Ridahne smiled and sipped at her half of the coconut, which she handed back to share with Ajoran. "I'm glad you like it. It brings me joy to see you happy in my home." she said, though really that was an understatement. Somehow, it felt different showing her Azurei than the rest of Astra. It was...personal. And Ridahne subconsciously feared that if Darin did not like it, it would be like not liking a piece of her. A silly notion, but she couldn't shake it. So it was a great joy to see Darin was enjoying herself. Weirdly, Ridahne couldn't wait to show Darin Atakhara. Tasen was neat, and the palace was grand and the markets here were spectacular, but Atakhara was still Ridahne's home, in all its shabby, dusty glory. And she had a feeling Darin would fall in love with its simple pragmatism, and its hard working people. Atakhara would have to wait, though. For now, they were in Tasen, and there was still much to see. 

"Well you have to see the markets," Ridahne told her. "We won't need to buy supplies, I've got a feeling the palace will supply us with anything we'd need. But if you wanted some new clothing, or any treats or baubles, it's the place to go. In fact, there's a drink you must try! It's technically alcoholic, but not by much. It has such a small amount, we let our children drink it. It's called [I]i'ose[/I], and it's made from coconut water, lemons, and the fruit of those big tall cactuses I showed you on the way here. It's fermented just a little until it gets kind of bubbly like beer. They keep it nice and cool so it's very refreshing. Come! I'll show you." 

Ridahne led them away from the docks and into an area densely packed with stalls, people, and carts. It started out as a fish market, and Ridahne pointed out some of the stranger looking fish and shellfish, like oysters and octopus to Darin. The fish stalls blended into other food wares, including spice vendors with huge piled sacks of bright red and yellow and brown powders. Many of these spices were mixed with a tiny bit of animal fat and then pressed into little bricks that were then wrapped up and sold as different curry bases. There were butchers, nomadic goat herders selling fresh goat milk and cheeses, and fruit vendors. Ridahne stopped at one of these and bought a yellowy, star-shaped fruit, and another one with dark purple skin and gooey yellow insides with crunchy black seeds, both of which she insisted Darin try. Coconut was a common ingredient in a lot of the snacks being sold, including the roasted almonds that had a crunchy layer of caramelized sugar, shredded coconut, and cinnamon stuck to them. She also got each of them some pinkish-red i'ose, which was sweet and crisp and tart all at once. Beyond the food stalls, craftsmen plied their wares, ranging from woven baskets and glazed pottery to jewelers and clothiers selling silk sashes and brightly dyed uri. 

The group didn't garner much attention at first, as crowds were a constant thing in the marketplace. But soon people started to notice, and it didn't take them long to figure out who Darin was. Not everyone reacted very kindly to Ridahne, and some people either turned away from her or would openly sneer as she passed, but most seemed to accept the nimarih as a sign that whatever had gone on with her and the Sols, she was not to be harassed. Already, merchants shouted and waved their goods in passerby's faces, but this increased as soon as they figured out who Darin was. They all seemed to want the Seed Bearer to choose [I]their[/I] silk, or [I]their[/I] pottery.

Ridahne smiled back at Darin. "Well? What do you think? Does it live up to its reputation?"