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Faith hurried to catch up to Xander. She knew there would be guards at the gate, and was already getting ready to tell them that she had family in the city. It was true, her parents lived there, and she didn't have to necessarily say that she was going to visit them.
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By the time Faith caught up with her, Xander was chatting easily with the guard, grinning at him. He snickered and nodded a few times before he noticed Faith.
"Oh, she's my friend," Xander said with an easy grin. "We've got some family in town, and it's been a while since we've visited. Remote mountain villages, you know?" "I hear you," the guard said after a moment. "Alright, you two, go on in. Have fun." "Thanks." Xander grinned at the man and walked past him, into the city. |
Faith walked into the city with Xander.
"I'm officially impressed," she said once they were in, grinning. Teasingly, she added, "I knew I brought you along for a reason." Almost automatically, she started walking in the direction of the Tea Shop. "Come on, I'm thinking breakfast sounds really good." |
Xander snorted and shook her head, letting Faith lead.
"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. "And breakfast does sound good." Her stomach rumbled a little at her, and she looked over at Faith. "I take it you've never been bar-hopping before." |
"I was never really into that kind of thing," Faith admitted. "I was one of those who was more likely to spend a Friday night with a good book or something."
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Xander shrugged. "Bar hopping was an easy way to get some money," she said quietly. "I lived in an orphanage before I was brought to the weyr, and I needed every cent I could get. Besides, it gave me an excuse to get out of that place."
She let Faith enter the Tea Shop first, and then quickly picked a table where she could put her back to a wall. |
"I was the spoiled only child, remember?" Faith said. She followed Xander to a table, and they were almost immediately brought menus. She didn't need to look at her menu, she knew what she liked.
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Xander shrugged and started to peruse her menu, trying to decide what sounded good that morning.
We're in town. There was no trouble, she told Calypso. Good. Calypso seemed pleased. I am finding more things at the bottom of the lake. Xander snorted. Really? You haven't gotten everything yet? There are some things here that are buried rather deep, Calypso responded. I am digging them up. I wish to explore any other lakes near here, as well. We'll see, beautiful, Xander replied. Focus on one lake at a time. |
Faith? Did everything go okay? Lapis didn't quite understand why her rider wanted to go back into the city that clearly didn't like riders anymore, but she was still going to keep tabs on her.
We're fine, sweetie, Faith replied. Go ahead and get comfortable where you are, I'll let you know when we're on our way back. Alright. Hurry back, I miss you. I will. I miss you too. |
Xander put her menu down after she'd decided, and ordered when someone came over to check on them. Then she looked at Faith.
"So. How do you plan to get information? Go talk to your family?" |
"I could do that," Faith replied. "I might be able to do one better than that. I wasn't kidding when I said I was more likely to curl up with a book than anything else. The women who work at the library have known me since I was six." And she was sure she'd be able to get some information out of them about what was happening.
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Xander nodded. "You do that, and I'll hit the bars and taverns and things around here, try to get some information out of them. Shouldn't be too hard."
She leaned back a bit when their tea arrived, waiting for it to cool a bit before taking a sip. "Oh, wow." |
Faith grinned and nodded.
"Yeah, they have good tea here," she commented, taking a sip of her own. She sighed, pleased. "And they have all kinds." |
Xander drank the entire cup and had to refill it. It was that good. Plus she hadn't had good tea in a long time.
"Do you know if they sell bags here, or containers of their tea leaves? We could pool and get a couple types to share," she offered. |
"They do," Faith said. "Up at the counter, they sell cans of loose tea, in all of the most popular flavors." She grinned. "I will totally pool with you to get some. It's totally worth it."
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"Oh, I can imagine. There have been a number of times I wanted a good cup of tea, but there's nowhere around the weyr that'll sell any." She heaved a sigh. "Guess we'll just have to come back here every time."
She was quiet for a few moments when their food arrived, and then she started eating quietly. She was hungry, and it was delicious. |
Faith nodded as she started on her own breakfast.
"If we're able to get everything sorted out, I'll keep buying the stuff and I'll send it back to you once you go home," she offered between bites. "Let me know which flavor you like the best." |
"Will do." Xander ate her breakfast quietly, looking around the shop with interest. Most of the things Calypso found she didn't have much interest in. She preferred them to be cut so they sparkled more.
She looked up when a few more people entered the shop, and then she shook her head and finished her food. She put enough money on the table to pay for her half and a tip. She'd be getting plenty more at the bars, after all. |
Faith finished her breakfast as well before gathering Xander's half of the bill from the table and taking it and the bill itself up to the register. She would pay for her half there, and see what kinds of tea they had for sale that day. She didn't even pay attention to the people who walked in to the shop.
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Xander let her pick out the type of teas they were going to get, taking her time looking around the shop before joining her up front to help pay for the teas.
"I think it's about time to go, if you've decided." |
Faith nodded.
"I'm ready," she said. Looking at the teas, she picked two of the flavors: her own favorite, and the one that Xander had gotten earlier and liked. "I think these two are the ones we should get." |
"Sounds good to me." Xander counted out half and put it on the counter. "There, now we'll have good tea at home too."
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Faith grinned and took the tea once it was paid for and bagged.
"Right," she said. "And this tea is really good." She walked with Xander out of the tea shop. "So, now what do you think we should do? It would be easy enough for me to go to my favorite library, but what about you?" |
"Well..." Xander walked quietly for a few moments, considering her options. She looked at the nearest clock and sighed.
"It'll be a few hours yet before any bars open, so until then I can just follow you around, if you don't mind." |
"Fine with me," Faith replied. She didn't mind the company at all. She gestured down one of the adjacent streets. "Come on this way, there's a shortcut around the next block, instead of following the main road all the way around."
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