Chapter 07

The quarters Markus had arranged for Aela were not particularly different to those she had seen last night. Both rooms had the same access to clean washing water on demand as well as an ample supply of bedding and other linens for drying off afterwards. Most surprising of all, was that there was hot water available as well. Aela hadn’t realized how much she had wanted a bath until she was halfway through having one. It was only with great reluctance that she left the bath and proceeded to get dressed in her best clothes.

Patting down her clothes one final time, sending a few scattered flakes of a herbal medley drifting lazily to the floor. Aela nervously recalled how her mother had liberally spread them through these particular articles of clothing shortly after they had bought them over a year ago. The smell was meant to ward against certain bugs that would otherwise nest in the clothing and ruin it, but Aela supposed the smell could be confused for the scented oils the southern nobles dabbed on their clothing, so she tried not to worry about it.

Turning to the extravagant profile mirror in the corner of the room, Aela scrutinized her appearance for anything the southerners might find fault with. Aela’s outfit had been chosen specifically by her mother for occasions such as these.

Resembling the military parade uniforms of the northern kingdoms military officers. Aela was dressed in a long dark green jacket and umber long sleeve tunic paired with olive green leggings and knee-high black leather boots. The tightness of the jacket around her chest, tapering to her hips, was a little embarrassing and officially made the jacket by far the most feminine article of clothing Aela had ever worn.

Forever bundled beneath layers of thick clothing and furs, Aela had never begrudged her mother’s ability to fill a shirt. Her own reptilian blood had halted Aela’s own development in that regard all too soon after it had started. Svala had assured her many times, and in no uncertain terms, that there was both nothing that could be done and nothing to be gained by fixating on her shortcomings, so Aela tried not to think about it.

Considering the mess of her unworn apparel on the bed, Aela tentatively reached for her scarf but stopped just short of picking it up. Turning again to the mirror, she stared at her reflection and tentatively smiled. Showing altogether too many teeth, she reflexively shied away from the mirror and angled her face away again.

Even in a family of chimaeras, Aela had learned the hard way that her smile made people uncomfortable. Whether it was the width of her smile or the presence of so many sharp teeth, she wasn’t sure. No two people had ever given the same answer. Even her mother, brutally practical and pragmatic as she was, had never explained the reason for it to any satisfactory degree.

Aela did her best to suppress her anxiety. Looking back at her reflection, she tried smiling again. Taking greater care to only lift the corners of her mouth slightly, she supposed it would have to do.

Aela had spent most of her life actively avoiding her reflection where she could and was content that her appearance was as presentable as it was going to get. So after buckling her arming belt to her waist and after taking a deep breath, Aela left the room.

She nearly knocked Markus down as they simultaneously entered the hallway. They had apparently left their rooms at the same time.

“Sorry," Markus apologised, steadying himself against the far wall, “I wasn’t-Woah," he gasped.

Feeling the blood rush to her cheeks, Aela reflexively shied away, seriously considering bolting back into her room for her scarf.

“Sorry Aela, that was rude of me. You look really nice." Markus's praise seemed genuine enough, but the way he had combined it with his apology left her with near-crippling doubts. “Are you okay?" Markus seemed to sense her unease and she saw him raise a hand towards her with her peripheral vision, only he faltered just short of touching her and let his hand fall back to his side. “I just hadn’t expected you to get so dressed up for this," he joked nervously.

Judging by what Markus was wearing, this appeared to be the case. He seemed to have only run a comb through his hair and put on a dark woollen waistcoat over rather plain-looking clothes. “Mother said it is important to dress well when we have meetings with nobles and adventurers," Aela explained, hoping her mother’s instructions were not going to get her in trouble.

“Probably a good idea," Markus chuckled nervously, “I suppose making a good impression is a higher priority for the two of you than it is for me."

Aela wasn’t sure what she should say, so decided to stay silent.

“Should we go then?" Markus asked, although the way he had said it was more a statement than a question.

Aela nodded and followed Markus downstairs and through to the private conference and dining areas of the Guildhall.

Although one of the Guild clerks had offered to escort them, Markus had smiled and told him it wasn’t necessary. Wondering how Markus would know which room to go to, Aela soon found her answer.

