The markets were packed by the time we got there. We walked the extra distance to get to the largest one in the city, the best place for supplies and information on desert travel. It was still cooler from the night air, and I didn't get as many odd looks for having my cloak on, which was much appreciated.
I couldn't resist buying us a fresh loaf of a thick seeded bread, which is made of pumpkin seeds and chickpea flour. Here in Sulls, it's just called street bread and you can get it on every corner. I figured it would be at least a couple weeks before we found another bakery, probably longer, and I wanted one last taste before we left. I broke off a large piece and handed it to Schula, who eyed it suspiciously before I promised her it wasn't spicy. We saved the rest for Nassir and Puko.
The market was just as loud as I remember. The clay domed buildings that had been here since the markets were built were still here, but they had makeshift stalls strung between them made of scrap wood and colorful sheets of fabric. Every usable inch was filled with merchants hawking their wares, tables crammed with goods for sale, and market patrons elbowing each other to grab the last bowl or fish or slippers that they wanted.
It was beautiful chaos.
Schula did not like it.
"This is a lot more like battle and not at all like the markets in Thanantholl," she muttered.
I just grinned as I shoved our way around a cart of oats which was stuck in the road while it's owner argued with a heavyset man who was haggling the prices.
We followed the sluggish flow of shoppers until we reached a stand with a reasonable selection of dried fruits and preserved roasted vegetables. We looked over everything, grabbing mostly just foods we were familiar with but also one or two things that neither of us had seen before if it looked popular with the local shoppers.
"How much do we need, do you think?" Schula asked, selecting dried apple halves from a basket.
"I'm not sure," I said. "We should find out how many days it takes to cross the desert."
I handed my selection of dried pineapple rings to the merchant's son, who couldn't have been more than ten, and he weighed them on his scale and marked the price on a piece of paper, adding it to our total. He looked up as I mentioned the desert and tugged his father's sleeve.
"Hm? What is it Amar?" The merchant turned and leaned down to hear his son's whispers, then his eyes turned to us.
"You girls are crossing the desert? Alone?" he asked with a frown.
Schula glanced at me, not sure how to take the intrusive questions. I was used to the nosy people of Sulls, and tilted my face so he could see me under the hood without actually giving away my ears.
"No, but none in our party have crossed it before. Do you know how long it will take?" I asked.
He shook his head and sighed. "If I were you, I'd be hiring a guide. You'll be three weeks in the sands, and if you don't know what you're doing you'll get yourselves killed or run into the sand nomads."
I looked down in my pouch of coins, counting the dwindling amount with a sigh. "I don't know if we can afford a guide."
"It does sound like a decent idea," Schula whispered, then turned to the merchant. "Where does one find a guide through the desert?"
The merchant looked a bit relieved as he answered. "See the building with the blue flag on it? The one with the compass? Find any one of those buildings, it's the guild hall of the desert walkers, and they can tell you how to safely cross and match you with a guide if you want to go that route."
We looked far down the street where a blue flag was hanging limply in the breeze-less air. It had a white compass rose on it, and several people were mulling about outside, packing a mule with bags.
"I think I see it," I said. "Thank you, I think we're done shopping. Can you total us up?"
The merchant left his son to finish counting the sum of our purchases and turned to help another customer. I was impressed by the boy who already knew his numbers so well. Slow, but well. It wasn't commonly taught in the mountains, but I knew my numbers and letters because Mila insisted I learn them.
I winced as I handed over nearly half of my remaining human currency, and we packed everything in the bag on Schula's back. We began walking away and I shoved us through toward the sand walkers guild.
"I'm surprised you want a guide," I said. "I didn't think you'd want to hang around the humans longer than you had to."
Schula gave me a wink and we pushed our way to the side of the street the guild building was on. "It's not the humans per se, it's the glamouring all the time, and the secrets. I just want to get out of here and be myself without causing a small panic. But surely a guide, with all the wild things the desert has to offer, won't be completely stricken by the presence of a fae or two."
"So you want to find one we don't have to tip-toe around?" I asked.
"Right," she said. "I think the humans are interesting, but it wanes on a fae to act human around them when we don't bottle ourselves up back home in the Wyldes. I don't understand this culture of restraint and polite nothing-talk. I want to be me, and I want you to be you, and I want to speak plainly to each other."
"Well," I said as we walked through the archway of the building. "Let's see if we can find someone like that. I agree the desert is dangerous, I'd be relieved to have an experienced traveler with us."
"You don't think Nassir would mind, do you?" Schula asked.
"As long as they meet your criteria of being ourselves around them, then no, I don't think he would mind at all. In fact, since it's probably the wisest choice, I'm sure he'll be happy we did it."
Inside the building was a counter. There were two people behind it, waiting to assist the next potential customer. There were also plenty of people, mostly men, milling about the room with provisions, maps, or simply lounging until they were needed. Almost everyone present wore a matching blue tabards.
Schula looked a little nervous, so I let her stand back and I took the lead as I walked to the nearest attendant at the counter. She was older than me, probably old enough to be my mother. The wrinkles around her mouth indicated more smiling than frowning in her lifetime, and her very dark skin was leathered by the sun.
