화랑 - a tale of curiosity [ON HOLD]

🌸chapter six🌸

Ji-ae continued her walk through the streets, keeping her eye on the hanging signs poking out of every building. She muttered each sign to herself, shaking her head when none said 'carpenter'. She puffed her cheeks out, stopping in the middle of the road and looked around once more. Her eyes then widened, seeing the sign above her head. She smiled, tying her horse to the post outside, grabbing her quiver full of arrows and her bow, then walking inside.

Ji-ae observed - closely - all of the products. Tracing her fingers along the arrow's feathers. "Hello." Ji-ae looked up, seeing the owner of the store before her. "Anything particular you're looking for?"

Ji-ae fiddled with the feathers delicately as she nodded, a pleasant smile on her face. "I was wondering if you had arrows--"

"Your looking at them." Ji-ae shook her head, approaching the man. "No? Then what arrows?"

"Arrows with red feathers." Ji-ae spoke, looking the man directly in the eye.

"The only arrows I have are white ones." The man said, gesturing to the rack beside the counter. "Unless I dye them for you, but it'll be extra--"

"I'll pay the price for them, as long as you get them red and also.." Ji-ae stopped fiddling with the arrows, taking steps towards the counter. "Could you, if possible, have calligraphy painted on them?" The man looked at her like she was asking for to much by the way he narrowed his eyes and knitted his brows. "I'm willing to pay your price either way." The man leant back on the chair, folding his arms across his chest, thinking what he was going to do. Ji-ae pursed her lips, showing him a pleading look with her eyes.

"What would you like written?" Ji-ae then took in a breath and blinked a couple of times, before answering.

"Death." She then plainly stated, making the man question her no more.

"Okay, I'll go run some errands, file your order and so on." He said, pushing himself off of the chair.

"It doesn't have to be by today." Ji-ae said, following the man with her eyes. "It can be anytime really." He nodded but still stumbled off towards the back of the store, through the doors and into the distance.

Looking at her quiver, she thought she could do with buying new arrows so she resumed to browsing them. But as she browsed for awhile she failed to notice the time the man was taking and the entrance of a girl.

"Excuse me." Ji-ae jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice. She dropped the arrow on the floor, turning to face Ah Ro. Ji-ae held a hand over her heart, letting out a breath as she bent down to pick the arrow up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Ji-ae nodded her head, turning back to the arrows, placing it back. "What are you doing here?" Ah Ro asked, making Ji-ae turn back to the arrows. 

"Shopping." Ji-ae simply answered, turning back to the girl.

"I never took you for a woman of combat." Ah Ro thought aloud, making Ji-ae shrug. "Even archery for that matter." 

"Well, we'll say it's more of a past time." Ji-ae said, making Ah-Ro tilt her head. "What are you here for? Anything to do with your spying?" Ji-ae asked, raising an eyebrow at the younger girl.

"Yes. No." Ah Ro said, only to then smack her head and shake it. "Do you know where the owner is?" Ji-ae then turned, pointing to the back room.

"He went that way." She said, sending a smile Ah Ro's way. She returned it and made her way into the back. Ji-ae then returned to looking at the arrows, but with neither Ah Ro or the vendor not returning it had her curiosity piqued. Ji-ae then made her way towards the back doors.

"Ah Ro, did you find him?" She then opened the doors, revealing many screen doors or windows, littered across the room. She wandered further in, not hearing a reply. "Ah Ro?" Ji-ae said again, still walking on the outside of the screens. Looking around her she then decided to head into the maze of screens, pushing them out of her way to get through.