Two men-at-arms wearing the livery of Zoe Chavare’s house flanked a door at the end of the corridor. “Lady Chavare is expecting you," one of them said and opened the door for Aela and Markus.

The dining room was quite large, its walls decorated with landscape paintings and small statues of monsters. The centre of the room was dominated by a solid yet elegant dining table. Zoe Chavare was sitting at the head of the table with a single female attendant dressed similarly but in a deliberately plain fashion.

Smiling as Aela and Markus entered the room, Zoe Chavare rose from her seat and gestured to a chair on her right, “Markus, please take a seat." As if having only just noticed Aela, Zoe quickly regained her composure and gestured to the second seat from her right, “If you would?" She said, her tone ever so slightly, but noticeably less inviting.

Zoe and Aela’s outfits whilst similar conceptually were like night and day. Zoe’s jacket, shirt, trousers and thigh-high boots were all form-fitting, exceptionally well cut and stylized in such a way that it served to draw attention to her figure and emphasise her assets. They were also much more extravagantly embroidered and featured the colours of her noble house.

Aela immediately felt a mounting surge of insecurity as she compared each component of their outfits against one another. No matter how generously Aela considered herself, she had to admit there was no contest between them.

After they had each taken their assigned seats, Zoe immediately leaned towards Markus and smiled, batting her eyelids coyly.

Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists beneath the table, Aela was surprised to find that Markus was not responding to Zoe’s blatant flirting. While he was not recoiling from her as he had done at their last meeting, Aela still had the impression that Markus did not want to be here.

“So..." Markus said somewhat slowly, drumming his fingers on the table, “Was there something in particular, you wanted to talk about this evening?"

"May I not invite you to enjoy the pleasure of your company?" Zoe smiled amiably, her words tumbling from her mouth so quickly and strangely inflected that Aela felt almost certain she was being deliberately excluded.

“Unlikely," Markus commented, “I am hardly an exemplary conversationalist,” his brow furrowing, Markus narrowed his eyes slightly in suspicion.

As if caught out while making a poor joke, Zoe feigned insult and grinned as she made her reply, “You wound me and you sell yourself short. I really can't decide what the biggest crime is. "

Markus did not look impressed, his mood souring noticeably, “Please understand. I am not particularly gifted in making small talk and have no real desire to become better at it. If there is nothing you want to talk about, I am more than comfortable taking my leave here and now."

Zoe’s smile faltered, "I'm sorry Markus, please I didn't mean to offend you. I'm not used to dealing with guests in such a direct way."

“That’s alright," Markus said, his expression of annoyance easing slightly but not disappearing entirely.

“Perhaps it would be better to have some refreshments,” Zoe had turned her face toward her attendant, but her eyes had not left Markus.

The attendant bowed slightly at the waist, “As you will my lady. I will be back shortly. " She stated quietly, then left the room.

“What’s going on?" Aela asked Markus nervously.

For the first time since entering the room, Markus smiled, “It’s okay, she has just left to retrieve drinks or something like that"

Aela hadn’t detected any condescension in Markus's tone or in his words and was thankful for it. She was already feeling quite distressed by being excluded from the conversation thus far and wasn’t sure what she would do if Markus turned on her as well.

“I was looking into buying a place to live, here in town," Markus said, “I thought it would be a good idea if I am going to be hanging around for a while, you know?"

“Really?" Aela was a little surprised. Markus had spoken of buying a house and some land, but she hadn’t thought he meant it.

“Yeah, a nice big place in the trader’s district. It has plenty of living space, a shop front and a workshop too. It’s just the sort of place I was hoping for really,” Markus grinned and seemed genuinely excited.

"Are you sure then?" Zoe injected herself back into the conversation, batting her eyelids and making no small attempt to position herself for the best visual effect for her feminine charms.

“Yeah," Markus replied, his attention still primarily directed towards Aela despite Zoe’s efforts.

Even as it became clear Aela had nothing to say and Zoe was positively itching for his attention, Markus still didn’t turn away.

Zoe Chavare’s attendant re-entered the room with three Guild staff in tow, each bearing a platter with drinks and snacks. Taking care to place these platters on a serving table by the wall opposite them, the Guild staff bowed slightly then left.

