Ocean's Breath Plateau seventy-third

trading thread #1, all welcome to set up with senmut and come by <3 backdated to 2/16

senmut wanted the bison pelt presented by @Rodyn, and he felt the amber pieces he had carried held special merit. such sunstones were not found this far to the sea.

amid the throng, senmut settled them into a place where they might arrange in rows their wares. he smiled warmly at the women who came, and nodded at the men. slowly he made his way to the sea-leader. "thank you for receiving us in trade," senmut said politely, once he had put down his own bag of flatlands grasses. 

pleasantries first. the breeze off the sea was quite lovely.

[

A wolf painted in tones of fall like Rodyn came to meet him. Yellow eyes fell upon him with kind gaze. A smile upon face.

Hello. Senmut? Correct?

He had learned most of the names or had tried at least. This one was from Akashingo alone. He knew not much of him.

Thank you for coming to us. I have been trader since my arrival. It is always nice to ply your wares. Have you been finding everything well?

"yes. and you are rodyn, am i right?" he murmured, though he felt they were both correct. to hear that the man had been a trader for some time interested senmut — for more reasons than one.

"all is well. your village has been very welcoming," the prince assured. his green eyes were bright in the glint of sun strengthened by the reflection of the sea. "akashingo and muat-riya would welcome a man of your skill, if you ever wished to travel in the direction of pharaoh's kingdom. a trader would be offered our finest delights."

gentle words, softly probing. what sort of man was rodyn? and might he be a good match for the lakewoman who now sought a husband?

A nod of large head. That I am. Rodyn Ardeth. At your service.

He was leader for a reason. Had married well before he lost is wife trafically. In part because of his ability to trade and hunt. Had caught everything he had to trade. A point he was quite proud of.

You would want me to bring wares to trade at a later season you mean? I would need to hunt to gather more furs for you. I prefer to do so in fall after babies are no longer in need of mothers. So it would be probably right before winter. Would that be okay? A time for me to travel to you and bsck home.

Rodyn wouldn't leave Moontide this was hia home he was leader here. He would need to rely on Heph to watch the pack lands and if she had children. She may be stretch3d to thin. But he would seek an amswer of what exactly was wanted first.

"the timing does not matter. come when you are ready and able, and bring whoever you like. you will be accommodated."

"i understand that there was recently a great hunt, and many rich things were brought to different villages after," the priest went on. a smile shone in his eyes. "i was entranced to see so many valuables. moontide is wealthy indeed."

Rodyn nodded. He would be pleased to do so. If he could make great trades for his pack. If he could make them healthy, wealthy and wise. Should he not do so? Within reason. The humble man knew he would never reach above his station or tolerate those that did so in a cruel way. He was a hunter a trader.

Rodyn smiled. Yes. We had a Bison hunt. More than 5 packs came to assist. There were healing circles and womens circles, trades. Shamans. All around. And before that. Much of moontides wealth was built upon when i searched for my bride price for my late wife. We pride ourselves on our trading and hunting here. We are eager to build trade with our neighbors. So all may thrive.

A sadness in his eyes at the mention of his wife. But he had helped to build this because of her. His bride price had paved the way. With Hephs help, Voids help. They had won their land.

hope you dont mind me butting in!

now acquianted with the colony by the sea, racharra returns to the camp-to-be. her stride falters to a shuffle as she sees senmut speaking to the darker, larger man — the gracious host of this culture exchange, she concludes. though, she is not familiar with his name.

onwards. she gives a slight smile, one that feels unnatural, uncomfortable even, to her.
hello. i hope i am not interrupting. polite, poised, practiced. she keeps her shoulders firm and head high as if to receive a kiss on the crown from Ra himself. diplomacy is what she was taught, trained for. anything less would bring shame to akashingo for allowing a fool to become nebet.

not at all!

everything rodyn spoke interested the prince, who glimpsed in the words the culture of this place, and the related villages as well. remembering that he had meant to see moonspear, he made a mental note to come again.

racharra now joined he and the moontide leader. "it is a tribute to the influence of moontide that you have secured such favorable allies," he said to rodyn. "i too am delighted to build toward a profitable tradership."

green eyes shone. "this is racharra, a noble of akashingo. she comes as emissary and with her own aspirations of leadership." a soft smile, a focused look. "will you explain this tradition of bride-price to us?"

Yellow Eyes dipped over and skimmed across the face of another new wolf. But a smile easy and natural for Rodyn lit up his face.

,Not at all.

Rodyn tilted an ear towards Senmut, noting the woman's name. He could explain, but first introductions.

Well met Lady Racharra. I'm Rodyn Ardeth leader of Moontide.

He dipped his nose down. Thinking. In the moon cultures a bride price is a price given to the man seeking a wife. It depends on her station, his station, his skills and what the parents want for her. It is a journey to both see what he is able to provide, the care he will take care of her and the riches he will provide. As well as a journey of self.

