Chance Encounter As Planned (Godric)

Astrid was thankfully jerked from her mind as she heard Godric begin another story and like the first it hooked her in, listening intently as he shared another of their new students introduction to the school. Guiltily she had a habit of becoming focused when a story was being shared, since she was little it was her minds escape to an adventure not of her own. Even now with so much under her belt and so many places she had visited during her travels onboard ships stories still grabbed at her mind and drew her in. Not to mention it was helping to lift her momentary dark mood though she wasn't aware that had been his aim with sharing the second story. Simply assuming he had been proud of how his first story had gone he jumped at the chance to share another.

Smiling a bit more honestly then she had before, taking a moment to drink from her tankard as he shared his end results for his new student. "So long as you are not sending them to be by the handful with barfight related injuries I think she and the other students here at the school will do wonders and great things under your class instruction. From the sound of it so far these students are going to have the experience of a lifetime that will help shape their future in a positive way" Astrid responded, unable to help herself but sneak in the bit of a tease hinting at their previous encounter. Whether or he had intended to he had cheered her up from her own dark thoughts and though she wouldn't be outright saying her thanks for that did at least mentally say it as she took the opportunity to take another drink.

"This has had me a bit curious since Lady Rowena hired me but how do you all go about finding your students? Is there some sort of magically enchanted object that signals its found a worthy student or is it all by chance as you explore the nearby realms?" She asked as she leaned a bit forward in her chair. It seemed a safe enough topic even here where everyone at this point would be too drunk to pay attention to what was said or were simply still stuck on the previous more blood pumping topic mentioned a while back.

 Besides, now that it seemed like the thick ice between them had been broken a basic conversation topic seemed more manageable while they were still clear headed enough to think. Neither at the moment were looking for an escape and a good few drinks in it almost could be considered the start of a friendship perhaps. At the very least maybe she had found a drinking companion that would keep his hands off her or think she was a light weight who couldn't hold her liquor. The later had been her way to have some fun though and honestly her own con to earn a bit of coin. She was underestimated by her looks so it only seemed fare to take advantage of it and show just how strong her stomach was. Godric looked like he could at least amuse her for a bit longer, a few drinks in and not nearly looking as drunk as the rest of the silent onlookers around the room were at this point. This might not be a bad connection after all.

Godric nodded. It was definitely not his intention to send his students down into the bar for fights. In fact, one of the most important things he hopefully taught his students was when to fight and when to walk away. The reason they were learning defense at all was because it was a dark world out there and the only person they could truly depend on at all times was themselves. If the girls knew defense, they would never need to rely on their husbands, brothers, or fathers to defend them in times of need. The boys should know it so that if their wives, sisters, or mothers weren't at the school learning to make their own way, then they would have the ability to keep their loved ones safe.

Plus, knowing how to duel was vital for a wizard. While there were few dark wizards around, they still did and when one came across one, it was best to be prepared. There was also the fact that it could be great fun, dueling with a friend. How many times had Salazar and he gone head to head, just to relax and enjoy each other's company. It was one of the best challenges he'd faced and he loved every opportunity to test his skills and keep them sharp.

"No, no intention to send them out with swords and fists swinging with the rabble. The class will likely mean you'll be a bit busier than expected. As you probably know, learning to defend oneself always leads to injuries so you're going to need your wits about you to keep us all healthy and in working order." He remarked, figuring she'd seen her fair share of such injuries in her time as a healer. "Can't have some of the more inexperienced students crying off of class just because they're sore or have a black eye or other such maladies." He fully expected a few of them to try. Hopefully none of his students but if so...well, he'd tried it and been denied plenty of times during his own training. They would just have to learn to work through the pain. They wouldn't be the first nor the last.

As to the matter of finding their students... "You see, that's the tricky part. While we've been trying to come up with something," Well, mostly Rowena had been they'd all been helping in their own way. The tricky part was linking it to the bloodlines. The charm was still escaping her, which had her frustrated as all hell. "It's just not worked out that way - not yet anyway." Godric winked. None of them knew how to quit. If they did, they certainly wouldn't be here now. No, one of them would figure it out somehow. The question was, how long would it take and how many students might slip through the cracks while they did?

