[G] [P] 734.09.21 | Errand Running

Three turns as a healer, and now Yulieas found himself feeling like a glorified packbeast. He knew why those in charge of him at the gardens did it- he could read better than many of the other gardeners, so if there was a long list of supplies needed he could bring along the list and not have to worry about remembering numbers wrong or forgetting any items. Still, it could be a disheartening and quite frustrating task, especially when they didn't send anyone along with him to help him carry of the supplies. He was, after all, a fairly scrawny young man.

At least they didn't complain when he took his time. Yulieas preferred to not be in a hurry. And so he wandered through one of the shop districts in Telgar Hold with the easy pace and confidence of one who had spent much of his life wandering those streets. His red hair was pulled into a loose braid that hung slightly over one shoulder, and he wore a green vest that was a relic from the times his family had flourished financially. The quality piece of clothing seemed incongruous with the rest of what he wore- a patched shirt underneath, baggy brown trousers, and his worn gardening boots. As ever, he seemed to be oblivious of that fact.

He held his list of supplies in his left hand, and nested a somewhat cumbersome, though thankfully not too heavy, bag of seed in the crook of his right arm. On top of that bag, he balanced several pairs of work gloves, which he had just bought. He had several bags slung over his left shoulder, most of which were empty, having been purchased that day, though one was filled with more supplies. Yulieas was sure he looked completely ridiculous. Like a packmule, he though to himself again as he exited the shop where he had picked up the gloves. He shrugged off the thought, though, letting his mind wander and he looked over a few of the nearby stalls.

At this point he was stalling, he knew. Most of what he had left to fetch would be from smiths. And Yulieas dreaded talking to most of them. Even if they didn't resent or judge his father- and, by extension, himself- there was something about having to talk to too many smiths that made Yulieas feel as if he were being subjected to the social equivalent of being repeatedly bitten by tunnelsnakes. He glanced further down the street, where many smith shops and stalls were located, frowning slightly at the thought. He supposed he couldn't avoid it. He could, however, avoid those nearby smiths. He knew that every one of them on this stretch was somewhat of a swindler. He guessed that was one advantage he had in knowing so many of the smithcrafters, knowing which ones both produced quality goods and could be trusted to price them fairly. Probably another reason they sent Yulieas to do the shopping.

Still, he poked around the nearby stalls for now, taking in the smells of food and wondering if he should stop for a meal. Usually he earned an extra mark or two from these trips that he could buy lunch with.

Ekshan shifted the sack, which had been bumping against his leg for the entire walk to the Hold. Now it could bump the other leg for a few minutes. He begun his journey alone. The desolate path had stretch off toward the Hold with only himself upon it. He didn't mind being alone. With no one else around he didn't have anyone else to keep an eye on in case they wanted to see what he was carrying, or how many marks were nestled in his pocket. He didn't have to pretend to care about what was going on in their life. Conversations were tricky things and he often struggled to keep one going. His suspicious side tended to take over, making replies short and defensive. He also didn't really care about what was going on in the life of some stranger. He had enough of his own problems that he didn't need to add to the load.

As he neared the Hold the number of people going and coming increased. Each new face received the same quick examination as Ekshan decided whether or not they posed a threat. Most were much like he was, simple cotholders. A few crafters were thrown into the mix, but it was rare that they would lower themselves enough to converse with a cotholder. He ignored most of the various shops as he pasted once he arrived. A couple got a brief glance which brought a brief spark of envious desire for the merchandise he could not afford. One day he would satisfy those desires, but for now it was not worth the time spent imagining it.

