Chapter 2
Jessica strolled down an alley in Carvahall. "None of this is worth my time…."
She ignored the merchants who held out their trinkets when she walked by. "Junk, junk, junk, junk, oh and what's that? Oh! It must be even more junk!"
She fingered the large amount of coins in her knapsack. She continued down the road until she was at the end. A bluish glint caught her eye. She stepped into the tent.
An old salesman looked up at her. He directed to the floor. "Please, have a seat."
She sat. "I am interested in something of yours." He looked around. "Of great value is it?"
She nodded. He held up many trinkets, and jewels. After she declined each of them he sighed. "Well there is one more….but its worth is unknown, and I'm afraid you won't be able to afford it….."
Jessica nodded. "Show it to me." He pulled out a parcel and slowly unwrapped the folds of cloth. Jessica gasped. "It's beautiful!" He sat a bluish sapphire in front of her. Its corners were perfectly cut, and whitish veins webbed within the shell. "How much is it? I'll take it!"
The merchants face dropped. "Well what do you have? Most people around here don't have money…." Jessica dumped the coins in her knapsack in front of him. He quickly counted out the coins. "I don't know if it's enough…." The merchant noted as he pushed the coins around with his finger. "You're kidding me! That's almost 150 crowns!" "No I'm sorry…it's just not enough…" She raked the coins back in her knapsack. "Then what is?" He stared at it and scratched his chin. "Tell ya what….if you can manage to bring me 200 crowns, then ill be happy to sell it to you."
She nodded. "I'll be back in about 10 minutes. Don't sell it to anyone."
The merchant covered the stone and hid it. "No problem." He mumbled as she raced to her house.
Jessica flew through the streets, and into her house. She ran to her room and yanked a jar out from under her bed. She opened her knapsack and poured the jars contents into the knapsack, then raced back to the merchant's tent.
When she got there she found Eragon and his uncle sitting in the tent talking to the man. She stepped inside. "Hey! You promised you wouldn't sell the stone! I told you I would be right back!" The merchant glared at her. "I wasn't selling the stone. Do you have the money?" "Yes" she shoved Eragon out of the way, and then dumped the money on the floor. Eragon and Garrow's eyes lit up. The merchant counted out the money. "You're a crown short." Jessica's face reddened with anger. "That's all I have!" The merchant sighed well sorry…I just don't feel comfortable selling it at such a low price.
Eragon reached in his pocket and pulled out a crown. "Here…..for last night." Jessica stared at him. Then her eyes grew soft. "Thank you." She tossed the coin at the merchant. "There, now give me the stone." He nodded, and hesitantly pulled the stone out from under the mat. Eragon's eyes grew. When the deal was done, Eragon stepped out of the tent. "Garrow, I changed my mind, I'm gonna keep the stone."
He followed Jessica to her house and knocked on her door.
"Coming!" The door swung open. "Eragon, What are you doing here? Come in!"
Jessica led him to her room. "So? What's on your mind?" Eragon pulled his gem out of his bag. "This." He sat it on the bed. Her eyes grew. "But…but I have one too! You were there you gave me money!" Eragon nodded. "Yes, except I found mine in the spine." Jessica gasped. "Hold on, I'll be right back." She left the room. Eragon looked around.
There was a small desk in the far corner of the room, there was a candle on one side and a pad of paper and pen was on the other side. The bed was angled so the side of the bed was against the wall, and the head board was in the corner. There was a little table beside it with a book on it. He looked at the print on it, ("It looks really good")
He went over to the desk. "What's this?" He flipped through the pages. "They're…dragons."
Jessica walked in and smacked a hand on top of the pictures. "There is nothing to see here. Forget it, okay?" Eragon nodded. "Sorry…" She sighed and sat on the bed. "So what do you think they are?" Eragon shrugged, and slid his fingers over its surface. "I don't know, but whatever they're made of, it must have been really valuable to have been shaped like this. Jessica nodded then yawned and stretched noting the sunset. The sun had sank behind the tall trees that lined the spine's crests casting the sky into deep shades of purple and orange. Eragon stood and picked up his stone. "Not really much to say…..Look I have to go, I'm supposed to meet my uncle at the pub." Jessica stood and nodded jamming the stone under her bed before showing him to the door. "See ya later I guess…" Eragon nodded and left racing straight to the pub.
Eragon pushed the door open and stepped into the pub. He quickly looked around. The room was filled with traders and buyers. Most of the tables were being used. The chairs surrounding the fireplace were all occupied with rough looking men with swords and bows.
Garrow sat at a corner table with Roary, each seemed lost in conversation. Eragon made his to the table and sat in a chair. Garrow turned in surprise. "What do you want?" Eragon folded his arms. "You told me to meet you here...you know, for dinner?" Garrow nodded. "Right." He waved to a waitress. "What do you guys want?"
The waitress left after taking the orders returning minutes later with plates of steaming food. They ate in silence only speaking when the plates were empty. Garrow leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. "We'll probly be here a while longer so just go do whatever, and Eragon don't rile up Brom with your endless questions. Now off with you." Eragon quickly stood and crossed the room and slipped out of the pub, and onto the streets searching the tents for anything worth having.
Jessica slipped out of her house. ("There has to be something to do…") She stepped onto the street, walking aimlessly past the merchants and their tents.