Break down on the way to Zhy <Zhy, Earth Kingdom>

[gijoespouse]

The old woman spun around when Juning heard a voice behind her. It was Pamuy, a water bender. Juning listened to the woman...and there was good reasoning behind what the bender said. While Zahira had been trying to live a more tame lifestyle, she still had a wild streak. Perhaps Auina would need the extra help...

Juning leveled her notorious pan Pamuy's way. "Fine...but don't attack every single man that so much as dares glance your way. It's bad for business..."

By that time Auina had already climbed into the back of Ritika's wagon. Once the Flame Dancers were aboard the wagon, they left for Zhy. As time passed, the flat fields they had been passing through gave way to rolling hills. After awhile, the wagon rounded a bend, heading towards a city on a hill. That was Zhy. It wasn't a large town, but it was of decent size.

The earthbender poked her head out a tiny window in the bag of the wagon.

"Well...there she is. Zhy. Not really much to her, it looks like..."

[pamuy]

The wagon hobbled forward as the wagon holding the five women came closer to Zhy. After seeing her friend Auina do the same, Pamuy decided to take a look out a window on the side of the wagon opposite to Auina so she could get a better look at the city situated upon a lofty hill. Catching a glimpse of the city, she heard Auina's words.

"Well...there she is. Zhy. Not really much to her, it looks like..."

She lowered herself back into the wagon and resumed sitting with her legs tucked to the side, her parasol, fan and geta beside her, while her ceramic water jug hung from a strap around her waist. After smoothing out her skirt colored like malachite stone, she settled her petite hands down and folded them in her lap. Her eyes were pointed at the ground before her, yet focusing on nothing at all while she waited for the wagon to stop at their destination.

Seated as the closest to the back of Ritika's wagon due to being the last to get in, she looked across the wagon to Auina and rose her frendly tone, "Well, it's not Ba Sing Sei or anything, but at least it has what we need."

[sahara]

Sahara rose up from her resting position, and looked to where the others were looking. True, Zhy wasn’t too much, just a small village, but it gave her an odd reminiscence of her own home. Not in the sense that the sun beat down on her every day, nor the fact that it was a village, but that the people of the village seemed to be more close to ear other than you could find in any large city. For Sahara, this was home. She looked towards the others with a smile, and smoothened out her hair.

The wagon soon halted, and Sahara was the first to step, all right, jump off. She had left her sandals in the car, and preferred to walk barefoot throughout the village. Raising her head up to the sky, the belly dancer took in the rays from the sun, and waited for the others to come out of the caravan.

Her eyes searched the village they had just stopped in, and she found it to be more quiet and modest than she had perceived. Oh well, there must be somewhere there was some party going on… Sahara quickly remembered Juning’s words, and reminded herself that they had a job to do...then maybe they could find the action!

“Come on,” she urged, wishing to rush the others so they could have some spare time, “Let’s go!”

[pamuy]

Slipping on her wooden sandals, she exited the stopped wagon. Sahara had gotten out first, barging ahead probably with some ulterior motive in mind, and Pamuy soon followed. The sun was bright that day, causing her to squint excessively, but luckily she had her trademark parasol by her side. Her fan was tucked in the sash around her waist, yet to be employed to cool down the waterbender if need be. She opened her parasol, then raised it to settle on her shoulder, the outspread pale blue canopy shielding her from the sun.

Sandals clacking, she walked ahead, drifting her sight across the sloping hill on which the small city was constructed. Then, she caught sight of her peer Sahara sashaying ahead, and urging the other women to hurry. As she stroked her chin in suspicion, Pamuy mulled over how unusual that action happened to be for Sahara. But for now, she would let it go, since the firebending belly dancer's actions were in line with the waterbender's motive. As she took a few steps ahead, Pamuy slowed to turn back at the wagon and backed up Sahara's statement. "You heard her, ladies! Let's move it!"

