Closed From sea to sand (Innah)

[Karsynwa]

20th of Summer, 520 AV (20th Bell, Night)

“Far away over the sea
Are you
On your journey seafarer?
Looking for a land
New
Behind those waves
Cold and grey
A home”

The music from the harp came to a stop as the woman’s voice trailed off. Finaewa turned to her. “Beautiful” He said as he watched her quietly put away her instrument before meeting his eyes. Hers were a bright blue that glistened in the light from the hearth. “Thanks..” She said hesitantly as she glanced towards the door. “I don’t usually perform this late, but-”

Finaewa held up a hand, and gave a slight nod. "I remember the terms of our arrangement. Lets not soil the moment shall we?” He said softly, and walked over to a small end table by his bed. On it were ten gold rimmed mizas in a neat stack. Standing beside the stack, he looked sidelong at the woman. Their eyes met for an uncomfortably silent chime before Finaewa spoke again. “Well?”

This clearly perturbed the woman who was now fidgeting with the ends of her long blond hair. She looked about to bolt and run if Finaewa judged her character right. Then something shifted in her expression. The fingers of her left hand curled inwards towards the hem of her voluminous white sleeve as she stood up. She looked to be holding something in her cupped hand now. A dagger perhaps? Finaewa smiled. He did not move from his spot by the end table.

Cautiously the woman approached till she came within ten paces of him. “Oh, come on. You are almost-” Finaewa closed his eyes for a little longer than a standard blink. "Not now Karsynwa!" But it was too late. His brother was already surging to the fore, full of rage at his brother’s games. As he gained control, his face contorted drawing a gasp from the woman who took several steps back until she bumped against a table. Karsynwa’s eyes flicked open, settling on her there while he reigned in his temper. His hands clenched into fists until he remembered to take a deep breath in through his nose, then slowly out through his mouth.

It only slightly mollified the anger that simmered beneath, but it was enough to unclench his fists. With hands that slightly trembled, he dug through his coin purse for five more gold rimmed mizas before grabbing the rest. He took a step forward, and she took too back. Her eyes white, and pupils small. He could see she had torn the elbow of her white blouse on the edge of the table. Karsynwa’s eyes softened on her as he felt a pang of guilt for not controlling his brother sooner.

After adding two more gold rimmed mizas to the rest, he walked slowly over to the table to deposit them. Karsynwa glanced at her again before walking away towards the large arched windows in his room that overlooked the sea. For a long moment he heard nothing save for her shallow breathing. Then there was the soft patter of her footsteps, and the scrape of metal on metal. He heard the door open next then slam closed. He didn’t look back to see if anything else was missing. If she had taken it, then it was hers now. That was the least he could do for her having suffered the presence of his brother.

Looking out over the dark sea he was particularly troubled. He’d thought he had come to an understanding with Finaewa, but tonight changed things. He could no longer trust his brother to navigate on his own. Unfortunately, shutting him out completely was not an option. A balance must be struck or risk driving him mad. How though would he get his brother to understand what he did was wrong? It was all too much to think about with an early morning ahead of him.

Karsynwa leaned against the glass of his window, his eyes settling on the faint light emitting from the tower below. When last he’d been in Riverfall it had not been there. Had not even heard that a tower had been planned, and yet scarcely a year later, there it was. Emerging from the rocky coastline like a mini fortress. What secrets did it hide? Ones like he did while keeping a brother in the dark. Or something darker? It was hard to get darker than Finaewa.

His rage was beginning to simmer once more. He was terrible at this changing the subject thing. Eyes focusing on the tower once more, he decided that a run down to the coast might be in the cards on this humid night.

* * * * *

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was almost deafening as he approached the foot of the tower. It was still lit from within, and when Karsynwa tried the door, it slid open easily. There was an abrupt fluttering noise as a dozens pigeons winged their way up to shallow alcoves near the top of the tower. Cautiously, he walked inside, letting the door shut behind him.

