The old woman had been correct. Sweatshops and outfitters were incredibly common along the strip, along with furniture markets, carpet stores, and a random scattering of other businesses. Gideon felt relieved when he realized he had yet to see any slave markets. Apparently they were all restricted to the thoroughfares; perhaps by convention, or simply by law.

He decided to take a chance on an outfitter’s shop which seemed to be getting a great deal of business. A stream of people were entering and leaving it regularly, which was as good a sign as any.

The outfitter's interior was bland and undecorated. Utilitarian ceiling lamps hung from the roof, and blank white wallpaper covered the walls. Long rows of tables filled the shop, blanketed by piles of folded clothing. A cashier’s counter was in the far right corner, and a line of people holding bags of clothing were waiting in front of it. Overall, the shop was far from welcoming, but quite a few customers were still browsing through the aisles.

Mere moments after Gideon and Surelin stepped inside, a gaunt Kenanite man in a smart pink uniform approached them. He walked with his chin lifted, and his arms folded behind his back.

The Kenanite stopped a few paces in front of them. There was a sneer on his face as he scanned the pair.

“Greetings, foreign customers. How may I assist you?”

Gideon already didn’t like him. “Do you sell rucksacks?”

“Of course.”

“Take us to them.”

The Kenanite turned about, his arms still folded behind his back as he walked. Gideon and Surelin followed him through the aisles to the back of the store, where a dozen leather rucksacks were hanging from a rack bolted into the wall. Gideon noted a cart sitting by the wall nearby that was full of rolled up cloth bedrolls.

The Kenanite gestured to the rucksacks. “Here they are. What else do you need help with?”

“We’re good. Surelin-”

“People such as yourselves shouldn’t hesitate to ask for assistance. I can help you find what you need so that you can leave as quickly as possible.”

“I said we’re fucking good!” Gideon growled. “Now go bother someone else!”

The Kenanite sneered at him again as he walked away.

Anger was etched on Surelin’s face as she watched the Kenanite retreat. She looked at Gideon. “I don’t want to be in here longer than necessary.”

“Yeah, same here.”

He stepped up to the rucksacks and grabbed one that looked suitable, feeling its real leather between his fingers. His eyes searched along the seams of the straps, inspecting it for any bad stitching. He tugged at the straps and pulled on them. When he was satisfied they wouldn’t tear off easily, he unbuckled the main pocket and looked inside. It was spacious enough for their purposes, but he doubted it would last for months of strenuous use.

He took it off the rack and offered it to Surelin. “These wouldn’t be great for long distance foot travel, but if everything goes right we won’t be on foot.”

She took it with some hesitation. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Fill it with clothing. What else?”

“This whole thing?”

“Yeah. Here.”

He pulled a few denars out of his pocket and dropped it into the sack. “It’s about four months to Loso, so you’re gonna need a maximum of one pair of shirts and shorts per week-”

“One pair per week?!”

“-along with one or two pairs of warmer clothing. Yeah, I said one. You can’t just carry around a gigantic wardrobe with you. It's possible we might have to go long periods of wearing the same dirty clothing out there.”

Her attitude abruptly shifted. “...Well, I suppose you’re right. What else do I need?”

Gideon blinked. She got over that pretty quick.

“Socks. Lots and lots of socks. And make sure the clothing you pick is durable. Nothing thin or fragile that’s going to fall apart easily.”

She shot him an irritated look. “I’m not stupid. I know that much.”

“Alright then.”

“So, eighteen pairs of clothing, and socks? Is that all?”

He nodded. “Get anything else you think you might need. Just make sure it all fits in that ruck.”

She seemed somewhat excited now as she nodded back. “Got it.”

“Let’s both be quick about this, yeah? We’ve still got one more place to stop at after this.”

“I know.”

“Alright, just one more thing.”

Gideon walked over to the cart filled with the bedrolls and grabbed two of them. He handed one over to her.

“This’ll be your bed after tonight.”

