It was quickly becoming apparent to Eyota that trading for dwarven goods, and trading directly<i>with</i>their makers, were two entirely different things.  In her previous business transactions, always conducted with people of her own kind--though these were better traveled and more sophisticated than the isolated Toko tribe--the trophies and bits of animal litter had always been appropriately eyed for their practical uses, and usually offered a fair price.  But beyond running a few curious fingers over the thick pelts and the occasional claw, the huntress could see that the merchants had little interest in her wares.  Two small spots of red flared into life on her cheeks, and she was about to begin packing the items back into her bag again when a voice from over her shoulder sent a little spark of hope back into her chest.<br/><br/><i>“Bones?” </i>interrupted the wild man, Voran.<i>“Of what animal? Harvested when?"</i><br/><br/>"Alpdeer, mostly," Eyota replied, trying to conceal the smile that would have exposed what remained of her pitiful business sense.  "Good for carving, but still stronger than wood, for tools at least.  I butchered him not four weeks ago, but I'm afraid I already traded away the antlers."  Pausing to rummage through her wares again, she drew out an impressive black horn, much too large to belong to any stag.  "I do have a couple of these left though, from a gray yak.  You might make decent drinking horns from them," she added, glancing back at the dwarves.<br/><br/>This seemed to arouse a bit of conversation among them, and with one more grateful glance towards Voran (whether he had intended to drive up interest in her goods or not didn't matter to the huntress), she set about more seriously examining the dwarves' own items.  Keeping in mind the old shaman's words, Eyota's attention was still mostly held by the knives, although some seemed almost too beautiful to use.  After a while though, there was one in particular that kept drawing her eye.  It was relatively short overall, but the blade was wide and curiously serrated on one end, with a slight curve to the point.  The leather-wrapped hilt easily fit into her hand when she lifted it, and Eyota could practically feel the hides of not just dragons, but beasts of all shapes and sizes opening beneath her.<br/><br/>"What would you take for this?" she finally asked the traders, half-dreading the answer.<br/><br/>One of them said something about coin, although the few odd coppers Eyota had picked up here and were apparently far from the requested price.  One who seemed a bit more kindly was willing to offer a lesser knife, already beginning to rust around the edge, in exchange for all of her pelts and horns, but then another suddenly seized a decent-sized and curiously spherical rock from a pile of miscellaneous teeth and claws the huntress had nearly forgotten about.  The dwarves chattered animatedly to themselves in their own language, before the one with the rock in his hand looked suspiciously back at the woman.<br/><br/>"Where did you find this?"<br/><br/>Eyota stared back blankly.  "It was in the stomach of a wolverine," she said with a shrug.  "I thought those pale bits might be flint, but I couldn't get them to light.  Why, what is it?"<br/><br/>The dwarf quickly shook his head, then shoved the jagged-edged knife towards her.  "Here, take it.  It is enough," he answered, a strange gleam in his eye as he turned away from the mat, treasure in hand.<br/><br/>Utterly unsure of what had just happened, but happy to at least have obtained the knife, the huntress began packing away her own items again when Gostîm appeared at her side, one of the metal arrows of his people in hand.  Judging by the way he looked towards Iseldra, the huntress assumed there had been some odd discourse between the two, but nonetheless accepted the proffered weapon.  "It was nothing.  I can always find a use for one more arrow, no matter what it is made of.  Better to have one than none," Eyota replied, carefully tucking it away with the rest of her belongings.<br/><br/>"As for trading with others, I see little point in it at the moment.  I can hunt for my own food, and aside from the metalworks your own people can craft, my own tools and weapons suit me well enough.  Besides, they were willing to give me this," she added proudly, showing off her new knife.  "And all I needed to pay was a stone some idiot beast swallowed.  Or perhaps a fish swallowed it, and he ate the fish?  I seemed to recall some silver scales in the stomach as well..."<br/><i><br/>
"Death to the dragon! DEATH TO THE DRAGON!”</i><br/><br/>The woman jumped a little, and Alo immediately hissed and arched his back at the roar coming from across the clearing.  Once she was assured it was not the dragon himself swooping down from the heavens, and only Gall expressing himself with all the grace of a raging buffalo, Eyota shook her head in disapproval.  "Bad luck to utter the name of your prey before it's dead," she muttered as she returned to Iseldra's side, praying that when the time came the man--or whatever he was--would be able to hold his tongue.<br/><br/>"When do you think they intend for us to leave?" she murmured to the elf, resting one hand on Alo's head as she observed the rest of the activity.  Eyota's gaze shifted to the young shaman that was to accompany them, and she couldn't help but narrow her eyes a little.  "I suppose there is some ceremony or another to be completed before we set out.  One cannot do<i>anything</i>without the blessings of the spirits, it would seem," the huntress added, venom dripping in her voice.