Four Feet to the Target (LM, The Desert, Observation/Conversation)

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

"Generally by asking people about them- there's plenty to go around. Forgive me if that's a bit... cryptic, but sometimes I'm looking for information that could... trouble those looking for it, so I try not to burden well-meaning strangers unduly..."

A wry smile. "Well, that sounds straightforward enough. And well... don't mind burdening me - that is, if I can help. As I said, I don't want to be a burden myself."

He looks around those in the crowd again. "I'm supposing there's someone specific you wanted reasons from, right? If I'm keeping you from seeking them, please don't let me hold you further..."

[Kezia]

A wry smile. "Well, that sounds straightforward enough. And well... don't mind burdening me - that is, if I can help. As I said, I don't want to be a burden myself."

He looks around those in the crowd again. "I'm supposing there's someone specific you wanted reasons from, right? If I'm keeping you from seeking them, please don't let me hold you further..."

"Oh, I doubt I'd find them here... something to do with a friend of mine, and some.... violence yesterday. Even if there are plenty of pickpockets out here, the people I want to ask are likely lying low after what happened."

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

"Oh, I doubt I'd find them here... something to do with a friend of mine, and some.... violence yesterday. Even if there are plenty of pickpockets out here, the people I want to ask are likely lying low after what happened."

He looks at her again, his expression serious and a bit worried now. "Ah. Another assault on the Ra'Shari at the city? There are many who are not particularly open in the city, unfortunately..."

[Kezia]

He looks at her again, his expression serious and a bit worried now. "Ah. Another assault on the Ra'Shari at the city? There are many who are not particularly open in the city, unfortunately..."

"Hm? Oh, no, not that I doubt there are those who ponder it every time they lay eyes on one of us, but the friend in question was actually Dahabi..."

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

He looks at her again, his expression serious and a bit worried now. "Ah. Another assault on the Ra'Shari at the city? There are many who are not particularly open in the city, unfortunately..."

"Hm? Oh, no, not that I doubt there are those who ponder it every time they lay eyes on one of us, but the friend in question was actually Dahabi..."

Faruq's eyebrows raise slightly. "A Dahabi?"

She could probably imagine he was wondering how it was that a Ra'Shari had become friends with a Dahabi, but he wasn't one to ask about such things.

"Hm. The Dahabi are... important people, usually. Do you think your friend might have attracted... the wrong kind of attention, perhaps?"

He looked at the Khadi's entourage for a moment. "You know, wronged hearts..." his voice lowers somewhat "or no hearts?"

[Kezia]

He looked at the Khadi's entourage for a moment. "You know, wronged hearts..." his voice lowers somewhat "or no hearts?"

"I think, the, ah... latter would have made less of a hash of the attempt. Although when it comes to wronging hearts... she certainly has the charm for it, even if she has thus far not displayed the inclination..."

[Al-Haddar]

"Oh...no, not fritters." Her nose wrinkles at the thought as she begins to tie the shoddy bag to her belt, then thinks agains of the likelihood of the strings just snapping and instead loops the strings over two of the fingers holding her bow. "The apple is for Janan, so fried things..probably wouldn't be good for her, even if they were finely made." Though after that 'recommendation' she was thinking of avoiding them herself for the stay as well. "But after that performance, I did promise her an apple as a treat. Fresh or dry both get high marks."

"A bushel would be far too much, but I imagine there's agreement to be found with Ser Abu, on quantity. Or," she shrugs with a small smile, "I'll suffer his disapproving grunts." Fiddling with the bag until she can easily pop a few nuts out to eat, she considers the look of them there's a reason I'm never in charge of trading

"As to placing money, I suspect luck would have meant placing some on my name before today's performance." She offers a rueful smile. "I expect the odds-makers will offer a good deal less after today. Ser Arash has a style that I'm less familiar with, but seems well-suited to the contests your khadi has set up for us. Possibly also a good bet."

She pops one of the nuts into her mouth to chew. "Hmm..where were these grown, did you say?"

"Oh, you're looking for apples for your mount! Take my words with a grain of salt then: For as good as I am at advising humans, I have little experience advising beasts. My brother's many cats never ever listen to me for once. Well, they don't listen too much to him either, but since they do his job in his stead, he cannot really complain. He is a ratcatcher you see."

As for the pistachios, I didn't pick them on the tree myself, but Abu says they're from a field half a day on camel back upstream, picked during the last hours of sunshine, then moved during the night to be delivered on the market just before dawn.

Al-Haddar racked his brain to remember who was this Arash one. From context and through elimination, should be the Invindi guy.

"Arash hum? I'll keep that in mind.

You say your khadi, so I guess you aren't from here? Came in the city especially for the tournament?"

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

He looked at the Khadi's entourage for a moment. "You know, wronged hearts..." his voice lowers somewhat "or no hearts?"

"I think, the, ah... latter would have made less of a hash of the attempt. Although when it comes to wronging hearts... she certainly has the charm for it, even if she has thus far not displayed the inclination..."

He nods, seeming a bit relieved at least. "Right... so you don't think the former is the case either? Other than that... I could imagine money, or influence. But I'd have to know more about your friend..."

[Kezia]

He nods, seeming a bit relieved at least. "Right... so you don't think the former is the case either? Other than that... I could imagine money, or influence. But I'd have to know more about your friend..."

"Young, gorgeous, plainly wealthy, and apparently incredibly naive."

She frowned.

"So naive, in fact,t hat I'm not certain I fully trust her naivete. Quite, quite charming, though. Can't fight her way out of a cobweb, either..."

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

"Young, gorgeous, plainly wealthy, and apparently incredibly naive."

She frowned.

"So naive, in fact,t hat I'm not certain I fully trust her naivete. Quite, quite charming, though. Can't fight her way out of a cobweb, either..."

Her frowning is followed by his own. "Right... well, money sounds like a good guess, I suppose." He keeps quiet for a moment. "So... you say you don't necessarily fully trust her? You know of something else she might be involved in?"