Lady Delia at the Auction

Despite the Monster Quarter being seen as the rougher area of town, due to it being dominated by various bestial races, everything from gnolls and bugbears to kobolds and ratfolk, even the occasional centaur traders passing through every few weeks, and often more exotic creatures less regularly or commonly appearing, Lady Delia made her way through the streets seemingly with familiarity and without the least bit of wariness.  Rather than some form finery one might expect for a landowning lady, Delia much preferred more utilitarian, yet elegantly detailed clothing.  She wore knee-high riding boots over richly-dyed pants in a deep, verdant shade of green, a bell-sleeved tunic in a similar color, and over this a sturdy leather jerkin dyed the shade of mahogany wood, intricately tooled with the same moonflower-vine fretwork that framed her family crest; a familiar sight to anyone who had been to the town's main trading-house in the Merchant's Quarter, her estate's main source of income.  It was whispered that the copper-haired woman, somewhat willowy frame disguising iron-cord muscle, had been some form of adventurer before being granted lands and setting to work improving the town's economy with her shrewd but fair dealings.  It was also perhaps a bit strange that a landed noble was walking through one of the rougher areas of town without a retinue, or even a single bodyguard...  But it seemed that nobody bothered her in the least, despite the fat pouch at her belt and seeming lack of more than dagger at her hip.  Nobody who knew who she was, at least, and those who didn't were often informed quickly, in hushed whispers.

As, it seemed, had been become a habit of hers, she turned down one corner, heading towards a somewhat raucous-sounding market...  And the source of the noise became obvious as she wove through the crowd to take her place leaning on the pillar of the covered walkways that surrounded the square.  Abutted to the guildhouse and barracks that backed the square was a rectangular dais where an auctioneer stood at a podium, a somewhat surly-looking half-orc standing beside him as he took bids.  After a few moments without further bids, the auctioneer banged his gavel to finalize the sale, and the half-orc walked down from the podium to stand at the side of the gnome who had bought his contract; Delia recognized him as one of the merchants who ran their business from her tradehouse; a good man and fair, but with certain tastes...  She couldn't help but smirk a little; she had a feeling that if Felik got his way that half-orc would be sharing his bed that night.  Turning her eyes to the next coming up to the block, she couldn't help but stare.  The way the youth stood, held himself, he couldn't be, could he..?