10th of Winter, 512
Kitchi sighed and stretched before blinking in the faint light of her cave. The room was plainly decorated and she paid little attention to it. She quickly found herself dressed and her tarot cards tucked themselves into their hiding spot before she strapped her dagger and bow to herself. She glanced at her reflection for a moment before twisting and walking out, she heard something clatter behind her as the door closed and she sighed. She could deal with it later, she mused shaking her head as she spoke. She walked, not really sure where she was going. Her footsteps seemed precise and measured and the noise started to become loud around her. Occasionally someone would brush against her but they all continued silently, tracing their own path. She found herself outside the market and a stern Derdain glared at her from the entrance.
'Looking for some books' She came to a halt as she spoke, looking towards him and placing her hands in front of her body. It took a second before he added a casual toss towards the stalls. He was an imposing figure but Kitchi urged a smile onto her lips. She moved quickly once she had been appropriated, not daring to linger and incur his annoyance. Once inside Kitchi was met by an explosion of noise, senses, colors. She tried to stand still but was instantly forced forwards by the flow of the crowd. She shrugged as she was forced to move forwards still, the current of people knocking and jostling her, keeping her moving. Blue eyes lightly traced the stalls, some pottery here, some glass. Nothing special. She kept moving, winding around the stalls as the crowd pleased. The marketplace was nice sometimes, a place so loud and vibrant thoughts were almost impossible. Her eyes flickered to a small stale, she was in the outer ring and the stall was sheltered form the elements. She broke through the sway of bodies. It took some time to move against the flow but eventually she appeared at the stall and was greeted by a smiling man behind a pile of books. He was slight, frail, grandfatherly. She noticed his fingers were stained blue and black and he was holding a small white feather in his hands, the end had been dipped in black ink and it dripped onto the wooden stall, leaving a patch of black liquid.
'Just browsing' Kitchi smiled as she turned her attention from the old man towards the books. She ran her fingers gently against a couple of the spines, feeling the hard surface and the small dips where the letters had been carved.
'Browsing my dear?' His voice was kind, impossibly friendly. 'I got a new set of lovely books, look at these beautiful creations' He waved his hand in front of some brightly decorated covers and Kitchi turned her eyes towards it, a faint twinkle appearing in the blue orbs.
'They are pretty' Kitchi mused, leaning forwards slightly to get a closer look. She reached towards the books but pulled her hands back. 'I don't have enough money to waste today, I'm sorry' She shook her head with a sigh. Part of her hated shopping because of the guilt she felt when she had to turn down an offer, but then another part of her loved the pretty, colorful items and wonderful books filled with information.
'For you, my dear, I'll do you them for 48 pinions, each' The old man smiled warmly at her again and she hesitated, biting her lower lip.
'I wish, I don't even have that' She laughed, remembering the meagre amount of glass coins that she had to survive on for the rest of the season, it was going to be a long, harsh winter she could tell.
'Okay, well how about this one, 10 pinions' He produced another book, a dull brown book with black ink etched into the cover.
'Fortune Telling: Where does Tarot stand?' She read the title out loud and reached her fingers towards the book. They curled around it and she pulled it closer towards her. She pried open the cover, revealing the first page. Immediately she spotted a few inaccuracies but it seemed sound, informed and intelligent. '10 pinions?' Another glance towards the old stall keeper He smiled and nodded. Again she bit her bottom lip as she looked down at the book. 'Fine' She sighed, searching for the loose coins and quickly producing a handle. She counted out ten and placed them into the old mans wrinkly hands.
'Thank you' He called after her but Kitchi had already disappeared back into the crowd, the book held tightly against her.
'Looking for some books' She came to a halt as she spoke, looking towards him and placing her hands in front of her body. It took a second before he added a casual toss towards the stalls. He was an imposing figure but Kitchi urged a smile onto her lips. She moved quickly once she had been appropriated, not daring to linger and incur his annoyance. Once inside Kitchi was met by an explosion of noise, senses, colors. She tried to stand still but was instantly forced forwards by the flow of the crowd. She shrugged as she was forced to move forwards still, the current of people knocking and jostling her, keeping her moving. Blue eyes lightly traced the stalls, some pottery here, some glass. Nothing special. She kept moving, winding around the stalls as the crowd pleased. The marketplace was nice sometimes, a place so loud and vibrant thoughts were almost impossible. Her eyes flickered to a small stale, she was in the outer ring and the stall was sheltered form the elements. She broke through the sway of bodies. It took some time to move against the flow but eventually she appeared at the stall and was greeted by a smiling man behind a pile of books. He was slight, frail, grandfatherly. She noticed his fingers were stained blue and black and he was holding a small white feather in his hands, the end had been dipped in black ink and it dripped onto the wooden stall, leaving a patch of black liquid.
'Just browsing' Kitchi smiled as she turned her attention from the old man towards the books. She ran her fingers gently against a couple of the spines, feeling the hard surface and the small dips where the letters had been carved.
'Browsing my dear?' His voice was kind, impossibly friendly. 'I got a new set of lovely books, look at these beautiful creations' He waved his hand in front of some brightly decorated covers and Kitchi turned her eyes towards it, a faint twinkle appearing in the blue orbs.
'They are pretty' Kitchi mused, leaning forwards slightly to get a closer look. She reached towards the books but pulled her hands back. 'I don't have enough money to waste today, I'm sorry' She shook her head with a sigh. Part of her hated shopping because of the guilt she felt when she had to turn down an offer, but then another part of her loved the pretty, colorful items and wonderful books filled with information.
'For you, my dear, I'll do you them for 48 pinions, each' The old man smiled warmly at her again and she hesitated, biting her lower lip.
'I wish, I don't even have that' She laughed, remembering the meagre amount of glass coins that she had to survive on for the rest of the season, it was going to be a long, harsh winter she could tell.
'Okay, well how about this one, 10 pinions' He produced another book, a dull brown book with black ink etched into the cover.
'Fortune Telling: Where does Tarot stand?' She read the title out loud and reached her fingers towards the book. They curled around it and she pulled it closer towards her. She pried open the cover, revealing the first page. Immediately she spotted a few inaccuracies but it seemed sound, informed and intelligent. '10 pinions?' Another glance towards the old stall keeper He smiled and nodded. Again she bit her bottom lip as she looked down at the book. 'Fine' She sighed, searching for the loose coins and quickly producing a handle. She counted out ten and placed them into the old mans wrinkly hands.
'Thank you' He called after her but Kitchi had already disappeared back into the crowd, the book held tightly against her.
