AN: Just so y'all don't get confused, Tyra is also the name of Tyra's
capital. (like New York and New York City).
Dalamar Nightson: Thanks! I'll try to explain better in this chapter. No, Josua is not shang.
Disclaimer: Y'all know the drill; I don't own any of TP's stuff! **************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************
People bustled around the crowded marketplace, buying, selling, and in some cases stealing, goods of all shapes and sizes. Newcomers to Corus were usually awed at the multitude of colors, sounds, smells, and ect. (and usually had a lighter purse when the snapped out of that awe). Not this one.
Luke glanced around at the stalls with mild if somewhat detached interest. 'No market in the world can surpass Tyra's.' he thought to himself reminiscing about his days spent in Tyra's marketplace.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that didn't notice the woman come out of booth with an armful of cloth that was obscuring her vision. "Oh!" he heard as he bumped into the woman, who dropped her cloth on to the street.
Luke looked up, surprised, at the woman who was now glaring at him. She was of medium height, with big doe-like brown eyes, full lips, and black hair which she was now wearing in a bun. She was quite attractive. "Watch where you're going will you," she snapped. "Those could have been silks," she said gesturing to the material on the ground.
"My apologies miss," Luke said, slightly grinning, "but you had that cloth piled so high I bet you would have ran into me even if I was paying attention." He bent down and picked up the cloth.
The woman turned slightly red at this remark and replied curtly, "I knew where I was going."
Luke finished gathering up the cloth and stood to grin at her. "Is this cloth transparent then?"
The woman blushed fully at this remark. "Never mind," she said slightly exasperated as she reached for the cloth.
Luke didn't let her take it though. "Wouldn't want the same thing to happen," he said. "Why don't I carry it for you to wherever it is your going?"
The woman actually smiled a little at him and nodded her head. She turned a gestured at him to follow.
"I'm Luke," he said pleasantly.
"Lalasa," the woman replied. "My shop's just a little ways up here."
"You own your own business?" Luke asked, impressed.
"Yes," she replied, "I'm a dressmaker."
Realization suddenly clicked in Luke's head. "You're the dressmaker Loni talks about," he said.
Lalasa glanced at him. "You know Loni?"
Luke nodded. "I live and work at the Dancing Dove," he replied. "Loni was of the first people I met when I came to Corus."
Now it was Lalasa's turn to be curious. "Where're you from?"
"Tyra," Luke said. "I guess I just like big cities."
"I'm from a small village myself," Lalasa admitted. "Here's my shop. Thanks for carrying my cloth for me."
"No problem," Luke replied easily. "It's not everyday I get to carry things for pretty ladies," he said with a wink.
Lalasa blushed slightly. "I bet Loni just keeps you around for your sense of humor," she teased.
"That or my good looks," Luke said with a grin.
Lalasa laughed. Shaking her head she replied, "You're a piece of work."
Luke just smiled as Lalasa opened the door to her shop. "Will you give my regards to Loni?" she asked.
Luke nodded. "I will," he said as he turned to go.
"Oh, and Luke," he heard her call from the doorway, "try to pay attention to where you're going."
He smiled. "I'd best try," he replied. "The next person I run into might not be as forgiving as you."
Lalasa just shook her head as she laughed. Going inside her shop, she thought to herself, 'you don't meet someone like him everyday. I might have to visit Loni sometime.' **************************************************************************** ************************************************************
"I'm back!" Luke yelled as he stepped through the doorway of the kitchen holding bags of food.
"Finally," remarked Loni, who was sitting at a table, going through what looked to be some type of list.
"I got sidetracked," Luke explained setting the bags onto the table.
"Oh?" Loni said, looking up from the list.
"I bumped into your friend Lalasa," Luke said, "and knocked all of her cloth to the ground. So I helped her carry it to her shop."
"Lalasa huh," Loni said with a smirk. "I suppose you charmed her with that humor of yours."
"It just comes natural," Luke said half-jokingly. "What do you have there?"
Loni glanced down at her list. "A list of items that were confiscated by our agents in Port Cayne," she said, "including more vials of Drusythem."
