A hard row to hoe [D4 EM, Maze, Peddler's Row, Expecting]

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

As agreed the day before, Faruq heads to the church to meet Aydi before they took out on their way to the Peddler's Row to try to find Sakina's childhood friend, Maram.

As always on the Maze, the way there would not be a simple one...

OOC:
Waiting on Aydi's player as he may want to roll for us finding our way since Aydi's most likely better at that

[Aydi al-Qais]

Aydi was no stranger to traversing the Maze, having proven it on many occasions. This time would be no different; he'd been leading them across the labyrinth without holdups or waltzing into avoidable trouble.

EM4. Navigating Maze. Hunting. Mekham. TN10.: 4d10o10k3 24

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

As they come to the Peddler's Row, Faruq stops to take in the sights, looking at the wares offered and the faces around.

He tries hard to imagine how Maram might look today. What would be the best way to look for her?...

"Right... I guess we might take a look at the faces... Or ask around", he says, in a low voice.

OOC:
Any rolls?

[Jewel]

(Asking around: Sincerity/Awareness TN20
Looking around aka 'needle in a haystack': Investigation/Perception (Search) TN30)

[Aydi al-Qais]

It took them a lot if time and it seemed that they were out of luck.

EM4. Looking for Maram and related stuff. Sincerity, then Inv. VP on first two rolls. Two rolls on Search per MA - second if first fails.: 5d10o10k4 17 7d10o10k4 25 6d10o10k3 27

[Even with +1 from Faruq for assisting that I forgot to include in the rolls.]

EM4. Inv First Roll Luck Reroll.: 7d10o10k4 29

But on what seemed a stroke of luck, they just might have spottted the needle in the haysack.

[If unnotated +1 from Faruq is accepted.]

[Jewel]

It took most of the morning and, in retrospect, he's pretty sure they walked past it two or three times before they finally notice the smallest shingle of a sign marking the booth they were looking for.

The woman working was older than Faruq remembered, though that came as no surprise, but rougher too. Which, perhaps, should also not be a surprise given the way the city often worse down those who did not have wealth.

[Aydi al-Qais]

Aydi puffed a sigh of relief. "How well do you know her, rafiq?"

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

Faruq's look was a mix of relief and amazement. He took some time to process Aydi's question, shaking his head back to come back to reality before answering.

"Well, not that well even back then. But we used to talk at times in the market when I walked there with sis, or when I was shopping and stopped by in the stall they worked in. But..."

He looked at her again. Despite her rougher look, he still found her eyes quite pretty - but more than that, looking at her was almost as being transported to a past he'd thought lost.

"I should talk to her..."

He walked inside, walking slowly, and waited for Maram to be free to have a word with her.

"Morning, Sayyeda. Peace be upon you", he greeted her with a serious voice, but at least trying to sound kind. "I... I'm not sure you remember me... Sayyeda Maram?"

[Jewel]

At the words she seemed a little wary and more than a little confused.

"I'm sorry... I can't say that I do. Have you shopped here before? Was there a problem?"

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

At the words she seemed a little wary and more than a little confused.

"I'm sorry... I can't say that I do. Have you shopped here before? Was there a problem?"

He's not wholly unsurprised that she doesn't remember him - he's probably changed at least as much, if not more than her since the last time he saw her.

"Oh, no, Sayyeda, no problem at all - and I'm not a former client. On the contrary - I believe we went shopping together, in fact, a number of times - we went to get figs, bread, sometimes we'd even find a coin for a sweet. You, me... and Sakina." His face eases into a smile as he speaks, as if he was somehow reliving some of those stories from times long past.

"Maybe you remember that, Sayyeda?", he says, in a much gentler tone than usual for him.