Taka was bustling and Jayln stayed close to Fenrin. This many people all together made her nervous, but the masses seemed to instinctively steer clear of Fenrin.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked.

Fenrin shrugged. "Find a ship. Board it." He turned and headed down a hill. "Let's see...dock should be coming into view. What are the options, hmm?"

Sure enough, the tall masts of ships started poking up from the curve of the hill and suddenly the whole harbor was sprawled out below them. Twenty ships at least filled the docks. Fenrin scanned them and swore, nose wrinkled in disgust.

"What?" Jayln asked.

"Of all the damned luck." A thought struck Fenrin and he scratched his jaw. "Actually...I have an idea." His wolfish grin returned and Jayln raised an eyebrow. Fenrin moved forward, his long loping strides punctuated by merry whistling.

As they reached the main docks, Fenrin made his way purposefully to the east end. The ship docked there was a large three masted vessel with a huge bear emerging claws outstretched from her helm. Jayln watched as Fenrin casually kept glancing at the boat while pretending to eye some fish for sale. Clearly it was a family vessel.

She stepped closer and said softly, "So that's our ship? Convenient."

Fenrin snorted. "Maybe. Give me some money."

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

Reluctantly, Jayln pulled out her wallet and handed Fenrin a few coins that he used to buy a fried fish which he tore at hungrily. Jayln went ahead and bought one as well. The two meandered around the docks for a while, Jayln following Fenrin closely, who for all the world seemed like a happy tourist, if not for the general dangerous aura around him. Even the sailors stayed clear, giving him the stink eye when he flashed them a grin.

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Fenrin turned suddenly, looking towards a large ship painted with the Imperial seal. A military vessel.

"Found you," he muttered.

"A navy ship?"

He glanced over at her. "What, no, you idiot. Not the ship, that captain. To your left—lean Duskar fellow with the feathers."

Jayln feigned a yawn and took a peek to the side. Sure enough, there was a shady looking Duskar with colored feathers in his twisted braids. His appearance screamed pirate, but so did half the men on the dock. He was chatting with a scantily dressed woman.

Clearly Fenrin didn't want the man to notice them, so Jayln quickly looked away and joined Fenrin staring at the imperial boat for a while longer, feigning interest until Fenrin turned and sauntered back the way they came.

"Well?" Jayln asked, getting tired of following blindly. "You clearly have a plan, care to let me in on it."

"Sure, but first some shopping."

"Shopping? I brought everything we could possible need, food, clothes, weapons, I even have medicine and—"

"Yeah, yeah. Real nice, but right now you stick out like the country bumpkin you are."

Jayln looked down at herself. She was wearing her cream shirt with a green jerkin that split at her hips and went to her mid thighs. Her pants were brown and her leather boots reached her knees. Suitable travelling clothes.

She glanced around. The women here were either in dresses—mostly revealing ones—or wearing clothes with flair and jewelry, showing off decorative tattoos or body piercings. Next to them, she did seem a bit plain and earthy.

Fenrin clucked his tongue as he made his way back up the hill and down a side road until he stopped at a store. "Wait here, and give me what money you've got."

"But don't you think—"

"That's an order."

Her eyes narrowed, but since he clearly had a plan, she gave him what she had. He eyed the money, eyebrow raised. "This it?"

She bristled. "We're a small village. That's quite a lot to us."

Fenrin snorted again and tucked the wallet in his shirt before opening the door and disappearing down a narrow set of stairs. Jayln glanced up at the sign. Riley's Used Goods. That was it. No window display or anything. Seedy, definitely seedy.