowly foot soldier, Arn was not privy to information that could be useful. Not tht he would disclose any information as readily as his fellow students were doing. Instead, he kept his peace and kept chewing. [color=bc8dbf]"So in other words, we really don't know anything do we..."[/color] Arn grunted as the food trying to go down his gullet and the chuckle that tried to escape it collided. He coughed with his mouth closed and grabbed his mug of Ale to help the invading food to wash down. Knowing full well that his near choking would bring attention to himself, he decided to get in front of the awkward moment by tackling the bull by the horns and also introduce himself as politeness dictated. He cleared his throat as he stood up to his full 5 foot height and in a clear voice proclaimed. [color=0054a6]“I have had the pleasure of meeting some of you already.”[/color] He nodded to Cal and Finn. [color=0054a6]“I would like to introduce myself to the rest of you here. I am Arn second son of Thur of the HammerStone clan. Proud vassals and banner men to the BattleHammer clan, protectors of the Iron Keep. It is a pleasure and honor to make your acquaintance.”[/color] With that he gave a sweeping dignified bow to all on the table and promptly plopped down.