Off near a few of the beer vendors, Envoy sings a ballad about a girl waiting on the bank of a river for her husband to come home from war.

A Jupani walks by in the crowd, hearing Envoy's song, then starts sniffling, wiping at her eyes with a handkerchief, gathering her skirts to rush past more swiftly. A few other people, though, stop to listen … and toss a few shekels and half-shekels into the winged alien's hat.

Natilie looks around, looking for opportunities to test her thieving skills; particularly fruits or vegetables. She's feeling a little hungry today.

Amongst the clothing booths and other wares, there are plenty of booths with various produce available, brought in by airship from all over Sinai, even though the sky island DOES have a few gardens and orchards and fields of its own. A short, plump, snow white Skeek (mouse) merchant has a wide variety of such fruits, most of them coming from the northern regions of the Savan, from the fringes of Kilmanjar, as proclaimed in loud letters on the sign.

Envoy finishes her song, and checks both her hat and the expressions of the beer vendors. She's learned not to overstay her welcome in any one spot.

The beer vendors don't seem to mind Envoy's presence at all. A couple of depressed off-duty Jupani guards stop at a nearby booth, purchasing a couple of bottles, before moving along.

Natilie walks up to the Skeek's booth, looking over the items. She searches for something tasty to eat, that wouldn't be too hard to steal.

Envoy starts a new song, this time about a triumphant squadron's return home. It has a few graphic verses, and a few other elements designed to appeal to Jupanis in particular.

The booth includes a variety of strange fruits, cheap and expensive. The most expensive would be the pumpkin-sized Bromthen truffles, with hard shells but dark and sweet nodules inside (tasting much like chocolate, really), and a favored food of Bromthen forest hogs.

Nezumi gazes up into sky for a few seconds then lets out a soft sigh before tending to her fruits, paying seemingly no heed to Natilie.

There are also many of the tiny pala fruits, sold by the cupful, and the water-retaining foamy-inside lovan fruits.

Natilie hmmms and waits for a moment when the Skeek is attending another person to attempt to steal one of those tasty water-retaining foamy-inside lovan fruits. =D

Envoy manages to get some of the off-duty Jupani guards to raise their drinks and join in on the chorus, which seems to attract more attention, although not necessarily the good kind. The Jupanis are pretty loud, afterall.

The lovan fruit is in Natilie's hands now. The people around her don't seem to notice … but what about the merchant?

The Skeek, looking at one display, gives it a satisfied nods then turns her attention to Natilie, "May I help you miss?"

Envoy finishes her song and collects her hat as the group of Jupanis make their way off to Bromthen Heaven.

Natilie says, "Umm."

Natilie smiles, "Yes… how much are those… fruits?" She points to the ones she was just trying to rip off.

Nezumi walks slowly towards Natilie, offering a friendly smile, "Rather tasty, aren't they? For you, I will take a shekel and a half."

Natilie checks her purse to see how much money she has.

Natilie hmms, "Alright… I'll buy one."

Natilie hands the Skeek the shekel and a half.

One of the Jupanis breaks off and suggests to Envoy, "How about Woodland Drums? Do you know that one?" He wags his tail.

The other Jupanis loll their tongues in apparent agreement that livelier music would be good.

Envoy hmms, "Does it go like this?" She sings a few snatches of a song that she thinks might be the one requested.

The Skeek accepts the money and drops the shekel and a half into a purse hanging around her waist. She gives the Yelf a little nod. "Thank you, miss. Good bye and have a nice day."

The first Jupani nodsnods eagerly. "But you use a lot of feet stomping – " He stamps his booted feet against the ground.

Envoy ahs, and changes the beat of the lyrics to match the stomping. Of all the times for Rawri to not be available! Her own feet don't stomp very well.

The Jupanis whirl around to the new beat of the music, one of them placing a chitin sword upon the ground, the others dancing over and around it. Another calls to the yelf, "Don't just stand there, come join us!"

Envoy smiles in surprise at the dance. She didn't know that City Jupani had any traditions! She sings louder to cover the extra noise of the dance.

It appears that the Jupanis test their agility by dancing about the left and right sides of the blade – none of them have yet misstepped by treading upon the blade or the hilt. Each takes a turn trying to improvise more steps around the sword to the beat of Envoy's music.

Other patrons of the Bazaar stop by to watch the event with some amusement. "Hoy, hoy!" a ferret-like Kavi says, clapping his hands to the tune. "Pick up the pace! That's no challenge."

The fruit-vender smiles as she watches Natilie leaves, then returns to her fruits, rotating the fresher wares to the back of the displays.

Envoy obliges and increases the tempo a little, slapping her thighs to add more noise to her stomps.