"Until then," he continued on, "it's all word of mouth. Many of those born to magical families learned through the gatherings we've had from time to time over the last few years, when we knew this was really going to happen. The muggle-borns, on the other hand, that was a bit more tricky. That, too, was word of mouth but in a different way. Friends of friends of friends would pass along information and it was up to Salazar and I to hunt them down, much in the same way as finding Kimberly went. Rumors, suspicion, witnesses - it wasn't easy but every witch or wizard we saved, it made the long weeks on the road worth every second," Godric said with strong conviction.

"So how did you hear about the school? Just a chance meeting in the trading post or..."

He'd been talking enough, ignoring his drink, and it seemed only fair to let her talk a bit. It was an honest question that hopefully wasn't too personal.

Astrid smiled as it seemed like he took her small joke in a positive light, even offering one in return before giving her his honest answer on the matter. Yes, true in the days to come she wouldn't be as free as she was today but that's the job she had signed up for and keeping herself busy with healing injuries would help not just keep her from checking in too much on her siblings and potentially annoying them with her hovering but also stop her from wandering and getting into any trouble herself. As much as his stories had helped ignite that familiar desire to travel and see the world again she had more important things right now that needed her focus. She couldn't bring herself to retire the second life but she didn't want to bring it back out unless it was necessary especially now that she no longer had the safety of living on a boat to fall back to in order to not be discovered. Her siblings could be in danger if she brought that out but at the same time would serve to protect them should trouble decide to target them.

"No, I suppose we shouldn't hold their hands and dust off every stumble and fall, there would be nothing learned from that. Life is about experiences, thats how you learn and there is no clearer teacher than failure" she replied before taking a drink. It was how she had learned, through trial, error, and mistakes. It was a hard way to learn but it got the lesson engrained in her mind a lot stronger than if someone had held her hand through the entire ordeal. It made her the strong and experienced person she was now and she had made sure to pass that on to her siblings though maybe adjusted a bit differently given they were living in the mountains and not aboard a ship at sea. 

When he went on to answer her question, she leaned forward a bit as she listened intently. Of course his wink fluttered a bit in her chest but after reminding herself it meant little more than a playful note to his words the feeling past and she was better able to pay attention to his explanation. In the end it made sense that for now it would be by word of mouth or rumors. Eventually they would need a way to branch out to find more students without putting so much work onto the founder's shoulders to collect them themselves. She hoped the four would be able to find the solution soon, they seemed pretty busy as it was and with the school now open it would need their attention more than venturing for students. 

Astrid had raised her tankard for another drink when it seemed like it was her turn to be presented with a question and she paused part way. Making it look like she was thinking she took a drink, knocking back the last of the contents before lowing it down to hold in her lap. 

"I will say for certain it won't be as exciting as either of your stories, pretty boring actually but I guess there has to be some to make the more adventurous ones stand out" she began calmly. " My family and I had settled here around the time Lady Rowena was coming and going with her work on the school. For the most part I would see her every so often around the trading post and sometimes if she came in for something from our shop or had a question in need of answering but nothing more then simple exchanges. Nothing that came to hint in my mind that she could be testing me or my abilities at least. She seemed to get along the most with my mother while she was still alive, they had a similar enjoyment on an intellectual level with exchanging notes or something when she came to visit. It was nice my mother could make a connection with someone like Lady Rowena before she passed, taken from us unfortunately rather suddenly while bringing the youngest of my siblings into the world."

"Eventually when Lady Rowena came by one day, I had assumed it would be like any other time she had come by and was stopping by to place a potion order or something for the school. We somewhat kept up with the construction while it was happening, my younger brothers Liam and Ernst especially were excited watching it everyday grow into the magnificent castle it came to be and coming up with all sorts of guesses as to what the inside must look like. I don't think any of their guesses were close to the real thing but it was a bit funny to hear how big their young minds went when imagining it."

