Stocking for the Journy Ahead

[Medic]

Ayol’sidhe Hezzhedi felt more alone now than he had in a long while. The market was loud and bustling, with people moving too and fro across its open areas, merchants calling out merchandise and shoppers purchasing willy-nilly - but that only served to heighten his feelings of separation. Where it only that he could find what he needed and leave - he had no business with the people of this bazaar in general, and thus, he felt awkward in their presence, a man with nothing to do and nothing to contribute.

Confidence and surety, he reminded himself, resetting his expression to the proper visage of a Ettenmire gentleman. A quick pat of his hands brushed a thin layer of dust from the surface of his well-tailored jacket, cleaning the dirt tossed up by passerby away from its simple but elegant buttons and black fabric. Re-adjusting the large case he had slung across his back, he progressed forward through the sea of humanity, his eyes questing the streetside shops for those of a particular nature. Spying a likely candidate, he made one last plunge through a particularly dense crowd of folk before finally making his way to the door. Straitening his clothes one last time, he took a brief moment to compose himself once more, and then entered, gazing about to see what the store contained. His dark eyes fell upon a number of weapons and armor, displayed upon racks and mannequins, before moving on to more mundane gear. Backpacks, bedrolls, poles, a spyglass, and other more exotic instruments of travel met his eyes. Across the room - and here was what he had been after - a mass of herbs and chemicals, some dried, others bottled, others still distilled, ground, or shredded, some further still live in pots of soil. Even further beyond those, however, he espied the edge of a bookcase - An excellent find! Perhaps one of the books contained on the shelf would be something that he could use.

Another sweep of the shop, however, had not revealed the proprietor. Perhaps they were in the back? Raising his voice, Ayol’sidhe called back into the recesses of the store. "Hello? Is there anyone here I can speak to? I wish to ask as to the cost of some of your goods."

Looking for: Nifty rare herbs and alchemical ingredients. Also, Medical/ Magical Healing texts, and a simple weapon for the road.

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin sat on her comfy, padded chair, softly talking to the green eyed, black and white cat that sat on her lap. For her advantage point she could sit up just enough to allow her a peek at anyone that entered her shop. The man that entered was worth a look or two, Erin decided. After all not many people entered her shop and most of those were the silly looking wizarding type. Different was the owrd that came to Erin's mind as she looked at this newest customer.

"Sir, something stalks you." Erin called out, chuckling as she notice her other two cats following him. Bright blue eyes crinkled with mirth as she watched her orange kitten crouch down upon the top shelf, her rear end high and waving.

[Medic]

The shopkeep's short and cryptic warning was the only notice Sid received before a small orange bullet shot itself into his chest. Exclaiming in surprise, Sid stumbled a few steps backwards, only barely managed not to drop the kitten as he recovered from his shock. In the nonchalant manner of cats, the young feline reached languorously upwards to dig its claws deep into the fine weave of Sid's jacket. Sid mouthed a silent expression of shock, and set about gently extracting the kitten's sharp claws from his chest. Working the last of the paws from his clothes, he cradled the small orange feline against his chest, and began to stroke it, eliciting satisfied purrs from the creature.

Still unsure as to the location of the proprietor, Sid gave the shop another quick look-through, this time glancing around the merchandise instead of at it. Leaning to one side, he spied a middle-aged woman relaxing in a fine wooden chair, another cat sprawled across her lap. "Ah, greetings," he bowed slightly, taking care not to upset his own feline passenger. "You would be the owner of this establishment, then? I seem to have aquired your cat."

[Moonlit Raven]

Gently depositing the crooked tailed cat on the ground Erin stood up, smiling pleasently at her customer.

"Good day, I'm Erin." Erin glanced down at the brush of silky fur against her ankles. She shook her head as a grey blue cat mewled up at her.

"Just because the young one got to him first was no reason to give up stalking. serves you right for being such a lazy little thing. Oh, excuse me. I'm chattering away to my cat and you're here to shop. What can I help you with today?"

