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Post by desna on May 4, 2008 17:35:42 GMT -5
Avoiding the obvious joke on him being a mothers boy she smiled and watched him rather expectantly, She wouldn't cry over spilt milk if he told her no, it was a big favor to ask and she recognized that. Still it wouldn't stop her from watching him with eyes that resembled a baby turtle seal, looking almost hopeless hardly worked on her friends, perhaps it would do better with a stranger, and it seemed to have the desired effect when he caved and offered his assistance after he finished his chores. Desna was pleased with this turn of events.
" Great!" She chirped happily matching pace walking right next to him, Pikatti on her other side suspiciously watching the taller boy. Desna seemed to be pleased with the man for some reason, Pikatti still had his own reservations about the pair, he kept them to himself, at least he'd ceased growling. Still considering offered to help her she felt indebted, there was nothing more irritating then not paying back a favor in some way, she had some rosemary and ground curry left... " What do you need? I could help you out a little bit." She once more offered her own assistance as she attempted to place the wooden pieces in her bag, leaving two larger sections left for her to carry, it was a lot less burdensome.
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Post by aden on May 4, 2008 18:00:16 GMT -5
It seemed like the situation was quickly moving further and further away from the original plan as this girl continued to incorporate herself into it. For a moment he hummed a vague noise as he recalled the short list of items he'd been sent to collect before responding with, "Just some fish and a few ingredients for soup. Along with a two yards of plain cloth and ball of string."
It was a simple enough list, but being an errand boy was not something Aden was really accustomed to. He figured finding things would be simple enough, and his mother had given him enough coin for what they required. But perhaps this girl's apparently familiarity with shopping would save him a bit by finding some decent deals.
Aden started walking down the market street, keeping his pace slow enough that his unexpected companion could keep up. "Want me to carry some of those?" he asked, feeling slightly obligated to share the load of her broken sled.
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Post by desna on May 4, 2008 18:24:08 GMT -5
Desna mentally tracked the list, she was rather good with small details like that, and luckily she knew just where to go to get the best deals. She was a penny pincher, she'd learned this from a young age, she wasn't willing to sacrifice quality for a bargain though, she'd get the best stock they had for the least amount or nothing at all. Without much consideration she gave the wooden pieces to the boy keeping her bag to herself, she didn't want him to take too much, she could handle the bag.
Immediately she honed in on a fish merchant trying to find a spot for his stock, it seemed difficult for him, so many fish and he was late. It was plain to her at least that he must have just came in from a fishing trip, thus his products would be fresher, and with the trouble he was having it wouldn't be too far fetched for him to give up some of his products for less coin. Desna didn't waste much time in making her way over to him helping stabilize some things on his sled. She gave the man a nice enough smile and he returned it gratefull for the small token of help.
" I can take some of this off your hands for you."
The man replied easily looking at the girl. " Two silvers a fish" Desna nodded a bit and let go of the nets beginning to walk away, she wasn't interested, even though most vendors would charge much more than that. "wait! one silver a fish." Content with this price Desna pulled out her own coin purse from inside her poncho and handed the man the amount she wanted for the fish she chose, a smaller one was tossed straight to Pikatti who greatfully chomped the morsel up. Glancing back over her shoulder idly she took what she needed and wrapped them in paper thin ice deer hide for transport. " How many did you need?"
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Post by aden on May 4, 2008 22:23:25 GMT -5
Aden accepted the pieces of woods and shifted them both into one arm and then tucking them aginst his side for easy carriage. His new friend seemed to suddenly take the lead and walked on ahead of him. After a moment he realized her target and followed a bit more closely, but fell back a step as her dog turned an accusing stare his way. Aden wasn't quite sure if the animal just didn't like his scent or something, but he always figured the best way to gain anyone's favor, man or beast, was to show them respect. Therefore, he kept a reasonable distance from the dog's master as he circled around and stood beside the fishmonger as well.
After seeing her haggle the price down, Aden couldn't help but smirk in amusement of her sheer cheek. "I need five fish," he said, starting to count out five silver pieces, "Flounder, preferrably." The merchant pulled a thin layer of of hide out and then stacked up the fished neatly before folding it over into a bundle.
"Ten silver," the merchant said, extending his hand. Aden was already reaching for the fish when he noticed that wasn't the same price he'd given Desna.
