Knife Edge (N'all)

[Min]

The 12th day of the Winter season, 512 Min strode through the bazaar on her long legs, her gait measured but powerful. She typically walked with an air of self assurance and purpose – like a person who knows where she is going and what she seeks to accomplish once she gets there. But this was not exactly the case on this day. She had some leisure time to fill, the hours of work set for her at the Soothing Waters not yet reached in this mid-morning timeframe. Always curious to know more about her newly adopted city, Min had come to the great indoor market to explore what was on offer – and also to be in a place away from the cold of winter outside. So despite her gait, she was not heading to any one place in particular, but simply ‘window shopping’ at all the many, many stalls. Her dark eyes took in her surroundings, looking at the wares on displays, but the people around her as well. Old, young, children, babies, mothers and wives, knights and vendors – there were shoppers and workers of every type milling about. Occasionally, she would pause to better scrutinize something that had caught her eye. But she made no purchases, for she had no real need of anything – at least, she hadn’t seen any thing that especially called out to her - until she came to a stall where a variety of knives were set out on a table. Min wasn’t a particularly pugilistic Myrian. Like all of her race, though, she saw a great value in weapons and defensive fighting skills. And beyond that, knives had a hundred and one uses, from hunting, to survival in the wild, to gathering of plants for food and healing. She already had a knife, which was pushed down into the top of her boot at the moment. One of those on display, however, caught her eye and she reached out long, slim, strong fingers to caress its handle, which was carved out of some sort of antler or horn. Picking it up, she looked carefully at the intricately decorated grip. It consisted of three human skeletons, with limbs entertwined, in a macabre embrace. Min brought it quite close, looking for something, and finally spotting it. Her eyes widened in surprise – but whether it was a pleasant one or not, it was hard to say. Holding the knife out to the vendor, she demanded, “From who? Who gave you it?” The man on the other side of the table beamed and that unmistakable look of a salesman who believes he can make a sale settled on his features. He spread his hand effusively and smiled an oily smile. “Ah, my lady, I can see you have an eye for quality. That knife…” “This is not yours,” Min interrupted, her own features not looking very pleased. “You steal. Or some people steal. This is not your knife.” Her Common was not perfect and heavily accented, but she appeared to be getting her point across, for whatever reason she thought the merchant had no right to this particular knife. The man’s expression was slipping away to one of annoyance and indignation. “Of course it’s my knife. I took it in trade not a month ago. From one of your people.” The last words were not exactly said with a sneer, but something close to one. “I…” Min tossed the knife back on the table with a clatter, a look of disdain on her proud face. “Not yours. Not sold. Not traded. Stolen.” She placed her hands on her hips and looked a challenge at the man. “Where? Where did you steal this? From who?” By this time, some of the milling crowd was looking on with interest at the tiny conflict. The vendor, noting this, leaned closer to Min over the table and lowered his voice. All bonhomie had left his face and his voice, as he hissed, “Look – I traded for that knife – from its owner – fair and square. Now, I don’t need you to be implying I’m a thief – so just shove off.” He leaned back and made a dismissive motion of his hand. “Go on – move it.” He glared at her, and added, “Before I send for a knight.” Min’s eyes narrowed and her arms went across her chest – mainly so that she would resist the temptation to pull her own knife from her boot and slit the man’s throat. But she knew – though she had to grit her teeth to do so – she had to behave. She had to, for now. The people who were now staring at her didn’t bother her in the least. The knights that she has seen patrolling the bazaar, just as they patrolled everywhere in this city, were another matter altogether. She knew they meant business and only a fool would bring them down on himself – or herself – without exceptional provocation. At that moment, another customer, presumably, approached the table and the vendor turned his attention to the newcomer. Min drew in a deep breath and forced her body to relax, dropping her arms back to her side. She turned abruptly to ponder what she had just discovered – and ran right into yet another shopper. Literally, she came chest to chest with him and almost stumbled. Her mood not being the best, she first cursed in her own tongue and then said rather curtly in Common, “Move, please.”

[N'all Rivent]

N'all was surprised by the sudden force in front of him. He was about to move until he noticed who had collided with him. "Min," he said,raising one eye brow and glancing out from under his red hood.

He hadn't expected to see anyone he knew here, especially seeing as he only knew Min and few merchants. "Why are you in such a hurry," he asked his face shifting back into his usual blank expression. He stepped back after realizing just how close they were. He removed his hood and stood waiting for a response.

