The Expedition Begins

[Tinayra]

Tinayra stepped gingerly off of the ship, leading Axe, her mule.  Good riddance, she thought.  I think I'd brave the depths of Mirg before taking that trip again.  The solid ground beneath her seemed to sway to the same rhythm that the ship had moved.  She rested a hand on Axe, who so far, seemed not to be affected by the ground that wouldn't stay still beneath her.

"Where now?" she spoke aloud as she looked around, trying to locate the area that she should use to enter the city.  Perhaps she could follow some of the others from the ship?  Many years had passed since her last trip to Mirg, and she only remembered a little of the geography.   As she moved, she kept an eye out for stray coins that may had fallen to the ground.  Her coinpouch was nearly empty, and she knew that she'd likely have to spend at least a few days in the city.  

Maybe I could get a job translating?  She snorted in laughter, but then reconsidered.  Maybe someone would need a person who could speak multiple languages, alibiet not very well.  It was one idea to try to add to her meger resources. She made a face at the thought for it was certainly not her first choice.  She'd much rather be out looking for leads rather than stuck in a stuffy room working with words.

When she arrived at the checkpoint for entering the city from the dock area,  she  was still staggering slightly.  Once it was her turn, she struggled to understand the questions she was asked and answered them to the best of her ablilty.  If she could find a guard who spoke her language, she  moved to him, but still spoke her limited Ixi, wanting to improve her capacity at the language as quickly as possible. "I looking places and things."  If asked to, she clarified her answered in her native tongue.  

Finally, as the questioning was finished, she asked.  "Inn?  To I and..."  she struggled, unable to come up with a word for her four legged companion then brightened as her mind finally supplied a word for horse.  "To I and kitty?"  She gestured to the mule, who stood behind her with one ear flopped to the side.

When finished at the guardpoint, she began moving toward the inn, but was easily distracted if she passed anywhere that was selling antiquities or manuscripts.

[CD Imago]

OOC:  Congratulations, you have the first thread in the City of Krull! 

IC:  The mid-morning air was relatively cool for the Mirgian climate, which made it a pleasant temperature for light clothing, and the sun shone brightly as the gangplank was lowered.  A small crowd was gathering in front of the merchant ship that had come from Maston bearing an assortment of trade goods and a few passengers including Tinayra and her mule.  Most seemed to be gawkers and onlookers, though some of them were likely merchants or the servants of merchants looking to catch a glimpse of the incoming goods for trade, and a fair number seemed primarily interested in offering trinkets and services to sailors and passengers coming off the ship.  At the front of the crowd were six ixit guards with shiny chitin armor and bright red trim on their uniforms.  They carried sticks that seemed to be wrapped about on the end with green vines bearing orange-tipped thorns about a finger-length long, and the crowd was careful to keep its distance from these. 

The captain of the ship went down first, speaking briefly to the ixit guards before making his way off through the crowd with one of the ixit sailors toward the harbormaster's shack.  Two of the guards made their way up the gangplank with the first mate, who led them toward the cargo hold.  Most of the other passengers were merchants with their own goods that had to be inspected before unloading, but Tinayra had only her mule Axe and a few saddlebags to carry her personal things.  She made her way down the gangplank toward the ixit guards below, grateful that the 10-day trip was finally over.  Axe sniffed at the crowd of colorfully-clothed ixit and waited with an air of boredom while Tinayra attempted to answer the guards' questions in her broken ixit.

The guard who approached her spoke plain human:  "What is your name?" he asked.  "And your business in Krull?"  He barely glanced at Tinayra, but eyed her mule while he waited for her answers.  Her answer in ixit caught his attention, and he looked at her with raised eyebrows.  He muttered something in ixit that Tinayra was unable to distinguish the meaning of.  "No speak human?" he asked very slowly in ixit.  If Tinayra answered that she did, in fact, speak human, he proceeded to question her in human, asking if she had been to Mirg before, if she had any goods to sell, if she was bringing many coins or metal?  As she answered, she got the impression that he was getting irritated about something, though she could only guess what.  Finally, he gave her a wave of dismissal to pass on.

Finally, as the questioning was finished, she asked.  "Inn?  To I and..."  she struggled, unable to come up with a word for her four legged companion then brightened as her mind finally supplied a word for horse.  "To I and kitty?"  She gestured to the mule, who stood behind her with one ear flopped to the side.

At this the ixit broke into a fit of laughter and whistled to someone in the crowd.  Another ixit came running up, this one with a scar running down his cheek to his chin and tattoos around his eyes.  His dark hair was plaited in a number of braids tied at the ends with shimmering seashells.  The guard said something quietly to him in rapid ixit, and the other ixit grinned.  Tinayra caught the flash of a coin changing hands.  The new ixit turned to her and spoke in very simple ixit.  "Come," he said.  "You and Kitty.  We go.  Food.  Bed.  Good deal.  You come.  You be..." This was followed by a very rapid flow of fluent ixit, at the end of which Tinayra caught a word that sounded like "happy".  The ixit grinned again and moved closer to put a hand on Axe's lead.  "Say okay, yes?  All good.  Good deal.  Come.  You agree, yes?"

"Hey!"  Before Tinayra could respond to the grinning ixit trying to pull her and her mule away into the crowd, a human man came running up from the direction of the ship, shouting.  She recognized him as one of the sailors from Maston, a wiry shirtless man with dreadlocks, sun-browned skin and a liberal assortment of freckles.  "Unless you want to be an ixit's slave, don't say anything," he warned Tinayra gravely, moving between her and the scarred ixit, and putting his own hand on Axe's lead.  "No deal," she heard him say firmly in ixit, followed by more rapid speech which seemed to include a lot more of the ixit for "no."  The ixit argued vehemently against the interloper, appealing to the guards for support.  But the guard shrugged him off, having moved on to question another passenger, and the sailor gently steered Tinayra and her mule down the dock away from the ixit.

Once they had left the main crowd behind, Tinayra heard the sailor sigh with relief.  "I'm sorry about that," he said, letting go of Axe.  "The ixit have some very ... different ideas about how to make a good deal.  It's best not to agree to anything if you don't understand the terms exactly.  Do you have friends in the city?" he asked.  "A place to stay?"