She felt its material between her fingers before looking up and nodding at him once again.

They split up. Surelin headed for the women’s clothing section, and, after grabbing a ruck for himself, Gideon headed for the men’s clothing.

All of the clothing was very plain, even by his standards. Most of it was dyed tan or brown, though he did occasionally see other colored shirts buried beneath the piles. Gideon wandered through the aisles until he found a selection of large, collarless shirts that seemed like they would fit him. He grabbed a dark green shirt and held it up to his chest, and as he did, the purpose of the shop finally dawned on him.

He wasted no time in gathering what he needed and finished in record time. When he was finished packing his bedroll and clothing into his ruck, he left the men’s section, searching for Surelin. He found her leaned over a pile of brown clothing, peering down closely at the collar of a red blouse. Her rucksack and bedroll were on the ground by her feet.

“C’mon, lets get the fuck out of here.”

She didn’t look up. “I can’t tell if this will fit me or not.”

“Listen, just grab anything. This place sells clothing in bulk for slaves.”

She looked up at him with a mixture of surprise and disgust. “Oh… I suppose that explains why all of this is so basic.”

“Yeah, so let’s get going.”

She grabbed the blouse and stuffed it into her ruck, then bent down and slipped her arms under its straps. A strained grunt escaped from her as she stood up with it on her back.

“Oof! It’s heavy.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. His ruck didn’t feel heavy.

“What’s next? Do we have to wait in line?” She said.

He moved off wordlessly, and she followed. Gideon found who he was looking for by the entrance.

The Kenanite from before spotted the pair approaching him and frowned deeply. “Oh. It’s you two.”

Gideon frowned back at him. “Yeah, it’s us.”

He pulled a handful of denars out of his pocket and held it out to the Kenanite. “I think we can skip the line. Don’t you?”

The Kenanite accepted the money eagerly. “You can. Certainly. But what about her?”

Gideon was immediately outraged, and he took an aggressive step towards him. “Five fucking denars isn’t enough for you, you greedy cunt? Maybe I should-”

Surelin interrupted him. “That’s enough.”

She pulled out the denars Gideon had given her and handed them to the Kenanite. “I think this will be much more than enough to pay for everything.”

An avaricious smile spread across the Kenanite’s face. “Yes, I believe so. Now, if you don’t mind…”

Surelin walked past him and exited the store. Gideon shot an angry glare at the Kenanite as he followed her out.

She was waiting for him when he stepped outside.

“I understand that your natural inclination in every situation is to make a scene,” she said sternly, “but I’d like to leave this city free and in one piece tomorrow morning. While we are traveling together, I would prefer if you wouldn’t escalate every minor conflict into a major one. Is that understood?”

Gideon was gobsmacked. “...Yeah.”

She gave him a small nod. “Good. Now, let’s continue.”

Embarrassment settled in quickly. He felt like he had just been cornered and chewed out by an officer.

“Hold on, let me show you something. Hand me your ruck.”

Surelin raised an eyebrow at him, but complied.

Gideon set her ruck down and knelt by it on one knee. “You can loosen these two straps to form a double loop for your bedroll. Look.”

He loosened the buckles that kept the pocket’s flap laced into the straps. She looked on as he worked, and before long there were two big, empty strap loops coming out of the buckles.

What am I doing? Am I trying to impress her with this?

The thought made Gideon pause. He quickly glanced up at her face.

“What is it?” Surelin asked.

He angled his head away from her as his face began to burn. “Nothing. Hand me your bedroll?”

She handed it over. He slid it within the two loops and tightened it down. The bedroll was now fastened to the pocket’s flap.

He stood up, avoiding eye contact with her. “There. Like this you don’t have to carry it around in your arms.”

“I see that. Thank you.” She bent over and put the ruck back on.

“No problem.”

They set off down the street.

“I must say, I’m really looking forward to new shoes.” said Surelin.

“Yeah, I bet you are.”

