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 Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:30 pm
[1]
Sylvirah was used to seeing groups of strangers in Zidel, but never beyond it’s gates. She’d seen her fair share of odd travelers, individuals who normally would never be this far North, but to see them during the cooler months? It just seemed…strange, even for them. The huntress had branched back into the city just before the harsher snows hit to sell her wares when she spotted a group from Belrea and they looked less than pleased to be there. Some of the locals were helping them, but for the most part many were keen on brushing them aside. Normally she would have been one of those, but something about their lack of ‘warm’ clothing pulled at her softer side. They didn’t belong here, and she needed to get them out.
So, against better judgement, Sylvirah approached them. “Problems?”
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:32 pm
Maritza could have murdered Marrow. His intel on gathering new ores for ship parts had sent them as far North as she could have imagined and then man didn’t even have the decency to bring a reliable map. All of the marked roads were centuries old, barely used, and in a language most of the locals didn’t even speak! Where he’d obtained the scrap piece of paper she would never know. Frustrated and near freezing, their small group was just trying to find a decent path South when someone approached them.
In all honesty she wasn’t sure what to expect of the barbaric woman, but if it helped them get home she would take what she could get. “Can you read this? We’re trying to get back to Sauti and so far we’ve been given around four different paths.” She held out the map.
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:35 pm
[2]
Sylvirah took the map and hmmed. “Well, that’s the problem, this is written in the old language. Few in Zidel are going to be able to read it.” A round of groaning came from the Belrean group, and the woman herself who’d handed over the map looked ready to throttle someone. “I can though; more beside, I know which road you need to take.” Instead of looking it over further, Sylvirah handed the map back. “For a fee I can guide you.” It would mean an extra few days away from her family, but extra funds to get them through the winter wouldn’t hurt.
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:35 pm
Maritza turned to Marrow with a raised brow and motioned toward the Zenan with a crook of her head. “Are we taking her up on the offer, Captain?” Her tone was laced in sarcasm and bitterness. The lightning woman had already been to Zena once before in her life, when she was much younger and full of pep. At one point she’d thought this trip would yield results, but now? Now she just wanted to go home.
“Of course, thank you.” He stepped forward and dug around for a pouch at his side. Once he had a hefty sum gathered, he held it out to Sylvirah. “Will this do?”
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:39 pm
[3]
Looking upon the gold in his hand, Sylvirah nodded and gladly took the payment. Normally she didn’t deal with gold; it was useless, honestly, to a woman who preferred trade. Still, Zyphire could use it to fund his travels and that in itself gave the coin value. “I need to finish my work here today, so we’ll leave out tomorrow at first light. Meet me by the Southern gate, beside Grisham’s Inn. If you need me before then you can find me there.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:40 pm
Something about this entire exchange seemed far too easy to Maritza. While her group seemed relieved to finally have a way out, she took in the other woman with a critical eye. “How do we know we can trust you and that you aren’t just trying to scam us?” Marrow scoffed at her side, but Maritza fixed him with a hard glare before turning back to her. “For all we know you could be leading us into a trap where you’ll take the rest of our gold.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:41 pm
[4]
Sylvirah snorted. “If you had any other options you wouldn’t be talking to me at all. I have no way of proving my character to you other than word of mouth. Feel free to ask about me and see what you find out. My name is Sylvirah and I am of the Ild’vann; I have nothing to hide.” She stated her words as plainly and proudly as anyone of her tribe would. If the woman thought she would be intimidated then she was a fool. “If anything I should be asking you why you’re this far North without a clear exit strategy. You clearly don’t belong here.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:42 pm
Thankfully Marrow was the one to speak up before Maritza’s mouth could get them into trouble. “My apologies; we never meant to insult you.” Speak for yourself Maritza mentally groused. “I’m Captain Marrow and this is my scouting group. We command an airship that is docked in Sauti. Normally we ferry passengers, but as of late we’ve been scouting potential deposits of ores that can help us build lighter, stronger ships. We’d heard good things from the Zenan mountains, but we weren’t nearly prepared enough to handle the weather.”
Maritza had tried to tell him what it was like, but once Marrow had something in his mind he wouldn’t let go. She’d packed as warmly as she could, but the man himself could barely contain his shivering in his thin, regulated jacket.
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:48 pm
[5]
Whether or not he’d mean to insult her, the same couldn’t be said of his partner. She had a look about her that reminded Sylvirah of sermals; that pinched, angry look that could shift and bite at the last second. Still, a job was a job and she couldn’t very well turn them away now. “Airships? I’ve heard of such things, but I’ve never seen one myself.” It was impossible not to hear of them in the larger settlements. “We have our own air travel. The raptrix and Chiavi work just fine for those of us in the mountains.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:50 pm
“Oh I’m sure they’re fine for brief periods, but they’re organic. At some point they’ll need to stop and rest, so you can’t go as far. They would never make it across the ocean.” Maritza couldn’t imagine one of those overgrown birds making a solid journey from Zena to Sauti let alone crossing the great water. Still, trying to get someone as traditional as this to understand that would be difficult. “Imagine if a wagon had the power of a hundred raptrix, maybe more; that’s what we deal with.” It was a crude imagining, but hopefully one that would get the point across.
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 5:14 pm
[6]
Organic…? Sylvirah hitched her back up onto her shoulder. “Why would we ever need to cross an ocean?” Oceans were….large rivers, right? As much as she knew. There was nothing that far away that could benefit her people so why should she have to worry about that? “Anyway…do you need anything else? Got all the information you need?” It was clear she wanted to back away from this one before one of them started saying things they would regret.
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 5:28 pm
Talking to her about anything beyond the scope of this icy hell was going to be worthless, that much Maritza could surmise. So, instead of focusing on a conversation that clearly wasn’t going anywhere, she decided to change tactics. “We have wagons and creatures to pull them; will your roads be safe enough for them?” They only had two, but admittedly the Belreans weren’t the best of drivers so Maritza worried about some of the more rural roads. “We’ll pay extra for smoother roads if the journey ends up taking longer.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 5:35 pm
[7]
“It’s a main road that many use to get from Zidel to Sauti. Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t use it on your way into the city.” She’d seen more foreigners come up it than any other, but if they were using such an old map then it was possible, they’d come up a side road. “We’ll bypass a few other villages on the way down so you can pick up other supplies there and rest your mounts. I’ve a beast myself that I’lll be bringing along so I’ll keep the pacing in mind.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 5:40 pm
If it was the road she was thinking of then it was possibly the one she’d tried to get Marrow to take, but he’d been deadset on using his map instead. They wouldn’t be so low on supplies if he’d gone that way, thus nearly exhausting their finances and leaving them near stranded in a city they had no right in being. “So morning, first light by the Southern gate. Are there any decent sellers that can be trusted with selling supplies here without raising prices for foreigners?”
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 5:46 pm
[8]
“A few will, but you’ll want to get out of this part of the Captial. Nearly every stall here will charge you double.” Motioning with her head, Sylvirah started leading the way toward the Southern gate and her inn. “There’s a few shops this way that are run by windlings. They’ll be closer to selling you goods for decent prices than any Zenan will.” If she’d had half a mind she should have charged them double herself, but Sylvirah was a decent sort. “And keep the barbs off your tongue. Respect goes a long way up here.”
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