[Tinayra]

The guard who approached her spoke plain human: "What is your name?" he asked. "And your business in Krull?"

“Tinayra,” she answered in careful Ixit.  “I looking for places and things.”  When the guard asked if she could speak human, she indicated she could with a nod, and a “Yes,” in both Ixit and human.  Then she continued to answer in her slow careful Ixit.  “No metals..wee little moneys,” she answered to the question of what she’d brought.  When asked if she’d been to Mirg before she nodded while clarifying, “If I wee little thing, I to Mirg.”  Slowly becoming aware of the guard’s irritation, she had just decided to answer any more questions in her own tongue when the interrogation was over.  She decided she might as well keep speaking Ixit when she inquired about an inn.

When the Ixit guard burst into laughter,  Tinayra gazed at him then glanced around, wondering just what she had said.  Maybe I should just give up the treasure hunting and become a comedian.  I'd probably make more coin.  

She watched with relief as the guard called another Ixit forward.  Good, he'll just take me to...  Tinayra paused in mid-thought when the coin changed hands, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.  Somehow she didn't think that anyone would pay for the honour of escorting her to an inn... and certainly not an Ixit.

 

The new ixit turned to her and spoke in very simple ixit.  "Come," he said.  "You and Kitty.  We go.  Food.  Bed.  Good deal.  You come.  You be..." This was followed by a very rapid flow of fluent ixit, at the end of which Tinayra caught a word that sounded like "happy".  The ixit grinned again and moved closer to put a hand on Axe's lead.  "Say okay, yes?  All good.  Good deal.  Come.  You agree, yes?"

She drew back slightly from the Ixit, holding tightly onto Axe's lead.  There was something here that wasn't quite right, but she wasn't sure what it was.  While food and a bed seemed like a good idea, she had no idea what else he had said, and something about it was making her very nervous..  When the Ixit reached out as if to take the lead, Tinayra took a step backwards, tugging on Axe's lead for him to do the same.  She glanced around, though she didn't know  where she expected help to come from.  I really, really wish my parents were here, she thought, starting to get frightened for the first time.  I'm not sure I can do this.

"Hey!"  

Tinayra turned her head to see who was shouting, and whether it pertained to her.  She recognized a man from the ship, whom she'd admired a few times while she watched him work.  When he put his hand on Axe's lead and his body between her and her scarred "helper" she could feel her knees weaken slightly in relief.

Unless you want to be an ixit's slave, don't say anything,"

Though it was entirely against her nature, Tinayra kept her mouth clamped tightly shut.  She wasn't completely sure he was serious about the danger of her becoming a slave, but erring on the side of caution was definitely in order here.   She kept herself very still and quiet through the argument, struggling and failing to understand exactly what was being discussed.  Finally it seemed that the sailor won... or at least he didn't lose, because he was the one that lead her away from the crowd.

When they stopped moving, Tinayra looked up at her protector as he spoke:

The ixit have some very ... different ideas about how to make a good deal.  It's best not to agree to anything if you don't understand the terms exactly

"Just what was the deal that was made?" she asked.  "When Scar over there gave the guard some coin I started getting  worried.  I'm so glad you came over, thank you. Oh,  I'm Tinayra."  She offered her hand to the well built man.

Do you have friends in the city?" he asked.  "A place to stay?

"Well, I don't have any personal friends."  Tinayra answered. "My parents had some acquaintances here, who are probably still around, but I wouldn’t know where to find them.  I’ll have to search them out if I want to talk to them.   As for somewhere to stay, other then the arrangements Scar there was making, I’ve got nothing.  I certainly wouldn’t have asked them for help if I’d had somewhere," Suddenly aware that the last comment could sound a little snippy, she smiled to take any sting out of the words.  "Would you know somewhere we could stay?"  She had been rubbing behind the donkey’s ears absently as she spoke.  She stopped suddenly and
eyed the sailor speculatively.

"You speak Ixit very well..." The live demonstration of the fact that she knew only enough Ixit to get herself into a great deal of trouble had caused Tinayra to come to the realization that she needed some help.  "Are you shipping out again soon, or will you be looking for a bit of work?  I may have something to offer you.  It won't pay much, but I think that it will be very interesting.  Part of it will be to teach me some more Ixit so that this doesn't happen again.  The rest of it... if you're interested we can discuss it over a meal after I've secured lodgings."

Tinayra found herself hoping that tanned man before her would be willing to join her.  Past the fact that he was easy to look at, she was feeling very alone and vulnerable in what was proving to be a very alien land.  She hadn't realized how much her parents had done for her and protected her when she was there last.

Tinayra gathered up Axe’s lead, giving him the gentle tug that was least likely to cause resistance.  She needed to get to an inn and she needed to get something to eat.

[CD Imago]

Axe did not seem much more enthused about the eager scar-faced ixit than Tinayra.  The mule also shifted stance as she drew back, snorting softly and shaking his head away from the ixit's grasp, none of which deterred the grinning ixit.  Nor did he express Tinayra's relief at the arrival of her rescuer, but he did follow peacefully as the sailor led them away from the argument.

There was laughter in the crowd as they passed by ixit who had been watching the interaction, exchanging coins where bets had been waged on the outcome.  

"Just what was the deal that was made?" she asked.  "When Scar over there gave the guard some coin I started getting  worried.  I'm so glad you came over, thank you. Oh,  I'm Tinayra."  She offered her hand to the well built man.

"Matthias," the sailor replied, holding Tinayra's hand lightly with his calloused one and nodding his head over it politely.  "No deal was made," he assured her as he let go.  "The one with the scar is a slave trader.  I've seen him before, and I thought -- well, I thought it best to be sure.  I guess you've got a good instinct and more wits than they counted on."  His grey-brown eyes twinkled.  "He offered you food and bed in exchange for giving him your animal, all your possessions and yourself as a slave."  He pressed his lips together trying to stifle a laugh, but a tremulous giggle escaped.  He took several deep breaths to recover, shaking his head.  "It sounds ridiculous in Human, but that's honestly what he said."  He took another deep breath and explained, "Ixit law upholds trade agreements.  Any agreement, even if you were tricked into it.  They admire that, actually.  A demonstration of superiority in clever bargaining.  You wouldn't have been the first unwitting slave."  He paused thoughtfully.  "It's actually more of a problem in Deeg.  Krull has a lot more international influence, and they hold back a bit since they don't want to scare the business away.  But I guess they thought you were an easy mark, and the guard didn't seem too happy with you.  How much of a bribe did you offer?"  

