“Now. What we need primarily are seaside herbs, though we will also need to visit a place that had herbs from hills or mountains. I know at least one of the first exist in this city, but I'm not sure of the latter.” Inwardly, Nevin was glad that she had decided to accompany him on this little jaunt. He enjoyed her company - even if he did see many frequent looks at the two of them, most of them judging him. Probably because she was dressed in fineries, and he in more working-class attire. Ah well.
Happy that he was willing to let her come, Stare smiled even with the tiny corners of her beak, where it connected with her face in a solid line of dark grey flesh. After grumpily taking the coins back, she walked with her friend, one half of her wanting to offer him an elbow or something to escort - but he was the male here, and it would cause an undue amount of rumours were she seen to be with someone in a pose like that. Instead she ducked outside of the verandah front of the tea house, giving her goodbyes to the waitress. Then, she waved a hand to hail one of the taxi-buggies that was bumbling its way down the road.
“I know of Roots and Foraging, which belongs to a Myles Jerkins. He has suppliers that apparently spread all across the western half of Raieara. I have gone there a few times with the cook from the house, Mrs Deerling, who says he is the best for herbs in the city, both for healing and cooking. Where have you heard of?”
A buggy swerved in close to them and she told them where to head first.
After helping her in an sitting across from her, Nevin listened and tilted his head to one side. That sounded like their best bet for the hills or mountainous herbs. He coughed slightly and scratched the side of his cheek before answering her question.
“It was actually while I was trying to find someone to tell me where you were. I found a store that called itself the Salt-Crusted Flower. They seemed to know what they were doing in terms of herbs, though they kept giving me strange looks whenever I tried to talk about something other than shopping there.” He frowned as he looked out the street. That was something that had bothered him greatly as he went along - most of the people here seemed quite wary of him.
Still. He had accomplished what he came here to do - he had found Stare, despite the unintended opposition from the city folks. So now it was just a matter of helping her get what she needed to know from the warlock, and then he could head on to the Red Forest.
“Oh don’t worry, when I first came here I was basically a thing to be feared. I worked in a small bakery, and constantly had my hood drawn up. It is only because of the social status that I hold now that people do not throw manure at me. They are naturally wary because of the history and culture,” she lowered her voice and murmured, “It is Raiaera, and so most are elves. I have met far more xenophobic elves than I have genuinely welcoming ones. It took years for Vitruvion to be regarded well. It was only really when Raevin began properly working for him that ...” She tailed off, remembering the story she had been told about Raevin systematically working out the secret of Vitruvion’s godhood.