"Wait, what happened to One silver per fish?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing slightly in annoyance and confusion.
"Supply and Demand," came the merchants reply, and he moved his hand up and down in order to prompt Aden to pay.
"Why does she get half the price?"
"You're not as pretty, kid," the merchant answered with a smirk.
"Seven silver and five copper," Aden said, fishing out a few more pieces of coin to make the price. "That's as high as I'll go." The man looked at Aden squarely for a moment, but the young man's eyes showed no sign of backing down.
"Ah, fine," the man said, making the exchange of fish for money. Aden grabbed the fish and nodded in response before stepping away and back into the street.
"Not as good as your deal," he said to Desna, "but better than I'd have settled for otherwise..." A slight grin crept across his features and he added, "Who taught you to haggle?"
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Post by desna on May 4, 2008 22:46:16 GMT -5
Desna smiled at the boy, she enjoyed getting praise, it wasn't like she was alone in this. There couldn't be one person alive who would turn down a kind word or two. Being female alone helped her with much of the haggling, though some imagined they could squeeze more out of a bubble headed girl. Sure she wasn't a scholar or high classed, she couldn't name the last ten chiefs but she did know her way around a market and knew enough about cash to be able to manage her own finances, not like she had any other options. She was happy that her newest ward seemed more agreeable that she was tagging along but his last statement left a knot in her stomach.
Forcing a bright smile she suppressed her thoughts, trying to blank out her mind of the memories that flooded relentlessly. " You pick these things up." In truth she knew it was her Nana, the woman was fickle as could be when shopping. Desna didn't understand it, she'd followed the older woman wide eyed as she argued with merchants, using charm and tact to get her way, without once needing to raise her voice or use any form of violence. It was amazing, without knowing it too much the young girl had picked it up. That was why it hurt so much to linger, to be quiet, to not take chances. It made her think of the person she missed most.
It wasn't a long walk to a small mart with all the odds and ends you'd need for soup, Desna knew the woman well enough, she bought a lot of her own merchandise so the pair knew their prices. The woman smiled at the girl and then looked at her silent shadow quizzically. " hello Akna, I'm going to need some kelp and some rice," The woman smiled and got the usual for the girl, she knew her well enough. There were some arctic onions tossed in that Desna Accepted with a bright smile.
"Anything else honey?" Remembering herself as she counted out the coins she looked back at Aden remembering he was there.
" My friend needs some things too, give him my usual price, I'll bring in some pepper for free next time alright?"
"You always know how to sweeten the deal." Akna smiled charmingly at the girl, their relationship was a very distinct give and take, though she knew she was getting a better deal, Desna's grandmother never tossed in anything extra, she knew the price of her stock was more than anything that she could supply. " So what do you need sweetie?"
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Post by aden on May 5, 2008 19:14:50 GMT -5
Aden continued to follow the girl at a safe pace, respecting the imaginary line in the snow that her dog had drawn. He was content to let her carry on with business ahead of him and just lurk within earshot until it was his turn to speak.
The familiarity with which she approached these vendors suggested that she was here quite often, enough so that she was on a first name basis with some of the people. Aden wondered why he'd never seen her before, even at a passing glance at some point in his life. Even in a city as large as this, one could potentially recognize thousands of people by their face alone just from daily interactions.
"Oh, I have a list here," Aden eventually said once the shopkeep addressed him. He fished a small scrap of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to the older woman, taking a moment after to toss a thankful nod at the younger girl for sharing her discounts with him. Meanwhile, the shop owner was mumbling each of the ingredients allowed as she sifted through her stalls and picked out a handful of items and began piling them up on an open table.
"You should really carry a tote bag when you go shopping," she suggested, picking up a few sea tubers from a stack. After a few more moments, she tallied up the total and Aden presented her with the appropiate payment. Her suggestion was a valid one, but there were few enough items purchased that Aden managed to fit them all in his deep parka pockets.
"Thank you," he id the shop owner, and then started away from the stall, returning his attention to his newfound shopping partner. "Well, this is going swiftly... Just two yards of cotton left to get and I can run these things home."