“Hello?” He asked, and the only voice he heard was his own echo traveling up the tower. Karsynwa took a step back. The room remained silent save for the fluttering of the birds above. “Hello?” Karsynwa called out again. Suddenly, he felt very uncomfortable to be here alone at night. He turned, opening up the door to walk out into-

This was not Riverfall. He didn’t know where he was actually. It was dark, but he could just barely make out that he was in a large room with walls that curved inward towards the center. Blinking, he shifted to infra-vision to see that these concave walls had little holes in them like the tower he had been in before. Some of them had birds within too, which cooed occasionally to break the stillness of the night.

Off to his left he heard the scrape of footsteps, and a flare of heat from around the corner of one of the walls. Karsynwa retracted his infra-vision lenses, briefly blinded by the dark till his eyes adjusted to the torch a man held in his hand.

“Restless traveler?” The man asked, rubbing at the corner of one eye with the heel of his hand. It was comforting to know that the time had not changed wherever he was now.

“Lost actually. Is this-” Karsynwa started to ask as the man chuckled. He tensed in response, warily glancing to either side. Nothing about this felt right.

“You are at the Outpost, and here you are safe. Even if you do come a bit late.” The man said. He looked tired as he spoke is a husky voice, but he did manage to put on a warm smile that eased some of the tension Karsynwa felt.

“My name is Paul Resan. You visited a dovecote I take it, or tower you might call it since I assume you are from Riverfall.” Paul said walking closer so he didn’t have to speak to loudly now. Karsynwa gave a slight nod, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening.

“These dovecotes are all across the face of Mizahar, in every city, and they all link here. To go back the way you came, all you have to do is close the dovecotes’ door behind you, take a deep breath, then walk back out. That is how you went from there to here is it not?” Paul said, his warm smile having lapsed into a gentle grin.

“I-” Karsynwa started before Paul interrupted him again.

“Just a moment. This is a lot to take in so I want to make sure you understand it clearly. You don’t have to worry about going anywhere besides back to the dovecote you used to get here. It won’t take you any where else besides here and back.” He said kindly, pausing for a moment to try and interpret his confused expression.

“And where is here exactly?” Karsynwa asked as his brow creased in consternation.

“Why its the center of trade from all across the world. You can find pretty much here if you look long enough. Now the hour is late now, but come morning you will see just how busy this place can get.” Paul said as he produced a scroll from a small satchel he wore across his hip. “This is a map that will help guide you in case you get lost.”

Karsynwa took the scroll gingerly before unrolling it. His first thought was that this place was expansive. “Petch, this a dream?” He asked, as he followed the map along to find this dovecote Paul had mentioned. “This is the dovecote?” He said, point at the map, then at the building that surrounded them.

Paul nodded. “Yes. It makes travel here possible from distant lands, and because of that you’ll find an experience unlike anything you have ever done before.”

Karsynwa rolled his eyes, holding up a hand. “I get it. I think.” He said, not sounding as confident as he wished to portray. Paul took it all in good nature, but he did step back a pace. “We certainly look forward to your business then, and hope your time here is fruitful. Now if you don’t mind, I will excuse myself.”

“Of course, and thanks.” Karsynwa said hesitantly. Paul then excused himself leaving him in the darkened corridors once more. There was a little light at least, coming from the moon that he used to guide him out of the building and onto its terrace. Outside, torches flickered occasionally along the side of buildings. There were even a few people traveling about which made him feel a little more comfortable about exploring on his own.

Which was remarkably short lived as it was hard to properly see the city this time of night. An after a while, he felt so very tired that he was tempted to take a nap in the street. Not that his keen sense of survival would have let him, but the thought was insistent enough to make him consider carefully his options when he found the Khamsin Inn that had been outlined on the map. The trek back to his apartment would no doubt be an arduous one where here he could catch some enough sleep to wake up early in the morning.

