The Town Markeplace

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SJ_the_Bartender

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This building is the largest in town, and for good reason. It houses practically any shop or merchant brand a person could reasonably expect to find in such a town as this. Cobblers, Tinkers, Smithies, Tanners, trappers, and other craftsmen, along with Artisans, moneychangers, notaries, farmers, livestock breeders, and the occasional magewright.

Describing the location of these would be moot, as the shops are in a constant state of flux. Every day, they merchants rush to get the best spots. Vendors near the doors are usually higher priced and maybe higher quality.

The coin of choice is Gold Piece. MoneyChangers will exchange almost any currency for you, for a fee.

The Marketplace operates from sunup till sundown, and through that entire time, the voices of vendors shouting for your attention can be heard flooding the entire building.
 
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The woman slipped out of a alley-way holding her infant girl. Both wore nothing more than mere rags which blew loosely around them with every gust of wind. Shivering she wrapped her loving arms around the child trying to protect her from the cold air but it was in vain. Like any loving parent Nataisha knew what she had to do.

Making her way along the many vendors she studied each one as they called to the passing customers. It was just a matter of time before someone passing by would stop to look over the wares of one of the merchants, then she would make her move. Upon approaching one particular stand she noticed the thick warm furs in which he was selling, 'that would work wonderfully' she thought and there she waited until the owner of the stand was distracted.

"Kind Sir" finally a customer, she moved closer to the stand and while the man turned his back she quickly grabbed one of the furs, turned and took off back into the alley-way in which she had been hiding in earlier.
 
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There wasn't much to tell about most of the people that came to the marketplace. From a distance, the only people who stood out were the vendors who were trying to. Drake was no different. Yes, he wore armor, and most of the people coming here were clad in nothing heavier than leather, but there were still enough people in mail and plate to make him rather unnoticed. Good thing. The last thing the fugitive wanted was attention.

He wandered about as nonchalantly as he could, browsing the same way he saw many of the other people doing. He passed the stands of the arms merchants without so much as a glance, despite their cries specifically to him. The only time they shouted at someone else, when he passed, was when they were wearing armor that looked more expensive than his, which wasn't hard, considering the tiny town blacksmith who'd crafted his.

As a battlemage, it was the magical trinket vendors who struck his interest. But he noticed that all those around the shops and stalls that carried such items were devout casters. There wasn't a single ounce of armor among them. So, to avoid undue attention, he could do little more than glance at the items as he walked by, pondering what to do when the bustling market closed for the day.
 
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The woman sat with her back against the rear wall of the alley-way and cradled her infant daughter in her arms as she wrapped the thick warm fur around her. If nothing else she would be warm though still hungry for she had nothing to feed her today. The woman looked down at her shivering daughter. "There there my sweet one," she patted the child's backside while rocking her. "Mommy will find you some food soon, I promise."

Still rocking her the woman leaned back against the cold brick wall closing her eyes as she hummed a lullaby to her crying child while trying to comfort her.
 
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"Thief!"

The authoritative call gave him a start. Had he been discovered? How could they possibly know to look for him here?

"Somebody stole my most expensive fur!"

His hand went up to his chest and he breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't looking for him. He made an evaluation to himself. -Probably some other fur vendor who can't compete with the one they stole.- Drake took an intentional stroll past the stall where the merchant was shouting. -His fault for leaving them all out in the isle like that.- He thought.

Drake began to move away from the gathering crowd. The authorities were on their way and the last thing he needed was to be around a group of security officers. They'd be too busy trying to get to the merchant to notice him on the approach, but if there were more than two, the others would be bored, and would probably just hang around for a few minutes. He didn't want to take that chance.

He started to move as much against the crowd of people gathering around as he was able without raising suspicion. Ultimately, he ended up having to move against the wall, at which point he noticed the delivery door leading to the alley that had been propped open. Leave it to a battlemage's perception to think something odd of something so trivial. But the sound of an infant crying, distinctive compared to any other agegroup's cry, and a calming hum, helped with his suspicion.

