Ridahne practically beamed at the suggestion of finding a marketplace. She grew up around places like that, bustling, loud markets and bazaars, and she loved the chaos of it. The sights, the sounds, the smells... Of course this time she'd have to be 'on duty' a bit, as she would still need to keep her eyes open for any threats against Darin or herself. But that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun, too. "I could think of no better way to get to know these people. You want to know Astra and its people, and I think the best way to do that is through food and music. Food and music is born of culture, tradition, history, and the little circumstances that define how we became what we are. It is the heart and soul of any people, I think. The best way to get right to the heart of good local food is the marketplace. Street food is something of an elvish tradition, though the Eluri do it a bit less than Orosi or Azurei. Did you know, in Orosi, most people don't cook? They go from work to food stalls and eat together rather than go home and cook themselves. There's less of that here, but still some."

Ridahne unstrapped her sword from her back and carefully tucked it away, though she kept her knives close at hand. "There's a bath room downstairs, I asked for two baths and some soap. Hot baths," she said with relish. "We'll enjoy this city fresh and with a lot less dust."  Ridahne gathered another set of clothes that were reasonably clean (she tended to keep her formal Azurei garb a little cleaner so she had something to wear on wash days) and headed down to a long room partitioned by wood and fabric dividers for a bit of privacy, and in each little section was a big wooden tub. There were two with steaming water at the ready, and bars of floral scented soap placed on little trays beside them. Ridahne disrobed and gladly sunk in, though the leather harness that held her two blades was always close at hand. She was trained to never be without them, but back then, it had been more about being comfortable with them than needing them. Now, things were a little different.

They enjoyed an indulgently hot bath with good soap to coax the grime out of their hair and fingernails. Ridahne (who was well used to life on the road) simply wrung out her dirty clothes in the bathwater to wash them, and would hang them to dry back in their room. After they were thoroughly clean, dry, and dressed, Ridahne said, "Alright, I think some good food is in order. The markets here are going to be larger and louder and generally a little crazier than what you're used to, I'm guessing. Though the Eluri tend to have a bit more order to these things than us. Azurei markets make no sense and are absolutely crazy." She said this with a kind of endearing love. 

Ridahne went out wearing the sarong-like uri of her people, and the cropped, beaded top that made absolutely no effort to hide the two knives strapped flat against her back. Since it was warm, Ridahne opted for true Azurei style and did not wear shoes. She hated them mostly, but understood their necessity at times. The darker skinned Azurei woman stood out in the crowd, both because of her dark hair and suntanned skin, but also her clothing was a wash of indigo, a shade not commonly found in the fabrics of Eluri. They preferred earth tones and pale neutrals. Ridahne's height helped her stand out too. All elves were tall in comparison to most humans, but Ridahne was particularly tall. She'd be easy to pick out of a crowd if they ever got separated. Partly, Ridahne's clothing choice had been simply so that she could wash her regular road clothes, but there was some strategy there also. Anyone who felt like harassing Darin would see the Azurei warrior and think twice about their idea. 

The path to the market was a series of wood and rope bridges spanning from massive tree trunk to trunk, or occasionally wide flat spaces where over the centuries, branches had been trained and woven together to form a tangled platform as steadfast as any stone foundation. As they neared the marketplace, more and more people seemed to be milling around, and somewhere was the distant sound of music. Gradually, carts or stalls began to appear, and all around were people browsing or haggling or shaking hands after a deal was made. There were lush fabrics and fine woodcrafts, jewelry, tools, staple-food items, exotic treats like chocolate (though it was sold at what Ridahne scoffed at as an exorbitant price, as it had to be shipped so far from Orosi to get there). There were food vendors too, touting what looked like savory tarts, still-steaming bread, buns, sweets, skewers of roasted meats and vegetables, and many more things. Ridahne indicated the whole scene with a sweep of one hand. "So, what do you think?"