Completed Dealings In The Night (Part 1)

[Kalesserimamoru]

Time stamp: 34th of Winter, 513 AV


The worst of the storm was finally over, and the day before the Magistrate called for a total of the damage done throughout the city. As luck would have it, the cottage that Mamoru rented wasn't trashed during the storm leaving his few items in good shape. It was night now and the trickster walked the streets with his pet at his side. They'd been having a time together and after careful persuasion he had gotten her more confident that she could do the jobs that he had for her.

Perhaps the girl still had doubts, but the chance to test her strength was all she needed to see that she could handle whatever he needed. Mamoru had been one of the people strolling the city and looking over the damage that had occurred. No one of importance had been killed and all other damage was minimum. The Dynasty had enough coin to fix that which left him with free time to spend and he had heard something about a midnight market.

This market was said to hold the evil of Kenash in it's grip. Surely this was a place that he needed to see for himself. Aside from the stolen goods and raunchy happenings that free born and slaves alike all took part in, it was also said that one could hire hands to do the unthinkable. It was all interesting to the trickster, and if a place like this was around then he needed to know about it. For this, he decided to investigate this place and learn for himself what it was about.

Mamoru arrived dressed in his dark robes, simple attire and boots warn underneath and the hood of the robes draped over his head. He walked casually, one arm of his sleeve rolled up and tied off to display his freeborn brand on his forearm. Pale, yellow-green eyes moved from one stall to the next, from one person to the next. He didn't expect to find many Dynasty here, but he assumed that there would be at least a few, and those were the one's that he needed to see. He glanced towards Shayna here and there, waiting for any rumors or things she could tell him about the place as they walked.

"So this is the market? I suppose we should find the biggest dog in the bunch and beat him into submission. No? Fair enough, I don't suppose we'll get in trouble for shopping, hmm?"

[Shayna]

[/googlefont]

Shayna walked beside her master easily, her foot falls quiet and her green eyes sweeping the area. Her dark colored breeches blended well with the night, the unbleached shirt blended less well but it was similar to the type of clothing that one expected to find in this place. Slaves who had permission to be out and about, and Shayna suspected a few who sneaked out without permission. It was not an area that one wanted to visit if one did not know how to defend oneself, particularly if you bore a brand on face or neck. However Shayna didn't feel too much fear, she was here with her master and she knew that he would not let anyone molest her.

Ever since the night the two Rujaro showed up on his doorstep, Shayna had viewed her master in a new light. She still feared for his safety should he misstep with the Dynasties but she no longer worried overly much on his fate with freeborn, and that would be by and large who they would be dealing with tonight. She had a half a mind to reach out to stroke his hand as they walked, just a little sign of affection which still surprised her, though this would not be the first time she had had the urge to show him some random bit of affection without being encouraged.

As they walked she didn't point with her finger, but she would indicate stalls with her chin, "That one is getting attention of the Dynasty because they claim to be selling the same silks as the clothier in Kenash... for cheaper." Of course all the information she could give him was word of mouth, hearsay more then anything else because she had never been here and obviously had never had coin to spend. "They say that one used to be apart of some organization in Sunborn, Sunbirth..No one can tell me the organizations name only that they dealt with less then legal dealings."

She gives him a quirked brow at his words, having no doubt that if he found it necessary to beat anyone he would, but the rest of the phrase lent it to be said most likely in jest. "Depends on what your shopping for M'Lord."

[Kalesserimamoru]

There were stalls all around and enough people around them to make the market like any other. The big difference was the merchandise that was sold at each, and the other services that were being offered around them. Eyes wandered to the two as they moved through the grounds. Suspicion, lust, and other thoughts going through their minds. Freeborns and slaves alike wondering what they were up to. Mamoru noticed a few people staring at his pet and he knew they wanted a taste, but Shayna wasn't up for grabs.

The trickster could be a selfish Dhani, and he didn't like to share. It hadn't been that long ago that he had first tasted her himself and bonded with her on his bed inside the cottage. Her body was his to explore and he wasn't about to allow another to know her the way that he did. They moved on through the grounds and Mamoru looked to the places where she nodded too. "I see, well I can't imagine angering the Dynasty is a good thing. Perhaps we should take a closer look." Shop owners doing illegal business with outside sources from Kenash? He wondered why he hadn't come here before, this was surely a place of interest.

