JENNA: * Jo smiles, momentarily contented, and eases herself down next to him, reaching one hand out to take his. "It's for your own good, anyway," she says with a grin, then breaks off into a sleepy yawn, the last of her energy (sustained most of the day by anger) finally fading.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives her hand a squeeze and leans in to plant a kiss against her cheek while she's busy yawning. "And your good, let's not forget. I know your /true/ motives." He grins, sneaking his arm underneath her to snug her against him. If he's going to do this, he might as well give it his best shot. "Now you just be sure to wake up before I do, or we'll have to do a retest."

JENNA: * Jo nestles against him once again, peering at him with a faint grin. "I'll retest any time," she says drowsily, shifting to make herself comfortable and reaching up to curl one arm around him. She heaves a contented sigh, then glances up at him again, wrinkling her nose. "I always wake up before you anyway."

JUSTIN: * Shane is almost asleep already when she gives her last comment, and he manages to half-open one eye to match her glance. A small smile turns the corner of his lips, and he gives her a faint squeeze. "What can I say... the lack of a real schedule to adhere to has made me lazy." He yawns, then, and nestles his face into her shoulder with a weary groan. "And you do so wear me out."

JENNA: * She turns her face slightly to kiss his temple, torn between embarrassment and amusement. "Is that a complaint?" She shifts her hand to stroke his hair, then gives it a light tug before resting it around him again. She relaxes drowsily, almost not caring whether it is one or not. "Someone has to keep you on your toes."

JUSTIN: * Shane grins a bit against her shirt, giving as much of a shrug as he can in this position. "Well you've certainly excelled at that." He moves his free arm to rest around her, walking his fingers up her side lazily. "I suppose I really /can't/ complain, all things considered. While you've caused me to atrophy in some areas, I've gotten stronger in others..."

JENNA: * Jo makes a ticklish noise, squirming slightly, though she only ends up moving closer to him in the process. "As long as you're not unhappy wih the change," she murmurs, drifting closer to sleep even as she attempts to keep up the conversation. Her fingers curl against him and relax once, eyes dropping most of the way shut.

JUSTIN: "Change happens, whether I like it or not." Shane says honestly enough, but he's quick to follow up before she thinks he's dodging the point. "But when the choices are Jocasta or no Jocasta, I think I'll take the first option." He moves his face from her shoulder finally, poking a kiss up under her jaw before closing his eyes completely again and settling.

JENNA: * Jo makes an indistinct -- but very pleased -- noise that sounds almost like it could have been "Good." It's hard to say, however, because she's just about dropped off entirely, the crackling of the fire lulling her the rest of the way before much longer. She sleeps quite comfortably, starting out exactly where she wants to be, as opposed to finding her way there halfway through the night.

JUSTIN: * Shane is close behind her, admittedly very comfortable in spite of all his usual concerns. The fact that she expressly said she wanted it alleviates some of his worries, and the desire to pass this "test" is a good defense against the jitters. He's soon out like a light, breathing softly against her neck, both arms around her like a child with a teddy bear.

JENNA: * When daylight comes, as it usually does, Jo is highly reluctant to stir, opening her eyes drowsily to find Shane exactly where she remembers leaving him, minus small shifts in the night. She stares vaguely at the wood and sky for a moment, considering whether she should wake him or indulge herself by letting him sleep a while longer. In the end, she settles on the second option, running her hand occasionally through his hair, as is her habit.

JUSTIN: * Shane sleeps on, as he usually does without some interruption, well after the sun has risen. Contrary to what might normally be the case, Jo's subtle attentions -- the stroking of his hair, her body heat, the faint sound and movement of her breathing -- seem to keep him comfortably asleep longer, rather than waking him. Eventually, however, his body has had its fill of rest, and he begins to show his first signs of waking, the first of which being a prominent, unconscious stretch.

JENNA: * Jo lets him go on with this, shifting a little to make the stretch easier and vaguely aware that she probably should have woken him up herself. She drops her head slightly to kiss his temple and murmur a drowsy "Good morning," in his ear. She then draws back slightly, stroking his hair again and waiting for him to put two and two together.

