"Bad luck, lad," said Dan, the man River had asked to buy him some groceries. "There's been unrest in the province, and all the cities under Duke Quaz have entered a state of martial lockdown. Traders have taken up to hoarding grain and the price of wheat has doubled overnight. There are checks for anyone entering the city, and no one can leave the city with more than a handful of resources unless they have a permit. I managed to buy you a small bag of rice, but that's about it."
River looked at Dan with a great amount of regret as he heard the news. He did not even have enough food to feed himself and Pearl for more than a few days, let alone feed his guests. This was a bit of oversight on his part, mainly because this was the first time he'd run any kind of business. It never occurred to him to stockpile dry rations.
