The dozen or so roses that Eli was sent to deliver were already wilting in the noonday sun, emitting a sticky-sweet, pungent odor around him. Great. All he needed was to go about smelling like
roses. Eli sighed, then squinted up at the sky. Summer days always seemed to drag on the longest, didn't they? It was like the hot spell would never end. Eli trudged down the block, promising himself a popsicle from the General Store. He barely glanced at the strange man coming from the direction of the forest. What was the crazy guy doing wearing black, in this heat? Inwardly, Eli shook his head at the idiocy of some people. Outwardly, Eli just continued walking along, until he turned the corner and was out of sight.
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Gareth, back in the General Store, had finished up buying enough supplies to last him the next few weeks, and had gotten directions to the local inn, which sat right off the main square. It wasn't quite on the square, confided the ancient man who leaned across the polished old counter to gossip at Gareth, because the inn was right next to the tavern, which was where all the people of disrepute gathered in town. It was a right enough place for a plate of food and a bed, but a bad place for good people to get mixed up in. Gareth quietly thanked the man, and paid him, then went back outside into the heat, which nearly hit him like a wave. Leading Shy down the street, Gareth headed towards Myra's Inn. He wasn't intimidated by the thought of people of disrepute. His sword hung at his side, casually, but Gareth knew that he could wield it without a thought. Still... it would be better if he could pass through this town without incident.