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Post by desna on May 5, 2008 19:54:34 GMT -5
"Thats good" Desna replied with a smile, it was hardly late enough for her to start getting worried, she knew where the sun had to be in the sky if she wanted to get home on time, but remembering the stairs she grew a little nervous, perhaps she should allow for those troublesome obsticals. Even walking the path time and time again she did get lost now and then. Still she'd missed the city so much, being cooped up on the shelf for nearly a week wasn't her idea of fun. Though she gave a front of independence she really liked being around people, the plants and Pikatti made decent company but... It wasn't the same as talking to a person, exchanging a few well laid quips and combating in a battle of minds and tounges.
Giving the merchant a wave and a smile she started off again with the boy and Pikatti close at her flanks.
She didn't slow down all that much as she walked only a few stalls down, she passed a clothing merchant who seemed to be doing well, but Desna knew better. People in a rush went there, the fabrics looked nice and were cheap enough, but take them home and they'll unwind on you. It wasn't even in her to give that merchant a second look, her Nana had told her all the ins and outs of being in an open market, small things no one took note of in most cases. She stopped at a store that was still standing, it was nice to see that not everything was completely leveled or in need of repairs.
" Just two yards right?" Desna checked with the boy before going in, the man behind the counter watched the girl, they weren't as friendly as the relationship between the grocer and the girl but there was some level of respect. Paying him little mind Desna checked a few different fabrics, she didn't feel like having her benefactor get ripped off. Once she selected one she thought good enough she pointed to it and glanced back at the clerk. " Two yards of this, five silver sound fair? It does look kinda cheap..."
" Three a yard so six total. I won't go any lower" The gruff man replied easily, he'd get his sale and Desna was pleased enough, she'd have gone as high as eight but no more, for the stock it was a good deal.
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Post by aden on May 5, 2008 22:45:37 GMT -5
Watching her work was like watching a master bender manipulate his element. Though Aden was sure he could have handled the tasks assigned to him, he doubted he could have saved as much money as he had already. Nor was it likely he'd be done by now. He gave the girl a nod and paid for the fabric after the price was set, and that seemed to be the last of his chores for the time being.
"Thanks for all your help," Aden said, hefting the rolled up length of fabric over one shoulder as they strolled away from the last stand. With that, the debris he was carrying for his new acquaintence, the fish, and a pocket full of vegetables, he was bearing quite a cumbersome load. After a short walk that put them toward the edge of the busy marketplace, he stopped and faced her more directly.
"Well, if you'd like to wait here, I can run these things back home and be back in about ten to fifteen minutes to help you with your sled," he said to her, setting down the pieces of wood he was carrying and moved the fabric off his shoulder and into his free hand. "Fair enough?"
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Post by desna on May 6, 2008 5:10:13 GMT -5
Desna blinked once watching him, a little unsure if he would honestly bother coming back at all, still she smiled and nodded stroking Pikatti's head with a free hand, she couldn't complain all that much, she'd already stalked him all across the market. In truth she didn't think he looked like the type to cut out on her and just walk away, he seemed like too much of a push over nice guy. Still she had been wrong before.
" No problem, now run along, your mommy is waiting for you." There was no way of stopping the slightly jeering tone from her voice nor the coy grin she sent his way as she watched his frosty eyes. All too easily she broke eye contact and looked off to the market leaning against the building and letting her bag gently fall to her feet, no sense in carrying it around while she waited. Her leg lazily crossed over the other one as she used the wall to support most of her weight.
She looked rather content to sit and wait, her over confidence was there to show people she was fine on her own, still she felt anxious to see if the boy with the icy eyes really would come back, she afforded him one last glance and a bit of a smile. " I'll be waiting here."
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Post by aden on May 6, 2008 9:07:37 GMT -5
Aden couldn't help but pick up the subtle sundercurrent of sarcasm in girl's words, and he shot her a look that was intended to let her know he was unamused. However, the facr that he was slightly amused kind of ruined it, as a smirk tugged at his lips. Instead he just settled with saying, "I'll see you shortly," and started walking home.
He walked swiftly, practically at the pace of a light jog, but then again he always tended to walk faster than most people. This time in particular, he had someone waiting on him, and so he ignored the tired feeling starting to creep into his legs after the first five minutes.
He slowed down just a little bit as he turned the corner that put him onto his own street and gave himself a chance to slow his breathing. Aden entered his home, but saw that his mother was not there still. She was likely out speaking with a few family friends. He would have preferred to make sure that everything he got was as she wished, but he couldn't shrug off his promise to the girl in the marketplace.
