They had to spend a night at a farm because Arulteer was too far. He felt his Hero of the Farmer ability activate in the middle of talking to the man, and he offered them a space in the loft of his barn, even though he clearly thought that a man traveling with a woman that he was not married to was not something he particularly cared for.
They had a simple breakfast of bread and butter with jam, and then they were on their way again.
It was still late in the evening before they arrived. Path walked a bit and then complained a bit about how sore she was, and he felt empathetic. “I will see if we can find somewhere with a good bath house for you to relax in,” he tried to soothe her.
Arulteer was not as big as Corian, but it was very definitely a city up on a cliff. It looked older, elven built, though he saw mostly humans going to and from the city as they came nearer to it. I guess most coastal elves have left the mainland to go to the islands since there are so many humans.
The silver spires of buildings clawed at the sky and the black walls drew a sharp contrast around the city. The windows reflected gold in the light of the setting sun.
Oberon carried them steadily up the hill, where they were met with a gate and a guard checking them over. “Do you have any particular business in the city, Knight?”
“No sir, we are traveling, but I did think it would be nice to spend some time within the city walls.”
“If you are thinking to stay more than a week, you may wish to try for lodgings with the Voyager’s Lantern.”
“Are they near the bathhouse?”
“Yes, also positioned within easy walking distance of the market district. It has a moderate cost per night.”
“Sounds good, who shall I say recommended me?”
He grinned, “Kelzen is my name. My father owns the tavern, and he will give you a bit of a deal if you mention me.”
“Perfect, that is what I love to hear,” Dainin said.
The streets were carefully fit together flagstone that had been worn smooth by the passage of time. “I think I want to walk a bit, before we reach the inn,” Path said. He would lift her down and then get down himself, leading Oberon along the well-worn walks, passing buildings constructed of a silvery-gray stone. The sea smell is in the air, but there is also a lot of baking and cooking smells. The streets all had a slight curve to them, things seemed to be more arranged in circles than in the square layout favored by humans and dragons.
They were greeted warmly once they reached the Voyager’s Lantern by a woman at the door, “Hello? Looking for accommodation for the night?”
“Yes, a few nights, preferably. A room with two beds?”
She nodded and waved him inside. A man was mixing some drinks behind a bar counter. There were a number of patrons at tables, and some stairs to the upper floor on the left side. “Hello!”
He resembled the man at the gate, but there was a lot more gray in his hair and wrinkles on his face. “Hello. A guard named Kelzen said you were the best establishment in town,” Dainin greeted, and the man grinned.
“Sure am! How long are you looking to say?”
“A couple weeks, maybe? I would like a room with two beds, and some recommendations of things to try out in the area with Lady Path,” he gestured to her.
“Certainly, I have just the room. Looking for some dinner tonight? We have some excellent calamari.”
“Yes, that would be lovely,” Dainin offered coins for the next few nights, “Can we take it in our room?”
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He could tell Path was tired, and he was tired.
The food turned out to be fried root vegetables and something squishy and chewy battered and fried. He found he liked it. Path liked that she did not have to figure out a utensil to eat it with.
They both slept a long time. He was glad to not sleep on the floor for a change.
Breakfast was left just outside their door, fresh fruit with some sort of cream and oats. Dainin quite enjoyed it; he had similar meals once upon a time at home.
“Are all berries sour?” Path asked with a wrinkled nose.
“Some of them are, yes. It is part of their charm,” he reassured her.
“I am not sure you are right about that.”
He smiled. “Well, let’s go get you some changes of clothes so that you don’t have to wear that same dress again and again. This time, you can pick the fabrics, and the dress can be custom made to suit you.”
“Or I could war those?” she pointed to his legs.
He hesitated, but nodded, “Yes, or you could war these, called pants. There are also divided skirts and things of that nature that might please you.”
She picked at the fruit, “Pleased like fruit with cream is suppose to be charming or pleased like it felt when I got to be a dragon again?”
“Probably somewhere in between. Also, don’t go turning into a dragon while were here in the city, it might make it difficult to stay. You were pretty stiff getting off Oberon yesterday.”
“If I was a dragon, you could ride on me, and we would get places in hours.”
Dainin smiled, “Oh, yes? You would let me ride on you?”
She opened her mouth and then shut it, realizing what she had said, and she looked away.
Path was difficult to shop with. She did not like talking to the tailor they met up with, so she talked to Dainin, and he had to talk to the bewildered human. She also did not like virtually any fabric that much, but ended up settling for a soft linen that was blue. She also wanted some fur and green velvet.
Expensive, he thought as he paid up. He had quite a lot saved up though, so he was not too worried.
Then, they spent the evening walking the merchant stalls. She tried several foods, and she seemed to cheer up, even smiling a bit as she nibbled some breaded and fried fish filet. He saw her eying some hair ties that had stone beads dangling from them. So, he bought them, “I think you will find your hair easier to manage with these,” he said as he handed them to her.
She looked thoughtful, holding them in her hands, and then she gave a longing look to an emerald pendant on a silver chain from a stall that had a pretty big guard, and then she looked back at him.
I will play along, he decided. He bought this also, and watched her look a little surprised as he came to put it around her neck. “Little pale to match your hair,” he said. “We’ll have to see what else to add to your hoard?”
“I know that you are just trying to make me feel good.”
“So?”
She was not quite sure how she wanted to respond to that, he could tell she was thinking about it. “It’s not going to make me like this situation that much,” she declared.
He smiled, “I am not trying to make you like it. I am only trying to help you start a new hoard, remember?”
He is gratified as she is not only silenced but just a tiny bit blushed on her cheeks. But, it goes away. “I am still sad about my hoard.”
He nods, “That is understandable. It will feel better a little at a time, I think.”
“Did you get a new quest from your Goddess?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Not yet. How are your muscles feeling?”
“Less painful than yesterday.”
“Good. You are starting to look tired. Do you want to go back to the room for the night, or do you want to try the bathhouse?” She looked at him, a little confused, so he explained how they were big pools of warmed water, and some had one and others had several large tubs. She seemed to dislike the idea that she would be around other people until he mentioned that they were divided by gender.
“I guess we could try it. I would like it better if it was the kind where I can be separated. What if someone tries to talk to me?”
Dainin smiled, “Well, you just talk to them. You did just fine in Quiet Wharf. I’ll get you a treat for when you are out of the bath.”
“Oh?” she walked with him. “Is there something special about it?”
“You will see, but it will have to do with how warm you feel after soaking in the water when you have it.”
She made a humming noise as she contemplated it. “Well, all right. I will look forward to trying it.” She had a bit of a smile to her lips that made him feel that he was finally making some progress.
He accepted some directions, and he let the attendant instruct them on what to expect and how to handle things, mostly for Path’s benefit.
They separated ways. He was looking forward to relaxing his muscles in the water and to see how Path handled it. He was not prepared for what she would get up to.