The otter seemed to have lost a little of her spark and thunder from earlier. Perhaps family was a touchy subject for the both of them.

"I s'pose we're all picky eaters when we're little 'uns an' we can afford t'be"

Rylock could afford to be a picky eater with his lifestyle but from what he had gleaned about Riune's life, he wondered if she could have afforded it. Finishing his seasoned rat, he pushed aside the now empty plate. Seems there is only one course to this meal, the raptor considered, the meal reminding him of his family, particularly, his brothers, Rishi and Idrite. Idrite had always looked at him with scorn. He had been the pickiest eater of them, his arrogance had led him down that path. Rishi was the kindest to him of everyone in his family. It had hurt Rylock the most to let him down. Even so, Rishi still helped him out when he first set out on his own, he provided him and told him of places where their family held influence. He informed him of how he could gain lodgings and other things that may be of use to him by using his family name.

"Did you eat out often?" Rylock asked pensively, he figured that she didn't eat out as much now but perhaps she did in the past. "I would imagine that you were close to your family," the raptor added, considering the otter's mannerisms when they spoke of family, she seemed to have a close bond with hers.

Rylock watched quietly as the otter violently stabbed her meal. He listened with worry to Riune's forced cheer. "They are not. Everyone is well-mannered and elegant," the raptor answered meditatively, a slight tilt to his head. Time heals all wounds they say. Perhaps hers still need time, the raptor thought, looking at the otter pensively. Ruffling his feathers slightly, the raptor spoke, taking note of Riune's reaction, "Perhaps, we should move on to another topic. One that carries less weight, for the both of us."

Rylock paused for a moment, seeking out a topic far from the pains that weighed them. "Have you ever left Chendri?" the raptor asked, though there was a chance the question may just lead them back, it may even increase the pain. It seemed the least likely to end up worsening the mood since it's direction could be changed easily. For the time being, that was enough. If chance would have, he hoped to change the flow of the conversation even further from the topic of family. In time they may return to the topic but he would not be the one to bring it up.

Rylock was happy to see Riune relax with the change of subject. It seemed Riune had left her birth place, for whatever reason, it mattered not to Rylock. With a light smile, he answered her questions. "Indeed I have. When I first started out, I went to each of the major tribes and kingdoms. I visited them to learn from their smiths and take stock of what each place specialized in. After seeing them and making a name for myself, I settled down in Khariva Plains. I still travel the world though, once every year. If your curious about a place, I can tell you what I know of it. If not I have stories to share of my travels if that would suit your palette."

When he had lived in Qarys with his family, they had seen the whole of it and at times, they traveled Paradiastole. The raptor has, as such, seen the world many times over. Being as his family was part of the military though, they had to be extra careful whenever they left Qarys. They didn't want to do something that would spark a war between their kingdom and another after all. Bearing this in mind, his family always kept a watchful eye on the politics of each kingdom along with the state of each. Though he wasn't as finely tuned to the political state of each kingdom and tribe now, he still had a solid handle on it.

Rylock listened to Riune's questions, his mind darting back to the times when he had journey around. "The southern lands do get a bit chilly at times but far from the cold temperatures experienced here. Rather than cold, they get quite hot. It's not the most comfortable for cold weather animals. As for deserts, I have gone to Aori Desert to apprentice to a smith there for a week. It was dreadfully hot there with a sea of sand as far as the eye could see. There is little water in the desert but there are patches of greenery around oases. The smith I met with had placed his smithy near one of them. It was a popular gathering place for animals traversing the desert," Rylock explained with a smile.

He had enjoyed the time he spent traveling. Though it had been troubling at times. He mostly traveled alone and so was often confronted by enemies and allies alike. Due to this, he took to wearing his steel feathers whenever he traveled abroad. Better to be safe than sorry, so they say. Being as he was originally a part of the military, he was well versed in weaponry, no matter how abnormal. His steel feathers were, therefore, not too difficult to master.

Unfolding his wings a little, he resettled himself in his seat to the clinking of his metalwork. The light catching on a few of the feathers with a glint. "Have you anything else you wish to know about the world outside Chendri?"

Riune seemed taken with ideas of other lands. Rylock thought that perhaps that was all she wanted to know. It seemed not though as she soon posed another few questions.

"Have you ever met an elephant? Or a giraffe? I've heard that they're both as tall as trees. I've never seen one. They don't travel across the seas all that often."