[gijoespouse]

Auina rose from her seat in the wagon, tossing back a mahogany braid from her face. Sahara was sure in a hurry...which had the earthbender suspicious. She stepped out of the wagon, her calloused barefeet making contact with the ground. Compared to the others, the bender was dressed pretty plainly. She settled a wrinkle in her beige yukata, then checked her sage green obi to make sure the pouch of money was securely attached. Her eyes settled on Pamuy and Sahara a moment, before she swiveled her head about, looking for a carpenter's shop. She couldn't read...but she knew what she would be looking for. Stacks of cut wood, wagon wheels, barrels, and various other things...and the scent of sawdust.

A frown crossed her face as she didn't spy one nearby. Must be further down?

"Let's try going further down the road....I don't see a carpenter's shop down here."

[ritika]

Ritika tugged the reins of her caravan to a halt and slid open the doors. She watched as her friends clambered out and followed closely behind. She locked the doors and looked around curiously at Zhy. It was mostly deserted and certainly not as populous as many cities she had been to before.

"Let's try going further down the road....I don't see a carpenter's shop down here."

"Why don't we ask one of the locals?" Ritika whispered, eyeing as a young man strode past them. Without waiting for an answer from her friends, Ritika spontaneously slid beside the man and walked along side him. He spared her a glance and shifted his gaze pointedly away.

"Say.. do ya know where I can find a wheel around here? Wagon wheel, I mean." Ritika thumbed the caravan that stood behind them. The man glanced nervously at her and shook his head. "I-I'm sorry, but no.." he replied. Ritika offered him a smile of gratitude and turned back to her friends cheerfully, "Well, he doesn't know."

[sahara]

Happy that the others had already climbed out of the wagon, and moving at a (reasonable) fast speed, Sahara skipped behind them, following. Hey eyes shifted from building to building, looking for anything that could lead them too a carpenter’s shop. Ritika had taken a more direct route and asked a villager, but it had turned out the villager didn’t know too much. Deciding that was actually a good way to go, Sahara skipped to a villager on her far left and tapped his shoulder.

The man was quite old, his hare was gray, and his small beard was an even whiter color. He walked with a hutch, as if he had been carrying heavy things all his life. His reaction speed was slow, but he still turned around and stared the belly dancer eye on as she tapped his shoulder.

“Yes?” he asked, his low voice still a reminiscence of a strong, younger self.

Getting right to the point, Sahara first bowed in respect to the elder man, and replied, “Yes, my friends and I,” she paused for a minute, stepping to the side, “need to have a wheel fixed, or a new one made...is there a carpenter’s shop nearby?”

“You speak much to fast,” the old man said, his wrinkled face breaking into laughter. “But I don’t know. My memory is a little weak, I’m afraid. “

“That’s okay,” Sahara replied. Her voice suddenly turned into a whisper-like hush, “Do you know about any bar, a pub, something like that around here?”

“Maybe…a little further up, and left,” the man replied quickly, “Maybe someone there would have what you’re looking for. But I must be going now.” Gripping his walking stick with his right hand, his walked off, leaving the flame dancers to find the carpenter themselves.

Returning back to the mini-troupe, Sahara shook her head. “He didn’t know, about any carpenter shop…” She decided to keep the pub news to herself for a while. Pamuy and Aunia would most certainly return sour expressions if they were to know. She would just use it for when/if the five found a carpenter’s shop.

[pamuy]

The other girls walked about the vicinity, half of them asking various folks for the location of the local carpenter's shop. Pamuy, on the other hand, simply wished to look around for the time being and not ask anyone yet. She circled around, hoping to catch sight of what she needed to see, and took a few steps in any given direction to get a better look. Nothing even resembling a carpenter shop was nearby, but her standing in one place did absolutely no good. Pamuy thought it best to direct the other women up the sloping hill where the city was built, so they may see more business places.

Pamuy walked back to stand with Auina and Zahira, and Ritika and Sahara soon returned, both of them bearing disappointing reports. Nobody that either of the two had asked knew where the craftsman was, but then again, the number of people the girls asked was quite small. Auina had also not found anyone who knew yet, nor had Zahira. Things looked unproductive. But Pamuy couldn't help but wonder why nobody so far in the town knew where such a seemingly vital member of the community was situated.

