CHAPTER FIVE

                                    

                                          
Petar stretched his shoulders, causing discomfort. The clothes he got from Ivana were too small, too tight, and very unpleasant. He tugged on his pants, walking through town. He went to the market, the red cape sat comfortably on his shoulders, the hood on his head. He was sweating, a lot, but he's used to it. Seven years under the same thick, red cloak. It didn't matter if it was hot or cold outside, sun, rain, or snow. A man can get used to anything and Petar got used to the heat and sweat. And now it was strange not to wear it, not to sweat. He took a deep breath. He couldn't remember the last time he had so few weapons on him. He stretched his leg and felt the fabric strain. He was so relieved when he saw the first tent, his purchase was just an excuse, even though he needed a robe and maybe another tunic. He stopped in front of the first one, those first ones weren't really part of the market. The city market was built into the city itself, almost carved into the walls and front gates. A row of stone and some wooden buildings stretched down the street from The Sea Tooth, name of the main gates, to the old tower. People don't even know what it used to be. Now it's served to mark the beginning and end of the day for sellers. That tower itself was a good two hundred meters in front of Petar, but he had already stopped under the first tent. The woman sold various animals, eggs and offered the option of slaughter. He looked at reptiles' same ones he had killed outside, a couple of birds, flying rodents and something weird. A little animal with a white shell, but he couldn't see its claws nor its teeth. "Good choice." she said, talking in Zeritos, when he didn't answer, she said of Heleos, "Nice meat, good shell." Petar shook his hand, "I'm not sure," he said on Zeritos, she nodded, "We've got these young fliers, they can be eaten or preserved. Good eggs.," she said, and she gave him an egg in her hand, she stirred him up, it was fine. "I can buy eggs.," he said, and turned around and looked toward the market, then looked at her, looking overjoyed. "You know, I made a deal here with a friend." Petar raised his hand to his chest, "Blond hair, blue eyes and talks a lot?" the woman shook her head, "Too bad," Petar said, "What about the eggs?" she asked, "On the way back, so I don't break them," he said, and he went on. He heard her swearing behind him. Nothing so far. He moved on, he had to be careful. That's why he didn't ask anyone anything more until he walked into the market, into a crowd, where he could disappear. He was supposed to leave the cape at home, few people looked at him strangely because of it, but what is done it is done. He stopped at a man who was selling clothes. Mostly cheap dresses, but Petar hoped to find quality men's dresses. He didn't, but he got some information where he could find a tunic and robes, the expensive kind. He mentioned that he should have met a friend there and asked the man if he had seen him. Of course not. He moved on. He went in where the man recommended. He found a short-blond woman spreading fabrics, but he didn't see any robes anywhere. "Excuse me?" he asked, and the woman looked at him, "Yes, young man?" she was maybe 30, "They told me I could find quality robes here," Petar said, the woman nodded. "Let me measure you.," she said, waving with her hand. He took off her cape and saw his too tight tunic, "You need a tunic too, young man." Petar nodded reluctantly, the woman skillfully measured him, writing something down. "And good linen pants would make you-" "I've got pants, thank you." Petar interrupted her and she looked at him critically, but she didn't say another word. She went in the back and came back with two robes, one ordinary, almost same as one he cut out, and the other was made of material he had only seen a few times. "This one is one silver and three bronzish..." Petar nodded. the woman looked at him, "So which will it be?" the lady asked as if he was the one who was confused. "Both." Petar said, and she just grinned. "Tunic?" she asked, and he nodded. This time, she brought three, "Can I try them?" he asked, "They'll fit perfectly," "I believe so, but still." Petar smiled and she pushed him towards a small wooden wall, he entered, and kept going. Soon he couldn't see her, and she couldn't see him. He took off his too tight tunic and threw it over the wall. A woman suddenly walked in, wearing his cape, "Don't forget it." Petar thanked her and put on the first tunic, it was perfect, everything but the sleeves, which were glued to his hand and they couldn't be untied. He took the next one, this one also fit, and the sleeves could be tied up and untied. He took it, it was green, dark green, the other two were blue. The one at home was brown, with red pants. He took the other blue one. Sleeves couldn't be untied but were wide enough that his Poletica could be activated, with little or no problems at all. He shrugged his shoulders and called out to her, to bring him the robes. He took them, "Thank you." Petar said, then licked his lips, "Do you know one of my friends?" he asked, putting the cheaper robe on himself. "Which one?" the woman asked, "We agreed to meet here." Petar continued, "Manu-" "Is he a soldier like you?" she interrupted him, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Yes, gendarme actually." Petar waited, but the woman didn't say anything. Then her head peeked between the wooden walls just as he tied up the tunic, giving him something "These are the names of the three bars," she stressed the word weirdly, "Where soldiers and gendarme go," Petar nodded and took a piece of papyrus. "Thank you," he said, she nodded and disappeared again. He put the cape on and came out of the changing room. "How many were the tunics did you say?" "Two silvers." Petar took out the bronze coins first, then eight pieces of silver and put them on the table. "Thank you for," he waved with papyrus and put another piece of silver on her desk. She looked at him in wonder, speechless. Petar stepped outside, his hands full of merchandise. "Wait!" she yelled, running after him, "My husband is an enga- That what he is got nothing to do with anything." Petar raised his eyebrows, confusedly looked at her, "Just a moment," she said and turned. Petar poked his head through the door, she was digging through the crate in the corner. The women pulled out a leather something, it looked like a money pouch, just bigger. It had no practical purpose, non that he could see at least. She took his old tunics and expensive robe out of his hands and stuffed them inside. "Turn around," she said, and pulled on his cape, he took it off, still totally befuddled. She put that weird pouch on his back and pulled his hands through thin laces. "Done," she said, and he looked over his shoulder. "Handy," he said, and pulled the cape over it.