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"It will be faster if we ask, I bet," Andarien agreed. He looked around to see who they should ask. There were plenty of people around, though admittedly not quite as many as before. A group of women was passing by, and Andarien stepped towards them and said, "Excuse me, can you tell us where we might find the jewelry shop?"

As an afterthought, he removed his hat and held it in his hands as he had been taught to do by their etiquette teacher. He did remember his lessons, after all - even if he was a bit slow in doing so.

The women pointed out a shop near the end of the street in the same direction where Andarien had run away earlier, and Andarien thanked them warmly before returning to Miyuki's side.

"Down there," he pointed, beaming with pleasure.

Andarien grinned right back up at Miyuki and started leading the way down the street. It seemed oddly quiet now that the musician wasn't playing anymore, but it was a peaceful kind of quiet. Snow had begun to fall gently while they'd been in the music shop, and chilled though Andarien felt, he thought it was very nice indeed.

The jewelry shop was, as promised, right at the end of the row of shops. Its window had the name of the shop in large elegant runes that were frosted into the glass, and behind was a display of necklaces and bracelets. It wasn't quite as fine as Aranhil's work, back in Tor Karad, but it was still very nice. As with many of the other shops, there seemed to be an aviary theme to many of the pieces, though there were also other things depicted.

Inside, the shop was a bit sparse, but what jewelry was there was of a good quality. There was a display of necklace and earring sets along a shelf near the counter, and aside from that there were only a few small stands with some rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, ear clasps and more. It seemed a bit sad to Andarien, but he reminded himself that there was quite a bit in the front window display that couldn't be discounted.

"Welcome," the shop keeper greeted them warmly as Andarien and Miyuki entered the shop. He was a big fellow, broad in the shoulders and well muscled, and he had a look about him that seemed almost military. "I apologize for my small stock; I'm still settling in here and have not had much opportunity to work."

The man smiled widely and bowed his head. "Thank you," he said warmly.

Andarien was already looking around at the pieces. "Did you do these yourself?" he asked, leaning close to inspect a particularly tiny piece that had very intricate detail on it.

The man stepped forward into the room, and though he was clearly at ease, even his step was almost like a soldier's slow march.

"I did," he nodded. "Once, I was required to do such work on things I did not care for. But now ... now we are at peace, and I am free to do what I truly wish."

Andarien blinked up at the man. "What's that mean?" he asked, confused.

He glanced sidewise at Miyuki to see if she understood any better than he did.

"And all were required to fight," the man added with a sad smile. "Even in addition to our other duties. I worked with the armourer. He made the armour, I gave it detail. I very much prefer to create beauty for the sake of beauty."

Andarien grimaced. "You know, I think that the more I hear about Queen Aerin's ada, the less I like him."

The man laughed at Andarien's comment. "Indeed. Indeed. But tell me, is there something I can help you with today?" He smiled warmly again at the children.

"Oh?" the jeweler asked, looking down at Andarien. "Something special for a special friend?"

He grinned and winked at the boy, and Andarien blushed and shook his head shyly.

"I'm trying to build something, and I need some parts that I don't have," he explained, reaching into his pocket for his paper again. "No one else I've met can help me, so I was hoping you can ... the pieces are really small ... and very detailed."

The man took the paper from Andarien and examined it curiously. As he looked at it, his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed thoughtfully, as if he were seriously considering the logistics of the designs.

Andarien answered what questions the jeweler had about the parts he needed, and the jeweler took out a piece of paper and wrote down all kinds of information on it. In the end, Andarien came away with a big smile on his face.

"Mi, do you see anything you like?" he asked Miyuki after he'd finished his discussion with the jeweler.

"Master Rolitar says he does most of his work on commission instead of making it for display," Andarien explained to Miyuki, grinning up at the jeweler.

The man chuckled softly. "People are more likely to appreciate something done as they like it rather than something general." He arched one eyebrow at Andarien. "And you must be sure to let me know what your parents say about my proposal, young prince."

Andarien beamed. "I sure will! Thanks!"