So here I am again, tossing another poor, unsuspecting canon character into the lions' den of my OC's and trying to make it work. Poor Rose...

I'm doing this as a sort of personal challenge, and it's becoming very challenging. If you're still sticking with me on this, bless your little boots.

Chapter 3

As awkward as Rose felt, she began to feel even worse for the man, but only a few moments into his rant, he abruptly stopped and stared down at her with a puzzled scowl.

"Ishvala's blessings be heaped upon you and yours this fine day, Zhaarad Stanno Dreva, Chieftain of Kanda!" Atash called up cheerfully. He gestured with a little bow toward Rose. "This is Zhaarana Rose Thomas and she came all the way here from Liore to be your very first hotel guest and I knew you'd feel all torn up inside if you missed the chance to say hello!"

Stanno's features slowly set into a belated, slightly damaged dignity. He cleared his throat and carefully addressed Rose. "Let me put on a shirt and I'll be right down." As he turned away from the window, he cast Atash a seething glare and growled, "Yaakhtai!"

The shutters closed and several minutes went by before one of the wooden panels on the ground floor of the building slid to one side. Stanno stepped out, no longer shirtless, his striped sash bearing the appearance of having been thrown on and knotted hastily. His hair had been put in some semblance of order by a quick run-through with his fingers. He stepped up to the trio in the street and gave Rose a cautious nod.

Rose knew pretty much all of Liore's collection of characters. During her short time here so far, she had already started picking out Ishval's versions. Atash was one of the local enterprising scamps. Pashmina was his slightly ditzy but at the same time fairly shrewd sweetheart. The two members of the tagma they met on the access road were the good-natured but vigilant law enforcement officers. Colonel Miles was the stalwart commander of the local military establishment, a credit to his uniform and his people. She knew she would come across many other familiar types.

So who was this gentleman, Rose wondered. Which type was he? He was rather good-looking, his features not quite fine but definitely not coarse. A little dissipated around the edges. He probably wasn't married. A wife would not have allowed him to bellow obscenities into a quiet street, certainly not the one she lived on. He was apparently a man of authority, being the local chieftain, as well as a man of means, having a shared interest in the hotel. Was he also the local roué? Such a combination ought to add up to a more cheerful disposition, but that wasn't what Rose was seeing standing in front of her.

"Good morning," Stanno said in what barely escaped being a mumble.

"It's just gone noon," Pashmina offered helpfully.

Stanno gave her a sharp, irritable scowl. "Then why aren't you in school?"

"Zhaarad Andakar excused me today because it's our guest's first day," Pashmina replied loftily.

"I…uh…didn't mean to wake you up," Rose interrupted quickly. "It wasn't actually my idea."

Stanno went from glaring sullenly at the two young Ishvalans to contemplating Rose. "No, I…" He paused as his gaze was momentarily arrested by the locks of pink hair that framed her face. "…I didn't think it was. My shutters are all marked up from this one"—he jerked his chin at Atash—"throwing rocks. And I wasn't asleep, by the way," he added tersely.

"Eh-h!" Atash uttered the sound softly to himself, pointedly looking anywhere but at Stanno.

Stanno ignored him. "I hope you like your room," he said to Rose.

She got the impression that he said it because he was expected to, rather than out of sincere concern for her comfort. But until she found out more about him and was able to ascertain whether or not he was a bona fide jerk, she was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I like it very much, thank you," Rose replied.

Stanno nodded. "Good. Good."

There were several beats of silence where, if Stanno was trying to think of anything else to say, he wasn't putting any particular effort into it. The two young Ishvalans glanced at each other, wondering, perhaps, if the other might have something to volunteer. Each second that ticked by became an agony to Rose.

"Well!" she said decisively. The others gave a start. Rose smiled pleasantly. "Your hotel is lovely and your staff is very helpful. But I know you must be busy, so I won't keep you any longer, Mr. Stanno. It was very nice to meet you!"

She thrust out her hand. Stanno considered it for a moment, then gave it a brief shake. "Uh…yes…likewise."

Rose looked back and forth at Atash and Pashmina. "I think I'll go unpack and then freshen up. Then you can tell me the best sights to see." She turned to Stanno with a parting smile. "Good morning!"

"Hmm?" Stanno had once again been fixated on her pink hair and had to quickly refocus his eyes on her face. "Oh. Definitely. Good morning."

