Chapter 35: Tulip
Just as Elias had said, there were more towns around the frontier, than just Crystargar. After a couple of visits to Elias's hut, he had copied them a map, of all the neighboring towns, and a way to reach the frontier gates. The mountain town of Snowfalls sounded promising. There was a problem, though. The boys didn't have anything to sell.
So, after getting back home from a visit to the satyr, Lysander took out all the beginner alchemy things, and spread them on the table. Even though they already had a cauldron, Lysander had still bought one extra, for Elias.
Then, the two suddenly had a new problem. Even the beginner potions had herbs in them, which they didn't have.
"Ly, we should have kept some herbs for ourselves," Erin lamented, as Lysander nodded.
"Come on, we have money. Let us make a list, and go to the fairies of the Lily Pond," the fairies were notorious for their herb growing. Yet, they were not humans, and weren't even half-humans. They were small, with butterfly wings. So, the humans of the Drypond Republic didn't do business with them. Even though the herbs they sold, were better than normal ones.
Erin listed all the beginning herbs from the book, as Lysander wrote them down. When he was done, he rolled up the parchment, and then placed it in his bottomless back. He still had the 100 gold coins, from his last trade trip. As, he had made sure to only pay for the things he bought with silver and copper coins.
The two walked hand in hand, as was their custom. The trees were covered in blooming flowers. The snowdrops were littering the forest canopy. The breeze was warm, and the two felt safe.
When they reached the Lily Pond, Lysander took out a silver coin, and then threw it inside the water. Smoke rose from the water, and then, a fairy came up.
"Oh, you are Belle's children," the fairy said, her eyes wide. "Why didn't you say so? I wouldn't have asked for you to pay the tax."
"Fair is fair. Belle would have spanked us, if we didn't pay the tax," Erin said, his hand going to his bum. The phantom pain in his behind reminded him, that they had to always be polite, to the citizens of the frontier.
The fairy chuckled, and then bowed.
"Well, boys, what brings you here?" She asked. Lysander took out his list, and unrolled it, for the fairy to see.
"We need all these herbs. At least a bag of each, with a writing on the bags, so we know which is which," Lysander said, and Erin nodded along.
"We will be alchemists! We have books, and everything!" Erin said, puffing his chests.
"Oh, then, if you won't mind, you can bring your potions here. We would love to buy them, if they are good enough," the fairy said. Then, she clapped her hands. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Tulip. And the two of you must be Lysander and Erin."
"I am Erin," Erin said, and then pointed at Lysander. "And he is Ly."
"Well, Erin and Ly," Tulip said, as she clapped her hands again. "I better bring you everything."
She flew up a tree, and began to ascend. Lysander looked at Erin.
"Why did you introduce me as Ly? Don't you know, only you get to call me that?" Lysander asked, more than a little peeved. Ly was the name of a child. He didn't want to be thought of as a child, unless it was by Erin.
For, Lysander knew that Erin was a silly little thing, and that he'd cry, if Lysander revoked his privilege of calling him Ly.
"Sorry, Ly. I won't do it again," Erin promised, his shoulders slumped. Lysander sighed, and hugged the blonde. His princeling was still too soft. Something told Lysander, that he would always be a soft-hearted boy.
One by one, the bags began to pile in their feet. Lysander didn't dare to begin collecting them, as he was taught that one must first hear the price, before taking the merchandise. When a tired Tulip placed the last bag with herbs, she took out a piece of paper, and began to add all the prices. When she was done, she smiled, and then showed the two boys the price of the total herbs.
"Just ten gold coins?" Lysander was amazed. For, he always sold herbs for far more than that.
"Well, it is not like there are many alchemists out here, who can be our regular customers. We normally just sell to adventurers, who forward the herbs to the herbal shops in town. But that is ok. We just need money for sugar, and cloths," Tulip explained. Lysander and Erin shared a look.
"We can give you cloths. I bought some from Crystargar. Belle will tug out our ears, if she saw that we practically robbed you," Lysander said. Belle was both their motherly figure, and their boogieman. For, she was not afraid to tug at small ears, even when the boys whined that it hurt.
"Oh, that Belle. But I bet she loves you both to bits. It is not every day, where she lets people live by her tree," Tulip said, and the boys shared a look. She giggled at their antics. It was almost as if they communicated silently.
"If you want to sell us the cloth, then we will accept. But it will be added to the price of the herbs. Now, let me see, just how many bundles of cloths you have, and what kind," Tulip flew closer to Lysander, as she saw that he was the one with the bottomless bag.
Lysander took out bundles upon bundles of cotton and wool. The fairy's eyes grew wide, when he took out a silk bundle.
"Is that silk?" Tulip asked. Lysander nodded.
"I wanted to make Rin a pillowcase, for his pillow, but I ruin everything I try to sew," Lysander admitted. He normally managed to squeeze in an hour or two before bed, to try and make pillow cases out of linen. The silk was expensive, and so, he hadn't dared to try his hand at it.
"How about this? We will make you two pillowcases, from the silk, and you will give it to us? As a payment for the herbs, and our work," Tulip was hopeful. The silk would be more than enough payment, for all the herbs. Besides, fairies knew magic, and didn't need to wrestle with needles and thread.
"Ok, sounds fair," Lysander said. Then, right before his eyes, the fairy made two pillow cases, without so much as touching the silk bundle. Now this, he needed to learn.
