Chapter 31: For a gift
The three stopped long enough, to plant the fruit which Belle had given the two children, and then they continued on to Crystargar. The path was as pristine as always, yet, on the side of the road, nature ruled.
Snowdrops were pocking around from this bush or that. Narcissus bloomed in their bright yellow color. Elias stopped to pick some, and then, when the boys send him a questioning glance, he was quick to clarify.
"I have a sweetheart in town. A prettier nymph you won't find," he said, and the boys nodded as one. Erin decided that, if Elias wanted to give flowers to his sweetheart, Lysander should also get something.
Yet, the boy didn't want to pick flowers before the satyr. He was embarrassed. More than one village elder had said, that the love between two people of the same gender was wrong. Despite that, Erin knew that he could never be satisfied, if Lysander remained a friend to him.
So, despite what he was taught, he wanted to gift Lysander something. Something he'd keep. Valuable something.
The problem was that Lysander had all the herbs. He would be the one, who would trade them. The one, who will take the money. Erin didn't feel right, asking Lysander for some of the herbs. So, the blonde was before a tough choice.
There was precious little he had of value. Because he had asked, Lysander had given him a part of the mammoth hide, to place on top of his cloak. It kept Erin warm. Yet, he knew, that if he sold it, he could fetch a good price for it.
Elias saw how the blonde child was gripping the side of his pelt, and looked at the other boy, who had his head wrapped in a scarf. The satyr knew the look of determination when he saw it. The blonde was going to sell something he'd miss. Elias didn't want that. Especially since, the boy was going to get swindled.
"Boys, who wants to help me sell my strawberries?" Elias asked. Erin rose his hand then, bouncing on his feet.
"For a price, right?" Erin asked, after giving it some thought.
"I will pay you ten coppers," Elias said. More than one trinket could be bought for that much.
"I'll pass. Erin and I need to be out of the city by nightfall," Lysander said. He didn't think it would be ok if they are stayed in the inn. Someone was going to call the guards on them, thinking the two boys were runaways. It was better to just go in and then out.
"Eli, what can someone buy with ten coppers?" Erin asked. Elias chuckled, at the fact that the blonde had shortened his name.
"Eli, huh? I rather like it. Well, kiddo, plenty. You can buy a candy cane, maybe some cotton candy. All sorts of candies, really," Elias said. Erin looked at Lysander, trying to think if the raven-haired boy wanted candy.
"I'd rather you come with me," Lysander said, and then he sighed. "But if you want to earn some pocket change, then do so."
"We will be really fast. Eli's strawberries are yummy," Elias chuckled at how the boy sounded so childish. The other boy sounded like a grown-up, while the blonde was all cotton and everything nice.
They finally reached the gates, and the guards came down, to check their papers.
"Hey, are the kids with you?" One of the guards asked Elias.
"They are. I look after them from time to time. They are the sons of a friend of mine," Elias lied. From the twitch in Erin's posture, the guard knew that something was off. Yet, he couldn't quite place a finger on what.
"Well, you three can come in. It is good that the kids are bundled up. This spring has a chill to it," the guard then opened the gates. "Welcome to Crystargar."
Erin let go of Lysander's hand, and offered his hand to Elias. The satyr chuckled, and took the offered hand.
"See you in the market in one hour," Elias suggested. It never took him too long, to sell his produce.
"Ok," Lysander said. The three parted ways. With Erin going with the satyr, and Lysander going towards the herbal shop, which accepted his herbs the last time.
Erin was a bundle of energy. He looked around, at the Yule decoration.
"How come they haven't taken the decoration off yet, Eli?" Erin asked.
"Well, in Crystargar, they celebrate Yule for three months straight. Starting from the day, when it is Yule," Elias said. He looked around him. This year, the mayor had not spared any expenses. He was glad that the kids got the chance to see it.
Erin was trying to take everything in. The trees, no matter what sort they were, had toys on them, and even something that looked like snow. There were boxes in the base of almost every tree, which looked like presents. Erin wanted to open one, for they were pretty, but he didn't want Elias to scold him.
They reached the market, and Elias took out a box with strawberries, and handed it to Erin.
"Come now, my boy, sell it for a gold coin," Elias said. Erin grinned, and then opened the box. He sniffed it, and smiled. I would appreciate it if he could eat just one. Yet, he didn't dare. That would be stealing. The child didn't want for Belle to spank him with a stick once more.
"Come on, come all! Fresh strawberries, yummy and red!" Erin called. He heard a couple of giggles. A kindly grandmother came to him, and reached out for the box. Erin pulled it out of her reach. "That would be one gold coin, ma'am."
"One gold coin? Oh, I can't afford that. Perhaps you can be a good boy, and give me one? Just one, for my granddaughter?" She asked sweetly.
Erin figured out, then, that most people couldn't afford to buy an entire box. So, he looked to Elias.
"Can I sell the lady one for a copper?" He asked. After all, the satyr had sold both Lysander and the ten for a silver coin.
"You can, but try to sell the entire box," Elias said, and Erin picked up the biggest strawberry, and handed it to the old lady.
"Wash it first, please, give me the copper now," Erin said, as he kept his hand extended, even after the grandmother took the fruit. She smiled, and placed two coppers in his hands.
"For your understanding," she said, going away with her prize. Erin looked at Elias, showing him the two coppers with pride.
"Keep the extra one. She gave it to you, not to me," Elias said. Erin blinked at him, and then smiled a smile so sunny, Elias had to chuckle. Even if the boy sold the entire box berry by berry, Elias would still have enough, for the regular customers. After all, he had five more boxes in his bottomless bag.
