PM to join Shopping! :D (Francesca)

[Strig]

50th of Spring 513 AV While the differences between Wind Reach and Sultros was staggering at times, Strig was assured that no matter how different two cultures can be, there will always be the bustle of the market place. Stalls of various sizes were set up in the courtyard of the sky, while the sounds of customers and vendors viciously haggling filled the air. Spiced meats and music caught Strig’s as he walked past booths showing off fine, soft silks and glass baubles of shimmering colours. Eventually he found what he was looking for, large stall near the centre of the courtyard. Behind it was an elderly Inarta but to call him old and frail would be a serious underestimation. The owner was small and wrinkled yes, but his eyes were sharp and his hands were callused from long hours of working bowstrings. He smiled as Strig approached and nodded in his direction. “Fair day to you sir. I’m Vincent, master bowman of Wind Reach” He said brightly in perfect common, ignoring Strig’s surprised expression. Short Bows, Long Bows, Flat Bows and even a handful of Crossbows lined his stall, polished arrows and bolts were propped in small quivers, gleaming in the sun. Strig nodded and shook Vincent’s hand, immediately catching the smell of sawdust and wood varnish. His nose crinkled but it wasn’t an awful smell. In fact, it made him think of home. “I’m looking for a Composite Longbow if you have one” Strig said, peering down at selection in front of him. Vincent nodded and smiled. In a slick fluid motion he pulled out a gleaming longbow and laid in his outstretched hands, like a squire offering a knight his sword. Strig bit his lip and pulled back the string, testing its strength. “No finer weapon in my stall” smiled Vincent. “I crafted her from an old maple tree that I have out back, it was 12 years old when I cut it down… a good age for a bow, took me the best part of a week to make it as smooth as it is now, let me tell you!” Strig nodded, the man’s words passing through him. “How much is it?” He asked. Vincent bit his lip, as if annoyed that the story of his bow was cut so short. “100 Pinions my fair man” Vincent said with a bow. Strig’s jaw dropped. If he spent that much money, he wouldn’t even have enough for some arrows and a new set of clothes. As he wasn’t much of a haggler, he decided to pick up a random longbow on the table, placing the composite bow carefully aside. Vincent nodded. “That’s a good make, a nice and hardy Oaken piece… 75 Pinions” Strig sighed and nodded, he didn’t want a cheap bow that would snap easily, but he couldn’t help but feel like he was being shimmed on a deal. “I’ll take 100 arrows for it as well” Strig said, handing the money over to the man. Vincent smiled and took the money, giving him a small arrow filled quiver. “Good hunting Sir” Vincent beamed, waving Strig away. + 1 Longbow + 100 Arrows + 1 Quiver -100 Pinions

[Francesca]

Francesca walked in the courtyard. She saw a bunch of people fighting drinking, selling and buying. But her priorities were on something else that was in the courtyard. For one it was a nice day and two she wanted to buy some books. Francesca loved to read it seemed the only way to escape reality at times when it hurt any ways. Dusk sat on her shoulders while she looked through some stuff at the markets. It was funny to her at times because some of the shop keepers and sellers gave her frightful looks.... Well the younger ones any way. Francesca continued looking through every little stand. She had dreams of going of and traveling, but it was babyish to think like that at lest for her.

"Did you find anything interesting yet?" Startled Francesca looked up. Rema, what feels to her like her only friend. He was a half blind old man that tells good stores.
"Rema! How are you and you look nice for your age," she giggled.
"Yea the hell I do," he grumbled, "What are you looking for?" Francesca pet Dusk.
"I'm just looking, maybe for a book or to.." She sighed,
"You and your books!" He laughed, "Try the other side of the courtyard." Francesca walked across the court yard she wasn't watching were she was going like usually and was lost in her thoughts. She continued foward and accendenly nocking someone over, Francesca froze for a few seconds before realizing she ran into a young man with a nice looking bow what appeared to be new in his hands.
"I'm so sorry!!" Francesca lends out her hand to help him up.

[Strig]

