I stared out at the market place, it was a bustling place, merchants offering their wares to passers by. It was early in the morning and already the streets were crowded, boys running around their parents asking for the shiniest thing they can find or the biggest sword in the market. Women smiling and yelling excitedly as their husbands buy them the ring they wanted or the silk gown they have been looking at, young apprentices with their mentors looking for new hunting or smith equipment. Merchants' calling out to the crowds to buy their wares, but one stands out above the rest.
"Come one, come all! I have the best wares in the city! Jewellery! Gowns! Anything your lady would want! And for the more adventurous, Bows! Arrows! And Swords of the like…" He roars.
Everyone seemed to be gathering around his shop. All the children were yelling excitedly, the men looked impressed and the women were looking hypnotized by all the silk and jewellery.
I looked at the merchants wares and it seemed as though he had an entire warehouse's worth of items crammed into one little stall.
I heard him bellow.
"Come to my shop! Tell your friends about me! Tell everyone about Christophe the collector!"
So, I thought, this is the amazing Christophe I've been hearing about…
I saw a small amulet that caught my eye.
I picked it up and looked at it, it was a small wooden carving of a bear. It was amazingly lifelike, I tried to get the merchants attention but he was entertaining the large crowd. Instead a short elf came out from behind the stall.
"Do you wish to make a purchase?" he asked quickly.
"Yes" I said, "I want to buy this necklace."
"Yes yes, it is a fine piece of workmanship, and for quality such as this it would cost… fifty gold pieces." He said quietly.
"What! Fifty?" I exclaimed "No I think twenty five should be enough." I said flatly
"No no no" he said quickly, "This is a one of a kind amulet! Truly unique and very rare, I will not go below forty."
"How about thirty five?" I asked.
He thought for a moment.
"Alright, that's a fair deal," he said finally.
I handed him the gold, he counted them slowly.
"Is there anything else you want?" he asked.
"No this should be it." I said.
"Then please, move so I may help the other customers."
He said while directing me to the side.
I moved to the side as a man with his hands full of items yelled.
"I want all these things I'll pay anything! Name your price!"
"Yes of course sir…" The elf said slyly.
This man was about to lose a lot of gold…
I put the necklace around my neck, it was a perfect fit.
"Well I suppose it was worth it…' I murmured
I was just about to head home when I saw a small glimmer from a merchants stall. It was the most beautiful dagger I had ever seen, a silver blade a pure as snow, and the grip was crafted from the darkest ebony wood I had ever seen. I wanted it, but it was much too expensive. I picked it up and examined it, I noticed there where several perfectly crafted runes in elven along the side of the blade. It was beautiful, the store owner was busy with another customer. I took the blade and the sheath and slipped them in my coat pocket. No one noticed a thing, I started walking away when there was a yell, I looked behind me horrified that I had been caught. Two young boys had bumped into the other man, I saw that they had taken his coins. As the two pickpockets ran away from the scene, I heard the man yelling for the guards as I started towards my home.