It was more or less decided for him when he found light still going within, and procured a room for the night. He fell almost instantly asleep on his bed.

* * * * *

21st of Summer, 520 AV (6th Bell, Morning)

Karsynwa had left the Khamsin Inn long before there was any breakfast ready so his stomach rumbled insistently as he searched among the stalls for a meal. The Open Sky Bazaar was as eclectic as Paul had promised so he found himself getting sidetracked several times from his journey as he stopped to examine various exotic wares. Armors, weapons, tools, it all interested him as it gave him plenty to peruse as he walked about the Bazaar. To go with this variety of offerings came a variety of people as well. Of all manner of dress in styles that made Karsynwa feel a little drab wearing his dark green shirt, leather pants, and high black boots. A lot of people were substantially more colorful than he, like how some of those who were wealthier in Riverfall dressed. It made him wonder if such a similar comparison could be drawn to where they were from.

Eventually he found a stall that had a few things cooked already. Drawn by the scent, he quickly purchased the most appealing thing he could see. It was a simple wrap of flour stuffed with cheese, meat, and a vegetable Karsynwa didn’t recognize. That didn’t stop him from scarfing it down then ordering another though. In a way, the wrap reminded him of what his mother used to cook for him in the mornings. A little more spicy, but that didn’t bother him. With the second wrap half finished, Karsynwa moved to browse amongst the other stalls.

ooc-17 gm for musician, - 2 gm for overnight at the Khamsin Inn.)

[Innah]

21, Summer, 520

The morning was balmy in Lhavit, as it had been nearly every morning since the start of the Summer season. Innah was gradually getting used to it, thankful that she had purchased her new dress when she did. The short sleeved emerald number had quickly become her most worn item of clothing along with the tan sandals that adorned her feet.

The young woman had a day off from work at The Shining Diamond today, and she had decided to take it upon herself to have a look at the mysterious tower after Aludra’s insistence that she do so. The building had popped up on the Tenten Peak the year before and nobody, not even Zintila herself, knew where it had come from. Of course, Innah had been curious about it since that very day but something had always held her back from investigating it properly. However just the previous day it had come up in conversation at work with Aludra, and the blonde had insinuated that it was much more than just a building but refused to give any more detail.

After a fairly short walk, by Lhavit’s standards, Innah found herself looking up at the Tower. She had heard people calling it a Dovecote, and it was certainly covered with the winged creatures. It was a pretty building she supposed, but quite unremarkable when compared with the beauty of the skyglass that most of the city was built with. The area around the tower seemed to be empty - aside from the birds and Innah wondered if perhaps Aludra was having her on.

With a shrug to herself the brunette stepped up to the wooden doors, easing them open a little. She listened for a moment, noting the gentle cooing of yet more birds inside, before stepping in. The door shut itself behind her with a soft click and she blinked. Innah had expected it to be dim inside the tower, but she was standing inside the most brilliantly white building she thought she had ever seen. Every surface was shining white marble that had been intricately carved. An audible ”Ohhh…” left her as she took the sight in.

Innah took a few moments to study the details. There didn’t seem to be much else to the tower than the carving though so Innah turned to leave, wondering exactly what Aludra had found so special about it. However, when she pulled the door open again the sight that greeted her caused Innah to halt in her tracks, one foot raised in mid-step.

She was most definitely not in Lhavit anymore.

After a few moment’s Innah realised she had sucked in a breath and she let it out with a whoosh. Cautiously she stepped out of the tower, eyes scanning the path ahead so intently that she didn’t notice the man standing just outside until he cleared his throat. Innah whipped around to face him with a startled noise.
“Sorry miss, didn’t mean to scare you!” He looked down the path and then back at her. “What’cha looking for?”