JUSTIN: * Shane's waking process is hurried along by the disembodied voice -- as he's only peripherally aware that he's even woken up at all -- and to his credit, he doesn't outright flinch from it. He finishes his stretch, body becoming aware in a waking sense of Jo's bodyheat, and her touch, and his hands grope around in an effort to assess his position. If it wasn't for remembering at this moment what had transpired the night before, he very well may have sat upright in surprise, but instead he lets out a quiet gurgle and fights to open his eyes.

JENNA: * Jo's mouth curves into a faint grin, and she gives his hair a light tug. "We don't have to get up just yet," she remarks. "But we'll be riding a little longer if we stay." She returns to toying with his hair, looking absently past him at the pecos, who also do not appear inclined to move.

JUSTIN: * One of Shane's eyes manages to slip open, followed shortly by the other, and Jo's face finally comes into focus. He barely makes out what she's saying as his brain struggles to wake up alongside his body, but he hears enough to comprehend. He takes a deep breath, attempting to find his voice to respond. Instead, he just buries his face into her shoulder, finding it the easier solution for answering her.

JENNA: * Jo laughs, nestling down again and grinning, though most of her weariness has already fallen away. "All right, but don't blame me when we make camp late." One of the birds makes a disgruntled noise, and Jo falls silent, willing to let them all rest another few minutes, anyway.

JUSTIN: * Though it is tempting to go right back to sleep, Shane does make an honest attempt at waking up instead... just from the comfort of his bed and companion. After a few minutes, his voice comes around on its own, and he lifts his head up from Jo's shoulder to match her eyes. "So..." He pauses to clear his throat, and then smiles a bit. "Pass or fail?"

JENNA: * Jo pretends to think about this for a moment, relaxing into her pack as she looks him over assessingly. Then, after drawing it out as much as she cares to, she shifts until they're nose to nose, grin forming. "Pass. I think." Then she kisses him, teasing expression still on her face.

JUSTIN: * Shane wiggles his nose, kissing back as he stares into her eyes. "You think..." He gives her a kiss of his own, then rolls onto his back and stretches again, sprawling his limbs outward (one of which is still more or less underneath her). "Well, I'll have to try a little harder next time and get myself a better grade." He yanks her over with a coy grin, feeling unusually playful, despite knowing that he should probably be getting up.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't appear to be bothered, laughing as he tugs her closer and draping an arm across his chest. "Practice makes perfect, right?" She pushes herself up, leaning over him for another kiss, this one lingering. "I don't mind if you don't." In the meantime, the birds are slowly becoming restless, apparently recovered from their long ride the day before.

JUSTIN: * Shane continues to grin, relenting only for the kiss, and then begins to poke her far side with his finger. "It's for my own good -- and by proxy, yours." He tickles her lightly, lifting his head up to share another kiss with her. While he's up, he slides a glance over to their birds, Jo's beginning to get vocal as it is known to do.

JENNA: "They never want to move when we want to move," Jo mutters, slouching back to rest her head against his shoulder. "But I guess they're right." She kisses him one last time before drawing away and giving an awkward stretch in preparation to get up and get moving.

JUSTIN: * Shane grunts non-commitally, closing his eyes and stretching with a long yawn. For a moment it looks as though he is going to stay there in defiance, then he suddenly pops up, slight grimace on his face, and sighs. "Not that there's any arguing with them either way." He rolls over onto his knees, folding up his cloak and stuffing it into his pack before looking about the camp. "Well then. Let's get cracking."

JENNA: * Jo gets to her feet with another stretch, scooping up her gear and rearranging it before slinging it onto her back. "Well, we have a lot of riding to do, feathery folk," she says to the pecos, who are eyeing their human counterparts with great suspicion. "You'll regret bothering us, I assure you." She ambles over to untie her own, patting it smartly on the beak before leading it away from the tree. She pulls it over to the remains of the fire, which she kicks out, then turns to dig up some jerky. "Juno awaits," she says drily.

