Veksle Marketplace

An expanse of shops and merchants' stalls near the eastern edge of the city. Here, there is a gathering place for meetings as well as shops to supply the various needs of weres and other visiting species. Near the center of this area, there are three inns. Each shop is set up in a row like a giant bazaar. The merchants themselves are diverse and composed of different species that all supply anything you could imagine for the right price. There are also blacksmiths, stables, tanneries and healers.

As Rakel entered the city, the sight before him was like none he had ever seen. "How can they live like this?" he asked mostly to himself upon seeing the city up close. Ready to get started, he headed towards the crowd of people to his left. Seeing the shops, he started searching. Finding the blacksmith, he purchased new cleaners for his blade. After a fashion, Rakel acquired a new set of travel clothes and set out to find some food as he was not in the mood to hunt today.

Sliding into a small tavern, he took a look around and sighed "All these low lives, he shrugged, I need the food." After paying for his meal and heading out, he noticed a figure in the corner watching him. No time to investigate, he remembered the strangers face for later. He finished his tasks and then left for a room.

Paying up front, he made sure he wouldn't be disturbed. One last look out his window and he thought "So these are the people I hope to learn from? This will be interesting." Before closing up for the day, he noticed the cloaked figure standing in a corner of the street looking right at him and once again wondered who it was, for an instant later there was no one there.

Randall Cunningham hummed to himself tunelessly as he wandered through the bazaar, glancing at the stalls lining the streets and the people wandering just as he was. Suddenly, the tiger-were sniffed something odd. The carefree pre-teen cocked his head to one side curiously. It smelled of cold and strangeness. He frowned and moved over towards the smell.

It led him to a tavern not a step and a half away. Eheh... Maybe I do need to work on tracking... Randall slipped inside.

No luck. The guy had already bought his room and gone inside. Drats. Randall retraced his steps out of the door and began sniffing around the outside of the tavern. peering into window after window, he finally found the most likely candidate.

Randall hesitated. Even for his preferred future profession of being a bard, he was kind of nervous. What a story this man must have, though! Steeling himself, Randall rapped on the window softly. "Hullo?" he whispered dully.

Hearing a soft noise brought Rakel out of his thoughts. "Who could be here at this time?" he wondered. Opening the window, he found the stranger from the tavern standing there. "Your very persistent young sir. May I help you?" he questioned.

"Uh, um..." Randall stuttered for a moment, flustered. "W-well... I was wondering..." he flicked the end of his striped tail agitatedly, "Could you tell me where you're from and stuff?"

His words came out in a jumbled mess, incoherent to most people. Something about becoming a bard someday and curiosity killing a cat, mom, and any number of other things pitter-pattered from his lips in a constant stream for about thirty seconds before he abruptly stopped. He looked up at the stranger with eagerness and trepidation, unable to speak.

Rakel looked upon him and thought to himself, Am I dreaming? Deciding it wasn't a dream, he told Randall to come in.

Not knowing how much to trust this strange creature, he decided that brief answers would be best. "I come from far north. In a village near the city of Strid," he began, watching the man's face. Remembering this one's eager babble, he decided to ask Randall what was on his mind. "Do you where I could locate one who controls all of these creatures?" He was hoping he would know since he had managed to track Rakel.

Randall almost pouted at the man's short, concise answer, then sighed. "You mean the Alphas? There are lots of them. Who do you want to see?"

Randall cocked his head to one side, twitching his tail slightly in the moonlight as he leaned on the sill. He'd yet to enter the stranger's room. If there was anything he'd learned in class, it was that he shouldn't always accept the invites of strangers.

On the other hand, this man didn't know anything. What sort of place was this Northern tribe? Why hadn't he registered before? What tribe was he from? A million questions echoed in the curious cat's head. as he shifted back and forth on the dirt of the street.

Ah, so he does know something then. Maybe he can help me. "Yes, the Alphas. Which one would I see about information concerning this place?" he said, gesturing to the city out the window. "I'm new to these parts and want to get a feel of this life before I decide my next move." That was where he decided he had to stop, for he did not want to give too much information.

Pulling from brother wolf, he gathered more strength in case this should prove a ruse to blindside him. Noticing the man's fidgety stance, Rakel decided to give him an opening. "You say you know these alphas. So could you show me where to find one or where else I need to go since I just arrived?"

"Well..." Randall seemed to think for a moment before continuing helpfully. "... depends on what tribe you'll want to be in..." he sighed a bit and grinned. "I don't know any of them personally, but I'm sure that I can bring you to at least my Alpha."

Randall blinked for a second, then blurted out, "You don't mean that you haven't registered yet, do you?!" the boy seemed astonished at the thought, his tail twitching agitatedly and his eyes wide. "You'll need to go to the top, then. All late and possibly previously human weres are to report to Great Alpha," the were-tiger's voice seemed to have taken on a recitative tone.

Then, finished, he seemed to wiggle with excitement. "Oh, boy! You'll get to meet him up close! I'm so jealous! We only get to see him when he's coming back from the hunts sometimes or at the great Gatherings. Ooooh! Not fair!"

He calmed down for a moment to give the newcomer some directions. "You can catch him on the East side some mornings in his early run before sunrise," his eyes lit up a little. "You don't think I could come, do you?"

(Note: suggestion for a negative answer! He doesn't need to be seeing the Alpha or he'd probably go into fits. Also, although Randall's a fan, other weres are less than pleased with the current Alpha.)

Looking at Randall's wild amusement, he realized that maybe going on his own was best. "You're right. I do need to see this Alpha," Rakel told him. Then, after letting Randall calm down at the mention of the Alpha, he decided to have him repeat the directions. "So to the east, huh? Well it seems there's not long 'til morning. I should rest before going on to meet the Alpha of Alpha's."

Looking at Randall's gleaming expression, he felt bad for having to break the young one's heart, but he knew it must be done. Why can't he make this easy? he wondered. "If this leader is as you say, them I think it would be best if I see him alone." Socked by the drained face, he did not want to leave Randall this way after being so used to protecting his own tribe. "So you seem to know of him. Tell me what is he like."

Looking to the sky, he knew there wasn't much longer until he would have to run with a were he had never met. The thought both scared him and felt welcoming. The only two Alphas he knew were the one over the rouges where he lived, and the one over the pack loyal to his own family. Instinctively his hand went to his sword. Which one will this Alpha be like? he wondered as Randall kept talking.

Randall babbled on and on, full of praise for the Alpha he'd never actually met. Most of it was hearsay and gossip, echoing around the city for more years than the were-tiger had been alive. Suddenly, he started.

"Wait a minute! What time is it?" he asked hurriedly, looking about as if the growing twilight had sprung on him like a mousetrap on its unsuspecting victim. "I was supposed to be back home hours ago!"

He looked around anxiously, then blurted out something about how he had to run and hurried off down the street in the milky, misty morning.

Ah. That was easier than I'd hoped. Looking towards the sky again, Rakel knew he had to go. Grabbing his sword since it had a history on it, he figured it best to meet this alpha in human form and not give away brother wolf.

Rakel closed his window, then walked out the door, locking it behind him. He left without saying anything to the keeper downstairs. After all, the room was his for a few days. Looking at the sky for guidance, he set off east. A side of the city he had yet to be, he wondered what he would find besides this Alpha. So Randall thinks highly of him, but I've not heard of him before. What does everyone else think? He wondered as he walked.

About fifteen minutes later, he reached where he thought Randall had mentioned and waited for the Alpha to show up. Still, he felt that he himself was the second to arrive since there was a domineering presence in the air around him. So he then entered the Alpha's Hunting Grounds