“I'll have my usual, Luna,” Zoe pointed to the crystal decanter on one of the silver trays, her attendant immediately moving to follow her command, "Do you have a preference Markus?" Zoe asked.

Markus seemed uncertain about something, “Water," he said after a short deliberation. “Is there something you would like to drink Aela? Don’t hold back on my account."

Aela squinted at the various decanters and crystal goblets on the platters and shrugged, “Is there any mead?" She asked. Svala had only let her drink mead once, strangely sweet and tasting of honey and wild berries. Her mother had never given a satisfactory reason as to why Aela was not allowed to have it again. All she could recall was vague references to mammalian and reptilian metabolisms and something about understanding when Aela was older. That had been when she was fourteen, more than ten years ago now easily.

"I'm sorry ma'am, we don't have mead readily available," the attendant shook her head.

Feeling a little embarrassed and wanting to fit in better, Aela pointed to one of the drink containers, “Then I will have that one," she insisted, attempting to fill her voice with as much confidence as she could muster.

After a slight pause and a nearly imperceptible nod from Zoe, the attendant poured a glass of the drink she had requested and placed it in front of Aela before taking up her post by Zoe’s side again.

Taking the glass and sniffing it, Aela was surprised by the smell and unsure how to best describe it. Taking a tentative sip, Aela wasn’t sure she particularly liked the taste overly much either. “But maybe I just had to drink more of it to taste it better?” Aela thought as she swallowed a proper mouthful. The greater quantity seemed to do the trick, the beverage tasting fruity and sweet as it rolled over her tongue.

Without being asked, the attendant was in position and refilling Aela’s glass the moment it touched the table.

“So, Lady Chavare. Is there a particular business or anything of that nature you want to discuss? Or is this just a meal?" Markus's tone made it abundantly clear that he suspected the former.

Sighing and raising her hands in mock surrender, but still smiling, Zoe launched into a rapid explanation, “Well, of course I intended to enjoy dinner with you. But there was, of course, a secondary motive as you so artfully deduced at the outset. Frankly speaking, if I can ask for an indulgence? Do you know the nature of your specialization in your class? " She eagerly awaited Markus's reply, the apparent value Zoe personally placed on Markus’s prospective answer seemed to be rather high.

Markus looked confused, “Class specialization? What are you talking about?"

Zoe looked a little taken aback, her speech slowing to the point that Aela could follow what was being said with only a little difficulty, “Well, you know how there are the four different adventuring classes obtained from the class gems from the high-level dungeons? Well, those classes are broad general categories the Guild uses for keeping track of general skill sets. Each of those class groupings actually has another definable level of specialization. I am a Priest, I can heal, cast protective auras and bolster morale, that is my class. My specialization allows me to augment my healing in a rather bizarre fashion that others like myself call substitution." Zoe paused and took a deep drink from her glass, “It was my specialization that brought Ms Abigail back from the brink. Without it, I would only have been able to cleanse her sickness and watch as her failing organs killed her regardless."

“I had wondered about that," Markus muttered, his tone strained, “I thought I knew what Priests were capable of, but there is more?" He shivered, “What other specializations of Priest are there?"

Zoe seemed somewhat cautious as she carefully considered how best to reply. However, her desire to impress Markus soon won out over caution, “Well, generally speaking, there are three that are known about with minor variations person to person. Martyr, my specialization, is able to substitute conditions with their target. Aegis, a protection specialization that can manifest physical barriers of force, static, or attached to a person or object. And lastly, Paladin, able to augment themselves with divine power like the angels from high-level dungeons," Zoe nodded to herself, no doubt mentally reviewing the list to make sure she hadn’t missed any important details.

“You said I had a specialization?" Markus asked dubiously, “But I don’t really know all that much about the Artificer class, I just experiment with things I think of. Some things work, others don’t."

Zoe choked on her drink, “What?" She spluttered incredulously. “You are joking?!" She demanded.

Markus shrugged, his brow furrowing in annoyance again, “Not everyone has tutors or relatives to teach them," he stated matter of factly.

Aela was surprised that Markus didn’t understand the importance of what he had said. From all the years of training her mother had put her through, there had been one subject in particular that Svala had been absolutely adamant about Aela being familiar with. And that was a proper understanding of the adventurers class abilities and limitations.

