After talking with Lara for a short while, Dawn decided to check out the chef’s guild as she was fairly hungry at the moment, then visit the mages’ tower, finishing off with a trip to Lara’s favorite jeweler, and maybe some wandering around town iween.

  Initially, she had sidered eating at the inn, but they didn’t make anything that Niphru could mao eat. To her, it was more important they could get him food than to eat the high quality fare at the inn. Lara wasn’t quite vinced, but had no problem going along with her wishes.

  After a bit of walking they made it to the building the chef’s guild operated out of, entering and finding a few ters with people waiting at them, as well as a rge board covered in small pieces of paper. Seeing the sigifying it as a directory, they headed towards it and began looking through the entries.

  While they were doing so, a young man in somewhat shabby clothing approached them and asked what they were looking for. Upon hearing they were looking for soup or stew, his gaze turned hopeful as he remarked that his sister mostly made those. He asked if they would sider her instead of going te and popur pce.

  “Why do you specifically want us to go?” Dawn queried, finding it odd the man was trying to direct them to someone when there was a board of listings right there.

  “Well, my sister used to own her own p aown, but we got chased out because we didn’t use ‘the right ingredients’ for the nobles, preferring to use our own supplier. We have good stuff, they were just picky, I swear! And looking at you, you seem to be a mage, and if you like our food, we might be able to return to our dream here. I mean, you have a staff, what seems to be a familiar, and only mages or nobles have guards with them…” the man replied somewhat breathlessly.

  “I see, that does sound unfortunate, I am sorry to hear what happeo you. And I am a mage, like you guessed,” Dawn said, then hummed under her breath as she sidered.

  Lara turo her and asked, “Are you really thinking of eating food a random person makes? They likely aren’t even guild members!”

  Hearing this, the man seemed to defte, looking down and sighing before he replied, “I was actually just iister, but they won’t let the two of us have a lise unless rove we had one i town, and the nobles made sure to destroy our old one, et approval from someoh authority, and the ces of getting someone like that to support us is very low….”

  “How we trust you won’t try to poison us if the guild isn’t willing to vouch for you?” Lara demanded, clearly upset.

  Dawn looked over at Lara in surprise before putting her hand on her shoulder and speaking, “Please calm down, Lara, why would anyone do that?”

  The man grimaced before saying, “She has a good point, there are people who would do that. I was going to have lunch when I got bayway, so I just have some of my sister’s stew as well to prove it is safe, if that is good enough for you,” looking hopeful as he finished his reply.

  Before Dawn could respond, Lara grabbed her arm and tried to guide her away, stating that they should just go to one of the rger restaurants, but Dawed and questioned, “Why don’t we try to help him out? What he suggested sounds good to me, and I’d prefer somewhere small if possible.”

  Clearly disagreeing with the idea, Lara relented, gring at the man as she remarked, “You had best not try anything. The penalty for harming a mage include execution, and I take my duties seriously!”

  Stepping back, the man raised his hands appeasingly towards her, swearing he wouldn’t dare to do such a thing.

  Dawn muttered under her breath before requesting, “Could you please wait outside, I’ll follow in a few moments, I just want to check the board first to get an idea of what all else there is for ter.”

  With a sigh, the man dropped his head befoing outside, obviously thinking she was trying to get rid of him. This caused Dawn to sigh as well before she turo address Lara, “You don’t o worry too much, I’m also a healer. I’m certainly not the best, but I handle most things that don’t require signifit and rapid regrowth. And it is certainly difficult to poison a healer. Please try to rex a little bit, I may be young but I’m not as fragile as I look!”

  Lara was stunned by this, as she could barely believe Dawn was a mage, even having seen proof, let alone a healer as well. But she tried to accept it, as Dawn had not given any signs of deceit so far. She shook her head and waited while Dawn looked over the board a bit more.

  In the end, it appeared there were seven pces specializing in bread, pastry, and sads, two, including the inn they were staying at, specialized in dishes includi, and only three listing stew or soup.

  After finishing reading the advertisements, Dawured for Lara to follow her as she headed to the door. Exiting the guild, she looked around, not seeing the man, but with a determined expression, she headed to the side of the building. She looked around the er, seeing nothing, and promptly turned around to march to the other side.

  This time, she found the man sitting on the ground with his head in his hands, muttering too quietly to hear. She sighed before speaking up, “Hey, get up, I was serious, n to get rid of you!”

  The man jerked upright as if struck before staring at her in shobsp; After a few seds, he shook himself and staggered to his feet before apologizing to her as Lara tio scowl at him.

  Dawured to him, requesting, “Well, lead the lease. I certainly don’t know where to go on my own, after all.”

  The man nodded, and walked past her to leave the alley and go back to the main road, turning around to make sure she was still there, quite surprised but hopeful. Dawn simply o him and followed as the mahem further from the ter of the city and into a much shabbier area oskirts.

  By the time they arrived at a small shack, Lara was gripping tightly onto her knife, rapidly sing the area with a worried look on her fabsp; Seeing this, the man shook his head sadly, then opehe door, entering as he called out to his sister, then waving them in.

  The inside was much more pleasant thaside suggested, and wheiced their looks, the man stated, “We might not be guild members, but we still make food for the people who are willing to e here, so most of our neighbors are willing to trade favors and goods with us. You don’t o be so on edge either, miss guard, while there are some people here who cause trouble, they won’t bother you if they know you are with us.”

  Seeing that Lara clearly didn’t believe him, he sighed again, shook his head, and then headed to the other room as he called out to his sister, “Hey, Sis, we have important guests who want some stew!”

  Dawn leaned ba the surprisingly fortable chair to wait while she listeo the muffled voices iher room, petting Niphru’s head as she did so.