Ginevra Galli

 image made with Portrait Workshop

STATS
Name: Ginevra Galli
Age: 24
Gender: Female

Description: Ginevra is tall, with a tanned skin and muscled body. She has long brown hair she keeps tied back and braided, large eyebrows and a distinct nose. She has been used to physical work since she was old enough to help out in the forge of her father and can hold her own. 
Personality: Ginevra is a wily woman. She is a hard worker but knows how to make others (mostly men) help her out. She is quite upfront about what she wants and doesn't lead them on though. They might get a kiss for their effort and if she likes them enough she might take them out to town. She hasn't met the right man to give her heart to. 
Short Bio: Growing up as the daughter of a smith, Ginevra has been used to heat and sweating. Her mother sells their wares and Ginevra decided early on that she was more suited to working in the forge than in the shop. 
Hobbies: Enjoying the finer things in life (food, drink and soft linens)

Pets: -
Drak: Ore Pirenla (f) from Baskar Castle

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STORY
Ginevra wiped her brow, grabbed the handle of the tall hammer and prepared to swing the damn thing at a large piece of metal plating that lay on the floor. The metal had been heated and flattened repeatedly. Still, Ginevra wanted it thinner. The more she could spread it out, the easier it would be to shape and the more it would cost the artists and their wealthy sponsors. 
"Ginevra." her mother called, "You're wanted in the shop."
The female smith looked annoyed to others, but she knew better than to oppose her mother. The plate in front of her would need to be heated again soon anyway so she might as well take a break and leave it until later. Though, maybe that would be tomorrow since she'd lost track of time again.
"Dimitri, can I ask you to put my things away? I don't want to keep la Mama waiting." she winked to one of the other smiths in the room. 
The burly man grunted out a reply that she took as an affirmative so Ginevra put her hammer close to the wall and went to the shop without freshening up. Her mother might expect her to be presentable but then she should have said so.
"What do you need me for?" she asked as she entered the front part of their home that housed the shop.
Her mother looked disapprovingly at her and turned back to the person standing behind her.
"I'm sorry sir, my daughter seems to have forgotten her manners."
Ginevra's mouth twitched but she refrained from telling her mother that some extra information would have told her more. But unless this man was a suitor she couldn't think of a reason why she should look her best. No male smith would be expected to look pristine while meeting a client so neither should she. Which didn't mean she never got dressed up, just mostly when she went out into town. 
"What can I do for you sir?" she asked and introduced herself.
"We have a project at Baskar Castle that we need some more contractors for."
The man introduced himself as Cilander from Baskar. Ginevra looked at her mother to gauge her expression. She seemed supportive of the stranger so Ginevra could accept. Strange. Usually her mother didn't actually brag about her daughter doing such manual labour. But maybe work for an actual Castle would be prestigious enough to be allowed. And it might put her on the map for her own work and not just as an apprentice in her father's shop. Speaking off, why wasn't her father being asked to help?
"If you don't mind me then I would be glad to help." she said, a question in her eyes.
"The Castle specifically asked for young craftspeople so as to not inconvenience the towns. The project might take up some time."
"When do you expect me?"

About three weeks later, Ginevra stepped down from the drak that had ferried her to the Castle. Flight had been a new experience and one she'd hoped to have a few times more. But she also itched to get started on this project. As she'd been told there were plenty of young people who'd be working on ways to bring water and other resources to the castle. 
But before she could report for duty, a Fire drak looked her way and said: "Waits a moment pleasze."
"Yes?" she asked, still feeling a bit out of sorts that these large creatures could speak.
"I think we need you for the deep cavern as well. Let me get my knight and we'll take your details...."

