Torral (Rp for Adam) Pt. 2

A quick edit in of basic stats from the post that had been in section 1: Shea has awoken and is plotting revenge. The city has hit cooler waters and a cooler climate and has anchored off the coast of a largish continent with rivers and tributaries where they will remain anchored for roughly a month to a month and a half. Plenty of time for trading and for the city's denizens to get some much needed vacation time in.

Jermayan noticed quickly when the weather began to turn. There was a hint of cold on the wind. The waters clarity changed almost overnight. He didn’t require a jacket as of yet, but he had taken to wearing a knitted sweater when he worked on the docks or was idly fishing. He even found time to build his strength by swimming in the carefully guarded pools meant for such pursuits.

He had been bringing home fish while Shea was laid up and still recovering from the slime poisoning. He had made a variety of dishes that called for fish. At first, he was making fish stews and carefully brewing teas. As Shea recovered, the stew lightened to soup. Eventually he was making dishes to build her strength and stamina back up. He went to the market to find the right vegetables and spices to help her as much as he could.

When the floating city came to a halt, he frowned and went to find out what was going on. There was no way he could understand what the halt meant. He asked Shea about it. There were things he could use on the mainland and he could trade some of his goods meant for that purpose.

“Should we go ashore and do some trading and shopping? We can also do a little sightseeing. Perhaps I should hold onto the furs until we get to your father’s shop. But I would like to see a blacksmith at the very least. Plus who knows what other attractions a place like this might hold. It would be good to have solid ground beneath our feet again, if only for a short time.”

He waited patiently for her answer. He needed her help with the bartering and trading. He really hoped that he could find a smith who could do runic work. They were rare and even at home, finding a rune smith was no easy task. He would just have to hope they found someone. It was a tall order, but he knew they existed and that should make for interesting possibilities next time they were attacked by the fish people. He had no doubts that they were waiting for the right opportunity.

He didn’t trust his own weapons if they had to fight again. For most creatures, his weapons were fine, but for the piranhaguin, he doubted they would hold up well. As for armor, he had boiled leather, but that wasn’t really, what he needed. It would help, but that was all. He needed real armor and protection. Perhaps he would find what he sought soon enough. Only time would tell on whether he could get what he needed or not.

He packed as he was instructed to do so. He had already packed clothes and the necessities he would need. He had also packed tea and some non-perishable travel foods. He blinked at the scales and then frowned. Who would want to buy scales? Aloud he said something else.

“You mean I have been throwing away tradable goods and you never told me? Is this like the stones and sparkly dust I brought?”

He also had his platinum from his previous transaction. He didn’t know if it was a lot or not, but it was more than most of his people made in a lifetime. He couldn’t fathom needing more than that to live for a long time. He didn’t complain about their departure time. They had a destination and a route as well as a means to get there. His trek out of the mountains had been perilous and it had taken months of hard travel to reach the port city. He doubted this technologically advanced place would be that bad. She said three days. He almost wondered if they could run there faster. He didn’t get an answer as she was muttering to herself about things she needed. He didn’t understand most of it.

So he spent time making a list as well, though he figured they had three whole days to make a list of items they couldn’t live without having. His main list was for a blacksmith. Or was that rune smith? It hardly mattered. If one was to be found, she said it would be found there. He pushed it out of his mind, worrying about it would not help.

He was dressed in his boiled leather armor, the cave bear fur around his shoulders like a cape. It was better than armor, but heavier than any armor he had found too. It would also double as a blanket. He left the rest of his fur armor behind. It wasn’t that cold and he doubted that he would need so much protection in a place like this. His axe slid easily over his shoulder in its harness. Then he added a few of the throwing axes just to be sure. He had little doubt that Shea was armed with her little knives. Very few fools would attempt to rob them on the road. Though Shea was tiny, she seemed to have a predatory demeanor. She was more animal than human from what he understood. That should work in their favor as well.

He was waiting for Shea to finish whatever she was doing. When she finally ready he slung his large pack casually over one shoulder, leaving his weapon arm free and handed her a covered mug of tea. He had made the one that called to him in the shop. It was heavily spiced and very earthy in scent. It was a wonderful blend, especially for someone like Shea who would like the fortification from the cold. Overall, it was a wonderful tea. The one who blended it must be a grandmaster. He didn’t even add anything to his; it was truly a wonderful balance. Honey or other sweeteners would have ruined that delicate balance. He had a feeling it was meant to be enjoyed as is. The tea itself had reminded him to pack a supply of honey disks. Some of the teas needed the honey, but they were also a very good source of protein and nutrients they would need as it got colder. These were raw honey discs. They didn’t strain out the pollen and other things, just shaped it into disks and let it harden for ease of carrying.

