Exton

The late afternoon sun was weak as Ob stood outside Traeger's door.His kit was already set up, so Ob took the time to get outside for a minute. He wanted to get Traeger's opinion on a Yule gift for Pandora.

He could see the man rearranging a display of jewelry. Traeger was doing a brisk business, even though his shop was relatively new to the area. So many people had found his work beautiful and less expensive than the retail stores.

As he opens the door, a young woman brushes past him, winking as she slides against him. Ob smiles, turning on the charm automatically. As he waits for her to finish, she makes a point of pressing against his arm as she leans over one of the counters. Her hand presses a slip of paper into his hand. Ob folds it back into her hand and asks Traeger if he could see a set of silver earrings. The onyx and moonstone dangles match a bracelet he had picked up a few days earlier.

The woman watches Ob as he asks Traeger about a small set of posts that match the dangles. He smiles and hands Traeger his  credit card, asking him to hold the gifts until later. The woman leaves in a huff.

Ob watches her from the window. She heads down the walk, passing the Tavern. At the alley, she stops, looks around, and steps close to a man waiting there. In a few moments the man heads into the alley and she walks off. Ob tells Traeger to be careful. He taps the sword on his hip as he walks back to the Tavern. A shadow flicks and Ob sees a swirl of cloth. Silk he thinks to himself, and heads inside.