[Medic]

Setting the kitten gently back to earth, Ayol’sidhe smiled at the shopkeep. Watching the small orange furball saunter off in the regal, if slightly awkward, manner of kittens, he chuckled slightly before responding. "Oh, its no problem. We used to keep several cats around the house, back in Ettenmire, and I often found myself talking to them as well. It's an easy thing to do - cat's seem not to listen just enough to make them fascinating. As for what you can do for me - I am a healer by trade. I noticed you have a large stock of herbs, and I'm looking for a few rare ones that might not be commonly available." His gaze lingered over the medicinal plants arranged in once section of the shop, before returning to the shopkeep.

"Also, if you have any books on the medical arts in that case of yours, I'd be interested in seeing them. I must apologize - my budget is rather limited as of late, so I wont be able to pick up anything too valuable, but I'd at least be interested to see what you have. Perhaps I'd even be able to pick it up at a later date, once I've acquired a more consistent supply of money." He sighed, staring wistfully off into space, as if that would somehow allow him to see his hypothetical income source immediately.

"Finally, I would enjoy some kind of small weapon for personal protection - I'm about to set out on the road, and some kind of armament is practically a requirement in these sadly dangerous times." As he concluded his short speech, Ayol’sidhe silently congratulated himself. That had sounded smooth and confident, much more sure of himself than he truly felt. Frankly, the thought of actually having to fight with whatever weapon he got was a little unnerving, though he had done a good job of not showing it in his voice. Perhaps he had brought something away from that leadership training in his younger years.

[Moonlit Raven]

The cheerful expression faded and Erin nodded slightly, more to her self than her customer. She lamented the fact that no one was safe anymore unless they bore a weapon. Moments later she shook off her dark thoughts and stepped round the counter.

"I know I have several books on anatomy. Oh, I know just the book for you. It has a brief over view of the anatomy of human, drow, and elven bodies as well as a large section on illnesses and their treatments." Muttering under her breath Erin passed the younger man and began pulling books off of the shelves. Frowning at several novels she held in her hands, placing them aside with a nose wrinkled in disdain, she wondered just how a romance story had made it onto her shelves.
On the top shelf, nearly out of reach Erin found the gray book she made been searching for.

"Here we are. Take your time while looking through the herbs, the weapons section is to your right. I'm afraid I don't carry a large supply of weapons. I'll be back in a moment or two."

[Medic]

As Sid watched the smile fade from the shopkeep's face, he went through a sudden bout of internal alarm. Had he said something to offend her? What had he done wrong?

But mere seconds later, the cheerful expression had returned, and the lady was removing books from the bookcase, searching for an anatomy text. Perhaps she had forgiven him, he though, relieved for an instant, before yet another thought struck him - perhaps she was only pretending to forgive, and was still offended by his actions. She handed him the anatomy text, and Sid graciously received it, trying his best to be a proper gentleman. He bowed slightly, and thanked her for it, and as she bustled away, turned to the rest of the shop to look for what he needed.

The weapons were where is gaze first landed. Their selection was, as she had said, nowhere near the number that one might find in a true smithy. However, he was not a connoisseur of blades, and after passing a pair of longer and heavier swords, settled his hand on a simple and plain blade, perhaps eighteen inches in length. It seemed well enough made, after couple of simple swings, and so he slid it back into the accompanying sheath, and tucked the both of them under his arm along with the book.

Now came the herbs. Pulling out a long list, he began to go through the herbs, selecting small portions of anything he could not find the name of on his list. He had no idea how much of this he would actually be able to afford - he knew better than most that purchasing a pile of herbs could quickly become prohibitively expensive. The fact that his list was already fairly complete on the basics meant that the herbs that he picked out now were even more likely to be expensive, as he had already acquired most of the inexpensive ones.

His list was long, but the list of herbs in the shop was longer still. He would be at this for a while.

I really don't know all the names of the herbs that he would buy, so I'm leaving it deliberately vague. Erin would probably return shortly before he finished, unless whatever she's doing takes a really long time.

