Even in the dusk light, the markets of Greyport were a frenzy of activity. Barkers shouted about their wares, and the few games still up had long lines. Elrah stood among a crowd, missing the weight of her armor and holding a small collection of plushies in her arms. She could occasionally see flashes of Kamiras hair ahead, darting through the crowd and moving towards a food stall that had caught her eye.
Elrah gave a sigh as she fought through the crowd, pushing past shoulders in an attempt to catch up to her lithe little sister. She disliked large crowds, often preferring to stick to the side roads and alleyways.
She found she often stood out too much, being taller than most folks, and the muscularity of a blacksmith, a side effect from her constant training with larger weapons. Being in common clothes only helped to accentuate her bulk, and often revealed old scars that caught attention in larger areas. Even still, she could see how happy Kamira was, darting from stall to stall, draining both her own, and Elrahs pockets.
“Elrah! This stall has bokulry buns!” Kamira called, excitement thick in her voice. Elrah smiled as she shook her head. At least Kamira had a healthy appetite.
As Elrah stepped closer, she paused for a moment, feeling a set of eyes upon her. She glanced about the crowd, looking for any familiar or malicious faces, yet found none. Her smile faded as she felt the hair on her arms rise. The feeling was gone, yet her unease had not faded.
“Elrah!” Kamira called again, sounding impatient.
Elrah frowned, moving faster to catch up with her sister. She found her standing in front of a small stand, holding two paper wrapped buns, the steam still rising and melting the cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.
“What took you so long?” Kamira asked, glancing up as she extended one of the treats.
“I just thought I saw something…” Elrah mumbled as she took it, still keeping her eyes on the crowd.
Kamira gave her a suspicious glare, the intimidation slightly offset as she bit into the sugar topped bread. At last she gave a shrug, turning and looking over the rest of the stalls they had yet to visit. Elrah noticed her expression shift, and quickly followed her gaze.
All thoughts of suspicion were driven from Elrah as she spotted one stand, a glint of metal catching her eye. Before Kamira could say a word, Elrah had dumped the half dozen plushies that Kamira had bought and was pushing through the crowds and heading straight for the stand that had garnered her attention.
She came to a halt in front of a larger stand, its surface decorated with all sorts of blades and swords. Elrahs heart soared as she took in the fine craftsmanship, looking over a longsword, the blade sturdy and sharp. The sword she currently used was effective, but the blade was dull and chipped, not nearly as sharp as it could be.
“You look like you’ve seen the most beautiful thing in the world.” A voice chuckled.
Elrah looked up with a start, only now noticing Myn standing next to her. Her brown hair was still in a high ponytail tied with an orange ribbon, but instead of leather armor, she wore a simple dress, cut at the knee, and a pair of tall heeled boots. Elrah only responded with a surprised stutter, immediately on edge by her appearance. Myn gave a quiet snicker, light hearted and sweet.
“Elrah!” Kamira huffed, finally catching up, arms struggling to hold both the food she had just bought and the plushies. Elrah winced at the use of her real name, glaring back towards her sister with the fury of hell. “Gods your fast when you want to be.” Kamira panted, seemingly not noticing the look Elrah shot her.
“Huh. Elrah is it?” Myn gave a polite smile, shooting Elrah a knowing look. Elrah gave an exhausted sigh.
When she had first chosen her nickname when working for Almander, it was because it had been what her mother had always called her. Elrah had assumed it was because she was quiet, most days sneaking about and trying to practice the same sword techniques her mother occasionally showed her. She hadn't realized the real reasoning behind it until a few years later.
“It means Ghost in old elvish.” Elrah explained briefly, altho she suspected Myn already knew that.
“How ironic.” Myn chuckled, before turning her attention towards Kamira, a smile still on her face. “Nice to meet you, the name’s Myn.” She said, giving a short bow.
“Kamira.” Kamira smiled, mirroring the quick bow and casting a questioning glance up towards Elrah.
“She's a co-worker.” Elrah explained simply. She noticed the look Myn gave her, a tilted head along with a slightly raised eyebrow.
“How much does your… daughter...? Know?” Myn asked, her voice low. Elrah couldn't contain her laughter, bursting into a chuckling fit. Kamira, despite being in her early twenties, was shorter than most folks, and had a baby face that made most think her no older than fifteen. Of course, it was a sore spot for Kamira, who replied with a pointed glare.
“Sister, actually.” Kamira responded, her tone sharp, yet polite. The embarrassed blush that spread to Myns face only increased Elrahs laughter. Myn tried to sputter something, her voice failing as her face began to resemble a tomato. It was adorable.
“Hehehe… she uh, she knows most of it.” Elrah managed to say at last, still chuckling. Myn gave no response, looking sheepish and awkward. It was odd, Elrah wasn't sure she had ever seen her look awkward. It was refreshingly sweet.
“If you two are going to talk business you can do it while we walk. Elrah pick a stupid sword.” Kamira snapped, looking irritated and a little embarrassed herself, yet she hid the latter well.
Elrah gave a chuckle in response, turning back towards the stall. Elrah had been trained to use all sorts of weapons, some more than others. Larger blades were her preferred weapon of choice, yet she knew just how expensive they could be. Her eyes wandered towards the long sword, eyeing the small price tag that sat in front of it, reading ‘10 gold’. It was a little pricey, yet for all purposes, cheaper than what Elrah would find in any blacksmith.