He ducked into a smithy, the one his father always used. The clang of metal on metal set his nerves on edge. The heat of the forge intensifying smells of hot metal and sweat. There was a rhythm to the place with the steady clang of hammers against red hot metal punctuated by the hiss of steam as someone plunged their creation into a waiting barrel of water. If hammers were the heart of the place then the billows were the lungs as they fanned the coals upon which various creations were being heated. Ekshan took it all in with one sweeping look, before he moved toward the man in charge. "I need this mended by the end of the day." He let his sack drop to the stone floor with a metallic clatter. Reaching in he pulled out the two pieces of a broken scythe. "If you can't do it I'll find someone who can." He said before the frowning smith could protest. The brawny man scowled as he grabbed the pieces away from Ekshan, turning them over in a pair of massive hands. They were hands that could have strangled a Runner without much effort, bearing the calluses and scars from years at their craft. "Come back in a couple hours." The smith finally grunted. Ekshan nodded, fishing a wooden mark from his pocket. "You'll get the rest when I pick it up." He promised, flipping the mark toward the man before he left.

Ekshan stepped out of the shop, glad to leave behind the heat and noise of the place. Calling the air outside fresh would be an overstatement, not with the scents of manure and refuse mixing with the odor of the nearby food stalls. It was at least cooler and given a few minutes he knew the smells would not be quite so noticeable. He down he fumbled at his pocket, long fingers pushing his small sack of coins a little deeper. His momentary inattention nearly caused a collision as a splash of green appeared in his periphery. His reaction was reflexive as he twisted past the figure, somehow avoiding a full on hit. Eskan spun about to face his almost victim. The other man was a sight. Red hair was enough to make him stand out on it's own, but the green vest was at odds with the rest of his patchy outfit. The vest spoke of wealth, but the rest of his clothing was not much better than Ekshans own, patched and dirt stained attire. He looked nearish in age to Ekshan, and was even skinnier than he was. "Sorry." He blurted, not wanted to just walk off after almost running the other man over, but also not quite sure what else to say. He didn't feel it was entirely his fault, but the word came out any way.

Yulieas let his mind wander, as he often did, while he went on his way. They were just idle thoughts, but they were still enough that Yulieas had stopped really paying attention to his surroundings. So it wasn't until someone almost bowled him over that he realized the figure was even there. He started slightly, frozen in his place, as he expected the taller young man to knock into him. Instead at the last moment he swerved away and Yulieas let out a held breath. That could have been bad. With his arms as full as they were, Yulieas probably wouldn't have been able to catch his fall at all, not to mention he would probably drop all the aforementioned things in his arms. He blinked several times, gaping slightly as turned and kept his gaze on the other boy who turned to apologize.

"Uhhh..." was all Yulieas got out at first, still blinking at the other, a little bewildered at having snapped out of his daydreaming so quickly. Actually, for that matter, was it even the other boy's fault? Yulieas obviously hadn't been paying enough attention to where he was going if he couldn't begin to answer that. "No no, it's fine, no harm done." Yulieas quickly said, looking somewhat awkward and backing away slightly without really thinking about it, "It was probably my fau- ahh!" Unfortunately, his shuffle backwards actually did send Yulieas colliding with a man behind him mid-sentence. That set him off balance as he stumbled forward again, mumbling his own apologies even as he tripped forward. The bag of seed nestled in his arm slipped out toward the ground, the work gloves that had been balanced on top toppling even further away to land near the other young man that had almost run into him.

He winced as he watched the bag of seed fall, almost in slow motion, the way things always seemed to fall when you were helpless to stop them. He couldn't watch as it hit the ground, closing his eyes and slowly opening them after the impact. Luckily, the bag hadn't burst open from the fall. He looked somewhat helplessly at the tall boy from before, trying to laugh the whole thing off sheepishly though a deep blush had already began to burn his cheeks. "...Probably my fault. Case in point." He leaned down to warily check over the bag of seed to make sure it didn't have any tears in the seams that were just waiting for him to try to lift it so it could spill all over. Why did he have to make such of a fool of himself all the time? He was sure it did wonders for his already shot reputation. Not much further I can fall, though, he thought to himself, so maybe there's some comfort in that. ...Or maybe not.

