We walked almost to the river yesterday, then made camp for the night, it was nice to have company. Somewhere along the way the bear disappeared from view but when we awoke, he was there snoozing just outside the camp. He remained there sometimes seemingly asleep sometimes watching with half an eye while we had our breakfast.

Over breakfast we decided that we could take a little detour off the direct path to cross the river at the Overrun Bridge. According to the Eldran meeting this is where the nearest Pathways Office can be found. I was so pleased when Elyr agreed to come along for this mini exploration, I wasn’t ready to part company just yet, but I really want to know why the Department of Pathways Compliance is altering all the trade routes.

As we set off and made our way towards the river, I saw the bear on several occasions heading in the same direction. I am taking this to mean that we have his approval. I mentioned it to Elyr and they are still maintaining that they have no knowledge of bear behaviour.

As we walked we chatted about anything and everything, I told Elyr more about my workshop in Bern, stacked high with materials and tools of all sorts to repair the items people bring me, this seemed to fascinate Elyr. I know they have met cord-wrights before but they say they have never really thought about the craft behind it. I wrote down a little bit of the conversation because it amused me.

Elyr “So you keep all of this sitting there just in case someone brings you a broken thing?”
Me “yes that’s part of it”
Elyr “don’t people know how to fix things themselves”
Me “some do, but I think my repairs are better than just fixes”
Elyr “If it functions why does it need to be better”
Me “Function is important, but I can make a repair beautiful, it will look better than the original and last better”
Elyr “How will it last better?”
Me “I know more ways to repair things than most people, so the repairs are stronger, but more than that, people are more likely to care for the item if they see the care I put in to the work, I can make them better.”
Elyr “I think you are an unusual human Fia Veylin, I wish more people thought this way”

I don’t know that I am so unusual. I just see the potential in the broken things!

I learned that Elyr is an Aethri sonorist, they have studied the resonance as well as having the normal Aethri living connection. They can craft new connections out of the living strands, but only within the resonance they cannot join them with physical items. This is uncommon among even the Aethri. When they told me this I laughed as this seems so similar to what I do.

The other thing that interested me was that all Aethri are connected and can communicate with the sodality, but that this is stronger amongst those in their kith groups. The Sodality is their collective name for all Aethri and a kith group, I think, is similar to a human extended family.

By late afternoon we were approaching Overrun and decided it was wise to pause there for the evening and visit the Pathways Office in the morning with a fresh head.