Rance’s brows rose at her confusion. “You — don’t have money here?” He huffed what might have been a laugh. “If you have a barterin' system that doesn’t involve random bits of stamped metal, whatever arrangements can be made are already better than anythin' I dealt with when dealin' with humans back home.” No Hidden used coins for trading unless they had to deal with humans on a regular basis. To hear that Caido’s bartering system might not involve a crown-issued currency at all was… actually a bit of a relief.
He tried not to let the small bit of good news go to his head. Maea, for all her friendliness, was obviously still wary of him. Especially, perhaps, when it came to the tavern and its owner. He gave her a crooked smile.
Rance nodded in response to hearing the proximity of the tavern to the guild. If he stayed at the former, then at least it should be, in theory, easy to visit the latter. Any other question he might have had were set aside as the forest ahead of them opened up. What appeared to be a road could be seen past the suddenly vanishing treeline, as if it had been there all along, just out of sight. The transition from verdant greens to a more faded color was a bit jarring to say the least, but Maea was explaining before he had a chance to get alarmed. And as she defined what lay ahead, Rance realized that ‘road’ wasn’t anything nearly so prosaic.
His eyes widened and he stared at the greyer landscape, the dark shadow of the Spire he could see in the distance. “Shit…. When you said your homeland was surrounded by a barrier — well, fuck.” Rance most definitely had not been able to envision the scope of what that had meant. He turned his wide, blue eyes to her. “These Woods really are pretty new to you, huh?”
He tried not to let the small bit of good news go to his head. Maea, for all her friendliness, was obviously still wary of him. Especially, perhaps, when it came to the tavern and its owner. He gave her a crooked smile.
Rance nodded in response to hearing the proximity of the tavern to the guild. If he stayed at the former, then at least it should be, in theory, easy to visit the latter. Any other question he might have had were set aside as the forest ahead of them opened up. What appeared to be a road could be seen past the suddenly vanishing treeline, as if it had been there all along, just out of sight. The transition from verdant greens to a more faded color was a bit jarring to say the least, but Maea was explaining before he had a chance to get alarmed. And as she defined what lay ahead, Rance realized that ‘road’ wasn’t anything nearly so prosaic.
His eyes widened and he stared at the greyer landscape, the dark shadow of the Spire he could see in the distance. “Shit…. When you said your homeland was surrounded by a barrier — well, fuck.” Rance most definitely had not been able to envision the scope of what that had meant. He turned his wide, blue eyes to her. “These Woods really are pretty new to you, huh?”
