I type these chapters out as I go, so if the update speed is too slow, just let me know.

Chapter 5

As Ike and Soren stayed, they learned a lot about the surrounding area. "Further north, there's several castles and keeps," Selyne told Ike one evening as she worked in her garden. Along the back end of the garden were large, round, green grapes. She would cut the bunches and place them in a wooden crate.

"I suppose you'll want to stay away from all that," she added. "West is mostly farms. I'm sure you'll have plenty of work there. As for Soren..." She glanced back at the inn with a sigh.

"He's no farm hand," Ike admitted. He moved a full crate aside for her and brought an empty one.

"I can't imagine him dirtying his hands," she admitted. She stopped to push a loose strand of hair out of her face. "Though I guess some of the farmers wouldn't mind it. He's pretty intelligent, keeping up with paperwork or teaching kids might be good for him. If he can trust the kids."

"Anyway," she said with another snip, "to the south is beaches and more ports. And east, I haven't gone too far east. But it seems like more woods than anything."

"So you're well traveled?"

"Not exactly. I did some traveling around the continent as a child, but I haven't really gone anywhere in a long time. I talk to travelers, though." She said that in a way that made it clear she missed her own trips. But with a shrug, she went back to cutting grapes.

They made small talk as she worked. Once the vines were clear, they carried the crates inside. "I guess I can keep one," Selyne muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "I'm not fond of them, but everyone else seems to be. The rest can go by the door. I'll take them to the market in the morning."

"By yourself?"

Selyne nodded. "That's how I've always done it. Lena stays here in case anyone comes or goes." She straightened up and saw the unsure look on Ike's face. "I have a cart," she added, "for days like this."

"Why didn't you use it last time?"

Selyne sighed, "Because I was in a rush and mad at myself." She glanced at the floor, suddenly feeling shy. "Is there anything in particular you want? When I go in the morning? I try to get things everyone would want."

"As long as it has meat, I'm fine."

Selyne and Ike shared a laugh. "Oh, if only more guests were like you, then."

Ike left her with a grin and headed upstairs. He knocked at Soren's door and joined him in his room. "Selyne was telling me what our options are." He sat down on the bed and stretched out. Soren looked up from the spot he had taken by the window. Ike explained the nearby layout from Selyne's information.

Slowly, Soren shut his book. "So, west?"

"Do you actually want to be a farmhand?" Ike asked Soren.

"No," Soren replied. He started to trace the swirls on his book cover. "But you said you want something new. And while I imagine no military is going to turn down extra personnel, it sounds like west would be more along the lines of what you're looking for."

"I don't know..." Ike said slowly. He was unsure. Though unspoken, both of them knew the other options. Either they could wander the land, taking odd jobs for food, shelter, or coin, or they could return to Tellius.

Soren exhaled loudly and said, "As long as our coin doesn't run out, we can rest and try to sort this through." He started to tap a finger against his book. "For that matter, I'm sure Selyne would be willing to exchange work for a room. It's basically what she does with Lena, correct?"

"From what I understand, yeah."

It was hard for Soren not to say something else. Instead, he rose to his feet and placed his book by the window. He stretched, then said, "I think the best thing to do is to talk to Selyne some more. Or talk to others. Maybe they'll have recommendations. Except that trio of men, those three are sellswords."

"How did you pick that one up?"

Soren sighed and said, "Last night while we were eating, one mentioned it. They were planning to travel south and also mentioned pirates."

"Ah." Ike nodded. South was out, then. He felt guilty about not doing something, but he was tired of fighting battles.

That evening, Ike tried to make conversation while Soren listened at dinner. The talk was light, the meal hearty, but very little was helpful. As they ate, two women entered the inn. Selyne excused herself to speak to them.

She returned some time later and looked annoyed. As her guests left the table, she stayed and sat. Ike wanted to stay with her, but Lena shooed him away.

The next morning, Soren and Ike were startled from their breakfast by a victorious cry.

"I finally got you, dastard!"

Everyone jumped, but Lena squealed as Selyne, her spirits lifted somewhat, joined them holding her metal trap. Inside sat a scared, and large, grey rabbit. It breathed quickly as it tried frantically to escape.

"Selyne, please don't take him to the market with you!" Lena reached a finger between the wire and touched the rabbit.

"And have him continue to menace my garden?" She did not wait for an answer. She carried her prize to the entrance and sat the trap down by the door. She left the inn for a moment, then returned for her grapes and rabbit.

Ike exchanged a look with Soren. Silently, they decided to accompany her. They joined her outside as she loaded a small cart with the grapes she had cut the day before. Ike grabbed the trap and rabbit. She looked surprised by their company.

"You don't want him messing up your grapes, right?" Ike asked.

"Good point," she sighed. "OK. Let's go."

As they made the walk to the market, Ike remembered what happened the night before during their meal. "What was that about?" he asked when he brought up the two women.

"Dia and her sister, they run a tailor shop. They just wanted to warn me that they heard not only are the raiders around again, but that there's piracy getting closer to us." She sighed as she pushed the cart ahead of her. "I thought we were done with them, but I guess living near the sea puts us at a disadvantage."

"Raiders aren't much. I'd be worried about the pirates."

Selyne stopped in her tracks as she stared at Soren. "I think that's the most words I've ever heard you say," she told him.

Ike grinned at Soren and said, "He has a point. Soren is a pretty good tactician. Raiders do what they do and go, with no real organization."

"Pirates are going to siege and attack," Soren added. "Which also means goods are going to rise in price."

"Great," Selyne muttered. "I usually rely on trade, but I've got plenty of money."

"What are you planning on trading for?" Ike felt a change of subject was in the air.

"I need milk and meat," she admitted.

Ike rattled the cage with the rabbit inside. "You've got meat right here. Rabbit is pretty tasty."

Selyne shook her head. "I'm not killing and butchering the rabbit. I'd like to get some beef for him, or ham."

Soren looked at the rabbit. It was large and well fed, no doubt on the vegetables growing in the garden. "You do know he won't be kept as a pet, right?"

"I don't care what they do with him," she said, "I just prefer not to butcher my own meat."

"It's not hard," Ike told her. "I can teach you."

Selyne laughed. By that point they had already reached the marketplace. "You can do it all, can't you?" She then smirked. "Let's see how well you trade."

She sent Ike off with the rabbit and told him to return with her trap and whatever he had gained from the rabbit. Soren stayed with her and she was more than willing to point out people of note as they moved the grapes. Fruits and vegetables Soren had never seen before were being loaded off ships, along with bolts of fabric, fancy silverware, trinkets from foreign lands, and casks of wine.

Selyne took a pouch from her dress and pulled out a coin and bought an orange from a young boy. He thanked her in a foreign tongue and tossed the coin to a woman that was clearly his mother. She split it and offered half to Soren.

"You look like you need it," she told him.

He muttered something that may have been a thanks and ate it. The grapes in her cart were soon replaced with potatoes, a couple of jugs of milk, and some jars of applesauce and jams. As she pointed out a young man who's father was a duke, and who Soren made a mental note to avoid, Ike returned with the empty cage and a package wrapped in butcher paper.

"It's not ham," he told her, "but beef will do, won't it?"

"It certainly will," she said with a laugh. She placed her hand on his arm briefly and added, "I might just have to keep you."