Private Tales Take it to the old perry pear

[Ermengarde]

Late spring, the fileds have been long worked on, with some early year crops already budding out of the ground.
Rye was high and green, it's pricky ends making the endless fields seem like cotton soft carpets, while the endless wineyards towards the waterfront were as extensive as the sea that parted off into the distance.

Even Alliria could be seen far off in the distance on a day as clear as this.​

The town of Visk was buzzing as ever, people was walkign about and tending to their crafts, bowyers making bows, potters making pots, merchants displaying their crafts.
The bussiest however, was not the inn, a building with high white walls and a bright red roof. the windows, beams and doors were painted in strong green. There was a small veranda on the outside, it's pillars and supports covered in various climbing plants and greens. On such a fine day, most of the customers were actually outside rather than indoors, the day was just too fine.
One of the customers was the famed female Duellist, a lower noble from a colony in far off lands. Ermengarde was her name, and she sat on a bench with a lager on the side, seemingly enjoying her own time.

 

[Huang Tien]

Crowds in it among themselves tend to passively promote a sense of anonymity, even for such that isn't dressed how most locals are. Still, the Eastern stranger in yellow still stood out among the crowed as noticeable. The truth was, it wasn't really this outfit that caused him to stand out, nor even the staff he carried; rather, it was his wide-brim strawhat. The pattern was most definitely of an Eastern taste, and rarely was such a headware seen around these parts. Stranger still was the way it covered his face, as one could see very little of the overall expression, save perhaps the mouth.

What made this particular stranger interesting was his stride was his posture; the stranger had his free hand up to his chest, palms open and positioned in horizontally, with what appeared to be wooden beads interwoven between his fingers. The stranger would also be heard occasionally muttering some gibberish or another under his breath, 'causing those whom passed him to do a double take.

It was all of this combined that 'caused a stranger such as himself to stand out. As he passed, many heads turned and wondered...who exactly was he?

Whoever the stranger was, he didn't seem to pay anyone any mind. He may have a purpose in town, or maybe he would not, for all anyone knew he was just some escaped madman wandering the streets. Still, he didn't really seem to bother anyone...

Until his staff unwittingly bumped up against this female duelist as he passed...​

 

[Ermengarde]

A simple bump and the lass spilled her booze.
She gave the passing man a leer before leaning back, twisting her now wet figers around the container.
»Hmph, could've least apologised.«

 

[Huang Tien]

The stranger seemed to have take a few steps forward, appearing to not have noticed the women's comment. It was only after a few steps did the stranger in yellow stop, and slowly turned around. The stranger's face was still covered by his wide-brim straw hat, and his hands were still held in a vertical position up at his chest. However, the stranger was now facing the duelist, his body completely diagonal to her.

"My apologize miss...I did not notice my collusion with your...spirit...I was simply...deep in thought...please..." The man lowered his head, as his upper torso came down in a bow."...accept my most humble apologize."​

 

[Ermengarde]

Ermengarde Seemed to be set back by the somewhat prompt reply. Otherwise she would've have just resumed and perhaps complained to a commrade later in about 'unruly' denizens but not really care too deeply.

She set the lager on the bench beside her and wiped her hand across her startling blue cloak. Why not just grab it with the other? It was that point most noticeable she only had one arm.

Flattering lad, sure, she tought to herself
»No need to this polite, I'm no king nor monarch.« Her voice was calm and relaxed. Though now on closer investigation noticed that the man is from far off lands. The way he dresses at least, it's a style she's seen in the distant lands from here.
»Why don't you sit by for a drink?«

 

[Huang Tien]

"King or commoner, I do not differentiate..." The stranger would lift his torso out of the bow, his eyes still covered by his straw hat. "...to my perspective they are all they same, all to be treated with an equal amount of respect...as such, it would only be natural of me to be prompt about my apologize to you, as I would anybody."

The stranger didn't seem to say much more after that, as he took a few slow steps forward towards the women. Then he paused for a secound, as if he was accessing the situation, or perhaps he was just taking in her words?

