Chapter 33: Strawberries galore
Now that Lysander had all he would need to begin studying alchemy, and then some, plus the money, he went from store to store, trying to find the perfect gift for Erin.
In the frontier, they didn't really need money. Or, at least, that was the case, before Belle woke up. He knew that he would need to save some of the money, for when he had to get some vegetables and fruit, from the different gardens in the frontier.
Sure, the gnomes had accepted some salted mammoth meat for the stolen cabbage, but he knew that not everyone was going to be so understanding.
He bought some new hoes, for their own garden. Then, a cart, which went into the bottomless bag. Lysander hadn't forgotten, just to whom the bag belonged to. All throughout the autumn, the two of them, Erin and he, had searched for a sunny hill, to bury the bones of the adventurer. Yet, they had found only forests, and gardens.
After Belle had made them the hut, they didn't dare venture that far. So, Lysander decided to change tactics. He figured that, if he were an adventurer, he'd like for someone to visit his grave. Considering that the two boys had much to thanks to this man, whose bottomless bag made their life easier, they should be there, to tend to his grave.
So, Lysander bought some flower seeds, from a stall, and then looked around. Erin and Elias should be around here, somewhere. The market was huge, though. It wasn't often, that Lysander was allowed in a town. Yet, he didn't let the people in it see that he was a country bumpkin.
He heard a giggle, one too familiar to belong to anyone else, and saw a crowd. Lysander walked around the crowd, and managed to squeeze himself in, by the stall. Erin was there, showing off a box with strawberries.
"Ly! I made 20 coppers," Erin stated proudly, when he saw Lysander. Lysander blinked, confused.
"And how did you do that?" Lysander asked. As he had understood it, Erin was supposed to just stay with Elias. Not make any money.
"I sell the strawberries one by one. Eli said that this way, even he is making more money. Oh, you'll stay and help, right?" Erin asked. Suddenly, Lysander felt the curious glances send his way. He blinked, and reached out towards Elias.
"I'll help too," he said, and the satyr handed him a box.
"Well, did you have a good trading trip?" Elias asked.
"Yes. I have everything I need, to begin learning alchemy," Lysander said, his grin hidden by the scarf.
"Oh, a budding alchemist," a woman said from the crowd. She went, and placed a copper in Lysander's hand, and took a strawberry. "You take the time to study hard, young man."
Then, she petted Lysander on the head, and walked away.
Lysander was like rooted to the spot. No one, bar Erin, had ever petted him. Not even Belle, who was generous with her kindness.
"And what will be your first potion?" Another woman asked, as she placed two coppers into Lysander's hands. "Perhaps something for boils? Warts?"
"Yeah, you better not snub your nose at the easy potions. We need them in our day-to-day lives," another woman said, as she pinched Lysander's cheeks, through the scarf.
"I... uhm," Lysander was blushing furiously. People were treating him like they would treat Erin. And that was a strange feeling. A pleasant one, but strange.
After all, Erin was golden, and had blue eyes. All the cherubs in the temple were blonde, and had blue eyes. It was normal for Erin to be treated nicely. But him? For one moment, he wondered if people will still gush over him, if he were to remove his scarf. His golden eyes were on display, but his skin was covered.
He bit his bottom lip, and decided not to do anything foolish. For all he knew, Elias could be chased out of town, if he was found with a wanderer. Yet, he still luxuriated in the prize. In the small pats, the pinching of his cheeks, or more likely, of the scarf. People were treating him like a normal child, and that was something that made a ball inside of Lysander's chest. Over his heart.
He became more energetic in his advertising, and soon, he and Erin were in an open competition. They would offer everyone from the crowd the fruits, and sing even, when a bard began to play his lute.
Lysander was so happy, that he didn't notice when two guards joined the crowd. Soon, his box was taken from his hands, by one of the guards.
"The lord wants all the fruit," the guard said, with a glare in his eyes.
"But, so do the citizens," Elias said. Most times, he sold at least three boxes to the lord. Yet, this time, he had forgotten. Seeing as this method, selling them one by one, was making him more money, he hadn't wanted to deal with the lord this time.
"You will lose your permit, if you don't sell now," the same guard said. He looked down in the box.
"Ugh, look at how little he has left," his tone was that of disgust. For, he knew that the lord was going to put up a fuss when he saw the half-empty boxes.
"Let us just place all the remains in one box, and take it from him. To teach him a lesson, so he won't snub the lord again," the other guard said, and soon, he placed a hand over Erin's box. "Give it here, boy."
"No! Everyone should get a strawberry!" Erin protested, but the guard yanked the box from his hands so quickly, the young boy stumbled, and if it wasn't for Elias's legs behind him, he would have fallen.
"Hey! Be careful," Lysander said, trusting his box of strawberries into the other guard's hands, and straightening up Erin. "Are you ok, Rin?"
"It is not fair," Erin whined. "Eli needs the money."
"I know," Lysander said. He looked at the small bowl with the money he and Erin had earned. The fair thing would be, to give them to Elias. And so, he held up the bowl to the satyr, only for one of the guards to snatch it away.