"Now you've gotten me interested Shayna. I want to see what they're selling..and what they're hiding." A smirk rose across his lips and he walked closer to the stall to get a better look at what they had to offer. Looking at silks and other clothes reminded him of the seamstress that he had worked for back in the nest. He didn't work in her shop, but as a guard escorting her to Black Rock and back with a cart of supplies that she bought and exchanged there. The woman hadn't been that fond of him, but it was during that trip that he came across the magical katana that he allowed Shayna to practice with. He looked over the stall and the person minding it and put on a fake smile. "Well hello there, I hear you have the best silks in the market."

Mamoru decided to start slow and see where he could go with the conversation without revealing what Shayna had just told him. He pretended not to seem too interested, and allowed his eyes to wander around to the stalls closet to them. At any moment he could walk away from the stall and go to another to make a purchase and he needed this person to realize that. "Is there anything worth a buy here, are are we selling bits and pieces based on hype?"

[Shayna]

Shayna paid no mind to the others glances, assuming that they were staring at her master as it didn't occur to her that anyone would be looking at her. If she had known that they were looking at her, if she suspected that it was a look of more then mere glance she might have edged just a little closer to him. As it was she was busy watching the darker alleyways, looking for those that might not want to be seen so readily. "The sort that deal here are good at hiding things M'Lord." Shayna remarked softly, not chiding. She knew her master had ways of finding secrets out, she shivered just a little at the unbidden memory of bone breaking.

The woman attending the stall turned to look at the speaker, her face shuttered and closed as she looked the freeborn up and down, her eyes sliding over his little slave girl briefly. "They's the best silks in this market. The Dynasty have their silks they wants to charge more gold then most decent folk make in a week for. But mine's are far less expensive..seeing as how's I am not Dynasty."

Her odd speech dialect was not Kenashern, but the suspicious nature fit right in, and she didn't try to sell him anything. Instead she just stared at him for a long moment. "I 'spect there be some items that you might want.. I don't be needing any hype, my merchandise speaks fer itself." She bent and brought out a swatch of fabric, purple in hue but looked as if it had been handled by many hands. "That's jest a sample..don't want the lot of dirty hands being poking at my wares if they don't be planning on buying."

Shayna tilted her head watching the interaction, looking at the scrap of cloth. She herself had never felt silk, wouldn't know the real thing from a fake she didn't expect. However she enjoyed watching her master work with others, she enjoyed being the ears that those around her master didn't pay much attention to. The extra set of eyes to make sure that nothing slipped his already observant gaze.

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru arched a brow at the woman's odd speech, it was almost as awkward at the Myrians. Her gaze was as suspicious as he'd thought it would be. People like her were easy marks, they assumed by pretending to trust no one they'd scare off the rabble and gain some form of influence from those with coin to spend. It was a lie.. If there was one thing that he knew, it was about casting illusions and he knew one when he saw it. People who didn't trust anyone weren't good business people they were paranoid freaks to lived in caves and talked to themselves. With as many shops as there were inside a city, no one had to go to a certain one.

The so called, none trusting people would quickly find themselves out of work if others didn't think they could be trusted, and with that attitude no one would. Mamoru had to talk a good bit and sell himself to get the job that he had. He didn't walk into the office and claim to be the best thing that Kenash ever saw. He wasn't the smartest person in the world, but he was far from the dumbest. He gave Shayna a glance and turned to look at the woman again. "You should work on your sales pitch friend, you're going to lose more coin than you gain talking like that."

He took the cloth from her, not bothering to ask and turned so that Shayna could see and touch it. "What do you think? Silk isn't something that I would wear...normally. But you, I think silk would show of those lovely curves just fine." The hand that was hidden from the woman moved up and gently traced Shayna's ribs and moved over her hip slowly. He waited for her answer before turning back to look at the woman. "I do like this color, would you happen to have something in green and..black?"

He watched the woman closely, hand sliding around Shayna's back and moving up and under her shirt to rub the skin at her lower back. Her skin was smooth and silk like, as far as he knew, but he doubted silk tasted as sweet as she did. While the two shopped for silks, another man entered the market. He was dressed well enough, nothing as fancy as the Dynasty, but it was clear that he wasn't poor. He didn't speak to anyone, but he walked with a purpose and without fear in his eyes.

[Shayna]

The woman harrumphed at his words, her brow raised over one eye but she didn't speak when he took the scrap of cloth from her. She just crossed her arms, and watched him warily. When he showed the scrap to the slave beside him she didn't flinch or even look all that surprised. Shayna herself did look mildly surprised, when he held the cloth out to her, not because slaves never wore silk but because she had not expected to even contemplate wearing such fine attire so soon. Slaves who were dressed in silk were slaves that had earned a special privilege, or who's masters were so rich they wanted to flaunt it.