"Well, I don't have any personal friends."  Tinayra answered. "My parents had some acquaintances here, who are probably still around, but I wouldn’t know where to find them.  I’ll have to search them out if I want to talk to them.   As for somewhere to stay, other then the arrangements Scar there was making, I’ve got nothing.  I certainly wouldn’t have asked them for help if I’d had somewhere," Suddenly aware that the last comment could sound a little snippy, she smiled to take any sting out of the words.  "Would you know somewhere we could stay?"  She had been rubbing behind the donkey’s ears absently as she spoke.  She stopped suddenly and eyed the sailor speculatively.

"Somewhere we...?" he echoed with raised eyebrows.  A faint blush crept over his face, and he looked away quickly with a shrug.  "The best place to stay is the Shipwrecked Traveller," he told her.  "It's over on the other side of the city, though, down Krill's Avenue across from the Alikat."

"You speak Ixit very well..." The live demonstration of the fact that she knew only enough Ixit to get herself into a great deal of trouble had caused Tinayra to come to the realization that she needed some help.  "Are you shipping out again soon, or will you be looking for a bit of work?  I may have something to offer you.  It won't pay much, but I think that it will be very interesting.  Part of it will be to teach me some more Ixit so that this doesn't happen again.  The rest of it... if you're interested we can discuss it over a meal after I've secured lodgings."

The sailor hesitated, glancing back toward the ship.  "Might be time to try something new," he mused.  "I probably won't get much welcome back running off the way I did before unloading.  Hnh."  He shrugged.  "Sure, I'll see you to the Inn at least.  What is it you had in mind?"

OOC:  There is more, but I know you've been waiting, so I'll put up this much for now...

[Tinayra]

"The one with the scar is a slave trader. I've seen him before, and I thought -- well, I thought it best to be sure. I guess you've got a good instinct and more wits than they counted on." His grey-brown eyes twinkled. "He offered you food and bed in exchange for giving him your animal, all your possessions and yourself as a slave." He pressed his lips together trying to stifle a laugh, but a tremulous giggle escaped.

“I do thank you for intervening.  I knew that something was wrong...I just didn’t realize how wrong.  I hadn’t completely decided what to do yet, and I may have ended up with him.”  She shuddered with feeling, then managed to see the humour in the situation and grinned as Matthias giggled.  “Everything I own plus myself for food and a bed, eh?  Would I get that before commencing my work as a slave, or would I have to wait until I’d paid in full and my life as a slave was complete?”  She stuck her tongue out to the side, tilted her head all the way to her shoulder and briefly closed her eyes as she said this.
   

But I guess they thought you were an easy mark, and the guard didn't seem too happy with you. How much of a bribe did you offer?"

“....Bribe...oh....ummm yeah....  I guess I kinda forgot about that part.  I thought he was just getting irritated because I was insisting on using my rather tenuous Ixi.  If he’d stuck out his hand or wiggled his fingers at me or something I’d have figured it out.”  Tinayra shrugged, a little shamefaced at her oversight .  “I just needed a bit of a reminder.”

"Somewhere we...?" he echoed with raised eyebrows. A faint blush crept over his face, and he looked away quickly with a shrug.

For a moment Tinayra stared blankly at him, not quite sure what it was that she’d said that had made him blush.  Suddenly she clued in and blushed hotly.  “No!  I wasn’t saying... I didn’t mean....Not that you’re....”  Abruptly she stopped, before she shoved her foot any further down her throat, then laughed and shook her head ruefully   “Ok, now I know I’ve spent too much time with just Axe here for companionship.”  She gave the mule an affectionate pat on the neck, looking away from Matthias for a moment..  “I was referring to him, to be sure there was a stable appropriate for him.”  

Then she glanced up at Matthias, her eyes shining with mischief.  “If it makes you feel any better, I’m sure that you’re better company.  Though that’s not saying much, ‘cause even Scar would probably be an improvement.  At least I don’t usually have to worry about anyone taking the beastie.  He takes a while to warm up to people.”

"Might be time to try something new," he mused. "I probably won't get much welcome back running off the way I did before unloading. Hnh." He shrugged. "Sure, I'll see you to the Inn at least. What is it you had in mind?"

“Oh, I hope I didn’t create too many problems for you.  Will they let you get your possessions if you don’t go back to work for them?”  Tinayra looked at him with concern as she gestured for him to lead the way to the Inn that he’d suggested. She gave a gentle tug on Axe’s lead.  “Okay Bud,” she spoke with affection to the gray mule.  “Not much further and I promise you can have a break in a stall that doesn’t move and a snack.”

As they walked, she started to tell him a bit about what she did.  “I’m here to look for ruins, basically.  I want to recover antiquities..um..that's old things..." she clarified before thinking, then could have kicked herself.  Now he probably thought she thought he was stupid.  She hastened on with what she was saying, hoping he hadn't noticed.  "...and the history that comes with them.  I’ve got some vague maps to a few sites that I wanted to research, and I wanted to do some research to find some more sites.”  Tinayra’s voice held contained excitement as she spoke, the possible slight to the man beside her quickly forgotten.  “There is so much information, so much history that’s been lost, and I just know there are places out there waiting to be found, waiting to tell us of things that have passed without being recorded, or things that have passed so long ago that the record has been lost as well.  There’s so much we can learn, so much that can be applied to today....”  Tinayra’s voice trailed off as she realized that she’d been rambling on, and had probably bored her companion.  “Anyway, I really need a small group of people to do this, and I’m on a bit of a budget.  I was going to offer a share of non-historical items that we find.  I admit that you’ll be taking a chance, but it could pay off.  If I don’t find anything you’re not going to get paid much at all.  If I find a huge treasure, unlikely as that is, then you’ll be able to retire and do whatever you want.”  So excited was she, to be talking about her passion, that she didn't notice when she ran on with the mouth perhaps a bit more than she should.

