Playing on the young man's gullibility and her apparent youthful innocence she decides to play him a little bit, and after a while strikes a bargain for a nice head scarf for each one of the women at a nice price. Her innocent-looking smile having played a large part in the negotiation process. She determines that merchant seems a little worn down, but he certainly negotiated well in the not that experienced eyes of Alice. It might be that he was playing nice though, specially since Dietlinde had already attracted the young man's attention with her "masters in the island" reference. He was probably thinking about potential long term clients. Alice notes this behaviour as good for business in her mental notes.
The women move along leaving Eilert looking at their backs while they move down the artificial street made of stalls.
(Bargain 2, Folk ken 2, Cellarer 2 as her reference abilities here)
A few minutes after the other magi have departed, Bernhard comes back to the corner of the warehouse where he had left them to discuss their next move. "Hmmm, magus? Where are the others? Have you given any thought to your lodging for tonight and the next few weeks? I must admit it slipped my mind to ask you about this, as I usually simply rent a room at a local boarding house. And... and there are more of you... I mean... more mundanes than I realized would accompany you." The redcap licks his dry lips, "And... and I wouldn't want... I mean... the places I usually go... well... they are friendly enough to me, but... well... those with the Gift might not... not be so welcome."
Boarding house? Yes, that will have to do for us. If the mundanes cannot fit, well, I am sure they can find something. Prochorus waves his hand dismissively. Alruna gives him a sharp look.
Can you arrange a boarding house for us, Bernhard? I can come with you if you insist, but that will only scare them. We will fix any problems later with some combination of silver and song.
Bernhard stammers, "Arrang... I mean... I just told you... magus... I cannot." He looks down, "If they... I mean... if it becomes known that... that I am... associated with you. Well... the boarding houses... they might no longer take me. And that would mean... I mean that my redcap duties... I could not fulfill them." He shakes his head vigorously, "You do not understand. I cannot." He is almost in tears.
Prochorus, who had turned to leave, slowly faces Bernhard and grins at him amused.
You are such a pushover, aren't you. I'll have Dietlinde do it. You just fulfill your redcap duties here on the pier in the meantime. Which way to the boarding house?
Alice and Yulia draw back in distaste as Prochorus advance on Dietlinde to make his imperious requests. Dietlinde, a bit more used to the small magus' Gift and abrupt demeanor, simply draws nearer. "Master," she says in a low voice, looking at the people haggling in the market, "it might be better if we discussed this in a more private place." Already, a space has opened around them a some of the merchants are looking askance at the magus. "Let's say in a candle at the warehouse?"
With that, she turns her back to Prochorus and rejoins the other two, chatting them up as they simply walk away from him.
Alice does not like magi much. Never has, and she thinks she never will. Still, she was taught a trick in triamore when she was a child: repeat to yourself what the magi say once they are no longer present. She does that just now. The idea, once separated from the originator of said words, is not a bad one: they certainly do need to get lodgings for the bunch of them. 5 magi, 4 shield grogs, 4 servants and the crew of the knarr. 17 people all in all.
It is getting somewhat late. Maybe we should go back and talk to the men about the lodgings as the master said? He did not talk nonsense after all: we need to find a place where to sleep. What we learned about the goods being sold here and the ruler of the land might also be appreciated by the masters. Master Quercus tends to be interested in such things when he talks to master Fresse.
After this outburst of self-assuredness and confident talking she returns her sight to the ground and becomes shy again, somewhat overwhelmed by her bossy attitude just a moment before.
We'll tell him something, and then we'll try to find someplace to rest. It doesn't have to be exactly what he asks for, hmm?, just something. That's what I always do. A lot easier than arguing or doing what he says. Dietlinde hurries along.
((Changed Dietlinde's color because the previous one was so hard to read))
((I think since they're heading back to the warehouse anyway, they'll ask Bernhard where the boarding house(s) is (are) and head there with money in hand. They'll try to strike a deal for a few weeks for everyone, probably, and failing that for as many as possible))
I assume that they can ask around the marketplace about whom they should be contacting to get lodgings for a large group of people for a period of time of no less than a week, but probably not much more than a month. Info should be easy to obtain. Not many people will have a lodging for so many people available easily. They can settle for a warehouse if that is what they get.
((That's what I would suggest as well. They know about the social problem with the magi so they will try to find something with arrangements where the magi don't have to get in touch with the owners of the establishment. To the mundanes it would appear that some of the grogs, Fresse and Alice perhaps, are the leaders of the group.))
Fresse might appear as a sorta leader, basically because he is the least strange of the shield grogs, but so can Thrond Alice not. Alice has the potential to grow into a leader, but right now she is just a 16 year old. A young female. She has outbursts of self confidence, and moments she is shy as hell. Dietlinde, makes a better job here.
Alice not. Alice has the potential to grow into a leader, but right now she is just a 16 year old. A young female. She has outbursts of self confidence, and moments she is shy as hell. Dietlinde, makes a better job here.