Upon exiting the Casino, Arthur and Clark awkwardly slowed to a stop, not entirely sure where to go next. Twilight descended while they were inside, and the city's bustle was abating, townspeople making their way home. Arthur found his thoughts returning to the meat stall they saw at the plaza, but it seemed a bit impolite to presume Clark would also want to go there.

"You do realize I can read your mind, right?" Clark quipped. "That's silly. We both know you require sustenance. I, too, would like to get a snack, for that matter... Though I doubt I'll find anyone selling grass here."

"You could try a vegetable stall?" Arthur suggested. "I know it's not the same, but it's a similar type of food, at least."

"Great idea!" Clark said, excited. "Let's go!"

It wasn't long before they returned to the plaza. In the evening light, it looked different, but still beautiful. Now, it was illuminated by neat rows of streetlamps. The merchants were starting to wrap up for the day, packing their leftover produce. Arthur and Clark hurried toward the foods aisle.

A couple of minutes later, Arthur was happily chewing on a meat-filled bread roll, two more stowed away in his pocket to munch on on the go or to save for later. This late in the day, the bread was starting to get a bit stale, but the juicy minced meat filling more than made up for it. As Arthur wandered off to get a glass of mead from a different stall, Clark went on looking for something for himself.

Luckily, there was a vegetable stall nearby. It was nearly empty of merchandise—this one must be popular.

The short, plump woman behind the stall was admirably open-minded. Clark caught a glimpse of surprise from her when she noticed him, but then years of experience kicked in.

"Welcome, dear! What will you be having? I'm afraid I'm almost sold out, but we'll see what we can find for you."

Clark pretended not to be surprised and replied, as politely as he knew how: "Greetings. I am looking for something green, and preferably leafy."

The woman blinked but found her footing and considered her options. "Well, normally I would offer you some lettuce, but..."—she gestured toward the box, which only contained several pathetic yellowing specimens. "Hmmm," she mused, then disappeared behind the counter. "A-ha!"

The woman resurfaced, holding up an impressive-looking head of cabbage. It must have weighed three pounds at least. "Will this work for you?"

"May I... have a sample?" Clark inquired. After munching on a leaf she handed him, he commented thoughtfully: "Hmm, what an interesting aftertaste. Yes, I'm sure it will work, ma'am. And it's so... conveniently arranged. It should be easy to transport."

Arthur approached right after Clark had secured his transaction. "Aha, found you!" He seemed much more mellow now that he had had his supper.

Clark smiled in return. "Right on time. Now, to find someplace affordable to spend the night."

The woman's face lit up with a smile. "Oh, are you looking for an inn, dears? I know just the place. My friend runs it, and she's [i]very[/i] particular, you know. Cleans the rooms every day."

"What would a night's stay cost, then?" Arthur asked. Judging by the food prices, they were handed quite a considerable sum today, but he still didn't have a good idea as to what the typical prices here were. Better to be safe than sorry.

"She charges one gold piece a night, I think. And for a shilling more, she'll throw in some breakfast. It's a great deal if I say so myself. And would you know," she added conspiratorially, "her husband brews [i]the[/i] best strawberry wine!"

"This sounds... great," Arthur said cautiously, a bit taken aback by the ferocity of the woman's sales pitch. "Where is it, again?"

"Oh, take the western exit from the plaza, over there, and take the second turn right. It's right there, you can't miss it. Ask for Marissa, and tell her Orna sent you."

"Thank you, Lady Orna," Clark said with a gallant bow of his head.

To his surprise, the woman laughed uproariously. "Why, I never..." she said, wiping a tear off her cheek. "Take care, dears, and do try a glass of that strawberry wine!"

"Me, a lady!" they heard her muttering as they headed east, before she started laughing again. Her cheeks, however, had been decidedly pink when they had waved her goodbye.

Just a short while later, they were turning the corner onto the street Orna had indicated. Arthur scanned their surroundings and blinked.

They couldn't have missed it, alright. Right down the street...