Completed Bazaar Meeting (Beshira & Viper)

[Viper]

Winter, Day 5, 512 AV

Viper had been in Syliras now for just over a day. This was only his second time to the great city. His first visit had been rather brief as he decided to return home shortly after arriving. This time wasn't going to prove a whole lot different as he planned on pushing through fairly quickly on his way to Zeltiva. However, he planned to explore a little more this time, and take in the sights. Viper had heard mention more than once of the Great Bazaar that was located in the basement levels of the fortress. Getting up a little early, he got himself ready and nosied his way on down to see what interesting things might be had there.

Upon entering, he noticed most the shopkeepers were already open, withjust a couple here and there finishing their set up for a day of hawking their wares. The smells that arose from the many many stalls was amazing to him. The sights truly a wonder. He had never seen so many different items for sale in a single place like this before. As he kept moving through the halls and past the many stalls, he noticed a woman who seemed to be seeling local pelts. He wondered where the hunting was around here. Might have to try his hand at hunting in this region. Walking up to the woman he tried to get her attention with a slightly cough. "Uh...excuse me mrs? I was just curious as to where your husband...or significant other had managed to get those pelts? Was thinking about hunting in the region and I'm curious if he wouldn't mind sharing the location of a decent spot to a passerby."

He wore a friendly smile as he awaited the reply.

[Beshira]

The hunt had taken a little longer than expected, but she had managed to cover lost time by closing the rest of the distance on horseback. She hoped Trista wouldn't mind if she took a trip to the bazaar first and sell the pelts she'd collected for some of coin before coming home empty-handed, explaining how she couldn't track or pin down any animals despite her best efforts. Lying to a friend was a bit hard to swallow for her since she didn't have very many, though she convinced herself that the transaction was negligible. Leisure wasn't the main topic on her priority list, but it was still up there.

Approaching a stall, she unloaded her pack and gave the vendor a familiar nod, setting her findings neatly on the table. She gingerly unfurled several bundles of leaves, revealing a simple array of skinned furs. She always favored selling her wares at this particular stand, considering that the vendor was a tad more agreeable than the others. His prices were fair and he wasn't very talkative or persistent like some of the more hawkish merchants she'd come across.

"Snow hares," Beshira said, spreading them out. "Freshly caught."
"Excuse me miss," a voice suddenly toned in from behind her. "I was just curious as to where your husband...or significant other had managed to get those pelts? Was thinking about hunting in the region and I'm curious if he wouldn't mind sharing the location of a decent spot."

Turning around, she came face to face with a young man that stood a bit taller than her, noticing long pale hair locked into braids and vivid green eyes. Whoever he was, he clearly must have gotten the wrong woman, but as she scanned her immediate vicinity for an answer, she realized that the only person he could be addressing was her. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and readjusted her gloves, shooting him an unamused glare.

"Get lost," she snapped. "I thought I might be having a nice day for once, and some needless looking rover stops me by and asks about a lover that I don't have."

[Viper]

His eyes widened in surprise at the rather rude retort and his smile quickly disappeared. For a moment he was at a loss for words as he looked the woman over. Fiery spitfire she was, he thought almost amusingly to himself. Her appearance was just as striking to him as her tone. Crimson hair, to match her temper. Her golden eyes reminded him of the morning sun. But a mouth that would make any sailor proud. He couldn't tell just yet whether he found her intriguing or just annoyingly unpleasant. It was then something she said caught his attention.

He raised his hands up slightly in a somewhat defensive nature to show he wasn't trying to be a bother. "My apologies ma'am. I meant no offense. It's just that I haven't seen many woman in this city that can manage to last a day out in the woods without worrying, much less actually be able to hunt. Quite frankly I'm still a little skeptical. I'm assuming you mean then, that you actually caught these....?"

He paused for a moment as he glanced at the few snow hare pelts, before turning back to the woman with a renewed smile. Crossing his arms across his chest, he challenged, "Tell ya what. If you be up to putting your money where your mouth is. I'll buy ALL these pelts from ya, plus a lil extra if you can show me a decent area to hunt around here. And prove you can actually hunt yourself." He paused again, letting his challenge just hang there for a second.

"Course, if you aren't up to it...I understand. And I'll be on my way." His smile had turned to a smirk, as he stood there defiantly. Not willing to back down so easily because of some redhead with a short fuse.

[Beshira]

Beshira weighed the options in her head and wondered if she should take up his offer, though she certainly didn't let it show on her face. If things turned out well, not only would she be able to return with proof of her work, but she'd also end up with a few more coins in her pocket. On the other hand, she didn't approve of the idea of tagging along with strangers, especially considering that this would be the second time in a single day. Twice in a single day! How about that!

"That's a pretty one-sided deal you're making here," she responded, resting her hands on her hips. "You clearly don't know an Inarta when you see one, do you?" She frowned, giving the man a more hardened look. "If you take back your proposal, I wouldn't hold anything against you. Except maybe for wasting my time." She was half-hoping that he would turn her down and half-hoping he would press forward with the deal.

