[The Bazaar] Adventure Ahoy [Stitchimus]

[Rhuryc]

17th of Summer, 510 AV

Somehow Rhuryc felt like the bazaar was his new home. For almost twenty minutes now he had waited by one of the more common entrances to the markets, busying himself by watching the consumers as they came and went. Ever since that morning's meeting he had tried to see the bystanders for more than what they appeared, watching their motions, listening to their conversations, and otherwise eaves dropping like some common stalker. The practice in itself was fascinating. Already he witnessed from strange antics from some of the merchants, the most interesting in the form of a nearby salesman. Every time someone walked by his stall he did what must have been the quickest analysis in history and chose a different item just for them and was able to, usually, pawn it off in mere minutes. With that much ability Rhuryc mused at the small, insignificant life the merchant lead. How many others in the stalls were so talented?

Such were the man's activities as he awaited the presence of Stitch and his previously mentioned companion. The time in which he had left the Home seemed years ago, despite the passing of only a single hour, and Rhuryc had to admit that he was amiable to another - perhaps less formal - meeting. The blind man made for an interesting companion. A warm one, at that. Something that the young apprentice was unaccustomed to in his daily habit. With quieted anticipation Rhuryc held his expression close, stoic in observation and in posture, his hands hidden inside the pockets of his long, leather coat. He was easy to miss among the throngs of people that flocked through the Bazaar, hidden behind a thick screen of chatter and movement. The environment here had its very own pulse, a strange, irregular beat that kept a phenomenon of life active and thriving in the midst of the city itself.

Rhuryc often found himself humming the hidden tune of Syliras, linked to the musical undertones of the busiest piece of civilization in the realm. Even now his thick baritone found some small song in its hushed state, keeping the beat even among the discordant chimes of the populous.

[Stitch]

"A horse?"

Hearing the rather incredulous tone in the young girl's voice, Stitch cast a mental eye her way, perking a single eyebrow. "Yes, Fentya. A horse. Is that a problem, milady?" Stitch had a smile on his face, his lips curled in an amused fashion, the teasing tone obvious in his gentle words. Fentya looked a little less than amused though, her arms crossed over her chest, her dark blue eyes staring at Stitch critically. "Not a problem at all, milord." She huffed the last word at him, obviously not in the mood for teasing. Stitch nodded hurrriedly, trying to quiet the smile on his face, covering it with a single hand and speaking through slightly spread fingers. "Of course, milady. Forgive me, forgive me." A few people turned to watch, amused by the spectacle of a young girl lecturing a grown man. Fentya shot them a few glares of their own, then returned her attentions to Stitch, impatient to get her original point across. "As I was saying, a horse? Are you sure about that, Stitch? Four people, on one horse?" Stitch chuckled again, then quickly silenced it as he felt Fentya turn her glare on him. Rapidly shaking his head again, hand still covering his twitching mouth, he spoke. "Of course not, Fentya. This one was thinking two horses. One to every two people. Then we will have a quicker journey there, and the lady will be able to travel in a bit of comfort." Fentya eyed him again, not satisfied. "And when did you learn to ride a horse?" Stitch took an insulted tone, turning his head so she wouldn't see the grin finally breaking across his face. "This one is quite skilled at horseback, milady!" Fentya stomped, shaking her head. "Since when? And why are you going on this fool journey, anyway? Is this your idea of a vacation?"

Stitch coughed into his hand, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation. He didn't really want to discuss why he was going, as it was something of a secret. As they neared one of the entrances of the Bazaar, Fentya reached over and tugged on his sleeve, demanding an answer. "Stitch. Why are you going?" Stitch turned his head further away, searching for a correct answer. One that wasn't a lie.

The answer came in the form of a familiar Aura.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Stitch strode forward a bit quicker, pointing out the man to Fentya. "Look, Fentya. There is one of the companions I have hired for the journey. Milord Rhuryc. Hello milord!" Stitch rose on his toes, waving his hand high in the air at the man, acting much like a young child. A beaming smile on his face, he then approached the apprentice, sticking out a hand in a greeting. "Milord! Sorry this one took so long. One after the other, other companions applied to our journey. Luckily, this one found two more to come with us, right off the bat! A mage, and an acrobat with a few nifty skills of her own."