Turning away from the smiling man, Strig gripped his new longbow proudly before slipping the bow over his shoulder, the bowstring lying taunt against his chest. The hustle and bustle of the marketplace had grown in the few minutes he spent in conversation and Strig walked quickly, trying his best to get away from the crowd. After living in the wilds for so long, such large crowds made him feel a little nervous. Strig was so lost in thought, contemplating how in the name of Izurdin such a large courtyard could be filled with so many people. Indeed, so deep he was in his musing that he did not notice the woman who slammed into him. Without a chance to prepare himself, Strig was propelled to the floor with the air smacked out of his lungs. Flailing his arms light, he pulled in a breath, the cobbled ground zooming in rapidly as one frantic thought skipped through his mind like the ravings of a madman. [“DON’T FALL ON THE BOW, DON’T FALL ON THE BOW. DON’T-“] Pivoting as he touched the ground, the majority of the force went to his shoulder. Strig followed the direction rolling smoothly into he fell into another person, a large Inarta with firey red hair. The man was robust to say the least, with a large brass ring dangling from his nose. For a moment, Strig expected a fight, but the man simply glared and walked away. Pouting, Strig gingerly touched the bow on his back, checking for cracks, an unnatural bend- anything that would impede the accuracy of his new weapon. [….Nothing] Strig sighed in relief. "I'm so sorry!!" called a voice. Strig frowned and looked up. A young Inarta girl was standing in front of him, her hand hovering above to help him up. [What was she sorry for? Maybe her brother was the one who pushed me…] Strig peeked behind her nonchalantely, trying to find the culprit. There was nobody standing still though, the culprit lost in the crowd… unless? Strig refused to believe that a woman would be able to knock him down like that, not from any sexist ideals but rather from the pampered ego that was the inheritance of a noble’s son. But still… “No harm done my lady” Strig whispered. This was a lie of course, Strig took care to ignore the throbbing pain in his shoulder, taking her hand and pulling himself to his feet. Carefully he wiped loose scatterings of snow from his leggings, he smiled at her. “My name is Strig, the archer from the East.” Strig spoke carefully, making sure that each syllable was correctly said, the common language was so…trying. Still grasping her outstretched hand, he shook it gently. “To whom do I have the honor of speaking?” he asked. Still unsure of Inartan manners, Strig bowed his head softly, hoping that would suffice.

[Francesca]

Francesca held her breath for a little while then relax when wasn't upset from her raming into him. "Strig, it's nice to meet you." She tried to remain calm has much has possible. Francesca felt very embarrassed, her check were alittle pink.
"My name is Francesca." She paused then continued, "Some call me Fran for short." She smiled at him trying to be as friendly has possible... But not to friendly. Or they call me a bitch... Francesca thought to herself which only made her want to laugh. But she was glad to see a new face around the courtyard any way, He probably thinks I'm a full blooded Inarta any way... she examined him closely, she eyes now questioning who now stands be for her.
"Are you from here? If you don't me asking. It's just I've never see you." She now was curious, about the stranger, to her Strig had the appearance of a type of man say 'Don't mess with', he seemed friendly enough though. At lest to Francesca any ways

[Strig]

"Pleased to meet you... Francheska? Am I saying that correctly?" Strig smiled softly, the pain in his shoulder already beginning to subside. "My name is Strig and... no, I'm not from Wind Reach... in fact I've only been in the city for a couple of days. I have just come from Sultros, the city in the mountains." The woman didn't appear to feel nervous around him, at least in comparisent to her fellow Inarta. Strig couldn't quite figure out why, but the people of Wind Reach weren't very trusting of strangers. It was a relief to have a chance to talk to someone... even if she nearly broke a 75 pinion investment. The crowd was beginning to grow even more as the sun climbed higher and higher in the sky. As the noise of customers and vendors hagling and screaming rose with it, Strig felt the need to shout his question, well aware that it would be easy for him not be heard at all. "What is your trade, Fran?" he asked perhaps a bit too loudly. The hands appeared somewhat callused when he shook them, perhaps she was a soldier or.. even a fellow hunter? Strig quickly glanced at the swelling crowd, wondering if there was anywhere the two of them could go and talk easier.

[Francesca]

Francesca was amused by is his effort to say her name, the crowd was giving her headache. She basically grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the crowd. When it got less noisy in a part of the courtyard she turned around and brushed off her clothes and straighten them out.
"Sorry about that Im not a big fan of crowds.... Or loud noises." She explained while pushing her hair long hair back. "It's closes on how to say my name, but don't worry once you get the hang of it you'll never forget it." She smiled than began to answer his other question, "Im a Rogue." She was proud to say it gave her a lot of pride and fearlessness of others thinking of it. She looked at his bow that was still in is hands.
"We'll it's a good thing I didn't break it or else I would have felt bad!!" She laughed thinking about it. Then she became curious again about the city of mountains. "Is it beautiful at your city? What are the people like?" She felt like a child asking their parents about something which can be annoying at times.