Astrid paused a moment, looking down at her tankard seemingly looking like she was trying to decide whether to get another refill or not. Really, now that she thought back to it, witnessing the exchange between her mother and Rowena had been an uplifting sight after everything they had been through. Rowena hadn't treated them any different despite the obvious differences in their backgrounds and class, offering advise when she noticed something amiss without them needing to explain a word. A mothers intuition maybe but Astrid had never quite understood it and maybe never would until she became a mother herself, if that day ever decided to happen.

With a small shrug, she exhaled a sigh then raised her head back up to look at Godric across from her. "Instead of her usual reason for her visit to us, Lady Rowena instead extended me the offer to come and work for the school as the in house healer. I was a bit stunned to be honest, not aware how much she knew of my level of work but looking back on it now I think she had been stopping by to test me, going as far as maybe questioning my mother as well when I wasn't within earshot" Astrid continued with a small smile. "I declined her offer at first, not thinking I was fit for the position both as far as skill level and leaving my siblings who at least the younger ones still a bit sensitive since the loss of my mother a couple of years prior. But my siblings who had been listening in the entire time all rushed in and demand I take the position, knowing I would do very well and make them very proud to be the first healer for the first wizarding school. After that sort of reasoning I couldn't very well say no and as I mentioned Lady Rowena also extended the offer to the older of my siblings who were roughly of age to attend school but they declined wanting to look after our family clinic and shop as well as the younger ones who were too young to be left alone. Given we don't have anyone to look after them either and as far as the little ones they have yet to show any hints of a magical touch just yet so the plan made sense but the offer is still there for them if they decide to take it." 

Astrid gently squeezed her mug, tempted to turn it around in her hand now that she had finished. While there had been a few details left out for the most part she had been honest with her story. It was personal but not at a point that she felt a need to guard it. There was a bit of sensitive matter as far as her mother but maybe the way she worded it he wouldn't press to much into it, the subject while she made it seem like it didn't effect it really did as it would for anyone after losing a parent, especially after everything her mother had been through in her life.

He was relieved to find out that she agreed with him about babying the students. True, they needed care when they were injured or people would stop sending their children. There was simply a difference between toughening people up and neglect. He looked forward to the first, hoping he never crossed the line of the second. Hopefully his own experience would help him walk that line.

As Astrid switched gears to tell him the story about how she came to the school, he realized that he probably should have known this story before now. After all, she was a member of the staff. He should know how every single one of them had come to be where they were. Merrick and Gwen he knew, of course, since he was the one that had brought them in.

There was more than just them at the school and it was important to know the background of his staff so that he knew what to expect from them. History made a person. It sounded like she was a devoted daughter and sister, the maternal sort that would make her good for dealing with the younger children. Godric was surprised to hear that she had siblings that were that much younger than she was. Then again, he didn't actually know how old she was. He'd thought she was the same age as Gwen but maybe he'd misjudged?

Of course, if her mother had remarried or her father had, there was always the chance for a second stage of family. Her devotion to her siblings was admirable, though he couldn't fault the siblings for wanting her to use her gifts to the fullness of her ability. Best to see your family fulfilled in a way that would make them happy. It was why Gwen was here at the school.

At least he now knew why her siblings were not at school. While he still didn't like it, wishing that her siblings didn't have to worry about caring for their younger siblings at the sake of their education, it was inevitable. Someone had to be there for the little ones and while it would be easy enough for them to go to the nursery with Lora, Vikings were supposedly very devoted to family. With the way they had been raised, it likely seemed unimaginable for anyone but family to take care of family.

"Interesting," he noted as she wrapped up her tale. "A winding trap leading you right where Lady Ravenclaw wanted you. She always does play the long game; something to keep in mind as you work for us. What she wants, she always achieves, one way or another. Always in a good way, of course. When it comes to this school that she worked so hard to build stone by stone, she is completely devoted and determined to see it successful.

"Don't let anyone tell you that you don't deserve this job. She saw something in you that few others might and is completely confident in your abilities to serve the students." While he'd only had this little experience with her as well as the one this morning, he trusted Rowena's judgement and looked forward to seeing how all of their staff performed in the (hopefully) years to come.