Fentya sized Rhuryc up slowly, and with a bit of her look on her face, finally spoke. "I believe you need to trim your face, sir."

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc blinked. He roused himself from his contemplative stupor and leaned forward, disconnecting his back the wall with an almost regretful motion. Stitch was a welcome sight and his companion became an immediate focus of curiosity. This was Fentya? The young girl was nothing that he expected. For some reason he figured that the organizer of their venture would be bringing another of their traveling companions, one less small. With a shake of his mangy features Rhuryc offered the other man a curt nod and a grin, a warming expression if any. A pause followed and the little one spoke. Did he really? With a distracted gaze he flicked his vision to Fentya, almost taken aback by the brash attitude. Almost. Instead he gave the girl a once-over herself, exchanging the examination in very much the same measure of maturity. Whether or not he was humoring the girl or truly just as awkward remained a point of debate.

"I suppose I do." Rhuryc said, a hand leaving his pocket to rub the hair on his chin. There was more there than he recalled. "Perhaps, milady, I will do so before I find myself in you presence once more." The tone made it difficult to tell whether or not the man was serious or playing a jest. Either way, he gave the girl a short bow before he turned his attentions back to Stitch, his now-free hand gesturing to the bazaar. The particular motion went in the direction of various peddlers in the possession of different foodstuffs. Could Stitch see that? He had no idea. Somehow Rhuryc seemed to be testing the man among other motives.

" I need to pick up some rations myself, and maybe a suitable bag to carry some supplies. How long is the journey to be?" Hopefully one of the other companions could hunt. If not than Rhuryc intended on bringing as many additional rations as he could stuff into a pack. Or two packs. Or five.

[Stitch]

The young Fentya stared at Rhuryc, sizing him up with a furrowed brow, appearing as if she wasn't really sure how to respond. Stitch merely stood back, letting his hand fall free from his mouth, observing the little scene with a bemused expression. Rhuryc seemed to handle himself well, and Stitch approved of the method that he had gone about confronting Fentya's verbal assualt with. Normally Stitch would have given her a stern word or two, but Rhuryc had risen to the challenge before Stitch had gotten the chance. So he just watched, and after a moment or two, Fentya simply gave Rhuryc a snort and looked off to the side. Stitch gave her a quick mental scan, checking her Aura for her reaction to the man. She wasn't so sure how to react. She hadn't really met anyone who had responded to her like that before.

Turning to Rhuryc, Stitch caught the small motion the man gave toward the peddlers. Not really giving a sign that he had seen it, Stitch kept the now rather wide smile on his face, and nodded in agreement to Rhuryc's statement. "Rations sounds like a good plan, Milord. This one will likely need a bag as well, and this one might try and pick up a few surprises for the others. If this one can help you buy anything, let this one know. This one really appreciates your company." Taking the lead, Stitch began a steady stroll into the Bazaar, rather gracefully weaving his way through the throng. It rather helped that they parted for the blind man, but the one or two who didn't, he easily scooted his way through them. He stopped at the first stall, tilted his head down, and just stared at the foodstuffs in his little blind way. Fentya silently stayed alongside him, the young girl actually looking quite alert, examining the fruits and vegetables with prying, professional fingers. A sea of people swarmed around them, but they seemed to be quite natural with the current of the Bazaar, moving back and forth to avoid people when needed.

While checking the food, Stitch spoke to Rhuryc, his voice still abnormally cheerful. "This one was considering buying two horses for the journey, as well. This one isn't a particularly good rider, but it would be a fun way to learn. The journey by foot would take about a week and a half... But the journey by horse? Perhaps six to eight days, if we don't hurt ourselves. Would milord be interested in that idea?"

Picking up a small little bundle of dried rations, which consisted of fruits and nuts, Stitch cocked his head at it, once again "studying" it in a rather odd manner. Especially for a blind man. "Two people to a horse, perhaps. This one could buy them both, more than likely. This one knows of a rather good Stable within Syliras, you may be familiar with it. Quite a selection."