Pamuy slid her fan from her sash and unfolded it, her gentle blue eyes peering around the area. Fanning herself, she proclaimed, "Let's look around more. We should go further up the hill and around the business district."

[gijoespouse]

"Well, he doesn't know."

"He didn’t know, about any carpenter shop…”

"Let's look around more. We should go further up the hill and around the business district."

A frown crossed Auina's features. So far no success. Spirits, how hard could it be to find a carpenter in this town? It isn't like the village is very big to begin with. It shouldn't be that difficult. She sighed, then turned her warm brown eyes to Pamuy.

"I agree. Surely along the way we'll find a carpenter. They must have one here..."

With that said, the earth bender started walking her way up the hill. She glanced around...pretty much ignoring the writings on the signs she couldn't read to begin with, simply looking at any sort of illustrations that happened to be on the hanging signs, or to look at any wares displayed outside or through windows. It didn't take long, as she spied a building which had a few different sized wagon wheels leaning against the outside of it, and as they drew closer, the smell of sawdust tickled at her nose.

"Oh, here we are..."

Auina approached the door...only to find it locked shut. Huh? There was a sign hanging on a peg set in the door, but she couldn't read it. Maybe the owner was still inside though? She looked to peer in the window. She frowned again.

"It looks like the carpenter isn't in."

She looked back to the others. "I can't read the sign. Can someone tell me what it says?"

The sign would read "Out to Lunch".....

[ritika]

Ritika trailed responsibly behind Auina who stopped upon a promising looking store. At least from the outside it appeared so. The shutters were closed off and a pile of sawdust had accumulated at the door step but a sign bearing a mallet hung from the door frame and swung with the pattern of the wind.

"I can't read the sign. Can someone tell me what it says?"

"Don't count on me 'cause I can't read either." Ritika peered at the sign anyway, out of curiosity and felt a pluck of intelligence when she recognized the word 'lunch.'

"Actually.. these two characters read 'lunch' so I suppose the guy's out for a break. Why don't we get something to eat as well? I don't mind having a look around the neighborhood and that grill down there looks yummy."

Ritika's words directed the attention down the block at the grill but her eyes were focused on a bar adjacent to it. Sure the grill smelled delicious (there was just that scent wafting through the air) but surely, even the girls could not resist a peek at the bar so close by?

[sahara]

"Let's look around more. We should go further up the hill and around the business district."

Pamuy was always one of the sensible ones. It made Sahara proud to know the diversity of her second family. She could never be as sensible as some of the other’s in the caravan, nor could she force much of a serious attitude upon herself. Life must have performed a miracle when it connected her to the traveling troupe.

Aunia soon agreed, and to Sahara’s delight, began heading up the same hill where the supposed bar was supposed to be located. She happily followed the others, and Aunia stopped in front of a shop. This must have been the one they were looking for. One of the wheels even looked like it would fit the caravan.

To the far left of them, Sahara could smell the food coming from the bar. The noises were also fairly loud, and it seemed like the residents of Zhy knew how to have a good time. Her mind wanted to simply get the wheel and get out, but her heart was longing for the bar. Inside Sahara, in a battle of heart and mind, the heart most often won.

Sahara also had a heart for learning. She always wanted to be able to read and write. Her writing was not yet up to the marks of some of the more educated people in the caravan, but her reading was actually quite good. Glancing at the sign, a smile spread on her face. “It says, Out to Lunch,” she said. Ritika also seemed to be able to make out the lettering. She also voted to go to the bar. Upon mention, Sahara’s face lighted up, and she gave Ritika a wink.

“I second that!” she said quickly, so nobody would take the chance to try and hush up Sahara, “Who knows, we might even be able to meet up with the carpenter there!” All the while she said this, Sahara’s eyes were fixed upon the bar. She could sure use a couple drinks too…

[pamuy]

"Good idea, Sahara", Pamuy said with a smile to her fellow Flame Dancer. For some reason, she hadn't made the same connection as Sahara when she quickly identified the writing on the sign, but she was glad that the firebender was so quick-witted at that point.