Hierum Abraham’s shop looked much more like a middle-class dwelling than a place to buy some boots. It was tucked between a fancy furniture store and a colorfully decorated weapon shop, and between the two businesses the place was barely noticeable. Gideon might have looked over it entirely if it weren’t for a sign hanging by the front door with Abraham’s name on it.

Surelin shot Gideon a dubious look. “This is where the best cobbler lives?”

He simply shrugged and walked inside, and immediately after entering he wanted to turn around and step back outside.

The shop, if it were actually that, looked nothing at all like a shop. Gideon felt like he had just stepped into the front parlor of somebody’s home, and his first instinct was to leave before anyone could accuse him of trespassing. The floor had beige carpeting, and three comfortable looking couches were arranged around a coffee table in the center of the room. The far wall was lined with bookcases that were packed with books, and framed paintings of green landscapes were hanging on the other three walls. There was a long hallway across from the front door, and in it Gideon could see the entrance to a kitchen, along with several closed doors in the hallway beyond.

The only thing remotely shop-like in the room was an ornate mahogany desk resting a few feet in front of the front door. A balding elderly man, dressed in desert robes, sat in a brown armchair behind the desk, quietly reading a book. He set the book down when Gideon and Surelin entered, and calmly looked between the two.

“Good evening, young people. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Um.” Surelin said as she looked around.

“Uh…? Is this a shoe shop?” Gideon asked cautiously.

The old man smiled and slowly stood up. “No, young man, this is my living room. My workshop is in the back. I moved it when I reached retirement age, though I’ve never quite found a good enough reason to stop working entirely.”

“You’re Hierum Abraham?”

“I am, indeed.”

Gideon offered his hand, and Abraham accepted it. His grip was firm.

“I’m Gideon, this is Surelin. We heard you make the best boots on the strip.”

There was a twinkle in his eye as he shook Surelin’s hand. “I dabble in cobblering, yes.”

“We need boots for a long trip we’re about to take.” She said.

He smiled knowingly at her. He’d clearly heard something along those lines many times before. “I’d be delighted to help you. Unfortunately, though, my services are not cheap.”

Gideon pulled out another handful of denars and showed it to him. “We’re flush.”

Abraham gave him a small smile. “Marvelous. If you wouldn’t mind, young man, lock the door behind you, and then we can attend to your needs. You can both set your backpacks down on that couch, if you like.”

He ambled slowly into the hallway. Gideon and Surelin followed him after shedding their rucks, respectfully matching his speed.

The workshop smelled like old leather and shoe polish. Dusty shoe boxes were stacked high along the walls, and various bins and containers were spread haphazardly around the room. There was a large workbench in the middle of the room, with some disorganized tools spread on top of it and a bench clamp biting the bench’s lip. A fancy armchair suitable for royalty was positioned next to the workbench.

Abraham gestured at Surelin to sit down. “Because you clearly have the greatest need, young lady, you will be first. Please remove your sandals.”

She sat down in the chair and slipped her feet out of her sandals. Abraham grabbed a foot measure off the workbench and very slowly knelt down by her feet.

“This will be my first pair of boots. I’ve never worn them before.” She told him.

Abraham paused, and looked up at Surelin with the same twinkle in his eyes as before. “Is that so? Wonderful! It is so rare to meet a person who has come to me for their first pair. How delightful.”

She smiled at him.

“I’m gonna check out that weapon shop next door while he’s busy with you.” Gideon said.

“Why? Isn’t the sword you have more than enough?”

“I’m not buying more swords. I’m just going to pick something up.”

She frowned. “I see. Well, why would I stop you?”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The entrance to the weapon shop was barely ten paces away from Abraham’s front door. When he looked in the windows, Gideon saw various swords and maces resting in display cases that were clearly meant to be visible from the street. He also spotted a long counter towards the back of the shop, and several wall mounted shelves filled with row after row of whiskey bottles.