[Moonlit Raven]

Humming cheerfully to herself Erin returned carrying her customary tray of tea and baked goods for her customers. Setting it on the counter, she poured herself a cup of lavender tea. For a long moment she stired in a small amount of sugar as she watched the man.

"I shouldn't probably be telling you this, as it will hurt my sales and all, but many of the herbs you've been looking at can be found a couple days walk from here in the Concordian forest and the fields there abouts. The trick is drying them properly out there. Sometimes, I think the gods themselves must have blessed this island." Erin smiled, she set her cup aside and pulled the second one off of the tray, laying it up right in it's saucer.

"If you want it, I have tea and treats ready. I always offer them to my customers and guests."

[Medic]

Ayol’sidhe considered the shopkeeper's words for a moment - though it was true, he might not have time to collect much, as he was set to leave for Raiaera relatively soon. He had heard war was afoot in the region, and wished to get somewhere that he could be of service - regardless of the fact that he would mostly be helping elves. "Hmmm... perhaps you could point me to a few of the more difficult-to-find ones here - I'm on a slight schedule, and don't know if I'd be able to go out and find them with the time that I have available." He selected a cookie, and a cup of tea, both of which he brought delicately to his lips. "Mmm! These are excellent. My complements, madam. But as I was saying - perhaps we could work out some kind of trade - I have an excess of a few of the more common herbs of Alerar, and would be quite willing to exchange a few of them for some of yours. Also, what kind of cost could I expect from these items?" He displayed the sword and book under his left hand, while carefully balancing the teacup and remainder of the cookie in his right.

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin bowed her head a little in thanks to the praise of her tea as she took a sip from her own cup. Scrutinizing the blade her customer held took only a moment.

"For the book and the blade, sheathe included, is 120 gold." Erin paused and gave a rueful smile. "Steel is a wonderful thing, so useful. Now, you suggested a trade of herbs. I'm afraid I am completely stocked in pretty much everything but rare items. If you could manage to bring livol leaves in sometime I would give you pretty much anything in exchange for a few of those."

"Lets see, good herbs for you to get would be, and mind you its just advice from a old lady. Tallin root is good for infections. Valerian is a good mild sedative as is willow bark. Apis and Ruta are good for making an antibacterial paste. Joss and lavender are good for killing pain. Clary otto is better as a painkiller. Bergis is a good 'cure all'. Most of my herbs are 10 gold an ounce. It's the Clary otto that is more expensive, it's 15 gold a ounce."

[Medic]

"Hmm..." Sid considered the shopkeep again - this lady was full of good advice. "Perhaps what I need is not herbs, at the moment, but rather, a field guide of herbalism and where to collect such specimens. If you know of any good writing of that type, please, suggest it - if it costs less than what I've got so far, I'll take it." He set the sword and book down on the counter, taking another sip of tea and eating another portion of his cookie.

That he did not know himself how to collect the herbs disturbed him - he enjoyed knowing how things worked, from start to finish, and that he might not understand a part of the process disturbed him. He would have to engage upon a study of how to collect herbs of all variates, if only to complete his knowledge. In his head, he was already imaging a foray out into the woods of Corone and Raiaera, walking among ancient trees selecting valuable herbs for his collection, all the while reading fascinating texts about their uses and purposes. His mind wandering beyond the plausible for a moment, he imagined himself stumbling across an old library in the wood somewhere, and settling down for a while to read ancient elven medical texts, treatises on the magic of repairing the body, and worn recipes of alchemical cures to odd maladies. Even though his father - and his father's race, in general - had held the elven community in contempt, they were amazingly proficient in the healing arts, and for that, they had Ayol’sidhe's respect. Suddenly, Sid became aware that he was staring off at the ceiling, and returned his gaze to the shopkeeper, hoping he had not missed her response to his question.

[Moonlit Raven]

"A book? Mmm, let me think." Erin looked about her shop. She quickly skimmed over the book titles and dismissed them out of hand as not what she was trying to look for.

