Woodland Wanderabout

"Of course I would play. You will not have music like this!" Naren was supremely aware of his abilities, and not a little humble about it, however he might try to come across as such in other ways. It was a bit of a farce, to even pretend he was humble just a little. The smirk on his face when he saw people react to his music all too often gave away that he was more than a little egotistical about it. 
"But if you have never ventured further, then who is to say you would not prefer a larger town? Ah, only experience can tell with a conundrum as such."  He shrugged, hands held up towards the sky. As he had already thought to himself, it was her own choice.

A small laugh escaped his lips at her resurgence of bashfulness, although it was cut short. Naren could feel himself bristling with indignance, upset despite the grain of truth within Akeme's words. He had not been the one to ask for her services, nor had requested any further services. 
"I think you have my character mistaken," he said, tone a little cold. Naren had paused as Akeme did, but continued walking again now, his pride taking foremost concern over his rumbling stomach.

"Maybe, or maybe not, I've only just known of you for a short while now as we've walked along the path," she stated softly, it would be strange if she could not hear the cold tone in his voice, "I know my own nature and character though, I help others as it's what I enjoy. Whether they ask for it or not, it is only who I am as a person. So, if I have in any way offended you, I promise it was not my intention. One gets use to others acting more than nice when being helped so willingly you know." The small woman sighed softly, hands gently cupping at the face of the mare who walked beside her; their nose nudging against their face as they walked. Akeme only wanted those around her to act as themselves, no matter what their own character was like.

"I would still enjoy hearing you play your music, if I haven't upset you too much," she said with a sigh, though a soft smile gracing her lips as well, "venturing isn't in my nature, though, I like staying in one place as I feel at home there. Anywhere else wouldn't feel so lovely honestly." That, and the world was filled with many creatures, some good, some bad; she didn't qutie feel like coming into contact with one that may cause her harm, or worse honestly. Either way, a clearing in the trees was coming up, telling her they were reaching the end of the forest now. It would only be just a bit longer before they reached the small village that lay close to the forest, and then later towards the city.

"Your own angelic character aside, it speaks of traits a little different to suspect others of manipulation when they themselves may be exhibiting perfectly pleasant behaviour." There were clipped edges to Naren's words, insulted by the assumptions that Akeme had made. Everyone had their vices, be it ego, helplessness, greed; but it was unbecoming to immediately play on them in such a way. He pressed his lips together in a thin line, a little disappointed by someone he had thought rather pleasant, if a little dull. 

Naren looked down at her along his nose before deciding to answer. "I expect I will be singing for my supper at some tavern tonight. It will be the one with the crowd, of course." Ego was definitely Naren's vice. It earned him a chance though, when he was so confident in his abilities, sometimes that opened doors that would otherwise be barred. Nobody wanted a shy bard when they could get a bawdy one. The flip side was that nobody wanted a hungry bard either, when they could get one with a few less demands than Naren had; food, bed please. Thankfully there weren't many bards that didn't want at least one of those- and had half the skills of the elf.
"I could not say how long I expect to be down in the south here however. My trade rather depends on the audiences, as you may appreciate."

The small woman stopped for a moment, ears laid back against her head and eyes fixed upon the other without even a glance away from them; bottom lip gently clenced against her teeth as she bit down upon it. His word where very clipped, she could easily hear that upon his tone when he spoke. Her intention was never to insult him, nor offend in him either, but only to speak her mind to him. It wasn't odd of her to do something as such, she'd always been quite the truthful type. Maybe it was the reason she lived in the forest alone; though that certainly was not it, she only enjoyed nature more than life within villages.

"Hmm?" the girl opened her mouth a moment to speak, then quickly closed it. Akeme sighed softly, once again allowing her feet to pad across that hard ground of the earth; the trees and grass becoming just a little more scarce the further they ventured onward. In the distance, the village could be seen, her eyes fixed upon it more than anything else at that moment.

"Well I don't expect you to need to sing for you meal at a tavern tonight, as I said, I would be more than happy to accmidate you with food," she nodded her head slightly, the two slowly making their to the small village that drawed closer, "well, however long you are around, I do hope you find the work you are looking for. I don't know much about bards, but I am sure you do very well in your work... but umm."

Akeme drawed herself a little bit closer to the tall Elf man, her small and delicate hand gently reaching out; grabbing onto the back of his shirt. "Please do not play much into my words from earlier, I did not intent to insult you at all," she bit down onto her lip again, brows furrowed slightly, "my words must have come out with the wrong intention, and I surely do apologize for such a thing, sir."

Naren gave a small hrrumf at Akeme's words, still somewhat discontent. He did not like to think himself easily bought, although perhaps that was a little distortion of the truth. He was egotistical, but not above putting that aside eventually for some other favour. Briefly. He'd return to it later, to mull over later. But, her apology seemed sincere.
"Your apology is accepted." If only for his starving stomach. Oh, what a base fool you are, he chastised himself, to be so swayed by mortal requirements.

"Where are we headed to, as you know this place better than I?" he asked as they emerged from the forest road to the village edges, upon them barely steps from the trees, it seemed. It wasn't somewhere that particularly encroached on the landscape around; if Naren paused to think about it, the sort of village he preferred, in-tune with nature. The houses were squat wooden affairs, the thatched rooftops green with moss and bracken sprouting along the edges of buildings. Chickens roamed across the track that ran through the centre of the place, scratching at the dirt underneath a cart, squawking when a child ran to pester them.
Oh, what a quaint life to eke out down here in the south. How utterly boring. But, Naren would be well received her, no doubt.