JUSTIN: "I'm sure they're looking forward to our return." Shane answers, not hiding the sarcasm. He packs away the rest of their things, and gets his boots and coat on. "A shame your bookselling friend doesn't open shop in a more convenient location. Like, say... across the river there." He flicks a small pebble through the trees in the direction of the water, and saunters over to untie his peco.

JENNA: * Jo snorts faintly. "Well, they can't arrest us for anything ... I don't think." She swings onto her peco's back (it squawks) and trots around to head back to the road. "Having a screaming match in an inn isn't illegal, is it?" She grins, then shakes her head.

JUSTIN: * Shane scratches his cheek, leading his bird from the tree before climbing into the saddle. "Well, there's always disturbance of the peace, but... The most that can get you is a warning, unless you make a repeated habit of it." He shrugs, trotting along after Jo. "They sure have it in within their rights to give us dirty looks, though." He grins a little, eyes distant.

JENNA: "Tempting though that is ..." She glances back at him, then forward again, grinning. "We'd probably do better to be model citizens while we're there this time around." Or as model as they can be, she amends mentally, knowing that for her own part she won't let an opportunity poke to give certain among the guard a good, hard poke.

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts, coming up alongside her. "I'm always a model citizen." He turns her a mockingly snooty stare. "It's you we have to worry about." A brief yawn interrupts his act, and he rubs at his face with a murmer. "Besides... we don't have anything to argue about this time, right?"

JENNA: "Mm, not that I know of," Jo replies, glancing at him sideways. "I suppose we can always think of something if we want to raise a ruckus." Amusement flits across her features, then she shrugs comfortably. "We should only have to deal with one set of guards, anyway.. if we're taking the stairs." She scratches her head, deciding to leave that up to him. Neither option is particularly pleasant.

JUSTIN: * Shane leans over in his saddle, poking his bird's head and giving it's eye a look. "What do you think? Teleport or stairs?" It's eye swivels over to give him a blank, disinterested stare. "Hm. Maybe we should ask yours, it's the more vocal one."

JENNA: * On cue, Jo's peco utters a violent squawk, fluffing its feathers and kicking its claws in the dirt. Jo smacks it in the back of the head. "Well, you heard him. I confess I'm not an expert in peco -- what did he say?" The bird continues grumbling until she gives it a slight boot to make it pick up speed.

JUSTIN: "I think he's saying something along the lines of 'the stairs take to long, but the teleporter makes me sick, so just leave me behind'." Shane smirks, righting himself in the saddle again and giving his bird a light nudge to keep pace. "Sounds like we'll have to flip a coin, hm?"

JENNA: * Jo wrinkles her nose at him. "It's up to you. A coin toss will save us thinking, in any case." She glances at the road ahead, scratching her cheek. "We're still a way from having to make that decision, however," she remarks, nudging the peco into a faster trot.

JUSTIN: * Shane fixes his hat on his head, nodding absently. "Plenty of time to think about it. Or more important things, but ehhh." He smiles, whistling quietly as he turns his bird to come up on Jo's other side.

JENNA: * She favors him with a brief smile, but she doesn't answer. If there's deeper thinking to be done, it will likely get done no matter the circumstances. Instead, she turns to considering their route to Juno and the fastest roads for getting there. Though she eases from their pace on the first day, it's still a quick trip, and before long -- compared to a caravan, in any case -- the floating city looms above them, awaiting their choice of entry.

JUSTIN: * Shane starts his peco at a lazy walk toward the teleporter, merely by force of habit, before he even thinks to stop and think. Turning to face Jo, he huffs a quiet sigh and scratches the back of his head. "Well, here we are. Is the jury still out?"

JENNA: * Jo looks at the teleporter with great doubt, considering the merits (or lack) of either door. "I would prefer not to throw up, if at all possible," she says weakly. "Even if it is faster ..." And lacks a bridge. "The gate's closer to where we want to go, in any case."

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles knowingly, and turns his peco from the main path toward the less-traveled stairway nearby. "I suppose it's easier to carry you across the bridge than to clean up after you if you vomit." He gives her a small wink, and takes the lead.

