Tricky Trades

Akadia spent the next few days working with her hounds and just getting to know her better. It was a lot easier to convince her to do things when Akadia knew what she did and didn't like. Crow helped a little bit, but Akadia was determined to become a hound master, even if it was a title she must bestow upon her own self. What that meant exactly was a different question, one she wasn't sure she had the answer to at the time. Oh well. She'd figure it out along the way. That was how she had lived thus far and in her opinion she hadn't done all that bad.

It was a fine day, warm but not oppressive, with hardly any clouds to be seen. The sky shone with a beautiful bright blue hue and a cool, sea scented breeze passed gently through the streets of Ynnis. Akadia was out and about with Terra on their daily walk and they were walking a new route they hadn't taken together before. That was how the pair happened upon the semi-circle that was apparently home to the trade guilds of Itona. It gave Akadia a weird sense of deja vu, but at the same time, seeing everyone doing the things they loved with their hounds was extraordinarily exciting. She knew she wanted to do those things too, but where to start?

She looked down at the chocolate toller that had been her company. "What do you think, Terra?"

Terra just stared up at her blankly. She didn't bark, but her tail wagged slightly. It was a typical response whenever anyone spoke to her.

"Well, come on, let's see what they've got." Akadia gently lead Terra over to the nearest trade booth. It was more of a garden than a booth, but it still had her attention. A strong looking woman seemed to be the representative there or maybe she was just showing off what she knew about all the plants and animals that resided there. Terra decided to insert herself and snapped at a bug the woman had just been speaking about. It flew away before she could catch it, but she did manage to garner the representative's attention.

She greeted them polietly and explained that they were looking at the Scientist's Guild. They liked nature and unraveling secrets about genetics.

As much as Akadia would love to play detective, she was afraid all the technical stuff would go over her head. She thanked the woman for her time, explaining that she wasn't sure it would be the right fit for her, and led Terra away to the next booth in line.

In contrast the next booth felt very far from natural. Marble pillars shone like sunlight on the sea and the extensive embroidery of the walls left her feeling rather plain in comparison. A man that could only be described as beautiful sat back with a heavy book in his hand. He offered a terse greeting before jumping straight into the presumed point of her visit. Apparently that was the Merchant's Guild. They did the money thing.

Akadia did not; she had Crow for that. He was something of a merchant himself so maybe he would be interested in joining that guild, but not her. She thanked the man for his time and moved onto the third guild booth.

Terra sneezed as they turned away.

"Yeah, me too," Akadia agreed. Something about it felt too stuffy.

The next booth was a marvel of a different kind. The first thing that drew her eye was the massive steam carriage. It seemed different from the few others she had seen, but she couldn't quite place it. There was a duo running that booth and as soon as they noticed Akadia they called her over. They were with the Expeditioneer's Guild. Like the scientists, they enjoyed nature, but more for what it was rather than trying to figure out what made it tick. Now that seemed interesting, but Akadia wasn't sold just yet. They still had three other guilds they hadn't looked at yet.

She paused, looking at Terra. "What do you think, lady?"

Terra had been looking off into the distance, seemingly disinterested in whatever her handler was doing. When she heard Akadia speak to her she just looked up and tilted her head.

"Um, maybe we'll come back then. Thank you!" She nodded to the couple that was running the booth and headed off for the next one.

It felt a lot like a younger sibling to the merchant booth, that next one did. It was, well, fancy, and also being run by an attractive young man in what looked like one of the coziest chairs Akadia had ever seen. This guy actually had a hound with him. They seemed well put together and their coat was brushed to shining perfection. Akadia couldn't help a nervous glance at her own pup, suddenly feeling very self conscious. To her surprise, he didn't immediately shoo them off the premises. Rather, he explained that he was what they called a Fancier, they liked to show off their hounds in competitions and were always trying to breed better ones.

Akadia snuck another look at Terra while she considered the idea. Eh, nope. She wasn't fancy and neither was her hound. She polietly declined the invitation and moved on.

"Just two left, lady. We're gonna have to settle here soon," Akadia mused as they approached the second-to-last booth on the street.

Well it wasn't so much a booth as it was an obstacle course. There was a woman guiding a hound through a small tunnel when they approached and Akadia could only look on in awe. The thought of trying to get Terra to do something like that felt like more of a joke than an actual goal. They had just barely managed to get her to sit on command. Maybe one day they could pull something like that off, but it wouldn't be easy and Akadia wasn't sure if that was something she was willing to try just yet.

The representative was friendly regardless of any apprehension Akadia might have shown. She remarked that hounds were amazing and their handlers helped make them the best they could be, and Akadia certainly couldn't argue with that, but she still didn't feel sure. Training was important, that much was undeniable but was getting her hound to perform elaborate tricks something she really wanted to focus on? She didn't think so, but she'd think about it anyway.

Frankly Terra didn't seem all that interested in the course that was set up anyway. Rather, she seemed quite invested in whatever was at the next booth over.

Akadia thanked the Trainer for her time and help and moved on to the sixth and final booth.

This particular booth had a very cozy feel about it; it made Akadia happy. When she and Terra arrived, the representative's attention was taken by something else. Three somethings, in fact. Akadia couldn't help but squeal with joy when she saw the trio of hound pups.

Terra seemed equally interested in the babies, sticking her nose right up to them and sniffing eagerly in greeting.

The representative smiled at their enthusiasm and explained that they were with the Breeder's Guild and that their mission was to foster the next generation of hounds. Akadia was sold immediately, but the ties with the merchant guild was icing on the cake. Not only would she get to be around piles of puppies, she would also have connection to what would likely be Crow's guild of choice. What more could she possibly ask for?

"Yes! Please! Sold! Where do we sign up?"