The cold has begun to subside and it's time to go sell some of the remaining produce. I had said I would accompany my father a few days ago.
Everything was ready to go, and there was just one problem: Nixen kept following me, and it seemed like I'd have to take her or leave her locked in the house. But that wasn't a viable option; leaving her alone with my mother didn't seem to have a good outcome.
So we decided to let it follow us. It would always be on the lookout for her and anyone who came near her. It might feel invaded and attack. Something that would be deadly for everyone.
We started running, and despite the long break at home, Nixen had no trouble keeping up with us. She seemed to be having fun, taking in everything, as if it were a walk in the park, while Aur was giving it her all to stay behind.
It was funny to watch, a seemingly fast horse trying to outpace a small Lirak and making no progress. If Nixen felt she was falling behind, she would just concentrate for a moment and catch up in seconds.
After a while, we arrived. Aur was exhausted; he'd been trying to leave Nixen behind for so long, but all he managed was to tire himself out. The good thing was that the trip, which would have taken at least six or eight hours, was completed in less than five.
I had asked my father for directions. I wanted to see some shops and ask about some materials. I would use the time while Dad went and sold or bought what I needed.
Nixen immediately followed me, she was almost glued to my leg, she didn't get more than a meter away, no matter what happened.
With the path explained by my father, I began to search for what I wanted.
First I would like to go to the hardware store and since it was the first store people found in this area, it would be a good start.
From where my father had dropped me off, the store was about a half-hour walk. The problem was that wherever I went, people couldn't take their eyes off me. I guess it wasn't me who attracted them; rather, they were staring at Nixen. Apparently, it was strange to see an animal so far from the forest.
The further we walked, the more glances we drew. It was very uncomfortable, though. It wasn't as if I couldn't see what they were pointing at us and murmuring to each other.
Finally, I could see the wooden sign of a small shop. It was a kind of golden hammer on what looked like a square anvil.
I quickly headed inside, only to be further disappointed; I had mistakenly thought there were fewer people; the store was quite packed, and everyone turned to stare at Nixen.
I tried to ignore them, as I approached one of the counters, one of the salespeople who worked in the store quickly arrived.
"Young sir, how are you? Perhaps you have lost your father? Or will you wait for him at the store?" the salesman addressed me in a strangely formal tone.
"Neither, I'm just looking at some of the tools they have in the store, is it okay if I look around for a while?" I said to the salesman.
-"Of course not, you can watch if you're interested in anything. Just ask and we'll get back to you right away."
-"Welcome to Beblina, if you want something specific, you can also ask me"- said the seller.
-"Thank you very much, you are very kind, if I have any questions I will let you know"- I replied.
"You're welcome," said the salesman and went to serve someone else.
It felt strange to be treated like that, but I assumed it was normal. Nixen was still so close to me that she seemed glued to my leg.
I started looking at the tools in the shop, and while they looked good, they weren't anything special. Some farmers' knives, rakes, and sledgehammers. I also spotted the occasional sickle. They were interesting tools, but nothing new, and they weren't very polished either; something that discouraged me.
I approached the vendor who had served me and asked if he knew of any places that sold furs or where I could have some tanned. He told me that halfway down the street I'd find fur shops and at the end, shops selling weapons and armour.
I thanked him and left the store. I hadn't had any problems so far.
Some people set up shops on the street. Trying to attract potential buyers, many of them sold food or strange things whose purpose they didn't know.
I started walking around and looking at the different stores. It felt very uncomfortable to have everyone talking or pointing at us, but over time I was getting used to it; apparently Nixen was too. Now she looked curiously at some of the stores, but she still didn't leave. I guess after spending a few weeks at home, she'd gotten used to our presence.
I'd been thinking about buying some food for the two of us, with the few coins my mother gave me. So I started looking for something that caught my eye.
We found a stand selling some kind of meat that had been made into meatballs—large balls of meat on a stick. I bought two, one for Nixen and one for me.
We had reached the end of the street, which was where the shopkeeper in Beblina had said. A small sign read Rahirra, where they tanned and sold hides.
As in the previous one, hardly anyone's eyes fell on Nixen and me.
-"Hey kid, if you're lost, go somewhere else and wait for your parents. This isn't a place for kids. Go away."
That was the first thing I heard from the first shopkeeper who saw me, he had bushy eyebrows, a square head and a rather ugly expression.
"I'm not lost. I came to find out what kind of hides you can tan and sell," I replied, as firmly as I could. I was annoyed by his treatment.
The salesman looked at me in surprise and managed to say:
"Boy, in this shop, we can tan all kinds of hides. The tanning time and cost vary depending on the quality and what you need. If you want to see some of the ones we have, you have to be sure to buy them. Don't waste my time."
When he said I'd have to buy something to see it, I wasn't surprised. It was to be expected, but I didn't have the money, nor did I need to at the moment; I just wanted to see them out of curiosity about how they do it in this world.
I turned around and walked out the way I came in. I didn't say anything else, just glared at him with burning fury in my eyes. As I was leaving the store, I heard the salesman complain.