“So uh… Ghost… er, Elrah!” Myn stuttered, recovering from her embarrassment. “Any blades that catch your eye?” She asked, turning down face the stall.
“Sorta… I prefer larger blades, but the longsword isn't quite what I want.” Elrah admitted, scanning over the rest of the weapons.
“What kinda blade ye lookin 'for kid.” The propeter of the stand asked, Elrah only now noticing the short, dwarvish man, a large greybeard obscuring much of his face, as well as two massive eyebrows.
“Uh, A greatsword if you have one.” Elrah responded quickly, regretting the fact that she had not greeted the man earlier. “Please.” She added quickly.
The man grunted, turning and rummaging with something metal out of sight below the stand. The noise of metal clanging and tapping was loud, loud enough to begin to draw eyes towards the stand, investigating the source of the noise. The feeling of so many eyes upon her made Elrahs skin crawl once more, wishing that she had brought a cloak of some sort to at least partly hide her features.
“Here we are. A fine blade if I say so myself.” The dwarf huffed, as he lifted a large blade, contained in a simple leather sheath, but the hilt was already enough to see the quality of the weapon. Elrah was fascinated, reaching out to hold the magnificent piece. The dwarf laid it carefully in her hands, his eyes sharp and untrusting.
“Ohh i haven't seen a beauty like this in a while.” Elrah muttered, mostly to herself as she pulled back the leather sheath to examine the blade.
The blade itself was well made, of steel or iron she was unsure. The center of the blade held sharply cut runes, a mix of dwarvish and dragon tongue ran from the tip of the blade to the hilt. The hilt itself was simple steel with a branching T cross guard, leather wrapped around the grip and a rounded pommel at the base, inscribed with one of the few dwarvish runes Elrah knew. It read ‘Carver’.
“That's one hell of a blade.” Myn commented, a slight smile at the admiration Elrah seemed to hold for the weapon.
“Damn right it is.” The dwarf chuckled, a deep, hearty laugh. “Only twenty gold. Lot cheaper than the blades you’ll find around here.” The price made Elrah wince, keenly aware of how much money she had spent already. She was already cutting it close with how much she needed to save in case Kamiras health took another turn for the worse on the likely chance that her next job would turn up nothing. She gave a disappointed sigh, beginning to set the blade down.
“You already look like you're in love. We’ll take it.” Myn chuckled, reaching into a small pouch on her hip and handing forward a handful of coins, glistening in the faint lantern light.
“Oh you don't need to do that, the sword I have now is fine.” Elrah stuttered, feeling her cheeks heat ever so slightly.
“That's the biggest lie I’ve ever heard.” Myn smiled, shooting Elrah a discerning look which made her quiet immediately. “I’ve seen your current sword. It's not in the best of condition. Besides, I like buying gifts for pretty girls.” She added with a wink, turning and beginning to look through the crowd absentmindedly.
Elrah stood shocked for a moment, her face feeling as though it were alight with flame. She stuttered a thanks, ducking her head down and staring at the beautiful blade in her hands. She could see her own reflection in the finely worked metal, reddened cheeks and all.
“Mind if I hang out with you two for a bit? It's a bit boring all on my own.” Myn asked, turning her attention back towards the two sisters. Elrah paused for a moment, casting a glance over towards Kamira, quiet for the majority of this interaction. Kamira gave a shrug, seemingly uncaring yet Elrah could see the faint glimmer of approval in her eyes.
“Sure why not.” Elrah smiled, sliding the weapon into its sheath once more and slinging it over her shoulder.
“Awesome!” Myn gave a bright smile, the warmth filling Elrahs chest. Myn turned, looking through the crowd once more, her eyes locking on something in the distance. “I think I see someone selling some ale if you two drink.” She exclaimed quickly, looking primarily towards Kamira.
“Sure.” The younger of the two nodded. “Lead the way.”
Myn complied, quickly beginning to fight her way through the crowds, casting a glance backwards and becoming the two sisters along. Elrah gave a smile as she walked, taking back the different plush animals she had shoved into Kamiras arms earlier, as well as the small bun that Kamira had already taken a bite out of. They followed at a distance, having trouble weaving through the crowd as fast as Myn did.
“She likes you.” Kamira teased, casting a knowing side glance up towards Elrah.
“I… That…. That's irrelevant.” Elrah sputtered, half burying her face in fabric animals. “What do you think of her?” She added quickly, shoulders tensing as she looked towards her younger sister, hopeful that she would approve.
“Hm… She's interesting, I’ll give you that.” Kamira nodded slowly. Elrah practically beamed at what was the closest she would get to Kamiras' approval. She never spoke of anyone highly, so it was the small things Elrah had learned to look out for in finding out how Kamira felt about people. “She seems to be keen to catch your attention.” Kamira added, casting a glance towards the greatsword now resting on Elrahs back.
Elrah couldn't help but agree, feeling butterflies in her stomach and heat on her face. She found her eyes wandering ahead, finding that brown ponytail bobbing among the crowd. She could only smile.
“She's interesting.” Elrah echoed.
Comments (0)
See all