2nd of Summer, 514 AV
Solemn arose early the next morning, rejuvenated and energetic in a way he had not felt for a long while. Last night, he had dreamed of lullabies, and his sleep had never been so sound. Mostly, they had come in Hiberna’s voice, as soft as the rising light of dawn, but on one occasion, the voice changed slowly, distorting itself through several he didn’t recognize until it alit on one he knew too well but had not heard in far too long. It was his mother’s, the one that had filled the first eight months of his life with lullabies. Hearing her voice and Hiberna’s had reignited his passion of reuniting his family, and though he had no intention of doing that any time soon, the energy that came with the passion was being usefully directed elsewhere.
He was going to get a job. For the last two years, Solemn had lived under this roof and contributed little to its upkeep and the wellness of those it housed. He was four, for Morwen’s sake. What kind of four-year-old didn’t have a job?
That was going to change, but first, he needed to look sharp for when he went to talk to business owners. He had one in mind: Lusina Frostfawn. The White Elk Stables were in his hold, close to home, and Solemn was good with animals. His half-animal existence may have had something to do with that. Still, looking nice came first.
To that end, he was heading to the shop in the market owned by Laria Skyglow, the shop that bore her namesake, Laria’s Furs. Currently, he was dressed in his old parka which would probably need to be replaced soon as well. His first order of business though was to buy a fine pair fur clothing, one that would make him presentable to Lusina when he requested a job, but while he was there, he would look into getting warmer clothing for while he was working. He would have to be wise with his money though; Solemn only had so much saved up from the odd times Padrin paid him for the favors he did.
As he stepped into the shop, he noticed an immediate reprieve from the assaulting cold. That was a relief. He had never liked the cold, but now, with his parka on indoors, he was too warm. Removing the old, battered coat, he hung it on a coat rack near the door.
A warm voice greeted him from behind the counter. “Welcome, Solemn. What brings you in today?”
He looked to the counter where Laria was waiting. While he hadn’t been in often, he had been there enough for her to recognize his face and remember his name. “Good morning, Laria. How are you?”
“Warm. You?”
“Warm and content. Thank you.”
“And Padrin and Katrinaria?”
“They are quite well.”
“So what brings you in?” she asked again.
“Well, I’m hoping to get a job, but Padrin says I should be well-dressed when I go.”
“That Padrin is a smart man.”
Solemn swelled with pride at the compliment to his friend. “The wisest.”
“He’s a good man, too.”
“The best.” Solemn truly believed it, too. He admired Padrin greatly and his dedication to his family even more.
“If you’re looking for something particularly nice for an interview, I do have some dyed fur products,” she said, pointing to where they were displayed.
“Actually, I was hoping to get them perfectly fit for me, if it’s not any trouble.”
“Of course not.” She smiled. Walking around the counter, she took his arm and led him to the measuring pedestal. “I can understand wanting to look particularly sharp, especially for something as important as this.”
She left him there as she went for her measuring tape. “If you’d take off your clothes that would be best. We don’t want them skewing the measurements.”
After he pulled off his boots, Solemn did as he was asked, removing and folding first his shirt, then his pants, and finally his undergarments. Laria returned and, seeing him naked, looked away.
“You can keep your undergarments on.”
“Of course. Sorry.” He wasn’t embarrassed by her having seen him this way but was sorry for having made her uncomfortable. It was easy for him to forget others’ aversion to nudity, as the animal part of him made it feel natural. He would probably have gone around that way daily if the air outside wasn’t so cold that everything would freeze and fall off. Pulling undergarments back on, he informed her that he was decent.
She turned back to him with a smile that was neither forgiving nor apologetic as neither was needed. It had been a simple misunderstanding, and she was happy for his business. “Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that you’re a Kelvic.”
He smiled back. He liked her easy-going, friendly nature.
She started with measuring his neck. As the measuring tape wrapped around him, she commented. “That parka of yours is starting to look a little beat up. I could mend it for you, if you like?”
Solemn shook his head. He had got it when he was still growing, and now it was too tight. “I was actually hoping to get you to make me a brand new one. My old one is getting too small anyhow.”
Laria nodded. “Of course. Is there anything else you need? Arms down now, please.”
Solemn nodded as he did as she instructed. “I would like to get a couple pairs of fur pants for working. Do you have wool by chance?”
Laria slid the tape down the length of his arm. “Yes. I just got a shipment of llama wool in not too long ago. It’s a bit more expensive to get anything made from that though. My supply is limited. Is there something else you have in mind?”
Solemn replied as the tape measured around his waist. “I was hoping to get five nice wool shirts as a layer for under my parka and a scarf, too. What would you recommend for good cold-weather headwear?”
Laria stood up from where she was measuring the length of his legs. “I could make you a wool balaclava.”
“A what?”
“A balaclava. It covers your entire head and face except for a single hole across the eyes. The front can be pulled down to expose your face while indoors, and if that’s still too warm, it can be pulled all the way down around the neck. It will definitely keep you warm if you’re doing a lot of outdoors work.”
“That sounds fantastic.”
“What do you have for hand protection?”
“Nothing besides what I’m given when I am out on work. Do you have some ideas for that?”
Laria nodded. “I could make you some fur mittens and wool gloves to wear underneath them. The gloves would allow you more use of your hands, but the mittens will keep you warmest.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Laria laughed. “Would you stop agreeing to everything I say, Solemn. I feel like I’m robbing you.”
“There’s no way you could rob anyone. Even at double the price, you’re clothes are worth it.”
Laria smiled and, after some quick mental calculation, told Solemn his totalLeather Parka (Fur-Lined with Fur Trim)= 10 gm
Wool Balaclava= 3 gm
Wool Scarf (Dyed)= 11.5 sm
10 Undergarments= 1 gm
Fur Shirt (Dyed)= 6.5 sm
Fur Pants (Dyed)= 52 sm
2 Fur Pants= 8 gm
5 Wool Shirts= 5 gm
Wool Gloves= 5 gm
Fur Mittens= 25 sm
Total= 41.5 gm. “Would you like to pay for that now or when everything is finished?”
“Now, please. Padrin always told me to pay ahead for anything I get from anyone.”
“And probably to never get paid until you finish a job.”
Solemn nodded, and Laria shook her head. “You’re being taught well. Just don’t let anyone take advantage of your good nature.”
Dressing quickly, Solemn paid Laria from the pouch he was carrying in his parka and made his way back home. He would be glad to get some new clothes. The wind was starting to bite him, even through his thick parka.