A long-awaited purchase [open]

[Juliana]

Juliana cocked her head to the side very slightly as she studied the finely crafted saddle in front of her. It was an admirable piece of work and Juliana had been in dire need of a new saddle recently. Her old one was nearly useless; it was so worn and tattered. It was also quite impossible to tie anything to her old saddle, so it was very difficult for her to pack anything with her when hunting.

Her hand brushed the leather over the seat from the pommel to the cantle as she continued to admire it. The seller was watching her with a strange expression and she knew why.
This was a man’s saddle; it was not styled for a woman. Juliana knew how to ride sidesaddle of course, though she never bothered because it was such a dreadful pain. It was impossible to truly have control of the horse with both legs on one side (the right leg of course being completely useless) and was terribly annoying regardless. It was much more effective to ride in the style of a man.

“Perhaps you’d be more interested in some fine ladies’ saddles I have over here, miss,” the seller finally approached her and suggested. Juliana glanced up at him, noting immediately the slightly dubious expression on his face. She couldn’t blame him though. What lady needed any saddle other than a sidesaddle?

“No, thank you,” Juliana replied, “it’s a gift. How much for this saddle?” Her lie was flawless, but then she had plenty of practice, as she knew that women weren’t supposed to be in her profession; she was used to giving such answers.
The man seemed to believe her and gruffly gave his offer. It was a reasonable amount for the sturdy work, but more than Juliana wanted to pay.

She had been saving up for this expensive purchase for a long time now, so she could afford the high amount. But the haggling skills passed down to her from her father kicked in and fifteen minutes later, she was shaking the man’s hand over an agreed-upon, lower value.

[Amiria Ghent]

Amiria pulled her hood closer around her face as she and her companion rode into the city square. She wrinkled her nose at an unpleasant smell that rose to meet her and tried not to think about where the smell was coming from. It mattered not where it came from, only that she could get in and out of this town as quickly as possible. She was taking a great risk in coming here, but this was what she did for the most well paying of her customers.

The lord that had found her most recently was looking for a concoction of herbs that would help to make him more sexually appealing to the ladies. Amiria couldn't speak for the other women that he had tried to work his charms on, but she knew that no concoction of herbs would help her desire the man. However, she took on the challenge of this particular case because the money was good and she was looking to buy herself a new dress when the money came in.

What she had failed to realize when she accepted the job was that she was going to have to go all the way to Solraya from the safe haven of Tyrian in order to find an ingredient that she had only ever been able to purchase in Solraya. Tyrian's climate didn't foster the growth of this particular herb well, and as such she always had to go out of her way to get it. She usually bought in a relatively large quantity in order to make these trips less often, but she hadn't realized that she was out.

This was the reason for her little jaunt into an enemy city. She clutched the reins more tightly in her hand for a moment as she thought of the danger of what she was doing, especially with Tyrian and Solraya politics teetering dangerously on the edge of war. She shook her head and reined in her horse as she got to the shop of the woman who had so often supplied her with herbs before. With a look at her companion and a nod at him, he dismounted and helped her down off her horse.

"Stay here with the horses," she said, accustomed to giving orders from the life of luxury she had grown accustomed to in her life. "I shant be long." She began to remove her riding gloves and pulled back her hood, shaking loose the hair that had been trapped beneath the hood. With a sure gait, she moved over to the door, knocking on it as she prayed the woman would be around today. With a frown, she knocked a second and third time before realizing that the woman must have gone out for some reason.

She turned to look at the man who she had traveled with, holding back an exasperated sigh. She knew the lay of the Tyrian land near her home and she could tell you where you could find any number of herbs if you asked her, but here in Solraya, she couldn't tell you which way to the castle, let alone where specific herbs were. What she needed was someone accustomed to the wilds here who might be able to lead her where she needed to go.

She walked back to her horse and moved to take something from her saddlebag before the ties holding the bag broke and the bag fell to the ground, a handful of herbs spilling out onto the road. With an unladylike oath, she quickly moved to pick up the bag and prevent herself from losing any more of her hard earned work. The problem was that now she needed a new saddlebag.

She looked around until her eyes fell on a shop that sold saddles. Though she spent very little time shopping for horse accessories and usually sent her hired men out to do it, she figured that it was most likely that a saddle maker would have saddle bags to accompany the saddle. With this logic, she pushed open the door to the shop, broken saddlebag in hand, and stood behind a woman haggling down the price of a saddle, waiting only slightly impatiently for her turn to speak to the man who owned the shop.

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OOC: I hope that this was ok. If it isn't I can either change it or delete this post so someone else can take my place in this thread.

