The docks were crowded with people. Visitors, merchants, locals all busy loading and unloading wares. Everywhere you looked someone was offering to carry something or help in some way.

"Would you like a tour?"

"The best shops?"

"Carry your wares?"

Syko found the crowd overwhelming. It far busier than any market he'd been to. He adjusted his satchel and stayed close to Mr. Cotter, who skillfully picked his way off the dock and into the heart of the port. They followed the water until the fish vendors appeared alongside their boats, selling the fresh catch. They rounded the corner into a huge storehouse decorated with banners and murals.   

The market district was almost entirely inside three main storehouses, one for livestock, one for meats and dairy and the third for produce and artisanal goods. 

Syko followed Mr. Cotter slowly along as he stopped at every stall to evaluate the quality of everything. Syko understood now why Kay'la had given him the money. The cook had looked at the most lavish and expensive cut at every stand. 

He overlooked most of the fish, with the exception of a five pound, honey smoked fillet. He tipped a young man nearby and he took to the ship right away.

“You just trust him to take things to the ship alone?”

“These are good people, they make a living like this. Trust is part of their business.”
Moving into the warehouse it took four more porters to carry everything. They bought two legs of cured beef, three legs of salt pork, thee pork loins, four beef sirloins and seven whole chickens.

Mr. Cotter was good at haggling despite asking for top quality but Syko was still apprehensive about how much they were spending. He tried to rationalize it to himself. Maybe if Mr. Cotter spent a lot, he could spend just as much on what he needed.

But there was nothing here he needed. He had no interest in Cotters culinary pursuits, and smell raw meat had always made his stomach turn. 

Despite the assurances, Syko still felt uneasy in the sea of people. He tried to hurry the old cook along, until finally they crossed into the agriculture and artisan building. The scent fresh baked goods and roasting meats was almost enough to cover the smell of people all around. This building was even more crowded than the others.

Instead of looking at all the wares Mr. Cotter made his way to a stall offering sweet pastries and tea. 

"The auction next door just finished. These folks will move on soon, then we can have a real look."

Mr. Cotter ordered a large cup of tea and two pastries filled with jam. Syko paid but wrapped his pastry in a handkerchief for later. They found an empty section of wall and sat.

"Who are all these people?" Syko asked.

"What do you mean lad?" 

"I mean the porters. Are they some kind of service the island offers?"

"They're Shattra, refugees." Mr. Cotter brushed crumbs from his chin.

"Refugees from what? There's no conflict."

"A long time ago, when The Shattered Mountain erupted, the people were displaced. Many of them settled here in The Outer Isles."

"I thought they all went back. Wasn't there some kind of reclamation project?"

"There was, and many of them did, but not all. There were many seasons before the reclamation. People who had carved lives for themselves didn't want to give it up."

"Offering to haul cargo like a pack animal doesn't sound like a great life."

Mr. Cotter took a sip of his tea. "Are you an educated man, young healer?"

"In some studies. My education was limited."

"Study any history?"

"Basic events. I know about how The Shattered Mountain erupted and I know the Shattra were displaced and the other islands took them in."

"Yes, but islands can only hold so many people. I ain't no historian neither, but I do know the Shattra come to owe the people of the Outer Isles a great debts."

"But aren't they tired of being a lower class?"

"Who say's they're lower class?"

"I thought they lived like vagrants?"

"They live communally, in large households. They choose to take service jobs, in multiple fields, as a way to give back. I suppose you're right though, many of the young folk are starting to leave in pursuit of other careers, or to make the pilgrimage back to the Mountain." 

"Is the Captain Shattra?"

"No, but she has a kinship with them."

"What kind of kinship?" 

"What did she tell you?" Mr. Cotter finished his pastry and licked his fingers clean.

Syko paused, trying to remember everything. "She said she was an orphan and she was raised by multiple people."

"An orphan?"

"She has no parents, doesn't that make her an orphan?"