Ekshan was tempted to leave as soon as the boy proved to hold no animosity toward him for nearly being run over, he was even willing to take the blame for it. In such situations he'd normally be on his way before minds were changed, but a nagging sort of curiosity kept his feet still. The redhead must have been right around the same age, but Eskan's mind refused to think of him as anything other than a boy with his youthful almost feminine features that refused to accept maturity. The boy refused to fit into any of the mental categories Ekshan liked to place people in. He lacked crafter's knots, and the green vest was too fine for a simple cotholder, but the patched and stained appearance of the rest of his attire meant he wasn't a well off holder. The items he balanced in his arms were also puzzling, not being the sort of things someone like him should have been able to afford, meaning he had been entrusted to make the purchases by someone with such means. He'd fallen from position, that much Ekshan was willing to assume, yet he was still in contact with those of rank and trusted by them not to simple take their marks and run. Such an association could be rather useful since he had no desire to continue down his current path, but advancement was difficult with out finding a few stepping stones along the way.

His presence seemed to unsettle the boy, sending him on a course for disaster as he stepped backwards, bumping into a man behind then tripping forward. Ekshan wondered if such clumsiness was normal or something the boy rolled out just for special occasions. The redhead's missteps did provide a plausible reason engage him further, if only to prevent him from any more collisions. The incident was still partially his fault, even if he lacked any feelings of guilt over it, helping the boy would leave the young man in his debt and he'd be able to find out a little more about him and satisfy his own nagging curiosity in the process.

Ekshan bent forward, grasping the fallen gloves with one hand before moving to tuck the sack full of seed beneath his left arm with a practiced motion. He'd carried larger sacks than this and the feel of the seeds inside was unfamiliar though going on size alone this weren't meant for a holder's field. "Where you heading with these?" He asked without preamble, fixing his gaze upon the boy, a direct stare that was devoid of judgement. "I've got a couple hours to spare." He tagged on in a poor attempt to seem more amiable. He was bad at conversations, he did best at straight forward directions or explanations and tried to steer clear of those which wandered into the realm of emotional sharing.

Yulieas, focused on gathering the items he had dropped, momentarily seemed to forget about the presence of the other young man who had nearly crashed into him. He expected him to move on and go about his business (he wasn't a vendor from around here, so he had to have business here, right?) and leave Yulieas to his own. It took only those few seconds to slip back into his own thoughts that tended to consume most of his attention. For the most part, those thoughts continued to berate him for taking so little care recently. He was lucky he hadn't damaged anything- that would not be beneficial to future chances to get out and shop. As much as Yulieas loved the gardens, he was glad for the break in the monotony every so often... even if it did make him feel like a beast of burden. Granted, he didn't feel like much of anything he did back in the gardens was all that significant either. Not compared to healing.

He went to reach for the bag of seed in front of him, only to have it move on its own. Yulieas blinked several times, confused, since he hadn't expected the other to come to his aid or notice him moving to do so. He looked up, still slightly bewildered, to find the bag tucked under the arm of the other young man from before. He straightened back up, though still had to look up a little ways to look him in the eyes with his short stature. Yulieas was unsure at first, looking at the taller boy with uncertainty, but that soon as disappeared as he seemed to fully realize that the other was offering to help him out. "Oh how nice," he remarked mostly to himself in that somewhat dreamy tone his voice took on when pulled from his thoughts. Realizing he had said it out loud, he blushed a little more, clearing his throat to direct a small word of gratitude to the other. "Thank you,"  he said, with an amiable, although shy, smile spreading onto his face.

At the question he nodded over toward the main courtyard of the hold. "The gardens," he explained, adding after a slight pause, "The public ones. Although, I have a couple more stops." He scanned his list once again; it had been slightly crumpled in his hand as he tripped, but at least he held onto it. "Mostly smiths. I might also stop to eat soon. I'm due for a meal break before I get back." He looked at the other young man, uncertainty filling his features once again. Did those 'couple of hours to spare' mean the other meant to come along? Yulieas wouldn't be opposed to company, in fact, he would welcome it. "Uhh..." he began, not knowing what to say or ask to see if the other boy wanted to join him with his errands. He didn't want to be too presumptuous. Or not presumptuous enough of the previous statement was more clear than Yulieas realized. Why did he have to think these things through so much? He needed to say something, he couldn't just stand here and over-analyze. "I'm Yulieas." There. That was something. Introductions were good. Even abrupt, awkward ones. He could still feel the blush on his cheeks and he just resigned himself to the fact that it probably wouldn't face any time soon.