Her mother’s reasoning was brutally straightforward. Chimaeras as a species, for all intents and purposes, were the alpha predators of the continent. However, just like human hunters with weapons can kill bears and lions, so too can adventurers with class levels kill chimaeras. Aela’s education in adventurers was deemed necessary for her survival.

“So when you said you didn’t have any experience with prosthetics... When you re-enchanted my prosthetic leg... You weren’t being modest..." Zoe’s eyes went wide, “How? How did you do it?"

Markus shifted uncomfortably, “I just muddled my way through it," he replied glibly.

Zoe shook her head, “Prosthetics is one of the most complicated enchantments Artificers are capable of, second only to the guardians and information networks of the Guild. There is no way you just muddled your way through it" She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, “And IMPROVED IT while you were at it."

“What do you mean, improved it?" Markus asked sceptically, “It was broken, so I fixed it."

“Fixed it?" Zoe asked incredulously.

“Yeah, the mana flows were all over the place and the guide markings were hardly ideal. Also, the sensory marking was missing entirely-" Markus scratched the bridge of his nose absently, “-so I fixed it, made it less inefficient."

Zoe just sat there, mouth agape, unable to form a response.

As the evening continued, Zoe continued peppering Markus with questions. Unfortunately for her, Markus's accommodating mood lessened with each question.

By the time Guild staff had re-entered the dining room and food had been laid out on the table, Markus and Zoe had entered into a heated conversation that Aela could not follow for the life of her. It only became worse as the evening wore on, so Aela drank more of the fruity drink as much to pass the time as anything else.

Aela rolled over in her bed enjoying the sensation of the fine bedding against her scales, her face flushed and head feeling delightfully fuzzy. Opening her eyes, Aela froze. Not more than a foot away, Markus was sitting on the floor by the bed. Too engrossed in the book he was reading, Markus hadn’t noticed she was awake and staring at him.

All at once, Aela’s brain attempted a dozen different things at the same time and she managed only to hyperventilate. “What happened last evening?!" Aela desperately tried recalling the memories of that evening but it was all a blank. “Markus and Zoe had gotten into some sort of argument? But what took place between then and now? How had she gotten back to her room, and why was Markus sharing the room with her? Had he spent the night?! Had they..." Aela’s thoughts were a blur of frantic activity. Her hastily formed questions proved too skittish to evaluate and answer before others crowded her attention in their place.

With her mind so indisposed, there was little Aela could do besides watch Markus as he quietly read his book.

It was strange watching Markus like this. Since she had absorbed the dungeon heart, Aela had been struggling against her fascination with him. So close to him now, Aela had expected that hormonal driven fascination to intensify, but it hadn’t, it may have perhaps even abated somewhat instead. Far from a relief, it was somewhat disconcerting, like standing in the eye of the storm.

Markus had begun to hum. It was the same tune she had heard him make a number of times before, as they had approached the dungeon as well as during their return trip. Only this time she was close enough to make out the minute changes in his expression, to see the haunted look in his eyes.

The same as he had done each time before, Markus abruptly stopped humming and seemed to come back to himself, blinking three times in rapid succession as if clearing his mind. That was when Markus saw Aela was awake.

“Morning Aela," Markus said warmly.

Nervous and not sure what to say, Aela reflexively smiled exposing about an inch of teeth. too late she realized her mistake and tried scrambling to a sitting position so she could angle her face away.

“Is something wrong?" Markus asked, clearly concerned, “There’s an empty bucket by the bed if you need to vomit."

“No erm, I’m fine," Aela said quickly, “Uhm just need to get changed." She looked around the room for the pack with her clothing in it, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Likely sensing her panic, Markus got to his feet, “What are you looking for?”

“My pack and supplies, I can’t find them," Aela rolled out of the bed and looked under it, even going so far as to lift the mattress and look under there when she still found no sign of it.

“Aren’t they still in your room?" Markus asked, confused.

“Where? I can't..." Aela felt the blood rush to her face in embarrassment, this wasn’t her room, it was Markus’s.

“Easy mistake to make," Markus said consolingly, “All these rooms are outfitted the same so far as I can tell."

Without saying another word, Aela snatched up her boots from by the door and left without even closing the door to Markus's room behind her. After unlocking the door on the opposite side of the hall, Aela hastily entered her room and very nearly slammed the door shut after herself, and may have done if it weren’t for her tail.

