Akasha smiles down at the waif and says "I'll make a deal with you, you show us around for the remainder of our time here in the city today and we will buy you the best dinner you have had in months. Bearface over here is not much of a talker so I could use the company" with that she turned to McAllister and flashed a toothy grin.

"You keep grinning! We've had one close call too many for my taste. I'll join you until you are properly outfitted, then scrounge up some good weapons, armor, and salves for myself." Blackbird McAllister glances around the crowded block and doesn't eye anything that catches his interest yet.

"I'm ready for some skills training myself, that fireball is draining and I would like it to be more natural and a whole lot hotter. Though a real sorceress's staff would be nice as well. I feel like a common thief running around with these daggers all the time."

"For the moment, follow me to a small place I think you'll appreciate. Aye, I've seen plenty o' finely crafted pieces with a touch of magical spark wander off from this door." As the waif talks he leads you to the end of a wide passage. The thoroughfare is busy, but not crowded. It is still grimy, but not disgusting.

Blackbird McAllister and Akasha eye the boy suspiciously. They've both been taken by street urchins before, and don't care to go down that dark alley again.

"I can tells what ye be thinkin', I can - quite wright," says the dirty faced boy standing before them. "But I got nothin' like dat planned see. I'm earnin' me an honest livin - quite wright - I am. Sees here..."

He holds out a heavy parchment with dark markings on both sides. It takes the group a moment to recognize what they are looking at, because the lines are rudely drawn, adn the markings inconsistent. But in the end, it is clear, this is a complete map of the entire market place.

The two adventurers mill about the corner, glancing at a few small carts laden with various object. Nothing seems to catch their eye, and the marketplace continues to become busier.

Akasha grabs a small sword from one vendor, waives it about testing it's weight and balance. Then tosses it back into the cart as if it were no more than a rusty dagger.

Blackbird McAllister spots a tiny vial of slightly glowing liquid. Thinking it might be some restorative, or even a more dangerous tincture, he swirls the liquid about in the vial. The tiny orb at the bottom of the container does indeed glow a bit when swirled - but it is only a trick of the light and tiny metal pieces floating about the unenchanted water.

Akasha takes a moment to smooth her hair and make sure she is atleast mildly presentable after all the dust, soot, and sewage. The effect of her primping is far less than she wished for but its better than nothing. She heads around the barrel and starts looking for something worth lightening her pockets. A staff or a good cloak would all be welcome additions to her at the moment.

Stepping out from the narrow dead end alleyway Akasha glances around at her surroundings.  Blackbird McAllister is taken aback at the bustle of the crowded marketplace. Certainly he expected some rabble of cart keepers and their patrons - but never had he imagined such a gathering.

Blackbird McAllister and Akasha wander off toward the east and find few passages that don't end in iron bars, shrinking tunnel pipes, or steep drops into cesspools of waste.

The party backtracks to the point they entered the sewer tunnels and trek west. After some time the solitary tunnel they travel opens into a large room. Not cavernous, but tall enough that they cannot reach the ceiling.

Some searching soon reveals a set of iron rungs set into the side of the stone wall. As they climb, Blackbird McAllister takes note of the particularly pungent odors rising from the water to the top of the room. It almost chokes the breath out of him. Akasha too it would seem as she is scurrying to the top of the iron ladder quickly.

Akasha finds the top of the ladder first, and presses up on the hatch she finds there. The door gives way easily, and bright light pierces the darkness of the sewer passage.

Akasha looks out from hole while most of her body is below the line of the floor. She notices the new predicament that Blackbird McAllister has managed to get himself into. "I really wish I had a squeeky toy right now." she thinks as she muddles over the unwelcome mutt's presence.

"Leave it to a man to always end up getting in trouble," she whispers. Akasha begins to ready a small ball of flames, "I hope Blackbird is quicker with his feet than he is with his wit," she whispers, knowing she can't take the beast down, but slowing it down is all she really has to do.

Blackbird catches the glint of a flame out of the corner of one eye. He knows what's coming next and takes cover. Lifting the pair of tomes to his face, Blackbird McAllister braces for the sudden whoosh and explosion to follow.

Akasha inches slowly towards the books, ensuring with every small step to be as quiet as possible. After what seems like hours she locks eyes with Blackbird McAllister. A silent message passes from her eyes to his drowned in urgency and intention.

"Go!" Akasha whispers to herself and takes of running toward the table. She closes the short distance in a matter of seconds. Throwing three of the books in her bag she whirls and springs for the open floor grate.

As she takes her first step she hears Blackbird grabbing the remaining books. "Well we haven't screwed up yet," she thinks as she swiftly approaches the opening.

While searching for an exit Blackbird McAllister swipes his foot across a grate hear one corner of the room. He can hardly make out the dimensions due to lack of light, but he is able to open the entire mesh of metal bars.

"Akasha! Over here..." Blackbird coarsely shouts under his breath. The echo of his small bark moves through the chamber. He can only hope it doesn't alert the creatures roughly sorting the Hall's collection of books.

"Now I know you men just love your brute force and all, but perhaps we should go the brains route for once," Akasha says, patting dust off of what seams like every inch of her body.

Akasha steps around the corner of a pile of books, tugging Blackbird McAllister behind her like an unwilling child. The moment she is out of sight of those towering beasts she drops onto the floor leaning heavily against a wall of books.

"Any great ideas on this one?" She whispers quizically. "Why don't you have a seat for a minute, let's figure this out before we go charging in there like a couple lumbering ent wives." Akasha wryly armed from her uncerimoniously crotch level position.

"There is no way we stand a chance. We are so poorly equipped! I wish we had taken some time to prepare before charging in here. And now half the party is gone or cut off from us." Blackbird curses under his breath.

He begins to look to both sides, above and behind trying to locate any exit that might afford them safe passage back to town.

Akasha comes to as she is being dragged towards the fire. "Never took you for the frisky type" she mumbles. Her mouth felt like a sandpaper covered desert but her few minutes of unconsciousness had apparently done a lot of good and she slowly rose to her feet.

"My hero," she wryly grinned as she leaned on Blackbird McAllister's shoulder for stability. "How about we not do that again." Akasha glances up and looks across the room to a very unwelcome sight.