[center][h3][color=DDA0DD]Sasuke Stormwind[/color][/h3][/center]

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[CENTER]THE NEXT DAY, APPROXIMATELY 6AM [/CENTER]

Sasuke was already up well before dawn. He didn't know whether it was the company or the strangely comfortable bed, or that filling meal, but last night he had gotten his best sleep in years. Still, he woke up at his usual time, which was almost always just a few minutes before daybreak. By the looks of things, he was up first.

His breakfast was simple, but just as good as the night before. Some dried fruit and ham from their pantry, some eggs, and a bowl of oat gruel with more fruit to sweeten it up was all that was available that early in the morning. He made sure to eat plenty; lunch was certainly going to be later than usual, and Sasuke suspected that this would be an extremely busy day.

At precisely the crack of dawn, Sasuke was out of the building and headed directly towards the general store.

[CENTER]============================================

APPROXIMATELY 11AM [/CENTER]

Sasuke's shopping was effectively complete. He had gotten as much food as he could reasonably carry, along with a simple bow for the group, complete with a simple, very compact quiver of about a dozen arrows with a sack full of arrowheads for future use. He was as good as shit with a bow, but he knew he could at least use it in a pinch at close range... Or, he could simply give it to someone in the group who actually knew how to wield it well. In either case, it was better than a normal hunting bow, with some good stopping power but not too much tension for the group to be able to use it quickly and efficiently. Sasuke had a feeling the group would appreciate the extra accessory soon enough.

He missed Fergus at the blacksmith, but still took the time to his weapons sharpened and a couple of good throwing knives added to his inventory. His strange knife with its oversize spear-friendly pommel was also refitted with a longer, sharper blade for close combat, but this cost a pretty penny. Regrettably, the smith lacked enough remaining quality steel on hand to make combat-grade armor in stock outside of easily-made hardened leather chestplates. So, Sasuke had to content himself with fixing and reinforcing his battered chestplate, which had taken a rough beating during his fight with that Abyssal exalt. There was always a chance she could re-emerge, and it always paid to have a stronger piece of armor to last a few more precious seconds against that freak of nature.

By the time it was all said and done, Sasuke was down by a whole quian of scrip, but it hardly mattered: he had bought enough supplies for the group to make it through the next couple weeks without having to make a kill or forage for food, and he was confident he had bought enough arms to complement the weapons Fergus had gotten the others (whatever those were). Fergus was a smart man, after all, and Sasuke bet on the fact that the lawyer had enough time, money, and good sense to adequately supply the others with the most needed materials, out of what the local smith had on short notice.

Sasuke was back at the Inn precisely in time to see Fergus and the others stepping out to meet with the Master Hsu person that the innkeepers had mentioned the night before. Steeling himself for a likely [i]very[/i] uncomfortable confrontation, he swiftly joined the others to regroup and distribute their freshly-bought rations of jerky and dried fruit before going out to meet their man of the hour.