With more pointing and gesture, Gaiven picks out some cloths that seems to fit his size.

Retrieving his pouch from under his shirt, he counts out six silver, and passes them to Geppetto with a smile.

Geppetto smiles back, happy to do business. "You come back now, you hear?"

Gaiven smiles and nods, and leaves the store, his newfound clothing items slung over one shoulder.

Returning to his room, he quickly changes, leaving his old cloths on his bed. If anyone wanted them, they'd be free to take them. The new clothing feels good, and the cloak almost fanciful. Gaiven actually wishes that he owned a mirror, so that he could check out his new look.

But alas, no mirror. Instead he leaves his room. Though not without some small amount of nervousness. His next stop is the market place, a place crawling with guards. Hopefully his new cloths will allow him to fit in a bit better.

[Private to GM: Heading for a bookstore]

"You there!" bellows a stone-faced soldier mounted atop a massive ebon war horse. People hustled and bustled about in the busy market place, but the soldier was pointing right at Gaiven. "Come here." The scowling soldier beckoned with one finger.

Gaiven's first reaction is to freeze. His second is to bolt, though luckily he manages to squelch that one. Instead he, clearly unwillingly, approaches the soldier. His only hope is that he looks intimidated rather than scared.

It seems as though another young man near Gaiven shared the thief's reaction. When both step forward, the soldier makes eye contact with Gaiven. "Not you," he dismisses gruffly with a wave. "You!"

Gaiven can practically hear the poor kid's gulp. Being smarter than the average blockhead, Gaiven doesn't stick around to hear the rest.

Soon, he makes his way to the library of books and steps inside. Immediately, the peculiar smell of ancient paper assails his nose. Unlike Geppetto's, there's no doorbell to jingle above his head. As soon as the door shuts, the small shop goes deathly silent.

A tall, gaunt man with a long face and a considerable Adams apple is standing at a pulpit reading a giant tome. Looking down the brim of his beak-like nose through a pair of spectacles, the man regards Gaiven with nod. "This, young sir, is an archive of compiled literature. Books, you'll understand. We have no other form of business."

Gaiven nods sagely, and steps over to stroke the cover of a nearby book. "A history of applied mathematics". Not quite what he was looking for. But right now he was simply trying to give off an air as if he knew what he was doing, and belonged there. Not something he was used to. Normally he was just trying to act small and unimportant.

[Private to GM: Rolled 12 against Acting 12]

"Anything in particular for which you seek, young man?"

Gaiven looks at the librarian, then taps his throat, and opens his mouth, though of course no sound comes out. Holding out his right hand, he makes a hand motion as if writing, then raises an eyebrow enquiringly.

Gaiven's not sure what type of look crosses the librarian's face, unless it's one of reserved annoyance. It may just be that the bookworm has a permanent haughty attitude. Regardless, the tall man stoops and retrieves an inkwell and quill from the shelf on his pulpit and walks a few steps to a nearby table where he sets it down. "If I may be so bold as to surmise a presupposition, might I postulate that you have no paper on which to write?"

When Gaiven indicates he has none, the librarian sniffs. "One moment, please." He produces a blank leaf from under his podium and lays it on the table.

Usually when out shopping, proprietors tended to be friendly towards Gaiven, the exception being Zuul, though even he had his good side. Unfortunately Gaiven had yet to see the librarian's. So instead of the more inquiring manner he had intended, he instead tries to go straight for the goal. And hopefully something that would make the librarian think slightly higher of him.

Thinking while he dips the quill, he writes in the neat, sweeping curves that his mother taught him many years ago.

"Ie seek the Trajedies of Marcus Gabriele."
[Private to GM: I'm assuming that grammar is olde english style, where spelling was a somewhat vague matter.]

Again, the librarian sniffs after reading the note. "A most enthralling work, I must acquiesce -- a departure from Aristios' quotidian romances.

"Regretfully, I confess the title is not listed in our bibliotheca... However, have you sampled the works of Roget? You might find his 'Montague and Capulet' suits your tastes."

Gaiven considers the offer for a moment, then nods and makes a come hither gesture.

When the librarian produces the book, and learns that Gaiven is interested in purchasing it, he quotes him a sum of two gold pieces.

Gaiven considers haggling, but is vaguely concerned that it might be inappropriate. Instead he simply nods, and produces two shining gold coins. It's with some reluctance that he parts with them, this being more money than he has ever used at any one time. But the reluctance doesn't show has he hands the coins over. Money are earned to be spent. Some slowly, and some quickly, and this is a purchase that he doubt he'll regret.

Tucking the book under his arm, he nods a farewell to the librarian, and leaves the store.

