“Red is an interesting color. But I’d have to say it’s a dark bluish-gray for me.” Trav told Nomia, not sure of the color’s actual name. “It’s the same as what the color of this ol’ bandana thingy used to be up ‘ere.” Trav added as he tapped the side of his head with his pointer finger. As they got closer to the exit, it seemed that there weren’t any misplaced merchants at the meat section. What a way to depend on that as a last resort.

“Well, guess we weren’t fortunate enough today to find good enough metal for Nihil’s sword…There’s still time though, it’s not like his two will suddenly break out of nowhere…” Trav mumbled the last part to himself. “So, what are you-” But before he could finish asking Nomia another question, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Excuse me but were you two discussing metal for a sword?” Pausing in step, Trav looked over his shoulder, then back at Nomia before taking a one hundred eighty degree turn and looked down /more like stared/ at the woman who had spoken. Behind them, stood a plump older woman covered from head to ankle in a raggedy beige cloak, looking at them as if to make sure she had heard right. Trav wasn’t too concerned about how long this woman had been following them to hear that or anything else that would have brought up suspicion. The fact that she may have something to share was enough for him to listen in to what she might have to say.

“Yes’m. Ya know anyone tha’s possibly sellin’ any?” He asked the woman, perhaps putting a little more faith in her than he probably should.

“Why, yes I do know someone. Metal, iron you name it, she most likely has it. Better than the crap your locals sell. Oh hohoho.” She laughed whole heartedly while turning her attention over to Nomia. Smiling up at her, she then continued where she left off. “She arrives around the end about every two months, the prices are manageable, may seem a bit out of range, but like I said, it’s better than what’s sold around these parts. No offense.” The old woman told them, waving off the price as if it weren’t something to worry about.

“There ye batty old woman be.” A raspy male’s voice bellowed fifteen or so feet behind the older woman that stood in front of them. “She be feeding ye her wicked old wives tales?” He chuckled as he got closer. Standing by the woman’s side, one could see that, unlike the woman, the man was rather bony looking as his shirt seemed about a size larger, which made his arms and torso appear thinner. The woman turned her head slightly in the direction of the man now beside her and looked at him rather smug like.

“There ain’t no wives tales being told you old coot. I’m just helping out these kiddies here. Now shove off and mind your own business.” The woman told the other man in a rather lame attempt to make him leave.

“So says the gossip hag.” The older man retorted as he returned the smug look. As the two older people’s bickering went on, Trav found himself looking off to the side, debating on whether or not to leave. They had been in the middle of a discussion after all.
In an attempt to ask her without the other two’s notice on whether or not she wanted to ditch the two now while they had the chance or wait and see what else the older woman had to say, he nudge the girl’s side to get her attention.

Nomia looked at Trav's head-band when he pointed to it. "That'a a cool color." She said fro lack of a better sentense. Really, what was she supposed to say? How much longer could this color conversation really last? It was like they were talking about the weather or something else mundane. They continued walking.

From behind her Nomia could feel someone or something following them. She turned around when she heard an old woman speak. Upon turning she noticed the woman was indeed old, she was wrinkled and seemed to have had a few bad years in a row. She also seemed wise, which Nomia knew also came with age. She listened to the woman speak about metals that were far beyond the status quo normally found here in the market. SHe was starting to get ideas, scheming plans in her head when another elderly person appeared. They way they were arguing Nomia couldn't tell if he was the woman's brother or husband or what. Either way she found the encounter to be quite amusing.

Nomia noticed Trav looking at her with a look that clearly read let's-get-out-of-here, or something close enough to it. "Um," She started to say uneasily trying to interrupt the arguing couple. "Thank you...Miss." She said unsure of what to call the woman. "For the information. It's greatly appreciated, really. But we have to get going, it's getting dark." Nomia said hurridly grabbing Trav's arm and turning. As they turned she caught a glimpse of the brilliant mid day blue sky. Trav was shooting her a look like Really? It's dark huh? "Oh, shut up." She told him shoving past him. "I least I got us out of that mess." As they walked she heard the old man mutter, "Oh look! Now you've scared them off." And she couldn't help but smile a little bit. "Where is it that you want to go now, Mr. I'm-full-of-great-ideas?" She asked him as she walked a few paces ahead of him. She was soon finding there was never a dull moment going on in this little community.

“Well, Miss. I'm-handy-to-have-around-when-talking-to-difficult-older-persons. I was thinking of going back to the Monastery since there isn’t much left to do around town...” He told Nomia as he took a long stride in an attempt to catch up. But he soon started to fall back again. “Unless, ya feel like running around town like some poor sap who’s got their life savings nabbed.” He added in, pondering the thought for a while before thinking of other things to do. He really didn’t want to sit around doing nothing like he felt he had been doing the past couple of days. It got boring, and when things get boring, one is certain to find something not so boring to do. “That aside, I’m curious as to how you take care of all that.” Trav asked her as he pointed to the back of her head, examining its length before attempting to walk at her pace. “Doesn’t it hurt your neck or something? He paused for a second, finding it odd that out of all the things to bring up, he brought up her hair. Why hair of all things.

((due to my editing barrage, you missed out on my awesome letter coding. ))

Nomia looked at him over the shoulder cocking an eyebrow. "And what would this poor sap have gotten himself into in the first place? And how exactly was he unjustly nabbed as you say?" She asked him trying to play along. Sitting someplace really didn't seem all that enjoyable anyway. "Tell you what," Nomia said turning completely to him. "How about we forget those stupid covers and go to I don't know, the forrest? Or somewhere equally scenic? It's nice out and I'm not ready to call it a day." She asked Trav with a smile on her face and started walking forward again leaving him behind. He needed to learn to keep up with her, she was very decisive after all. When he comented on her hair, she couldn't help but laugh. "So what's it going to be Sword Boy?" She yelled over her shoulder at him through her laughter. He was quite a character.

“Who said the poor sap was a guy? Anyway, it’s not like he’d be a sitting duck or anything.” Trav had actually gotten into the idea however; it wasn’t planned out rightly, as most things weren’t to him. Before he could really come up with a story for this person though, Nomia apparently had something else in mind. “The forest? Guess that’s something…” He thought, not aware that she had started walking again and was now more than a few steps ahead of him.

“Well, you’re not really giving me many options here…s’not like anyone else here is going to willy nillingly join in.” Trav said shrugging his shoulders, lifting his arms up to indicate how deserted the area seemed to be, finally noticing just how much up ahead Nomia was. Did she always walk this fast when getting somewhere she’d rather be at? Most people would though he supposed. “It apparently doesn’t matter now since you are ALREADY ON YOUR WAY THERE. To the forest. Or wherever you're going.” He attempted to yell back, a little louder at random parts that normally would be at a civilized range if it weren't for the fact that he was not used to having to yell to someone so many feet ahead of him.

Figuring that regular walking wasn’t going to get him anywhere at this point, he looked down and looked back up before attempting to power walk. If he kept up the pace he was at, assuming Nomia wouldn’t change hers, he was sure he’d catch up to her in a matter of minutes.