Julien's Diamond [IC]

[Cranthis]

To curious to heed Flick, Kelsier signals silently to Luna that it is empty, and moves around to the back of the house, searching for a back entrance.

[Dr.Epic]

Noticing no one following him, Flick says "What are you guys doing? This is clearly a trap. Since no one's coming out, they want us to come in so they can ambush us."

[OrchestraHc]

"I agree with Flick. Even if it isn't a trap, it's still someone's home. I would not be happy were you to enter mine, so do not enter their's. We should go." Anyone who entered Bossa's home while he was away would have a friendly conversation with his axe blade. He expects the same may be awaiting his friends.

[Kaiisaxo]

"I concur on us leaving this place alone. We doon't want free enemies, specially by a misunderstanding. I don't want problems. Let's leep moving ahead and respect this person's house"

[Dr.Epic]

"Excellent. Let's be off then."

[sdream]

"No need to intrude without an invitation."

Luna starts walking towards the road as well, watching to make sure Kelsier follows after examining the rear of the building.

[Dr.Epic]

Flick continues to stand there and contemplates Flick's sexual identity.

[Mordae]

Leaving the strange little home behind, the traveling quintet resumes their movement along the road to Shelm. Those who happen to glance behind notice the clearing is not there, seemingly having vanished as quickly as it appeared.

After another hour, the trees begin to give way to rolling pastureland, and brown-spotted cows graze peacefully on the grassy hillsides. The ground slopes gently down toward a river valley, and before long the high grey stone walls of Shelm come into view. Blue paraments hung from the four corner towers waver fitfully beneath the breeze, nearly matching the deep hue of the sparkling waters that roll peacefully by from east to west. A flotilla of fishing vessels is scattered on the slow-moving expanse of the river, participants in the daily grind of commerce that keeps the populace of several thousand souls fed. Beyond the river, lavender-heathered foothills lead up to sparsely grassy mountains, a jagged backdrop separating the nearly cloudless azure sky from the darker waters.

[sdream]

"The green kingdom is majestic, but I pity those who spend a thousand years without going beyond it's leafy walls to enjoy the other sights nature has to offer. Look at those shapes and colors!"

What a magnificent human hive, it's almost like a real city.

[Cranthis]

Very disappointed at the loss of a potential robbery, Kelsier followed behind Luna. "I may or may not have been there. I was very frequently too drunk to remember where I have visited."

[OrchestraHc]

"Nothing like the forest-lands. I feel I may be like a fish out of water here." People and bigger cities were just not Bossa's forte.

[Kaiisaxo]

"This is my first time on a big city too. We can be out of the water together"

[Mordae]

Continuing on the final leg of the journey, the adventurers walk along the open road leading down into the city. The gates are open, and while the mixed group garners a few stares from the peasantry, the guards politely wave the fivesome through into the city proper.

The first thing that strikes new arrivals in Shelm is how narrow the streets are, and how none of them seem to go in one direction for long before twisting around some building and disappearing out of sight. The half-timber structures all seem to loom over the alley-like roads, ready to pounce on unwary passers-by. The smell of hay, dung, livestock, and unwashed humanity hangs heavy in the air, mixed with wood smoke from the chimneys that claw at the sky like stone fingers.

The other pedestrians and carts on the road bump and jostle each other with equianimity, but the adventurers are given a wide berth--likely on account of their weaponry. Only a small girl comes up close. "Gee, you look funny!" she giggles, pointing at Flick's azure locks. Then, as though noticing the hulking barbarian for the first time, she shrieks and scurries off into the crowd.

[Dr.Epic]

As the little girl wanders off after laughing at Flick, Flick mutters under his/her breath, "You've made a powerful enemy this day!"

[OrchestraHc]

"At least you did not send her away shrieking," Bossa tells Flick. He was not aware he looked so scary to small children. "Let's seek someplace out of the smell and stares. We may be sticking out like a broken thumb."

[sdream]

"I too feel a bit uncomfortable in such a large pack of humans. Perhaps a smaller, more intimate location to observe, do these humans have smoke houses?"

[Dr.Epic]

"Yes, we should seek shelter," Flick starts, "before that little girl returns with her minions. This is a new low for me: I'm archenemies with a little girl."

[Cranthis]

Kelsier laughed heartily at his friends quandries with the town. "Let us find an inn, all of you may feel better there. Especially because an inn means drinks!" Kelsier said, and searched for an inn nearby.

[Kaiisaxo]

"Let's hurry to get to a more intimate place then. I'm not feeling very comfortable with so much attention, it brings back many bad memories"

[Dr.Epic]

"Well, I agree with Kelsier. A bar would be the best place swindle some folks."