"Can I help you?" she asked, leaning forward on the counter.
"Yes, I would like to know how much a guide would cost to cross the desert, due south." I felt the coins in my pocket, trying to find the last Sun piece I had and hoping it would be enough.
"Well now, that depends on a few factors." The woman pulled a ledger out from under the counter and began to flip through it's pages. "How large of a group is crossing, when you need to leave, if you have horses to cross on, things like that."
"Oh." I hadn't considered any of that. "No horses, three people and we leave tonight."
Her eyes gave away her surprise, but she didn't say anything about our sudden departure. "Let me see who is available for such a trip. Hm, it looks like we have two available guides. Both are among our higher ranks, they have been with the guild for a long time, you would be in good hands with either of them. Now for the cost, it would be a three week trip on foot, and you would need to supply meals, gear, and two golden Sun pieces to be approved by the guide before departure."
I bit my lip and glanced back at Schula, who was frowning.
"Do you have any less experienced guides that would cost less?" I asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry, dear," the woman said. "Most of our guides are on trips right now, or are due on one soon. Are you sure you can't wait a few weeks to book a trip?"
I shook my head and gave her a small smile. "Afraid not."
"Well, if you must make a trip I can at least call someone out to advise you," she offered with a sympathetic look. "There are things you simply must know to cross safely."
"That would be wonderful," I said.
She smiled and pointed to an empty set of chairs across the room. "Why don't you have a seat, and I'll direct someone your way."
"Thank you," I said and left.
Of course Schula had heard everything, so she was already heading to the chairs as I headed her way. We sat down and I sighed as I leaned my head against the wall next to me.
"I don't think we can afford a guide," I said.
"And the extra rations..." Schula sighed.
"Well, at least the guild is giving us advice," I offered. "That's better than what we had to go on before."
She nodded and reached out to hold my hand. I smiled, the comfortable bond between us forcing me to relax.
At least, until the obnoxious yelling started.
"I am not crossing the desert with the child of an abomination!" A fat noble roared, spittle flying toward the nervous attendant.
"Sir, you have already approved him based on his credentials. We cannot make last minute changes, if you would simply-"
"The only simple thing around here seems to be you!" he growled. "How was I not clear enough for you? I will not be guided through the sands by him! You can either provide me a suitable guide, or a refund as well as suitable reimbursement for my time you have wasted!"
I glanced at Schula who looked just as curious as I was. But I had an inkling what the child of an abomination could be. After all, that's what they called me too.
But my questions didn't go unanswered long, as a man with auburn hair and a long white cloak came through the front doorway. He was dressed in the same blue tabard as the rest of the room, but his had white trim around the edges.
"Leave," he demanded of the noble, who whipped around in fury.
"How dare you! Do not show your lying face to me again." The noble turned back to the attendant again and slammed a fist on the counter. "I demand a refund and a guide, or I will ruin this guild!"
"OUT!" The guide in question was now right in the noble's face. "If you are not here to do business, you can leave. No refunds for bigots, you take our services or get out."
"I demand to speak to the guild leader!" the noble shrieked.
Just in time, a man shoved his way from the back room behind the counters. He was a ferociously large man, with a long beard and as many frown lines as our assistant earlier had laugh lines. His arms were probably as thick as my waist. I noticed his blue tabard had gold trim.
"Ah! Finally someone important enough to talk to-"
"Get out of my guild hall and never show your grubby face in here again," the new man, the guild leader, said in a low and threatening tone.
The noble's face was bright red by now, fists shaking at his side in anger. But even I would question a confrontation with the giant of a guild leader, and I wasn't even human.
The noble, after a long an uncomfortable silence, finally made the wisest decision he had probably made in a long time. He left.
The attendant looked ready to melt in his seat with relief. The guild leader gestured for the unwanted guide to come with him, and they both went behind the counter and to the back room.
Curious, I tilted my head that direction and I noticed Schula did the same. It wasn't any trouble for us to hear such a short distance, even with other chatter in the room to distract from the interesting conversation.
"What the hell was that?" the guild master growled.
"Another pig headed bigot," the guide answered. "If your people would just inform the customers beforehand we wouldn't-"
"No," the guild master cut him off. "None of this your people my people business. When you agreed to join the guild you became a part of this too. I don't have a problem with kicking that type of guy out of here, but you're still way too aggressive with the customers and with the guild members. You need to take some time off and cool down."
"Really Hash?" the guide said, defensive. "You're the one who begged me to join, and you're still on my ass about that? You agreed to take me as-is, half nomad and all and you're not living up to your end of the bargain. You want me to take time off? I'll give you lots of time off, because I quit!"
"Kai..." The guild master's words trailed away as I heard the shuffling of fabric and the stomping of feet.
The guide, Kai, emerged from the back of the counter without his tabard. I stiffened as I got my first direct look at his face.
He was clean shaven, with a crooked scar on his nose and a dark brown eye, almost black. Last but not least, an eye patch across his right eye.
An eye patch with a brilliant red star.