[Min]

At the same moment as Min recognized who she had just come chest to chest with, N’all said her name, and the Myrian relaxed just a bit. She had only spoken with the Kelvic for a short while at a tavern, two nights ago. But at least she knew who he was – possibly as well as he did himself given his odd memory loss condition. As she knew so very few others here in this city which was still so new to her, even the sight of a face she had only seen once before was rather comforting. N’all asked why she was in such a hurry, And Min stepped back a bit and then looked over her shoulder, at the knife vendor. “I see something that should not be here,” she said, rather cryptically. “That man,” she nodded towards the merchant. “I do not trust. I think he is a thief.” The issue of the skeleton handled dagger was still clearly far from resolved, in her mind. Her eyes came back to N’all and she had a thought, but wasn’t sure how best to put it into action. For really, she didn’t exactly know the kelvic crow. Still, she had no reason to distrust him, except for that she was Myrian and thus had a hard time trusting anyone. But she put her idea aside for a moment, and asked instead, with something like a smile “And you, N'all? You are shopping? What do you buy?”

[N'all Rivent]

"I'm simply browsing," he said nonchalantly, pulling his hood from his head and letting it hang loosely behind his shoulders. He had just been browsing, looking through the wares of the many merchants and salesmen.

He still wondered what item the salesmen could have had to send Min into such a rush and call him a thief, but he would ask about that later. He stood there for a moment, thinking of what next to say until he realized he didn't know why she was here. "Why are you here," he asked, looking at the merchants for a moment before redirecting his eyes to Min.

[Min]

”Browse?” Min said, testing the word on her tongue. “I do not know this word.” She looked at N’all speculatively. “I look – at things. I want to see what is here – to sell, to buy. But I do not buy. Not today.” With a slight change in tone, she asked, “You ride to Syliras? You own a horse?” It might have seemed an odd question, for that particular moment, but one could tell from the look in her vibrant, dark eyes that she had some reason for asking it.

[N'all Rivent]

"Yes I do," he said with a hint of curiousness at the edge of his voice. "Why do you ask," he questioned, thinking of several different reasons anyone would want to know whether or not he had a horse. He didn't care so much about the question as he did the reason the question was asked. The reason usually was more important.

He looked around himself, staring at anyone that looked back at him. He was being paranoid, he had no reason to fear anyone in the crowd, it was just the fact of how close he could be to those who evaded death. It made his skin crawl just thinking about all the possible times he could have brushed past them without knowing.

[Min]

She nodded, satisfied that he had confirmed what she had thought he had told her the other night. “I want to ride – to learn – I do not know how to ride. Can you teach me? We use your horse?” It was a skill she lacked, and one she was sure she would need in the coming months. She had learned a very small bit during her journey to this city, across the sea of grass. But she needed to know how to really ride, on her own. If the kelvic said no, that was fine. She would find another way to accomplish this goal she had set for herself. Min noted that N’all seemed to be a bit on edge, but she didn’t know why, of course. So, in her blunt way, she asked, “Are you alright, Na’ll. You are nervous – why?”

[N'all Rivent]

"I can teach you the basics, that about all I know," he said as he looked around him one more time, making a few passerby very uncomfortable. He looked back at Min his eyes showing slight worry. "It's nothing, can we go somewhere that's a little less open," he said in a sort of whisper, looking away at some of the more enclosed spaces.

He didn't want to be out here, the chance was to high. He needed to get out of the open, away from the slightest chance of coming face to face with one those things.

[Min]

Min was far from satisfied with N’all’s answer – as to why he seemed so jumpy. But he had asked that they go some place less open and that suited her purpose as well. So she nodded and began to walk, in the general direction of the entrance/exit to the bazaar. She would ask him about it later, but for now her focus could be on the riding and that would hopefully distract him, and she could maybe learn a bit as they walked. “Good,” she replied as they started towards the exit. “Tell me first, about a horse. What things do I do to be good?” For maybe the first time since they had met the other night, Min’s face took on lines of slight dismay, and she confessed, “I try to ride, on the journey here, from Riverfall. It was bad. I was…no good.” She didn’t go further than that. But there was a distinct reason why she had not done well riding. She was scared – of horses – and that was something Min hated – to be fearful of anything. Almost as if she wanted to steer away from that, she added, “I will pay you, N’all. How much?”

[N'all Rivent]

N'all was confused as to why Min's face suddenly changed. The only thing that had been mentioned was horses, and he didn't see why they would be feared but he guessed everyone was different so he didn't pursue the topic. "You just have to learn how to lead the animal," he said looking around him as they entered a less packed area.

Pay wasn't something he had though about, especially seeing how nice Min had been ever since they met. "You don't have to pay me," he said, staring at one passerby as if he might strike him at a moments notice. Even with less people around he couldn't help but feel paranoid.