Innah gaped at him for a moment before finding her voice. ”I… uh… Sorry, where am I? Who are you?” The man chuckled. “You’re at The Outpost. Perfectly safe, nothing to worry about here. Name’s Paul.” That both answered Innah’s questions and gave her a hundred more. Seeing her confusion, the man continued. “I guess you’ve never come through a dovecote before huh? Pretty much any city in Mizahar has one and they all lead here. The Outpost is basically the centre of all trade in Mizahar, so you should get yourself down to the Bazaar and check it out.”

Innah nodded slowly, her eyes flicking back to the door she had stepped through. “Ah you don’t need to worry; the tower will take you back to where you came from. You can’t ever get to any other city than the one in which you started.” He came towards her, fishing a piece of paper from his pocket. “Take this map, it’ll show you around. I’m sure you’ll find something to enjoy.” He gave her another smile, and when she didn’t ask anymore questions, made his way into the tower.

Clutching the map in one hand Innah began to make her way along the path ahead. As she went the sounds of people grew louder, a sort of buzzing that indicated a large crowd. The place was like nothing she had ever seen before, vibrant colours, lush parks and people in all sorts of fashions everywhere she turned. Cats darted around her feet and she nearly tripped over one or two of them.

Soon enough she found herself in the Open Sky Bazaar that Paul had recommended. It was enormous, stalls upon stalls selling what looked to be anything anyone could ever want. Innah quickly found herself drawn to the grouping selling food, the smells causing her stomach to rumble. There were things she recognised, and a lot that she didn’t. She thought back to what Paul had said to her, that it was possible to come here from anywhere in Mizahar. It would stand to reason then, that most things here would be from places she had never seen before, perhaps even some places she had never even heard of. The thought thrilled her.

At the same time as the realisation as the food, a similar, second one popped into her head. If people came from all over Mizahar to trade, perhaps there would be some selling beautiful jewellery and gemstones that would be new to her. She unfolded the map in her hand and examined it closely to see where she might need to go. However, she neglected to glance up before setting off and as a result slammed straight into the back of another person.

Catching herself before she fell, Innah first realised just how tall the man was. The second thing she noticed was that the man was blue. She was so surprised by his appearance that it took her a moment to remember to apologise and her voice came out a little higher than normal when she finally did so. ”I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going! I need to be more careful… I’m just trying not to get lost and it’s a bit overwhelming…” Surprise and a slight panic was making her ramble, and she snapper her mouth shut before be she could make any more of a spectacle of herself. The map, now rather crumpled, was still clutched in her hands and her eyes were still slightly wild as she took in the startling appearance of the man in front of her.

[Karsynwa]

Date, Season, Year

Now that he had some food in his stomach, Karsynwa could better appreciate just how diverse the Open Sky Bazaar was. How the familiar mixed in with the strange. A Drykas haggling with a pale woman with long dark claws over a bolt of translucent cloth. A Konti spreading out her wares on a reed mat. An Ethaefal admiring some gold jewelry held out to him by a man with blue eyes and a circle of waves that seemed to move across the upper part of his right arm.

Karsynwa’s eyes lingered on that man for a moment before he turned towards the Konti whom had set several clay jars out on the mat. “Herbal remedies.” The Konti said, noticing his look as she opened one the jars up to show him a green paste within. “This one helps keep the skin healthy if you get too much sun.”

He lingered on that for a moment before responding. “Ah. Friend has problem. Lot of sun.” His common came out stilted but the Konti didn’t seem to have too much of an issue with interpreting him. She picked up the small brown jar, turning it over in her hands before holding it out to him. “6 sm and its yours” She said, and Karsynwa nodded to confirm he had understood her. Handing over the mizas he took the jar from her and cradled it under his arm while he thought about where to go next.

Out from under a nearby stall darted a orange cat which immediately started rubbing itself against him. Karsynwa tried walked away from it but it kept up with him, threading through his legs till finally he got the hint, and knelt down to give it a few scratches. It made an odd vibrating sound when he did. Before he could make anything of that, it started to nibble on his finger tips.