Chapter 35: Tulip
Just as Elias had said, there were more towns around the frontier, than just Crystargar. After a couple of visits to Elias's hut, he had copied them a map, of all the neighboring towns, and a way to reach the frontier gates. The mountain town of Snowfalls sounded promising. There was a problem, though. The boys didn't have anything to sell.
So, after getting back home from a visit to the satyr, Lysander took out all the beginner alchemy things, and spread them on the table. Even though they already had a cauldron, Lysander had still bought one extra, for Elias.
Then, the two suddenly had a new problem. Even the beginner potions had herbs in them, which they didn't have.
"Ly, we should have kept some herbs for ourselves," Erin lamented, as Lysander nodded.
"Come on, we have money. Let us make a list, and go to the fairies of the Lily Pond," the fairies were notorious for their herb growing. Yet, they were not humans, and weren't even half-humans. They were small, with butterfly wings. So, the humans of the Drypond Republic didn't do business with them. Even though the herbs they sold, were better than normal ones.
Erin listed all the beginning herbs from the book, as Lysander wrote them down. When he was done, he rolled up the parchment, and then placed it in his bottomless back. He still had the 100 gold coins, from his last trade trip. As, he had made sure to only pay for the things he bought with silver and copper coins.
The two walked hand in hand, as was their custom. The trees were covered in blooming flowers. The snowdrops were littering the forest canopy. The breeze was warm, and the two felt safe.
When they reached the Lily Pond, Lysander took out a silver coin, and then threw it inside the water. Smoke rose from the water, and then, a fairy came up.
"Oh, you are Belle's children," the fairy said, her eyes wide. "Why didn't you say so? I wouldn't have asked for you to pay the tax."
"Fair is fair. Belle would have spanked us, if we didn't pay the tax," Erin said, his hand going to his bum. The phantom pain in his behind reminded him, that they had to always be polite, to the citizens of the frontier.
The fairy chuckled, and then bowed.
"Well, boys, what brings you here?" She asked. Lysander took out his list, and unrolled it, for the fairy to see.
"We need all these herbs. At least a bag of each, with a writing on the bags, so we know which is which," Lysander said, and Erin nodded along.
"We will be alchemists! We have books, and everything!" Erin said, puffing his chests.
"Oh, then, if you won't mind, you can bring your potions here. We would love to buy them, if they are good enough," the fairy said. Then, she clapped her hands. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Tulip. And the two of you must be Lysander and Erin."
"I am Erin," Erin said, and then pointed at Lysander. "And he is Ly."
"Well, Erin and Ly," Tulip said, as she clapped her hands again. "I better bring you everything."
She flew up a tree, and began to ascend. Lysander looked at Erin.
"Why did you introduce me as Ly? Don't you know, only you get to call me that?" Lysander asked, more than a little peeved. Ly was the name of a child. He didn't want to be thought of as a child, unless it was by Erin.
For, Lysander knew that Erin was a silly little thing, and that he'd cry, if Lysander revoked his privilege of calling him Ly.
"Sorry, Ly. I won't do it again," Erin promised, his shoulders slumped. Lysander sighed, and hugged the blonde. His princeling was still too soft. Something told Lysander, that he would always be a soft-hearted boy.
One by one, the bags began to pile in their feet. Lysander didn't dare to begin collecting them, as he was taught that one must first hear the price, before taking the merchandise. When a tired Tulip placed the last bag with herbs, she took out a piece of paper, and began to add all the prices. When she was done, she smiled, and then showed the two boys the price of the total herbs.
"Just ten gold coins?" Lysander was amazed. For, he always sold herbs for far more than that.
"Well, it is not like there are many alchemists out here, who can be our regular customers. We normally just sell to adventurers, who forward the herbs to the herbal shops in town. But that is ok. We just need money for sugar, and cloths," Tulip explained. Lysander and Erin shared a look.
"We can give you cloths. I bought some from Crystargar. Belle will tug out our ears, if she saw that we practically robbed you," Lysander said. Belle was both their motherly figure, and their boogieman. For, she was not afraid to tug at small ears, even when the boys whined that it hurt.
"Oh, that Belle. But I bet she loves you both to bits. It is not every day, where she lets people live by her tree," Tulip said, and the boys shared a look. She giggled at their antics. It was almost as if they communicated silently.
"If you want to sell us the cloth, then we will accept. But it will be added to the price of the herbs. Now, let me see, just how many bundles of cloths you have, and what kind," Tulip flew closer to Lysander, as she saw that he was the one with the bottomless bag.
Lysander took out bundles upon bundles of cotton and wool. The fairy's eyes grew wide, when he took out a silk bundle.
"Is that silk?" Tulip asked. Lysander nodded.
"I wanted to make Rin a pillowcase, for his pillow, but I ruin everything I try to sew," Lysander admitted. He normally managed to squeeze in an hour or two before bed, to try and make pillow cases out of linen. The silk was expensive, and so, he hadn't dared to try his hand at it.
"How about this? We will make you two pillowcases, from the silk, and you will give it to us? As a payment for the herbs, and our work," Tulip was hopeful. The silk would be more than enough payment, for all the herbs. Besides, fairies knew magic, and didn't need to wrestle with needles and thread.
"Ok, sounds fair," Lysander said. Then, right before his eyes, the fairy made two pillow cases, without so much as touching the silk bundle. Now this, he needed to learn.