Rylock smiled, he was reminded of the first time he had seen one of those in person. Before then, he only ever read about them. When he actually met one, he was stunned silent. He had reacted much like Riune had when he had first met them but on a lesser scale. He just wasn't as excitable as Riune. "I have met both in my travels. I can tell you that a giraffe is almost twice as tall as an elephant. It is true though that both are as tall as trees. They are pretty heavyset animals. When I met them, I had no choice but to fly to even meet their eye level. It was quite tiring talking to them when they are not bending down in some way or another. One of the elephants I met was a client of mine. They wanted some iron casts for their tusks. It cost quite a bit of material to make it." Rylock laughed, it had been quite an adventure working on the casts for the elephant. He remembered scrapping a few attempts since they just weren't right.

"Of the giraffes I met, one of them was a smith while the rest were buyers, clients, or just some passers-by." Though Rylock had never made anything specially ordered for a giraffe, he loved to attempt it one day.

The otter's reaction was much like his at his first hearing of the smith. He couldn't possibly fathom how it worked and that was mainly the reason he had visited the blacksmith. Upon his arrival at the giraffe's forge, it became blatantly clear how it worked. "I could not quite fathom how they were able to pull it off as well when I first heard," Rylock replied with a smile and a slight chuckle. "Everything in at the smithy was made to fit the giraffe. Everything was elevated for the giraffe's easy use, the tools, materials, even the forge. The place would be difficult to use for anyone who could not reach high up places with ease."

Thinking back on his time with the giraffe smith, he had found both the smith and his workplace to be quite remarkable. It was truly unique. When he watched the smith work, everything flowed like clockwork. The height difference didn't matter one bit to the giraffe. At one point, he had asked the smith what happened when he dropped a tool or material. The giraffe just laughed and told him that they picked it up and continued on just like everyone else. Their answer had made Rylock feel quite the fool.

"What they made was of no difference from what everyone else made. The height difference did not make their works of lesser quality. It truly was remarkable watching them work," Rylock mused, ruffling his feathers once more. Settling down, he looked over his metalwork, his steel feathers. A set of twenty-eight feathers, fourteen pairs perfectly made. Each pair was dedicated to a different god with one pair, the smallest two feathers, dedicated to the old gods by a strange choice of Rylock's. The symbol of each god was emblazoned on the feathers with a few extra designs depicting either the what the god stood for or a part of the God's story. The largest two were dedicated to the God of Smithing and the second largest to the God of the Sun. They were a marvelous creation. The giraffe had overcome a boundary to create his own beautiful works. Rylock wondered if his own works would match up. Looking at his feathers, he thought perhaps he may one day. 

"The giraffe was truly a joy watch at work," Rylock reminisced, his gaze having returned to rest on Riune.

"I s'pose it must be great to learn how to make things better from so many different critters."

Rylock beamed, his smile deepening. "It is indeed. All of the different ways they do things. It is a joy to watch," the raptor exclaimed proudly. His love of his craft clearly seen. There was no greater joy for Rylock than to talk of his craft. During moments like this, it became apparent as to why the Sun God didn't favor him. There was only one god meant for Rylock and that was the God of Smithing, Roharim.

"What is your favorite thing you've ever made?"

The raptor paused in his exuberance to consider the question. "I would say," tilting his head a little, he racked his mind of all his past and present creations. He considered a sword he had made to thank his older brother for the help he had given him despite their family's disapproval. He did not know what had become of it and was unsure if it even still existed. It wasn't a far-fetched idea that his brother had melted it down or discarded it. Considering the animal that now owned the blade and how Rylock had sought to move the conversation away from family, now may not be a good time to bring it up. That being the case, he moved away from the item. He considered a pair of twin swords that he had made in commemoration of Roharim. He had dedicated them to the God and had left them at the main temple of Roharim. They had been one of his first creations and the ones he had put the most heart into. He did not know of their current state and he hoped that, somehow, Roharim might have received them himself. With a slight shake of his head, he dismissed the swords. They were property of the Gods now. No, he knew his true favored craft. It was clear now. The ones he kept closest to himself, his steel feathers.

With a proud tone to his voice, the avian declared his answer, "I have made many works throughout my life. It is hard to decide which I enjoy most but it is most indisputably my steel feathers. They were one of my first creations and have been with me for longer than any other. Everyday I hope to find some way to improve and refine them." Lifting his wings, he looked them over with pride. Almost like a parent talking to a beloved child, the hawk finished his little speech, "Though many have asked for them, I will never sell them. Not to a single soul."