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Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa just stared at her as she explained what had just happened in her culture. He was doing his best to think through what had just happened. "You're... Not serious right?" He asked just before she exclaimed that she was joking. He was already steeling himself up for the fact that it was the truth and how he would have to explain that to the royal court.

Oh the story it would have made. A Prince, fighting a war for his dead sister was ambushed by a lycan bandit raid. There in that battle he managed to capture one as the rest of the bandits fled. It was love at first sight, at least if it was a bard's tale it would be. The idea made him internally cringe.

Then Anja hopped up and left for the bathroom, flopping on the bed with the push. His face turned red and he shouted back at her. "That's not a funny joke! I might have been trying to pull one over on you but that was taking it to far!" He harrumphed and went to scarfing down food angrily and in frustration. The sooner they were on the road the better.

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa was eating one the hard boiled eggs when she came back. He motioned to the items he had bought yesterday with a small nod of his head in its direction. "I got everything I needed yesterday. Dried meats, fruits, a bit of salt some bread. And a bag of rice. We should be good on food supplies. I also bought myself a cloak in case we need to go over a mountain pass for some reason. I wanted to make sure we could leave as soon as possible."

He didn't mention the book on Lycan or the extra make up he had bought, or spare cloth to again, help with the disguise. He had plenty of silver pieces left, but gold was short now in his pocket. Not that he minded much. If they could find meats and herbs along the way they could just become traders in that instead. Though peddlers would be a more accurate term.

"In any case, I'll be packing up my horse if you pack up yours right?" He wiped his hands on the napkin in the basket and moved to stand up from his position on the bed.

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa gave a nod and stretched as he stood there. "Alright, will do. You enjoy the smell of horse dung for a while longer than myself." He stated with a chuckle before going over to his supplies and swiping them up shortly after she left. He grabbed the cloak and put it about his person before applying some light make up. Nothing as intricate as yesterday, but since they were leaving he knew they wouldn't be hassled as badly, if at all.

He stepped downstairs a short while later and moved over to the man at the bar who gave Nava a nod. She stepped forward and set the key on the counter. "Thank you for the room~." She stated with a wave. "I had plenty of fun last night, I think I may use this inn again on my return trip."

The man looked at her confused and she simply motioned to the door. "A woman may have passed by earlier. She was rather... Enjoyable company." With that Nava left the man to wonder and imagine what all had happened on the evening shift from before.

Nava stepped out and glanced into Anja's stable. "Enjoying your peace and quiet?" She asked before stepping into her own horse's stall and beginning to saddle the animal up. "A shame I have to disturb it."

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa snickered as she voiced her opinion of a stables back to him, placing the saddle onto his horse before moving to attach the various bags onto it, checking over the straps and making sure it was balanced. The animal wouldn't be able to move very fast, but he didn't figure that they would need to outpace anything very quickly considering the natural warding effect Anja seemed to have.

She was the first to depart from the sounds of it, the clopping of hooves ringing out to Tousa's ear. It would take him a while longer to double check and make sure the horse was well fed before moving to lead the animal out of the stable and then mount up, pulling his hood up. The spear was stowed in its holster just in front of the stirrup for an easy grab just in case he needed it for some problem or another.

Then Nava was out on the street, quiet as a ghost as she road by civilians and fellow travelers. Not the bright and teasing woman of yesterday, but one departing for life on the road again. It would take her a few minutes, most likely the gates to the town to catch up with her partner.

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Nava reached over and tapped Anja on the shoulder offering a little wave to her as she continued to let her horse walk towards the gate. Nava didn't say anything, just made her presence known to her partner.

The guards would not hassle them when they passed through the gates and there was fewer traveling out than in today, especially for the morning, it was how such things usually happened. It was not until they were past the final sentry did Tousa speak.

"So, did you enjoy your time in a smelly human city? We're not as bad as you thought hmm? Except for the whore house incident. Never let me get trapped in that again, however other than that, could you tell me with certainty you could find such a thing from any other race of being?" He was smiling, reaching up with an end of his cloak to wipe away the little make up he had placed on himself and straightening out his clothing so he was dressed appropriately for his gender.

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa shrugged. "You do know that eventually that leads to stagnation right? Barter can only go so far in terms of economy. After all, there is no relative standard to what something is worth. In your system, what is the standard unit of worth? A coin gives people something to measure. It could be beads, sand, even branches as a unit of cost. Otherwise I might be trading you one fur for three cows... Then you go to your neighbor but they want six cows for half a fur. It's a small example, but you can branch it out into a web to see the problem that such a large variance would bring, and the lack of a standard unit of measurement would have."

He pulled out a coin and held it up. "This is just a symbol, nothing more, nothing less. It's a symbol people recognize as something of worth. Now, if everyone at the exact same time decided that these weren't worth anything but let's say..." He reached for a grain of rice. "This was worth something, then many farmers would become rich and many kings would be very poor. However there is an extra layer here."

He put the rice back away and pulled out the spear. "Protection. It's a social contract. Buy into this." He held the coin out. "And you get this." He held the spear up. "Human's do not have long lives. We cannot master many things. A farmer is not going to ever become a master swordsman. A master swordsman will never become a masterful farmer who knows just how to till the fields. A barter system does not develop specialists that can further the field they study."

Tousa tucked the coin away and slid the spear back into its holster. "I could keep going on about why an economy based on a currency outweighs a bartering system if you wish. I guarantee some packs are better off than others, even with the idealized state of bartering you may have."

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa glanced Anja's way as she looked up at the sky and let out a long breath. He held some of his hair from his face as the breeze picked up a bit. "That's unlike you from what I have seen, just dropping an argument like that."

He motioned ahead of them. "In an hour or so want me to take your horse so you can enjoy nature? The garrison will no doubt be alerted to you if you do it continuously but by the time that happens we should be well gone from anywhere near the city. If you do it sparingly, one hour on one hour off for instance, we might be undetected. I know you don't like riding a horse."

Tousa's face was covered in a small, comforting smile, though it might have also been a smirk. It was difficult to tell with him at times where the difference was. Overall his demeanor had changed from the week prior now to one that was more soft in a platonic way.

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa raised an eyebrow at her. "When have I not been courteous and trying to understand your needs. I don't think I've ever treated you poorly considering the situations we have found ourselves in. As a prisoner of war I think you have been treated rather delicately."

Tousa gently nudged his horse closer to hers. "Or have you been rather blind to the times I took your side over that of my men and lost face with them? You've caused me a great deal of trouble." He chuckled and once more pulled his horse away from hers. "Though you have also given me knowledge of situations I did not know were happening among those under me as well. Have you ever heard the saying of keep your friends close but your enemies even closer?"

His gaze flicked around the wilderness on either side of the road. "It makes for a good idea. The kingdom we are fighting thought it was a good idea as well seeing as they struck the first blow directly to our monarchy with the death of my sister. One should learn from their enemies if they wish to conquer them."