"Maybe." Mr. Cotter sipped the last of his tea. "What else did she tell you?"

"That she was poor, and used to take porter jobs in exchange for food. That she had no trouble finding a warm place to sleep."

"That is the hospitality of the Shattra. Their culture is one of open doors and shared meals, of welcoming travelers."

Syko thought of how that must feel, to be welcomed with open arms in any time of need.

"Do they often take people in?"

"Children, and the severely ill or injured. They care primarily for those who can't care for themselves."

They sat quietly as the crowed thinned out. Mr. Cotter stood with a groan.

"Now tell me boy, what is it you've come here looking for."

"I need to replenish my stores, and I'd like to find anything I can that's used to ease pain."

"Someone hurtn'?"

"It's just something I didn't have before. I'll need different ingredients for different strengths and applications."

"Let me see the purse." 

Syko reluctantly handed it over and watched intently as Mr. Cotter picked out a substantial amount of coins. He counted them all out again and handed Syko the remainder.

"The herbalists and growers are that way." Mr. Cotter pointed across to a section under green and purple banners. "I have standing orders with a miller and a farmer. I'll take what I owe them and meet you later." 

"I think I'm supposed to stay with you." 

"You're more than welcome to come along but I'd hate for you too miss the freshest stock."

 Syko looked back toward the herbalist section. "I guess we could part as long as-" he turned back but Mr. Cotter had slipped into the crowd.

Syko put his head down and joined the wave of people moving from stall to stall. His eyes darted from stall to stall, caught on each bright color or flash of movement. He stopped to look at a stall filled with dry leaves and flowers, bundles of herbs, and blends of tea. 

"Might I help you young man." A plump women stepped over to help him. He pointed out what he wanted and paid without haggling.

"I don't have a way to carry this, do you know where I might find someone to help me?" It felt deeply embarrassing to ask someone to carry all his things.

"Of course dear," she called behind the curtain acting as a wall of her stall. Two young boys, twins by the look of them, came out and stood neatly behind the counter.

"These are my sons, they'll help you with anything you need."

"Would they be able to deliver these for me?"

"Of course." The vendor loaded Syko's goods into a pack and lifted it onto one boy's back.

"I need a few other things before I send them off." 

Skyo parted with the vendor and the boys followed behind him, tucking all his goods neatly into the pack. Nothing was very heavy but he felt guilty making someone do his work. 

As they wandered up and down the stalls Syko found more than he was expecting. Flowers that he'd only read about, produce and herbs in better, fuller condition. He was most exited to see a vendor selling skunkweed. It was a pain killer in it's purest form, but it could be smoke, absorbed topically, or ingested. His master had never let him use it, call it a degenerates medicine, but he wanted to work with it all the same. 

The vendor offered confections oils and dried herb. Syko didn't smoke, but the dried herb would be good for study. He thought about buying confections but worried he'd forget what they were and poison himself, or someone else. In total he bought three ounces of herb and a small jar of oil to craft into a salve.

As he circled the rest of the stalls he didn't see what he was really looking for. He turned to the boys

"I'm looking for something, a place that sells items for runesmiths. Is there anything like that around here?"

"Do you want to meet a smith?"

"No," He tried to think of a clever way to describe what he was looking for. "If I was a runesmith, and I was looking for some very powerful items, where would you take me?"

The boys muttered to each other. "It'll cost you, Mister."

"I can pay."

"You want us to take you there?"

"Is it close?"

"Just outside the market district."

Syko fished into his coin purse and pulled out four coins, two each. "Take me."

He followed the boys through the crowd, out a narrow exit and into the streets of the city. Skyo was aware of the last time he followed someone like this. They didn't go far, only two streets away and up a flight of stairs to another covered market. This one was brightly lit but each stall had curtains or blinds concealing their true wares. He realized that this was a courtyard, and that each curtained stall was attached to the surrounding buildings.

"Thank you." Syko turned to the boys, "Could you deliver the goods to dock three?"