As she walked, Tinarya automatically kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.  Though she hadn’t the time to go to the actual floating market yet, she knew that sometimes impromptu stalls popped up if the local law would allow it.  Unless she saw something truly remarkable, though, she just mentally noted the location to visit it later.  She was feeling very travel weary, and wanted somewhere she could just flop down and relax for a bit.

At the Inn, should they arrive without incident, Tinayra would seek out an Ixi who spoke human if possible, not bothering to practice her Ixi at the moment, for the excitement of arriving was swiftly wearing off and she was growing increasingly tired and hungry.  She looked to Matthias for help if there was no human speaking Ixi there.  She would negotiate for the smallest room, knowing that her finances were quite limited.

[CD Imago]

“Ok, now I know I’ve spent too much time with just Axe here for companionship.”  She gave the mule an affectionate pat on the neck, looking away from Matthias for a moment..  “I was referring to him, to be sure there was a stable appropriate for him.” 

"Ah."  The sailor shook his head and seemed to blush deeper.  But as Tinayra made light of the matter, his grin swiftly returned and his eyes took on a mischievous twinkle of their own.  "Well," he told her, "If you want that sort of company, it can be arranged..."  His tone trailed off suggestively as he tilted his head slightly and raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, I hope I didn’t create too many problems for you.  Will they let you get your possessions if you don’t go back to work for them?”

"Nah," he said, shrugging off her concern about his work.  "I'll slip back later and see about my things.  Some opportunities aren't worth passing up," he added with a wink. 

He led her down the docks toward the stone walls of the navy section, occasionally interrupting her explanation to point out landmarks.  Tinayra had seen from the ship how the docks themselves were built into a narrow peninsula sheltering the rest of Krull's bay area and the number of smaller islands therein.  She could see an occasional gondola-style boat weaving its way around the islands, an ixit in back paddling its passengers or wares to whatever new destination.  It seemed that there was no road leading directly to the city interior from the docks, but a series of bridges would allow them to make their way from island to island until they reached the mainland. 

Matthias pointed out one of the larger islands off to their right where bright-colored tents peeped out through a wealth of greenery.  "Mirg library's on that way," he told her.  "Bit different from what you're probably used to, but if you want books or scholars, best place to go."  They passed by the first bridge to the second island and turned right at the last bridge before the end of the peninsula where a narrow waterway would allow boats to pass between the docks and the navy island into the bay.  The bridge seemed to be made of a series of wooden planks bound together with ropes, with a rope running about waist high along either side.  It was solid enough, and the ropes didn't seem to give any sway when Matthias and Tinayra stepped onto it.  But Axe was not eager to try it, and it took Tinayra several minutes of coaxing and cajoling to get her mule out onto the bridge.  Once accomplished, this first bridge was a very short one and quickly crossed as they moved onto a narrow point of the nearest island, and then only a pace or two of land before the next bridge.

Matthias pointed to the right where another bridge ran parallel.  "That's the Catnip Bridge," he told her.  "I'd avoid it.  Unless you're into shash?"  Again, the bridge caused Axe to hesitate.  As Tinayra cajoled and goaded him on, a number of ixit passersby paused to watch, chuckling and whistling to one another in ixit speech.  Matthias didn't seem concerned or hurried, he simply waited and let Tinayra deal with the stubborn beast.  One of the ixit watching called out a question.  Tinayra heard the words boat and ransom -- or was it rent?  Matthias replied with a polite "No, thank you," and about the same time Axe finally decided the bridge was safe enough to cross. 

On the second island Matthias pointed out a long building thatched with dried leaves.  It was a single story toward the front, and smoke billowed up out of a hole in the roof, but toward the back a second story had been built atop the first.  As they passed by, she could smell the smoke of burning wood and the spicy scent of ixit cooking.  "The Broken Orc," Matthias told her.  "It's a tavern, and you can get a decent meal there.  Sometimes they'll put up a rich foreigner who's willing to pay and can't be bothered to ask around a bit."

The next bridge was the longest yet, but it was wider than the two before, and this time Tinayra did not have to stop and argue with her mule over whether they should cross it.  As they came to the third island, the market canal came into view, filled with small boats of vendors and customers filled with bright-colored wares, died cloth and animal hides, shiny chitin pelts, green vegetables and juicy fruits.  The smell of fish was overpowering, and many boats offered a wide assortment of raw seafood.  One nearby boat seemed to be selling baby snakes and jars of gigantic spiders, and another frogs and toads with skins of bright red, orange, green, blue, and various combinations.  Other boats held jewelry made from shells and carved wooden beads.  The whistles and clicks of ixit voices filled the air as vendors announced their wares and buyers argued animatedly to strike the best bargain.

Along the shore were other shops, leaning over the water on stilts as though eager to join the market of boats.  Several of the more prominent of these displayed large painted signs with ixit writing, words Tinayra did not recognize.  However, they often had pictures to go with them.  One had a large red beetle painted on it, another a long blue pipe.  In between the buildings were other street vendors - one ixit seemed quite eager for Tinayra to ride out on the market in his boat while a woman and two children had several large pots warming over hot coals.  If Tinayra was hungry, this might be a good place to buy a roast krishnac or a pot of salted gonderks for the road.

As they walked down the row of shops, Tinayra began to have the uneasy feeling of being watched, the sort of feeling that could make one's back itch or the hair on one's neck stand up straight.  A moment later, she heard a light patter of feet following behind her.  When she stopped, they stopped.  When she turned around, behind her stood a young ixit girl whose age could be estimated at about ten years and whose clothing could only be described as rags.  She held out before her a small pot of red-brown clay.  Its surface was unpainted, but there was some crude etching.  A jagged line of sharp peaks and dips wound around halfway up the bowl, and around the very bottom was some kind of writing, too small to make out without closer inspection.  "Lady buy snake?" the child asked in human.