[Juliana]

Juliana opened her satchel to retrieve the amount of money that the two had agreed upon. She slid it over the table to the man and watched patiently as he recounted the total. He gave a curt nod and gestured that she could take the finely crafted saddle.
"Thank you," Juliana gave him a smile as she readjusted the bag's strap on her shoulder and picked up the saddle, "pleasure doing business with you."

She turned and was slightly surprised to find herself face-to-face with another young woman who appeared to be her same age, though Juliana failed to recognize her face. Although Juliana didn't live in town, she still frequented the city often enough for her occupation's demands. She saw many faces and had excellent memory, though this young face did not strike a bell.
Juliana finally brushed this aside, deciding that by chance she had yet to run across this woman or perhaps she was simply a traveler passing through.

The woman appeared slightly impatient as she stood holding a broken saddlebag. "Hello," Juliana offered a smile of greeting before addressing the look of slight impatience on the girl's face, "my apologies if I've delayed your errand with my haggling."

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OOC: no, it's great (: Sorry mine's a bit short

[Amiria Ghent]

Amiria took a quick step back when the woman in front of her turned around, saddle in her hand. She cocked her head slightly as she was spoken to.

"Oh, it is not you that has delayed my errand," she said after a moment. "Nor the saddlebag of inferior quality." She adjusted the bag in her arms. She stared curiously at the saddle in the girl's arms. It was a saddle made for sitting astride, not riding sidesaddle as a lady was taught to do. Yet she said nothing. For all she knew it was a custom of Solrayan women to ride astride.

"Perhaps you might be able to tell me where I might find someone as knowledgeable in plants and herbs as the apothecary here was?" she said. "That is what has actually delayed me in my errand," she said, selecting another saddlebag and laying the money on the counter without bothering to haggle for a lower price. She didn't want to be among the Solrayan people any longer than she had to. She felt safer in Tyrian, regardless of the fact that she was the daughter of a traitor there.

[Juliana]

The curious stare at the saddle in Juliana’s arms did not escape her notice. Juliana bit her lower lip shortly but offered no explanation to the girl’s questioning look. Thankfully, the girl chose not to interrogate her on the matter either.
In truth, Juliana hated lying and despised having to pretend to be something she wasn’t in order to make the living that she had been raised to know best. She loved hunting and was naturally talented in the area. But it was a highly unladylike profession; too dangerous and ludicrous for a woman to handle. So, Juliana had been left to disguise herself as a boy when selling her meat in town, as butchers tended not to trust business from women.
It quickly became frustratingly tedious to be always changing back and forth between her facade and real self; thus, the only city that she entered as her true self was Sol--the one place she had yet to sell any meat in. In other towns, mostly in Avonderre, Juliana had always worn a large hood over her drawn-back hair with dirt smudged across her face to hide her features. Apparently her ability to deepen her voice was sufficiently believable and many butchers welcomed returns from her male alter-ego.
Leather that she made at home wasn’t as difficult to sell and so Juliana never bothered to disguise herself as a boy in those instances. She was free to sell and buy these things as a woman in the city of Sol. It was only outside of this place where she was known as the hunter Julian, not the mysterious Juliana who lived in the countryside.

Juliana shifted the saddle slightly in effort to redistribute the weight in her arms as the girl looked over new saddlebags. She frowned lightly in thought as she considered the girl’s question. “I’m not too well versed in that area,” Juliana admitted as the girl paid for the saddlebag that she had selected, “but I do know that there is another apothecary on the other side of the market square. Perhaps they could help you.”

She suddenly wanted to question the girl’s origin, since it appeared rather clear that she didn’t know her way around Sol and Juliana had yet to recognize her. However, she held her tongue, remembering the girl’s decision not to question her regarding the saddle that she had just purchased.
"I could show you the way if you'd like," Juliana offered.

[Amiria Ghent]

She took her new saddlebag that she had purchased and and looked at the girl again. "I..." she said, hesitating a moment. The more time she spent with a Solrayan inhabitant, the more likely she was to be discovered. She wasn't about to let herself get captured. And if word ever got back, she would be branded a traitor just as her father had. She shook her head slightly.

"I shant like to trouble you," she said, smoothing down the skirt of her dress with one hand as a nervous habit. "I'm sure I could find the way if you have other errands." She inclined her head to the shopkeep and then started toward the door, her desire to avoid identification making her move away from those most likely to identify her.

She stepped out into the street again and moved over to her horse, beginning to transfer the contents of the broken saddlebag into her new purchase. She wasn't sure if the girl had followed her, and to be honest she wasn't sure if she wanted her to. The girl was just as likely as anybody in this godforsaken town to turn her over to the authorities if she found out who she really was.