Ekshan wasn't use to gratitude of any sort and was at a loss as to how to respond other than a cool shrug. The boy's response was tiptoeing into the realm of emotions and touchy feeling things and Ekshan tried to avoid that sort of stuff whenever possible. He had nothing better to do with his time and he'd already decided further his acquaintance with the red head could be beneficial. The shy smile spreading over the boy's face was just as unnerving as his verbal gratitude. People didn't smile at him, not nice smiles at least, smirks and leering were far more normal and he knew how to deal with them, but this was different and genuine and left him wondering just what he'd gotten himself into. It was too late to back out now, though he was tempting for a fleeting moment to toss the seeds back at the boy and simply bolt for cover, he'd just have to do the best he could at friendly conversation and hope the other man did most of the talking. Beneath his internal squirming was a thin line of craving for something resembling a friendship, an emotion he normally ignored and tucked down beneath the rest of his mental baggage, but it was now trying to wiggle up to the surface prodding at him with a puppy like eagerness.

The boy's words pulled Ekshan back to the present and he nodded slightly, more to himself as certain questions were answered by the boy's explanation. The gardens weren't much of a step above his own station, though it did put the boy in much closer contact with the hold and the small possibility of advancing. He glanced down at the list in the young man's hand, the scribblings meant nothing to him, he recognized a few letters, but that was a far as his knowledge stretched. His companion obviously hadn't started out working in the gardens since such a task would hardly require someone be able to read and write, such skills were taught to holders and crafter not those who spent their days doing simple manual labor. Ekshan's curiosity piqued as he mentally puzzled away at what this boy had been before becoming a gardener, and another idea half formed bubbled to the surface and was quickly tucked away for later review.

He quickly noticed the boy's uncertainty as he finished describing the tasks a head of them, he didn't seem to make any attempt to hide his feeling, letting them flow across his face like a change of seasons over a landscape. Ekshan was so use to keeping himself in control at all time that limited control the red head showed was almost dizzying. Still it didn't help him figure out what was making the boy so hesitant and Ekshan wasn't even sure if it was right to even ask. He was temporarily saved the trouble as the boy gave his name, which was of course followed by another blush, an action Ekshan was almost growing fond of. "Ekshan." He answered back, giving Yulieas a sideways glance. "I uh guess we should get going if you hope to get done what's on that list." Ekshan nodded down toward the note in the boy's hand, adjusting his grip on the sack of seed. 

Ekshan. Yulieas repeated the name in his head a few times. Ekshan. Ekshan. And he was planning on joining him as well. He made sure to firmly root the other young man's name in his mind. It was always embarrassing to forget the name of a new acquaintance. And Yulieas knew he was likely awkward enough when he didn't forget names, and thus took special care to remember them to avoid being even more uncomfortable than usual. Well, that and he had a natural affinity for others, so much as one as naturally shy as he could. Oblivious to the inner struggles of his companion, or the effect his casual friendliness had, he offered up another smile as he said, "Right then. This way."

He nodded down the street they stood on, before starting to walk that way. He looked over to see if Ekshan was following and continued on. "Don't want to deal with those smiths back there. I have somebody in mind down this way." Actually, the one he had in mind was new to Telgar. A Journeyman who, Yulieas hoped, had no clue who he was. He'd also heard his goods were decent and prices were even more decent. Still, it was slightly out of the way, though Ekshan had said he had plenty of time on his hands. He hoped the other didn't mind the walk- Yulieas found wandering through the area quite pleasant, though thought they needed more plants in this part of the Hold.