Rose turned and headed back to the hotel, followed by the two young Ishvalans. Stepping into the lobby, she paused and let out a breath of relief. "Well, I'm not sure I enjoyed that."

Atash and Pashmina glanced at each other with dismay. "I'm sorry, Zhaarana!" Atash replied quickly. "I guess I got a little carried away." He gave a little shrug. "I've gotten so used to having to light a fire under that fellow."

"Well, you know him better than I do," Rose said. She put on a small, thoughtful frown. "I'm trying to decide whether I feel sorry for him." The two Ishvalans looked back at her doubtfully and she shrugged. "It does sort of take all kinds to make a world, after all." Rose smiled at the two. "So where's a good place to get lunch?"

8888

Pashmina took full advantage of her day off from school to show Rose around the Kanda marketplace. Liore had a farmer's market in the town square every Saturday, which was usually pretty festive, but it paled in comparison to what Rose saw around her. It was so wonderfully busy and noisy and exotic, yet comfortable at the same time. Snatches of music filled the air as merchants advertised their wares with their own unique chants. There were stalls and store fronts displaying fabric and baskets and yarn and spices and plump fruits and vegetables. Rose was almost afraid she wouldn't be able to take it all in.

"Is it like this all the time?" she asked in wonder.

"Mostly," Pashmina replied. "It's a little busier right now because of the festival. Everybody's getting ready for it. My auntie's going to be cooking all week."

Pashmina led Rose to join the small crowd in front of a food stall where some particularly savory smells were coming from. Rose stood on her toes to peer over the shoulders in front of her. There were skewers of meat grilling and pots bubbling behind the counter. A mound of round, flat bread sat in a basket on one of the prep tables, as well as bowls of scallions, chopped tomatoes, green herbs, and sliced eggs. Two women and a man were busy taking orders, serving customers, and dishing up food. They would take a piece of bread, fill it with combinations of meat, vegetables, eggs, or some sort of thick bean concoction from one of the pots. Then they wrapped it in paper and handed it to the waiting customer.

"What kind of meat is that?" Rose pointed to the grill. "Some of it looks like chicken. What's the darker one? Beef?"

Pashmina shook her head. "It's goat. You should try it."

They moved a little closer to the front of the line. Rose's mouth started watering. "What's the stuff in the pot? It looks like mushed up beans."

"It's fel sheshku. It's really good!"

They were nearly up to the counter, where food and money was being exchanged rapidly. There was no menu posted, and even if there were, Rose didn't think she could decipher it. The people running the stall might very well have their own brand of diner lingo, and Rose doubted that if she asked them to walk a cow through the garden and make it cry that she'd get a burger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions. There were already more people lining up behind her and she didn't want to hold up things up.

She nudged Pashmina. "Order for me!"

Pashmina glanced at her. "Are you sure?"

Rose nodded quickly. "I trust you. Whatever you like best. I'll treat!"

Pashmina grinned and spoke rapidly in Ishvalan to the man behind the counter, pointing to some of the pots and bowls. The man nodded and prepared four different combinations, wrapped them securely in paper, and handed them to the girls. He then filled two metal cups with a pinkish orange juice and set those on the counter.

"Four hundred cenz!" he pronounced.

Rose was impressed. "That's about the price of Willie's blue-plate special."

The man behind the counter laughed. He was short and reedy with a droopy white mustache above his lip. He had a dark blue cloth tied around his head. He and Willie probably would have gotten along famously. "This is our blue-plate special!"

The girls managed to juggle the food and cups between them, and they moved away to make room for the next customers. Around the side of the stall, under the shade of a couple of trees, were a group of tables with stools set around them. They were all full, occupied by workmen of various sorts and a few soldiers. Rose noticed that both the tables and the stools were old wire cable reels of various sizes that were being recycled. They had the same things back at Wilfred's lunch counter. Rose smiled. The Ishvalans obviously had the same "waste not want not" attitude as Liore.

At that moment, luckily, three men got up from one of the tables, waving to the remaining diner. Rose recognized him as one of the tagma officers she'd seen earlier. Pashmina quickly made her way over to the empty seats. She smiled coquettishly at the officer.

"Are these seats free, Captain Kaihan?" she asked, adding a bit of sing-song to her voice.

Kaihan sat back and considered the girl for a moment with a lift of his eyebrow and a little smirk. "Now, now, laleh! Why aren't you in school?"

Pashmina let out a little impatient puff of air. "Because I'm working!"