[Viper]

He chuckled at her retort. "Ah I wondered if ya were. I've heard tales of your people. I heard you're almost as good as my people with a bow...I'm a Drykas by the way. And the challenge stands..." His intital perception of her, is she is very proud. Possibly arrogantly so...though it may just be a guise hiding something deeper. He couldn't quite tell, but he almost felt as if she was simply trying to bluff her way out of the challenge. His eyes narrowed some, though his smirk never diminished.

Viper finally decided to try and hit her pride a bit more and see what she would do. "...But, it is apparent I was wrong to challenge you. You couldn't possibly have taken these yourself...Otherwise, I simply don't understand why you'd turn down such the "one-sided deal" as you so aptly put it. Ah well. Perhaps another time. I'm sure I can find a real guide around here somewhere. Best of luck to you." He gave her a slight bow out of simple respect, as well as a nod to the vendor before beginning to turn away from her.

[Beshira]

"Turn around, you sniveling lowlife," Beshira shot at the Drykas, cocking her head to the side. "Are you trying to imply that I can't hunt?" She didn't care what his aim was, but what he had just let loose was a personal insult to her archery skills and she wouldn't let him off until she rammed the evidence right down his throat. "I'll take up your offer any day, you go ahead and try me!"

She refolded her furs and stuffed them back, the vendor silently watching the two with a bemused expression. Beshira hefted her pack in her hands and tossed them into Viper's hands, snickering. "If I can't catch the first animal we find, you can keep that." There was no way she was letting this go south. Beshira impatiently awaited the man's response.

[Viper]

A wide grin flashed across his face as he heard her latest insult fly his way. He couldn't help but admire her spirit. She reminded Viper of himself, though perhaps she was even more fiery than even he was. Still, he had been itching to get some hunting time in, and he was fairly certain he wasn't going to be able to find a more interesting hunting partner for the time being. Though it appeared, he might have to do a bit of fire control. He didn't really mean his comments as actual insults after all. He turned back around to face her, just in time for her to accept his challenge "any day". He held out his hand as a gesture pointing the way to the stables. "It would be my pleasure ma'am." He said playfully, yet sincerely. His tone changing just enough for her to hear the shift in his demeanor.

Catching the pack of furs, Viper hefted the package over his shoulder and nodded to her addendum to the arrangement. "Deal. Well then. I guess we best get goin'. Wouldn't want to lose too much of the day now would we?" With that, he marched off to the stables to fetch his horse. The trip to the local stable was quiet. He figured he'd try and give her a bit of time to simmer down before trying to play peacemaker. It didn't take long at their fast pace before their destination came into view. Viper quickly made his way to were his horse was being held and soon brought him out. He pat Aeyan's head and smiled.

"Good morning Aeyan. How would you feel about goin' for a hunt today?" The Strider quickly neighed happily but then gave a curious glance to the woman standing close by. Viper knew his horse very well. His eyes glanced toward the woman for a second before returning to him. "Oh don't mind her. She is going to be riding and hunting with us. She knows the area and were the good hunting grounds are." He gave a light chuckle and then turned toward her again. "Ok well, we're ready. So where you keepin' your horse at?"

[Beshira]

"I can't afford a horse," Beshira stated flatly, painfully aware of her pitiful monetary gains. Any kind of expenditure that cut her balance in excess of one gold miza put a noticeable dent in her purse, and as such, she did not have the financial capability of purchasing one, especially considering the fact that they require maintenance, which would carve both time and money out of her schedule. "When I go out to hunt, I'm gone for a good while." She observed the horse from the corner of her eye, curious as to whether or not the steed would be more or less obedient than the hooded man's horse. He had needed to repeat his orders and make deliberate hand motions just to get his horse to pay any attention to him. Still, it definitely beat walking to and fro from the forest with heavy baggage over her shoulder and camping out in the wilderness if night fell before she could get her hands on her prey. "This isn't going to be a problem, is it?" she asked, though the way she carried her tone made it seem to come off more as a threat than an actual question.

[Viper]

His eyebrow raised on her comment about not owning a horse and how her hunts usually went. Her final question caused him to sigh, though smiled while doing so. "Easy there spitfire. Was just a simple question." He turned to see a horse she was looking at, but then returned his gaze to her. "Tell ya what, I didn't hire ya, just for you to spend your money to prove a point. If ya like, you can ride up on Aeyan with me."

He crossed his arms and mischeviously smirked. In an obviously same tone as she just gave he finished, "Unless of course...that's a problem?" He offered his hand out to her to help her up, since she eluded to her not having much experience with riding. Despite his playful back and forth banter, he really was trying to be nice. Though somehow, he doubted she would believe the sincerity of his gesture.

[Beshira]

Beshira pressed her fist into her open palm, cracking her knuckles as a scowl formed on her lips. "If that's not a sign for me to break your fingers, I'd suggest that you keep your hands on the reins." She didn't wait for him to respond, attempting to mount the steed on her own, having difficulty in finding solid leverage to pull herself up without knocking them both over. Her foot rose from the ground and quickly fell back against it during her first few attempts to secure a position on the back of the horse. With a quiet grunt, she finally managed to get herself atop the horse, keeping her heels pressed firmly against its sides to ensure that she wouldn't fall off as soon as she had gotten on.

"The Syliran Wildlands," Beshira said. "We'll be hunting out in the Bronze Woods."