Closed A Study in Smoke

[Estrellir Konrath]

Fall 11, 513 AV


It was a habit of hers to never show her face unless absolutely necessary. Even on simple errands such as purchasing tobacco, she preferred to tread the paths dressed in a worn black cloak, hood up. Some called it prudence, others paranoia, but Estrellir didn't care as long as it kept her alive and well in the end.

So as she made her way down winding paths and over bridges, she kept her cloak tight around her and adjusted the hood every now and then. Sometimes the breeze tugged at the fabric as if mocking her, but the wind hardly ever raised its voice in Kenash. Instead, she was sweating by the time she set foot on Dry Island. How ironic a name! The petite silhouette halted by the bridge for a moment, pale hand resting on the balustrade, and stared down into the water. Swamp water appeared murky, deep and mysterious, filled with more secrets than Konti Isle could ever hold. The clarity and cleanliness of Silver Lake's vision water had surprised her.

Compared to it, Kenash's swamp represented the dark side of the moon. Nevertheless, Estrellir leaned forward and smiled at her reflection. She liked the murky depths better than Silver Lake. Although a Konti, Estrellir Konrath had pledged faith to Kenash and the swamp.

The distance between plantations and the city proper meant that Dynasties only went into town with a long list of things to do. The Konraths were lucky, only one bell away if the driver knew his roads. Since it fell under private business, Estrellir left the Iron Pipe until last and instructed the family slave to wait outside.

Even on the street, the wonderful smell of tobacco and walnut hit her nose, luring her in. As she entered, Estrellir pulled the hood back. Curls of white hair spilled out and left no doubt as to what kind of personality was visiting. Her violet gaze wandered through the parlor, regarding various bottles, flitting over words on signs. Opalescent white scales ornamented her pale face. As a frequent visitor to the Iron Pipe, she knew the procedure. Someone would come and guide her through blends of tobacco in time.

All she had to do was wait, hands in pockets, leather boots covering the entrance area in street dust.

[Nalahessarajor]

It had been a slow day today, and Nala had spent the day fiddling with her newly purchased woodcarving kit. She was trying to learn the delicate art of pipe carving, though she had gone through 4 blocks of soft practice wood already without even getting the vaguest pipelike shape out of the whole day. Wood scraps littered the floor of her office, and the newest block was coming along much more nicely than the others. She’d constructed a rough cylinder from which she could later carve away the bowl of the pipe, though it would likely take the rest of the day at this rate. She was just about to cut away a large slab that was blocking her way from what was later going to become the centerpiece…when she heard the door open in the main shop area. Her hand slipped, carving into where the middle of the pipe should have been. Nala hissed in fury, pulling out the tool before throwing the ruined piece of wood across her office. It snapped in two, becoming completely useless. She had spent all day working on the basics of woodcarving but hadn’t gotten a single decent shape out of it yet! I really must begin taking woodcarving lessons. I heard there was a shop in town for that. She shook her head, dusting herself off as an exercise to both regain her composure and rid her clothes of wood dust. With that she stood and stepped out into the main shop area. On the other side of the counter was a pleasant looking Konti in a black cloak, a common customer here at the Iron Pipe. As Nala was the only one who worked the shop, it was not difficult to recognize such a common face in her parlor. “Misssss Konrath,” she said, stretching her ‘s’ sounds as her accent dictated. “How can I help you today? Here for the regular order or looking to try sssomething new?” She struggled to remember what flavors the Konti liked, what strength of tobacco she most preferred. She oversaw the flavoring and coloring of the tobacco back home at Smokesend, but all she sold was the strong Rajor tobacco with various additives, though there were different strains with distinctly different flavors, each. Nala had worked hard on memorizing as many as she could, though she was still working on it. “Perhapsss I could interessst you in one of my more recccent blends? I only made it two daysss ago, and you’d be the firssst cussstomer to try it.”