Gaiven heads home, just missing the noon-day rush as Whisper goes from one friend's to another.

High in the sky, the sun's warm rays shine down upon the busy streets of Rimuldar. Shopkeepers buy and sell, laborers work their trade, children play and townsfolk mingle.

Noon passes, and the sun begins its slow decent. As the grains of sand pass imperceptively through the hourglass of time immemorial, another day changes to night. Darkness comes earlier this time of year as the leaves begin to change from green to a variety of color.

[Private to Whisper: Cautiously, Whisper waits in the shadows and under the protection of his magical invisibility until Zuul opens shop. A few seconds later, he enters the Raven's Claw just as the old stone vulture lights a lantern.

"Bah! You damn wizards and your popping in and out!" He scolds after the mage's sudden appearance startles him. "I figured you would be with your friend in the dungeon where you belong."]

Late into the evening, Whisper returned to Iridia and his lab.  His head twitched from side to side, constantly checking for anyone that might be following him.  Once at the door, he gave it two quick kicks with his foot.

Iridia couldn't keep out the paranoia from her head throughout the day. But she knew they were self destructive, and chose to occupy her time and mind with something. So she spent the day rifling through Whisper's books and notes. She didn't understand most of what she has read.

When the evening came, Iridia couldn't help but feel a bit worried for Whisper.

'He did not say that he will be gone for too long, but he has. Maybe  something happened to him.' Her mind wondered.

It was long before Whisper finally came back. Iridia was pacing back and forth restlessly when Whisper knocked the door with the secret knocking code. She quickly hurried to the door, opened it, then stood there, looking unimpressed.

"What took you so long? I was worried the guards captured you too." Iridia said then nodded inside, "Come on in."

Once Whisper was in, she secured the door, then turned back to him. "I'll have to say, you have an interesting profession."

Carried in Whisper's arms is a small basket filled with fruit, bread and cheese.  "I didn't know you cared so much."  Whisper grinned at the woman and held out the basket, "I thought you might be hungry."

"My profeesion is wonderful, as long as things work right.  That's when things become  ...interesting."

[Private to Stripe: OOC:  Spending a gold or two for the food and basket]
This message was last edited by the player at 06:31, Sun 14 Dec 2008.

"Why wouldn't I be? If you went missing, what am I to do?" Iridia replied with a smile, she took the basket from him and started eating the bread and cheese inside, stuffing her mouth full before chewing and swallowing, causing her to drip some food bits on her sleeping gown. She makes a quick mental note that she needs to change.

"Ahh, I forgot how good food tastes when you are hungry!" Iridia wiped her mouth clean after she finished eating, "Now that my strength is back. We need to plan out our next move."

Iridia moved from the chair she sat on to sit ontop of the table, she crossed her legs and pressed her arms on the table. "First, we could either look for Gaiven, try and seek refuge and information at the Raven's Claw hideout, or spend the night here and think about how they found us." Iridia couldn't count anymore options, "What do you think?"

"Now settle down, no need for all the questions."  Whisper sat and enjoyed a bite of bread and cheese, "Mmm, not bad."  Feeling the eyes of Iridia on him, he turned to her, "I would advise we lay low, avoid any sort of 'debacle' like the carriage job for a while.  They also seem to know of you and Gaiven by sight, perhaps you might do well with something to cover your face or perhaps a disguise?"  Whisper chewed a bit the continued, "Staying here will only bring the wizard here and that I would not enjoy.  Perhaps we should visit another city for a few days or a week."  Whisper continued to chew as seemed to get lost in thought.

"Well, I believe a disguise is in order if I am to move about with more ease. So lets do that first" Iridia replied, "I could certainly use some actual clothes. Hmm, do you have any hair dyes? Having white hair isn't as common as you'd think."

"Traveling to another city isn't such a bad idea." Iridia continued, "I am actually contemplating moving away from Rimuldar, but only if the risk is too high. I value my life too much."

"Only if the risk is too high?  Moving away for a week or so might be best, he has tracked you once, he can do it again."  Whisper moved about the room putting out the fires that had kept several pots burning.  "And as for hair dyes, I don't think I have any.  But you're more than welcome to look for yourself."

"Alright, I have decided I am going to leave." Iridia said in a determined tone. It saddened her to make this decision, but she felt that there was no time for hesitation and weakness now. "I won't take any chances. I will leave for another town for about a month or two. Things should have calmed down by then. We need to tell Gaiven, though. I wonder if they caught him already."

"Very wise choice.  See the sights and enjoy a little vacation.  Just don't get caught doing anything illegal."  Whisper gave the young girl a quick wink.  "Oh, and if you see Gaiven any time soon, you might want to drag him along as well.  Safety in numbers and all that."