JENNA: * Jo makes a face. "You won't have to /carry/ me," she says defensively, following him quickly. "I'll just shut my eyes ... should probably walk, though." Her voice grows quieter, as if she's mostly discussing these options with herself, and she looks ahead, where the stairs and gate are coming into view.

JUSTIN: "Oh, nonsense. The stairs and bridge are peco-friendly. Unless you're uncomfortable being on the back of a peco while braving the heights." Shane slows his bird a bit, letting her catch up beside him. "You sure you don't want me to carry you? It wouldn't be a problem, I assure you." He leans over, tipping his hat to her with a cheeky smile.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head. "Walking is more stable." She shrugs, however, as they start up the steps. "But it doesn't matter -- as long as you don't lead my peco right off the edge." She wrinkles her nose at him, acknowledging his last. "If I pass out, /then/ you can carry me."

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts quietly, keeping abreast of her as their pecos make the march skyward. "Well if you're unconscious, then it spoils all the fun..." He frowns theatrically, turning away to watch the tops of the trees disappearing beneath them.

JENNA: * Jo snorts faintly, mounting the steps with increasing trepidation. She pauses a few feet from the gated archway, running a hand through her hair and sucking in a deep, tired breath. Still delaying, she glances idly at the architecture, gaze drifting from one side to the other until it happens upon the guards. She almost fails to stop a deeply amused snorting noise, easing her peco closer to Shane and tugging his sleeve to point. Shortly after she's done so, it occurs to her she probably shouldn't have drawn attention to the unfortunate young man.

JUSTIN: * Shane startles from his wandering thoughts, turning a look at Jo first. Seeing her pointing hand, he blinks curiously and tilts his head to have a look across the way. Upon seeing the lad, he gives a quiet snort, half-frowning with a bristle of aggitation. "Oh, not him again..."

JENNA: * Jo chuckles. "Well, he hasn't got any reason to talk to us today, has he?" She takes another few steps forward, leaning past Shane to give the boy a wave and a broad, amused grin. "Besides," she says in an undertone, "he's probably about as happy to see us as we are to see him."

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't look the least bit appeased by this logic, and he gives the back of Jo's shirt a slight tug. "Well don't /encourage/ him..." He grumbles quietly, and starts his bird across toward the city gate. "Model citizens, remember? Your words." Jordan, meanwhile, looks plainly shocked at the sight of the two troublemakers, and casts about for any help or assistance -- but he's the only one there.

JENNA: * Jo straightens, laughing, and glances at the boy again. "Encourage him to what? He's stuck at the gate." She shrugs and starts after him, recovering some of her tension when she remembers the bridge just ahead. "Got more important things to worry about right at the moment," she mutters, mostly to herself. Things like not fainting, not falling off the peco and, most importantly, not looking down.

JUSTIN: * Shane's current state of stewing aggitation unfortunately robs him of his attention, and he all but forgets Jo's plight. He very purposely doesn't look at the young guard as his peco trots closer to the gate, but Jordan seems more worried of what will happen if he /does/ look away. "What's your business here?" He asks sharply, trying to look like he's in control. Shane almost spits. "It's not after hours, you don't need to check us."

JENNA: * Hearing their voices, Jo stops, turning to watch the exchange with some surprise. "Come on," she says, close to feeling a surge of annoyance. "We want to get there before he closes, right?" She doesn't say anything more on the matter, arching a brow at the guard and turning her gaze back to the bridge.

JUSTIN: * Jordan's attempt at professionalism shows signs of breaking, and he looks downright lost as to what to do. "I-I'm just -- you caused trouble the last time you were here, I'm just--" Shane marches right past without an answer, and the boy can hardly do anything to stop him. "I lived in this city for over twenty years. If I was going to start a riot, I would have done so a long time ago. Now if you don't mind, my partner and I have errands to run while it's still daylight."

JENNA: * Jo rolls her eyes heavenward, making a mental note not to come back to Juno unless they absolutely, uncategorically /must/. "Honestly," she sighs, starting after Shane at an admittedly slower pace. Though he may have forgotten all about the bridge, it still weighs heavily on her mind -- much more heavily than a browbeaten young guard.