Sure enough, inside the bowl was a tiny snake no longer than a hand's length swimming around in the water.  Its skin was patterned in diamonds of black and a deep shimmery blue that almost seemed to glow in the shadows of the pot's depths.  The writing around the base of the pot, if Tinayra inspected it, was not a language she recognized.  And being the scholar she was, Tinayra knew she should at least recognize--if not read--any Telgardian language.

[Tinayra]

"Well," he told her, "If you want that sort of company, it can be arranged..."

Tinayra chuckled and shook her head good naturedly at the joke, turning a tiny bit red.  At least she assumed it was a joke, considering his blush at what he thought was a proposition earlier.  Still, she met his eyes with some interest.  Perhaps when she knew him a bit better...  She gave herself an internal shake and refocused herself to the task at hand.

As they traveled through the city, she paused in her explanations to listen with interest as Matthias pointed out the different sites.  Tired as she was, the library was hard to resist.  I bet there's a map in there she thought while she tried to note every change of direction they made.

As they moved through the roads, Tinayra continued to look all around until they came to a bridge.  There she found herself at an abrupt halt after taking only a single step onto the bridge.  She looked back to see that Axe had planted his feet firmly onto the ground and looked to have no intention of following her.  "Aww, come on Bud," she said.  "You've gone over bridges before."  Apparently this bridge looked like it might bite, however, for the donkey had lowered its head to examine the structure, blowing his nostrils wide as he did so.  Tinayra moved to pat him, giving gentle tugs on the lead.  He rolled his eyes as if to say, "You've got to be kidding."  Again Tinayra tugged gently, knowing that pulling hard would just make the mule set in more stubbornly.  Finally, after a great deal of tugging and coaxing, Axe put a tentative foot on the bridge.  When it did not immediately collapse, he seemed to decide that it was safe, and walked across, with much head tossing and eye rolling.

Tinayra saw with dismay that there was very little space before the next bridge, doubting that the mule had learned anything by its safe passage over the previous one.  Matthias spoke before she had to start coaxing Axe.

 

"That's the Catnip Bridge...I'd avoid it. Unless you're into shash?"

Tinayra shook her head emphatically.  She'd not lead a very sheltered life, and had seen some of the effects of shash up close.  It was not something that she cared to experiment with.  "No thank you!.  It's not for me," she said, then had to turn her attention back to the mule as it stopped dead once again.  "Not again!" she muttered with feeling, becoming aware that they were gathering an audience.  "Come ON," she said, her voice considerably less patient then it had been on the last bridge.  "It doesn't bite, and it's not going to collapse."  She was weary and getting more cranky by the moment.  Irrationally, Mathias's patience just made her more irritated.  Responding to the tone of her voice, Axe planted his feet firmly in the ground and eyed her with one rolling eye.

She heaved a sigh and smiled sweetly at the beast, gritting her teeth behind the kind smile.  "Ok, you gamphus," she said in her sweetest tone, stroking the mule with a gentle hand.  "If you don't go across this bridge, I'm sure that one of these nice people knows a wonderful recipe for mule."  She spoke quietly enough that she hoped none of the spectators would hear, just in case there were a few fluent in human who enjoyed mule meat.    "I'm going to cut your tail off right here."  She rubbed the donkey just behind the ears while she spoke sweetly. "Now come on before I decide to take my own advice."  Again she tugged on the lead.  The donkey hesitated for a few moments longer, then finally gave in, again crossing with the same eye rolling and head tossing.

As they crossed, Tinayra glanced up at Matthias, her temper quickly moderating as the mule finally obeyed.  "What was the suggestion that you turned down?  I caught something about a boat... Were they offering to take my steadfast companion out and drown him to make my life easier?"

When Matthias pointed out the Broken Orc, Tinayra noted the location and asked, "How's the food there?  Is it a good place to pick up information?"   Then she  looked forward and saw that they were coming up to yet another bridge, this one longer than the other two.  She rolled her eyes at the mule.  "So are we going to go through this again?" she asked Axe, tightening her hand on the lead in preparation for another battle. To her surprise he went across the bridge without the hesitation that he'd displayed earlier.  Either he was getting used to the bridges, or perhaps he'd taken her threats seriously.  Whatever it was, Tinayra certainly wasn't going to argue.

When the market came into view, Tinayra almost drooled.  She loved wandering around in markets, even when there wasn't anything that she was looking for.  No matter what the language, markets always had a sound, a cadence all of their own.  She firmly reminded herself that she needed to get a room and dump her mule in a stable somewhere before she could even think of exploring.  She shook her head regretfully at the Ixit who was trying to get her into his boat, but paused by the woman cooking the food.  "Is it safe to get food here?" she asked Matthias in an undertone.  If he answered in the positive, she used her Ixit to try to barter the woman down to 3c for a pot of salted gonderks, but was willing to pay up to 6c.

Slowly munching on the food if she got some, Tinayra tore her eyes from the tantalizing view of the floating market to continue with Matthias to the inn.  As they continued through the shops, Tinayra began to get a shivery feeling down her back.  Is someone watching me? she wondered.  She glanced quickly along the shops, but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, as if she would in such an alien place.  A moment later her sense was vindicated by the sounds of pattering feet that seemed to follow her every move.   When she turned, her heart went out to the little Ixit girl in rags.  She knew that there was poverty everywhere and she had seen a great deal of it, but her heart was always broken when she came face to face with children living in terrible conditions.

About to speak to the girl, her eyes were drawn to the bowl the girl held. She barely noticed the snake inside of it.  She stepped forward, her eyes glued to the red piece of clay.

"Lady buy snake?"

Snake?  Ahh...snake.  Tinayra's eyes focused on the contents of the bowl for a moment.  There was a beautiful baby snake swimming around inside.   Hoping the snake it wasn't poisonous, she reached out to touch the bowl.  She just couldn't resist it.  She reached out to take the bowl gently if the girl would allow it.  If she was resistant to letting the bowl go, Tinarya leaned forward to examine the container closely.    She stroked a finger slowly over the lines.  The etchings were obviously a language.  A language that she did not recognize.  "Look here Matthias," she said.  "These marks are some sort of language.  And it's not any current Telgardian language because I recognize all of them."