[Strig]

Strig yelped softly as he was pulled away, totally unprepared for the force of her pull. His grip strengthened on his longbow as he considered different avenues for escape, the large crowd appearing to be more of a hindrance. The large crowd that was moving further away… oh. Strig relaxed his grip and allowed Francheska to take him. ”Sorry about that, I’m not a big fan of crowds… Or loud noises” Strig smiled and shrugged, he could relate to that, all those people were beginning to make him feel uneasy anyway. She was a rogue then? There were no such professions like that in Sultros, indeed the very idea of proclaiming yourself as a thief and a cutthroat didn’t appear very… roguelike. Strig resisted the urge to ask, lest he sound rude. Rogue or not, the woman looked like she could throw a punch and he didn’t want to piss her off. “Well it’s a good thing I didn’t break it or else I would have felt bad!!” she laughed. Strig blinked for as moment, only realising that he was still clutching his bow… much in the same way that a child would hold a favourite toy. He instantly felt foolish. Hoping that it look casual, he slung the bow back over his back, the bowstring winding tight against his chest. Franchesca asked him about his home and it took Strig a moment to think of an appropriate response. It had seemed like years since he had last seen home, last walked its cold hallowed streets and heard the ring of newly hammered steel. “Sultros is… very different from here.” Strig finally admitted. “As different as different could be, actually! Where your people ride eagles and embrace the sky, ours stay underground, building vast manses and crafting treasures that we are too proud to show to the lesser rac… outsiders.” Strig bit his tongue. The arrogance that plagued his people was starting to show, he would have to be more careful. “We live long, but few seem to enjoy it, instead many throw themselves into their work so that there would be thinks to outlast them after their death… there is a beauty in that I suppose, but I suppose that may have been one of the main reasons why I left.” Strig paused and breathed in deeply, smiling as the groups around them began to disperse, the sun was starting to dip. It wasn’t quite night yet, but the dull orange glow around the horizon said that it was certainly no more than an hour away. “Would you like to walk with me Frankes-ca?” Strig asked; offering her his arm in the process, he spoke her name in a very clipped tone, cold in a way, much like his native language. “Perhaps you can tell me something of your home, what is Wind Reach like? What did your parents do and what do you think of the city? Could you teach me Nari?” Such information would be invaluable to Strig should he choose to remain in the city and; it wouldn’t hurt to make a friend along the way.

[Francesca]

“Sultros is… very different from here.” Strig seemed to let out his word slowly and carefully to Francesca
“As different as different could be, actually! Where your people ride eagles and embrace the sky, ours stay underground, building vast manses and crafting treasures that we are too proud to show to the lesser rac… outsiders.” Francesca's eye brow lifted a bit, So this is basically how Strig is like normally, must not like Inarta. she was more amused as he spoke then anything she picked up small details on how he really felt that he wouldn't share.. Well at lest not to her.

“We live long, but few seem to enjoy it, instead many throw themselves into their work so that there would be thinks to outlast them after their death… there is a beauty in that I suppose, but I suppose that may have been one of the main reasons why I left.” She could imagine his city as he talks about it. Must have been beautiful.

“Would you like to walk with me Frankes-ca?” When he asked her she was unprepared and was caught off guard. Francesca smiled and locked arms with him.
“Perhaps you can tell me something of your home, what is Wind Reach like? What did your parents do and what do you think of the city? Could you teach me Nari?” Now she froze, Man should I tell him my parents... Nah I'll save it for dead last.

"Umm.. Sure I can I'll show you around, and teach you the Inarta culture, and language, I'll be fun." She smiled accepting what he offered...well half any way.

[Strig]

Strig smiled as she took his arm, nodding as they began to walk. Most of the average citizens had wandered off now, tempted by warm food and company in the food hall nearby. Squat but strong Inarta hoisted boxes and tied ropes, packing in sweet meats and spices in stringed paper for storage. The bow master had gone, but his apprentices were still tending to the shop, talking to a few customers who wandered by. He suspected that they would spend most of the night there, cleaning and trying to make a profit for their master. They were silent as they wandered, Strig began to feel nervous, wondering if he offended the girl somehow. Suddenly a question came to him. "Why were you in the marketplace?" Strig asked. Indeed, before she bumped into him, she had to have been going somewhere, unless it was a Rogue trick and she had meant to push him aside... he quickly dismissed the idea, he had no reason to mistrust her... yet. "Were you getting something for your family?" Strig remembered just how precious family are to the Inarta. Indeed with such small populations everywhere, family was often the only thing that mattered.

[Francesca]

"Why were you in the marketplace?" She heard him ask her, "Were you getting something for your family?" She didn't answer, Family.. she was almost sadden by it and it made her grumble out loud.
"No.." She griped Strigs muscled arms very tightly. She continued, "It wasn't for family.. Iwas just going to get a book. That's all." She smiled up catching his blue eyes ghat did hide from his long hair, he had motionless features about his face. She loosened the grip slowly and just smiling up at him, then looking back at the ground, "Sorry about that me and my family aren't really all that close.." Well my mom lives by me..