Getting Ducklings in Order

Having conducted his business with the orphan, Gularzob gave the boy a head start to get on with his tasks before diving back into the crowd. To tell the truth, he was in no hurry to get back to the couple he had found on the road. He wasn't having second thoughts about helping them, for they had given him no reason to doubt their integrity. It was more of a feeling of confusion, as to why he had even agreed in the first place. It was not in his character to extend out of his comfort zone like that, but he was not going to back out on his word now. Easing back into traffic, he steadily made progress towards the right before making it to the front of his store. Stepping off rhe road and onto the stone landing that was in front of the door, his eyes were immediately drawn to the mud that had been scrawled across the surface of the door. Stepping forward with a snarl, he scraped the dirt off with the side of his hand before kicking it off the stone. He had received too much harrassment for his heritage and had worked too hard to prove himself civilized to have mud deliberately places on his door.

Looking towards the bar with narrowed eyes, he could not see the shock of red in Artem's hair on any of the people standing in the street. Fighting an urge to go over and drag the two back to have them clean his door, he instead took the opportunity to step inside his store and begin tidying up. He usually kept his store very clean and almost never left without it being perfect, but he had been in a rush when he left. Moving several of his tools from his workplace at the forge, he picked up the armor he had been working on and grunted softly. It could be better, but he would have to test the strength later. Placing his tools on their designated locations on the storage racks he had built to the side, he felt his heart jump to his throat when his eyes landed on an empty spot. His small chisel for fine details was missing, and it would not be time efficient to craft another one. Moving around frantically, he looked under several of the tables in his work area before sprinting over to the counter. Shuffling around sheets of parchment that had different orders written on them or blueprints for armor or buildings on them, he felt a panic growing in his chest as he failed to see it under them. Squatting down, he shuffled through the shelves that lined the inside of his counter. Finding nothing, he dropped to his knees and looked around the workplace until his eyes caught a small glint on the edge of the forge. Lunging towards it, he grabbed the chisel from the stone with a sigh of relief before putting it back on the table.

Stepping back from the workspace, he moved to the stairs that lead upstairs to his moving quarters and bounded up them quickly. He did not often have guests, but that did not mean he didn't have nice clothes that made him look right at home in the royal courts. Donning a pair of thin black trousers with an indigo stripe going down the sides, he then pulled a white silk shirt on over his broad shoulders. Tying the strings of the shirt down his chest, he tucked it in before tying the strings of the pants. Pulling a tan vest over the shirt, he made his way back down the stairs and stood slightly awkwardly in the waiting room.

Fiddling with a dagger, he glanced up when there was a knock at the door. Stepping to it, he took a deep breath before opening it to the faves of Lars and Isai. Lars was a short eunuch with shoulder length brown hair that he kept tied back with a leather thong. His features were very soft, like those of a young woman with a neutral toned voice to match. Isai however was nearly the opposite. A large man with deep ebony skin, his shoulders were wide and gave an image of great strength despite his belly that stretched his tunic.

Stepping back to allow them in, Gularzob raised his right arm to guide them in before speaking, "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, friends. How are you both this fine afternoon?"

Lars shrugged his slender shoulders before speaking in a lazy, uninterested tone, "It could be better, it could be worse. However, I heard yours has been quite fine indeed. A special assignment from a certain Ms Valade? That is a promising paycheck."

Isai snorted harshly at the eunuch's words before speaking, "As noncommittal and dodgy as ever, Lars. It is a wonder you get anything done with that attitude of yours."

Seeing that his friends were close to decolving in to thwir normal spat back and forth with each other, Gularzob clapped his hands together before speaking, "Alright, enough of that. I've brought you here to do me a favor. I think I have done enough for the both of you to warrant a favor, don't you?" Seeing them both offer slight nods, Gularzob nodded before speaking, "Super. Now, I will need you, Lars, to fashion together a pair of outfits, one male and one female, fit for nobles. Isai, I need you to write out heritages."

Isai cocked to his head and went to speak, but Lars quickly silenced him by speaking, "I'd be more than happy Gular, just let me go get my stuff." Isai was still not satisfied, but Gularzob silenced any complaining with a glare before speaking, "I know you have helped certain freedom fighters escape notice by changing official papers. I don't think you will have any problem doing this for a pair of innocent foreigners who I wanted to help avoid the hellish fees the guardsmen randomly put into place."

Isai nodded and moved forward to the counter, grabbing a few sheets of parchment that were in pristine condition as well as a quill and ink jar.