Yulieas looked over at the other again, finally seeming to take in the other young man's appearance more closely. He never did look too closely at appearances to start off with. Sometimes he even had trouble describing those he knew for a long time. He could tell you their interests and where they came from and make some guesses about their fears or motivations. He could tell you about their character, but sometimes he couldn't even tell you their eye color for certain. For some reason, appearances were never what stuck with Yulieas. He knew faces well enough to recognize people, but tended not to make a habit of looking with too much scrutiny. With Ekshan, though, Yulieas finally did take in the other man's clothes. A peasant, maybe? Not someone with much wealth. And he didn't have the look about him that said he lived at the main Hold. He seemed out of place here. Though maybe that wasn't such a good thing to go off of. Yulieas himself seemed out of place just about everywhere, he felt like, but he accepted that and made do.

Still, he went with his hunch. His intuition usually served him well, even if his observation didn't. "What brings you to the Main Hold today, Ekshan?" One usually didn't wander around in this area without a reason. Especially someone who didn't look like had all that much extra income to spend just idly browsing the shops for goods.

Ekshan was relieved to be on the move instead of just standing and trying to maintain a conversation. He always felt more comfortable when he was doing something, it seemed to help divide his focus and prevent him from over analyzing his words and actions to the point where he became so self conscious that he fell back on the old stand by of delivering some mumbled excuse to leave. Yulieas seemed like a harmless companion, the first word that came to the man's mind to describe him was sweet, too sweet to be of much danger to anyone other than himself. He wasn't the sort Ekshan would have normally been drawn to, but in the back of his mind part of him was glad he'd nearly run into him. Most of the people in his life wanted something from him or to use him for their own ends or amusement. He could easily imagine Yulieas being used by others, but not the other way around, an unfortunate trait since Ekshan himself had plans to use the boy for his own benefit.

He fell into step beside Yulieas, bobbing his head in mute reply to the boy's words, gaze taking in the path they were on out of habit. He didn't come to the Hold often enough to feel especially at home with all the varying shops and areas, many such as this one he'd never been to before. He didn't like not knowing his way around and took special care to keep track of their path in case he ended up having to retrace his steps on his own. Yulieas appeared perfectly at ease and confident about where he was heading, working and probably living at the Hold had apparently given him a good sense of direction. Ekshan avoided crowds and strangers whenever he could, a hold over from his childhood when bullies were quite willing to take advantage of an awkward boy on his own. Maturity and learning how to defend himself had brought such encounters to and end, but he still rarely felt comfortable in crowds. His discomfort often translated into a wary and menacing posture that made most people give him a wide berth, he looked the type to lash out if provoked and his nerves often did result in a violent reaction to any real or imagined threats.

The rehead's words mentally jerked him away from his self appointed surveillance duties, his blue eyes flicking in Yulieas's direction. He'd been hoping to get away with a silent trek, but the boy seemed to have other plans, either attempting to be polite or else feed his own curiosity. Ekshan struggled for a moment, running his tongue over his bottom lip, fighting back his ever present suspicion. "Brought a scythe that needed to be repaired." He said with the gruff edge of one not use to conversation. "Don't come here much otherwise unless there's a Gather." His tone evened out as he made a tentative truce with his aversion to conversation, finding words came a little easier the more they were spoken, though he was still a long way from eloquent by anyone's standards. 

Yulieas nodded at Ekshan's reply and explanation, that edge to his voice not lost on the redhead. Though it did soften a bit. That was enough to reassure Yulieas that he hadn't somehow offended the other young man and wasn't enough to convince him that Ekshan was entirely unfriendly- he was helping him out, after all, with no apparent profit involved. At least not any that Yulieas could see. Was he just quiet then? Once Yulieas made that connection in his mind, it wasn't too surprising. He did have that air about him after all. That, Yulieas could understand. He tended toward a reserved nature himself much of the time, though more out of timidity than lack of want for conversation. It was just another one of those dualities that mystified Yulieas about life and set his mind wandering about human nature.

