The sounds of hoofs hitting the cobble stones echoed out, the ambient sounds of the crowd buying, selling and gossiping covered the area like a blanket of noise.

The carriage moved slowly through the tight paved streets of the Verbena district. This was the commercial district of the Calabar province, Hartley and company had moved through the odor riddled slums and shanty towns of the province earlier in the morning.

The locals had mistaken them for nobles who lost their way. Children ran along beside the carriage calling "young lord please bless us with thy mercy, give us anything you can spare."

Zhi Ruo had a face full of sympathy as she beckoned Hartley to give the kids a few coins, by the time they had exited the slums Hartley had given out silvers equivalent to 2 gold coins.

Zhi Ruo had a happy smile as the grateful kids in tattered robes ran to the broken down shops to buy bread and dried meat giving their thanks with grateful looks. "Thank you" whispered an emotional Zhi Ruo.

Hartley just hugged her with a smile. Even though the Waltham province had their share of poor commoners, there were no such ghetto regions. Hartley couldn't help but think that if