Aden placed the fabric down on the side of the room near his parents' room and then unloaded the fish and other foodstuffs in their kitchen area. He gave one last glance around the home to make sure no one else was there before he headed back out and made his way back to the market.
Another five minutes later Aden was approaching the spot he had left the girl, trying to pick her out in the crowd.
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Post by desna on May 6, 2008 12:36:31 GMT -5
Desna smiled in return watching the boy walk off, Pikatti was calming down but she couldn't help but feel that the boy wasn't going to come back to help her. If he didn't it would be no water off a turtle ducks back, she'd manage to fix her sled somehow, she wasn't worried about that at all. Not like she hadn't gotten herself in a tough spot before and managed to come out on top in the end.
Luckily the area she was in seemed to be pretty empty, shops on either side of the small alley a few feet away and the mass of people in the center of the road, not near the side where she was. Sitting down she decided to try and fix it on her own. Not like it could hurt the already broken sled.
Carefully she retrieved the pieces from the bag laying them out and seeing how they fit into one another. She pulled her face into a mask of determination as she tried various things once or twice until she had a broken semblance of her original sled. There was a chunk missing here or there, it would be hard to fix. She'd need some sort of glue or sap or something..... it might be more expensive then she originally thought, she always tried to save money, but the money she kept was at her house, too long of a walk to just run and fetch Sighing slightly she dropped her head with a rather dull smile tugging at her lips. " Well at least I have some rather nice firewood now.."
Pikatti licked her cheek forcing a small laugh out of her as she pushed against a muzzle with her hand. He always knew how to cheer her up, looping her arms around his neck she smiled at him and nuzzles her face against the bridge of his nose, another small sigh came forth though when she tried to think of how much time had passed. Perhaps she should get moving now, the sun waited for no one.
When her body began to vibrate with a resounding growl from Pikatti she was a little surprised. Pulling her head away from him she glanced at the crowd following his line of vision, and there was that boy. So he really did come back? Getting to her feet she raised her hand up trying to catch his attention. "Over here!"
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Post by aden on May 6, 2008 14:17:41 GMT -5
For several long moments, Aden looked around the marketplace, walking very slowly as he tried to reloacte the girl from before. It didn't feel like he'd taken very long to make the round trip. But then again, maybe the girl had found some other way to fix the situation, or maybe she had already taken her sled to the carpenter. Aden was about to head over to the carpenter's shop to look for her when he heard the girl's voice from across the way.
His eyes found her shortly thereafter and he walked over to meet her. "There you," he said idly as he closed the distance between them. His eyes fell over the partially-reassembled sled, and he stared at it for a moment. Aden made a quick mental note of what the sled was supposed to look like based on her attempted repairs, and then nodded. "Let's go see what we can do about it."
Aden helped carry the pieces of the sled over to a shop that was still standing in the remnants of the old market street. It was a fairly plain, large square building made of ice that contained contained a pretty decent supply of lumber that had been acquired from more temperate climates. The ship builders and military usually reserved control over most of it, but every so often there were oddly-sized scraps left over from the larger projects that the man was willing to part with for a nominal fee.
"Hello?" Aden called, stepping through the doorway and looking down rows of bone racks lined with timber of various sizes and shapes. Some were cut into planks while there were a few full sized logs laying against the side wall. It was truly fortunate that this building wasn't hit, or else much of the stock would be damaged or lost. "Can anyone assist us?" he asked again, looking around at the few other people in the building for someone who actually worked in the trade and wasn't busy already.
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Post by desna on May 6, 2008 15:11:41 GMT -5
Desna followed the boy carefully, a little skittish when she saw the building he just waltzed into, with a deep breath Desna followed him in carrying some of the pieces as well as her back. At her side Pikatti was edgy as well sensing the girls unease. He knew that this was a place she often avoided, while he didn't understand the reasoning it wasn't in him to question it, If it was bad for his master then he'd need to be protective. That was all there was to it.
Quietly the teen looked at the planks of wood and prayed to the spirits that there wasn't anyone from her family here, she held an easy smile and might seem simply thoughtful but she was far from it. Her heart was quivering ready to fuel her body in case she needed to take off. Anywhere ship builders frequented was a place she liked to avoid.