"Do you think they're trying to recreate the Sweating Sickness Roger of Conté sent to Corus all those years ago?" Luke questioned.
Loni shook her head. "They don't have the knowledge or the power. Only Duke Roger knew how to create the sickness. All that we know is that he used a combination of his own Gift, ancient spells, and Drusythem to make it happen."
"Well that's some good news," Luke said quietly.
Loni massaged her temples. "We're going to need a lot more good news if we're ever going to find out why they need so much Drusythem."
The frustrated silence was soon broken by two loud voices entering the kitchen.
"Trows, why couldn't you just listen to me for once?" Lila shouted at the man who had followed her into the kitchen.
"Why can you not trust my judgment for once?" he shot back. "It's not like I try to get myself killed."
"What's going on?" Loni inquired as she looked at the two fuming figures.
Lila pointed her finger at Trows. "This idiot here thought it would be a good idea to try and follow one of Igor's men who was apparently delivering a package."
"The package could have contained more Drusythem," interrupted Trows. "I just wanted to know where he was taking it."
"It didn't occur to him that he might be seen," Lila said angrily, "which he was! The messenger met up with two others. They almost caught him, but I was there to conjure up smoke to allow him to get away."
"Did you learn what was in the package?" Loni asked.
"Just some papers saying that Igor would be sending some 'supplies' in to Corus during the next week," Trows said, "nothing that we didn't already know."
"So there was no need for you to risk your life so foolishly!" Lila yelled at Trows.
Trows threw up his hands, exasperated. "Quit treating me like you did when we were kids," he exclaimed. "I'm an adult now, and I can make my own decisions."
"Like hell you can," Lila said as she stomped out of the room.
Trows shook his head and smiled slightly at Loni and Luke. "The things you put up with for love," he said quietly as he followed Lila out of the room.
Luke shook his head. "Those two are going to destroy Corus without any help from Igor if they keep at it like they do."
Loni just smiled. "Or at least until Lila figures out that she's just as much in love with Trows as he is with her."
"Hope it comes soon," Luke remarked while Loni nodded her head in full agreement.
**************************************************************************** ***************************************************************************
Comments and criticisms are always welcomed! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!
Dalamar Nightson: Thanks! I'll try to explain better in this chapter. No, Josua is not shang.
Disclaimer: Y'all know the drill; I don't own any of TP's stuff! **************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************
People bustled around the crowded marketplace, buying, selling, and in some cases stealing, goods of all shapes and sizes. Newcomers to Corus were usually awed at the multitude of colors, sounds, smells, and ect. (and usually had a lighter purse when the snapped out of that awe). Not this one.
Luke glanced around at the stalls with mild if somewhat detached interest. 'No market in the world can surpass Tyra's.' he thought to himself reminiscing about his days spent in Tyra's marketplace.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that didn't notice the woman come out of booth with an armful of cloth that was obscuring her vision. "Oh!" he heard as he bumped into the woman, who dropped her cloth on to the street.
Luke looked up, surprised, at the woman who was now glaring at him. She was of medium height, with big doe-like brown eyes, full lips, and black hair which she was now wearing in a bun. She was quite attractive. "Watch where you're going will you," she snapped. "Those could have been silks," she said gesturing to the material on the ground.
"My apologies miss," Luke said, slightly grinning, "but you had that cloth piled so high I bet you would have ran into me even if I was paying attention." He bent down and picked up the cloth.
The woman turned slightly red at this remark and replied curtly, "I knew where I was going."
Luke finished gathering up the cloth and stood to grin at her. "Is this cloth transparent then?"
The woman blushed fully at this remark. "Never mind," she said slightly exasperated as she reached for the cloth.
Luke didn't let her take it though. "Wouldn't want the same thing to happen," he said. "Why don't I carry it for you to wherever it is your going?"
The woman actually smiled a little at him and nodded her head. She turned a gestured at him to follow.
"I'm Luke," he said pleasantly.
"Lalasa," the woman replied. "My shop's just a little ways up here."
"You own your own business?" Luke asked, impressed.
"Yes," she replied, "I'm a dressmaker."
Realization suddenly clicked in Luke's head. "You're the dressmaker Loni talks about," he said.