After a couple of minutes had passed, someone knocked on the door.

“Aela, are you alright?" It was Markus.

Aela didn’t know what to say to that. “I’m upset and worried that you think I’m weird?” No, being honest was out of the question. “I am fine," she lied somewhat awkwardly.

“Um, okay?" Markus didn’t sound convinced at all, “I was planning on taking a look at those properties I was telling you about last night and then doing some shopping around town. I...erm I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come with me?"

Aela blinked, “You want me to come with you?" She repeated.

“Erm, I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, I just thought-” Markus began to explain nervously.

“YES," Aela said a great deal louder and many times more intensely than she had intended. “Yes, I will be going."

“Great, uh I'll be downstairs by the entrance when you’re ready to go," Markus rapped his knuckles against the door and then walked away.

This was good, right? This was a sign that Markus shared some of the feelings Aela had for him, wasn’t it? An unchaperoned outing inspecting their future home together was a big deal for southerners. So what should she wear? Aela stripped down to her underclothes, her current unusually high temperature readily warding off the room's chill. Markus had liked her jacket, hadn’t he? But her mother was adamant on the conditions of its use. Maybe her best tunic, pants and her backup belt to cinch her waist? Yes, that would have to do. The leggings, undershirt and gloves were, of course, a given.

in a flurry of activity, Aela redressed herself, making sure to wear additional layers beneath her selected outfit and making sure not to forget her scarf and her cloak, sparing a few minutes to adjust her tunic through the belt in such a way as to best emphasise her meagre feminine assets.

Satisfied that her appearance was as good as she could make it, Aela made sure to count off her backup armaments since she would be leaving her pollaxe behind. “Hip," she patted the pair of daggers sheathed on her left hip, “Boot," Aela knocked her right leg against the bed, the familiar form of the dagger briefly pressing into the outer side of her leg between her ankle and upper calf. “Okay, you can do this!"

“You look nice," Markus said with a smile. He was wearing the same clothes from the night before but he didn’t seem to care.

Aela smiled, confident that her scarf would conceal the lion's share of her teeth so she could relax, “Thank you."

“I was thinking about taking a look at getting some jewellery supplies first, then maybe visiting a tinker's workshop. After leaving my purchases at the Guild, I was thinking we could take a lunch break at a bakery or one of the Inns before taking a look at the properties. What do you think?" Markus seemed to be just as nervous as she was.

“Okay," Aela agreed, a little surprised by the amount of time they would be spending together.

Markus smiled, “Alright let’s get to it then hehe."

Making their way through the streets, Aela found she did not mind the stares and rude looks she received nearly as much as she had previously.

“Is it like this where you live?" Markus asked.

“Not really. Clan moving often, hunts for what we need. Trade furs and herbs for other things. Homes are...different." Aela didn’t really expect the question, so she wasn’t sure how to answer it very well.

“What do you mean?" Markus seemed genuinely interested.

“Hrm," Aela took a minute to think about it. “Cold is no good, making houses from trees and earth. Not..bricks?" Initially worried that her limited grasp of the language was causing problems, Aela was glad Markus wasn’t making a fuss over it.

“Makes sense," Markus agreed, “Are the towns and cities up north the same? Or are they more like those here in the south?"

Aela shrugged, “Something like both? Each place is different. North humans being proud of difference and every village different. All human chiefs arguing always, sometimes fighting too."

“Huh," said Markus, “Interesting."

The silence dragged on between them again and Aela thought it was perhaps her turn to initiate with a question of her own.

“Um, where is Markus from?" An innocent enough question Aela thought.

There was an awkward silence before Markus eventually answered the question, “I don’t know."

“Sorry, not knowing you are orphan." Already regretting the question, the best Aela could do now was try and change the subject. However, her mind drew a blank.

“Not an orphan-" Markus shook his head, “At least I don’t think so, can’t remember." He rubbed his uninjured hand against his temple, “There are very few things I remember, fewer still that I want to remember," his injured hand twitched.

“Sorry, not meaning to upset you," she apologised, the words tumbling from Aela’s lips before she had time to consider them and just thankful that she didn’t have to this time.

