argumentativeness of the non argument

The girl kept herself amused during the ahns that the men were away. There was no chezhar to play and despite her culinary skills there was only so much one could do with a crust of bread and a bota of water. Nibbling at the hardened rind of the loaf while she began tidying up the flat, she opted not to think far into the future but rather gave in to the whimsy of what she would say to the young man if she had an opportunity again. For a moment she was enticed to slip down the alleyway to the physician's and finagle a piece of rence from him. It was short lived only in that she would find reason to have the guards stop by the following morning during her exercise. It was only after the streak of light from the central fire receded and was replaced by a sliver of glow from the street lanterns that the guardsmen stumbled back into the apartment. They reeked of paga and not only were their coin pouches hanging on the outside of their breeches but it was evident by the low swag of them they were much lighter. That same impassiveness followed the argumentativeness of the non argument. It was not entirely the paga that had them both saying the same thing and refusing to realize it. "We should have asked for more coins for the slip." "We need to go to Ar." "We should ask a higher price." "We can do that of the merchant .. in Ar." "We could make double the coin for her." "We will go to Ar."The debate was settled when one finally offered no rebuttal. He had fallen face first onto the splintered wooden table ... passed out. The girl had watched the tirade between the two as if it were a kaissa match, looking from one to the other as they spoke about her. When Shorl fell over and shortly thereafter Dolht did as well it made her head bob as if nodding her own agreement. They were going to the high cylinders ... when ... they woke.

Past the copper bit brothels

Every city has in some form or another a district similar to the Anbar District of Ar, where the rents are low and coin can purchase many things that an honest merchant would turn down profit for. Ar's is just more renowned. Within the twists and turns of the alleyways into darkened passages between a shop of inexpensive brands and the seedy physician's tenement where no questions were asked of the purpose or patient for whatever vial of drug needed, past the copper bit brothel, the guardsmen had leased one of the insula apartments. The less coin invested the greater their take when they sold the girl.
It seemed a matter of ihn after returning to the flat, Dohlt and his comrade were out the door again leaving exquise to herself. In a way she was being thoughtful of their coins in not lighting the lamps but in the dimness, the ragged rep cushions and tattered furs didn't appear as obviously dismal. The fragrance of stale paga and other noxious aromas was masked only by opening one of the shutters a crack to let in air.
Drawing off her cloak, she immediately began brushing off the dust and grass fragments that had adhered during her service at the springs. One or two hitch-hiking seed pods were carefully plucked away before she folded the cape and set it aside. It wasn't the stream of cool air that filtered through the shutter that made her shiver and sigh deeply. It was the skepticism of the future. Only hands ago she knew well what her life was to be and now ... its details came only moment by moment.
The bantering among those gathered earlier today had not escaped her as she held out her hands before her to study them. She had not been opposed to hard work, she had merely never been exposed to it nor had there ever been any reason to be. Was she so pampered as described by the man and woman speaking today? As her fingertips touched and brushed each other, something or rather someone else slipped into her thoughts. A piece of rence folded within a young man's hands had caught her attention as she was forced to leave the natural baths. She had wished to see what became of it when he had lept from the boulder to his feet. It had been almost startling when she looked up into his face, so beautiful, so perfectly chiseled but his eyes ... It was not like the girl to express emotions often and for some reason he had provoked a smile. It would have been bold to speak to him but in a sense was grateful that Shorl had intervened. She would not have known exactly what to say. 'Silly girl, there is little chance you will meet with him again. When the guards return surely they will have found a new owner for you.' The envisionment was not of the grandeur she had once expected and that shiver coursed over her more fiercely

Insula

Insula
Fed, watered, exercised, the guards would see the woman had at least the basic of necessities. She was allowed a few ihn within the clearing of the springs. The walk had brought a bit of color to her cheeks as well as a bit of purpose to her day in being allowed to serve. Silence had been much of her world and she had been hesitant to speak within her serve. Given chance she chose the season.
The time alloted had come all too soon. She was offered release to rejoin the guardsmen as they departed. It was only then that she caught sight of the young man indulging in a lost art of folding rence. Something about him beckoned to her and she had slipped from the harsh grasp of the men only long enough to offer a smile before they forced her down along the path.
The dreariness of the rented insula would become the womb once more. There had been no major expense offered in the furnishings, meager, dank and ill-used. The men would leave her within to search for an offer of coins or the festivities of the taverns. She gave no thought to why they did not partake their pleasures of her. Simply finding the absence of light soothing.

markets

Seizing the opportunity to make profit, the small entourage wove along the streets of the city. Amidst the flow of the crowd, they wound their way through crudely crafted stalls and the vast array of blankets tossed along the sides of the market. A buyer would be found, cheaply enough if their package gave them much trouble.
Wedged between the two obviously adroit guardsmen, the cloaked figure seemed unusually diminuative. Though the men buffeted their way with heavy booted footfalls, the smaller form would appear to glide from here to there within a wisp of breeze. The drape of hood concealing any detail of what lay beneath.
Roughened hands of the men caught at the petit upper arm gripping firmly to drag their prey off the curb and across to the far alleyway. Even without the benefit of the features under the cowl, the impassiveness was evident. Slowly extricating from the grasp, a small hand smoothed the lines of the cape again in brisk motions.
Only briefly in the turn to glance back at the throngs was the glmpse of finely carved features and delicate shading of the face beneath visable. The eyes, pools of blue green liquid that danced over the masses. Decadently gossamer veilings too scandalous for a free woman scarcely hid the intricate beauty.
For the spanse of a moment, the gaze sought to rest on just one. The childlike innocence of it disarming. Within it too was perhaps a desperation of need for validation ... a reaching out within it before the hardened grip caught hold again, guiding her into the shadows.

Upheaval

Knowing lifelong what path lie before her, she had been readied for dispatch to her new world. The painstaking ahns of preparation, training, studies were now to pay off. Though a series of ill fated events would turn it all upside down. Created as a gift for a ubar, it was the belief that he would reign for decades ... centuries, in one solitary moment of tyranny, he had been cut down. The end of an era became the turning point of a journey. The creator having been paid well no longer had interest of what became of his art, the investor believing his gift had been accepted sought new adventures elsewhere, the guards given their coin now felt the dilemma of what to do with the girl. A design without implementation, a purpose without destination, this was the woman's world for the moment.