[Estrellir Konrath]

Estrellir forced herself not to jump at the muffled thud that followed her entrance. Shortly after, the shop owner appeared. Everything seemed to be in order, so she didn't address the noise. “Greetings,” she said instead with a polite nod. The hiss in Nala's voice served as reminder of the Rajors' feral nature. Although she kept her features blank, the Konti wouldn't forget it. Face to face, Dhani were inherently more dangerous than humans.

Nevertheless, she came to shop and shop she would. “I'd fancy trying something new if you can offer or recommend anything.” The shadow of a smile flickered over her features. Her opalescent scales reflected light as she took a few steps into the shop. With the years, she'd come to prefer a spicy taste, sometimes with a dash of sweet, sometimes not, but never too strong. She liked to taste the original tobacco through added flavors, but recently she felt like branching out and exploring different mixtures. Part of it stemmed from an inherent dislike of habit and consistency, she supposed.

So the suggestion of trying a very recent blend came at just the right time. “Indeed, I'd be honored to try one or two of your most recent creations. What are they like and, if I may ask, how did you come up with them?” Although the Konti wasn't one to express a lot of emotion, she did take interest in tobacco: how it was processed, what blends were offered. The Iron Pipe undoubtedly provided the largest and finest selection in Kenash.

Choosing and smoking it during quiet bells was Estrellir's guilty pleasure, although useful at times and in ways Nala probably couldn't imagine.

[Nalahessarajor]

Nala smiled and nodded, he edges of her lips curling into a thin serpentine sliver. It was a mischievous look that s=her eyes reflected as she ducked behind her desk, displaying three masons jars, each filled almost to the top with different blends of tobacco. She gestured to the first one. “I call thisss one ‘Night At The Den’. It’sss rather ssstrong, and it even made me cough the firssst time I tried it.” She hissed a chuckle from between her teeth. “It hasss a very bright, lightly ssspicy flavor, which comesss from a ssspecial ssstrain of mint I had the ssslavesss at Sssmokesssend plant lassst ssspring. It’sss only jussst now become good enough to mixxx in with the tobacco, and it’sss particularly strong now. If you keep it for a while it should mellow out but ssstill retain it’sss tassste.” She set her fingertips on the top of the next jar, moving her other hand down to spin it on the counter. “Thisss isss ‘Pumpkin Harvessst’. Not asss strong asss the firssst, with nutmeg and some other mild ssspices added to it. I’ve found it worksss very well to calm onessself, and anyone who hasss tried it has become more mellow within minutesss. It’sss very earthy with a ssslight nutty flavor, though it alwaysss reminded me of pumpkin pie, thusss the name.” She moved on to the final jar, which was smaller than the rest, but was more ornate. “Thisss one is ‘Rajor Gold,’ a very ssspecial and sssecret blend that hasss been passssed down my family line sssinccce the Valterrian. Made from only the bessst of our tobacco crop and blended with a number of very sssecret spices,” Nala winked, unable to contain her pride, “thisss mixxx isss truly to die for. It’sss only available jussst after the autumn harvessst, and then only to regular cussstomerssss, asss you have proven yourssself to be among the mossst loyal.” “The firssst two were dissscovered through variousss experementsss of my own, asss I am alwaysss looking to exxxpand my inventory. However, the Rajor Gold isss an old family recipe brought all the way from my homeland, sssinccce before Kenash was settled. I’m the firssst to make a batch of it in cccentureisss, asss my mother ssseemsss to have forgotten about it. I dissscovered it while going through sssome old family belongingsss.” Which was true; she had found it in a large book of recipes down in the Rajor catacombs that served as a place of worship to their goddess Siku. But she left out the finer details. Wouldn’t want to scare off a customer.

[Estrellir Konrath]

Estrellir didn't flinch back from the momentary mischief on the Dhani's face, instead she waited patiently until presented with three mysterious jars. Tilting her head a little, she examined the dry content and even tried to guess their ingredients, although she didn't utter a word. Although she appeared to be engrossed in studying the blends, she also listened carefully to every word of explanation from Nala.