He smiled as they left, he was eager to see the city. He wondered what they would find on this stage of their journey. It was a new and exciting place. He just hoped they found everything they needed or wanted.

Jermayan listened as she told him the best options for their itinerary. He didn’t have a better plan for it. He looked around the area as they got off the boats. He was lucky that he had very warm clothing. Though he didn’t find it very cold yet, there was a bite in the air. He knew the temperature was going to drop more. He could smell it. There was a lot to do here.

“Yes old men love to carve; a lot of my people carve bone and other things. I didn’t want to pre-carve them. I don’t know if the market would be as good with pre-carved items as it is with raw materials. They would be exotic, but not necessarily, what anyone would want to buy here. The cave bear has large tusks, but there is creatures with much larger. It would take a full tribe to take down some of them. Even so, there would be deaths. The risk is not always worth the reward. “

He followed her, knowing she would get the best deals for his wares. He figured they would have enough spare change to buy tickets. He would leave it to her at this point.

“Do you want to wear my coat? It will be big, but it should keep you very warm. Even if you fell through ice and into water, it would keep you warm. The hair is hollow and sheds water well.”

Jermayan followed her to the shop and watched as she worked. She was very good at negotiating with shopkeepers. He tried to keep a neutral expression ad ended u scowling most of the time she was flirting and raising the stakes. He coughed when she actually took his coat and put it on briefly.

He watched as they shook on it and he counted out the plat for her. As soon as they got outside, he lost his stoic demeanor. He threw back his head and laughed uproariously. He had trouble stopping the laughter. He accepted the money and put it away before following her to the cable cars.

He really liked the seating that he could stretch out on and not feel cramped and uncomfortable.

“This looks like it should be a fun trip. It’s also in luxury instead of the elements. Not sure that I am used to luxuries that much yet. I can’t wait to get to the market. I am hoping to find some interesting armour and weapons.”

Shea busted out laughing as she thought about the bartering as the cable car took off. In the back was a fully functional bathroom so it would really be a nice two or three day trip. "Man, did you ~see~ his ~face~?? Show a little skin with old geezers like that and boom bartering goes much better," she rolled on the long seat she'd picked as she laughed it up, "I'd have still gotten a good deal but there's a good reason I wore this particular shirt," she tugged the collar a bit, accidentally flashing bare flesh in the process, "it's loose enough to give a good sight line all the way down to my stomach but clingy enough that he couldn't get a really good look at the bits he reaaaaaly wanted to see."

Still giggling, she sat up and began to empty out the food bags. There were several, all stuffed into a much larger bag she'd purchased while in the store. Above the long couch/beds there were cupboards which she began to fill. Above hers was a long refrigeration unit and the cold storage foods went in there as did the water. "It'll be at least two or three days before we hit the big city and since I also purchased return tickets this car's basically ours for the next two weeks. So it'll get parked until the day we leave. I figured two weeks would be great for being out of the city and we'll still get back in plenty of time."

Long windows ran nearly the entire length of the cable car, save for the bathroom which had much smaller windows with built in coverings for privacy, which had drapes set up on a shelf just above the windows that could be pulled down to cover them with no effort what so ever. She stared out at the passing scenery as she put stuff away.

Outside as the car began to really move, rustic houses could be easily seen dotted around the country side. The front of the car's window showed an off distance view of mountains and forests, too dense to easily traverse, which was breath taking. Reaching down she cranked the small turn handle and the window opened, letting in bracing fresh air, "better. I like fresh air, ya know?"

Having never been here before it was a wonder she knew so much about the cable car, the shop keepers, the village layout. Shaking her head she flopped back down, mirth having made her cheeks pink up nicely and her eyes sparkle brightly, she sighed and let her hair down, "a lot of places are the same I'm finding out. People, village layouts, transportation types. My continent uses these types of cable cars to go from place to place. Usually it only takes a couple hours to get somewhere so there aren't any private cars like here, but it's mostly all the same." She took of her shoes, which were fairly worn out, let them fall to the floor of the car, and then sat cross legged on the seat, "people are the same a lot too. Most men will give a better deal to a woman who knows how to use her assets to her best advantage. The same is true as well. We might not be so lucky next time. The person behind the counter may just be a woman. Which means ~you~ are going to have to learn to barter...and flirt."

Her smile grew wicked, "and we have about two or three days to really get you capable of handling shopkeepers. Women are much more...able to see through the game and turn it right back around on you and you're so freaking innocent that you'd fall for it hook, line, and sinker."