Story name: Drifting
Author: Hallan Mirayas
Publication date: July 19, 2007 (MKGuild)
Date: mid-February, 707 CR (4-5 days)
Location: Metamor Valley, Metamor Keep (baths, Drift's forge)
Overview
Edward Snow, now known as Drift, puts his life back in order with Misha's help.
Summary
Edward Snow, a Samoyed morph who works in taur form as a timber crewman going by the name 'Drift', thinks back on his recent life. He had been raised to be a tinsmith, but the curse gave him thick fur that made it impossible to tolerate heat. He worked at the grainhouses after that, but the Winter Assault killed the last of his family who had hired him, and destroyed his family forge. He joined the timber crews, but he cut his leg on a rusty blade and was forced to join Akkala's service to save his life, despite being a Follower. And now, the tree he is hauling gets snagged, eventually snapping the harnass. Drift screams in long-pented frustration, and Lindsey runs up to hug him and comfort him in his grief.
Lindsey lets him go early to rest; because his pack got torn and ruined his clothes, he walks to the Keep baths in taur form, to his humiliation. After dodging the staring Keepers, he keeps getting led to a strange door, where he is met by Misha. Misha is happy to meet a fellow taur morph, and asks him to share some wine and cheese with him in the Keep baths. Drift is reluctant, but Misha earnestly insists.
During the bath, Misha learns that Drift has been starving himself from poverty. Drift does not want charity, which reminds Misha of an experienced tinsmith who happens to be Drift's father. Drift says he has not been able to operate a forge since he grew thick insulating fur. Misha offers to enchant a magic ring to protect him from heat in exchange for parts for his mechanical fox and his clocks. Although Drift's forge was destroyed in the Assault, Misha says the Keep will give him a new forge if he asks aloud for one.
Drift skeptically does so, and gets out to wash his clothes. Misha notices his Rebuilder cross. Drift says it is a family heirloom from an ancient Rebuilder, which impresses Misha. Drift finds a tear in his pants and sews it with his fur. Misha finds a pitcher of unusually cold water and gives it to Drift, to Drift's delight.
While leaving the baths, Drift explains how he admired Misha's and his friend Charles's taur forms, and daydreamed his way into learning the form for himself. He runs into a sign just outside the same door as before and kicks it open. He is stunned to find it is his family forge, reduplicated by the Keep. Drift thanks Misha, and they remind each other of their deal. As Misha leaves, Drift says a prayer of thanks to Kyia and Eli.
A few days later, early one morning, Caroline rides Misha's taur form for a picnic. They meet Drift, still working for the timber crews; he wants to pay back Kyia by working for the people. Misha gives him the magic ring, which actually chills him to his delight. As he happily leaves with the timber crew, Caroline points out to Misha the pun in Drift's name: Drift "Ed" Snow.
Characters
Main characters:
- Edward "Drift" Snow: A Samoyed dog morph. He feels like his life has fallen apart, until the Keep gives him a forge and Misha gives him a ring of chilling.
- He has thick white fur which has always kept him warm or hot, to his annoyance, until he gets his ring. He can use his winter fur as sewing thread. Some nobles have offered to buy his shed winter fur.
- The mark of Akkala is hidden under the left side of his chin, under the fur.
- He has black pads on his fingers. He sweats through his feet.
- In taur form, he weighs half a ton. He has two hearts, one for each half.
- In taur form for the timber crews, he wears a chain mail shirt over a leather chestpiece, at Lindsey's insistence. He wears a plaid bandana around his left bicep, under which he carries a sharp dagger with hilt pointing down. He bought the dagger from fear of burning to death, so that he could kill himself if necessary.
- Later on, he wears a brown vest over his mail, and carries brown saddlebags.
- In his pack, he carries a Rebuilder cross and a fishbone needle.
- Misha gives him an enchanted silver ring. It chills its wearer.
- He is typically only in taur form to haul logs. This is his first time being a taur in public.
- He has spent a lot of time practicing his taur form, however, having spent two weeks learning to bow.