"Oh! How silly of me. I do have a book that is exactly what you are looking for." Erin reached into the hidden side pocket of her skirt and pulled out a cloth wrapped bundle, frowning at it and shaking her head she reached into the pocket again.

"Now, that's not the right one, neither are those." Erin muttered to herself as she laid the four books that she had pulled from her pocket, on the counter. Another wrapped bundle and two books emerged from her pocket before she finally drew the book she was looking for from the pocket.

"Here we are, this is a guide to herbs through out Althanas. I'm afraid it’s just for finding the plants and drying them, it has nothing in it on mixtures. Descriptions and pictures for the plants are listed in alphabetical order. The chapter for drying and storing herbs is the last one. This book is 100 gold."

[Medic]

"That sounds excellent, then." Sid nodded, satisfied with the offer. "240 gold for a pair of books and a sword." He paused for a moment, thinking, before continuing. "I'd also take some Vlince clothes, if I can get a couple of pieces for less than 60 gold total. Aside from that, I think we're about done here. I would thank you for your time, and for the refreshments - they were quite good." Sid bowed, smiling, and began counting out his coins to give to the kindly shopkeep.

The Vlince had been a last minute idea - he figured that even if he could only afford a cloak, it would be better than running about in the woods in his nice clothing. Having a second outfit of Vlince would also be nice too - but he couldn't quite seem to remember how expensive Vlince usually was, and even then, this merchant might charge a different price for it. What would be ideal, he mused, would be if he could get a similarly cut outfit of Vlince to what he was already wearing - having a tough, outdoor, easy-to-clean version of his formal wear would get him a long ways. Already, Sid's mind was spinning off into tangents, wondering about the creation process involved in the making of Vlince and what the practical limits of the material were.

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin smiled ruefully and shook her head slightly.

"I'm afriad that Vlince is a little expensive. For fourty gold you could get a shirt or a pair of pants. A cloak is 120 gold. Vlince is a hardy thread that resists slashes from blades, a very handy and sturdy fabric."

[Medic]

Sid considered the cost in comparison to the benefits. True, 120 gold for a cloak was prohibitive, but it was not outside of his ability to pay - and a cloak that sturdy would be a handy thing to have. Perhaps a little extra investment was in order...

"Well... perhaps I was a bit hasty in naming my limit. I would enjoy a cloak of Vlince, but I'm afraid 120 gold is slightly beyond my willingness to pay. What say we cut down the cost slightly - perhaps a total of 340 for the whole lot?" Ayol'sidhe smiled, hoping his bargaining would be acceptable. He came from a frugal background, a nobility gained only through careful saving and clever bargaining just as this. Loathe to see unneeded waste, he felt compelled to deal for what he saw as a slightly overpriced good. With any luck, he'd save a few gold pieces in the deal, too.

[Moonlit Raven]

Glancing down at the purring ball of fur that wound it's way around her ankles Erin smiled.

"I think 340 would be acceptable. Is there any specific color of cloak you'd like, or is a basic brown or black fine?"

[Medic]

Ayol'sidhe smiled as he counted out his coins, despite his disappointment in seeing them gone. It was money well spent, he reasoned, thinking of the adventures he would soon enjoy in his quest for the herbs and substances the shopkeep had spoken of. "Black will do fine - might as well stick to a color scheme. I appreciate your help and kindness madame - I only wish all shopkeeps were so gracious. Truly, I shall call upon you again should I require a new selection of texts or other such odds and ends." Setting the counted coins on the table, Sid reached down to scratch the cat that was twisted about Erin's legs. "So, if our business here is concluded, I really must rush off - I've got an expedition to plan."

[Moonlit Raven]

Erin smiled and walked the younger man to the door, holding it open for him.

"I'd be most pleased to have you come back. You take care of yourself." Letting the door close itself Erin looked about the shop before she went to put the gold away and tidy the shop.


Transaction complete. Medic loses 340 GP, gains 100 EXP for good IC interactions.