"Yes I suppose I did fall right into her trap, unable to see it until I was already tangled up in it. She would be one of a rare few to have ever done that to me" Astrid said, a smile forming on her lips as she glanced down at her empty tankard. True that while it was a good sort of trap to be caught in, it was still one that had caught her by surprise and that meant her guard hadn't been up to its usual level. Something perhaps she would need to remember and work a little better at. Who knows, there was a chance Godric would try to catch her in a trap of his own for whatever reason he saw fit. Well, maybe not seeing as he seemed to still be a bit on edge about her. For what reason would he have to want to catch her? Other than perhaps loosing time and time again at a heart game of the drink they were currently enjoying. 

"I wouldn't dream of letting anyone try to tell me I'm out of place or unfit for my job. If not for myself but for my siblings that believed enough in me to tell me to take it or the lot of them wouldn't speak to me again. As if a few of them could ever not talk for more than a minute or so in general but still I know just like Rowena they see and know my potential and my worth for this job and I don't intend to leave it no matter who decides to oppose it" Astrid continued as she looked up at him. 

"So, what about you?" she asked as she stood up from her chair. Knowing it must of sounded confusing given the basic of question with no details, she didn't add anything further to it, not just yet anyway. Calmly, Astrid stepped over to the bar and leaned against it just beside Godric with maybe a couple small breaths worth of space between them as she asked for another refill. She was purposefully letting the question simmer in his mind, maybe not quite drunk but he had to be getting there with the number of drinks he had consumed so far.

 She turned to look at him, lowering her gaze to look at his mug before slowly rising back up to where his eyes were. "Do you think I'm worthy and deserving of the job? You've experienced first hand my skill level when I caught you in the infirmary the other day, so I'm a bit curious to know if to you I'm fit for the position. I could always show you again should you happen to have yourself a bit of fun tonight after you have consumed a couple more drinks and stumble right into the thick of trouble?" Astrid paused there, waiting and watching the gears turn in his mind at her words. Her eyes flicked down to his mug again, the corner of her lips playfully curled in the hint of a smirk as she raised them back up again just as her tankard was set down full and frothy near her. "While I'm far still from feeling a comfortable drunken buzz just yet you seem to be getting close to that point yourself. Maybe just a drink or two more to get you there?"

Astrid left it there for now, collecting her tankard and calmly moving back to her seat. She waited until she was seated again, her full tankard nestled just temporarily on her lap between her hands. "If you feel up to it of course, no harm in calling it for the night though if your at your limit already." Was she pushing him too much? Poking a bit roughly at his ego, maybe but the night was still somewhat young and with a few heart to heart and serious conversation topics done and out of the way why couldn't they enjoy a bit of fun. Possibly some competition if he could keep up with her that is but should he dare, even those dashing eyes of his wouldn't be strong enough to distract her from winning a game of the drink.

"Well, since I do not believe any of the other's knew about the evening before's activities, I would say you have a fair hand at healing. I do so hate it when Rowena lectures because I let myself get drawn into conflict." Godric confessed. And the night before they greeted their new students, started their first school year? She definitely would have had something to say, whether he was defending their decision or not. "Being black and blue when greeting students is probably not an image we want to present to impressionable students. The last thing we need is to have to break up fights and them using the excuse that I did it so they should be able to.

"As for tonight's activities..." Godric considered their company. "Wait, you think I've drunk enough to be a little tipsy?" He gave her an amused look as she retook her seat at the table. "Why Mistress Gudrun, you must think me a rather pathetic knight if you think this little bit will incapacitate my senses that much!"

Honestly, he was grateful to have her sitting back at the table. While he knew the lines between them existed for a good reason, having her sitting so close to him up at the bar had been uncomfortable for reasons he didn't want to think about because it would get him into trouble. She was an attractive young woman. She didn't seem the type to ensnare a man for a husband but one could never be too careful. And while he certainly wasn't anywhere near drunk, Godric was feeling rather warm and at ease. It could be a slippery slope, if he wasn't careful.

