Difference between revisions of "Logs:Trading in Keogh"

It's been a little over two sevens since Edyis joined the Beowins as they began their journey, departing Nabol the day after R'hin abandoned her with them. The first couple of days, Destina has the girl ride with her, up on the first wagon. She's stubbornly unresponsive to persistant questioning, though will volunteer information of her own if left alone long enough. She seems to enjoy the travel, relaxing the further they get from Nabol. After the first couple of days, Destina houses her with an older couple -- Vaeta and Stal, who set her up in a cot in their wagon that is curtained off. There's clothes there for her, a woman's clothes, slightly taller than Edyis, but otherwise well-fitting. The couple have been Beowin traders their whole lives -- their daughter, Ebeve, married into an Igen trading family last summer, and they're excited about seeing her once they reach Lemos.

They take it easy with the winter snows still melting, and they stop in -- even if just for a night and part of a morning -- at every small holding along the road to Keogh. Destina assigns Edyis to work with her sons, setting up their wagon and laying out the wares, negotiating on behalf of the family. Semar is the eldest and closer to Edyis in age, though there's a sense that he's standoffish, and he isn't particular sociable, though he is an excellent teacher, open to answering Edyis (probably many) questions. Tuzur is more laid back, younger, but full of charm -- he's the one that negotiates with the older ladies, laying on a gregarious, flirty air that never fully leaves him even after the sales are done with.

Late the previous evening they rolled into Keogh, the wagons setting up on the road just outside the courtyard. Destina has them up early, setting up, though this time it is a slightly more permanent set up, hanging up wares on hooks hanging off the wagon, or setting up furniture for sale where it can be fully inspected.

After the first few days, Edyis grew considerably quieter, and perhaps overly polite when it came to the couple she was staying with. Questions soon became limited to the actual work, and after the first spectacular failure at negotiation, Edyis remained mostly quiet though not unobservant. As the daily ritual begins, she gives her usual "thank you" to the couple as she stepped out of the wagon, the skirt pinned up to prevent it from dragging the ground. Rolling up her sleeves and pushing loose dark curls from her face she made her way over to the stand that was her responsibility today, occasionally checking her notes and labels.

She's not been left to her own devices, not after that first time, and today is no different. Slouching up to the stand, Tuzur's yawning. "We diced to see who had to babysit you today, and I lost," he informs Edyis with a nevertheless charming grin, rearranging one of the stools so that he can sit on it, lean back so that it's standing on two legs, and lean against the colorful wall of the wagon behind him. "Semar doesn't know it's on purpose, because now he has to do the night shift, and these Keogh folks do know how to party," he's rubbing his hand together in anticipation. It's early enough to be largely quiet, only a few people rushing past on the road to do this-or-that-chore, but giving the traders a curious enough glance to suggest they'll be visiting later.

"Unless you use trick dice, how can it be on purpose?" She teases the boy lightly but, there is something of a faint wince at the word babysit that she can't completely mask. Though the words hold more irritation for the word choice than the boy himself, as she focuses on arranging the pieces on the table just so. "I prefer you to Semar at any rate." She adds with a smile, "You have the aunties eating out of your palm. I believe it though, I had a friend from here who was... pretty wild." Glancing over at the boy as he claims his perch, and then watching the passers-by pensive.

"Hm. I can't imagine," the younger boy muses, with eyes going skyward for a moment. With a shrug, as if dismissing the thought, Tuzur giving an unhidden smirk at Edyis. "Figured you would. Hard to resist my charms--" he stops, however, at her comment about the aunties, looking affronted. "I keep my hands to myself around the aunties, thank you!" but the irritation is put on, it seems, brows going upwards in curiosity. "Oh? Who? I might know them -- we pass through here twice a turn."

Edyis mutters to herself with a dark chuckle, "Now I see where he picked it up from." His inquiry gets a shoulder lift. "No one you'd know. I would wager." Before brushing her hair again from her face. "So Keogh, any particular hazards to worry about other than wild parties?"

"I know everyone," Tuzur claims, the boast perhaps not wildly out of the blue; on the way, he's greeted most of their patrons by name, asked about their children or parents (generally in a vague enough way not to have to produce more names), "Try me." With a shift of shoulders, he says, "Sure. I mean, you definitely don't want to go into the stables."

Edyis grins then, "I am sure you do." She concedes though the stables comment has her brows knitting together, "Because they are stables and filled with manure or because of some other reason?" Bypassing his question entirely in favor of stringing up a set of necklaces on hooks.

"Other reasons," Tuzur says, though he's atypically reticent about it. Or maybe he's just disgruntled he didn't get a chance to show off his knowledge?

