<div style="background-color:#FCFAFA; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#6594A8; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#D1E85D; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#630908; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-family: papyrus;"></span></div></div></div></div><br/><div style="background-color:#FCFAFA; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#6594A8; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#D1E85D; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#630908; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-family: papyrus;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><br/>Ireland? Xpiayoc had heard of many places, but Ireland wasn't one of them. The word held an unnatural strangeness, just like the name Susannah did. Of course, if Ireland was so far away, it would make sense that they had different words with different sounds. Xpiayoc had met travelers that spoke with different languages before, but none of those travelers had fallen from the sky. <br/><br/>So Susannah was an explorer. Xpiayoc couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. The woman looked about her age, maybe a little bit older, and she was allowed to go out on her own and learn about the world and other cultures? Maybe it was because the woman was so large. She looked like she could take care of herself in a fight, being even taller than the trader that had snubbed Xpiayoc so harshly on those beautiful feathers. Imagining Susannah punch the man out gave Xpiayoc internal satisfaction. <br/><br/>Xpiayoc was startled by Susannah's next statement. It was something she herself had not considered yet. The elders were wary, but were they so wary as to kill a stranger on the spot? They would kill prisoners and cowards who surely deserved it, or have them play pok-a-tok, which Xpiayoc loved to watch, if she ignored the inevitable outcome for one of the teams. Was it crime enough, to simply be strange? Xpiayoc thought back to her father. He was loving to her, his only daughter, and was a strict but kind ruler. He wasn't wary of the average trader, but Susannah was wild-looking, with her pale face, dog hair, and height.<br/><br/>In keeping Susannah away from the city, she said she would repay Xpiayoc with knowledge of far away. A most interesting trade, the kind that made her skin prickle with excitement and distant dreams. The elders had told her stories of the gods and their people hundreds of times, until they had become bored of her pestering, and the traders would give their knowledge to her, if they respected her, but Susannah was special. Her stories would be a precious jewel, stored in Xpiayoc's mind. The trade seemed fair.<br/><br/>Again, Susannah repeated that she wasn't a threat. Xpiayoc was beginning to believe her. She wanted to believe. She wanted to sit in the dirt and stare in wonder at the foreign woman's face, counting the number of spots on it.<br/><br/>To Susannah's question about weapons Xpiayoc nodded, lowering her knife to her side and watching the woman carefully, her stance more relaxed, but still ready to defend herself. This woman was no harm, she hoped. Hun Hunahpu sensed his master's defences dropping and sat down, resting his head on his paws. <span style="font-style: italic">Lazy dog,</span> Xpiayoc tutted internally. <br/></span></span></div></div></div></div><br/><div style="background-color:#FCFAFA; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#6594A8; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#D1E85D; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><div style="background-color:#630908; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-family: papyrus;"></span></div></div></div></div>