Looking from him to the stall keeper Shayna raised a hand to brush against the fabric gently, hesitantly as if she was afraid it might fall apart under the weight of her finger. She couldn't help a slightly unkind thought that if Mistress Katherine could see her now with her new master touching such a luxurious piece of cloth and her master speaking of putting her in it, she might think twice about claiming that her former slave was ugly. His hand on her ribs, and then hips caused her to inhale but she makes no outward sign other then that to give away his touch on her. "I don't know M'Lord. I have never wore silk, i always thought it would feel .. more smooth.. " Of course Shayna thought it was the finest thing she had ever felt, certainly it was the most expensive piece of cloth she had ever felt. However it would not do for the stall keeper to know this, even someone like Shayna who had never bought anything in her life knew enough to know that.

She did catch the faces of those that came too near to her Master, even when his hand slipped into her shirt. This time she gave a shiver, and couldn't help shifting just a little closer to him.

The shop merchant turned and pointed to the bolts of silk, not all were large bolts, some were thinner and others thicker. Of the green bolt there was quite abit, but the black was thinner, possibly only three or five yards of material. "I don't be having any thin' that is mixing colors. Either green. or Black."

[Kalesserimamoru]

"I agree, I also thought it would be smoother and really..I have felt smoother things." he smiled wickedly, allowing his fingers to slowly moved up and down her spine. His fingers wandered lower, as if they would push into her breechers as he had before, but it was here that he stopped and moved his hand away from her. "Black or green you say?" he asked and handed the cloth back to the woman. "How about green under black?"

Mamoru was also aware of the others around them, but he wasn't as concerned with appearances at the moment. There were freeborns and slaves here and there doing much worse than a simple hand on a back, and no one seemed bothered by it. Still he would keep Shayna close just to make sure that no one sought to steal her away. As lovely as the girl's body was, he found her mind to be more valuable and that wasn't something that all slaves had, even the ones that were good at pleasure.

He thought for another moment, curious what a silk bed sheet might feel like, but said nothing of it. "Well, perhaps I will come back after I look around more." he smiled as he folded his arms and turned to walk off. Just then, the man who had entered the market a short time after he had, walked by and almost bumped into him. The gentlemen turned and met Mamoru's gaze for a moment and said a simple "Excuse me.." and continued on.

There was something about the man, the way he spoke, and his expression. There was no fear in his eyes, or lack of confidence in his steps. He was proud and held his head high with no fear of anyone bringing him down. Mamoru nodded back to him and watched the man leave. He couldn't say why, but he felt he would see this man again soon. "Come Shayna, let's see what else we can dig up and maybe by the time we return the shop keeper will be ready to actually sell me something."

Mamoru walked on for a time, glancing here and there at the stalls around them until he came to one that appeared to be selling entertainment gear and items. There were chest, colorful glass in a sack, face paint and more. The trickster wasn't much of a musician, but he did enjoy seeing performing arts in the theater when he was younger. "What do you think Shayna, are slaves allowed to enjoy the art of theater?"

[Shayna]

Shayna stretched lightly as his hand moved its way up and down her back, a subtle movement that was not at all intended to shy away from his touch but simply give him the maximum area without being too obvious. She stored a little bit more information about her master away, both times that she been with him when he was looking at clothing options he had requested darker colors. Combine that with his robes being dark, told Shayna that he favored those colors. It was small, but it was yet another nugget that she might call upon in the future if needed.

She didn't feel disappointed when they moved away from the silk stall, she had enjoyed the feel of the silk but knew it was one of the most expensive cloths. When the man almost bumped into her master, Shayna immediately checked for his marks., but also for weapons in his hands. She had never been to the midnight market but she had heard tales of how dangerous it was. She did not let her eyes leave the strangers figure until he was well behind them. "I haven't seen him before, I would have remembered." She remarked almost idly, which might have spoken of her preoccupation that there was something about that man which she found familiar. Perhaps it was the gentle confidence that he had exuded, it was much like her master's.

