"Nathan, is there any where we can go to get a bath?" Jessa asks as she looks at herself in disgust. She had ranged far ahead of the group and made sure that the caravan had a peaceful journey. She did after all promise the prince that she would do her best to make it peaceful. Although, she doesn't think that he would appreciate her going out so far ahead of the other guards to deal with the problem. She is covered in dried blood and stinks of sweat, animals and death.

Nathan smiles at her in amusement. "If you hadn't gone looking for trouble you wouldn't be covered in blood like you are. But yes, there are public baths."

"Great, unfortunately I don't have any clean clothes so I will need to see if there is anything in the market before we go." Jessa smirks. There will definitely be a great dislike for her presence in the market. She knows that she doesn't smell very good and will drive others away.

"A bath does sound nice," Nathan says slowly. He too, doesn't have any clean clothes. 

"Don't worry, we'll find you something in the market."

"I don't have much, Jessa. Unlike you, I just have the money we were paid. I need to save as much of that as I can for when I retire."

Jessa gets a crafty smile on her face. "Just leave it to me, if there is anything worth you getting, you will get it at a decent price."

Nathan sighs, they may have only recently met and he is the elder between the two, and he knows the human world unlike Jessa, but he finds that she somehow manages to deal with financial things far better than him.

He follows her to the market or bazaar and lets her lead the way. Fortunately it is later in the day and many of the stall keepers have already started shutting down, but not all of them. Jessa flits from one stall to another until she stops short and her breath hitches in her throat. She had already deposited her wages into Frosnak's lending house and only retained  some lesser coins. She could if necessary return to get more, but she doubts that the merchant would still be there or that the item would still be there.

"What is it, Jessa?" Nathan asks going up to her ear.

"Spidersilk wrap. It's used for the celebration of Zira among the moon elves." Jessa replies. She has never seen a wrap so beautiful or a piece of spidersilk so large. A piece like this is expensive and the amount of money she has on her, three silvers at most. Spidersilk is rare and very sought after, a piece that large would go for gold, several pieces, there is no way she would be able to get the wrap. But it doesn't hurt to try and so she does.

"Good day, lady and sir, what can I help you with this fine day?" The merchant comes up to them and asks. Jessa has to give him credit that he hides his disgust at her smell and appearance quite well.

"We would look at clothes for my friend here. Do you have anything that would do for him? We have just gotten out of a journey and wish for a bath, clean clothes and good food."

The merchant smiles, "Yes, there is nothing quite like reaching the end of a journey and obtaining those things." The merchant takes his time looking over Nathan and smiling. "I've got just the right thing. I picked it up and thought to sell it easily, but the color is wrong for most people to wear, but your friend there should be able to pull it off." The merchant ducks away and searches through his less sought after items and comes back with some burnt orange leggings and tunic. The material is a superior material of cotton that they rarely see someone of their rank wearing.

Nathan is less than thrilled with the color and the type of material would mean a great deal of money. "Jessa, there's no way."

Jessa merely holds her hand up to silence him. She's tired of seeing him in the cheap low quality material and bland brown that all his clothes are made of. Not that he has much.

Jessa and the merchant start dickering over the price and eventually Jessa manages to get it down to the point that Nathan concedes and buys the two pieces. He marvels that Jessa was able to get the two items for less than it would have cost him to get just leggings in the cheaper but more boring brown clothing that he usually gets.

"Use these when you need to wash your other clothes and aren't on duty guarding. You need something nicer than those horrid brown pieces." Jessa tells him as he pays the coins and picks up the clothing.

"What about you, Jessa? That piece you were looking at?" Nathan says with a sidelong look and a smirk. The merchant was about to step away but at Nathan's words looks back to Jessa in inquiry.

Jessa sighs, "I was looking at your piece of spidersilk, but there is no way that I'll be able to afford it."

The merchant goes over to the piece in question and brings it over. "Yes, it is an amazing piece is it not? The material as you already know is spidersilk, not many know of it, how did you know?"

Jessa smiles sadly, "I grew up near the elves and it is highly prized among them, especially their celebration clothes."

"Ah, yes, the elves. Unfortunately they do not allow me to visit them and show them my wares. I was able to obtain this fine piece some time ago, but most think it too flimsy to last and so they always buy something else."

Jessa snorts in derision at their ignorance. Spidersilk looks flimsy and is indeed lightweight, but it is hard wearing and would out last most fabrics even if used daily in hard labor conditions.

"How much are you asking for it?" Jessa asks as she fingers the material. The color is perfect. A light grey that could be mistaken for silver in daylight and she is certain that in the dark it would be like molten silver.

"Two gold and that's a bargain." The merchant says knowing that the girl in front of him actually knows what a bargain it is.

Jessa sighs deeply, it is actually a bargain at that. "I'm sorry, I realize that that is indeed a bargain, but it is still far more than what I have." Reluctantly she sets the material down and turns to leave.

The merchant sighs, he had hoped to finally sell the piece. "Very well, three silver."

Jessa stops and turns back to the merchant. If he was that willing to lower his price, perhaps, "Two silver."

The merchant looks over the girl and sighs. She is a guard, and apparently a good one if the blood covering her is any indication. She won't likely have much money. Just because she lived near the elves doesn't mean she has money like the elves.

The merchant sighs once more, "Very well, you know that you are stealing this from me, right?"

"Huh, if that were true you wouldn't have sold it to me."

"I have tried to sell that piece for some time and there haven't even been any lookers. I need the space for the merchandise that sells. So you taking this piece and your friend taking those two pieces will help me. Have a good day you two." The merchant says even as they turn from him and give him the same benediction.

As soon as the two leave the merchant turns and completely forgets about the piece of spidersilk he just sold.

It doesn't take Jessa and Nathan long to find the public baths. The female side and the male side separated only by a cloth makes it so that they can talk.

"You didn't get you any clean clothes, Jessa." Nathan says once they decide to finally get out.

"Are you ready?" Jessa says instead of answering him.

"Yeah," Nathan says but isn't expecting Jessa to move the cloth over to exit. He nearly chokes as he sees Jessa wrapped in the cloth she just bought.

"Jessa," Nathan says in a strangled voice.

"Yes?" Jessa says looking up after she finished tying the cloth closed. She hadn't fully dried off yet and so the wrap sticks to her body even more than it would normally do.

"You can't go around in just that. You would cause a public disturbance and be arrested, if not worse."

"What do you mean worse?" Jessa asks innocently.

Nathan sighs and runs his hand through his hair. How to explain this to someone that is incredibly innocent and naïve?

"Men would come after you to take what isn't theirs to take."

Jessa thinks about his words and then her eyes widen. Remembering a similar conversation she had with Kallen about the prince and his actions.

"I see, but it is all that I have to wear."

"Wait here, I will run to the market and see if I can't find you something." Nathan says only wanting to leave. He sees her more as a little sister and seeing her like that makes it difficult for him.

"Take this to use." Jessa says giving him some coins.

Nathan nods not wanting to fight with her. He doubts that he'll find something suitable for the amount she gave, but she seems to be lucky. Perhaps her luck will rub off on him.

Nathan finds one last clothing merchant and is able to find some clothes that he thinks Jessa would wear. He manages to bargain with the merchant down and even manages to bring some coins back to Jessa.