The first intrigued her as soon as its strength was mentioned. The name had a poetic and dark ring to it. Estrellir felt drawn to shadow, the other side of the coin, so to speak, thus she kept it in mind. Mint had never attracted her attention before, perhaps it was time to try it though.

The second sounded interesting enough, until Nala revealed its soothing effect. After that, she immediately crossed it out in her mind. As one who did a lot of thinking work, analyses and calculations, she didn't desire to become mellow. It wouldn't be advisable at all, the Konti knew. Yet her face showed no sign of distaste.

When they moved on to Rajor's Gold, her curiosity was piqued already at the name. Way before starting the work she did now, the word 'secret' had always drawn Estrellir in. If it was mentioned, her head would snap up, she'd be wide awake and listening attentively. It held power over her, although she wouldn't quite admit it. Thus the Dhani concluded the little tour and left Estrellir with a faint desire to inquire further. Naturally, prying openly would not do though. Instead, a pale smile flickered across her features and a hint of sarcasm accompanied her tone. “Of course, family secrets should be protected. Nevertheless I'd be grateful for a taste of Rajor's Gold to guess the ingredients at least... I can't help it. Your tale made me curious.” Then she pointed to the first jar. “This one sounds interesting too. It's not what I usually enjoy, but like I said, today's for exploring.”

The other hand left the pocket and presented a pipe: coated in dark wood, ornamented with swirls and curls of silver running up and down its body. Scorched parts and scratches hinted at its age. “Is it acceptable to taste the blends in my own pipe?”

[Nalahessarajor]

Nala nodded, slowly swaying side to side as the Konti revealed her preferences. As she showed no interest in the Pumpkin Harvest, she slid it back into its compartment under the countertop. “Exxxcelent choicccesss, I mussst sssay.” She unscrewed the top of each jar, taking in the scent of each. Night At The Den smelled distinctly minty and vaguely musky, and if one breathed too deeply it was a bit overpowering. Rajor’s Gold was a different story entirely, the scent of spices almost completely covered up by the scent of fresh, top of the line Rajor tobacco. It only added to the mystery of its contents, and is was easier on the nose than the first. Nala smiled, hissing a soft chuckle to herself, looking over the pipe the Konti held. “Of courssse you may ussse your own pipe, I would expect nothing lessss. But, I mussst asssk, isss that the pipe you take to partiesss? It sssseems ssso worn and beaten…perhapsss you would be interesssted in a newer one for more public ussse? You wouldn’t want to embarassss your family with sssuch a relic.” It was marketing, to say the least, and she often used the Dynasty pride to sell her wares. Nobody wanted to be an embarrassment, and everyone wanted to impress. If she could show that they could go from the bottom to the top with one simple purchase…well, she’d sold many a pipe in such a fashion. “Perhapsss you’d like to try out some of the pipesss and the tobacco at the sssame time? Sssome have very unique operating methods, sssuch asss clearing holesss that allow you to keep the tassste pure and unssstale asss you sssmoke.” She motioned to a wall of pipes on display. Some were simply wood and polished stone, while others were carved in intricate patterns. The most beautiful, and most expensive, had been the ones she had referred to; inlaid with abalone shell and beautifully polished, some of these were truly beautiful accessories.

[Estrellir Konrath]

As Nala opened the jars, Estrellir bent over them to get a whiff of their scents. Night at the Den hit her so hard she had to cover her nose and mouth with one hand, although it wasn't an unpleasant sensation. She'd probably get used to it in time. The secret blend came more gently, fresh tobacco with an undertone of different spices she couldn't quite put a finger on.

At the sight of her pipe, the Dhani produced a series of hisses. Amusement? Even if it was, Estrellir remained calm. Nobody understood the value of her pipe and most didn't deserve an explanation, so she didn't care what they thought of it. Still, she didn't interrupt Nala in advertising her own pipes and their mechanisms, it wouldn't be polite at all. Only after she'd heard the suggestions, she replied. “There's no doubt that my pipe is a relic and clearing holes are quite useful, but I'd still prefer using the one I'm used to. Whether I take it to parties or not is my problem and mine alone, don't you agree?” Although her voice was soft and pleasant enough, the words spoke a clear message. The 'no' shone brightly through her agreeing with other parts, but why she refused she deliberately left up to the Dhani's imagination.