As they turned to walk onward, Shayna let her hand move to brush his almost tentatively. Not to warn him, not to do anything but touch him. Her eyes flicked upwards toward his face, not quite sure if she was overstepping any boundaries in touching him without permission or encouragement. "I suppose it is up to the master M'Lord. I imagine that most would feel it a waste of the slave's time when they could be working toward productivity not to mention any costs that the theater would take." She hesitated, looking at the wares that were for sale. She had never been to a theater before, and couldn't really remember seeing any sort of performances. So the items were new and exotic to her, particularly the glass in the sack and she wondered what that could possibly be used for

[Kalesserimamoru]

With Shayna's hand brushing his, Mamoru turned his wrist and slid his hand to wrap with hers, fingers touching and twirling with hers as he had done the day that he purchased her. It was important to him that she always knew that he was watching, and she had his attention even when he wasn't looking at her. It could serve his purpose well in the future. He sighed pleasantly when she spoke about the people of Kenash and their views of their slaves. He wouldn't judge nor did he really care as long as their views didn't interfere with his plans. "And I wouldn't expect..less of them. But as long as it's not against the law."

Reaching down, he picked up the bag of glass and opened it so that he and Shayna could both view inside together. There were 50 pieces inside, all shapes and sizes of different colored glass that were carved to look like gem stones. " Have you ever seen a gem before dear? If one were to look quickly, they might mistake these for gems when they are nothing but colored glass. It's a pretty neat trick indeed." Mamoru handed the bag to her and flashed the man behind the table a look in case he had a problem with her touching his wares.

Yellow-green eyes wandered to the table again, moving over the juggling balls and onto a large hand mirror with an extended handle. It looked like a prop, but something about the weight and the design of the casing gave him reason to believe that it was made for other purposes. "A person could learn a lot from theater, about themselves and about the world they lived in. Others are just stories for amusement. Do you have any stories Shayna?" He asked as he placed the mirror back on top of the table.

A moment later his gaze fell to the floor beside the stall where a really short table, with iron legs and a thick black net woven into the center of it. "Is..that what I think it is?" he asked, eyes lifting to meet the stall owner. "It's a trampoline. Circus people use them all the time." A wicked smile rose upon his lips, and without giving her a choice. "Shayna?" Mamoru drew her closer, took her slender hips and lifted her up onto the unsteady surface. He quickly waved a hand to the merchant just in case he started to complain and folded his arms over his chest as he looked to her. "Give it a try dear girl, jump..and see what happens."

[Shayna]

[/googlefont]

Shayna was still watching the goings on around her, but she was interested in the wares of this stall. Almost child-like attention is given to the baubles and in Shayna's mind wonders that was displayed. When he picked up the sack full of colorful glass, her eyes widen and she eagerly accepted the bag. "No M'Lord, not up close. Only when a Dynasty lady wears them." She answered his question on if she had ever seen a gem, the shiny stones that the higher born ladies were so proud of. She would watch them twinkle in the light of Syna sometimes but that was as close as she had ever gotten to them. The glass in the sack looked close enough to them for Shayna, though there was no twinkling for Syna was long gone. She shifted the sack in her hands to listen to the sounds the glass made when they bumped against each other. "What are these for M'Lord?" She asked, not taking her green eyes from the shifting colors in the sack. Shayna was delighted to watch the different glass 'gems', and it was with a little reluctance that she looked up to him when he asked her another question, one that confused her enough to forget about the sack in her hand. "Stories?" She asked, absently placing the sack of colored baubles on the table again. "Do you mean stories of things that I have done.. or stories of things other people have done.. made up stories or real?" She understood that the theaters often did what people called 'plays' where people pretend to be people they weren't. Was that what he was asking?

When he draws her close, her gaze barely having a chance to really inspect what the fellow called a trampoline before she is lifted into the air. Her hands immediately gripped his forearms, and for a moment she had a feeling of having done this before in that tick that she was suspended in the air with his hands on her hips. It was only a tick before her feet were placed on what could only be described as almost a spongy surface. It wasn't really spongy but that's what it felt like as her feet sunk a little and she shifted her feet. Her face was one of shock, her body held really still because it seemed any movement on her part caused the fabric to bounce. Yet that is what he bid her to do, so with a lip tucked between her teeth she gave a test bounce.

Her arms splayed out as she went far higher then she had expected the tiny little bounce to do. It wasn't all that high but just the unexpected extra spring caused her to pinwheel her arms briefly until she realized that she wasn't falling. The tunic-style blouse, gathered at her breast, flared up but thanks to the gathering didn't really flare too much just enough to show a little bit of bare midriff before her hands came back to hold the ends down.