The Tiger Within 42 The Breakfast In The Bazaar Part 1

Thankfully there were a dutiful few who rose early to prepare meals for those who sought food. Guardsmen coming off or going on duty and hunters who were prepared for their hunt always made good customers. Not to mention incredibly loyal if the food was warm and the prices were good.

One such little place was known as The Coiled Pot. The owner, a sweet younger serpent shape shifter always greeted her customers with a bright smile on her thin lips. Warm jewel toned eyes in a garnet red could be unsettling but matched with her golden hair and deceptively slender body frame, she looked harmless. Well, that was till she chuckled and the tips of her fangs peeked out from under her rose colored lips.

Kyera sauntered over flashing a wink at the serpent girl who grinned. "Well Well Well Miss Kyera. Bit late for your breakfast isn't it? I expected you at dawn… now my best goods have gone cold." the girls words seemed to drip from her tongue like honey. Kyera nodded biting her lip slightly.

"Yea… I slept a little late. I'm sorry Cora. Forgive me?" Kyera whispered looking at the girl with a sweet innocent pout. Cora tried very hard to glare unmoved at Kyera's obvious ploy. After several minutes of struggling she sighed.

"Yes, I suppose." Cora replied with a smile shaking her head at the adorable tigress. She often wondered how the cool collected Queen could turn into a naughty little Kitten over a pot of rice porridge.

Kyera glowed "Yea. So I need food for three." she motioned to the two men behind her. One of whom looked slightly jealous if Cora was any judge. The younger one however looked inquisitively at her wares. Sniffing the warm spiced aromas of her pots.

"Alright…" Cora removed the lid of a ceramic vessel next to her. It was a odd contraption. It was shaped like an egg, and made of clay that had been formed with a small wooden lid to dome the top. Inside at the base was a batch of warm rocks and the remnants of a hot fire that had burned through the night. Now only coals remained. On the inside of the egg were baskets hanging from hooks on the rim. Each basket held several little clay pots, each a different shade."what type would you like?"

Kyera smiled "Two red and one brown." she replied firmly and both brothers looked at her curiously. They tended to eat across the way at a butcher's shack and had no idea what to order here. Verone had only eaten breakfast in town with her a few times, and normally he picked the place so as she paid Cora and took the pots, he waited patiently.

Keeping one red for herself, she handed the blue to Verone and the remaining red to Talis, along with spoons. She tossed another radiant smile at Cora "Care to join us?" she asked noticing the Serpent had only just begun her own meal. The four took a seat against the trees nearby.

"So anything interesting happen last night?" Kyera prompted, taking the lid off her jar and stirring the rice porridge around in its jar. Cora seemed to think for a moment.

"Not really. I mean things were quiet here. The Hunter's came back early. Apparently there are some hit traps out in the lower woods." Cora replied taking a bite of her breakfast.

"Hot Traps?" Talis asked curiously, honestly kinda lost. Cora and Kyera paused looking at him a moment. The serpent's eyes narrowed slightly.

"He doesn't get out much. Does he?" Cora asked, jerking her head to indicate the boy. Verone felt slightly uncomfortable then, as though he should defend his little brother's lack of knowledge but… it was true. Talis never left the mountain peak.

"He's a trainee." Verone replied, but the explanation sounded weak even to his ears. However Kyera nodded in agreement.

"Talis is a cautious one. Most night folk don't call them that." Kyera replied patiently. "A Hot Trap is a trap that jas warmth trapped in the fibers. Normally set by humans, and non lethal." she figured she should explain since he was her charge.

"Oh, so they are harmless." Talis spoke as if he was catching on. However the angry hiss that retaliated against his words said otherwise.