“Ah, so you smelled my food. Clever.” Karsynwa gave it one final scratch behind the ears before standing up to go look for a food stall to find this one a treat. He spotted one not far off that suited his purpose but before he could walk over someone bumped into him. In his surprise, he let the jar fall from under his arm. It shattered and the cat darted off the way it had came.

A pang of irritation surged to the fore only to dissipate when he whirled around to see a woman that looked just as surprised as he did. His eyes dropped towards the map she held then went back to her face where he thought he saw honest shock there. She also had an accent he didn’t recognize so he missed some of what she said. He looked briefly confused while he tried to parse what he had heard, for some of the words she had used he had no reference for. Sorry, and careful were plain enough as were a few of the words that conjoined them.

Confident that this was a simple mistake, Karsynwa smiled before carefully picking out his words. “There no problem. I focus away. Stand still for animal. Stand up, and you there. My problem.” He shrugged, and tried to think what else he could offer her. It was hard not to feel guilty about this after what had transpired the night before. As if all of the worlds burdens were now his to hold. At least she hadn’t tried to run away from him. Yet. Finaewa was still under his thumb, but for how long. An anxiety churned within him at that thought, one he tried to stifle by getting his mind on a fresh track.

Gesturing to her map, he pulled out his own from where it had been tucked down the side of his leather breeches. “You new here? Me too. I come last night. Maybe we help together?” He looked around, not even sure what he himself was looking for. It was something he could find an answer for quickly enough though as he waited to see how she responded.

[Innah]

Innah glanced from the man in front of her to the ground, mouth twisting at the sight of a shattered jar. She could see a paste oozing from the open cracks, some sort of cream perhaps? Hazel eyes flicked back up to the stranger’s face, noting the flicker of confusion that passed over it. She made a mental note to try and break her habit of rambling for she knew long streams of words rarely made sense to anyone but the speaker.

Before she could say anything else, the man spoke to her, and she understood now why he had been confused. He was clearly from another part of Mizahar to her - if his startling appearance was not clue enough then the accent and the short, blunt sentences easily clued her into the fact. It was her problem of course, he had been standing perfectly still and she had been the one to walk straight into him. Before she could state the fact however, he had pulled out a map of his own and was proposing that the pair of them attempt to navigate the Bazaar together.

”Oh, yes, I have never been here before either.” Innah paused before answering his second question. She rarely accepted help from people she knew, let alone strangers. But the Bazaar was loud and spawling and confusing and besides, she had never been that good at reading maps. This man seemed friendly enough, despite the fact that he did look intimidating to the young woman.
”It would be nice to have some help navigating this place. I am sure we can help each other find what we need.” Innah was mindful to make sure to speak clearly so that the man would be able to, hopefully, understand her properly. She didn’t often hear any other languages in Lhavit, and she certainly hadn’t learned any herself, so she hoped that the common tongue would be enough of a bridge for the duo. Innah held up a hand in a ‘wait’ gesture. ”Just give me one moment.”

She stepped around the man and approached the woman at the stall next to them. ”Do you have any more of the, uh, the cream that the man there purchased?” The woman - the Konti - picked up a small jar and passed it to Innah. “It is 6 silver mizas.” Innah paused in the act of tipping coins into her hand. ”Mizas?” The Konti glanced at Innah’s palm, seeing the jewel coloured money she held. “Ah, a Lhavitian. Then it is 6 topaz kina for you.” She handed the coins over and turned back to the stranger, holding the little jar out to him.

”It was my fault your jar broke. Here.” Innah did not like to be indebted to anybody if she could help it, even for small things. She waited until he took it from her and then offered her name. ”I am Innah. What is your name?” Innah once more retrieved her crumpled map and squinted at the maze of streets it depicted. After a few ticks she managed to locate where the pair were standing, and she pointed it out to the man. ”I think were are somewhere around here, with the food.”