Lalasa glanced at him. "You know Loni?"
Luke nodded. "I live and work at the Dancing Dove," he replied. "Loni was of the first people I met when I came to Corus."
Now it was Lalasa's turn to be curious. "Where're you from?"
"Tyra," Luke said. "I guess I just like big cities."
"I'm from a small village myself," Lalasa admitted. "Here's my shop. Thanks for carrying my cloth for me."
"No problem," Luke replied easily. "It's not everyday I get to carry things for pretty ladies," he said with a wink.
Lalasa blushed slightly. "I bet Loni just keeps you around for your sense of humor," she teased.
"That or my good looks," Luke said with a grin.
Lalasa laughed. Shaking her head she replied, "You're a piece of work."
Luke just smiled as Lalasa opened the door to her shop. "Will you give my regards to Loni?" she asked.
Luke nodded. "I will," he said as he turned to go.
"Oh, and Luke," he heard her call from the doorway, "try to pay attention to where you're going."
He smiled. "I'd best try," he replied. "The next person I run into might not be as forgiving as you."
Lalasa just shook her head as she laughed. Going inside her shop, she thought to herself, 'you don't meet someone like him everyday. I might have to visit Loni sometime.' **************************************************************************** ************************************************************
"I'm back!" Luke yelled as he stepped through the doorway of the kitchen holding bags of food.
"Finally," remarked Loni, who was sitting at a table, going through what looked to be some type of list.
"I got sidetracked," Luke explained setting the bags onto the table.
"Oh?" Loni said, looking up from the list.
"I bumped into your friend Lalasa," Luke said, "and knocked all of her cloth to the ground. So I helped her carry it to her shop."
"Lalasa huh," Loni said with a smirk. "I suppose you charmed her with that humor of yours."
"It just comes natural," Luke said half-jokingly. "What do you have there?"
Loni glanced down at her list. "A list of items that were confiscated by our agents in Port Cayne," she said, "including more vials of Drusythem."
"Do you think they're trying to recreate the Sweating Sickness Roger of Conté sent to Corus all those years ago?" Luke questioned.
Loni shook her head. "They don't have the knowledge or the power. Only Duke Roger knew how to create the sickness. All that we know is that he used a combination of his own Gift, ancient spells, and Drusythem to make it happen."
"Well that's some good news," Luke said quietly.
Loni massaged her temples. "We're going to need a lot more good news if we're ever going to find out why they need so much Drusythem."
The frustrated silence was soon broken by two loud voices entering the kitchen.
"Trows, why couldn't you just listen to me for once?" Lila shouted at the man who had followed her into the kitchen.
"Why can you not trust my judgment for once?" he shot back. "It's not like I try to get myself killed."
"What's going on?" Loni inquired as she looked at the two fuming figures.
Lila pointed her finger at Trows. "This idiot here thought it would be a good idea to try and follow one of Igor's men who was apparently delivering a package."
"The package could have contained more Drusythem," interrupted Trows. "I just wanted to know where he was taking it."
"It didn't occur to him that he might be seen," Lila said angrily, "which he was! The messenger met up with two others. They almost caught him, but I was there to conjure up smoke to allow him to get away."
"Did you learn what was in the package?" Loni asked.
"Just some papers saying that Igor would be sending some 'supplies' in to Corus during the next week," Trows said, "nothing that we didn't already know."
"So there was no need for you to risk your life so foolishly!" Lila yelled at Trows.
Trows threw up his hands, exasperated. "Quit treating me like you did when we were kids," he exclaimed. "I'm an adult now, and I can make my own decisions."
"Like hell you can," Lila said as she stomped out of the room.
Trows shook his head and smiled slightly at Loni and Luke. "The things you put up with for love," he said quietly as he followed Lila out of the room.
Luke shook his head. "Those two are going to destroy Corus without any help from Igor if they keep at it like they do."
Loni just smiled. "Or at least until Lila figures out that she's just as much in love with Trows as he is with her."
"Hope it comes soon," Luke remarked while Loni nodded her head in full agreement.
**************************************************************************** ***************************************************************************
Comments and criticisms are always welcomed! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!