It had been a few years since she tried to haggle with anyone out in these parts, and though it was clear she came from the city, Lilia was determined not to be taken for her entire purse. Lilia had done well for herself in the city, enough so that the other women she worked with were sure she would find some nobleman to fall in love with her. She had suitors, but none that she got the sense could handle what her true talents were with regard to her creations. It would take a special sort of man to understand that and accept it, without running to the local constable or priest to tell them that his wife was a witch.<br/><br/>Lilia guided the boat to the shoreline as Simon popped out of the woods. They were fair enough from where most of the fishermen were, she did not worry too much about being discovered here.<br/><br/>"He tried, but I remember how much he would need and how much was too much for the boat. It only took me reminding him about four times that I was raised in this area, for him to drop the price a bit. It was still...expensive...but enough he can feed his family and buy a nicer boat soon. More than fair." She angled it so he could step in and they could back into the stream of the water. They could ride it out until they neared the town they needed to visit, this would certainly cut their traveling time down. She also got the sense that Simon would enjoy being nearer to the water.<br/><br/>"He gave me some tips, there are rapids, but we shouldn't reach them for a few hours, and then the rest of the journey should be fairly easy from there." She was grateful for that at least. Lilia got the sense that the mysteries they were about to encounter would be anything but easy. There were other magical creatures in the world, but they always stuck to their own kind, and she had never seen anyone or anything that looked quite as Simon did.<br/><br/>"Is this what you want? I mean, perhaps with time and effort, we could still make some of the glamours work, but your mother..." Lilia paused, but pressed on. "She wants more for you. I think she wants you to have a chance at what she had. A family, a life of your own." She looked at the river and then back up at him. "You seem as if you might be happy to just spend your day in the water, doing what creatures who love the water do?"