She glanced around them, trying to get a layout of the streets in her mind that she could match up to the map. ”I would like to try and find gemstones, but I am not sure where I would look. What would you like to find?” When the pair finally decided on a direction and had set off, she would tentatively throw a question at him. She was never too good at reading people, so she hoped he would be willing to hold conversation. After all, it was his idea to navigate the Bazaar together in the first place. ”Where did you come through from?”

[Karsynwa]

Karsynwa smiled. It was nice to know he was not the only stranger here. His eyes hovered around her lips as he made an effort to parse each world. With her accent, it was a lot more difficult that understanding common from a native Rivarian. She spoke a lot faster than most, and clipped most of her words short. Still, he could see she was making an effort to sound each word out which was why he was so intent on her lips.

“Agreed. I like to help.” He said genially before she gestured for him to wait. Hesitating, Karsynwa turned stiffly to watch her pass him onto the seller behind him. At first he thought that something the Konti was selling had caught the woman’s eyes but he was not nearly so fortunate. Instead, the subject seemed to be him he belatedly realized as the woman pulled out a small handful of strange coins. Kina? Lhavitian? He mouthed to himself, too stunned at the gesture to intercede. However when she turned towards him and handed him the small jar, the weight of it settled on him.

Feeling chagrined, he took the jar and promptly took off his backpack to stow the small jar inside. “Thank you” He said as he was tightening the straps around the mouth. The words felt strangely awkward from his lips as he hadn’t expected such kindness from a stranger in these distant parts. Especially after the ill will he had sowed last night. That was something he was going to have to deal with when he got back. A moment he found himself suddenly dreading before he forced his mind back into the present with a deep intake of breath through his nose. As he breathed in he focused on which part of his nose he felt keenly and used that to orient himself where he was mentally.

Then he stood up and dipped his head low in her direction. “My name is Karsynwa. Pleasure to meet Innah.” He said, regaining a trace of his former smile. Karsynwa felt a little more comfortable with her now that she didn’t seem so flustered in his presence. In fact, she seemed to have a keen mind from the way she had handled herself so far. “I just come to explore. Pick up few things here.” He admitted. As she turned to interpret the map, Karsynwa leaned over to speculate on some of the more obscure marks on the map.

That said, most of it was intuitive. There were names scrawled out in a small, neat script beside some of the more established locations which he took to mean as the proper name of their corresponding location. Tranquility Spa for instance was a name he could easily get to the purpose of even if he had trouble with the first word which he took to be the name of the proprietor. They had such locations in Riverfall that catered to both visitors and Akalak alike that he’d visited on occasion in his youth. Other names like the Zuskois were ones so obscure he couldn’t figure out their intended purpose unless they stopped by the location.

He kept on looking in hopes of finding something recognizable to suit both of their purposes. Fortunately he came across such a name. “Crossroads Jewelry” Karsynwa said aloud as he spotted it, and put a finger on its marker. “We have such place in Riverfall. This is where to go.” Tracing it back to the spot she pointed out earlier, he looked up to try and get his bearings. Once he was confident they were pointed in the right direction, he would take the lead, occasionally looking down at the map as they traveled.

“I come from Riverfall. Sit on coast between Middle Suvan Sea, and Southern Suvan Sea. Where you from? Lhatvian?” He asked, parroting the word choice he’d heard the Konti use earlier. The name was unfamiliar to him, and even in trying to copy the pronunciation of it he tended to drag out his syllables in a way that made it more comfortable for him to speak. “You use Kina. Not Miza. Why?” He added not long after she had the chance to answer his first question and pose one of her own if she wanted. While they talked they made their way down an avenue that would take them to the Crossroads Jewelery. Although he still felt trepidation about how he wound up at this strange place, he was slowly getting settled into the fact that this place might be less dangerous than he’d thought. An that man had promised he was not trapped here, which was what he’d feared the most.