When he stepped inside, a plump Kenanite man with a double chin and graying hair walked out from the back room and greeted him.

“Evening. Ah. You're a merc. I can spot your type from a mile away.”

Gideon nodded as he walked up to the counter. It was a strange fact about soldiering that soldiers could always identify other soldiers, even if they hadn’t been one for a very long time. There was something in the look, and the way they carried themselves, that time couldn’t erase. For his part, Gideon instantly knew the man behind the counter had once been a soldier.

“You sell whetstones?”

“The fuck I look like to you, kid? Some kind of idiot? Of course we do. What’s it for, that beast on your back?”

“Yeah.”

He narrowed his eyes at the claymore over Gideon’s shoulder, and smirked. “Let’s see it, then. No Kenanite would ever be caught dead hauling something like that around.”

Gideon pulled his claymore out and rested it on the counter. The shopkeeper scanned it and whistled loudly. “Goddamn, son! Look at all them notches. You been swinging this at walls or something?”

“Nope. Most of it’s from one fight.”

The shopkeeper shook his head. “You ain’t gonna fix all that by sharpening it. You’re gonna have to get it reforged, otherwise the thing’ll eventually break apart on ya.”

Gideon had been afraid of that. He grabbed his claymore and slid it back into its sheath. “I don’t have time for that. Just sell me a whetstone.”

“Yeah, you got it.”

The shopkeeper bent over and rummaged through something below the counter by his feet. Gideon looked around at the bottles of whiskey up on the shelves, and decided he wanted one.

“You selling any of that whiskey?”

The shopkeeper stood back up and dropped a whetstone onto the counter. “No, I just like to decorate my store with giant bottles of liquor.”

Gideon raised an eyebrow at him.

“Of course they’re for sale, ya fuckin’ numbskull. Which one you want?”

He pointed at the biggest one, and the shopkeeper grabbed it and placed it by the whetstone.

“Anything else?”

Gideon dropped two denars on the counter and collected his goods. “That’s it. Thanks.”

“Go on, then. Good luck out there.”

He left the weapon shop, and reentered Abraham’s home. Surelin was still sitting in the armchair when he walked up, but she was now wearing brand new boots. Abraham was deftly threading a bootlace through the eyelets on her right boot.

Gideon grinned and raised the bottle up to show her. “Hey, check out what I got! Only in Kenan will you find people okay with selling booze and weapons in the same damn shop.”

Abraham and Surelin both looked at him, and then the bottle.

Surelin hesitated. “Is that… alcohol?”

Gideon scoffed. “Well, yeah. You’ve never seen whiskey before? C’mon, even a princess must have an occasional drink.”

She looked very concerned. “Forelians can’t drink alcohol. It’s against our religion.”

“You- oh.”

Abraham spoke up. “Apologies, young man, but did you just call her a princess?”

Surelin’s eyes widened.

“Uh, yeah.” Gideon said hastily. “But she’s not a real one. Obviously. I was just joking. A little inside joke we have.”

Abraham smiled. “Ah yes, I understand. I used to call my wife by a nickname as well.”

“We’re not, uh…”

Surelin shot Gideon a look that said: change the subject.

“Well, anyways. Is she about done?”

“Yes, just about. How do they feel, my dear?”

Surelin’s brows furrowed. “Good, I think. They’re a little… uncomfortable?”

Gideon and Abraham both gave her a knowing smile.

“That is normal, of course.” Abraham said. “You have to break them in. Once the soles have taken the shape of your feet, the discomfort will disappear.”

He finished threading the bootlaces on her boots and tied them. Surelin got to her feet and stared down at them. “Oh, they’re quite heavy.”

“You get used to it,” said Gideon.

Surelin looked to Abraham. “Thank you so much for helping me. If it’s not too much to ask, may I use your restroom?”

“You are very welcome, my dear. The restroom is across from the kitchen.”

She smiled gratefully at him and walked past Gideon into the hallway.