She turned her attention back to the girl.  "Where you find bowl?" she asked the girl in human.  She didn't want to risk misunderstanding the answers because she was practicing her Ixit.  "More like this bowl?"  She was unable to keep the interest and excitement out of her voice.   Belatedly she realized that she was not making a good bargaining position for herself.  She shook her head a bit ruefully, wondering if she'd just jacked the price of the item up considerably.
   
I will get this bowl, Tinayra thought, gazing what was a thing of beauty to her eyes.  Hopefully I don’t have to pay more than 50c or 1g, but I will get it no matter the price.  She winced as she considered the fact that she only had about 7g.  She wasn't sure what she would do if she ran out, but she needed this bowl.   Mentally she went through everything else she was willing to trade.  Soap cake, rations, her comb, a couple of torches.  I've got the spade and the knife, but I'd rather find a set stall to trade them.  I've heard that metal is pretty valuable here  Hopefully I can make a bit back.
 
"Pretty snake," she said to the girl, turning her attention to the snake.  "How much for pretty snake and bowl?"

[CD Imago]

Tinayra glanced up at Matthias, her temper quickly moderating as the mule finally obeyed.  "What was the suggestion that you turned down?  I caught something about a boat... Were they offering to take my steadfast companion out and drown him to make my life easier?"

Matthias laughed.  "Nah, he wanted us to hire his boat to take us in to the mainland.  Your mule - Kitty, was it? - wouldn't have to cross any bridges that way, but I'm not sure she'd like riding in a boat much better.  Seeing as we all just got off the ship, I figured it'd be nicer to walk anyway.  I hope you don't mind?"

When Matthias pointed out the Broken Orc, Tinayra noted the location and asked, "How's the food there?  Is it a good place to pick up information?"

 

"The food is great," he said, "assuming you like ixit cooking.  It's usually quite crowded, and there's a lot of smoke from the firepit - that's where they do their cooking, right over the fire in the middle of the room.  But yeh, a lot of people, and a lot of talk from sailors and travelers and all the local ixit."  He considered.  "It depends on what kind of information you want to pick up, though.  The Broken Orc is probably the best place for local gossip, and what comes in by sea.  The Alikat is where you go for a guide, and if you want to know about the Green.  And if you're looking for legends or history..." He grinned.  "Go to the Library, and the information will find you."

Matthias seemed to sense Tinayra's excitement at seeing the floating market.  More than sense it, in fact, he seemed to enjoy it, watching her with a grin as she observed the lively colorful scene.  He let her set the pace as they moved down the street curving around the edge of the island.  

"Is it safe to get food here?" she asked Matthias in an undertone.

The sailor leaned forward to look at the pot of fish and asked a swift question of the woman selling them.  She answered shortly, and Matthias nodded.  "I'd eat from here," he told Tinayra.  "How strong is your stomach?"

The ixit woman grinned encouragingly when Tinayra spoke to her in ixit.  She spoke slowly for Tinayra and used her hands to show the numbers as she said them so there was no confusion.  Her starting price was 10 coppers, but she quickly moved down to 8 and then 7.  After a bit more haggling, it seemed as though they might settle on 6 coppers, but Matthias made a coughing noise in the back of his throat and the ixit woman looked up at his frown before finally conceding to give Tinayra the salted gonderks for 5 coppers.  She continued to grin as Tinayra handed over the change and asked in a friendly way why Tinayra came to Mirg and how much time?  Though Tinayra had trouble deciphering whether she might have been asking how long Tinayra had been in Mirg already or how much time she planned to spend there.

The clay pot was a decent size and it looked as though it must hold about two dozen of the small fish.  They had been baked whole, probably in that very pot which had scorch marks around its base and smudges of ash.  Matthias offered to hold it for her as they walked, and if invited would also sample a few of the fish.  The fish had been heavily salted and spiced with a medley that made Tinayra's eyes water and her tongue go numb as she munched on the flaky flesh, spitting out the needle thin bones and bits of skin.  

The ragged ixit girl would not let go of her snake pot, but she held it up high for Tinayra to see.  The pot itself wasn't particularly old as far as Tinayra could tell.  It had been treated with a sort of glaze on the inside that reflected the glow of the snake slightly, but the outer surface was the texture of plain baked clay.  The script around the bottom flowed in loops and swirls that Tinayra had never seen before, but she was certain it was a form of writing and not simply decoration.  Matthias came to look at the writing Tinayra showed him, tilting his head curiously.  He made a soft "hm" noise, but shrugged and didn't say anything about it.  He seemed to have little interest in the snake or bowl and withdrew to pet Axe's neck and scratch behind her ears.  The mule tossed her head and stomped a foot again, this time as an expression of enjoyment.

She turned her attention back to the girl.  "Where you find bowl?" she asked the girl in human.  She didn't want to risk misunderstanding the answers because she was practicing her Ixit.  "More like this bowl?"

 

The ixit girl looked at Tinayra with confusion.  "Fine boil?" she repeated.  Tinayra's excitement and interest were easier to interpret.  "Like snake," the girl said happily. "Pretty snake.  Pretty snake pretty lady.  More snake?" She pointed back toward the boats floating in the water. "Many many," she said. "Pretty lady buy many snake?"  If Tinayra liked, she would happily lead them back toward the boat filled with spiders and snakes.  

If she turned her attention back to buying the snake at hand, however, the little girl hugged the pot close to her and looked down at the snake twisting her face in consideration of the product, then looking up to eye Tinayra speculatively.  "Ten gold," she decided finally.  "Pretty snake buy ten gold."

[Tinayra]

Your mule - Kitty, was it?

Tinayra stared at Matthias blankly for a moment. Kitty?  Where in Telgard did he get that idea? Then she shrugged internally.  “You’re right about me wanting to walk.  After being on that ship for so long, I’d much rather walk.  And I’m sure Axe would have the same opinion.  His name’s Axe by the way.  Short for Battleaxe, which is kind of what he is.”


When Matthias mentioned the Library, Tinayra grinned.  “I’ll be there soon enough.  I had to remind myself that getting lodgings was a priority several times already today, or I’d probably already be there.  I wonder if any of the scholars that my parents worked with are still there.  Some of them were getting older.”

I'd eat from here," he told Tinayra. "How strong is your stomach?"