JUSTIN: * Shane only stops to wait for Jo once he's well through the gate, and he turns to look at her -- only then remembering her position and predicament. He curses quietly under his breath, turning Jordan a sharp glare and getting a quiet "What did I do?!" in return. Shane dismounts, taking a few steps back toward the bridge and turning his attention to Jo with a softer expression. "Making it all right?"

JENNA: * Jo makes a non-committal noise, rubbing her face. "Maybe I'd better walk.." she says, looking down with some dismay to see her hands shaking. "Damn it," she mutters, leading her peco away from the bridge, almost at the steps again before she feels safe enough to swing down. It's with relief she manages to keep her footing, legs not shaking as badly as she'd feared.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes another few steps toward her, slightly more relaxed now that he has something besides the guard to concentrate on. This doesn't last long, however, as he eventually finds himself standing right beside the young officer. "W-would you like some assistance, miss?" Jordan calls after her, trying to reclaim some of his dignity after the initial incident. Shane ignores the question, at least to the degree of not responding -- he does, however, issue a slight growl.

JENNA: "I'm fine," Jo does answer him, though she doesn't look in his direction -- still testing her legs. "I should be all right," she says wearily, looking at Shane. "No need to carry me." She cracks a slight grin, attempting to divert his attention from the apparently well-meaning guard. "Let's get it over with, all right?"

JUSTIN: * Shane does manage to break a small smile onto his otherwise stubborn face, and he crosses his arms over his chest. "I'm just waiting on you. You've got thirty seconds, or I sling you over my shoulder and carry you whether you like it or /not/." Jordan, meanwhile, seems visibly relieved that the two are ignoring him again, and he slinks back from the gateway to let the couple do their thing.

JENNA: "Right ..." With some reluctance, Jo reaches out to take his arm, the other hand on her peco's reins. She pauses once again, taking a long, deep breath, and turns grimly toward the bridge, closing her eyes and tightening her grip. She does not, however, begin walking.

JUSTIN: * Shane steps around to stand behind Jo, placing a hand on either side of her waist while letting her retain her grip on his arm. "Come on, Jo. I've gotcha." He eases her forward with a slight nudge, just enough to force her to take a step to maintain her balance, hopefully the jumpstart she needs.

JENNA: * Jo huffs a low sigh and takes a step, almost opening her eyes and stopping herself at the last second. It becomes easier as she goes, and since she started solid ground, she can pretend she's still on it -- flagstones feel the same under her feet anyway, right?

JUSTIN: "That's a girl." Shane grins a little, keeping right behind her until she's going at a steady pace. He then lets go her waist, though he allows her to keep her hold on his arm as long as she feels she needs it. Jordan pops out again during this march, keeping an eye on the pair -- or more specifically, one half of the pair.

JENNA: * Jo is barely aware of Shane's attentions and totally unaware of Jordan's, concentrating primarily on putting one foot in front of the other and keeping a grip on the damn bird so it doesn't go haring off into space. It seems unconcerned by the activity as a whole, squawking now and then just to make itself heard.

JUSTIN: * Shane pats Jo's hand as they leave the bridge, gently removing it from his arm. "Wasn't so bad, now was it. Little disappointed I didn't get to carry you, though." He stops to let Jo step ahead of him, his bird wandering over to inspect its companion. Jordan is suddenly right next to him again, eyes on Jo still. "You know, miss, we have a teleporter to use if the walk gives you trouble..."

JENNA: * Jo jumps at the sound of the young man's voice, wondering how he got from point A to point B so quickly. "No thanks. Makes me puke." She turns to attend to her peco, which utters an unholy squawk -- doubtless mortally offended by something that blew past its beak. It ruffles its feathers, wings kicking out for a moment. Jo ducks to dodge them, but her saddlebag, fastened only loosely, suddenly flies open, part of its contents -- a spare cloak, tucked away in case of emergencies. She swears, bending to retrieve it immediately and giving the bird a sharp slap.