Her companion's horse shifted as she worked to transfer the contents of her bag to the new one, hoping that she wasn't going to have to be in the city too long. She patted the neck of her horse, and suddenly wished she hadn't picked one that looked as well-bred as hers did.

[Juliana]

Juliana shrugged lightly with a small frown. "It wouldn't be any trouble," she reassured the other girl with a smile, "I'm finished with my other errands; I was planning on returning home after this. I left this saddle as the last thing to do so I wouldn't be carrying it with me throughout the day."

She followed the girl outside into the street, feeling the crisp fresh spring air tingle against her skin. The sun was shining brilliantly through several dispersed white clouds, causing Juliana to squint slightly as she stepped into the street. She watched curiously as the girl approached two horses that were being guarded carefully by a large man.
Juliana's eyebrow rose very slightly at this, wondering what it could mean. After all, it wasn't just the appearance of the girl and seemingly her servant or guard of some sort that caught Juliana's attention; she had also noticed the breed of horses.

"What magnificent horses," she complimented as her eyes ran admiringly over the shiny coats and well-muscled beautiful bodies. Was this stranger a lady of some kind or from some nobility? She seemed to come from a sufficiently wealthy background.

Then something finally occurred to Juliana, causing her to almost laugh aloud. "Oh I am sorry I did not introduce myself earlier," she shook her head very slightly and half rolled her eyes, "my name is Juliana."

[Amiria Ghent]

Amiria looked over her shoulder as the woman followed her and she paused a moment, before transferring the remainder of her saddlebag into her new purchase. "Suit yourself," she said. "If you wish to show me to the apothecary, I shan't refuse the help."

She stifled a wince as the woman remarked on the breed of horses. It wasn't as if she wasn't proud of them and hadn't paid for them with her own money. It was more like she didn't want to call attention to her noble past. She ran her fingers through the mane of her mare. "Yes, they are lovely aren't they?" She hesitated before tacking on, "I've learned to appreciate the merits of a well-bred horse." It wasn't entirely a lie. Mainly she had bought the stallion and the mare that they were riding for the simple fact that they looked impressive and not like something a noble in disgrace would use.

Amiria paused a moment, unsure how to handle this new event. She knew enough of Solraya to know their proper greeting customs, but it had been so long since she had last come, at least since the past spring. She nodded her head to suggest a curtsy to the woman who identified herself as Juliana. "It is a pleasure, madam." She said. She chose to take the safer route of addressing her as madam given the look of her clothes. She didn't think that the girl was a member of a noble family, or if she was she was trying to be as incognito as she was.

"I am called Amiria," she said after a moment. It was only fair that she offer a name as well, though there was no reason for her to tack on her family name. She was unsure if the news of her father's treason had reached Solraya, or if it had how the people would react to them. Her father had been helping them, but she lacked the desire to help them at all. She loved Tyrian for all of its perceived faults.

She looked to the male that accompanied her and with a nod, he dismounted and came to her side, helping her onto her horse with a well practiced gesture. She adjusted her skirts to fall over her legs properly as her horse danced slightly under her. She pulled her hood over her face once more as she was raised above the townspeople who didn't travel on horseback. She turned her horse to face Juliana, her guard remounting his own horse and bringing his horse to her side.

"Shall we?" she asked.

[Juliana]

The woman agreed with Juliana's observation of the horses before adding on that she had learned to appreciate such merits. A small smile played on Juliana's lips as she approached her own horse tied outside of the saddle shop. She too held an appreciation for well-bred horses. Her father had proudly owned and bred a small number of Friesian horses, which were generally used by knights but proved to Wimarc that they were ideal for carrying large game after hunts.

Juliana patted the neck of the tall and muscular pitch-black horse before her while pulling a large empty bag off the back of her old saddle. Her mare stood patiently like the well-trained horse that she was; Juliana had trained the horse herself from the time the filly was born on her small farm.

As Juliana began to place the new saddle inside the large bag, the other girl offered her a nod in response to her introduction. Juliana returned the small nod with a light smile.
"It is a pleasure, Amiria," she replied, using the girl's former words in response.

Juliana tugged at the string that bound her bag shut before placing the strap over her shoulder. It was a relatively heavy burden to place upon her back but she really didn't have a different method of transporting the new saddle.
As she untied the mare, she could see Amiria being helped onto her own horse. With ease, Juliana notched her left foot into the stirrup and half-jumped, half-pulled herself up onto the Friesian. She swung her right leg over the horse's back and then settled herself in the saddle, hooking her right foot into the other stirrup.
It was a very unladylike position to sit astride a horse, but Juliana much preferred it and did not particularly care whether people thought she was being uncivilized or whatnot.