"Mm, Three guesses and if I get it right you get to do dishes tonight?" She asks tilting her head studying him now intently.

Tuzur purses his lip, and shakes his head firmly. As much a not playing, as a deferral. It could easily be his reluctance to do chores, but then, he's rarely one to refuse a challenge. Instead, when a group of women approach, he straightens, the stool teetering precariously before he gets to his feet. There's several of them, enough to take the attention of both of them, and they aren't the only ones -- word has spread by now and there are visitors infrequently coming by, enough to keep them busy. Tuzur's busy enough that he lets Edyis do some of the negotiation herself, keeping a sidelong eye on her, nodding approvingly now and then, and nudging her shin at other times. It's a basically, but perhaps effective way of training.

Edyis doesn't let it go so much as tables it for when they aren't busy. She offers a polite smile and studies the customers for several moments before she says anything other than a greeting, mostly she makes with the polite small talk and asks questions. After a while, she does rub her shin absently, but she seems to avoid many of the mistakes she used to make and seems far less aggressive or invasive with her questions. Though occasionally she does glance curiously in the direction of the stables.

The noises Tuzur makes seem more approving as the day wears on; there's a slight lull around lunch, but then things pick up towards the afternoon. By then, it's been a long day, and the sight of Semar striding towards them is probably a relief; certainly Tuzur perks up. "Not so bad, kid," he echoes his mother's current name for Edyis, in almost the precise inflection, if not quite the same pitch, grinning.

Edyis eyes Tuzar with an arched brow, "You do realize I have probably about three years on you if not more right?" Semar gets a nod of greeting, Edyis too apparently grateful for his arrival.

"Really?" Tuzur is wide-eyed, shocked, and -- after a moment, chuckling even as Semar strides up, frowning at him. "You shouldn't be laughing," the older boy says, "You're supposed to be taking this seriously." Semar frowns, too -- by association, maybe -- at Edyis. "Go on. I've got it." And then, to Edyis: "You could use some more training. You should come back after you eat."

Tuzur, meanwhile, rolls his eyes, and slips out from behind the stand, making his way towards the hold, walking backwards as if to see what Edyis is planning to do.

Edyis shakes her head at the younger boy in defeat. Semar's frown and instructions to come back has her arching a brow. "Ok, how long is the second shift going to be?" She adds, "If it's only for a few more hours I can eat later, but if it's more I will hurry and come back."

"Until the people stop coming," Semar replies, as if this should be obvious, raising a brow at her. Which makes it sound like it's more than a few hours, at least. Tuzur's still watching, still backing up, looking amused now.

Edyis frowns, but nods and her mad dash in the direction of the food. Her route is likely to carry her past Tuzur at full speed, with no sign of slowing as she weaves through the crowd without colliding with anyone.

She may rush past Tuzur at full speed, but he is a sixteen turn old boy, who is clearly starving, and so he beats her -- just slightly -- to the food. The Hold is busy, full of life, the residents chatting amiably. Tuzur's eyeing Edyis' quick attempt at the food with what seems like approval, since he's shoveling his food down just as fast. "You know, you don't have to go back. Semar'll get annoyed, but that's he's constant state."

"Mm, maybe, but what would your mom say If I ran out half way through a day's work after she has been so kind? I am getting fed and clothed and given shelter, so I should at least do my part right?" Edyis points out between hearty bites of meat roll.

"You've already done a day's work," Tuzur counters, at least, that's what it sounds like in between half-full mouthfuls. "You don't see me going back, do you?"

Edyis chuckles at that observation, "Yeah well your a kid." She teases almost' affectionately. "It's ok, I'm used to it. I've put up with far grumpier taskmasters than Semar." She starts to say something else, but instead stuffs another bite into her mouth chewing.

Tuzur stares at her for a moment or two, kind of bemused. "Mom didn't ask you to kill yourself. But," he shrugs, "Your choice. Better show up early tomorrow, though." He's finished, and pushing to his feet, before he adds: "And stay away from those stables," as he disappears between tables.

Edyis tilts her head at the last, and as the last bite gets eaten, she squints after him musing to herself aloud; "Wouldn't take long would it?" She sets off back toward the wagons by way of the stables. Might take longer than anticipated, to get back to Semar but he could wait.

The stables look... dark, ominous, and after careful inspection, perfectly normal. Clearly Tuzur was trolling her.

Semar's swamped with interested patrons, and he gives her an impatient look when he finally arrives, but at least it means he can't spare the breath to speak his mind, instead focusing on the patrons. It's going to be a long night.

Edyis decides after the stables turn out to be normal, that it is probably a good thing that she didn't follow the younger teen's advice. Semar's impatient look is met with a smile, and diving right into the work. Long nights indeed!