He moved over to the door and slid through, closing it behind him. He looked down to the street end. People crossed back and forth on the street, willingly ignoring the alley that spoke of the true nature of the town.

Then he looked down the length of the alleyway, and the sound of the voice trying to quiet the child. He moved down, around the obstructions that blocked the view of her little hideaway from the street, and leaned nonchalantly against the wall. "You caused quite a stir in there."
 
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With all her focus upon her daughter Nataisha didn't hear the ruckus coming from the market, her daughters cries was all that reached her ears. Humming still she tried to comfort her but she knew it was in vain, what she needed was a decent meal so she could feed her child. Nataisha was well aware that soon she would have to do something, anything that would gaurantee being able to feed her beloved little one.

"Oh my dear one", She looked down to her child, her eyes filling with tears, her lip quiverd as she spoke. "Mommy promises you she will get you food, I promise sweet one,....."

"Whose there!"Nataisha suddenly realized that they were not alone in the alley. Her voice cracked as she spoke, her body trembled from the cold as she yelled out. "GO AWAY", she feared for her life as well as her childs. Tighter she clutched the infant pulling her even closer to her. "Please Sir," she begged, "Please don't hurt us!"
 
Drake laughed and pushed off the wall. He took a couple steps closer to the woman and her child. "Me? Hurt you?" He looked at their ragged clothes, undernourished forms, and eyes of desperation. "Even if I had the thought, there is little I could do that would be worse than what fate has already dealt you, I think."

He had a great deal of compassion for the two. A homeless mother and child, starving on the cold streets, being pushed to theft just to have a hope for survival. In the last of the three reminded him of himself, though he doubted her stealing a fur would result in a punishment anywhere nearly as severe as the one that awaited him if he was ever caught.

He thought for a moment, then opened one of the pouches on his belt and removed a very small vial of water, and a cracker. As a battlemage, he wasn't all that good at conjuration of anything aside from combative spells. Manipulation of physical material, however, was something he had excelled in. All he needed was a similar material, liquid for liquid, solid for solid, and gas for gas. After opening the vial, he held the cracker in one hand, and the water in the other. He then focused his mind and his vision on the items in his hands.

In a few moments, he had a loaf of soft bread, and a large saucer of milk. He held them out to the woman. "I apologize, but I do not know how to create an infant's bottle. You should be able to dip the bread in the milk and have her suck on that. Do you need it warmed?"
 
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Nataisha pushes her self as far back as she could within the ally. Her daughter sensing her mothers fear cried even heavier.
"Please, please just go away, I only did what I had to for my daughter." Tears ran down her face, her body aching from the cold could barely move at this point. She gazed down upon her daughter whom had suddenly stopped crying, her body now motionless, her lips blue and her eyes starred at her mother without life.
"NOOO!" Nataisha gazed down at her daughters lifeless body. "Dear God please................., wake up baby!" She shook the child trying to revive her. "MEGAN! " Nataisha sobbed uncontrollably as she tried to wake her child but it was all in vain. Megan had past, her frail little body lay limp within her mothers arms.
(sorry this is so short I didn't have much time but didn't want to hold things up)
 
Drake's eyes focused hard on the mother and child. Just as he had been about to explain that he understood her situation, and was simply trying to help, the child passed. He needed no official diagnosis. He was like any other who had stood amidst several battlefields. Death could be sensed. He was no cleric. Healing and resurrection were beyond his scope of ability.

Though he had become immune to the effects of his enemies dying, a child dying was something nobody with a soul could numb themselves to completely. He pictured himself releasing a tremendous pillar of flame into the sky, cursing the frigid air for what had befallen the child.

Outwardly, however, he simply leaned back on the wall. He knew better than to try and interact with the woman now. At the very least, a few moments were needed. Then he would offer to take her to a temple, church or whatever she chose in order to allow the child a proper burial.
 
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Nataisha held her child close to her, her right arm around the childs body craddling it, while her left hand stroked her hair. The pain which grew within Nataisha could be felt by her agonizing cries, no human could stand there and bare wittness to such a sight without feeling the mothers pain. Tears streamed down Nataisha's face, she was unconsolable.
"MY BABY!"

