Madrigal pondered his question for a moment, feet working to carry her away from the stall and its weird owner. She looked around. To their left were a few food stalls: One had all sorts of spices, and another sold different kinds of bottled olives. She walked over to the olives, eyes taking in the glorious view. "I love olives," she breathed, her mouth watering at the sight. The lady behind the table gestured to a tray of samples, and without any hesitation, Madrigal took one. And then another. And then two more, holding one out to Sage. It was too bad they were bottled in glass. It was too breakable to take with them. So, she moved on.

Across the street someone sold wine, and next to that was a cheese vendor.

"I think we've found most of what we need. We should go hunting now and start drying it as soon as we can so it's not still wet when we leave tomorrow. We can use the skins for other things. I need to go gather my things at some point too.." She thought back to her little hole in the wall living space- a discovery she was super proud of- and the small number of things there. There was a really nice hair pin she'd snatched a week ago, and maybe a couple of other trinkets, that they could trade.

Sage tried the olive, and was pleasantly surprised at the flavor. He hadn't ever tried one because he couldn't steal an entire glass bottle of them. He wouldn't list them as his favorite food, like Madrigal did, but they were delicious. He made a mental note that she liked them and walked after her when she moved on.

"That sounds good. How much game do you think we should get? A deer will probably feed us for a little under a week if we use it somewhat sparingly." He started back to where they had stashed her swords and cloak, eager to get out of the town. He found himself eager to give her the compass, which seemed odd but not unpleasant.

"Yes, dear, one will be enough. We can catch smaller things along the way, rabbits can be tasty when they're cooked right." Madrigal followed after Sage, taking the hint that he wanted to get back. She wanted to get back too, and she wanted her blades and cloak. She felt naked without them.

Madrigal felt a weight lift off her as soon as they got out from the throng of the crowd. With the pressure of the act lifted, she made her way straight for the spot where they'd begun. She gathered her cloak first and put it on swiftly, then reached for the place they'd hidden her blades. She pulled them out and then kissed each one. "My babies," she said, cradling them to her chest. She smirked at her own dramatics.

Sage snickered at her actions, highly amused. He knew what she felt like though...he never went anywhere without his dagger. The clock was one thing but leaving her swords was something else. He reached into his pocket and tossed her the golden compass with a slight smirk growing on his face. "Add one more to the list, why don't you," he joked as he turned and looked out at the forest, contemplating where the best spot to find a deer was.

Madrigal slipped her beloved crescent moon blades carefully into the pockets of her cloak. She barely had time to register Sage's comment before her hands were fumbling with a shiny object. She gasped and then laughed. "Oh, honeybuns, you shouldn't have!" She exclaimed, and then, rather violently, wrapped her arms around Sage and squeezed. She flipped the compass open and brushed her fingers over it in awe. Then she slipped it into her pocket and out of sight.

She nodded in the direction Sage had been looking. "We might need to go out for a few hours. There is a river a bit of a hike's distance away, but I've seen and caught a few beasts there. DO you know of it?"

Sage was surprised when she hugged him. He still wasn't used to physical touch and subconsciously expected a blow to fall before he relaxed and patted her back slightly. He could feel his face growing warm, and he wasn't quite sure why. It was just a hug. Maybe because it was really the first one he'd had since his mom died. He shrugged it off and looked out at the forest.

"I know of the river. There's usually quite a few deer down there, although not for a bit later." He tapped his finger against his lips, thinking. "There's usually some boars and other game too," he pointed out.

Madrigal caught Sage's blush and bit back a smirk. The boy was a big softie- she could tell.

She nodded, agreeing with him. "We shall go have a look then. There is sure to be something we can wrangle. What do you think?" She patted his chest as she passed him, moving in the direction of the river. "It's hot today," she pointed out. "The animals will be thirsty, and we'll be there lying in wait for when they decide to have a drink." She flipped her hood and stayed close to the walls. She knew that soon enough, she'd feel the eyes again. Hell, she'd feel them for their whole journey into the mountains, and it would take everything in her not to peel off her own skin. But she also knew she had to get over it. Get used to it. And, she wouldn't be alone. After all, Sage would be there, and that might just be enough to keep her from going completely mad.

He blushed even harder when she patted his chest. "Yes. Uhm, I mean, yeah. We...oh, just go already," he sputtered, wondering what the hell was wrong with his brain. He never blushed, and he certainly never sputters. He put a hand over his face and started walking after madrigal in the direction on the lake, feeling his face heat up even more as he sputtered out his answer. Goodness, this day couldn't get any weirder. He had to admit he was having a good time though, even if he was acting like an idiot.

Madrigal laughed to herself. She loved the sight of this brooding boy uncomfortable under her influence.

The trek to the river took an incredibly uncomfortable two hours. Madrigal couldn't shake the feeling of being watched- the eyes on the back of her neck and head- and it made her hair stand on end.

When they got there, the scenery was peaceful and quiet. Madrigal settled down by the river bank and cupped water in her hand, taking a long drink. The cool liquid immediately made her feel more refreshed. After having her fill, she used it to wash her face and forearms of sweat from the walk, and brush back her hair. For a moment, she watched the surface for signs of life and spotted a few small fish swimming around. Madrigal sat there, staring into the water, her knees, toes and fingers sinking into the damp ground. It had been a while since she'd left the city. The thought made her hurry under the shelter of some protruding rocks. From her new spot, she realised they could watch the river and surrounding areas for signs of life and stay cool. She said as much to Sage, taking out the throwing knives she had strapped to herself in various places. "As look as the animal is close enough, I will hit it. We could also make snares out of the vibes by the bank. I think they're strong and bendy enough..."

Sage waited for her to do...whatever she was doing in the river. When she came back, he swung into a tree branch where he usually hid when he hunted by a river. He swung upside down on the branch, holding on with his knees, so he could see her while they talked. "They might work, but they have small hair like things on them, and if they get stuck in your hand it'll get infected, so they're hard to work with. Ya have to be careful." He shrugged and pointed at her knives. "I usually just drop and stab before the deer knows anything is unove it."