“Doesn’t usually let me down,” she said, then proceeded to haggle with the merchant.  She suspected that Matthias’s presence was an aid in the process.  When the merchant asked her why she was here, Tinayra was glad to talk to her about it.  You never knew what information merchants had.  “I to Mirg looking to places and things.”  She frowned in concentration.  “Not new places and things.   I to Mirg wee little minutes.”


Tinayra understood Matthias’s question about her stomach when she took a bite of the fish.  This was hotter than anything she’d eaten before.  Still she was hungry and adventurous, so she continued to much on the scaley little fire sticks, offering Matthias some as well.

”Fine boil?”

Tinayra sighed.  Ok, maybe the girl didn’t know so much human after all.  When the girl indicated the boat filled with spiders and snakes, Tinayra nodded.  With luck there would be an adult there who would be able to interpret Tinayra’s Ixit.


She followed the girl to the boat looking for an adult.  If Tinayra was able to locate an adult at the boat, she began trying to communicate in Ixit, assuming the human would, like the girl’s, be limited to what was absolutely necessary for selling.  If no adult was there, Tinayra decided she would try to communicate with the girl.  Pointing at the bowl in the girls hand she said, “Yes pot. No....snake(in human),” she pointed at the snake and then made slithery motions with her hand.  “1 gold?”


Then she pointed at the writing on the bowl.  “Not Ixit words.  What place you looking to words?”  She was guessing that they made their own pots for the snakes and wondered if they’d seen these words somewhere and copied them for decoration, or perhaps they had been passed down in the family.   “I looking to not new places and things.  Words to not new place or thing?”  Again she pointed at the inscription on the bowl.  Then she sighed.  This was stubborn foolishness when she had someone who could translate for her.

She motioned to Matthias.  “Could you ask  if they’ve seen this writing anywhere else, if there’s a place or object that they’ve seen it on?   Also ask  if they know what it means.  I get the feeling that I’m just confusing them with my feeble attempts at Ixit.”

[CD Imago]

“I to Mirg looking to places and things.”  She frowned in concentration.  “Not new places and things.   I to Mirg wee little minutes.”

The ixit woman looked confused and turned to Matthias to fire off a rapid question in ixit:  "What the...crazy?"

Matthias grinned and shook his head.  He turned to Tinayra and spoke in a low tone.  "Repeat after me: uizza scuton m'stxin izzo nak'tu."  He repeated the phrase slowly a second time, and then broke it down word by word for Tinayra to repeat until she had mastered all the whistles and clicks of it.  Several of the words she knew already.  "Uizza" was ixit for human female, "m'stxin" was land or earth, "nak'tu" was the word she had been using for find, "izzo" sounded very familiar, and when Matthias explained that it was something very old or ancient it was obvious she should recognize a word so commonly used in discussing artifacts.  "Scuton," Matthias explained was to break or cut.  So the phrase in its entirety had a core literal meaning of "human female cuts earth, old things find".

When Tinayra turned and recited this to the ixit woman who had sold her the gonderks, the woman laughed and clapped her hands, telling Tinayra, "Good speak, good speak!" She repeated Tinayra's earlier words, laughing, then repeated the new ones followed by delighted commentary to Matthias that had the general sense of "So that's what she meant - I never would have guessed, but now it all makes sense!"

Tinayra's parents must have shielded her somewhat from spicy Mirgian food.  Or perhaps they had simply known where to look and how to ask for blander fare.  Matthias certainly seemed to enjoy the spicy fish sticks.  Hopefully Tinayra's adventurous attitude would not wreak havoc on her stomach.

When the girl indicated the boat filled with spiders and snakes, Tinayra nodded.  With luck there would be an adult there who would be able to interpret Tinayra’s Ixit.

The bare feet of the little ixit girl pitter-pattered as she ran down the island boardwalk, and she stopped short at a wide canoe that seemed to be made of broad strips of sturdy tree bark glued together, water-proofed and painted a bright sky-blue.  The color had faded with time and use, but it still still stood out against the greens and browns of the plants and mud that could be seen through the surprisingly clear water.  An ixit man stood atop a plank that ran the boat's center width, bellowing out a sing-song peddler's call to anyone within earshot.  A whistle from the little girl brought his attention to the new customers, and he drew the boat in close, tying it swiftly to a handy post and stepped off onto the walk where Tinayra waited.  He was eager to show Tinayra his wares. 

The boat was filled with clay pots bearing creatures to sell.  Most of these offered baby snakes of various colors and markings, curled up and sleeping at the bottoms of the pots.  Only a few of the pots held aquatic creatures, and none of them had the same glowing colors or diamond pattern as the snake Tinayra had been offered first.  The bowls themselves were nothing like the one Tinayra had been offered - most of them had been glazed with shiny colors designed to suit the snakes they carried.  A few of them had been plain baked, but the clay itself seemed to be of a different color or make.  It was soon clear that she would find no similar snakes or bowls, but the ixit owner continued to offer the full measure of his wares, trying to pin down Tinayra's preferences. 

The little girl stood off to the side, hugging her precious snake bowl close, twirling a finger slowly around the water.  When called upon, she was happy to make her offer again and name her price for the snake.

Pointing at the bowl in the girls hand she said, “Yes pot. No....snake(in human),” she pointed at the snake and then made slithery motions with her hand.  “1 gold?”

Tinayra's attempt to explain that her interest lay in the pot rather than the snake did not have the result she was likely looking for.  The little girl turned a confused look to her father, who started showing her the other snakes all over again.  He showed her several different options, repeating "One gold" with each offer.  They were dry snakes, bright green, bright red, or one with rings of black and red and yellow.   He offered them in different styles of bowls.  This bowl, see, was so much prettier.  Or that one was very sturdy, such good quality.   Finally, he decided it wasn't a snake she wanted at all and started showing her a variety of spiders.  Some of the spider jars were covered over the top with a porous cloth, and the ixit owner pointed to a simple colorful drawing on the outside of the pot and repeated the word for "poison" several times.  He was careful to inform Tinayra that these were not one gold, but five or six depending on the specimen.