Kaihan laughed. "Oh, yes? I can see you're hard at it. Seriously, does the khorovar know you're traipsing around the marketplace?"

"He let me have today off," Pashmina explained. "Ask him, if you like. I'm showing Zhaarana Rose around Ishval today."

Kaihan gestured toward two of the stools. "Well, then, I'd be pleased to have you both join me." He turned to Rose as they sat down. "I'm guessing Atash got you to your hotel in one piece."

Rose smiled back at him. He looked to be in his early thirties. He had a nice, open countenance with a hint of rogue thrown in. He cut a very admirable figure and probably had a lot of female eyes following him as he rode through town.

"Oh, yes, he did," Rose replied with a smile. "He managed to not run over anything or anybody along the way."

The captain chuckled. "Atash is a decent kid," he agreed.

"He's not a kid!" Pashmina objected. "As soon as I'm done with school, we're getting married."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Rose said. "Congratulations!"

Pashmina gave her a gratified smile. "Thank you!"

"And what does your auntie say about that?" Kaihan asked with a hint of a wink at Rose. "Atash hasn't exactly established himself in anything. How does it go? Jack of all trades, master of none?"

Pashmina bridled. "Atash is very clever! He could do anything he wanted!"

"I don't know," Kaihan said. "Somehow I don't see him running for khorovar."

Pashmina rolled her eyes. "Well, no, of course not. Not against Zhaarad Andakar. He'll be khorovar forever, probably."

Rose was busy frowning at one end of her bread wrap, trying to figure out where to bite into it.

"Just dive into it, Zhaarana," Kaihan told her.

Rose nodded as she took a big bite, filling her mouth with an amazing mixture of warm, chewy bread, soft, savory beans, tangy cheese, and crisp vegetables. It was one of the most delicious things she'd ever eaten, and she would have said so but for having a full mouth. She managed a deeply satisfied "Mmmm!" Definitely worth writing home about.

"I knew you'd like it!" Pashmina said with a giggle.

"What do you think of Ishval so far?" Kaihan asked after Rose had swallowed her mouthful.

She took a drink from her cup. It was a mix of citrus juices and some other fruit that Rose couldn't identify, but it was just the right combination of sweet and tangy. "It's beautiful!" Rose replied. "I knew it would be. You must have all worked so hard to bring it back."

"That we did!" Kaihan replied in heartfelt agreement. "It was like hell on earth when we first got here, but we pulled our homes back out of the ruins."

"Zhaarana Rose is from Liore," Pashmina said, since Rose had her mouth full again.

The significance wasn't lost. Kaihan's brows went up. "Are you now? Well, then, you folks had to do a bit of rebuilding, too, from all accounts."

Rose nodded. "It wasn't nearly as bad as what happened here." She frowned a little. "And I guess you could say we did it to ourselves." She brightened. "But that's all behind us."

Kaihan flashed a grin. "Sometimes the future is so bright, it's dazzling, isn't it?"

Rose gave a little laugh. The captain's smile was pretty dazzling, too. "Yes, it is."

"Well, ladies," Kaihan said, standing up. "I'd love to enjoy your company for longer, but I have to get back on patrol."

"Ooh, yes!" Pashmina uttered ominously. "You have to keep all the crooks and troublemakers shaking in their sandals!"

Kaihan shook his finger at her. "Speaking of troublemakers, I just might check with the khorovar to verify your story, laleh!" he teased. "Sounds very suspicious to me."

Pashmina shrugged, unconcerned. "Go ahead."

Kaihan just smirked in reply, then gave Rose a little bow. "Good day to you, Zhaarana Rose." Before turning away, he asked, "How long will you been in Ishval?"

"All week," Rose replied. "I'm staying for the festival."

Kaihan smiled approvingly. "Well, then, Liore's loss is our gain, if you don't mind me saying so." With a wave, he departed.

"He seems nice," Rose remarked, contemplating where she would take the next bite of her wrap.

"Kaihan? He's all right." Pashmina shrugged then grinned. "He jumped at the chance of joining the tagma. Beats taking care of goats."

Rose nodded as she swallowed another mouthful. "I can see where it'd be a lot more glamorous." She picked up her cup. "What kind of juice is this?"

Pashimina took a sip. "Orange and lime and prickly pear."

"Prickly pear? This is cactus juice?"