Natilie nods and eats her fruit. :)

One of the Jupani guards, his wolfish features grinning in a loll-tongue display, pads over to the breadfruit-eating Natilie and offers his hands. "I'm Rawrf. Want to give it a try? You look like you'd be good at it." He gestures toward the sword-dancing where the Jupanis are starting to pant as they try to top each other's maneuvers.

Envoy is amazed at the leaps and other acrobatics. She never suspected wolves of being so jumpy.

Natilie blinks and gives Rawrf a coy look, "What will you do for me?"

Rawrf blinks in surprise. "Hey! It's all just for fun." He grins, "But tell you what, I'll bet you fifty shekels that you can't beat Geoffrey there." He points to a lean black wolf with silver markings on his shoulders.

The other wolves stomp their feet as it has gotten down to six of the Jupanis contesting in each other. A crowd has started to form around Envoy and the off-duty guards.

Envoy keeps up the beat, switching from one voice to the other to keep her vocal chords from going hoarse.

Natilie watches the dance with a keen eye, trying to assimilate it into her memory.

Rawrf grins. "What do you say? Fifty shekels enough to make it interesting?"

A gray wolf drops out of the dance and rests his hands on his knees, half-sitting, mostly standing, as he rests. "Whew!" He stands and walks to Nezumi the fruit merchant, and orders one of the melon-like fruits.

Envoy tries to imagine the Jupani dancers out in the deep woods, illuminated only by firelight.

The merchant greets the wolf, "Good evening sir, enjoying the day? These melons? They will be one shekel each." She rummages through the pile of melons-like fruits, pulling out a plump one and handing it to her customer.

The gray Jupani grins. "Sword-dancing's tough work," he says as he pays a shekel out and takes the melon. Using his claws, he shatters the melon into several pieces and then shares some with the other Jupanis standing about.

Nezumi smiles, "Yes, that it does seem."

Envoy wonders how much longer the remaining dancers can keep going!

The Skeek seats herself on a little wooden stool as she watches the Jupani's odd dancing.

Natilie says, "Alright."

Natilie grins.

Rawrf shows Natilie over to the sword, where Geoffrey has just come off of another round and is resting while the other Jupani, a grizzled-looking lieutenant, is dancing. Geoffrey grins. "Hey, new dancer?" He snuffles at Natilie.

Rawrf grins. "Yeah. I bet her fifty shekels that you could outlast her in a dancer's duel."

Geoffrey sticks his paw out to Natilie for a handshake. "Geoffrey. This puppy's superior… Not that he ever lets on he knows it."

Envoy takes a quick drink from the water bottle she carries, then picks up the song again.

Several more of the crowds gathered about toss coins for the dancers, which another off-duty Jupani collects. He winks to Envoy. "We'll split 'em."

Natilie shakes Geoffrey's paw, "Let's dance."

Envoy nods to the coin-collector, and puts some more energy into the song.

Geoffrey grins. "All right. Hey, Rawrf! Another sword, and get Chemin off of yours, and we'll get to it."

Chemin grins. "Oooh, a challenger!" He steps aside, and Rawrf puts down the other sword point-to-point with the first. The black wolf, silver-touched, steps to the hilt of the first, tapping a paw to the beat of Envoy's music.

Geoffrey looks over at Natilie. "Rrready?"

Natilie nods to Geoffrey.

Natilie says, "Let's go for it."

Envoy keeps singing, but has traded clapping for stomping. She can't compete with the stomping of the boot-clad wolves anyway.

The crowd whistles in anticipation, quite a few of their hands clapping in unison.

Geoffrey grins. He takes a step to the left, a hop to the right, turns in place on his heel, and looks over at Natilie to see how she's doing.

Natilie takes a step to her left, and a hop to her right. She spins in place and moves over towards Geoffrey.

The silver-accented black wolf picks up the pace, working up more of a sweat, clapping his hands.

Natilie does another spin and picks up the pace too, jumping up into the air and clapping her feet!

Envoy blinks as she recognizes her neighbor from the Bards Guild dormitory joining the dance.

Natilie looks over to Geoffrey to see how he is doing.

Natilie spins around again, and notices Envoy! She trips on her own foot and falls over onto Geoffrey!

Geoffrey yelps! He catches Natilie, but goes off-balance himself and falls backward with her on top.

Natilie shakes her head and turns around to look at Geoffrey.

The black silver-shouldered wolf grins toothily at Natilie as he gets to his feet and helps her up. "Well, I think you owe Rawrf fifty shekels, milady, but I'll buy you a drink to make up for it."

Rawrf grins and holds his hands up. "I think the lady deserves a second chance, don't you?"