The travel to the Crossroads Jewelery was not far, and as they neared it they started to see more elaborate stalls that hawked more exotic wares. Strange hides, bolts of cloth dyed in fantastical colors, elaborate weapons forged into a variety of shapes and elaborate glass bottles filled with all manner of liquids were just a few of the things they passed by on their way to the shop. Karsywa’s gaze lingered on the weapons for a moment before he remembered that he’d only recently started training with a bow, and a staff. Best to focus on that for now.

Entering the Crossroads Jewelery through its small tiled entryway they came into a small seating room that was arrayed with display cases. A few others milled about currently, sampling from a tray of refreshments as they browsed amongst the cases. Karsynwa for his part was staring at one of the strange statues in the shop. It was embedded with gems and edged with fine metals that made it sparkle in the light reflecting off of one of the display cases. Leaning over to Innah, Karsynwa whispered. “I think this is place.”

[Innah]

“My name is Karsynwa. Pleasure to meet Innah.”
Innah took a second to sound the man’s name over in her head until she was sure she would be able to say it correctly. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, returning the one he gave her, and she shifted the map in her hands a little so he could see it easier from over her shoulder. The Bazzar, and the wider Outpost itself, was almost maze-like, though the closer she looked the more she realised how organised it was. Much like Lhavit with its distinctive Peaks, The Outpost was split into sections to house various types of business.

Karsynwa found what they were looking for before she did, pointing it out to her. It didn’t look too far away so she nodded. ”That looks good to me.” She let him lead them, as it appeared he had a good head for translating the streets on the map to what he could see before him - a skill Innah would probably have to get used to if she were to come here more often. And it was likely she would. The place intrigued her, the mishmash of cultures, the sheer variety of goods from all over Mizahar… There was so much to discover.

She kept the map in her hands as they walked, mainly so she could practice navigating by it with the comfort of knowing she wouldn’t get lost this time. She listened intently to Karsynwa’s answer to her question, glancing curiously at him as he spoke of a place unknown to her. She had never been to the coast before, though Lhavit was technically not far from one she had never ventured down the mountains to see it. She knew where the Suvan Sea was, but that was as close to figuring out the location of Riverfall as she could get. Before she could ask any more questions, he put forward some of his own.

”I am from Lhavit. It is up in the mountains, on the other side of Kalea to where the Suvan Sea is.” His next question stumped her a little. ”I do not know, Lhavit has always had Kina. I have never seen a Miza before.” She flicked her gaze around the stalls nearby, seeing people trading flat discs she assumed was the currency. Kina were much prettier in her opinion.
”What is it like in Riverfall by the coast?” She was intrigued, for though she had been born in Zeltiva, she couldn’t remember the landscape or even much of the city. The mountains were really all she knew.

The pair quickly came upon the jewellery shop, and Innah knew immediately which one it was. Beautiful stained glass doors stood out among the other buildings and she eagerly stepped towards it. The doors led into a room lined with cases filled with things that sparkled and gleamed in the light. She smiled at Karsynwas’s words. ”I think you’re right.” She left him for a moment staring at a bejewelled statue as something in a case caught her eye. Wandering over, Innah found a beautiful ruby and gold brooch in the shape of a bird. The craftsmanship was astounding to the novice jewelcrafter and Innah caught herself gaping. The person who made these pieces was surely more experienced than her own Master Li - she had never before seen work like it.

One of the shopkeepers came over to her, asking if she needed any help. She took a moment to look over some of the other items in the case, asking if he had crafted any of them. Innah did not miss the smile as he shook his head before telling her that a woman by the name of Kelski had made everything here, though she was not currently at The Outpost. Innah tucked the name safely away in her head, ready for the next time she returned and would hopefully be able to meet such a talented jewelcrafter.