JUSTIN: * Shane is collecting the reigns for his own peco when Jo's decides to get cranky, and he dodges back in an effort to avoid the wings. When her pack spills open, he starts to take a step forward to help, but stops short when Jordan barges ahead of him. "Miss, let me help you with--" The boy stutters to a halt midsentance, his eyes widening at the sight of Jo's gloriously displayed backside. Every woman the young guard had yet encountered would have bent at the knees rather than the waist, and the unexpected show practically brings a squawk of awe. Shane's eyes widen at the same time, but he's staring at Jordan, not Jo. After a second of stunned silence, his face starts to contort with shocked rage, but before he can get a word out, Jordan's partner returns from whatever errand he was on and whistles a sharp greeting.

JENNA: * Jo straightens sharply at the sound, looking over her shoulder in surprise. Seeing it's the other guard, she shrugs and turns back to her peco, smacking it again before returning the cloak to its place. Having missed the entire exchange -- and having no idea her bottom caused such a stir -- the expression on Shane's face comes as something of a surprise. "Hey." She prods him. "We're losing daylight. Let's get to the shop."

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't react to her prodding, still mouthing silent threats on Jordan's life, as he tries with great effort to resist the urge to bullrush the kid and send him hurtling to an early grave. After a moment, though, Jo's voice filters through the layers of shock and anger, and he turns to look at her, face unfortunately still twisted. He blinks a few times, then gives his head a shake and starts marching, incapable of giving her any sort of response just yet.

JENNA: * Jo frowns slightly as she follows him, relatively sure he isn't angry at her, but not sure why he'd be that angry about anything. "Come on -- bookshop's this way." He already knows this, but she reaches out to take his arm anyway, unsure whether he's aware enough to go the right direction.

JUSTIN: * Shane startles initially, but he lets her lead her off, admittedly thankful for the direction. His mind is definately too preoccupied to think at the moment, and he was merely walking to get away from the situation before he did something to land himself in jail. He stumbles along for a while before he manages to regain proper use of his legs, and he turns a look over his shoulder at the now relatively distant guards -- Jordan is still watching them leave, and Shane feels a sudden resurgance in his anger. He almost struggles again Jo's hand, but instead just starts walking faster.

JENNA: "You all right?" Jo asks him warily after several moments of walking, as he clearly is not. "You want to get a night's rest first?" She is loathe to suggest it, but she also doesn't want him scaring the shopkeeper, who is a fairly nice man. She glances up to see they've almost made the shop anyway. She gives his arm a squeeze, sighing faintly.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't want to respond, because he doesn't want to take his frustration out on her -- but at the same time, he's worried that saying nothing will make her just as upset. So he might as well get it out in the open. "No I'm not all right. Didn't you see the way he was looking at you?" He snarls, fist clenching. "I can't believe the nerve of... Just stared! No respect at... Oh, he's lucky someone came by, or I would have..." He trails off again, practically shaking with restrained aggitation.

JENNA: * Jo blinks slowly, pausing in front of the bookshop's doors and scratching the back of her head. "Well, my back was to him, so I'm pretty sure I missed it." She gives a faint sigh, turning to push the door open. "I doubt respect has anything to do with it -- and /you're/ lucky someone came by, or you'd have given the guards a real reason to arrest us ..." She looks up, unsurprised to see the shop fairly empty. The old man is not in attendance, probably in another room.

JUSTIN: "I'm lucky? Whose side are you on, anyway? It was your bu-- your backside he was admiring!" Shane stomps into the store behind her, looking around with a heated look on his face. Not even the pleasant surrounding of books seems can bring him any comfort. "I should have hit him right there. I should have -- he deserved nothing less than a bloody lip."

JENNA: "I'm on the side that keeps you out of jail, Shane." She turns to him, smiling briefly, and gives his shirt a slight tug, drawing him closer. "So he stared a bit. He's barely past being a teenager. I've stared at you before." She arches a brow. "And I'm willing to bet you've stared at me."