"Hmmm? Oh!" she turned her eyes towards him for a moment as the two entered the small villiage, "we'll be going into the small, local marget to sell what I have. Then, we'll be going and getting something to eat. Though, that is if it's alright with you of course. If you would rather eat first then we surely can." Her large eyes adverted away from him now, focusing on the dirt road aheaed of her. Due to the size of the area, it didn't take long to get to the small maket; where people gathered around booths and chatted with eachother. Laughter could be heard around, and small children played about as their parents conducted business with others. It was quint really, nothing interesting, or at least interesting for Naren at least.

For Akeme though, it was just the right thing for her. She'd been coming here for as long as she can remember, selling her goods to the people and chatting with the villagers. They were all so kind, and accepted her with open arms. "Well this is where I will be setting things up, but if you have others needs then we can do those of course,"she smiled to him gently, "please, whatever you wish to do we shall."

They were not going to get food immediately? Ah, it was a shame, but Naren reminded himself that he had to keep her sweet. Akeme had offered to pay for his food, after all.
"I am sure I will survive a little longer," he said enduringly, following her as she made her way to the heart of the small village's market; barely a smattering of small carts, with just a couple of physical stalls. A pair of children peeked from behind their mothers' skirts to ogle Naren and Akeme, although mostly him- elves were perhaps not the most common around these rural parts. He brushed a little travelling dust from his clothes, setting down his music case with care out of the way of tramping feet and curious fingers. It would be no good to have his instruments tampered with.

"So, this is the place where Akeme spends her time." He looked around, taking in the homespun feel, strips of linen drying on a line across the street, barely more than head height; the animals wandering where-ever they desired through the dust streets. "It is a little different to the cities I am more acquainted with."
"And what cities are those?" asked an approaching villager, his thick accent distorting the words a little. Naren gave a thin-lipped smile to the approaching blond man, who was of a much shorter, stockier build than the willowy elf. The man inclined his head towards Akeme in greeting, apparently a friend of hers. "Don't get elves down in these parts much."

"What cities are not those that I have travelled to?" Naren asked rhetorically. An overestimation of his travels, but he did boast that he had seen at least his fair share of the world.

"The small woman's eyes peered to him a little bit as she parked the cart, allowing her mare to get herself a bit of rest now; who was certainly thankful for it. "If you want to, you are welcome to eat something from my cart to tie yourself over with," she smiled softly, her hands slowly taking off the blanket that covered the produce, "there are some fresh fruits and vegetables you may enjoy if you like. I have plenty to allow you to snack on them for a bit while I am busy." Akeme wandered over to the mare, gently placing the now folded blanket across her back.

"I don't doubt it's different for you, yet, I do hope it isn't a bad experience for you though..." she had stopped her talking for a moment, hearing the voice of another come about. She hadn't really recognized it at first, but when she turned her eyes she saw whom it was. It would be rude of her not to return his greeting, so she certainly did so with no hesitation in her movements. A light nod of her head towards him, and a soft smile as well.

"Naren, why don't you tell us of some of the places you have been. You must have some very adventurous stories you can tell," as she spoke, a few people started to gather around her, "I can listen while I go about my business~"

Naren was more than happy to take Akeme up on her offer, resisting the urge to dive in the cart gracelessly. Instead he leant with his back to the cart, reaching over idly to hesitate his fingers over... well, plums seemed to be the most appetising choice. He took a bite and winced a little at the tartness- not plums at all, early season damsons. That explained why they were only small.

"Not all travels result in adventure. However, I do have a few." He stepped aside to let the villagers access Akeme's cart, apparently eager for sharp fruits. There were quinces there; who even remembered how to prepare quinces? Before he could launch into a hastily-prepared script however, the same blond man from before interrupted.
"I heard there was trouble in the east. At one of the shrines... What one was it, Ellira?" He turned to a nearby woman, who had turned to look, away from Akeme's cart.
"Jackroth. Them's just rumours, Therin."

Naren grimaced. Yes, he'd heard those rumors other places too, and from more reliable sources than an uninformed villager. "Yes, I have heard those rumours elsewhere. I cannot confirm them, but you are not the first to have mentioned them."

Akeme didn't really pay attention to the people starting to surround her cart, except for when she was taking their money in exhange for her produce; other than that, her eyes laid directly onto the tall elf man. Even the comments about Jackroth flew over her head, at least, until the words finally found their way into her mind. Wait, this was certainly the first time she was hearing of such a thing. The only thing she could wonder, however, is how exactly something could happen at one of the shrines in the first place. What happend exactly? It seemed the details were lost in the conversation around her, as most knew what exactly the rumor was in the first place.

The small woman took a few steps towards Naren, ignoring the villagers and their talks for the moment; even the one she knew quite well at that. "Naren, what exactly IS this rumor everyone is speaking of?" her large doe eyes peered up at him, "what exactly happened at the shrine? Was it bad?" A little elderly woman came up to Akeme, placing a hand onto the little lady's shoulder for a moment; a soft smile growing upon her wrinkled lips.

"It is nothing a young woman like yourself should bother yourself with my dear," Akeme furrowed her brows in light frustration. She wasn't a child, she wanted to know what all this rumor was about; and the only way was to ask. Naren was more than likely the one to know more about it, as he traveled about and could gain more information about it than anyone here.

"I'm an adult, I want to know," her eyes glanced from the elderly woman and back towards Naren, "would you tell me?"