Envoy tries hard not to giggle, but her song wavers a little.

Natilie dusts herself off, "I think I need a drink first."

Geoffrey smiles. "All right. You have some good moves there, for a first-time dancer." He takes Natilie's hand and tosses a ten-shekel piece and a scattering of smaller coins to Envoy. The other Jupanis appear to be dispersing, each with their own small gifts for the Aeolun bard.

Natilie smiles to Geoffrey.

Envoy takes a bow and then a generous swallow from her water bottle. That's the longest stretch of singing she's ever done, and her throat is feeling raw.

Rawrf offers Envoy a hand. "Here's your cut… " He hands over thirty assorted shekel and half-shekel pieces. "You must be feeling pretty dry, want to go drinking with us?"

Envoy smiles, "Sure! I'm interested in learning more about Jupanis."

Envoy secrets the shekels in various hidden pockets before putting her hat back on.

Geoffrey grins. "Where's a good place, Chenn?" He looks over to one of the wolfish females accompanying the guards, a russet one.

Chenn replies, "How about the Three Thieves? Honest sort of bartender. Gives you exact change." She swishes her tail and lolls her tongue in amusement.

Envoy smiles, remembering the Three Thieves. Hopefully they won't remember her though.

The Jupani band heads off to visit the tavern for a little mid-afternoon drinking, along with Natilie and Envoy. Two bards ought to make it a most enjoyable experience…

Geoffrey laughs. "Really? I've been around us so long that we seem perfectly ordinary. You look very exotic, though. Slimmer, but still canine."

Natilie mms and holds Geoffrey's paw.

Natilie says, "Let's drink! =D"

A relief bartender serves behind the counter at the Three Thieves. "What'll it be?" the Rath'ani raccoonoid asks as the party of Jupanis steps in. "Ale all around?"

To identify the inn are the heads of three creatures of different races, mounted over the fireplace… The three thieves, presumably, that must have met dreadful fates at the hand of the Vartan owner of the inn.

Geoffrey nods to Natilie. "What do you want? And what about you, … What's your name again?" He looks over at both the yelf and the winged Aeonian-like creature to introduce themselves. "I like to know who I drink with."

Natilie says, "I'm Natilie… and I'd like an Ale. =D"

Envoy says, "Ah, I'm Envoy. I have the room next to Natilie's at the Bards Guild, coincidentally."

Envoy agrees to have an ale as well. She'll make sure to use her water bottle to dilute it though, just to be safe.

The Rath'ani smiles. "All right, a round of ale coming up. Money up front, ple – " His words are cut off as Rawrf slides a stack of shekels across the counter. "Right." He starts pouring mugs of ale, large ceramic things suited for hearty drinking.

Natilie drinks heartily, finishing her mug.

"Neighbors! And two bards," Geoffrey says with some surprise. He takes one of the mugs. "Do you know many songs then, Lady Natilie?"

Envoy picks a mug and nurses it carefully. Good thing she ate before busking this evening.

Chenn, the wolfish female, grins easily and drains her tankard. "We've already heard Envoy's singing. Methinks we could teach her to howl soon enough."

Natilie grins at Geoffrey, already buzzed, "I… know some!… I think."

Envoy raises her eyebrows at the mention of howling.

The black silver-touched wolf beams to Natilie. "Well, do you feel like singing, milady? Love to hear your voice in action."

Natilie hmms and smiles at Geoffrey, "Maybe… "

Envoy observes Natilie and Geoffrey's interaction with interest.

Several of the Jupanis talk between themselves – they seem to be discussing the increased security around the Inner Temple. One gripes, "Time was we could sneak off for an ale break, but now if they so much as smell ale on our breath when we come on duty, we're on punishment duty for a week!"

Geoffrey grins and looks at the yelf, wondering what it would take to get her to sing. He calls to the barkeep, who is draining ale into tankards and shekels from their balance for the night, "Another mug for Natilie, here!"

Envoy hmms, listening to the others complain. "I suppose all the changes from the Audit are to blame," she sympathizes.

Natilie mms and smells the Ale before drinking down. =D

"The Audit?" Rawrf looks over at Envoy. "Heh. It's not just that, it's the new ones in the nest. They think we don't know anything about them, but it's not hard to guess what's up."

Envoy blinks, "New ones? You mean new Inquisitors? Or those new Exiles I've heard rumors about?"

Natilie looks at Geoffrey and smiles happily at him, bestowing a kiss on his nose. =D

Rawrf notices Envoy's evident curiosity. "Hrrr – yes," he says. "Many new things, and the people high up – near the Bridge – they are very edgy now."