He noded and continued. For instance the bride price I was given for my peachy queens paw in marriage was  eight white ermine pelts, tree stag skins, four otter pelts, a shell from the sea, dried caribou meat. And I was to wrestle with Aiolos, her father. Only once I gathered all these things were I allowed to ask her to marry me. It took me all of Autumn and part of winter. It is a long journey, but a good one.

it's a pleasure to meet you. thank you for having us, sir. the noblewoman bows her head and remains silent as rodyn speaks of his bride.
when she first came into this, she didn't understand what the men were speaking of. then, it clicks.

i see.

she listens to the fondness in the sea lord's voice, the pin-point accuracy of his recountance like he'd burned it into his memory. she sees no woman besides him though, so this tale becomes more of a tragedy to the nebet. the mix of sorrow and nostalgia twists her stomach.

she smiles at rodyn as he finishes. it's gentle and a little sympathetic.
quite a feat. is all she can muster.

likewise did senmut hear the tones of loss, and ascertained that at this time, rodyn would not be suited to racharra. his older age gave stability, but what aspects of his soft memory were shown might certainly relegate a new wife to a lower status. 

where had she gone, this queen who captured the heart of the moontide man?

senmut thought it doubtful, too, that rodyn would leave such a home to travel into a land foreign to him, to stay and to be wed.

"indeed it was a feat. such devotion ensured more than wealth, but loyalty." a shining smile wreathed his mouth. "i was most taken with the bison hide, which you took upon the great hunt, i believe. i have sunstones from our desertlands, still touched by the warmth of Ra."

Rodyn would never treat any woman less than. Were he to marry again. Whomever it was would be treated as well as Samani had been, possibly better because he knew how it felt to lose now. But he couldn't leave moontide and it was far on his radar.

Rodyn smiled but it was sad. Loyal to the end. But it mattered not when childbirth took her and our daughter. But I have two sons to help me remember her.

Rpdyn tilted an ear. He didn't know who Ra was, but he did like pretty things. He used them to decorate. And he had other hides. So did moonglow.

You wish a trade for the bison skin?

He shifted and motioned where his items lay. I see no problem with this trade.

the noblewoman swallows shallowly. the lord of moontide had indirectly answered her lingering questions. i'm sorry for your loss. she says through a breath that she didn't know she had held onto. the noblewoman understands that words could never fill the hole an absence leaves behind.

like a snap of fingers, the bison skin catches her eye. she blinks. for a moment she'd almost forgotten why they were even here, but the skin grounded her back from wandering too far away from the present. and so her dark body ducks away from the men to browse. 
well preserved skins and other trinkets of animals that would never set foot near the desert form a line. all of them yearn to be taken along with the skin of the bison, but only one could go. so then, which one should she choose? 

deja vu stabs and twists a dagger in her stomach. she barely winces.

and these furs of seashells? racharra decides, standing in front of the pair. the bison fur is brilliant, but she felt it wouldn't have been taking the sea with them. these, she thinks, would make an impressive display for the palace, or for muat-riya. perhaps under Ra, where he may allow them to shine when bathed in his sun. the image is too tempting for her to leave behind.

there it was, and senmut dipped his head in recognition of the other's pain. as racharra moved aside, the prince murmured, "perhaps you will permit me to say a prayer over their place of burial. i am also high priest of akashingo, and i would be honored to sing for her and for your child."

their talk moved now to trading. senmut produced two of the three stones, the width of a paw. amber, it was called elsewhere, and truly they still were a marvel of slight warmth to the touch.

he held these for rodyn's inspection, wondering what the man would ask for shells.

Rodyn nodded his head. Their death ulaq is on the beach. Because my wife loved it.

She was not his wife they had not managed to get married, but to him she was always even if a ceremony had not been performed.

Rodyn looked at them they were very pretty. One of his sons could potentially use it for a bride price when he was of age if not both. He nodded he would take them.

I will take those for the bison fur. Put them away for my sons bride price if they decide to embark on one when they are of age.

He stepped near the other wolf now. Looked down at the shells on the small ermine fur.

He had not seen what Racharra had brought other than a pouch of deer skin.

What would you like to offer for them? I apologize i only noticed your pouch of deerskin when you arrived. If you have anything other than that i don't know

He was open for negotions but unsure what else she had if anything and was trying to ask as kindly and diplomatically as he could.

i have a blue gem. she decides. excuse me. it'll be just a minute. and so she scampers over to her goods. pressure builds at the base of her skull, the noblewoman's heart racing. she's determined to get the blanket of seashells, but would the price match? to think, she was to forever bury the gem before this moment. how foolish of her.

deerskin pouch in tow, racharra returns with a trot so as to not waste time. once, the pouch would clink with each step the girl took but now it remains silent. she unfurls the skin for rodyn, presenting the gem to the man. surely, he'd make better use of it than she would.

i'd only take one of the shell furs. would this suffice?

death ulaq. senmut would parse those words when he attended the sunny strip of beach at a later time..

their trade was complete. senmut gave the two stones into the care of rodyn, and passed his paw along the thick, warm hairs of the bison fur.

racharra surprised him, thought he supposed she should not. she was truly noble, elegance clear as she showed the gem for the inspection of the moontide ruler.

Rodyn's eyes were caught by the pretty gem. And a gut wrenching pain blossomed along his insides as he studied the gem Samani would have loved. That reminded him of her her oceanic gaze. Not quite the same shade, but enough.

He nodded. That will suffice just fine. They're yours.

His voice was only a little roughened with emotion. And he offered her and Senmut both kind smiles.

tension releases as her offer is accepted by the sea lord.

thank you. she gives a slight bow. she had noticed the way rodyn's eyes had lingered on the gem. she was sure both shared the same question: what if.

racharra carefully slips the seashell coat and joins senmut at his side once again. despite the coat, she feels just a little bit lighter.

last for me! <3

"good trading, man of moontide," senmut said with a bow for rodyn.

looking toward racharra with encouragement and interest, he swept them grandly aside, starting to roll the bison hide for its eventual departure.

their expedition had done well.