So instead of further prodding, Yulieas let the next leg of their walk pass in silence, allowing his mind to wander as he idly took in the sites around them. They were mostly familiar, but merchant districts did tend to change more than anything else around the Hold. He still found some surprises even after nearly two turns had passed since his return- things that had changed in his absence. He still sometimes felt like he should be saying something to his companion. They just met, after all, Yulieas knew nothing about him. So every once and a while he would glance Ekshan's way like he was going to ask something, but would instead return to his thinking. He hummed lightly, and at one point almost started to nervously chew on a fingernail. He realized how dirty his hands were, though, so took to fidgeting with a pair of gloves in one of his hands instead.

Eventually he turned down a side-street where several of the lined up shops seemed to be smiths, with other assorted storefronts mixed in. As they passed one of them, a voice rang out nearby from a man leaning against the front of one of the buildings. "Well if it isn't Little Yuli!" Yulieas looked over with a certain sort of dread. The man's knots denoted him as a Jouneyman Smith. One not much older than Yulieas and Ekshan- about four or five turns, around the age of Yulieas' brother. The Journeyman smirked at the redhead and continued, "That's a nice vest. Be careful digging around in that. Replacing it would be- well, out of the question now wouldn't it?"

A small blush rose to Yulieas' cheeks as often it did. He looked for a half a second as if he might balk at the man's jeering. That part of him that hated conflict, and also the one that wanted to block out his shame, would have compelled him to do so. After that split second, though, he stood up a little straighter, fist clenched at his side. He sent the man a even, but withering look. He didn't offer a reply, just calmly inhaled and exhaled, letting his glare speak for him a beat before he turned continued on, still carrying himself straighter than before.

That moment of confidence had given the Journeyman pause, but he called after Yulieas again as the other turned to go. "Hey maybe you'll get lucky. Your family was before. Maybe your father'll get it together. And maybe the dragonriders will come back and carry us all into the sky like magic!" He looked satisfied with his jest for a short moment. At least until Yulieas turned once again with that look. Solid and collected, it made his own jest suddenly seem childish and the man squirmed slightly.

"You might want to check your manner of speaking," Yulieas told the man evenly, "If I remember right, you talked big when you trained with Etheas, but never quite produced results that matched." And with that he turned around one last time. The man looked like me wanted to get into it more, but eyed Ekshan at the smaller boy's side and decided against it. He leaned up against the wall again, muttering. Yulieas pressed on at a quicker pace until he reached the door of the shop they had been headed for. He went to push the door open, but hesitated and turned back to look at Ekshan, blush creeping back onto his face. All at once, he seemed unsure once again. "Uh, sorry," he said, looking down. He wasn't sure why he was apologizing. It wasn't Ekshan's fault, though he'd had to witness some unpleasantness because of Yulieas' presence. He was sorry for that, he guessed. Or maybe just sorry for himself, though that thought just made him more ashamed.

Accumulated tension eased from Ekshan's wiry frame as the silence stretched, part of him was still waiting for Yulieas to speak again and ever few moments threw a quick sideways look in his direction. The passing scenery held most of his attention as he made a mental note of the locations of a few shops he might visit if he ever happened to posses a few extra marks. He daydreamed about having enough to purchase a brand new shirt made of the finest fabric, the few that he owned were all hand me downs and should have been turned into cleaning rags long ago. Considering how stained they were it was likely they'd make things dirtier rather than cleaner. His gaze passed over the smith shops that lined the new side road they were heading down. No on second thought it would be a new belt knife first, something that wasn't his father's caste off tool and already worn with years of use. It would be crafted and balanced for his hand alone and he would relish the looks on the faces of those who'd thought him only worthy of hand me downs. In the back of his mind he knew such things were unlikely to ever happen, but he enjoyed the fantasies too much to give them up.