"Do you have a ship name sir?"

"Uh, no, but the quartermaster's name is Sedrick."

The boys nodded and hurried off. Syko peered behind the curtains as he passed them. The walls were decorated with lavish murals depicting what each store might sell. He looked at all of them, finally guessing that the crude anatomical drawings and depictions of healing herbs was where he should go.

He knocked lightly and the door opened on its own. Nothing new, a runesmith's favorite parlor trick was enchanting the door to open on it's own. The store was lined with cluttered shelves, each item tagged with a description and price. Syko peered down each aisle taking stock, then approached the counter where a messy haired woman was scribbling on new tags.

"Excuse me, I've come on business from my master. Could you help me?"

She glanced at Syko and continued writing. "What are you looking for?"

"My master is a healer, he says he requires a powerful material that he can grind down to use."

The woman stopped writing and reached an inky hand to a cord on the wall. When she pulled it  a cupboard opened, revealing a shelf of neatly arranged item, most under glass or preserved as wet specimen.

Syko looked over them, they had no tags like the rest of the shop but  he recognized most of it. 

One thing he didn't recognize was a small rock like substance floating in a jar. It was covered in growths like eyes on a potato. He pulled it off the shelf and placed it on the counter. The woman pulled a new tag and scribbled a price on it.

"You're sure you want this?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Is it used for healing?" Syko feigned a dowdy tone.

"It can be. It's quite versatile, a good choice for your master."

"Can I leave it here, I need something else."  

Syko grabbed several other items off the shelves and paid in full, leaving the way he came in. 

None of the other shops had really interested him. One looked to sell love potions or the like, another was a diviners den, the rest sold technical materials for specialized studies. Far too expensive for his taste.

Syko wound his way back down the stairs and around the outside of the market building. He looked in each entryway searching for Mr. Cotter, a miller, a baker, any sign of the short man.

"Syko,"

He spun around, startled. Kay'la was leaning against the wall eating sweets. 

"Out here all by yourself?" She popped another sweet in her mouth.

"Yes Captain," His stomach sunk. This could only mean trouble.

"And what did I tell you before we left the ship."

"To stay with Mr. Cotter." He fixed his eyes on a spot in the dirt and stood still.

Kay'la popped another sweet in her mouth and chewed it with an unreadable expression.

"Let's go find him then, shall we?"

Syko followed on her heels, bumping in to her when she stopped to look at jewelry.

"Relax," Kay'la handed him a sweet.

"I'm not in trouble?" Syko didn't except the food

"Cotter has a habit of wandering off. I expected this to happen at some point, that's why I gave you the money."

It was mid day when they finally found him haggling the last of his coin over a bottle of jenever spirits.

"Cotter you rascal, where have you been?" Kay'la called after him.

"Procuring the finest the island has to offer." he flattered offering her the bottle.

"A fine choice indeed. Have you found everything you need?"

"I'm ship shape Captain, so long as the young lad is done."

Syko agreed and they made their way back to the ship. The men were loading the last of the cargo, including a wooden contraption and several sacks of flour.

Kay'la stopped to talk with Sedrick. Syko scooped up his herbs off a pile of cargo. Mr. Cotter scolded a man on deck for dropping a sack, sending a plume of white powder everywhere. 

Syko slipped into Kay'la's cabin and folded down the workbench, tucking everything he'd bought neatly onto the shelves. The wet specimen intrigued him the most. The stone was floating in the water, no mater which way he turned the jar it stayed upright. The small growths were also some kind of stone or mineral. 

He hadn't bothered to ask what it was, but he was pretty sure he knew. It looked very similar to the relief on the cover of one of his books. He was almost sure it was a coral heart.

He tucked it into the back of the cupboard, wrapped in a cloth to keep it from jostling around. He wouldn't open the jar until he was ready to use it. 

When everything was put away he went down to his cabin to rest. Although he hadn't done much physically, he felt exhausted and laid down for a nap. When he awoke they had set sail again.