- He is a Follower, specifically a Rebuilder. He is careful not to share his faith with strangers. He calls his fellow Rebuilder Misha "brother".
- He has no magic ability.
- His weapon of choice is the staff.
- Drift grew up hearing stories of Misha Brightleaf from Alan.
- He works as a timber crewman, where he wears a hauling harness around his lower chest.
- He was born between 688 and 693 CR, and changed between the summer and winter of 706 CR. He had one older brother, Erin (nee Aaron).
- Soon after his change, his arm caught fire while he was working in the forge. He sold the forge immediately afterward. He still has painful nightmares from the fire.
- After selling the family forge to his sister, he got a job under her husband keeping inventory of the Keep's grain storehouses.
- Drift spent all of the Winter Assault outside the walls of the Keep, having been enjoying the cold weather. The Lutins closed off any routes into the Keep.
- After the Winter Assault, he stayed at an inn and lived on meagre bread rations.
- With money dwindling, he joined the timber crews. Soon after joining, his left hind leg was cut open by a Lutin's rusty sword, giving him lockjaw. After a month, he was forced to serve Akkala to receive her healing.
- He spent a lot of time in the library at this time, learning about Samoyeds.
- He has thick white fur which has always kept him warm or hot, to his annoyance, until he gets his ring. He can use his winter fur as sewing thread. Some nobles have offered to buy his shed winter fur.
Supprting characters:
- Misha: A fox morph, leader of the Long Scouts. Drift is starstruck and embarrassed to meet him in the Keep hallway.
- He has one ear. He wears a green vest, and a belt with a dagger in it. He has two saddlebags, with which he has wine and cheese to eat in the baths. His signature weapon is a five-foot axe.
- He has superior low-light vision to Drift.
- Misha had taken in interest in Alan, as he created higher-quality parts than his competitor, though he took more time.
- He is a Rebuilder.
- Misha knows some magic, including a simple spell to protect someone from heat or burns.
Minor characters:
- Lindsey: A male gendermorph, a timber crewman overseer. He has been looking out for the new recruit Drift, secretly ensuring he feeds himself.
- Specifically, he gives Drift an advance on his pay for food and new clothes.
- Like the other timber crewmen, he wears a plaid jacket.
- Caroline Hardy: An otter morph, Misha's girlfriend.
- She wears a blue dress.
Cameo:
- A young girl who stares at Drift. Her mother is an otter. She ogles Drift in the market.
- An otter morph woman. She has a daughter.
- A child morph wagon driver, whom Drift leaps over.
- A small coyote morph who nimbly runs past Drift in the Keep hallway. Most likely Kee, a Keep messenger.
- Michael: A plaid beaver morph who works on the timber crews.
Important mention:
- Alan Snow: Drift's father, a goat morph. He raised Drift to be a tinsmith, as he and his long line of fathers had done before. Some time in 706 CR, supposedly, he was stabbed through the heart by a lone Lutin while on patrol near Glen Avery and killed. Drift believes he is still alive.
- In his will, he left his forge for Drift.
- He was a Rebuilder.
- He was a grumpy old cuss in his later years. He refused to take charity, and taught Drift the saying "The Snows do not take charity". He had a strong temper that alienated Erin.
- Alan admired Misha, calling him "good people" and telling Drift stories about Misha. However, he was firm in his principles, refusing to give Misha charity.
- Erin: A female gendermorph, Drift's older sister. Before the curse, she was Aaron. She worked in the Duke's guard and the Keep's infantry regulars. Drift sold the forge to her after his change. She died in the Winter Assault, killed by assassins.
- Kyia: The spirit of Metamor Keep. She gives Drift a duplicate of his family's forge.
Referenced:
- Drift's mother. She died in childbirth 6 years before her husband's death.
- Erin's husband, a manager of the Keep's grain storehouses. He died in the Winter Assault, frozen to death in a back alley, his body discovered weeks later.
- Thomas: The Duke of Metamor Keep.