Ekshan's head turned sharply at the jeer, fingers already encircling the hilt of the blade tucked into his belt as his gaze sought the person who had spoken. The mocking wasn't directed at him, but at Yulieas by a journeysmith who was leaning casually against the front of his shop. Outwardly Ekshan's gaze was cold and watchfully, though on the inside he longed to put the bully in his place, but it wasn't his fight. These days most knew enough to leave him alone, but he still maintained a persistent wariness around people he didn't know. It didn't take much for his flight or fight instincts to kick in and make him itch to take action. In the past he ran from encounters with bullies, putting his long legs to use in out running all, but the fastest or most persistent. The majority gave up after a few yards, they preferred easier prey and Ekshan had never been willing to play that role for them. With age his instinct to run away had begun to fade, he was tired of being chased and began to fight back, at least in situations where he thought he had a good chance of winning. He quickly found that most of his bullies weren't so big and touch when someone didn't back down and flashing his belt knife didn't hurt either in nudging them toward finding someone else to bother. He'd also found that he could do even more damage with a few well placed rumors, they didn't even need to be true, and the more sordid the better.

Ekshan continued to stare at the smith, it wasn't his fight, but he wasn't going to tuck tail and run either. The straightening of Yulieas's posture after a moment was a surprise, the boy had initially wilted beneath the man's remarks and Ekshan had expected him to slink off, not shoot the man a glare before turning away. He was suddenly aware that there might be more to the redhead than smiles and blushes and he was in his own way impressed.

The smith wasn't willing to let the boy go quite so easily and another childish jeer was sent after Yulieas as he attempted to get a reaction. The man's renewed confidence again faltered under Yulieas's glare. Eskhan could only speculate over what had happened in the past between the two of them. He watched Yulieas out of the corner of his eye as he spoke, dividing his attention between the boy and the smith, watching for any sort of retaliation in response. He didn't know who this Etheas was, but it was obvious they had both trained under him, though just what for was still a mystery. The redhead didn't look anything like a smith and he could hardly imagine the boy swinging a hammer and working red hot metal. He met the older man's glance evenly, almost daring him to push his luck, but the man gave up and leaned back against his shop, muttering to himself. Ekshan was mildly disappointed, part of him would have liked to show off for the boy by playing the protector.

Ekshan extended his stride to catch up with Yuliease, letting his hand fall away from his knife as they distanced themselves from the smith. He kept silent, though part of him was incredibly curious with questions about how Yuliease knew the smith and who this Etheas was. He blink rapidly at the apology, confusion passing over his feature for a brief second. "What for? He's not the first asshole I've encountered." He answered, "I wouldn't go that way again alone. He'll be wanting to get back at you for making him look like a fool." Ekshan pointed out, his way of giving the boy a pep talk by passing on his own hard won knowledge and to let Yulieas know he didn't hold the incident against him. He nodded toward the shop, looking to distract Yulieas before he got too effusive. "This the shop you wanted?"

Yulieas had been absorbed in his exchange, in the smith from his past stirring up trouble, he didn't really process Ekshan's actions at his side until after he had walked away from the bully who now leaned against the wall of the shop again. He seemed to only notice the hand at Ekshan's belt once he pulled it away again. In those moments he seemed to notice, in retrospect, that the taller young man at his side had seemed to grow defensive as the words were exchanged. It seemed somewhat odd to Yulieas that he would be. Maybe he was just used to fights, though. Yulieas really wasn't, even if he had gotten into them since returning with far more frequency than he wished.

He didn't like violence. He much preferred words- a debate. But you couldn't expect everyone to be reasonable. He usually tried to get away if he could, preferring to avoid conflict. Times when he had to fight, he did okay for himself. He had broken the nose of a wealthy holder who used to be a childhood "friend" shortly after he came back. Of course, Yulieas had ended up bruised and black-eyed himself from that exchange. And word had gotten around that he had lost it. Nobody from his old world really fought ususally. Not with punches, at least. It hadn't done much to develop a reputation of being able to defend himself, though, it mostly just made people think he had gone off the deep end- especially since it was made out as if he had instigated the whole thing.

Yulieas was similarly surprised to hear Ekshan's warning, as he had been noticing his defensiveness. His eyes widened, but he nodded. The beginnings of a small smile came back to his face as he said, "Thanks," quietly. He didn't know what else to say. He didn't think the smith would give him too much trouble. He was a coward. But then again, people could surprise you. Luckily, Yulieas usually didn't have business down this way, especially at times when he could be caught more off-guard. A little caution never hurt, though, did it? At any rate, Ekshan probably didn't mind him just keeping it to the single word of gratitude. He wondered if he should explain. maybe later. After he had time to collect his thoughts. Yulieas preferred to speak after he had thought on things for a while.