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HATCHING
Drakholm was tucked up into the mountains, not much compared to the grand Earth Heart Dens that had been the symbol of the unity between draks and humans for almost two-hundred years. The snow was just starting to fall in thick, fluffy flakes when the people of Drakholm entered the Great Hall. It was just large enough for a few draks to watch but most preferred to hide in their dens due to the incoming storm. Cilander had done a wonderful job searching for those who could bond, even going outside of Arvalon and Raidor to do so. The number of candidates were far greater than the number of draklings; this was not unusual of course, for any clutch. It was always best to give the draklings a wide variety to choose from.
The people of Drakholm were excited and it took some time for them to calm down after Rune stood. He had changed for this event into the best clothes he had, which was not much compared to a noble. In truth, Revna had complained about not having something appropriate to wear but he thought she looked amazing. Of course, he was biased. There were days he still could not believe Revna was his wife.
"People of Drakholm!" Rune began, his voice quickly rising in tone over the din of excited voices. "Today marks the first of, what I hope will become, a long standing tradition. While we are not able to honour the Festivals, we can still hold the feasts of bonding and welcome the young that are the future of our homes, our land, and our people!" 
A shout went up and he felt a rush at knowing his words could rouse such a response. Revna was better at talking with a sword - Rune had words. He turned to his wife, who sat with a grin of pride on her face. 
"Without further ado, let us introduce those who stand before you today in hopes to join the ranks of drak riders of Icarus!"
There was a small murmur at Rune's choice of words - why 'Icarus' and not Arvalon? However, Rune knew that not all those here today would stay - though he hoped. It was one thing to ask a farm boy who had lost his family to the barbarity of Raidor to fight in a rebellion - it was a different story to ask a foreigner to do so. Not that Rune did not hope they would but it was not a fight he would ask them to join.
The candidates were brought forward, their name, House (if known or they had one), and where they were from, read aloud as they took their place in front of the high table where Rune and Revna sat with the others of noble standing within the Rebellion. They all wore their best dress or tunic, often in the colours of their house or home village. Over this they wore a simple robe with no sleeves in the colors of Baskar Castle - a defiant nod to the fact of the purpose of the rebellion. For the draklings, Kaivala and Vasaren would have already informed them as to who they should be more interested in bonding with, though it was well known that babies rarely followed rules.
When the herald had finished announcing the dozen or so candidates, who stood in a line in various degrees of nervousness or confidence, Rune nodded to the two men at the large double doors which were reserved for the entrance of the parents and their young.
Kaivala entered, herding four bounding draklings that did not waste any time in sticking their curious noses into everyone and everything. Kaivala could not enter fully but a space had been reserved for both the parents of the clutch. Varasen, Rune's night drak, wiggled in behind his mate and spread a protective wing around her as the two parents watched their offspring soon remembered what they were supposed to be doing and quickly lined up in front of candidates in a semi-perfect line. An ore, earth, water, and day drakling eventually turned their eyes to Rune who was smirking at the limited attention span so common of children. These four were several weeks old already, but they were seeing the other half of the world - the one with people, for the first time.
Kaivala nodded to him. "My lord, I prethent Pirenla of ore, Ireenla of earth, Anwenla of water, and Kallaen of the daylight."
Rune could not block out the pride of his own drak as Kaivala presented their first clutch and he had to take a deep breath before nodding to her. "Your offspring are welcome here, Kaivala." He turned to the fidgeting hatchlings and grinned. "Let the Feast begin!"
As the cheer went up, and the hatchlings darted off either straight to a candidate to introduce themselves or to stick their nose into something completely not what they were supposed to be doing, Rune sat down. 
Each drakling made their way to the candidates and others, curious and wide-eyed at this new world of which they were now to be part of. They asked questions, sometimes endlessly, and reached out with a part of their mind to get an idea of what each person they met was like. Their mother had told them that while the seekers brought them people they thought would make a good rider and bondmate, it did not mean they were limited to those individuals.
When the feasting and drinking had ended, and the bards were given the single to clear out the central floor in front of Rune and Revna's table, Tylar Hardell stepped forward.
"Would the hatchlings please step forward," Tylar said, after giving an introduction that caused many to snicker or roll their eyes. The four draklings came to sit in front of him. It was supposed to have been a line but they were too excited to sit still and ended up becoming more like a ball of limbs and wings. Tylar gave them the same look he gave his own kids until they straightened out. Several people chuckled in amusement. "As per tradition, as your mother introduced you, so you shall state your choice." He turned to the candidates who, at a wave of his hand, stepped forward on the opposite side. "There are no rules that state you must accept their choice, however should you agree, you are free to step forward and meet them."
His words were cautionary more than something that had, in any known records, that a human refused a bond. It could happen, theoretically, thus the warning was part of the speech. With a flourished bow, Tylar stepped back and turned to Pirenla, the female ore drakling who was staring at the candidates intently. At her name she stepped forward and walked unerringly to Ginevra Galli and lowered her head. 
"I am Pirenla of ore," the hatchling said. "Do you agree to be my bond-mate?"
Ginevra could not stop the tears forming in her eyes as she nodded and knelt in front of the drakling. "Oh, I do! You know that!" Pirenla grinned. Of course she had known Ginevra was her's the moment they started talking.
The other three draklings paired, but Ginevra was too busy tending to Pirenla to even notice what went on.
As the cheering subsided, people turned once again to Tylar Hardel who stepped in front of the new riders with a bow. "The choice is made! I present to you the new riders of Icarus! Ginevra Galli and Pirenal of Ore!" He paused, waving a hand to the young woman and her drak while people cheered and clapped. "Emelisse and Ireenla of Earth! Ricon and Anwenla of Water! And last, but not least, Kaeso of Drakholm!"
With the final announcement, Kivala and Vasaren bowed to their riders and left the Hall while the final celebrations were sent into motion. Dancing and song, as well as drinking the entire stores of mead, ale, and wine that Drakholm currently had saved up for this one night, would continue long into the waking hours while a winter storm raged around the small cliff-side village. In truth, it was mostly because of the storm that many simply passed out in a corner or on a table so as to avoid walking back through knee-high drifts of snow.

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KNIGHT
Years passed while Ginevra and Pirenla trained. In most castles, squire training would be an overt affair and the young squires would be proud of their rank. But the strife with Raidor meant that Pirenla and Ginevra had to move often. But that in itself wasn't bad. Ginevra enjoyed seeing more of the world and she certainly learned other things while training. 
But time flies and Ginevra surely understood that. Was it really time to return to Dawn Castle? Was Pirenla already grown? It seemed like just a few days ago that they'd met. Going back to Dawn made Ginevra happy and sad at the same time.
"I don't want to leave the people here." she told Pirenla.
"We will be contributing by fighting at Dawn." Ginevra answered, always knowing just what to say.
"Yes, but these are your people, your draks. I want to help them too." Ginevra sighed frustrated.
"You'll get vacation time." Pirenla told her."
"Yeah, the princes of Dawn are very accommodating..." Ginevra felt a little bit better when she continued, "And they're quite the suckers for a sad story."  
"That doesn't sound nice." Pirenla let Ginevra know.
"I don't mean it in a bad way. I bet they would not be against us helping. And if not."
"If not...?"
"I'll just have to pound them with my hammer." Ginevra laughed.
But she was of course fairly certain she wouldn't have to hit anyone. Her talents could be used elsewhere. And she would work hard to be useful. Ginevra didn't mind putting in hard labour when it was needed. And she seemed to remember there was an armada for people who didn't fight. That felt like it could be just right for the two of them.

Ginevra and Pirella joined the Sterre Armade at Dawn Castle as crafters.
As the Sterre Armada is not a fighting armada, she will be travelling Icarus to build experience. 
She will often be found at Baskar since it's cause has touched her heart and she feels her talents can be of use there. 

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Lantessama Isle