She collected the reins and glanced up just before Amiria had finished adjusting her skirts. With a short nod and smile, Juliana acknowledged her comment and signaled her horse with her leg to turn around.
"This way," she replied as her horse turned on its haunches in the direction of the other apothecary.

[Amiria Ghent]

Amiria would never admit it, but she was almost jealous of the ease with which Juliana was able to get into her saddle. But Amiria had been raised a lady fit for court, and she could never see herself riding astride. It would be too much of an affront to the image she was trying to reform of herself.

She gently clicked her tongue against her teeth and urged her horse to follow Juliana's horse. She heard the hoof beats of her guard as he drew his horse up beside her, giving her a questioning glance. Amiria saw the question in his eyes but merely gave him a look that said this wasn't the place to discuss anything and that they would have plenty of time on the way home for him to chastise her on trusting a Solrayan.

"What choice do I have?" she said softly, his horse close enough to hers so that the words wouldn't be overheard. "I need those herbs and I can't afford to wait." Her companion shook his head, but let his horse fall just slightly behind hers. She urged her horse forward to come even with Juliana.

"I really do appreciate you showing us the way, Juliana," she said. "I...am afraid I spent much of the gold I had brought to make my stay easier in the purchase of my new saddlebag...but if you desire I can find something to repay your kindness." If the Solrayans thought anything like the people of Tyrian, they didn't do anything for free. It was better to offer than to have them ask. Now that she'd offered, it would be more difficult for her to be threatened for whatever she had if that was indeed the girl's aim.

[Juliana]

The sound of the horses' hooves clicking against the ground at regular intervals put Juliana at ease; she loved the sound of horses and everything involving riding. It gave her a feeling that she couldn't quite put into words but was similar to that of joy and peace.

As she led the way through the street, a few people tipped their heads to her and smiled in a passing greeting, recognizing at once the young woman who rode her horses astride. Juliana wondered to herself if some people just brushed her off as crazy; all she knew was that the citizens of Sol didn't tend to chastise her riding habits due to her kind demeanor and personality. She may not be a proper lady, but Juliana was loyal and caring.

The hoof beats behind her became louder until she saw Amiria pull up alongside her. Juliana glanced over as the girl began to thank her for showing them the way through the city.
"Oh, it is no trouble at all," Juliana replied with a light shrug, returning her attention to weaving through the crowds of people, "I need nothing in return; it is a pleasure to simply be of help to someone. Do not worry yourself over repayment."

As the main street thinned out slightly, Juliana looked back at Amiria again. "You're not from Sol, are you?" she finally ventured to guess with a tone of curiosity.

[Amiria Ghent]

Amiria looked over at Juliana, curious at the woman's gesture of kindness. She wanted nothing in return for her deed. Amiria was a little confounded by the idea, having been mostly self-serving her whole life. She tugged at the side of her cloak to free it from being a little tight about her neck as she let her gaze wander over the thinning buildings and the few people that were walking around now.

Her eyes snapped back to the other girls, wariness in her gaze. "The village I come from is smaller than this one," she said, the lie well practiced. She was able to tell the lie without flinching, without batting an eye. If there was one thing that she learned from her traitorous father it was how to lie. And besides, this was a half-truth. "Is my discomfort at being in town that noticeable?"

She knew that her companion was just behind the both of them, and if the girl tried anything there were two of them. Her companion might be able to stall the girl long enough for her to run. But she didn't want it to come to that. She so missed having the companion of a woman around her age. She hadn't had the opportunity to talk with one about other than business since she had been separated from her sisters as a younger woman.

"What of you?" she asked, deftly deflecting the conversation away from her. The less this girl knew about her, the better. For both their sakes.

[Juliana]

Amiria appeared surprised and somewhat dumfounded that Juliana asked for nothing in return for showing the way to the other apothecary. It made her wonder over what kind of company the girl was accustomed to and where she might be from.

Her response to Juliana's guess seemed quite guarded and Amiria clearly appeared reluctant to offer the name of the village that she was from. This reaction made Juliana curious, but she decided that perhaps Amiria was simply a little nervous around strange company in a foreign place. Placing trust in a person one doesn't know is dangerous indeed, especially in these times of traitorous groups and brink of war; so Juliana couldn't really blame the girl for her hesitation.

"It's not that noticeable," Juliana replied honestly, "I'm just a little more observant than others. Plus, I've never seen you around here before and I've lived in Solraya my whole life."
Glancing at Amiria, she then added, "but the thing that gave it away the most was the fact that you weren't aware of the other apothecary across town. Nearly everyone here knows of both shops."

