*Garuda turned back to look at Nicholas, hiding a smile. The man was more savvy than he'd initially given him credit for, but the barkeep was no stranger to the salesman business either, and he'd caught the veiled looks Nicholas had been casting at it. He gave a slow, expressive glance back over his shoulder at the instrument, then looked back to the soldier. "No doubt it's a fine piece, I could probably fetch upwards of fifteen silver for it if I were in the right market. However, you do seem awfully struck with it, and I hate to break a young man's heart. The truth is it's been here quite a while, a bit out of the budget of most of my customers, and I wouldn't mind making a sale seeing as how you lot won't even be paying for yer food. Might be we can come to some arrangement. What have you got to offer for it?"

Nicholas realizing his interest had been found out shrugged weighing the flutes quality with his funds, seeing as he had 19 silver in total and the flute while not worth THAT much more then 15, was still worth 18-19 slver by his estimate... and since he wasn't gonna move in on Arlette he didn't need buy her any food... He could invest in a flute. after this brief pause he began speaking in a charming tone: "well Garuda... i'll be frank with you, 15 silver would nigh wipe out my funds for all but little... so- hows 13 silver sound to you? not all places are so kind as to support such a peaceful hobby as music so I'll need to keep a silver or two on hand just out of good sense. So for that patronship alone... thank you. And that's sincere- not flattery mind you. *as he smiled in an happy innocent way* Oh and if you wouldn't mind seeing as my flask seems to offend everyone within nose-shot.. I was wondering... what could i refill it with for 1 silver, And do you have a spare glass narrow neck bottle, some wax... a rag... wait no i got one of those.... And any citrus fruit that might have spoiled on you? Oh and a small amount of lantern oil... *his happy smile is now replaced by a wide almost worrisome grin now.*

*Garuda gave Nicholas the hairy eyeball, but he gestured for patience and wandered off into the kitchen. He returned after a short interlude with a thin slat-sided wooden shipping crate lined with straw and a motley assortment of spoiled fruits, smelling pungent and slightly sickly, and sporting a few spots of fuzz. He set the box on the counter, turned to the shelves on the wall behind the bar and pulled down a brown blown glass bottle with a wide, round base narrowing to a long, fluted neck and a thick, puckered ring around the lip, stoppered with a cork and half full of what was presumably some rare and, from the dust on the bottle, generally unknown or unpopular, liquor. He held the bottle lightly as he fished the stubby remains of a stick of sealing wax out of a drawer, then picked up the flute and set the three items on the counter beside the crate of fruit. He looked up at Nicholas. "Do ye know what yer doing with all that, lad? I hope yeh don't go and get yerself blowed up..." He shook his head and shrugged, as if it were none of his business after all. "At any rate, ye can have the lot of it fer fifteen. Ye got at least two flasks full in that bottle there... It's a grain-wine from way out west and down by the coast. Can't remember the name I'm afraid, but it packs quite a punch. Gritty and dry goin' down, but it warms ye up faster than a three penny whore. When yer done with it, ye got the glass bottle left over. I kin toss a rag into the bargain if ye want, but I'm afraid I don't have none around clean enough that I'd brew something with em... Oh. If ye want me to dispose of yer little odorous treasure there, it'll be a copper fer my sufferin'. Con-see-quently, I'll give yeh a dinner on the house if ye go dump it out in front of the tavern across the street and down two doors." He finished by leaning on the counter and offering sly smile, just serious enough to show that he meant it.

Nicholas laughed at the last comment- and went and got his pack while Garuda was gone. "Well i'll be a goin' back to war soon and my skills with a blade are passable, but a back up weapon is always a must have. Some people keep daggers... I make fire, and I got all my fingers, so thankfully yes I know what I'm doing... and I have enough rags to last me a life time so no thank you... But the liquor sounds perfect! So 14 silver in all right?" . Flipping the silver in the air and catching it before he produced 13 more from his satchel and giving these to the inn keeper. after producing a clay jar from somewhere and recovering three to four fruit he excused himself to go outside taking the contraband flask with him.

*Garuda looked at the pile of money on the counter, and quickly swept it off the bar into a pouch made of his apron, while calling after the younger man's retreating form, "Don't ye be tryin' ta short me, son, I said fifteen! Come back here, dammit!" He sighed, and closed his mouth. Fourteen was better than he'd hoped to get, but the fact was he'd offered fifteen, and he wasn't so good-natured he'd take less without reaching an arrangement to that effect first. He eyed Reishon and Arlette, and considered walking over to the table and telling them to send Nicholas back with another coin upon his return.