“Now, I'd like to start with 'Night at the Den'.” Violet eyes rested on the jar in question, curious about how strong in flavor the mint really was and telling the other woman to drop the topic of pipes once again.

[Nalahessarajor]

Nala’s heart sank as Estrellir refused any of her pipes, but she disguised her despair with a simple smile. She was counting on selling at least some of those pipes this season, if she was ever going to pay off her debt and redeem herself in the eyes of her family. But she could tell by looking into the Konti’s cold gaze that now was not the time to push the matter. There would be other customers. Customers with heavier coin purses that she would help liberate the weight of. “Of courssse it isss,” she said, shaking her head and dismissing the thought of pipes altogether. “We all prefer what we have become accussstomed to.” She nodded at her request to move the conversation forward, taking a serving spoon from the jar and portioning out some tobacco for the pipe, waiting for it to become available. As she did, she produced a match from her robes, presenting it as if it were an offering of peace. The fact that their families were at odds made this conversation no less weighty, but Nala could not sacrifice a customer for her pride. She needed to make this sale. Every miza was important.

[Estrellir Konrath]

Although Estrellir knew the business mind of the Rajors, or any Dynasty member for that matter, she couldn't see a hint of disappointment or frustration in the woman's features. Her smile appeared flawless, no cracks, no black humor. Rivalry prevented her from uttering a word, but it was that kind of acting that Estrellir could acknowledge and even admire. Of course, conflict was always boiling under the surface, gnawing at Kenash from all sides, but for the moment they were simply shop owner and customer.

So she tilted her head in agreement and offered a thin smile for momentary peace. “Exactly. As I'm sure your pipes are of exquisite quality, I will recommend them to family and friends though.” Friends? No, she meant acquaintances, faces she knew and voices that spoke for her. Sometimes. Among the wealthy, friendship meant favors, stiff smiles and unexpected changes of weather towards the evening, so to say.

With a nod of gratitude Estrellir accepted the match. The gesture sealed their fragile peace. As soon as she was provided with a rough surface to light the match off of, the Konti accepted the pipe back and lit the content. The first thin thread of smoke rose and made her nose itch again. Resisting the urge to sneeze, she put the mouthpiece between her lips and tried the flavor.

When smoking, she leaned back and folded her arms, a habit shaped by the environment she tended to smoke in. The shop or her suite at the plantation, sitting back in a chair, sometimes rocking so she nearly fell backwards. Even as she stood, her muscles started to relax.

[Nalahessarajor]

As the Konti promised to refer her friends and family, Nala lit up like a torch touched by Ivak himself. “Thank you very much, that isss mossst graciousss of you.” She bowed slightly in thanks, swaying from side to side as she did. It was subconscious, and part of her nature. Even when in her legged human form, it was difficult to hide her affinity for serpents. Despite her cold features and analytical, blunt approach to many situations, Nala found she could easily find respect for the woman. It was a quiet respect, where Nala noticed that Estrellir would make a fine dhani woman, which was not a complement to take lightly. She was straight forward, but knew how to tweak the social norms to her advantage. Almost like a hypnotist she controlled the conversation, using the marketers own methods against them. Were she is Estrellir’s position, she liked to think she’d be doing the same. It would be right with Siku. Nala watched as the pipe was lit, the smoke pulled expertly through it in a way displaying a certain level of grace and expertise. The activity seemed to relax her, as she leaned back, puffing away at the pipe. Nala knew the value of a relaxing smoke every now and then, and it was clear this woman had quite a lot of tension and pressure in her life. She nearly suggested a visit to the Den, to mold a joke out of the name of the blend and Estrellir’s situation, but refrained in fear of offending the customer further. “Pleassse, tell me what you think. Isss there anything you think could be improved upon?”