Geoffrey laughs. "Ah! I have been nose-kissed," he says, grinning at the other Jupanis nearby who look envious. He leans forward and gives Natilie a lick on the cheek. "So, a love-ballad then?" He winks.

Envoy nods, "Well, that's probably understandable with the war and all. I hope Officer Nimiss is coping." The Aeolun seems to put a bit of sarcasm into 'coping' however.

"Who?" Rawrf tries to think. "He must be one of the higher-ups. Nothing to do with us grunts."

Natilie says, "Envoy… would you… strum something for me… a ballad."

Envoy nods. "They probably don't tell you anything about what's going on, either, even though they depend on you for their safety." She takes out her dulcimer to accompany Natilie with, and starts to play a familiar tune.

Rawrf looks surprised. "Why should they? The captain of an airship doesn't ask his crew for opinions either, he tells them what to do." The Jupani lets his words trail off and settles back with his ale to listen to the music.

Natilie stands atop of the table and sings a ballad to a familiar tune… a ballad about a Jupani and a Yelf's chance meeting.

Geoffrey lolls his tongue and grins to the pretty yelf-bard, raising a tankard to her.

Envoy whispers back to Rawrf, "Well, if they told you who or what was a threat to them, you could guard them without putting yourselves in as much risk. But then you'd know your bosses' weaknesses, so you'd be seen as a threat too then. I'm finally starting to figure out how they think."

Natilie continues to sing about how the Jupani and the Yelf got drunk one night and got married, only to get divorced the next day.

Natilie looks down for a second and continues about how the two went on their separate ways, only to meet 50 years later during a war. They instantly fall in love…

Rawrf blinks at Envoy. "What, do you think every enemy tells them when they're going to pay a call? They pay us regularly an' they play fair by us, an' that's good enough for me." Chenn baps Rawrf, "Shut up, we want to hear her sing."

Natilie looks up for a second and continues… The Jupani and the Yelf hold eachother close as the wall of the city they're in fall down, and the two die together in the midst of war and chaos.

Rawrf rubs his head and looks apologetic to the wolfen female.

Natilie ughs!

Natilie falls off the table and lands on the floor! *thud*

Envoy stops playing and blinks at Natilie!

Geoffrey looks surprised and then hurries to Natilie, along with Rawrf. "Are you all right?" He feels behind her head for bumps or cuts.

Natilie opens her eyes and looks around, "What… happened?"

Natilie ouches, "Why does my head hurt?"

"You fell off, right at the end of the song," Geoffrey says. He jokes, "Acting out what happens when the walls of the city fall on them?"

Natilie giggles and smiles at Geoffrey, "I guess… "

Natilie looks at Geoffrey, "Can you take me home?"

Envoy eyes the ale with suspicion now, glad that she watered hers down.

Geoffrey laughs. "Well, all right. Bartender! Give us two for the road," he says to the Rath'ani.

Rawrf elbows Geoffrey and grins. "Hey, I saw her first."

The black wolf grins annoyingly at Rawrf. "But she asked me."

Envoy blinks again, and wonders if maybe Natilie's fall wasn't what it seemed. She'll have to ask Chipper for an opinion on it later.

Natilie stands up in some pain.

Geoffrey, though not the largest of the Jupanis, reaches down and then picks up Natilie in his arms. "Ah! There we are. Can you hold the tankards then, and I'll 'walk' you back, milady?"

Natilie says, "Sure. =D"

Natilie winks over at Envoy.

Rawrf hmfs, "I ought to dump yours on your head," but hands the tankards over to the yelf to hold.

Geoffrey noses at Natilie, and then the black silver-touched Jupani heads out of the Three thieves with his Yelf-armful. "Until duty calls, litt'uns," he says to the others. "I'll see you anon!"

Envoy blinks again, and grins at Natilie. She just thinks grinning is the proper response.

Natilie snuggles into the Jupani's arms. =D

And out the door the two go, with a trailing "So what were the names of this Jupani and this Yelf, anyway?… " from Geoffrey. Rawrf grumps.

Envoy takes another small sip of her ale, and glances at Chenn. Maybe she has an idea of what's going on, and Envoy can figure it out from her expression.

Chenn wrinkles her nose. "I've never seen anyone literally 'fall' for someone before," she says with a grin, then drinks up heartily.

Natilie hands Geoffrey his tankard.

Geoffrey noses Natilie, indicating that he can't take the ale until he's set her back down. "So, Bard's Guild, was it?" comes faintly from the street outside the tavern. Their steps vanish away into the distance.

In the Three Thieves, then, the Jupanis press Envoy into singing for them, and the shekels and the ale flow freely until late at night…