A tall boy with his hair partially pulled into a braided tuft at the back of his head with a beaded strand along the left side his face walked out past the pair with a order form in his hand, he didn't spare the trio a single glance as he made his way out, the gentleman previously working with the teen did give a wave to him though it went ignored. " Take care Unalaq, say hello to your folks." The boy grunted slightly as he left, he was just an errand boy, he felt no need for conversation.
The man looked up at Desna Pikatti and Aden though, casting a bit of a smile at the girl to which she simply smiled dumbly. " Oh I didn't expect to see you here." Her stomach dropped, he recognized her, dang it. "Your father was looking for you after the siege you know." She just kept the smile tilting her head to the side a bit laughing a little bit.
" Yeah... think you can help me out a bit?" Avoidance of the conversation was rather obvious, it didn't take the man much to notice, he'd spoken to her father enough to understand the bulk of the situation. Pushing it would just push her away.
" How can I help?"
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Post by aden on May 6, 2008 16:02:14 GMT -5
Aden stepped slightly to the side to let the older boy pass them by, and then focused his attention on the man he'd just been talking to. He was about to offer a greeting, but to his surprise the woodshop attendant seemed to already know his companion. They shared a very short exchange, but there was a lot of information to be gathered from those few sentences.
However, Aden didn't quite have the time to contemplate the implications of what was said. He was just thinking how curious it was that the girl had completely shrugged off the news about her father when the other man seemed to address the pair of them for what they needed.
"Her sled is broken," the young warrior said, filling in the void of silence that was left between the girl and the older man. "A piece of ice shattered the cross-planks. Do you have any scraps about this size?" Aden then held up two pieces of wood that had once been a solid plank and fit them together to show the carpenter what they were looking for.
The older man reached into a pocket of a belt around his waist and withdrew a measuring stick. After placing the stick against the end of the plank and then measuring almost three sticks across he pocketed the ruler and waved for the pair to follow. "You might just be in luck," he said, startig off down one of the aisles of lumber and beckoning them to follow with a wave of his hand.
Aden held back for just a moment and gestured one hand forward as if to allow the girl to go first. It was strange really, that it had been quite some time since Aden had even spoken with a girl his own age, and yet he still remembered his manners around them.
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Post by desna on May 6, 2008 19:37:20 GMT -5
Desna brightened a bit since there was a possibility her sled might be rebuilt, she honestly didn't want a new one, the old one was one her grandfather had made or owned like so many of the things back at her home. She'd never met him but she was rather attached to his memory. Nana had always spoken so fondly of him, he had to have been someone smart crafty and loving, she often wished she'd known him. It was a lot easier to think about him then her Nana, he'd been gone since before she was around, but her grandmother was another story.
Even with a small bit of hope another problem lingered over her head. Her father, no doubt the man would inform him that she was spotted, that would only bring trouble. She remembered their last meeting where they got into a verbal battle over her comming to live with him, it led to him back handing her and then Pikatti lunged at him. He wasn't hurt too bad as she remembered, but still she couldn't trust the man. He was too violent, just like her Nana had always said.
So what if she was outspoken, so what if she wouldn't listen to reason, if he was really concerned he wouldn't assult her. Snapping back to reality Desna blinked in surprise looking at the boy and noticing he was letting her go ahead of him. She simply nodded and reflexively followed the carpenter, after she passed the teen she rolled her eyes though. With a teasing tone she looked back at him throwing him a more fox like grin " Such a gentleman, mommy would be proud."
Still as the man came to a stop Desna allowed herself to be a little more serious. He'd pulled out two boards, a touch longer then what she needed but easy enough to be cut to size. Desna clapped her hands together happily and Pikatti yawned. " Will this work?"
" Perfect!"
She reached for her coin purse and the man put up a hand. " Nigaq would skin me if I charged his daughter, I'll send him the bill." For a moment Desna's eyes darkened but it was gone in a flash as she kept her complacent smile pulling her purse out without another thought.
" Three gold should be fair for wood." The man stared at her for a moment and Desna looked back at him, she was as hard headed as her father, that was something she earned with the Makoktok name. Dejectedly he took the coins and went off to cut the wood to size. Needless to say, the girl was pleased
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