Markus shrugged, “I just try not to think about it. I mean, how bad a person do you need to be for no one to come looking for you?"

While his question was rhetorical and obviously directed towards himself, it stung Aela all the same. “My family never come finding me either."

Markus stopped, his expression softening, “Aela, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-"

“Is okay," Aela tried and failed to keep the resurfacing hurt from her voice.

A lengthy silence passed between them again, neither of them sure what to say. or perhaps unwilling to be the one that breaks the silence first.

It was Markus who spoke up next as they came to a stop in front of a jewellers workshop, “I will be back in a few minutes," Markus explained, smiling warmly at her before entering the storefront.

Their first outing alone was not going so well. Aela’s newfound knowledge of Markus's background was small consolation given the effect it had on the atmosphere between them. If only she hadn’t asked that damned question!

As the minutes passed, Aela felt more awkward standing in front of the jeweller’s storefront. The bustling traffic frequenting the district and the suspicious glares passersby were giving her really weren’t helping either. “Two other customers had entered and left the store already, what was keeping him so long?” She wondered. “Maybe he left through the back door?" Aela muttered ruefully.

After another couple of minutes, Aela was just about ready to enter the shop herself when Markus stepped out with a new leather satchel slung over one arm.

“Sorry about that," Markus apologised, “I had some trouble deciding on what would best suit you."

“Best suit me?" Aela repeated, more than a little confused.

Markus pulled a small brooch out of his pocket and held it out for her to take, “It’s for you, I know it’s not much, but I really appreciate the help you and Svala have given me."

Aela took the brooch and held it up to get a better look at it. The brooch was made of bronze shaped into the intricate form of a winged serpent with amber jewels for eyes.

“It’s a dragon,” Markus said cheerfully, “I have put a modified heat augmentation in it, the citrine eyes should allow it to last much longer than the stones I have been giving you and it's-" He paused and stopped to consider something for a moment before shaking his head, “It would probably be easiest to just show you. Could you pin the brooch to your undershirt?"

A little taken aback by Markus’s enthusiasm, Aela quietly fidgeted with the brooch catch and pinned it to the chest of her undershirt. “I don’t-" Aela froze in surprise. Her undershirt had begun to warm up considerably, not just the patch of cloth near the brooch, but the entire undershirt.

"Well?" Markus asked with anticipation.

“My whole shirt feels warm,” Aela tried to keep the surprise from her voice, but it was difficult.

Markus pumped his fist in the air, “Ha! Knew it could do that. The gems change everything."

“The gems?" Aela was out of her depth.

“The gems open more possibilities. While I was fiddling about with the brooch in the store, I was trying to figure out a more efficient heating method and I just kind of stumbled on that. It's kind of counter-intuitive. I nearly scrapped it and started over before I realized what it was doing." Markus grinned, evidently quite proud of himself.

Aela just smiled and nodded in agreement, happy that he was happy.

“That’s a definite ego booster," Markus chuckled, “Not many practical applications for the immediate future, but a nice experiment all the same. Let’s head over to the tinkers workshop next I think."

“Alright." Aela agreed, more than happy that the unpleasantness from earlier could be left in their wake.

The tinkers workshop as it turns out was also the town’s toyshop. Markus had invited her inside this time, and more than happy to avoid the distrustful stares from people on the street, she had happily agreed.

Aela was passingly familiar with most toys on the shelves, simple balls, spinning tops and dolls. Though of different designs, she assumed they served the same purposes as those she had played with as a child. However, there were also stranger toys that Aela did not understand the workings of, nor their practical function. “What was the point of a doll with strings?" Aela wondered as she accidentally bumped her head into yet another one of them hanging from the ceiling.

A short elderly woman sat behind the counter. She was carefully punching holes in a thin bronze sheet with a thick metal needle but stopped and laid aside her work as Markus and Aela approached.

"Yes? How can I help you?" The old woman’s clipped speech made it near impossible for Aela to understand her.

Markus smiled, “I was wondering if you had any anatomical mannequins for sale."

The old woman shook her head and pointed to the stringed dolls hanging from the ceiling, "We have a lot of puppets for sale. However, fully articulated models cost a lot more."

“Would it be possible to see an example of a fully articulated marionnette please?" Markus asked politely.