“And so we come to you, young man.”

Gideon set his bottle of whiskey down on the workbench before sitting down. He was an old hand at boot shopping, but he’d never before been able to talk one on one with a person who made them. Abraham’s knowledge about boots was astronomical, and after Gideon explained what he needed, the first pair he was presented with was perfect. After he put them on, Gideon stood up and rocked back and forth on his heels with a smile. There were very few feelings better than the feeling of a fresh pair of boots.

Surelin appeared in the doorway, and she had changed out of her rags. She was wearing the simple red blouse from before, and tan shorts to go along with it. Her hair was now back in a ponytail, and combined with her new clothing she almost looked like she was ready for a hike. Gideon couldn’t help but notice how scrawny her legs were.

“Amazing what a change of clothes can do for a person,” he said.

Surelin was instantly angry. “Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?”

"Uh..." He blinked several times. “It’s a better look for you, is all.”

She pointedly ignored him, turning to Abraham. “Is he finished?”

“Yes, I believe so.” He said, smiling. “Unless you would like to purchase extra pairs?”

Gideon also turned to him. “We would, actually. One for both of us.”

“Of course. You may wait in the living room while I prepare them for you.”

They both thanked him, and Gideon grabbed his bottle of whiskey before heading for the living room.

Surelin ambushed him when he entered.

I’m about to get chewed out again.

She was furious. “Tell me something, are you purposefully trying to cause problems for me? Why would you ever mention what I am in front of a stranger?! For Kali’s sake, why is it that you have an abundance of common sense in some areas, but not in the areas that are most important? What if someone finds out who I am and tries to abduct me before we leave?”

Gideon was stung. “It was an honest mistake! And I wouldn’t let that happen to you.”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much for your wonderful help. I feel very confident about my safety with you around to help me. And by the way, you can keep your comments about my appearance to yourself. You are absolutely one of the last people in the world who I’d ever want to hear something like that from.”

He walked away from her and sat down heavily on the middle couch with a dejected sigh. Surelin watched with growing apprehension as he absently scratched at the label on the whiskey bottle

“...That came out crueler than I intended. I apologize.”

Gideon nodded, but didn’t look up. “S'alright.”

She sat down on the remaining unoccupied couch. They were both quiet as they waited, and Gideon felt relieved when Abraham appeared from the hallway a few minutes later, carrying an armful of shoeboxes.

“Here you are, young people! I heard yelling earlier, is everything okay?”

“We’re fine.” Surelin said, a little too quickly.

He nodded slowly. “It is getting rather late in the evening for an old man like me, so if you wouldn’t mind…?”

Gideon stood up and approached him. “Sure, how much is it for everything?”

Abraham set the shoeboxes down on his desk. “Oh, two denars per boot should cover it.”

Sixteen denars? Goddamn. Well, you get what you pay for.

He reached into his pockets and counted out the coins.

Abraham accepted the payment graciously. “Thank you very much. Please, come see me again, both of you. You young people will always be welcome here.”

Surelin stood up and approached the desk. “Thank you, Hierum. I would love to come back some day and read your books.”

“A fellow bookworm!” He grinned at her. “Yes, of course, come and see me whenever you like.”

Gideon and Surelin grabbed their shoeboxes off the desk and then packed it all away in their rucks. Gideon jammed his bottle of whiskey into his ruck on top of everything else, and buckled the flap closed over it. After they put their rucks on, they said their final goodbyes. Surelin waved as they left.

They stood side by side on the front step, watching the people pass on the street in front of them. Surelin quietly cleared her throat.

“Gideon.”

He turned to her.

“I’m very grateful for your help.” She said calmly. “Thank you. Sincerely.”

“I know you are. Don’t mention it.”

She quietly studied his face for a few moments. “You can be very even tempered, at times. That is, when you aren’t being rude or starting a fight with someone.”

He smirked, and set off into the street. “C’mon, let’s head back. I’m exhausted.”