Amiria seemed keen to turn the subject around and direct focus on Juliana as quickly as possible, which threw Juliana off a bit though she chose not to question it.
"What of me," she repeated with a smile as if to say there wasn't much to tell, "well, like I said I've lived here my whole life. I own a small farm in the countryside; it was left to me by my father. And I...travel quite often."
Juliana had hesitated only slightly before choosing the word 'travel', as she wasn't sure how much she wanted to divulge about her profession to this mysterious new acquaintance. Even if she said that she sold leather in Sol, Juliana was worried that Amiria might ask where she obtained the leather. It was quite obvious that Juliana wouldn't be able to answer that question truthfully, so it was best to avoid such turns of the conversation.

[Amiria Ghent]

Amiria smoothed her dress again, not that riding had made it move too much. It was more of a way to do something with her hands. Once they moved away from the people, she took down her hood again, enjoying the feel of the sun on her shoulders. She shook her hair loose again.

She shrugged. "That's good to know. And I suppose you're right to watch a stranger in these troubled times," she said after a moment. "Especially if they are close to your home. It's a beautiful town, just not one I would be at home in." She said, pulling at her gloves.

She shrugged. "I've always gone to the the one. She's an...an old acquaintance." She had come too close to saying a family friend. She didn't want to put the little woman who owned the shop in any danger, nor did she want to find herself in a sticky situation if the girl knew that the apothecary had once been talking to her traitorous father. "I've never had need to go to the other one." And it wasn't as if she went into Solraya enough to make it worth her while to know the lay of the land. Though when times like these rolled around, it did make her rethink that point of view.

"Your home sounds lovely," she said. And she meant it. She knew that she enjoyed the quietness of her own little cottage beyond where everyone was settled. She imagined a little farm like that would be very similar. She couldn't help but frown at the mention of a father though. She had spent so long hating her own that it had become second nature to her to frown at the mention of one.

"I'll bet it's nice to travel often," she said. "I only get to travel around on business, and that's only if the business requires me to go out of town." It was an admission that had slipped out without it meaning to. She had meant only to say that travel must be nice. In her own country, she loved to travel. It was only when her job took her into the middle of enemy territory in the middle of conflict that her travels made her nervous.

"Does your husband approve of your traveling so often?" She just assumed that since she herself had married already, that she must have married as well. Yet at the same time, she realized that a question like that must seem a bit presumptuous. "I...suppose I should have prefaced that question with, do you have a husband..."

[Juliana]

"Yes," Juliana replied thoughtfully, "I find it unfortunate that we must be wary of others, but it has proved necessary if you desire to live." Her statement might have been a bit cynical, but it was true. Not only was the kingdom on the brink of war with Tyrian, there was also the problem of the Beast. It was rumored that the Beast took on the appearance of normal citizens, which caused much unrest among the people of the kingdom. Who could they trust? This cold-blooded killer could reportedly be anyone...

“Thank you,” Juliana responded to Amiria’s compliment of Sol being beautiful. “Is it too big for your tastes?” she asked curiously, thinking of Amiria’s previous claim of coming from a much smaller town.
“I see,” she replied to the girl’s explanation of having been accustomed to visiting the one woman. She decided not to question the origin of Amiria’s acquaintance with the woman, as she seemed slightly uncomfortable on the subject as it was. It truthfully wasn’t any of Juliana’s business anyway, so why inflict further discomfort upon this poor stranger?

Juliana could detect the genuine honesty behind Amiria’s comment of her home sounding lovely. It made Juliana smile in appreciation and thought as she pictured the small farm in her mind. “Thank you. It is very nice to be able to escape the bustle of the city,” she remarked, “the countryside has a feeling of cleanliness and peace that towns can’t seem to offer.”
Amiria commented on the ability of travel, admitting rather sadly that only her business allowed her time and resources to travel. It made Juliana very curious to know what this business of Amiria’s was precisely, but judging by the young woman’s current goals, Juliana guessed that she was involved in the apothecary business. Perhaps Amiria had one herself at this smaller town far from Sol.
“It sounds like you are a busy woman then,” Juliana remarked instead of questioning the girl’s occupation.

A small grin began to grow slowly across Juliana’s full lips at Amiria’s next question. It turned into a smirk of amusement because of the woman’s highly presumptous question and backtracking as she realized her small mistake.
“I have no husband, so no need to worry of his approval,” Juliana replied, still smiling though nothing in her features appeared condescending in the least; she was honestly simply amused by the question. “I suppose I should be married by this time due to my age, but I have yet to find any reason to. Besides, I think most men find my sense of riding astride to be off-putting,” she added with a slightly rebellious grin.