Rowan adjusted his dull, yellow tie with a practiced hand as he approached the main gate that led into his favored city. Despite the frigid air, and snow covered landscape, the town was as abuzz as ever. Parties of various citizenry marched about the crowded plazas and streets as they went about their business. Striding alongside the blonde haired mage was his ever faithful companion Zhu-li. A relatively small creature, the mienfoo was having to move at an even faster pace just to keep up with Rowan's own long strides. Still, the well dressed mage knew his companion would not fall too far behind. She might be small, but Zhu-li packed quite a few secrets up her sleeve.

The main gate was especially crowded with people at the time. Dozens of merchants, craftsmen, normal citizens, and individuals of a more unscrupulous nature were making their way into and out of the city, and a part of it made Rowan smile. The constant bustling of Orchidia was one of its charms, at least he thought so. Something about the sense of calm urgency made him welcome each day merely for the sake of trying to find his place in it. As the duo approached Rowan could see a man frantically trying to wave him down near the gates. Rowan approached the man quickly, nearly bumping into a few people as he made his way through the crowded portion of street between him and his employer. Rowan recognized the man waving him down as Dacol, the pair had met quite a while ago when Rowan had first come to the city to make his way into the arms of Lamia Scale. When he was close enough the pair shook hands with smiles on their faces. They exchanged a short greeting after which Dacol passed off a stack of fliers to Rowan. "I need your help giving these out to new visitors, Rowan." The blonde nodded and took the fliers in his hands, and took time to pass off just a small handful to Zhu-li. He didn't expect her to do much, but it never hurt to make her feel as though she was doing her utmost to help. Because of the rather peaceful nature of these missions, Rowan did not have much of a chance to allow Zhu-li to express herself through the martial arts they both practiced. He reminded himself to rectify that soon before she got too bored and started looking for trouble. Young individuals of the mienfoo species did often find themselves in such situations, and heaven forbid Rowan have to pull her out of one.

The crowds appraoching the town had begun to thin, and not soon after being handed the fliers a visitor came up to him and Dacol asking for the normal man of welcome to show him around town as Dacol was, in fact, known for. With a sheepish smile, and a shrug, Dacol took his leave of Rowan with a promise to return before too long had passed. Rowan didn't take the absence of his employer too seriously. The man had work to do, and Rowan had no intention to keep him from it. After all, how hard could passing out fliers be?

Standing near the center of the gates, Rowan held out the fliers to anyone who would pass under the archway. The crowds had thinned significantly, however. As Rowan held out a flyer to the first person to pass through since Dacol's absence, she immediately rebuffed him claiming she had no need for such trivial things when she, in fact, lived within the city. The second visitor was more cordial. An elderly man, he graciously accepted Rowan's flier with a quiet, but meaningful, word of thanks as he passed through the town gates. A loving couple also passed through, and happily accepted the fliers from Rowan as they went by.

The fifth visitor was a bit different than what Rowan expected. The man, dressed in what appeared to be half of a horse costume, drew near to the temporary greeter. His entire lower half was covered by a very well made pair of horse legs sown from cloth. Oddly enough, the legs actually seemed quite realistic, and Rowan found himself fairly impressed by the costume. As the man approached Rowan customarily offered a flier to him, and the man accepted it without a word. Only a nod did he provide to Rowan, and for some reason that only made the blonde mage all the more concerned, yet respectful of the costumed man's presence. Without looking back, the man continued on his way into the city. Zhu-li eyed Rowan was a look of concern, which Rowan returned in kind. Neither could really tell what they had just witnessed in what would come to recognized as one of the strangest moments in their young lives.

Soon after this strange, horse-legged visitor disappeared, Dacol returned with a smile on his face. He apologized to Rowan for taking his leave so quickly, but Rowan passed it off with a wave of his hand. Just as Dacol was about to join him again, a new visitor came along as once more requested a tour of Orchidia from Dacol himself. With a weary sigh, Rowan took up the cup alone once more with only the comforting paw of Zhu-li on his foot as any consolation. Many hours passed by with much of the same process repeating itself, but as the sun began to sink low over the horizon, Dacol approached for the final time. He thanked Rowan for his help, and offered him a final apology for making him work alone all day. Rowan made no attempt to shame the man, and after accepting due payment for the task, he simply scooped up Zhu-li into his arms, and delved back into town. As the pair were returning home after a long day of work, Rowan could swear he saw an oddly proportioned horse running through alleys he passed by. With a shake of his head, he opted not to get involved.

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