Beside him, Fentya snorted. "Horses. I would like to see this."

[Rhuryc]

An amused countenance set itself upon the man's features. Rhuryc possessed neutral view towards children, often fine with ignoring them in his activities, but he found the small game he was involved in to be a point of interest. When the girl snorted he shot her a quick glance and marked his position mentally, his eyes shifting over Stitch as well and performing the same exercise. Once his company moved off so did he, only Rhuryc was quick to adapt a very different approach to the crowds. His considerable size gave him an advantage. While he remained behind the two, few bystanders were willing to get in the way of the large, armed escort. Waves of confidence seemed to buffet the incoming consumers, a feature that had previously not existed with Rhuryc's presence. The change had something to do with the self-imposed protector roll. Despite the secure, constant vigil of the knights, Rhuryc had deemed himself the protector of both the man and his ward. He practically dared someone to step out of line.

"I have quite a savings." He started, his thick baritone easily audible over the roar of the crowds. A neat trick, that. He approached the stall himself and moved in beside the girl, ignoring Stitch and his blind-man activities. Really, he had given up on trying to understand his means. "Most of this will spoil. We'll need dried meats. Jerked beef, bread, nuts. Cheese can hold well." Rhuryc went on with a small degree of expertise. He had taken long sojourns out into the wilderness before and those particular items remained the majority of his diet for some time. Somehow, though, Stitch had already picked out the rations in question. With a shrug, the man picked out a green apple and tossed it up into the air towards Fentya as she snorted.

"Mm. Never rode before." Rhuryc mused as he reached into his pocket and produced a copper Miza to pay for the apple. "The Windmount Stables? I've passed it a few times. Good idea though. The less time we spend traveling the more aware we'll be inside." He was intentionally vague on the location. Letting the little girl know they were traveling into the very jaws of the abyss itself did not seem like a good idea. "It might get uncomfortable, but so long as none of our companions are fat we should be alright. I think."

He had no idea, really. Better to just appear confident than confused.

[Stitch]

Stitch was slightly surprised to feel the change in the man's presence, but he welcomed it. The people who were too busy to move due to his handicap were certainly not too busy to notice the rather imposing man behind the young girl, and blind caretaker. Stitch was tall, but Rhuryc was taller, and this pretty much put him above the rest of the crowd by a good inch or two. Stitch couldn't help but enjoy the free path that Rhuryc's presence seemed to carve for them, and gladly took it. He was growing more thankful by the minute that he had brought the man along with him on the approaching journey. He held himself with confidence, and that kind of confidence could be invaluable. With a small smile, Stitch mentally glanced back at Rhuryc, yet did not turn his head to signal his examination. Would the man be able to back up that confidence?

Chuckling inwardly, Stitch finally reached the first stall, and went about his examination of the foodstuffs, while Fentya did the same. Rhuryc spoke, and Stitch started a bit, once again pleasantly surprised by the man. While his very stature was imposing, it seemed as if he could easily make his voice imposing too. He wasn't so sure if the man was actually trying, or if that deep voice of his just naturally rose above the crowd. Whatever it was, it was impressive. Keeping his mental eyes on the produce he was testing out, while keeping his ears on Rhuryc, he easily managed to absorb the tidbits of wisdom the young man was blessing him with. That baritone really did come in handy, Stitch mused. It was often hard to hear in the Bazaar, but not today. "Dried meats, good idea. This one didn't think of that. Foodstuffs like jerky would be good, milord believes? Very well. This one was just thinking fruits and nuts, you know, like trail mix? This one has taken several small hikes with the children, and trail mix worked then, so this one kind of just assumed... But milord has a point, things spoil, and this will be a bit of a ride... Trail mix would likely get old..." Grinning with a sort of bashful look to his face, bemused at what he felt was ignorance on his part, Stitch replaced the small food package on the stall and started moving with the crowd once more. "Sounds good then. This one knows of a stall that specializes in dried rations, perhaps for journeys like ours. Your knowledge is astounding, milord!" With a grinning Stitch leading the way, they would soon come to said stall, a great wooden structure with colorful packages of dried foods laid out.