- Nasoj: The evil sorcerer of the North, who cursed Metamor and recently assaulted the Keep.
- A Lutin who died during the Winter Assault. Their rusty sword cut open Drift's leg.
- Coe: A raccoon morph, the Keep healer.
- Raven: A wolf morph, the Keep Lightbringer, or Lothanasi high priestess.
- Akkala: The Lothanasi goddess of healing.
- A rival tinsmith in Metamor, who had a reputation for quality.
- Eli: The one Follower god.
- Yahshua: The son of Eli.
- Madog: A mechanical fox, rebuilt and cared for by Misha.
- Drift's father's father, and his father, both Rebuilders who have inherited a cross from Maarten Lourenz.
- Maarten Lourenz: Apparently an early renowned Rebuilder. According to Drift, he gave Drift's great-great-grandfather a cross of his.
- Misha's father, and likely his mother, who were the first Brightleafs to be Rebuilders.
- Charles Matthias: A rat morph, Misha's friend, who can also take the taur form.
- Fox Cutter: A fox morph, the Keep librarian.
Locations
- Drift's family forge was a small forge in Euper or Keeptown. It was burned down in the Winter Assault.
- Drift's residence and forge is an exact duplicate of his family forge, located within the Keep itself.
- The store has a sign labelled "Snow's Tinsmithy", depicting a snowflake over an anvil. The corner was nicked by a young Edward and Aaron play-fighting (who were spanked severely for it).
- The entrance leads to the forge. All of their tools are marked by a snowflake engraving, made after an attempted robbery of the forge. A peg holds a well-worn hammer, blackened by fire.
- A door on the far side of the forge leads to a bedroom. A bookcase is inside.
- The inn Drift was staying at has at least two floors, with a narrow landing to turn in.
- The Keep's baths have ledges built into the walls for sitting.
Society
- Samoyeds are sled-pulling dogs from the far north.
- The timber crews have a logging camp with food wagons for their workers.
- During winter, they haul their logs overland until the rivers are open for fluming.
- There were at least two tinsmiths in Metamor. Alan's had been competing with a rival's, and barely making ends meet.
- Rebuilders lack the pomp and ceremony that the Ecclesia have, focusing more on Eli than on the church hierarchy.
- An Ecclesia cross typically has more ornamentation than a Rebuilder cross. Drift's cross is a simple yew branch on twine thread.
- A True Branch of the Tree is a holy relic for Ecclesians, apparently less so for Rebuilders.
Chronology
- Drift's family history:
- Drift's mother died 6 years before Alan died.
- Misha says he lost track of Alan after rebuilding Madog, which he finished in 706 CR, but took 2 years to complete. Most likely, Alan died in 706 CR.
- Drift changed 1 month after Alan's death.
- After the Winter Assault, the Timber Crews hired unprecedented numbers of crewmen to cut down lumber.
- Piles of snow remain behind from the blizzard.
- In January, Drift was in Coe's infirmary, suffering from lockjaw. At the end of January, Drift received healing from Akkala, but stayed in the infirmary a bit to recover.
- At least 2 weeks have passed since.
- The story starts in mid-February, 3 days before the timber crew's payday, and unusually warm.
- Misha finishes Drift's ring a couple days later.
- Two or three days later, Misha and Caroline give Drift a cooling ring.
- Drift will start working on Misha's parts next Monday.
Story Connections
- Madog's rebuilding happened in Snips and Snails.
- Misha mentions visiting glaciers with Charles, which happened in Fireside.
- Drift saw Charles and Misha as taurs together last year, which happened in Four-by-Four.
- It is possible that the rival tinsmiths were the Potter family, who had been skilled with tin but between 704 and 706 were struggling with personal issues; see Rider.
- Misha mentions his Christmas party from The Winter Assault.
Points of Interest
- There is a brass pitcher in the baths, though it is implied to have been produced by Kyia, and not owned by anyone.
- The water inside seems to be colder than ice water, further suggesting a magical origin.
- Drift jokingly calls his ring his "Precious", a Lord of the Rings reference.
