A World With No Name

Chapter 2: Friends

It was another long day worth of travel before I reached Payewa. I got there shortly after midday, the sun high in the sky and beating down on my fur. Once I got to the village I immediately made my way to the market. The market was full of different kinds of foods and supplies. All things brought in from the outer wilds. Typically the more dangerous an item was to get the more expensive. The market was a lot quieter than normal, which gave me concern. However, I wasn't worried about selling the antelope. I really only had one merchant that I sold and bought things from. She was one of the first few people I met outside of the desert. I knew her while she was still traveling as a merchant with her father, they've been my go to sellers ever since.

...and there she was!

Her eyes widened and she walked over to me and gave me a tight hug. "QuietPaw!" She said gently with a wide, welcoming smile that always warmed my heart to see.

"Sakarii!" I said happily, giving her a hug back.

"It's been months! Where've you been?!" She asked, breaking the embrace.

Safari was a bit younger than me and much smaller. She was a red and white monkey and she was one of the gentlest people. She's always been that way, ever since I met her. You would think that would be a horrible quality in a merchant but it actually benefits her more than it harms her. No one can tell the poor girl no.

"You know me Sakarii, I've been all around. I've been sticking to the plains lately," I replied, setting down my pouch.

"Guess your last run in with a wolf pack made you want to avoid the jungle?" She asked as I dug for the meat.

"Absolutely. I got something for you," I said, finally finding the meat and presenting it.

Sakarii gasped and examined the meat. "Antelope?! Gods! Quiet, where did you find it?"

"Does it matter, my friend?" I replied with a chuckle.

"I guess not," she said.

She helped me get the meat out of my pack. Afterwards she took time and weighed it in her hands. She was a master at her craft, truly inspecting it. She looked at me with a gleam in her eyes and said, "Quiet this is one hell of a catch! The chef at the pub would give me a killing for this! Could you wait here?"

She barely waited for my confirming nod before she was far gone from the market. I didn't mind however. I took the time to rest my aching paws and back. It isn't until you're idle when you notice how much you need the rest. It felt as though only a breath had passed before Sakarii returned with 2 small pouches full of gold. She tossed me a pouch, saying, "Here, this is your cut."

I took a few coins out and tossed it back to her saying, "Now what do I need all that for? You're the only one I'd really spend that kind of gold with."

"QuietPaw, I'm not the only merchant in the world," she chuckled, pocketing the money.

"I know. But I'd consider you my favorite. I do need a few things though, so consider that my payment," I said smugly as I stood back up.

"Alright, well what do you need?" She asked.

I told her about how I needed a better canister for water, cloth to patch up my sack, and more protective wraps for my claws. Since I have no weapon, I use my bare paws to hunt and fight, so I get them exchanged every few weeks. Sakarii knows this so she always carries a fresh supply. Luckily, everything that I needed she had. I sat and patched up my sack as Sakarii made her sales. She broke my concentration when she said, "Wakibi is supposed to be coming around today."

I lept to my paws and said, "Really?! You tell me this now? I was going to leave after I patched up my pouch!"

She giggled to herself and replied, "My apologies. We're going to be having dinner at the pub if you want to join us."