[Mordae]

With no specific direction in mind, the group wanders up one of the narrow streets, passing under an archway that joins two buildings and turning right to follow up a set of six shallow steps, where the road continues gradually uphill. On the left, a faded wooden sign painted with the symbol of clustered grapes seems as good a place as any.

The door opens noisily, and the room within belches a cloud of thick pipeweed smoke into the clearer air outside. Through the haze, the party makes out a cramped taproom that, were it full, would scarcely leave room to walk between the tables for the smallest traveler. As is, only one table is occupied, and the five men seated there spare only the briefest of glances to the doorway before returning to their pipes and playing cards. The bartender, a bleary-eyed gent in his late thirties with shoulder-length brown hair nearly matching his coarse burlap clothes, offers a faint wave of welcome before taking a rag and wiping out several wooden tankards in anticipation of the new arrivals coming with a thirst.

[sdream]

Luna approaches the solitary barman, eager to interact with a human outside one of their intimidating flocks.

"Could I get a small bowl of fresh grapes, house master?"

[OrchestraHc]

"Something to drink as well." Bossa adds. He takes a seat without being prompted a small distance away from the chatting group. He also keeps his eyes on Flick. Flick's mentioned an intent to con people, so Bossa feels the need to watch if it goes to far.

[Mordae]

The bartender looks at Luna, befuddled. "You want... fresh grapes? Not pressed? I... well, I can get them for you, but I don't... that is, they're not in season yet." He looks quite relieved to hear Bossa's follow-on request. "Now that, good sir, I can do quite easily." He takes one of the tankards he had "cleaned" and turns to the stacked barrels behind the bar to draw a foaming pint for the big barbarian. As he passes it across the bar, he looks to Luna to see if she is still interested.

[sdream]

"All these buildings and none of them are warmhouses for fresh fruit all year? Do you have preserves to smear on bread, maybe a nice grape tart or sealed juice?"

She had hoped the size of the human warren indicated it was more culturally advanced than Bossa's tribe, but if all they had was spoiled grapes in a specialty grape shop like this she would be quite disappointed.

[Cranthis]

"A drink for me as well!" he said happily, and looked curiously at Luna, as she desperately tried to get grapes in some form or shape.

[Mordae]

The barman fills Kelsier's request as well, but his words are directed over his shoulder toward Luna. "Yeah, we've got jam and bread. One moment here." He pushes the second tankard onto the bar and slinks off to the tiny kitchen in the back, emerging a bit later with a small round loaf of brown bread held piked on a knife and a tiny jar of pale lavender goo. "There's some gooseberries in there as well," he advises the druid as he sets the items down before her. "The missus doesn't like how tart our grapes usually get around here."

[sdream]

Luna translates the traditional elven preserve ritual for the human:

"Thank you, house master, for these fruits of the earth and your toil. May this coin ensure grain and berry are tended and harvested as long as there are... people... in the land."

She stumbles a bit where she normally uses the elvish word for elf, placing a single piece of silver slowly face up on his side of the bar.

Then she lays her odd curving elven blade upon the table, it's flattened handguards causing it to stand up like a sundial, and begins to carefully saw off thin slices of the round loaf.

"You are all welcome to partake in the frozen sunlight I am preparing."

[Kaiisaxo]

Ann just looks at Luna's antics, doing her best to keep herself from laughing, she however cannot help but show her amusement, giggling between words when she herself asks for something to eat and drink. "I'll ... just get... some...bread and ale..." she then starts laughing no longer being able to contain herself almost crying from it "I'm so sorry Luna...<laugh> I shouldn't....<laugh> promise to explain it later."

[Mordae]

"As you like, miss," the tender returns amiably, his quizzical expression evident as he makes a return trip to the kitchen, clearly wondering what he got himself into this day. By the time he returns with the second loaf for Ann and begins pulling her pint--extra foam indicating near the bottom of the barrel--the group of card players has begun to get a little rowdy.

"Ace of swords!" squeals a flaxen-haired, well-dressed gent in his mid-thirties as he throws down a card upon the pile. "The pot be mine!"

"Damn you and your bloody luck, Vense," a dark-bearded fellow says to the first as he drops all his cards and leans back in his chair, his slightly protruding girth causing the structure to creak in protest. The others offer similar sentiments, but the blond just grins as he rakes in the pile of coins to his quarter.

The bartender pays them no mind and turns instead to the last of the newcomers to speak. "Anything I can get you, la... erm?" he inquires of Flick, swallowing his last words somewhat as he takes in her unusually colored locks.