"That's right." The girl contemplated her cup. "Zhaarad Andakar said that the prickly pear is kind of like Ishvala's idea of a puzzle. He made a plant that would give us food and drink, but we had to figure out how to get to it without getting covered in prickles." Pashmina gave a little annoyed frown. "That's a lot like the way Zhaarad Andakar teaches. He never just tells you the answer. He makes you figure something out on your own."

"Well," Rose said, trying not to sound like a patronizing grown-up. "You remember stuff better that way."

Pashmina wasn't convinced, and she was disinclined to discuss school any further. They finished their lunch, packing up the leftovers for Atash, and they continued walking through the marketplace. Rose loved the atmosphere, which spoke of a people who had rediscovered life with a passion and weren't taking a moment of it for granted.

After looking over many of the wares for sale, Rose bought a bright red shawl made of soft wool. She thought the price was very reasonable. Something handmade like this would cost nearly twice as much in Liore. The roasted almonds she bought were also cheaper than she would find them in Liore, being locally grown. Rose couldn't understand why Amestrians weren't flocking to Ishval, and she intended to spread the word once she went back home.

They returned to the hotel, and as they came up the street toward the entrance, a familiar figure was approaching from the other direction. The provincial governor of Ishval was carrying a couple of books under one arm, and Pashmina paused, her shoulders drooping.

"Oh, no! Really?" she moaned under her breath.

Scar gave her a mildly disapproving look as he stepped up and handed her the books. "Don't make that face, Pashmina. This is all for your benefit. I've marked the pages you need to work on."

Pashmina took the books. "Thank you, Zhaarad Andakar," she mumbled.

Scar turned to Rose, looking solemnly pleased. "So, you're our visitor. I'm glad you decided to come to Ishval."

"I am too!" Rose replied with a smile. "It really is beautiful here. And just so you know," she added, "Pashmina has been hard at work taking good care of me."

"I'm glad to hear it. Will you be able to spare her for the next few days? She can't afford to miss too much school."

Pashmina opened her mouth to protest, but Rose answered smoothly. "I'll manage, I'm sure." Before the Ishvalan girl could get into a pout, Rose put an arm around her shoulders. "Let's go in, and I'll help you with your homework."

Pashmina gave a little gasp. "Really?"

"That's very kind of you," Scar remarked. "She may need a little help with the arithmetic, since she missed today's lesson. It's fractions," he added.

Pashmina let out another groan, but Rose waved her hand. "I do all the bookkeeping at my job back in Liore. I've got fractions all figured out. We'll breeze through it!"

Scar seemed to be fairly satisfied with this arrangement and he left them to it. The two women sat in the garden and Rose helped Pashmina unravel the mysteries of fractions. The girl was easily distracted, that much was plain. Rose could see what a challenge school must be for her, as well as the challenge it must be to teach her. She definitely benefited from some one-on-one tutoring.

The Ishvalan grammar wasn't something Rose could help her with, but it was just some repetitive practice, and Pashmina was able to get through it. Rose then spent the rest of the day relaxing in the garden with a good book and a cup of tea. When suppertime came around, Atash arrived with a meal for all of them. Rose felt very pampered, and she enjoyed the young peoples' company.

By that evening, Rose had had a very long day and she decided to get ready for bed. After a relaxing bath, she wrapped herself in a robe and returned to her room. Changing into her nightgown, she was just about to get into bed when she heard a very faint clicking sound. She wasn't even sure she had actually heard it at first, but she glanced around the room by the light of the bedside lamp.

Keeping close to the wall, a small creature was making its way across the floor. Rose stared at it for a moment in disbelief. She didn't think she had ever seen anything so hideously creepy in her life. It was a sickly yellowish color, with brown stripes across its back. It was probably only about four inches long, but to Rose, it looked huge. It crawled along on eight legs and it had a pair of claws with sharp pincers that it held in front of what passed for a head. At the other end, dragging flat along the ground, was a pulpy, segmented tail, at the end of which was a finely pointed stinger.

Rose wasn't particularly cowardly, but she hated bugs. She kept the lunch counter scrupulously clean to keep it insect free, and if she discovered any wildlife, she had to have Wilfred kill it and get rid of it. She couldn't even watch the process and she had no desire to see the results.

After getting over her initial paralyzing shock, she let out a shriek. The scorpion froze, and its tail whipped up defensively over its back. It turned toward her, ready for battle.

This was just a bit too much for Rose, and she couldn't scramble up onto her bed fast enough. All the screaming in the world wouldn't make the creature disappear, but it was all she could manage to do, and once she started, she didn't seem to be able to stop.