The market is busy but he easily spots his teammate near one of the stalls. He’s already made his purchases but he’s curious about what the others are buying.
“You’re Tine, right? I’m Rhys.” He smiles amicably. “That’s a lot of equipment you have. Do you have enough for everything? The prices here are…” he trails off with a sheepish laugh. “It’s more than I expected. I have some money left over though. If you need some, please take it.” He offers her his coin pouch so she can sort through how much she needs. “The more of us that are better equipped for battle, the stronger we’ll be as a team.”
Shopping had never been her strong suit
It's almost funny to think that someone could be bad at it, but between her skittishness when talking to strangers and blatant lack of experience with it, she's a chore to negotiate with.
While she doesn't regret sharing her funds back in Phinora right now, she wishes Tirnanog was large enough for an arena for her to earn a few more coins, as she's a couple of pieces short of the equipment she wants.
An unfamiliar man talks to her, a member of the same expedition.
Why would he recognize her? Likely due to her streak of bad luck in combat, considering the priestly robes.
All the same, she's glad for a friendly face.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."
She bows slightly, hiding her face in distant embarrassment behind the new tome she's obtained.
"I assure you the price is proportionate to the craftsmanship quality.
I'm Juddral; it's far more common to fix your equipment instead of constantly replacing it."
She gets a bit animated at the likely unintentional insult.
The whole expedition has been so miserable Tine can't help but feel defensive about her home continent.
"During the war, most of my equipment was inherited from my mother. It feels frankly insulting how many people just replace their gear despite the academy having smithies on the grounds."
She's yapping about a frustration she hadn't recognized earlier surfacing out of the blue.
She's not going to be able to keep this equipment, but maybe they will let her re-buy it once she reaches sufficient strength?
"I-I apologize for talking so harshly. If you are truly willing to lend a hand, I promise to pay you back once I am able."