A/N Alright guys, I need reviews. One review is really not incentive for
me to continue. I like this story, but I need feedback!!!! Thank you to
those who are reading this as it goes along, though!!!
We landed on the beautiful land of Jeritan just as the sun began to descend. It had become more than a little warm, the sun not wanting to go without a fight. I mopped my brow as I stepped foot on land and, for the third time, pulled my damp hair away from my face. For some reason, Hemna and Bayon kept looking at me and grinning, as if they were sharing some private joke.
Both men carried two wooden chests, filled with treasures unknown. The people swarmed us as soon as we arrived and I could only assume that these were regular visits. Hemna managed to voice what we needed and we were directed to the appropriate vendor. For three hours, Hemna haggled, referring every so often to Bayon for permission on pricing. Sometimes he received it – sometimes not. I could only watch in awe.
As we were drawing to a close on haggling, I wandered away from the men, looking idly at the other wares of the port market. A flash of silver caught my eye and I followed it to a small jewelry shop. The man smiled at me, sensing a sale and followed my gaze. He picked up the necklace and held it out to me. The silver chain held an intricate pendant at the bottom. Two gems, one a deep green, the other so dark red it looked black, intertwined with each other. I brought my hand up, not touching it, just pretending to feel it around my neck. I didn't want to stain it with the dirt I knew lurked on my fingers. No one from my town had anything as nice as this. Not even the nobles. Oh, I could only imagine what would happen if I came home wearing that necklace. I envisioned a dress to go with it: a black slender gown, fit for a queen. I would show up with a prince, whose face resembled Bayon's. . .
I snapped myself out of those thoughts, aware that I was still standing at the small shop and the little man was waiting for an answer. I started to shake my head before a shadow descended over me.
"How much?" Bayon asked in Jeritan. The shopkeeper's answer nearly made me want to take a step back. The sailor didn't even blink, but pulled out the required coins to pay for it from the purse they used to collect the money they made from the ship's goods. I knew that purse was more than a little lighter.
"Bayon, no. . ." I protested as he took the exquisite necklace from the man. "What will the Captain say?"
Bayon chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Nothing, lass. Most of this money is mine, anyhow. This necklace is better than what I usually pay for while I'm ashore here." The glimmer in his eyes kept me from asking what that could be for. I was spared from saying anything more when Hemna showed up.
"Are you two ready? We still have to buy supplies and pick up the men," Hemna told us in Jeritan with his deep baritone voice that seemed to be teasing. I nodded, glad to get a little further away from Bayon's. No such luck.
"Hold on, lassie," he laughed, gripping my arm gently but firmly. Gasping at his touch, I turned around. Smiling, he held out the necklace, the clasp undone. Cursing my stupidity, I forced a smile as well. He looped it around my neck and clasped it. The pendant fell softly to my chest and my smile turned warmer.
"Thank you," I whispered. He didn't seem to hear me, as he turned away to speak with Hemna. I fingered the jewels at my neck, feeling all the beauty it contained. All I needed was the gown and the prince, I told myself. Or just the gown . . . another voice inside me hissed knowingly. I silenced it with a thought.
The men continued on down the dirt covered street as the shops became more and more sparse, the trees increased in numbers. Many kinds I had never seen before, but when I wondered about that aloud, both Bayon and Hemna stopped talking completely. Disappointed at their lack of knowledge- sharing, I withdrew inside my own thoughts. I remembered my parents, my mother's claims of traveling to worlds unseen and unknown. She couldn't be right, could she? But I thought that I knew everything about my world and, here I was, in a brand new one. I dismissed that at once. I recalled that some of the Elders in my village mentioning that insanity was passed down from parent to child. I had both odds against me, but so far I had persevered past that. I didn't want to start being crazy now. Not with . . . well, not with certain things happening.
We landed on the beautiful land of Jeritan just as the sun began to descend. It had become more than a little warm, the sun not wanting to go without a fight. I mopped my brow as I stepped foot on land and, for the third time, pulled my damp hair away from my face. For some reason, Hemna and Bayon kept looking at me and grinning, as if they were sharing some private joke.
Both men carried two wooden chests, filled with treasures unknown. The people swarmed us as soon as we arrived and I could only assume that these were regular visits. Hemna managed to voice what we needed and we were directed to the appropriate vendor. For three hours, Hemna haggled, referring every so often to Bayon for permission on pricing. Sometimes he received it – sometimes not. I could only watch in awe.
As we were drawing to a close on haggling, I wandered away from the men, looking idly at the other wares of the port market. A flash of silver caught my eye and I followed it to a small jewelry shop. The man smiled at me, sensing a sale and followed my gaze. He picked up the necklace and held it out to me. The silver chain held an intricate pendant at the bottom. Two gems, one a deep green, the other so dark red it looked black, intertwined with each other. I brought my hand up, not touching it, just pretending to feel it around my neck. I didn't want to stain it with the dirt I knew lurked on my fingers. No one from my town had anything as nice as this. Not even the nobles. Oh, I could only imagine what would happen if I came home wearing that necklace. I envisioned a dress to go with it: a black slender gown, fit for a queen. I would show up with a prince, whose face resembled Bayon's. . .
I snapped myself out of those thoughts, aware that I was still standing at the small shop and the little man was waiting for an answer. I started to shake my head before a shadow descended over me.
"How much?" Bayon asked in Jeritan. The shopkeeper's answer nearly made me want to take a step back. The sailor didn't even blink, but pulled out the required coins to pay for it from the purse they used to collect the money they made from the ship's goods. I knew that purse was more than a little lighter.
"Bayon, no. . ." I protested as he took the exquisite necklace from the man. "What will the Captain say?"
Bayon chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Nothing, lass. Most of this money is mine, anyhow. This necklace is better than what I usually pay for while I'm ashore here." The glimmer in his eyes kept me from asking what that could be for. I was spared from saying anything more when Hemna showed up.
"Are you two ready? We still have to buy supplies and pick up the men," Hemna told us in Jeritan with his deep baritone voice that seemed to be teasing. I nodded, glad to get a little further away from Bayon's. No such luck.
"Hold on, lassie," he laughed, gripping my arm gently but firmly. Gasping at his touch, I turned around. Smiling, he held out the necklace, the clasp undone. Cursing my stupidity, I forced a smile as well. He looped it around my neck and clasped it. The pendant fell softly to my chest and my smile turned warmer.
"Thank you," I whispered. He didn't seem to hear me, as he turned away to speak with Hemna. I fingered the jewels at my neck, feeling all the beauty it contained. All I needed was the gown and the prince, I told myself. Or just the gown . . . another voice inside me hissed knowingly. I silenced it with a thought.
The men continued on down the dirt covered street as the shops became more and more sparse, the trees increased in numbers. Many kinds I had never seen before, but when I wondered about that aloud, both Bayon and Hemna stopped talking completely. Disappointed at their lack of knowledge- sharing, I withdrew inside my own thoughts. I remembered my parents, my mother's claims of traveling to worlds unseen and unknown. She couldn't be right, could she? But I thought that I knew everything about my world and, here I was, in a brand new one. I dismissed that at once. I recalled that some of the Elders in my village mentioning that insanity was passed down from parent to child. I had both odds against me, but so far I had persevered past that. I didn't want to start being crazy now. Not with . . . well, not with certain things happening.