Fentya meanwhile, had caught the apple, and given it a hesitant bite. After staring at it for a few moments, she gave yet another haughty huff, and tossed the apple to the side. "I don't like green." Without even turning, Stitch reached out and caught the apple, bringing it to his own lips and taking a bite, all while still examining the dried food packages. "Yes you do, Fentya. You just want to be difficult." The young girl went red, blushing a bit, whispering in a high pitched manner. "Shut up, Stitch!"

Stitch chuckled, shaking his head a bit, turning to Rhuryc. "So, milord. How many rations do you think this one should get? This one was thinking two or three per day of travel, along with a few extras. Should this one get an equal mix of fruit, nuts, and dried meat, or does it really matter?" Stitch cocked his head toward the stall again, his voice now sounding humorously fretful. "And the horses? Would milord know which of those to buy?"

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc seemed surprised. He had long since figured such information was common knowledge, but now that he was faced with evidence otherwise he supposed it made a bit of sense. Most of the inhabitants of Syliras had not been whisked away in there youth to long, torturous training sessions in the wilderness. So when Stitch suggested trail mix as their main course of consumables Rhuryc found himself stuck with a grin. They could, no doubt, survive off of such an assortment, but they would not be strong enough to ride a horse, let alone delve the depths of an ancient labyrinth. The man kept silent as Stitch lead both him and their small tag-a-long - or was she additional voice of reason? - to the next stall of various dried foods. The complement was taken in stride, so to say that Rhuryc ignored it, and came up next to the blind caretaker, his gaze shifting over the various goods and product available for purchase. Overstock. Definitely. They would be traveling for some time.

"It's probably better if we eat less on the road. Full meals on the move might make everyone sick." Rhuryc spoke, ignoring the small exchange between the girl and her keeper. He reached over to the stall at their side and fetched another apple, this one red, and tossed another two coppers in the way of the merchant. The fruit was then sent through the air as its predecessor, aimed into the hands of Fentya. Other than that Rhuryc seemed content to treat the girl with a mild neglect, his attention set on Stitch.

"Trail mix would be fine. It would just get old and some meat would keep everyone's strength up." He paused to glance over the stall now, his eyes honing in on several strips of jerky. One of these days, Rhuryc promised himself, he would learn to hunt. Maybe then these ventures out of the city would prove to be more tasty. Or maybe just less dry. "Probably prepare for two weeks? Who knows what we'll encounter on the road." A bob of his head brought the man's gaze back to the items in question. He motioned to the merchant with an idle wave and started perusing for rations of his own consumption, focusing heavily on the meat side of things. He included a few dates, raisins, and other dried fruits, but Rhuryc's bias lay heavily on meat. Considering his girth it made sense.

"I have no idea about horses." He continued his speckled speech, his attention torn between the food and his companions. "We could always just ask the stable hands. We might want to consider some other items as well. Blankets, bandages; items to see to wounds should they occur. Bandits are common on the road. So, ah, medicine if we can find some. Some alcohol, too."

[Stitch]

Fentya caught the red apple, and this time, just gave a peturbed sigh and took a rather large munch into it. Crossing her other arm over her chest and resigning herself to a sullen silence, she now settled to give Rhuryc an unsettling stare while loudly chewing on her apple.

Stitch nodded quickly as Rhuryc spoke, quickly listening to the man. As Rhuryc began to choose his own items, the man might notice that Stitch's finger quickly followed him. Stitch chose almost the same exact items as him, although with a little less meat, and a bit more dried fruit. Stitch also had some small bits of candy added to each ration, which might be a slightly amusing observation for Rhuyrc. The shopkeeper busied about, assembling the packages needed, until Stitch softly spoke to suddenly interrupt his hurriedness. "If milord likes, then this one can simply pay you now, and then come pick up the supplies on the morn of the 20th?" Stitch blinked, then suddenly paused, his head snapping toward Rhuryc. "Oh yes! This one forgot! Milord, would it be okay to delay the departure until the 20th? One of our companions cannot make it until then, and this one thinks it might help our preperations become a little less... hurried." He offered the man a questioning smile, as the shopkeeper watched them both, now waiting for his orders.

