"Ow!" stated Marjorie, ears hurting and patience waning as if hung over. "Why must they light those off midday?" "Aw let the kids have their fun Jorie!" said Autumn warmly, her empathy for Jorie's frazzled state and the insomnia keeping her from raising her voice. "Ughhhh..." Jorie put her head down in Autumn's lap sitting right next to her around the fire, the Barbur leaves and coffee keeping her from shutting her eyes. "You alright down there babe?" "Mhmm. You're nice and warm." Autumn smiled, caressing Marjorie's hair, then leaning over to give her a long kiss on the cheek. Autumn felt wonderful from the Barbur leaves. Peppermint tasting, and with a gummy texture to them, Autumn could chew a whole branch of these leaves if she wanted to. They kept one awake and alert, and felt as if an inner fire were fueling her with warmth. "Thank you again for the Barbur leaves Gramma Anna! They're wonderful!" "Aw dearie, only the best for my little Autumn and Marjorie." They sat quietly for awhile, interrupted periodically by the sounds of firecrackers, drinking coffee and chewing Barbur gum leaves. It was a beautiful day outside, and the sun was growing high into the sky. After an hour of near silence with periodic conversation, Autumn decided that they would go to the markets for a very special thing indeed. "How many candles do you have Gramma Anna?" "Three honey." "That's not enough. I need two, Jorie needs two, you need however many." "One." "One, we'll go to the markets and get some." "Be careful dearies!" "Jorie, you ready?" "Ughh, get me up and walking and I'll be fine." "Sure thing babe." Autumn stood up and grabbed Marjorie's arm and yanked her up, Marjorie wavering as if she was going to fall at first, then stood steady. "Okay see you soon Gramma Anna!" stated Marjorie. "Okay! Good luck!"
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"You'd expect more stalls would be open" stated Marjorie. "You'd be surprised how many people celebrate the Day of Spirits Jorie." "True." Despite the holiday, and there were less people and many stalls closed, there was still a bustling fervor of capitalism about on this day. Many people were still out and about at the markets, buying food and goods much like any other day. Autumn and Marjorie were still holding their dried golden Barbur leaves, chewing on big gummy wads in their cheeks. They walked down the line of stalls, some of the regulars empty, showing their spiritual side in their absence. This one and the next, with prices being advertised vocally per usual. "One gold miza per snapper!" "Five gold mizas a hammer, well made hammers here!" "Bean oil here! Two mizas per jar!" Usually they would recreationally go from stall to stall finding deals, trading, bartering, sometimes for things they wouldn't need, but today they only needed candles, and for that they needed money. "Oh I hope she's there..." Marjorie said. And there she was. They walked over and she instantly was interested in their Barbur sticks. "Oh my! Barbur leaves!" she stated. "One silver per leaf and one gold if it's on the stick." stated Autumn. "Well isn't that a deal? Especially today! I'll do it. Two sticks, twenty-six leaves total? What does that come out to two gold plus six silver plus two gold? Four gold and six silver please!" "You know she's going to make a huge profit on that today Autumn..." whispered Marjorie in Autumn's ear. "Yeah I know, but we need the money." whispered Autumn in reply. "Plus we already have enough to chew on already, this will last us hours." "True." whispered Marjorie. "There you go young ladies. Tell Grandmother Anna if she wants to trade at my herbal shop she is free to do so." "You and I both know she drives a hard bargain unless you're in need." stated Autumn flatly. "Mhmm, and I'm always in need of tradeable herbs." "True. Thank you!" said Autumn. They left and continued going up and down the rows of shops looking for candles, but window shopping as well. The market was alive today, though they thought it would be dead. People everywhere shopping for this and that, the loud boasting of trade goods being advertised as they went. They finally came upon a strange little shop near the ends of one the more occupied rows of the market. A little shop darkly lit, with heavy canvas coverign most of it, with little unlit candles everywhere. "Can I help you?" said the owner in a strange, flowing accent of native tongue, not foreign." "Yes we need two little candles, white, and unscented." said Autumn. "Ah, Day of Spirits it is, yes?" "Indeed." "Here are two ordinary white candles." The woman put them on the table between them. "That's five silver a piece, coming to one gold,." "You're practically robbing us..." stated Marjorie. "It's okay, it's just business. I mean, what if people were to hear that a woman in a candle shop were charging exuberant prices for common household items?" said Autumn, quietly threatening the shop owner. "Then they would also know that today is the Day of Spirits, when such items are in high demand, and in such short supply that it's only natural that such things cost so much on this day. Plus, as a logical extension, people would know that such items would cost less on regular days, when there is less demand and more supply than on a day when such items are commonly bought out. It's just business." said the savvy shopkeeper with a grin. "Touche shopkeeper. What else do you sell if you don't mind me asking?" "Incense, candles, healing herbs, scented candles, drugged candles..." "Drugged candles!?" said Marjorie. "Yes." "I see." said Autumn, turning to Marjorie. "We should try those." "Maybe another time..." said Marjorie. "We do need incense though..." "10 incense sticks for 1 gold." "Done." said Autumn taking the deal as a bribe, as incense cost very much more, especially on a day such as this. "Such a good deal! I wonder what my friends will think if I tell them there is such items as these at a shop in the far end of the fourth row of the markets..." stated Autumn with a smile towards the shopkeeper, who smiled back. "We'll be sure to come back if you have candles imbued with certain substances." said Autumn. "My candles can be imbued with anything under the sun. If you want a custom candle with a custom recipe, than you can request one. You get one to try out the new recipe as a guinea pig, and then the rest will cost you, a lot, unless the candle becomes popular, in which case more would be made, making it less costly." "Alright, sounds like a deal." said Autumn. "I'll be sure to spread the word." "Make it a good word and I'll give you ten more incense sticks for five silver." "Done." Autumn and Marjorie grabbed the incense and put it into their bags, along with the candles. Autumn nodded and smiled at the shop owner, whom nodded back with a smile. "Good doing business with you." "And you as well." They left on that note and walked down the row filled with people and shop owners towards the outskirts of Sunberth with their belongings. |