"One moment sir," the old woman bobbed her head slightly to Markus in deference then slowly walked to the door leading to the workshop beyond. Opening the door she took a deep breath than yelled so loudly Aela had to plug her ears, “STIBBON WE HAVE CUSTOMERS! THEY WANT TO SEE A FULLY ARTICULATED PUPPET SO GET YOUR BEHIND OUT HERE!"

“HOLD YOUR HORSES IM COMING!” A male voice thundered in reply.

The old lady took a moment to compose herself, then sat back down behind the counter and smiled sweetly, “My husband will be with us shortly.”

“Erm, okay," Markus said sheepishly.

An old man with a bowed back shuffled into the front of the store, a thick and worn apron tied around his neck and waist, heavily laden with all manner of tools. In his right hand, he carried a wooden cross-tied with strings, and in his left, he carried one of those wooden string dolls. After laying the doll out carefully on the counter so Markus could take a better look, the old man stepped back.

The level of detail and freedom of movement afforded in the articulated joints was surprisingly excessive. Aela had never seen dolls with fingers, let alone fingers with joints that could bend. But for all its complexity, the surface of the wood was bare, not even painted but already varnished.

“Yes, something like this is what I want. How much?" Markus asked excitedly.

“Three crowns," The old woman said without batting an eye.

“Do you have any without strings attached already?" Markus asked. As the faces of the elderly couple began to sour he hastily added, “The same price, it’s just that I don’t need the strings and it would be a shame to ruin the hard work that has gone into this marionette already."

The tinkers seemed mollified by his reasoning, “Yes, there is another one that matches your request,” the old man answered gesturing to the workshop.

“That’s great," Markus said excitedly, “Um can you make a couple of minor alterations? For a fee of course."

The old man bobbed his head eagerly, “Yes, yes."

Markus put his new satchel on the counter and rummaged around inside of it for a moment, then withdrew a small cloth pouch, then withdrew two tiny sapphires and a slightly larger ruby. Then he placed them on the doll’s face roughly where its eyes would be and the ruby over where its heart would be. “I would like these two sapphires embedded securely in the marionette’s head about here, the ruby in its chest about here, and for each of them to be anchored securely with a brass or bronze jewel setting. Is that possible?"

The old man bobbed his head again, “Yes, of course."

“Really? Fantastic." Markus withdrew three crowns and a shilling from his coin purse and placed them on the counter. “How long do you think it will take to make the alterations?" Markus asked.

“Not long," the old woman answered on the old man’s behalf, sweeping the coins off the counter into her hand and then turned to the old man, “Go now, get to work!”

Grumbling silently, the old man carefully removed the gemstones in one hand and took hold of the wooden cross in the other, “Come on, time to get to work," he wheezed to the doll, dragging it off the countertop.

To Aela’s surprise, the doll began jerkily walking alongside the old man and the pair of them left the room. “So that’s what they are for," she muttered, the answer is obvious now that she thought of it. What else could the strings have been for?

The old tinker didn't seem to take very long, but Aela had lost track of time while taking a closer look at the toys on display. There were so many she did not understand. Aela hoped they could return again sometime. After Markus had stowed his stringless doll in the leather satchel they began making their way towards the bakery for lunch.

“That's one of the properties," Markus said, pointing to a large and shuttered shopfront. “The keys should be waiting for us at the front desk back at the Guildhall by now, so after lunch, we can pick them up and check it out, see if it's worth buying or not."

“Sounds good," Aela replied while taking a closer look. The building was noticeably larger than those around it, standing a full story taller at least.

While they walked neither of them made any real particular effort to pass the time with small talk, which would have been disheartening if Markus wasn't making the effort to smile each time their eyes met.

Sitting in relative silence while enjoying the meat and gravy filled pastries Markus bought from the bakery, Aela was happy for the time they were able to spend together. Markus asked nothing of Aela besides her company and had given her a princely gift in exchange. But Aela still had the impression that Markus considered himself the richer of the exchange, and that made her happy.

“Sorry for dragging you around with me all morning," Markus apologised sheepishly, “I don’t really know many other people and have really appreciated your company."

Aela smiled.

“It’s probably as good a time as any to check out the properties now, what do you think?" Markus asked excitedly.