"We could likely get medical supplies, as well as carrying supplies here as well. Saddle sacks and such can be bought at the Stables, but for the items we wish to take into the Labyrinth, we will need packs. This one does not know how long the item will take to be found, either." Stitch sighed a bit, his head suddenly cocking down. "This one has no idea where to start searching, except for the fact that the Labyrinth is the location. Sure does narrow it down, doesn't it, milord?" Stitch gave a small, amused chuckle. "In any case, this one will discuss a period of time to be spent in the labyrinth, once our party has assembled. After that time, we leave, for safety and supply reasons. No matter if this one's object has been found or not.

Purchases :

-7gm for two Weeks of Rations. (Trail.)
-3gm for Traveler's Stock.

[Rhuryc]

Rhuryc grumbled. His master was fine with his absence for extended periods of time, but he was supposed to have left on the morrow. No matter, maybe he could sweeten the exchange by working double hours. The man gave Stitch an absent nod as he picked out his own items for consumption, pointing them out for the merchant. He took a considerable amount just for himself, content to overstock as much as possible. Preparation was key after all.

"Won't be a problem." He started, his body turning about away from the stall. He gave a brief gesture to the merchant to ignore their conversation, silently confirming the request to pay now and pick-up later. "If anything that'll give us some time to get used to the horses. I spent some time in the saddle before," Rhuryc almost groaned recalling the soars. "We'll want to be used to the beasts, and we'll need to know how to care for them if anything. Last thing we want is for 'em to die en route." His concern did not seem to be so much on the animals themselves as it was for their little 'company'. "Speed'll give us an advantage if we get hit by bandits or what-not. So far as the packs, go, though," He paused, his head spinning about as he gave the bazaar a quick once-over.

"The Leatherworks is a safe bet. Anyway. If we have time than there's no need to rush, I need to stop by the forge and maybe even get in a few, ah, training sessions in. It's been a while since I've had to swing this." Rhuryc grinned and patted his weapon for good measure, his head bobbing in tandem with the motion.

Purchases

• 7gm for Two Weeks Rations (Trail, one person.)

[Stitch]

"Labyrinth? Is that where you are going?" Stitch gave a visible start, his head whipping to the side, focusing on a now smiling Fentya. Rhuryc would easily be able to note the discoloration Stitch's face took on, almost all the color draining from it in a second. The blind man opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, quite openly searching for the words to say. Meanwhile, Fentya just sat there, smiling brightly, a very smug expression on her face. Stitch coughed, cleared his throat, then coughed again before speaking. "Yes, Fentya. This one is going to a Labyrinth. Just a little man-made maze out in... a forest. Somewhere."

If Stitch had eyes that actually worked, they would be shifting side to side now. His discomfort with the situation was obvious. It was slightly amusing, to see a little girl interrogating a grown man.

Fentya tapped a foot, cocking her head to the side, eyeballing Stitch still. It was as if she had forgotten Rhuryc's presence. Any interruption from him would be met with a frosty stare, a few seconds of awkward silence, and then he would be forgotten once again. She still wasn't sure what to think of him, certainly not yet. "And why are you going to a maze, Stitch? And where exactly is this forest?" Stitch turned his head to the side, avoiding the glare that he somehow could feel, and hesistantly put together a quick answer for her demanding question. "Uhm, well, training. Of course. What better place to train this one's eyes than a maze? This one is just taking companions along so he won't be lost alone!" As if to make his story more believable, Stitch added a rather fake laugh at the end of his shaky sentence, only making it that much more obvious he had something to hide. Fentya opened her mouth to speak once again, the doubt clear on her face, but Stitch quickly interrupted, turning once again to Rhuryc. "So, milord!" Stitch's voice was high, and a little too cheery. It was obvious he was trying to get out of the trouble he had managed to wander into.

"Perhaps this one can help with your training! This one knows a bit about combat himself, and could perhaps use the warm-up as well! After all, this is a training kind of trip, right?" Stitch let out another overly-delighted chuckle, elbowing Rhuryc with painfully fake glee.