Chapter 31: For a gift
The three stopped long enough, to plant the fruit which Belle had given the two children, and then they continued on to Crystargar. The path was as pristine as always, yet, on the side of the road, nature ruled.
Snowdrops were pocking around from this bush or that. Narcissus bloomed in their bright yellow color. Elias stopped to pick some, and then, when the boys send him a questioning glance, he was quick to clarify.
"I have a sweetheart in town. A prettier nymph you won't find," he said, and the boys nodded as one. Erin decided that, if Elias wanted to give flowers to his sweetheart, Lysander should also get something.
Yet, the boy didn't want to pick flowers before the satyr. He was embarrassed. More than one village elder had said, that the love between two people of the same gender was wrong. Despite that, Erin knew that he could never be satisfied, if Lysander remained a friend to him.
So, despite what he was taught, he wanted to gift Lysander something. Something he'd keep. Valuable something.
The problem was that Lysander had all the herbs. He would be the one, who would trade them. The one, who will take the money. Erin didn't feel right, asking Lysander for some of the herbs. So, the blonde was before a tough choice.
There was precious little he had of value. Because he had asked, Lysander had given him a part of the mammoth hide, to place on top of his cloak. It kept Erin warm. Yet, he knew, that if he sold it, he could fetch a good price for it.
Elias saw how the blonde child was gripping the side of his pelt, and looked at the other boy, who had his head wrapped in a scarf. The satyr knew the look of determination when he saw it. The blonde was going to sell something he'd miss. Elias didn't want that. Especially since, the boy was going to get swindled.
"Boys, who wants to help me sell my strawberries?" Elias asked. Erin rose his hand then, bouncing on his feet.
"For a price, right?" Erin asked, after giving it some thought.
"I will pay you ten coppers," Elias said. More than one trinket could be bought for that much.
"I'll pass. Erin and I need to be out of the city by nightfall," Lysander said. He didn't think it would be ok if they are stayed in the inn. Someone was going to call the guards on them, thinking the two boys were runaways. It was better to just go in and then out.
"Eli, what can someone buy with ten coppers?" Erin asked. Elias chuckled, at the fact that the blonde had shortened his name.
"Eli, huh? I rather like it. Well, kiddo, plenty. You can buy a candy cane, maybe some cotton candy. All sorts of candies, really," Elias said. Erin looked at Lysander, trying to think if the raven-haired boy wanted candy.
"I'd rather you come with me," Lysander said, and then he sighed. "But if you want to earn some pocket change, then do so."
"We will be really fast. Eli's strawberries are yummy," Elias chuckled at how the boy sounded so childish. The other boy sounded like a grown-up, while the blonde was all cotton and everything nice.
They finally reached the gates, and the guards came down, to check their papers.
"Hey, are the kids with you?" One of the guards asked Elias.
"They are. I look after them from time to time. They are the sons of a friend of mine," Elias lied. From the twitch in Erin's posture, the guard knew that something was off. Yet, he couldn't quite place a finger on what.
"Well, you three can come in. It is good that the kids are bundled up. This spring has a chill to it," the guard then opened the gates. "Welcome to Crystargar."
Erin let go of Lysander's hand, and offered his hand to Elias. The satyr chuckled, and took the offered hand.
"See you in the market in one hour," Elias suggested. It never took him too long, to sell his produce.
"Ok," Lysander said. The three parted ways. With Erin going with the satyr, and Lysander going towards the herbal shop, which accepted his herbs the last time.
Erin was a bundle of energy. He looked around, at the Yule decoration.
"How come they haven't taken the decoration off yet, Eli?" Erin asked.
"Well, in Crystargar, they celebrate Yule for three months straight. Starting from the day, when it is Yule," Elias said. He looked around him. This year, the mayor had not spared any expenses. He was glad that the kids got the chance to see it.
Erin was trying to take everything in. The trees, no matter what sort they were, had toys on them, and even something that looked like snow. There were boxes in the base of almost every tree, which looked like presents. Erin wanted to open one, for they were pretty, but he didn't want Elias to scold him.
They reached the market, and Elias took out a box with strawberries, and handed it to Erin.
"Come now, my boy, sell it for a gold coin," Elias said. Erin grinned, and then opened the box. He sniffed it, and smiled. I would appreciate it if he could eat just one. Yet, he didn't dare. That would be stealing. The child didn't want for Belle to spank him with a stick once more.
"Come on, come all! Fresh strawberries, yummy and red!" Erin called. He heard a couple of giggles. A kindly grandmother came to him, and reached out for the box. Erin pulled it out of her reach. "That would be one gold coin, ma'am."
"One gold coin? Oh, I can't afford that. Perhaps you can be a good boy, and give me one? Just one, for my granddaughter?" She asked sweetly.
Erin figured out, then, that most people couldn't afford to buy an entire box. So, he looked to Elias.
"Can I sell the lady one for a copper?" He asked. After all, the satyr had sold both Lysander and the ten for a silver coin.
"You can, but try to sell the entire box," Elias said, and Erin picked up the biggest strawberry, and handed it to the old lady.
"Wash it first, please, give me the copper now," Erin said, as he kept his hand extended, even after the grandmother took the fruit. She smiled, and placed two coppers in his hands.
"For your understanding," she said, going away with her prize. Erin looked at Elias, showing him the two coppers with pride.
"Keep the extra one. She gave it to you, not to me," Elias said. Erin blinked at him, and then smiled a smile so sunny, Elias had to chuckle. Even if the boy sold the entire box berry by berry, Elias would still have enough, for the regular customers. After all, he had five more boxes in his bottomless bag.