JUSTIN: "A /bit/!" Shane's anger turns momentarily to embarrassment, however, at her further comments. "What? Jo, I am a /gentleman/... I... I didn't... well, only when... But I tried not to! I /respect/ you. Unlike most of the men we've met." He turns around and tries to put her comment out of mind, feeling suddenly like some great secret has been let out of the bag. His eyebrow arches suddenly, though, and he spins to face her again. "What do you mean /you've/ stared?"

JENNA: * Surprised by his reaction, Jo looks momentarily embarrassed. "Why wouldn't I? You're not bad to look at, you know. When you weren't annoying the hell out of me." She turns away to inspect a bookshelf, lined with volumes she obviously cannot read the titles of. She's saved from any further explanation when the shopkeeper comes down the stairs, appearing surprised that he has visitors. "Ah -- my. I apologize, I was tending to stock .. oh, young miss! It's been some time." Jo grins at him and waves, and he smiles in return. "What can I do for you today?"

JUSTIN: * Shane turns around at the approach of the store owner, looking somewhat less hostile, but still on edge. Even with an old man like this, after the incident at the gate he's suspicious of any male that so much as glances at Jo. "We were wondering if you could appraise an item for us." He clears his throat, hoping his voice didn't sound as icy to the bookseller as it did to his own ears.

JENNA: * The bookseller looks at him in surprise, but Jo nods quickly, moving to fill the space and slinging her pack tot he floor. "Ah, well, you see ... we went exploring ... found something at the end of the tunnel, so to speak." She unsnaps the flaps of the pack, opening it to pull the pages free and offer them to the shopkeeper. "I know it's not a whole book, but they were ... unique." She hedges, but the old man is already staring at the pages with something resembling real shock.

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs, arms crossing over his chest as he finds somewhere safe to lean against. Some of his enthusiasm has been leeched by his mood, and although he would have liked to be the one to relate the story -- as he is the one with a book appreciation -- he figures in the end it is probably best if Jo does the talking, having a clearer head at the moment. Not that he isn't beyond some input here or there. "I couldn't read it, I'm not sure what the language is. They don't look like the rune characters I've seen in history books, either..."

JENNA: "They.. certainly are not. May I?" Jo nods, and he takes the pages, adjusting his glasses and shuffling over to a table and chair where he can sit down to inspect them more closely. "I doubt there are more than a handful of people in the world who can translate these runes, young man," he says admiringly, and Jo glances at Shane, arching an eyebrow as she follows him to the table.

JUSTIN: * Shane leaves his perch behind, curiousity barely winning out against his gloomy mood. He takes a seat at the table next to Jo, peering at the papers in the bookseller's hands with renewed interest. "We..." He stops, thinking for a moment, and then leans close to Jo's ear to mumble quietly. "Do you think we should tell him about the Valkyrie?"

JENNA: "The /what/, did you say?" Apparently the old bookseller's hearing is not so bad as all that. "Where did you find these pages?" Jo looks at him sideways and shrugs at Shane. "We found them on an island east of Hugel. In some ruins. She said she was guarding them, but she let us take the pages, so ..." She shrugs again, dropping one hand to tap her fingers on the table. "We didn't know if they had any value or not."

JUSTIN: "She certainly seemed more concerned about other matters." Shane leans on the table, setting his cheek in his hand. "After her speech about how worthless we were compared to the crumbling ruins, she left us alone..." He smiles a little, in spite of how his wording sounds. "We found the pages on a pedestal in the temple's inner court."

JENNA: "You were the one who pestered her about her job," Jo says mildly, and she turns to see the bookseller staring at them in what amounts to wonderment. "You .. spoke to an emissary of the gods?" Jo scratches her cheek, looking somewhat uneasy. "Well.. sort of." She glances at Shane with a slight shrug.

JUSTIN: * Shane tries not to grin, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in his lap instead. "More like... received a lecture from a very bored guardian. She was probably fairly disappointed that her first company in half a millenium were a pair like us." He's almost proud of this fact. She was more than a bit snooty, after all.