"Unfortunately, I must decline, as I do not simply drink with...strangers." The pause in his sentence may or may not have been suggestive, it was hard to tell by the man's lack of facial expression.​

 

[Ermengarde]

»Suppose it's apt for a king, but with this pompous politiness you'll get in trouble with a chump.«

Ermengarde's tone was rather direct.

»Suppose you don't need to be a stranger. The name's Ermengarde. « She stood up and offered him her hand like man to man.

 

[Huang Tien]

"I see..." The stranger seem to grow silent as she spoke. In truth, he wanted to say somthing cleaver, but decided to refrain from it. Instead, he continued to listen, nodding a little as the women spoke her name.

"A pleasure to met you, o'honorable Ermengarde." The stranger would go on to bow again after he had said this words, ignoring the hand shake.

It would highly suspect to assume that the man did so out of disrespect, although to most people it may have seen that way. Truth was, the gesture was still all too foreign for his people. It would appear that it wasn't much customary for his people to do handshakes in general, but a bow or a specific gesture was often used in greeting. Again, handshakes generally were not in his customs.​

 

[Ermengarde]

Not too suprising.
Ermengarde returned her arm to herself before bowing deeply in turn.

She was no stranger, though some other visitors gave shifty glances and stares.

Ermengarde lived her early years in those lands, she felt very much sympathising to being an outsider. Alas she also remembers fondness of those years.

 

[Huang Tien]

The stranger in yellow took note of her bow, as he raised his own posture. There were many things he took from this gesture, but remained quiet about his observation.

As the stranger stood back up stright, he suddenly turned and began looking back around the market behind him. The stranger took a moment to take in his surroundings, the various looks directed him did not escape his attention, but were mainly disregarded as his searching eyes were looking for somthing greater.

After a few quick moments, the man's attention returned to the women in front of him, before speaking politely. "I suppose you may be a bit more antiquated with this market then I am...If you do not mind me asking, but do you perhaps know where I may acquire some of the local blend of tea? My current stocks are running rather low...and I would very much like to replenish them."​

 

[Ermengarde]

»Tea, no. Tea is not grown in these lands. Other herbs like mint, millefleur and chamomile are drank instead. The innkeeper's daughter however sells an infusion herb mix from linden, elderberry and peppermint. It's nowhere near a replacement though. I fear even Allira would not hold such wares.« Perhaps Ermengarde was too precise. But one could go on for ages about semantics to this booksmart one-arm.

»I suggest that one if no other would fit.«

 

[Huang Tien]

"Ah, but is that not tea as well? At least under some definition...by the sound of it, this drink seems to be prepared in similar manner as to what I may be referring to as "tea"...yet, perhaps it is under some different definition...I ought go learn of it myself." The man chuckled, keeping his composure as his eyes began to drift upwards towards the sky. "What a joy to live in a world so vast, with so many things to discover and learn...you know a fellow could learn a new thing everyday for the rest of his life, and yet the so much of the world may still remain a mystery...what grand world we live in..."

The man didn't seem to be talking directly at any particular person. It seemed more that he was just talking nonsense to himself, or perhaps his comments had some meaning in them?

"Care to join me? It would be my treat." Odd words coming from him, as the stranger did not appear to possess much wealth, judging by his appearance....​

 

[Ermengarde]

Ermengarde leaned back before raising, waving to the tender in the inn.
»To any commoner perhaps. But if I've gotten chamomile instead of camellia when asking for tea; That would have been quite a blunder.« .
The duellist would then listen, for someone so reserved he opned up quite vastly. Are these the words he mutters to himself, or rather muttered before but only now dared to speak out loud? Well
»I'd be happy to exercise my legs once more.« As the barkeeper came, she gave him the exact numer of denars before hoisting herself away and towards the newly met man.
»May I ask for your name?«

 

[Huang Tien]

"Perhaps to some perspectives, including yours...but to others, such as mine....it may very well be exactly what they are seeking..," The man chuckled at the women's curtness. Indeed, the man didn't seem to bothered by the terminology, or by anything really.