Astrid was a bit curious to learn that he was no stranger to lectures from Lady Rowena when it came to his antics while drinking. It made sense why he was a bit of a flustered mess when she found him in the infirmary and trying so hard to secretly patch himself up before the other founders to could see the state he was in. It had her wonder just how long the powerful group of four had known one another. "No, I suppose that's not the sort of lesson we want the students to learn from you. I'm sure the other founders might agree with me that having one of you around is enough" she replied then took a drink from her tankard.

Somewhere off to the side of her mind she questioned why he made mention of only one founder when it came to lectures. Was it just because Lady Rowena just happened to give them first or was there something else going on? Surely not given he said he wasn't with anyone but than again they were close and both from noble families. Made more sense if the two of them got together then him with her. The attraction was there despite the two of them pretending to ignore it, he was a handsome man and physically the dream of any filly he happened to pick from the herd. Though she had teased and tempted him a few times already tonight, he had been giving it right back perhaps without even realizing it. Those eyes of his were hard to look away from when she had been right next to him. Yet they both seemed aware nothing could come of this, a barrier of sorts blocked them from going any further down that road so perhaps instead they could be something of friends, thats if he didn't go back to his usual ways around her. It wouldn't be so bad having a drinking buddy again, so long as he could keep up with her.

"I wouldn't dream of thinking you were a pathetic knight Sir Godric but it is hard to dismiss the evidence before me to make the assumption you were not as deep into the drink as you appear. I'm no stranger to seeing the physical signs and you have a couple that would be hard to mistake as anything else. A light tint of color to your cheeks, just there on both sides right above the bone, your eyes are lightly glazed over in amusement and quite the biggest hint of all is how your acting towards me. Far more relaxed and dare I say more open and friendly then you usually are." 

"Hard to miss the different sort of stiff and formal way you are towards me compared to anyone else and on the rare chance we happen to be in the same room together, not to mention you often look for a way to move away from me quicker than a serpent fleeing a mongoose" Astrid commented, a playful curl of a smirk shaped to her lips as she leaned back a bit in her chair. She didn't move her gaze away as she took a drink from her tankard again, lifting one of her legs just enough to cross it on top of the other as she lowered her tankard back down to her lap. 

"Am I really that terrifying Sir Gryffindor? This is the longest we have been in the same room together outside meals and you have yet to look for an escape to get away from me so I can only assume its because your drunk but perhaps I am mistaken and I apologize for the assumption. I should know some knights after all have quite the tolerance for the dark frothy drink. Not the strongest however it is rather a decent second best." Of that she was trying to subtly reference her connection to vikings. It was no secret to her ears of the rumors about them and she wouldn't deny the years they had spent at sea with the clan that had saved them, taken them in, and helped teach them after what happened to their home. While she had seen and experienced her own share of alcohol, perhaps a touch of her competitiveness had to come forward to declare she came from the stronger stomach out of the two. It was maybe pushing at his ego again, tempting him to try and challenge her words. Men didn't often turn down a challenge when it provoked their ego and outside fist flights and contests of bravery drinking was one such way. The trouble was if he did offer a challenge did she take it immediately or leave him hanging with a reply for a few seconds before accepting just to mess with him a hint more.

"Well, I'll let you in on my dirty little secret," he said, leaning closer again, trying not to think of the fact that she smelled nice or that she looked even better. In this day and age, it was hard to find someone who wasn't smelling of something disgusting. Only Helga and Rowena somehow managed it on a daily basis - almost liked they bathed in flowers or something. Well, the former tended to be more food smelling than anything but to him, that was appealing. It meant she was preparing the most scrumptious meals for him to consume.

"Since I have to be careful about the image I present to this town," he confided, "I have Horace water my drinks down a bit. So when I do get rather lively," that seemed the kindest phrase for his rough antics while drinking down here, he was never truly incapacitated enough to get into some real trouble of the fatal kind.

Not that he expected the farmers and stall tenders very troublesome but he hadn't made it to this age by being foolish.

"Well, it just makes a little more sense to be safe and not sorry. As for my state, how could a man resist such beauty before him?"

Did he really just say that? Damn, and he was trying to be so subtle. Maybe he'd had a bit more than he'd remembered. Still not enough to intoxicate him but enough to loosen his tongue a bit. Quickly, he leaned back, his back straightening. The last thing he wanted was to give her the wrong idea.