Then she pointed at the writing on the bowl.  “Not Ixit words.  What place you looking to words?”  She was guessing that they made their own pots for the snakes and wondered if they’d seen these words somewhere and copied them for decoration, or perhaps they had been passed down in the family.   “I looking to not new places and things.  Words to not new place or thing?”  Again she pointed at the inscription on the bowl.  Then she sighed.  This was stubborn foolishness when she had someone who could translate for her.

After showing Tinayra several more pots with simplistic designs around them, and seeing that these did not interest her in the least, the ixit boatman finally threw up his hands with an exasperated exclamation -- probably a curse.  He shrugged off any further questions, boarded his boat again and resumed his peddler's cry.  Tinayra was left to negotiate with the little ixit girl still holding the coveted pot.

She motioned to Matthias.  “Could you ask  if they’ve seen this writing anywhere else, if there’s a place or object that they’ve seen it on?   Also ask  if they know what it means.  I get the feeling that I’m just confusing them with my feeble attempts at Ixit.”

Finally, Tinayra called for her friend to help, and he stepped forward still holding onto Axe's lead.  "Alright," he told Tinayra, "before I start any negotiations, I need to know exactly what I'm bargaining for and what I'm bargaining with.  How much are you ultimately willing to spend?  What do you really want to walk away with, and what can we walk away from?  And then... do you trust me?  I don't want to make any deals you won't be comfortable with."

[Tinayra]

He repeated the phrase slowly a second time, and then broke it down word by word for Tinayra to repeat until she had mastered all the whistles and clicks of it.

Tinayra carefully repeated the words, then smiled when the food seller praised her.  Not being understood was frustrating to say the least.  As they left, she took a bite of the gonderks.  Her eyes immediately filled with tears and her mouth felt as if it had been seared.  She ventured one more, then just carried the rest with her, occasionally offering Matthias one.  "Just for future reference," she said, "My stomach isn't quite this strong."  She grinned a bit to let him know she didn't blame him.

After showing Tinayra several more pots with simplistic designs around them, and seeing that these did not interest her in the least, the ixit boatman finally threw up his hands with an exasperated exclamation -- probably a curse

Mouth still burning some, Tinayra tried with little success to negotiate with the Ixit peddlar.  She tried her best to make it known what she wanted, but all was for naught.  When the peddlar threw his hands up in frustration and left, Tinayra pinched her fingers on the bridge of her nose, feeling tears prickle at her eyes and a dull ache start in the back of her head.  The long trip was catching up with her  and  the initial excitment of seeing the unfamiliar language was wearing into more frustration at not being understood.

She held her fingers there for a moment longer, while she blinked the unwanted tears away.  She wished for a brief moment that she was home with her mother in a familiar and safe environment.  She desperately wanted a rest, something to eat that wasn't going to corrode her innards, something to drink and somewhere to settle and take stock of what she needed to do next.

With a sigh, she shrugged off her self pity, or at least most of it and dropped her hand to her side.  She smiled at the little girl to let her know that she was still interested then turned to Matthias.

Alright," he told Tinayra, "before I start any negotiations, I need to know exactly what I'm bargaining for and what I'm bargaining with.  How much are you ultimately willing to spend?  What do you really want to walk away with, and what can we walk away from?  And then... do you trust me?  I don't want to make any deals you won't be comfortable with."

 "All I want is to know if they have any information about the writing on that pot like where else they may have seen it, or anyone else that may know something. If you can do that for a copper or three, great.  If not, I'd rather go to the library for more information...later.  As to trusting you... at the moment I can't see a lot of choice.  I feel like if I say the wrong thing I'm going to end up fishing for gonderks for the rest of my life or something.  I hope I can trust you."  She shrugged a bit.  "You could have just let me become a slave back there.  Unless you have a favourite slave merchant that you deal with?"  She raised an eyebrow at him.

Then she turned to the girl with a friendly smile.  "Hey sweetie," she started, knowing the girl wouldn't understand anything but the tone, "Thanks for being so patient with me.  Let's try this again."  She pointed at the snake and pot the girl held.   Remembering what the father had offered the rest of the snakes at, she said, "One gold,"  holding a single finger up.  "One gold and this", she lifted the gonderk pot, offering what was left, making sure that the girl understood that she was offering a gold as well as the bit of food.  She knew that the leftover gonderks weren't much to sweeten the deal, but she had little use for them and the pot.  Maybe the girl could use them because Tinayra didn't want to see them anymore.

[CD Imago]

"All I want is to know if they have any information about the writing on that pot like where else they may have seen it, or anyone else that may know something. If you can do that for a copper or three, great.  If not, I'd rather go to the library for more information...later.  As to trusting you... at the moment I can't see a lot of choice.  I feel like if I say the wrong thing I'm going to end up fishing for gonderks for the rest of my life or something.  I hope I can trust you."  She shrugged a bit.  "You could have just let me become a slave back there.  Unless you have a favourite slave merchant that you deal with?"  She raised an eyebrow at him.

Matthias chuckled.  "Just information then?  Shouldn't be difficult.  All you have to do is tell them the thing is worthless, and they'll tell you why it's not.  Here," he said, handing Tinayra Axe's lead.  "Hold onto your friend before someone steals him."  He gave a pointed glance across the street where a couple of boys appeared to be playing a game with stones.  As they crouched over their game, however, Tinayra noticed one of them surreptitiously eying her mule.  "Ah... If you can manage to look a little tired," Matthias told Tinayra, "it wouldn't hurt.  I might be able to get them down to about three gold if you want to buy the merchandise.  Just be ready to walk away when I say so."

He knelt down in front of the little ixit girl and spoke swiftly for a moment.  The boatsman was called in again, and the banter became more lively and confrontational.  Occasional numbers were thrown out.  Ten gold at first, then seven, five, four... a more furious exchange.  Matthias seemed to be expressing a lot of exaggerated doubt and disbelief.  "Three gold," the ixit offered.  Matthias shrugged and turned, beckoning for Tinayra to walk away with him.  "Two gold, five silver!" the ixit called after them.

"Last chance?" Matthias asked Tinayra.

(OOC: Short post for now.  Thought I'd let you decide whether to buy the pretty snake before moving on.)