"Ah, where are my manners, my name is..." The stranger said somthing foreign, slowly too, but it was certainly not of the common tongue. "...But many people refer to me as simply: "Tien""

Seemed like the man had to tweak his name a bit to fit the common tongue, as the word didn't seem to come out as smoothly as what he had pronounced before that.

"Now, which direction shall we be off to?"​

 

[Ermengarde]

A name first heard is always forgotten, though the sound value alone can be parroted, without a value it's lost is not memorised like in school. But suppose Tien shall do,
»I suppose you already had something in mind. I suggest the main square. The market is open at this time.«

 

[Huang Tien]

"Indeed..." The stranger in yellow began to nodded off, returning to a previous posture with his hat tipped over to cover his eyes. "...while I am aware of the market's existence, I'm not quite aware of where the merchants that sell herbal beverage is located..that is perhaps where...it would probably take me some time to locate it...if that is somthing you're content with."​

 

[Ermengarde]

Th duellist dusted off her cloak. It was a very nice cloak, nice and tight on the back with long sleeves and decorative tassles on the sides. The buttons were of brass and engraved.
at this point the waving motion of her left sleeve easily made it clear that something was missing there. The way it waved without much resistance, casually laying alongside the body when done, the arm...she only had one arm.

A curiosity indeed, a nice elaborate rapier was at her side. A combatant, obviously.

»Oh, well, lead the way and I'll show you around then.«

 

[Huang Tien]

"If you insist, very well; allow me to lead on." The stranger nodded with a smile, awaiting as the women approached. Once she was at his side, he began to saunter the market again, holding his original posture as he walked. The two would enter the market, no doubt turning heads as they did. The stranger, as he walked, occasionally turned his head to glance over the wares...saying nothing much as he continued...​

 

[Ermengarde]

Trodding aling, Ermengarde tucked her arm between the buttons of her top.
»You're not all that picky, are you not? Any taste that befits you most? «
She rose her headslightly, walking leisurely along him. She couldn't call herself any less if a stranger than him, coming from half a world across.

 

[Huang Tien]

"Oh, none in particular, I'm usually content with almost anything...although, I'd say I'm always rather fascinated in trying somthing rather...different." The stranger nodded, turning his head slightly towards the women and smiled. "What about you? Do you have anything particular that you could recommend?"​

 

[Ermengarde]

Ermengarde nodded in an almost, thought so manner.
»I remember most vividly linden tea. It was horrid. But perhaps you might like it more.«

 

[Huang Tien]

This earned a chuckle out of the man, as he looked up a bit into the air.
"Ah yes...I believe there is a saying among these lands..."One man's garbage is another man's treasure"...but we shall see if this tea is indeed to my liking...of course, I've come to learn that it is very possible to form new...mixes, of tea, through a simple process of mixing various leaves and herbal components...I'd say it's rather...amusing, and perhaps a bit therapeutic to take part in such a mixing...I do wonder what we will find today..."​

 

[Ermengarde]

The woman let out a brief snort before her visage fixed itself back to it's more stoic state.
»I do understand such thoughts.«

»There is a sense of exploration in experimentation. Discovery ... or utter failure. But even those experiences are valuable.« She mused a little before pointing out a stand belonging to an older woman. She wa sitting on a small laying barel, rocking forth and back nervously as she kept swaping the places of various boxes, many of which included dried herbs and flowers.

 

[Huang Tien]

"Indeed...honorable Ermengarde...we can learn much from our failures then our success..." The man nodded, his voice momentarily turned uncharacteristically grim...but this would not last, as the stranger would suddenly erupting into a small laugh, almost confusingly so....as his eyes gazed over the various ingredients in front of him. "....I'll will admit...in matters of such beverages, I would rather succeed more then I fail...bad tea seldom leaves a good after taste...but then again, I suppose life is the same..."​

 

[Ermengarde]

Nearing the stand, Ermengarde opned up.
»Well here it is all, perhaps not all but likely at least something of need.«
Elder, peppermint, balm, chamomile, linden.

»Tried hibiscus yet? It is seldomly imported from Amol-Kalit, very pricey though. If you ever go there you should get it.«