By now Nataisha had completely forgotten about the that stood there watching her. With her heart broken all that she could see was that of her dead child laying within her arms.
 
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There was little he could do in the way of actually helping the woman. At least, not given her current situation. True, he could relieve the pain of hunger, and the pain given by the brisk cold, and even the pain that spawned from not having anyone to talk with. The pain of losing a loved one, however, particularly one's child, was a hurt that could only be dulled by time.

Still, that did leave her other needs that would have to be met. First priority was to get her to her choice of temple or church, or a neutral party if she had no preference, in order to properly handle her child's funeral.

He moved over to the woman and bent down to her. He placed a gentle but supportive arm around her and spoke in as much of a comforting tone as he could muster. "Come. I will take you to the church of your choosing."
 
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Nataisha was beside herself, her tears flowed down her cheeks, she was unconsolable. As the stranger knelt beside her and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders all she could do is look to him with eyes begging he help.
"Please Sir, please help my daughter."

She offerd her daughters tiny body to the man in hopes that he could in some way revive her, but she knew it wasn't possible and realizing this she sobbed even harder than she already was. Pulling the child back towards her she lay the tiny bundle on the cold hard ground and slowly wrapped the fur around it.
"Please Sir" Nataisha tried to speak without crying "If you would be so kind, could you take her and bury her. I have no place to bring her nor do I believe in any sort of religous order that would except her."

Once handing her daughters body the the man Nataisha rose to her feet, thanked the stranger for his help and concern and simply walked away.
 
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As he took the child's body from her, his response was simple, and short. "I will be more than happy to do this for you, but I am not leaving you alone. You should be at your child's burial, and this weather is much too harsh." He shifted this girl's body to one arm, still holding it as if she were alive. "Come with me."
 
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Nataisha was oddly calm, turning to the man her eyes fixed upon his, and without any emotion at all she softly spoke "No, please Sir, theres nothing more I can do for my little one. I have failed her and now she was taken away from me due to it. I would kindly appreciate it if you could please do as I asked" With that said Nataisha turned and lifelessly walked to the opening of the alley-way. Once at the corner she stopped and without looking back she spoke, "Thank you Sir, thank you for taking care of my little one."

Nataisha turned and walked back towards the stand in which she had stolen the fur, "HEY YOU THERE!" the fur merchant had recognized Nataisha, he had noticed her there before he had walked away to finish a sale, and by the looks of her she was obviously one who would be in need of a nice thick fur to keep her warm.
 
Leaving all that is going on over at The Blackbird with the renovations, she heads on across the street over to the market place..even before entering inside she could hear all the voices, and even the smells of alot of the fresh baked goods, which all smelled so delicious, so much so she knew she would have to purchase quite a few samplers, she would love to try them all.

As she enters, she strolled along slowly, looking from side to side, smiling and nodding to a few as she passed by, there were so many vendors..so many different items..as she came up to one who was selling fruit, she stood and chatted with him for a length of time of some pleasantries..and then introducing herself and explaining that she has just opened up a business in town, and then began discussing him with perhaps opening up an account with him about providing some fresh fruit and vegetables to her restaurant.

Once that was taken care of, she then strolled on down to where there was another vendor that was selling cuts of meats...she introduced herself, and again spoke with him towards her business as she had the previous vendor.

Then she strolled over to a vendor who was selling fresh cut flowers, veta chit-chatted with the elderly woman as she purchased enough flowers to fill two baskets..even though her purchase was ready, Veta stayed just a bit longer and chatted with the elderly lady, then seeing the time, Veta smiled to her and excused herself, telling the lady how much she enjoyed chatting with her, and that they should do it again very soon.

Veta takes up the two baskets of flowers, thankful that they are hand held baskets with a woven handle , but before leaving, she implied to the old lady that she was welcome to join her on any given day to continue their chat over coffee or tea. Veta then leaves to head back to The Blackbird, but knew she would returning back to the marketplace perhaps a bit later.
 
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