It wasn't odd at all to see Ritika earlier suggesting they go eat at the nearby pub, as well as Sahara replying so quickly in agreement. But those two women were who they were, and she would pardon them their predictable actions this once. With the delectable smell of grilled food wafting through the air, she was getting hungry herself, and sitting down for a bite to eat wasn't such a bad idea in her mind. As long as those girls didn't do anything too ridiculous, she would be fine. Still, she had to keep a close eye on them, and hoped Auina would do likewise.

She walked ahead toward the bar, knowing the girls would follow, perhaps even running ahead of her on the way. Pamuy could tell the girls were quite enthusiastic to go to the place.

[gijoespouse]

Out to lunch...peachy...now what? It seemed that Ritika and Sahara, even Pamuy, were eager to go and grab a bite as well. The earthbender let out a sigh. Really, they were supposed to just be here for the wagon wheel. And as her gaze followed Ritika's to the grill, she noted the close proximity it shared with the bar. Oh ho...now that was trouble, surely. She was ready to be a good old stick in the mud and tell them they should wait for the carpenter, when the scent of the grilled food hit her. Her stomach growled in response...and she knew even she couldn't deny a good meal at this point.

"Ooooh...okay, fine! But we're going to the grill...not the bar beside it!" she said.

Her barefeet carried her behind Pamuy. She had a niggling worry that this was a bad idea. Knowing Sahara penchant for getting wasted in bars? And Ritika and Zahira not being that much more responsible? The situation just screamed trouble. Worry was etched on her features as they neared the grill and teh bar next to it. Oh yes, the bar seemed pretty lively. Excited boisterous shouts from within could be heard clearly even from outside. Yes, the citizens of Zhy sure seemed to be having a wonderful time...meanwhile? Auina was praying to the spirits that be that her comrades would not venture that direction...

[ritika]

Ritika led the group towards the grill and paused in front of the bar. She gazed longingly inside and at the curious flow of locals making their way in and out of the bar. Cold glasses of drinks could be seen from the counter, even from the doorway and it took much control for Ritika to wrench her eyes away. Dutifully, she slid sideways and into the grill. Her stomach gave a growl.

A young waitress stood by the entrance and led the girls to a round table towards the back corner. Ritika plopped herself down gratefully and squinted at the bamboo slabs hanging from the wall. Each set of characters was accompanied by a quick scribble, even she could make out what was what.

Ritika poured tea for everyone else and sucked the back of her chopsticks thoughtfully as she gazed at the very limited menu. Minutes passed. "I think I'll take the bean curd and pork with noodles" she said at last. The waitress gazed irritably at her and relayed her order back to the cook in some unknown hidden kitchen.

[sahara]

Ritika reached the grill first, though Sahara was only a few steps behind her. She paused in front of the bar, the noises and smell beckoning Sahara to join them. It took all her might to turn away, but what could she do. She had to admit she was hungry, and for Sahara, alcohol didn’t taste good on an empty stomach. Her stomach gave another growl, and she tore her sighs away from the bar and followed the rest f her “sisters” to the grill. She sat down next to Ritika, at the very edge of the seat, so that after she was done, she could perhaps sneak to the bar, pick up a few drinks, and come back .

“I’ll have the same,” Sahara said. The young flame dancer was an odd creature; she wasn’t very picky about some things, and painfully picky about others. One of the things she didn’t mind much was food. She would eat practically anything, unless, of course, it was revolting. She relaxed in her chair, and her face turned to the bar opposite the western wall. “So,” she whispered to Ritika, trying to be quiet enough that neither Aunia nor Pamuy would be able to hear her, “Do you think we have any chance of getting into that bar?”

As not to seem too suspicious, she quickly turned her face back and smiled a very mischievous smile at Pamuy and Aunia. “I hope the food comes quick!” she replied cheerily.