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Emma let Arturo hurry them out to leave, the excitement of it all making her forget to pop in and say goodbye to Danielle and Danny before they left. She mounted and shifted a little--this was very different from riding as a man! Especially in the clothes she had on, how strange. "How far is Jordahn?"
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Arturo snickered some as he looked at how Emma was sitting upon the mare. "That's...not very ladylike," he commented. He instructed her on how to sit with her legs to one side. Whether she would was up to her. He just hoped people wouldn't stare too much. "It's a few hours away. If we go at a good pace, we should get there just in time for dinner. Now let's ride!" |
Emma blinked and her cheeks flushed over a bright pink when Arturo commented on how she was sitting, shifting to dismount so she could try again.
The only problem with sitting sideways was that her balance was all off! She wobbled and swung her other leg back around to straddle the beast instead before she could topple off or something, sitting on her dress to put more fabric between the saddle and her lower region. People would just have to live with seeing a woman ride like a man! Until she had time to practice riding side saddle. When Arturo started them off, Emma followed, pushing some of her red hair from her face. Hopefully they wouldn't be riding too long! She didn't think her new build could handle sitting so awkwardly with this dress on for too long. The quicker the pace the better! |
Jordahn was a busy trading center. It sat upon five main routes leading off to other cities. Caravans and long trains of goods were moving in and out of the gates. Sprawling across a great mass of land, it was easy to spot from the distance. Arturo pointed it out for his companions nevertheless. "We're almost there," he said with a smile. |
When the massive center became visible to them and Arturo began pointing it out, Emma looked rather amazed. With the Tribe, she hadn't passed by this place--there weren't very many main villages in the south. "Oh wow!" Now she couldn't wait, it looked like such an interesting place! So different.
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"If you see anything that interests your little heart, Emma, speak up." Arturo chuckled and jingled the coins he had hidden, tucked safely against his body. |
Emma blinked a few times and gave a giggle at that, nodding a bit. "You don't have to, Arturo." She replied, smiling. At least with Theodore's change, that sweet innocence seemed to have returned, though he was still far from such anymore.
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Arturo smiled and led the way to the entrance of Jordahn. He was keeping his eyes peeled for gifts for Emma, Aidan, Danielle, and little Danny. The youngest was bound to be the easiest. He was easily amused by anything that made noise and was brightly colored. Just thinking about him made him silently long for children of his own. But with how dangerous his life was, he didn't want to bring young ones into the world and end up being unable to be around to raise them. Or worse, be killed in action. The mage looked over the throngs of people, finding some exotic clothing he was sure humored to give to Danielle. |
Emma looked around in awe, amazed by all the things again--just like her time in Caer Elise. She wasn't particularly searching for things that suited her fancy, though she supposed getting some clothing of her own wouldn't be of harm.
When she noticed where Arturo's gaze was going, she gave a giggle and spoke up to him. "So just who are you thinking about when you look at those, Arturo?" She teased. |
"No one," he responded slowly with a grin. Still, he went to go to the stall, dismounted from his stallion, and immediately purchased one he was sure to be in Danielle's size. If it was too large, he knew she would be able to tailor it to fit her figure. Once the exchange was done, he put it along with his own clean clothing pack. |
Emma laughed at that, watching him buy one and she shook her head. "Well, obviously it was someone if you got it!" She said with a smile, glancing over to look at Denzell. "Denzell? You're so quiet, are you alright?"
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Denzell had lost his silly, confused expression since they traveled closer to Jordahn. His eyes were scanning the area, serious and meticulous in their search. A swallow followed his silence in response to Emma's question. There was something about the bustling city that was affecting him. Yet he wasn't capable of laying a finger upon it quite yet. |
Emma furrowed her brow a little when she got no answer and at the look on the man's face. "Denzell? Denzell, what's the matter?" She persisted, ignoring the fact that she was getting some strange looks for the way she was riding, shifting her dress a little.
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Her constant questions yanked him from his daze. Whatever it was that was occupying his mind had fluttered away for the time being. Now he was conscious of his surroundings and Emma's concern. "Ah..." There was a long pause before he just shook his head. |
Emma pursed her lips into a supple pout when Denzell still said nothing, though she was glad to see that he had at least snapped out of his daze. What had happened? SHe was a little worried over him now, but she tried to pick up her excitement again, looking around the area.
Something seemed to finally catch her attention and she dismounted at a shop to look at something with a soft smile. It looked like a hairpin, something to keep all of her red locks out of her face perhaps. It was beautiful, but she didn't dare ask for it from Arturo, trying to wander away from the shop perhaps before the man would notice what she'd found. |
Denzell continued to hold Sloane, who had grown slightly intimidated by the large amounts of people buying and selling in the vast marketplace. He followed Emma around, not really in the mood to steal anything until he spotted her attention upon the hairpin. Since he lacked the coins to purchase it, with a careful swipe, he took it to give to her later. Casually he walked away and continued to follow her around. |
Emma looked around a bit more, not finding anything else that particularly perked her interest, though she was tempted to perhaps get something for Danny and Danielle--she just wasn't sure what yet.
"Where are we staying tonight, Arturo?" She asked, looking at him curiously before rubbing her stomach briefly--she was getting a bit hungry! As she was sure Denzell would agree it was close to dinner time. |
"There's a nice tavern further south. It's along the waterfront. Great view," Arturo said with a nod. He would have loved to come here with someone special, but friends were just as good. He led the way, feeling he had bought enough from here. There were more cities to buy souvenirs from. |
"Sounds nice." Emma smiled and nodded, following Arturo and glancing to see if Denzell was coming as well, still a little worried over him.
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At the tavern, Arturo requested three rooms. Had they all been male, he would've considered putting them together. But with Theodore now an Emma...he found it awkward. Sloane was wiggling from his hiding place in Denzell's shirt. He could smell meats being cooked that sparked his interest. |
Emma gently tugged at Arturo's sleeve when he requested for three rooms, asking him to only make it two at least--she'd share with Denzell like at the castle. Emma had a fear of being alone at an inn, for good reason. Her experiences as Theodore had been rather traumatizing.
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Arturo looked at her. "Oh...with...Denzell?" He looked at the former prisoner cautiously for a moment. "Well...if...you're sure," he said. Quickly, he changed his request to two rooms. Once gained, he headed up the stairs to take them to their rooms. |
"I'm sure. Unless you want me to room with you, Arturo." Emma said with a tease as they headed to their rooms with Arturo, glancing back at Denzell again. She'd assumed that Arturo had not wished to share a room with her--after all, being a girl, she figured it would probably be different between certain people now. Of course, she'd been sharing a room with Denzell already despite the change in gender, so it did not bother her to continue in doing so.
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Arturo just chuckled in response. It had become awkward now that Theodore was a girl. He was treating her far different. Not so chummy. Just protective and respectful. His teasings were cautious. He opened the door to her room. "There you are. Check out the sight!" |
She had noticed the change in the way Arturo treated her, making her sigh faintly to herself. She pushed it all to the back of her mind though when he let her into the room she'd share with Denzell, smiling again. "Oh wow..." She called Denzell over to come look out at the view closer, smiling even more.
She liked the fact that Denzell wasn't treating her very different! It was nice... but perhaps it was because she was the same as she had been as the young boy he'd first met. |
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