Stones of the Guilds.

In the early morning of the second full day of the moot I found myself in the guild tents. One area always seemed quiet. Sitting on the floor were square stones carrying the marks of the guilds. Greenery and growth clung to the stones and seemed to root them to the floor.

The Militia Chest.

Late morning afforded me one more stop for sketching before I took to my duties at the healers guild. I walked up to the guild tents and sitting on the Militia table was a vast chest. Set among the drapes of the table and the walls I found it to be an unusual subject but well worthy of a sketch.

A Standing Bow of Strength.

My last sketch of the Fayre took me back to the guild tent and found me sitting before the Archers Guild. Within was a mighty crossbow mounted on a stand. Crowds and passers by had not yet found their way into the guilds and I took advantage of the clear view to sketch their bow and study its form.

As I worked a fellow mage emerged from the desk at the Mages Guild wandered over to look over my shoulder and give me a bag of treats to take on the road. A generous act and I will look forward to meeting that fine fellow when I next spend time in the Mages Guild.

Purity of Voice & Generosity of Heart.

Many times I have listened to the Bards across the guild tent and enjoyed hearing them. As evening began to draw in I took the opportunity of a quiet spell to wander over and introduce myself. I was made most welcome and they were very accommodating in allowing me to sit within the guild and sketch as they practiced and attended to those who called at their desk. Books and instruments lay around me as I worked and the light slowly faded, but voices and chords still rang clear as if a muse sang through them.

The Lifemasters Fountain

My wanderings took me from the Tesseract back into the Healers Guild. There I met with my pack brother Soal and sister Freydis. We caught up on the events of the morning and relaxed in the shade of the guild as the morning sun grew in strength.

My attention was called by the fountain sitting quietly in the corner and as the discussions continued and the masters arrived for the days tasks I sketched the fountains form as I considered what events might hold for the day.

In Service to the Healers Guild

With the crowds beginning to arrive within the guild tent, I made my way over to the Healers Guild and made myself available for any duties they may have.

As discussions took place between masters and those at the desk I passed the quiet moments by reaching for the sketchbook and drawing down the healers symbol. Luckily the morning was quiet when it came to injuries and skirmishes with conversations and negotiations holding sway over the proceedings, and so the sketch spread to capture more of the scene behind the desk.

The Armourers Guild

The rising sun brought warmth to the later morning however I still found few people to be about. I walked up the gentle hill and into the guild tent. To my right was the corner occupied by the Armourers Guild. Their anvil stood proudly before their room and bore their emblem. I settled on the edge of light and shadow in the entrance of the guild tent and put pen to paper. The arts of the armourer are something of a mystery to me; method, understanding and a spirit of craftsmanship take form and function within the hot coals, the plate of the anvil and the quenching barrel.

The Guilds at the Fayre

After enjoying the festivities of the fayres first evening I grabbed a few hours sleep in the darkest hours and rose with the dawn. Clear light and a warm gentle breeze brought fresh energy to my mind as I walked the fields alone. The peaks and valleys of the guild tent stood before me on rising ground. I settled down to sketch and for a while I was alone with my thoughts, vision and the scratching of my pen. Before long I had gained a new companion, we passed the time of day and chatted as we both took comfort in the warming rays of the sun.

A ruffling noise behind us took our attention to a tent lower down the field, three ducks appeared from the tent and waddled past us. They headed up the hill and into the guild tent. My new companion and I were left bemused and laughing at the sight, I suspect they were only foraging for dropped scraps of food but the line and purpose they took showed they had made this trip before.