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Customizing || Bow
Luck Stat || 20+2
Item Durability || 11
Rolls Needed || 60-100
Rolled || 78
Outcome || Succes
Resulting Item Tier || Tier 3

“Nereseud?” she called out, as she approached the dining table, rubbing her hands. They were sometimes sore in the morning, if she worked a lot with them. “Are you here?”

“Yep! Lovely people you live with.” he said. He was nearby. Seated. Dyakida sat down as well and reached for the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table. “I wasn't sure about staying with Alkidike, but the ones you live with seem all right!”

“They know you supply me.” she explained, “And a few of your materials have made their way into their weapons, so they appreciate you, I am sure.”

“What? I thought that it was my charming company!” Nereseud said snidely. Dyakida laughed, and handed him one of the fruits – it felt perfectly ripe – and, also, a small folded piece of bark-paper.

“Here.” she said, “My letter to Zuri.” She felt the vibration of the stiff paper slipping into his... pocket? Did he have pockets? “Might you require anything more for carrying it?”

“Don't worry about it – whoa, this looks delicious... are you sure it's edible?”

“Very sure.”

“It's so colorful...”

“Yes – you can eat it, skin and all. Just don't eat the seeds.”

“Not the seeds, got it... But yeah, I'd say that staff you made for my sister more than pays for it.”

Dyakida nodded. She'd made his little sister, an aspiring scholar, a staff for her magic. It had bought her some exclusivity with this merchant and his family, and had, it appeared, payed for couriership. She assumed that they liked it. “So, it's still working well for her, then?”

“Oh yes! She loves it. She says it's gorgeous.”

“But...” Dyakida had to know, “Does it work with her magic well?”

“Yes! She says it's great.”

“Ah.” Dyakida said, relaxing, “Good.” she pared a few slices of fruit for herself with her knife.

“Actually...”

“Hmm?” Dyakida paused, feeling the knife hovering over it's latest slice of fruit.

“I was wondering if you had a bow you could sell me? I'd trade for it, of course, but I have a regular customer and they... well, they need a bow for their young archer, and I, ah... thought of you.”

“Did you.”

“Yes. I hope that I'm not asking too much?”

Dyakida was flattered. “Of course. I have a few in stock, and can modify them to be suitable.”

“Oh! Thank you! I'm sure I have... yes, I have some Zenan stone I can trade you – I think you said you wanted to make runestones?”

“That will do just fine.” she said.

They ate and then moved to her room, where she took out one of her Blade bows – simple things that would build strength and accuracy while still being effective. She went over each with a gentle touch before taking out one that could handle some modification. “Tell me about the client – height, any special considerations...”

As Neresued told her what he knew about the young archer to receive the piece – the daughter of a shifter that apparently sold and traded bred radaku pups – and as she modified the bow slightly, she thought of the young women who wielded her bows. It was hard to find two girls so different in personality; Ilyra was collected and loyal, and Yitzah was firey and selfish. But they had been so similar when they were younger. Both had been stubborn and determined, and had shoved the course of their lives into something more favorable by sheer force of will and persistence. Ilyra had had many adventures, and had come back scarred and beaten but not broken. Yitzah... had not come back yet. The occasional sister traveling through Oba mentioned her on occasion, either by name heard in rumor or a by a description of a strange Alkidike that sounded too much like her for coincidence. Dyakida wondered how she was doing. She wondered, too, where both would go.

She, too, was a bow woman. It had been her chosen weapon – in fact, just before she had left Chibale on that fateful journey, she intended to make her official choice at her new home. The choice was made for her, but she still had a special soft spot for bows... and for the women that wielded them. Even Yitzah, who had abandoned her so angrily long ago...

“Hey, what is this?” the merchant asked.

“What's what?” Dyakida tilted her head in his general direction. She strung and tested the bow in her hands – good weight, good tension... it was done. She began to sand the edges of her modifications, to be finished with her special bow sealant.

“It's a bow, but with thorns... how did you do that? How do you even shoot it?” he said. Ah, the thorn bow.

“I don't know yet. It's not finished... I'm hoping to make something strong but striking.” Both figuratively and literally. “I'm a little stuck on it, to be honest.” she said with some reluctance. She normally kept such technique problems to herself, but perhaps he had an idea for her use. “You wouldn't happen to know of anything similar, would you?”

“Can't say I have.” he said.

“Ah.” Dyakida said, disappointed, “Well, if you do, ask about it for me, would you?”

“Sure.”

She finished the bow and bartered for a few Sautian beads, nut cakes, and spices and sent the merchant on his way. She'd asked him for something very reasonable – after all, information was as valuable as any other trade good. Hopefully, she would be able to exchange for it when he found what she sought.