He turned around and reached for the door of the shop. "Yes, this is it." He entered, looking somewhat hesitant at first, but the man in the shop gave them a warm enough welcome and didn't give Yulieas any sidelong or dirty looks that indicated anything he would want to avoid. The items on his list weren't anything too fanciful, just basic smaller tools used in the gardens to dig or pull up weeds. He double-checked the lists and then set about finding the items on it. He looked somewhat distant as he distractedly checked over the tools, still reflecting. He didn't know much about smithcraft, but his father and brother had taught him basics to look for as far as quality. They both specialized in more ornamental crafting, though- jewelry and the like. Still, Yulieas had picked up a few pointers.

He picked out what he needed, paid the smith in the shop, stowed the tools away in one of his bags, and headed back out, his head still somewhat in the clouds. He should probably say something to Ekshan. He hesitated outside, looking in the direction they had come from. Maybe they would take another route. He turned to his companion and looked like he had something to say, but ended up putting it off again. Instead, he just smiled and asked, "Do you want to eat something?"

Ekshan didn't delve into what had made him remain at Yulieas's side like some skinny excuse for a guard dog. He wasn't the sort to regularly cross examine his motives or emotions. Maybe it was some attempt to be for Yuliease what no one had ever been for him, though the why him and why now part of his decision was left unbreached. Part of him liked the kid, even if he was far from ready to admit it, and he sensed in the redhead a past if not similar to his own then at least as difficult. Of course he was quick to assure himself his actions were because Yulieas might be useful and how better to win someone's trust than by standing by them. Whether that was the truth or a lie didn't come into play at that moment. It was early days yet and he was still testing the waters to ensure the young man was worth the trouble.

Yulieas's wide eyed nod at his warning let him now the boy hadn't even considered that possibility, but Ekshan always erred on the side of better safe than lying in a gutter. His small smile and quiet thanks produced a quick shrug. Ekshan shifted, uncomfortable with gratitude expressed and not sure how to interpret the warm sense of pride. He hadn't done it because it was the right thing to do he'd done it to benefit himself. That was all. Wasn't it? He shouldered back the odd desire to find out what else might please the young gardener. Befriending Yuliease was an opportunity, part of the vague plan Ekshan had to raise himself past being a simple cotholder. Something about him made it difficult for Ekshan to keep his plan in mind.

Relief was almost visible on his impassive features when Yuliease verified his guess about the shop. Anything to distract him from further reflection. He followed Yulieas in, glancing over a few items more to give himself something to do than because of actual interest. He was in danger of letting Yulieas pull him off course even though the boy wasn't even trying to. He had no idea about Ekshan's motives and something that felt like guilt prickled his mind. He picked up a trowel, turning it between his fingers before putting it back into place without having really looked at. If someone had asked him what he'd just held he wouldn't have had a clue.

Ekshan was with it enough to notice that Yulieas had purchased the tools he need and made his way back over to him, following him back out into the street. The boy had that look on his face as if though his body was there his mind was someplace else entirely. He waited surprised by a lack of his usual impatience at being delayed until Yulieas turned to look at him. There was something on his mind, Ekshan could read it in his expression, but he just smiled and asked about food. Not what Ekshan had expected, but he was willing enough to just go with it.

What may have been embarrassment fluttered across his face. Ekshan dug a hand into his pocket, wrapping his fingers around the meatroll he'd forget was even there. "Ah I have this." He produced a quashed, clothe wrapped item that may indeed have once been food. His mother had pressed it into his hand before he'd left and he'd pushed it into a pocket and forgotten about it until Yulieas had mentioned eating. It didn't look appetizing, but it was edible, he hoped. "I wasn't expecting to meet anyone." He explained as if he might have brought along two squashed meatrolls if that had been the case.