JENNA: * He closes his eyes, giving his head a slow shake, as if he expects them -- and the pages -- to disappear when he opens them again. "I must tell you right away," he says finally, "that I cannot purchase these pages from you .. I assure you my entire collection could not cover the cost of something so valuable." Jo looks blank for a moment, slowly processing what he's just said. "So.. they /are/ worth something?" The bookseller laughs. "/Worth/ something! My dear girl, these are /priceless/."

JUSTIN: * Shane sits up a bit straighter in his chair, hands gripping at his pantlegs. "Priceless? You mean, like..." He isn't sure he wants to believe what it sounds like the man means. He turns a look to Jo, then back to the shopkeeper. "H-How priceless are we talking, here?"

JENNA: * The bookseller chuckles, handing Jo the pages back with an apparent, deep reluctance. "I could not begin to estimate their value, however ..." He watches Jo take the pages, looking at them with renewed interest. "I know a man who will doubtless give you a fair price." He gets to his feet, shuffling over to a map on the wall and tapping it thoughtfully. "He lives west of the city .. follow the cliff's edge and you're bound to see his residence. It's fairly large, and it's not far."

JUSTIN: "Outside the city?" Shane had assumed the man was talking about one of the Sages before the location was mentioned. "What would someone with an interest in something like this be doing living outside the city proper?" He wonders if this is even something he should bother asking, as it seems fairly unimportant /where/ the man lives, as long as he's willing to pony up the money.

JENNA: "Well, he's a bit of a hermit, if you will." The bookseller chuckles, walking back to the table and seating himself again. "Not very friendly, really -- doesn't take kindly to strangers at all." Jo arches an eyebrow, causing him to chuckle again. "His name is Mackenzie vel Malachi -- just tell him Armand Hester sent you, and he'll treat you as politely as he knows how." He smiles again, shaking his head.

JUSTIN: * Shane scratches at the back of his neck, not so sure he wants to put up with more rudeness today -- his temper is pretty thin as it is. But if this hermit really has the money to buy these priceless pieces of paper, it will more than make up for it. "I guess we'll have to be brief and to the point, then." He pushes his chair back, getting to his feet and setting his hands on Jo's shoulders. "What do you think, Jo? We can see what he's willing to offer before we shop around, at the least."

JENNA: "I don't have a problem. We can stay the night, though, if you'd prefer. I'm ready to take a break." She reaches a hand back to rest on one of his, willing to bet he could use the break, as well. Besides, in the morning, hopefully the young guard will be on duty somewhere else, and they won't have to deal with him yet again. "I'm sure the pecos wouldn't object." She grins, glancing up at him. The bookseller, in the meantime, has gotten to his feet, gazing at the pages once again with near-reverence.

JUSTIN: "I'm sure they'll find something to complain about anyway." Shane says, sighing lightly. He is rather worn out, mostly emotionally. And if she wants to spend the night, he certainly won't deny her. "All right. Let's see about getting a room for the night. I've gone this long being poor, I'm sure getting rich can stand to wait another day." He leans over and smooches the top of her head noisily, grinning as he tugs her chair out to let her up.

JENNA: * Jo gets to her feet lightly, ambling over to put the pages back in her pack. "I'm pretty sure it won't do us any harm." She smiles, straightening, and slings the pack over her shoulders. "Thank you," she says to the bookseller, who smiles broadly. "Really, I should be thanking you -- it isn't often I get to see something so fascinating and rare." Jo inclines her head and starts for the door. "We'll stop by again sometime."

JUSTIN: * Shane tips his hat to the man before turning to leave, stepping out the door behind Jo. The pecos are ruffling their feathers at passers by, and he ambles over to thunk his lightly on the beak. "Be nice." He says simply, then unties the bird from the post its anchored to. "I suppose we'll have to settle for the less fancy inn this time around."

JENNA: * Jo unties her own bird, leading it into the street before mounting up. "I doubt they'd even let us in the door at the other one." She grins, momentarily tempted to give it a try. "Hardly worth the trouble. We can stay at that other one, right?" She lifts her shoulders in a shrug. "Shouldn't be hard to get a room this time, at least." She starts into the street, then pauses, waiting for him.