Chapter 33: Strawberries galore
Now that Lysander had all he would need to begin studying alchemy, and then some, plus the money, he went from store to store, trying to find the perfect gift for Erin.
In the frontier, they didn't really need money. Or, at least, that was the case, before Belle woke up. He knew that he would need to save some of the money, for when he had to get some vegetables and fruit, from the different gardens in the frontier.
Sure, the gnomes had accepted some salted mammoth meat for the stolen cabbage, but he knew that not everyone was going to be so understanding.
He bought some new hoes, for their own garden. Then, a cart, which went into the bottomless bag. Lysander hadn't forgotten, just to whom the bag belonged to. All throughout the autumn, the two of them, Erin and he, had searched for a sunny hill, to bury the bones of the adventurer. Yet, they had found only forests, and gardens.
After Belle had made them the hut, they didn't dare venture that far. So, Lysander decided to change tactics. He figured that, if he were an adventurer, he'd like for someone to visit his grave. Considering that the two boys had much to thanks to this man, whose bottomless bag made their life easier, they should be there, to tend to his grave.
So, Lysander bought some flower seeds, from a stall, and then looked around. Erin and Elias should be around here, somewhere. The market was huge, though. It wasn't often, that Lysander was allowed in a town. Yet, he didn't let the people in it see that he was a country bumpkin.
He heard a giggle, one too familiar to belong to anyone else, and saw a crowd. Lysander walked around the crowd, and managed to squeeze himself in, by the stall. Erin was there, showing off a box with strawberries.
"Ly! I made 20 coppers," Erin stated proudly, when he saw Lysander. Lysander blinked, confused.
"And how did you do that?" Lysander asked. As he had understood it, Erin was supposed to just stay with Elias. Not make any money.
"I sell the strawberries one by one. Eli said that this way, even he is making more money. Oh, you'll stay and help, right?" Erin asked. Suddenly, Lysander felt the curious glances send his way. He blinked, and reached out towards Elias.
"I'll help too," he said, and the satyr handed him a box.
"Well, did you have a good trading trip?" Elias asked.
"Yes. I have everything I need, to begin learning alchemy," Lysander said, his grin hidden by the scarf.
"Oh, a budding alchemist," a woman said from the crowd. She went, and placed a copper in Lysander's hand, and took a strawberry. "You take the time to study hard, young man."
Then, she petted Lysander on the head, and walked away.
Lysander was like rooted to the spot. No one, bar Erin, had ever petted him. Not even Belle, who was generous with her kindness.
"And what will be your first potion?" Another woman asked, as she placed two coppers into Lysander's hands. "Perhaps something for boils? Warts?"
"Yeah, you better not snub your nose at the easy potions. We need them in our day-to-day lives," another woman said, as she pinched Lysander's cheeks, through the scarf.
"I... uhm," Lysander was blushing furiously. People were treating him like they would treat Erin. And that was a strange feeling. A pleasant one, but strange.
After all, Erin was golden, and had blue eyes. All the cherubs in the temple were blonde, and had blue eyes. It was normal for Erin to be treated nicely. But him? For one moment, he wondered if people will still gush over him, if he were to remove his scarf. His golden eyes were on display, but his skin was covered.
He bit his bottom lip, and decided not to do anything foolish. For all he knew, Elias could be chased out of town, if he was found with a wanderer. Yet, he still luxuriated in the prize. In the small pats, the pinching of his cheeks, or more likely, of the scarf. People were treating him like a normal child, and that was something that made a ball inside of Lysander's chest. Over his heart.
He became more energetic in his advertising, and soon, he and Erin were in an open competition. They would offer everyone from the crowd the fruits, and sing even, when a bard began to play his lute.
Lysander was so happy, that he didn't notice when two guards joined the crowd. Soon, his box was taken from his hands, by one of the guards.
"The lord wants all the fruit," the guard said, with a glare in his eyes.
"But, so do the citizens," Elias said. Most times, he sold at least three boxes to the lord. Yet, this time, he had forgotten. Seeing as this method, selling them one by one, was making him more money, he hadn't wanted to deal with the lord this time.
"You will lose your permit, if you don't sell now," the same guard said. He looked down in the box.
"Ugh, look at how little he has left," his tone was that of disgust. For, he knew that the lord was going to put up a fuss when he saw the half-empty boxes.
"Let us just place all the remains in one box, and take it from him. To teach him a lesson, so he won't snub the lord again," the other guard said, and soon, he placed a hand over Erin's box. "Give it here, boy."
"No! Everyone should get a strawberry!" Erin protested, but the guard yanked the box from his hands so quickly, the young boy stumbled, and if it wasn't for Elias's legs behind him, he would have fallen.
"Hey! Be careful," Lysander said, trusting his box of strawberries into the other guard's hands, and straightening up Erin. "Are you ok, Rin?"
"It is not fair," Erin whined. "Eli needs the money."
"I know," Lysander said. He looked at the small bowl with the money he and Erin had earned. The fair thing would be, to give them to Elias. And so, he held up the bowl to the satyr, only for one of the guards to snatch it away.