Astrid had been drawn in more to the man before her the moment he said 'dirty little secret', curiosity only part of the reason. She leaned forward too, trying to not seem eager to know just what sort of teasingly interesting information he was about to spill. To her of all people no less, something not as common as much as one would think given her usual warm and friendly personality on the outside. He certainly had a unique scent about him, every time she got close she could pick up on the subtle notes of his environment, most of it familiar to her experienced nose. All but one and she was sure it was his rather unique scent made from him himself that was causing the mild primal fire to burn in her body. If she wasn't to careful with her teasing she might just do something against her minds better judgement. It would certainly make the rest of the night much better than it was already, given the memory of the body structure just under those clothes it wouldn't be forgettable for either of them.

Alas it was dashed somewhat when his secret turned out not as thrilling or dirty as she had thought, maybe just partially hoped. While his reasoning made sense for the need for a watered down drink it did suddenly take the desire and urge to challenge him to a drinking game. She was probably double the depth in to the alcohol as he was so it wouldn't be too much of a fare game even if she was still far from her limit.

Trying to conceal the mild disappointment beginning to tug her mood down Astrid sat back in her chair. He had given her something else to think over anyway. It certainly was an unexpected thing he had said given their previous reaction but while it would be a relief to his mind she wasn't taking it the wrong way it wasn't the way she would have liked to take it either. A step back rather than a step forward in a way. It certainly had her smile fade just a touch, her mind considering it was time to leave before anything more was said to crush the small bond that had formed between them.

"I see the drink has given you just a touch of the honey coated tongue" Astrid said. She uncrossed her leg, glancing away from his gaze to look over her lute resting on the table beside her then down to the drink in her hand. Whether or not he was being honest, the answer was simply one that he was amusing her while trying to brush past her other questions. As teasing as they were she had hoped to get an honest answer from him, maybe find a way to change something so he wouldn't be so uncomfortable around her during the day at the school. Guess that wouldn't be happening after all. 

She turned back to look at him after a moment, her gaze staring right into his. "You do not need to flatter me with compliments sir Gryffindor, particularly if you do not mean them. Be a fearless strong knight, a romantic suave poet, or even just a common everyday man, he doesn't simply change how he acts around a woman through out a day unless he is under the effects of magic or alcohol. You don't seem to be under the strong effects of either, especially given the secret you just told me. Forgive me if I find it hard to take your compliment to heart as honestly as you may have meant it to sound. Better you save such words for someone you mean to compliment not just amuse while we drink."

Astrid raised her tankard for a drink, needing something to distract her mouth before she said anymore. She tried not to think about it, jumping to conclusions was a good way to end up feeling hurt and she was already trying to fight off her heart and libido from making any more wishful visions of romantic kisses and heated physical exchanges between them. It was certainly going to make any encounters they had at the school worse, chances were he may try to avoid her completely at this point. What was supposed to be a playful and fun bit of retaliation was certainly becoming something far from what she had intended it to be.

Godric's smile faded, his jaw clenching tightly at her response. What was wrong with women that they couldn't accept a damn compliment?! And what, was she a legilemense who thought she could read his mind?

If that was the case, then her skills were a bit rusty.

Somehow, he strangled back most of the irritation that was building up, now wanting to make the situation any more dissatisfying as it now was. The last thing they needed was for there to be tension between himself and their main healer. While both Helga and Rowena were fair hands at the occupation, he didn't want to have to bother them every time he got too banged up to operate. They already had enough on their plates to be dealing with that too.

"I'll let you in on another secret, Mistress Goodrun," he said, trying not to grind his teeth together. "I do not idle flatter. It is a waste of breath. Just because nothing can happen between us, does not mean I cannot pay you a compliment. Would you reject it if I said you were talented at your field of study?"

Which he had. And she had not rejected that so why not accept this one? Ridiculous. Godric tossed back the rest of his mug. He was suddenly not feeling like sitting here anymore. No, he needed to get out and do something. Alcohol wasn't going to purge the darkness now so that was the second best solution.