After some deliberation Innah chose a cloak clasp to purchase. It was made of gold and in the shape of a standing wolf. Once she had paid, she went to find Karsynwa, clutching her purchase tightly.
”Have you ever seen so many beautiful pieces!” Innah’s eyes sparkled with delight. ”One day I hope I can make jewellery as beautiful as this.” She tucked the clasp safely away and led the pair back outside. Innah didn’t pause to ask where Karsynwa would like to go - she had noticed him admiring one particular stall on their way over to the Crossroads Jewelry. She didn’t need her map, for it wasn’t far, and she had soon stopped at a merchant selling elaborate weapons, some totally unlike anything she had ever seen before.
”Is this the sort of thing you enjoy? You use them for work maybe?” Innah had no interest in weapons, other than the fact that you might be able to decorate them with gems and engraving, but she understood that there were those - like the Shinya - who appreciated them as much more than just a weapon.

[Karsynwa]

Karsynwa’s eyes took on a distant look as he tried picturing her homeland nestled in the mountains. Did they build along the sides or were they perched across the top, precariously balanced along the ridge? It could look like anything, so he found himself picturing it as more or less a variation of Riverfall, running up along the mountain in tiers as it climbed ever higher. He should think he’d like to see this city some day with its strange coins though that would not be for a long time judging by her estimation of where it lie. Naturally, he’d seen the Kalean coast with its steep terrain and he did not think it would be easy to traverse in the slightest. It was hard enough traversing the sea of grass, and the large hills there paled in comparison to those ridges.

At her question, he favored her with a kind smile. “Riverfall is beautiful. The coast is pleasant, and great joy in the Summer.” He said, then looked briefly chagrined. “I’m sorry. I do not have the words. That it is beautiful is poor comparison.” Karsynwa tried laughing it off, but it didn’t shake off the twinge of inadequacy he felt about being unable to communicate as clearly as he wanted to in this situation. Tukant was so much better than common for this. Sure it took a bit longer to get his point across but it was such a rich language. It taught one early the importance of thinking about what you were going to say as every word fell into line with another. So beautiful as well when put to song and poetry. Alas, he did not expect any outsider to ever know his language unless they had lived in Riverfall for a considerable portion of their lives. To say his tongue was tricky was a shade misleading.

Fortunately for Karsynwa, they found plenty to delight their eyes while his words failed him. The jewelry shop had plenty to look at after all, and it really was a beautiful place that stood out from the stall they had examined so far. While he was surreptitiously studying the statues, he noticed only vaguely Innah going to examine the display cases. That was fine with him as he was content to loiter for a bit while he waited for her to see if she could find a piece she liked among the collection. He had little interest in such finery, but could not deny that they were pretty to look at. Quite a few Nakivak would like a look at this place and he wondered idly how long passage to this place had been around. It was an old idea, given new life by the thought as he examined the interior of this shop.

Strange he hadn’t heard of such a place till he had returned to Riverfall. It must have been something that had only recently transpired but that just left him with more questions. Before he could go on asking those however, Innah came back with a lovely looking clasp.

“No, you’ve got a good eye.” He said with a small nod towards the clasp as he tapped his brow. “This place has quite a lot to offer.” Turning with her, he left out of the shop to walk back the way they had came till they came along a familiar stall. The one selling the strange weapons he had spied earlier. Giving her a sly glance, he stepped forwards, grasping a curved blade by the handle and hefting it slightly as he felt the weight of it.

“Not always. Riverfall you are not citizen if you know not how to fight.” Karsynwa mused as he shifted his grip to get a feel for its balance. It seemed to be heavy, favoring the end of the weapon rather than the hilt which felt strange in his hand as he was familiar with palming the Lakan. “My job I keep city safe. Safer you don’t use weapon sometimes.” Once again the language barrier stymied him but it didn’t seem to bother Innah too much so he didn’t take it hard. Instead he persevered, laying down the weapon and stepping away from the stall before he turned to her.

“Perhaps we can get something to eat and drink, while you tell me more of this Lhavit, and I will do what I can for Riverfall.” He asked with a grin before taking a look down at the map to see where they might go.