Axe and The Wolf

Chapter XIV: Silk and Glass

"Human nobles may sit in their gilded halls and wear their fancy robes, but beneath all the pomp and ceremony, they're just like the rest of us: flesh and bone. And as any dwarf knows, flesh can be pierced, and bone can be broken. It's deeds, not titles, that earn respect in the eyes of dwarves, for while human structures may crumble, stone endures, a testament to the true measure of strength."– General Gorin Stoneshield, Letters for a Brother  pg. 113

One day before the ball, the pair of warriors decided to go get ready. Yesugei had expressed worry regarding the payment for finery and formalwear, he mentioned having no funds that could permit such a purchase. The dwarf however eased his mind by showing him his main coin pouch, which was rather hefty with gold coins. "You are the son of a chieftain, lad, said so yerself, where's yer money?" asked the smith paying a dwarven food vendor on the street for two fried breads, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, it was covered in grated cheese, bacon and sour cream. A good food for a hangover, or so dwarves with whiter and longer beards than him would say. Yesugei bit into his food, he swallowed before answering. "Well, I had money when I left, but truth be told, Ulfrun, it's damn expensive, travelling and paying for transport like passage on a ship..." they kept walking "It dried up my funds, I have my emergency money still..." the dwarf suddenly interjected "Best to hold on to it, lad, best to have something to fall back on, I have more than enough for both of us, dinnae worry..." the swordsman cocked his head sideways "How come?" he asked, the dwarf sniffled and chewed his food "Well, we dwarves don't trade for coin between ourselves. Outsiders, meaning humans, elves, et cetera, trade with coin, we trade with them in kind. But we mainly pay with resources, to us gold and gemstones hold value with their beauty, not necessarily in the same way humans or others might look at them, where a man sees a stone worth a thousand gold pieces, we see a beautiful treasure from the earth, nothing more." the Khureyan caressed his goatee "Fascinating, so to your people is better to be paid in say produce, metal ingots or hides than coin?" this got a nod from Ulfrun "But out here" the dwarf motioned to the world around them "Well...you can't pay an innkeeper with a chair, or a mercenary with raw ore. You need coin, I need coin, so I take payments in the preestablished method of payment, that being gold."

The tailor shop was sturdidly built in the accustomed half-timbered style or Fachwerk as it is normally called in the standarized Teuton dialect. The installation of wooden panelling on the inside was really well done, carved designs added textures and bas-relief to the material. The tailor was a thin, slender man with a prominent curled mustache, a receeding hairline and small spectacles. "Ah customers, welcome to Händel's Tailoring Services, I am Johann Händel." he said with a slight bow. The pair introduced themselves and explained their circumstance. "A ball at the burgermeister's state...I have helped some customers for a few weeks with their attire for the event. I have several completed pieces, like these ones here..." the tailor showed them "But I don't think they fit either of you, no offense, master dwarf, I simply don't have many dwarven clients, therefore I seldom do pieces for your people." the dwarf raised a hand to dismiss any worries. Yesugei went first, the tailor asking of where had came from, soon a piece was produced from a pile of finely ornamented fabrics, a long calf-length work-in-progress, clearly a kaftan or a similar garment. Deep red in color with gold ornamentaions and filigree, it clung close to his chest but comfortably enough to not interfere with movement.

The entire outfit was the deel or kaftan with an embroided matching sash, black pants and a fresh pair of curly toed boots in the style of the steppe nomads, and a small fur hat with a gem on the front. Ulfrun managed to obtain and get adjusted a rather wide grey-green overcoat with heavy filigree and ornamentation on the shoulders, lapel and sleeve cuffs. A waistcoat adorned his torso along with a sash and his leather belt, being suspicious as ever, he chose to carry with him his holstered pistol. He chose to wear his forest green pants and bought a pair of new leather boots, buying two small plates of cut brass and paying for a quick time with a blacksmith's anvil, the smith managed to add the plates to the front of his boots. In total, the dwarf spent around 50 gold coins. Eventually, a carriage arrived at the King in Yellow, just as the pair was returning. From within, the familiar handsome face of Thalassiel emerged, he was dressed in an immaculate ensemble of white, gold and dark blue, adorned by a similar cape over his shoulders, a plumed exquisitely made beret atop his head. "Gentlemen, you look good, let us move, there's a ball to attend to" said the paladin with a smile. "The Burgermeister, Herr Hensoldt, is quite an affluent man, import and export, that sort of thing, however, he uses some part of his wealth for the Springtime Ball, yearly, he invites the aristocracy, nearby nobles and important guild members to it" the dwarf stared at him "So uh...how'd you get invited then?" the interior of the carriage fell silent for a couple of seconds, they then broke into laughter "Member of the church get also invited, as a paladin I am a member of the church by extent, therefore I did get an invitation, Ulfrun."