“I think so too," Aela replied, despite feeling a little disappointed.

“Alright," Markus smiled, “If that building in the tradesman district is adequate, we can probably move in today after buying some bedding and essential furniture."

Aela’s heart skipped a beat, “What?..." She was not sure she had heard Markus correctly.

Markus scratched the bridge of his nose nervously, “Well, that is if you want to. Just from its description, I know that it’s going to be more than big enough, for your mother and siblings as well when they arrive. It will be a great deal more comfortable than camping out in the woods."

“You want me to live together with you?" Aela asked incredulously, choosing her words with great care.

“You don’t trust me?" Markus chuckled nervously, “Pretty sure if I tried anything you would effortlessly make me regret it."

“NO," Aela said louder than she had intended, “No, erm I mean, why think that?" While she appreciated his trust, Aela also knew it was misplaced. She and Svala had manipulated Markus, used him, and when her mother returned they would continue reaping the benefits of that deception. It didn’t feel right to accept his hospitality and generosity after deceiving him so.

Markus shrugged, “You have had me more or less at your mercy multiple times and you haven’t done anything that would cause me to doubt you or your intentions." He shrugged again, “Besides It won’t be just us living there either. There will be a young girl and her mother staying with us for a while, maybe indefinitely. I’m not sure, it’s up to them."

This got Aelas full attention, “Young girl and a woman?!" She asked, struggling to keep the jealousy from her voice. A minute ago it had been just the two of them, then her visiting family, and now strangers as well?!

Markus nodded, “Arlee and her mother Abigail. They were in a really bad way and I am doing what I can to help them out. It would mean a lot to me if you could help keep an eye on them. It’s not really my position to tell you the specifics, but in spite of my intervention, they might still be in danger."

“Oh," was all Aela could manage.

“That’s alright." Markus shrugged then got to his feet and patted down his pants. “Probably about time we should get moving eh?" He smiled and offered her a hand.

Aela smiled, “Mhm," she agreed, accepting Markus’s offered hand and taking care not to accidentally pull him off his feet.

After returning to the Guildhall and retrieving the keys, Markus and Aela left to take a look at the inside of the house and workshop in the tradesmen district.

It was larger than Aela had expected. The ground floor was huge, roughly divided into three separate spaces excluding the stairs. The storefront occupied the lion's share of the space, easily two thirds perhaps more. The remaining third more or less divided evenly with an open and empty dining room and a barren kitchen with only a cast-iron stove gathering dust against the brick wall and a broken pump in the corner.

Markus had created a pair of lights for them to take a better look at the various rooms without having to go through the trouble of unlatching all the window shutters.

“Definitely going to need a thorough cleaning," Markus joked, running a finger along a brick wall and having it come away with a thick layer of dust. “Oh, this place has a basement, want to check it out?" Without waiting for a reply, he began trotting down the stairs.

Quick to follow him, Aela was surprised to find such a small basement, occupying a tenth of the building’s foundation at most.

“Just a food larder you think?" Markus asked somewhat dejectedly, obviously disappointed.

“I guess so," Aela replied.

At Markus’s insistence, they spent a half-hour or more searching the brick walls for secret passages or hidden compartments but found nothing.

“Hehe, I don’t know why I expected to find something like that," Markus commented sheepishly as they went back upstairs again. “I just figured there had to be a secret down there you know?” He grinned and shook his head.

They both laughed as they walked up to the second floor and investigated the various rooms.

They were nothing particularly special, just empty rooms in desperate need of a good cleaning. The third story looked like it had originally served as both a workshop and living area, occupying equal shares of the space more or less. A quick glance at the attic was similarly disappointing.

“No secrets here either," Markus sighed. “Oh well, it can’t have everything I suppose. So what do you think of the place Aela?"

“Seems sturdy?" Aela shrugged. She had not been inside enough human houses before to judge this one. Even if Markus bought the house they almost certainly would not be moving in today, short of hiring an army of cleaners.

“Well, we might as well go check out the plot of land before heading back right?" Markus suggested, patting down his clothes to remove errant dust.

Aela nodded but was not overly thrilled at heading beyond the walls without her pollaxe. That pack of wolves may not have been particularly close to the walls, but there always seemed to be some form of banditry going on in the vicinity of human towns and cities.