-"Lately these poor kids think they can go looking at whatever they want, they don't even have the chance to buy a piece of leather."-
When I heard that, I almost threw one of the daggers in my belt. I had to take deep breaths to calm myself down and leave the tent without making a fuss.
After leaving the store, I was starting to calm down, but that bitter taste of anger the salesperson had instilled in me still lingered.
I continued walking down the street, looking for the weapons store they'd talked about in Beblina. After a while of wandering around, focused on my thoughts to avoid getting upset again, I finally found it.
I immediately entered, and what I saw didn't surprise me much. There were some small, one-handed swords. Some were long, similar to bastard swords. There were also sabers, daggers, shields, and some armour.
Everything looked very ordinary. But the style they used was very peculiar. They were all light grayish in colour; they didn't look very high-quality. I was concentrating on some of the weapons, especially the sabers and daggers.
"Hello, young man, I see you're interested in some weapons. But do you have the money to pay? I can show you some if you want, but don't waste my time."
Although this was one of the stores with the fewest customers, the salesperson also said the same thing, albeit with much better treatment.
"Good afternoon, sir. I was just looking at some of the pieces on display. Although I'd also like to evaluate something if possible," I replied to the old salesman.
The man no longer had hair on the front of his head; his skin looked burnt, so tanned it was cinnamon-coloured. When I asked him about the appraisal, he hesitated for a moment, but ultimately accepted.
After some thought, I decided it was best not to show the first daggers, given the warnings of my mother and grandmother. I don't think I'm strong enough yet to defend my possessions, much less my parents.
I'd better show you the latest work. Since it was already finished, I was feeling a bit attached to the skinning knife with the reddish mineral.
Since I had already decided, I put it on the table for him to evaluate.
When I handed it to him his eyes immediately fell on the knife and he began to evaluate it, he stared at it for a long time.
Suddenly, he started talking about what the knife was made of. I was surprised because he assessed it at a glance.
"Obant handle, Urgari blade, and Luven hide. While it's good forging, it's obvious he's a beginner; he didn't get all the best out of the ore and only achieved this colour. It's a shame." "
Kid, I don't know where you got the knife. It doesn't look like it's for hunting or trapping, but I can offer you 8 silver coins; no more than that. While it's good work, it'll be a hard sell."
I was surprised to hear the price, according to that, it would be almost on par with the daggers I had made from Ursing parts.
"Thank you very much, old man, but I don't want to sell it for now. If there's ever a need, I'll bring it to you."
-"By the way, he said something about Urgari, what is it?"-
"It's understandable that you don't know. Urgari is the mineral that the knife's blade is made from. It's a very good mineral for blades, and it can give weapons different properties depending on their purity. Although the one you're holding is of medium purity, it barely reaches that level. To get the mineral to that level, techniques that are very difficult to learn must be employed."
"Even so, if you have a weapon with the same mineral and you'd like to sell it, bring it to me. I'll gladly appraise it at a good price, and we can do business."
-"Thank you very much, old man. If the opportunity arises, I will, rest assured. If you don't mind, I'll keep looking for a while." The old man just nodded, while I began to browse through what was in the store. If I had questions, I asked him, and now he answered me much more politely than before.
After finishing what I had planned for today's trip, I headed to where my father had told me to meet him. It was almost time to leave.
Suddenly, someone screamed.
-"Hey you, give me that pet, I'll give you 10 silver coins for it."-
Since I didn't know who he was talking to, I kept walking. I didn't think he was talking to me.
-"Hey, do you know who you're ignoring? I'm telling you to hand over the pet."
At that moment, I turned around to see who was causing such a commotion. It was a young man about 13 or 14 years old, well-dressed, and at his side was a knight wearing formal attire with a sword on his hip and basic armour.
The young man was unpleasant to look at, and he had no real strengths. In reality, he was a very ordinary person.
-"Why are you staring at me? I told you to give me what I want. I'll even compensate you for it."
-"I'm sorry but she's not for sale and she's not a pet either."- I said and continued on my way.
I felt a slight threat and turned around, only to see the knight approaching rapidly. Nixen had noticed and was already on guard. When I noticed him, I was also on guard, ready to respond.
-"Boy, be careful how you talk; don't you know who you're talking to?"-
-"Honestly, I have no idea who it is, and I don't want to know. I only know one thing: there's nothing for sale here, so I'll leave."
"Disrespectful brat, the young master is from one of the most important houses in the county, House Krail. You should know who they are so you don't offend others."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know you, and I haven't offended you in any way. You can't have something I haven't sold you, and you won't force me to." When I said that, both the knight and the young man looked at me with disgust and surprise. They thought the name of the house would make me tremble and hand Nixen over to them. But they were very wrong.
-"Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way since everything is clear."-
I was about to start walking when I sensed murderous intent from the knight. I immediately shifted my stance and was ready to attack. Nixen's fur was standing on end, and we both stared at the knight anxiously.