//Sorry it's a little long xD. Sometimes I just never stop writing. You don't have to mirror me, though.
Nerizanna gnawed at her chapped bottom lip. What to bring, what to bring... her mind chanted over and over, her blue eyes repeatedly scanning over the wooden shelves.
Jeremiah's shop wasn't too busy that day, but neither was it empty. Every now and then the bell by the door would chime, signalling either the entrance or exit of yet another customer, probably a traveler passing through the small village of La'marri.
"You find what you're looking for, yet, Missy?" A gruff voice sounded from behind the counter, and Nerizanna turned around to look at its owner. Jeremiah Covrey was a middle-aged man with thinning pink hair and dark skin, a relatively poor merchant with roots in Serendipity. Like Ghaned, he'd come to La'marri for some peace and quiet.
Ghaned...
Nerizanna inhaled deeply, trying to force her thoughts away from her father. It was still painful to think about, even after a year of him being away.
"No," she mumbled, her voice sounding annoyingly weak to her ears. Then she braced herself. She wasn't going anywhere without letting him know the truth. She pushed more strength behind her voice. "I'm sorry, Jeremiah, but is it too much to ask for some help? I...don't really know what to look for."
Jeremiah's green eyes seemed to sag, his mouth pressing into a thin line. He knew. Most of the village knew. Ghaned Hyll hasn't been around for a year, and his wise yet lively presence was dearly missed. No one failed to notice, either, just how much his poor daughter missed that presence. It got people talking, and even Jeremiah, a dear friend to Ghaned and one of the nicest men in town, was no exception.
Nerizanna averted her eyes, turning them to the floor. Her thin skirt went up to her toes, nearly covering her most practical pair of leather sandals. There her gaze was fixed, until a hand landed on her shoulder, bringing her eyes up again.
Jeremiah looked at her, sadness swirling around his eyes, but his words of pity, had they been conjured up or not, thankfully stayed behind his lips. Instead, he asked her, "How long will you be gone?"
Nerizanna shrugged weakly. "A few months. But I'll really only need provisions until I arrive at Serendipity. I can probably stock up there again, find a place to stay while...while I investigate." Her words hung between them, even as Jeremiah led her to a section where cloaks hung limp from hooks attached to the wall.
"Well, you can start with preparing for the Terrin Mountains. Autumn's fast approaching, and it's going to get cold, so take a cloak, and I'll get you some flint so you can start your own fires," Jeremiah said, fumbling around with his wares. Nerizanna wanted to cry from how touched she was, but she held the tears in and let a small smile fall onto her lips. Was this how having an uncle felt like? "Oh, and you'll probably need some rope. Would you prefer one with or without a grapple?" Jeremiah continued.
Nerizanna was about to answer when a chime sounded from the shop door. Jeremiah perked up and leaned into the center aisle to greet the new customer. "Welcome to...my..."
Nerizanna followed Jeremiah's gaze to find a green-skinned woman—a rather large one—glaring daggers at her friend. She saw Jeremiah gulp in her peripheral vision. "H-how may I-I help y-you?" he sputtered.
The ogre visibly suppressed a scoff. "Men," Nerizanna thought she heard, the woman's voice rough as sandpaper, even as she mumbled. The stranger's gaze shifted over to hers. Suddenly, she wanted to gulp too. But she stood her ground, lifting her chin up higher. "Get the one with the grapple. It'll help you scale the mountains better."
"Oh," she said dumbly, blinking as she plucked a coil of rope—with a grapple—off the shelf. "Thank you."
"No problem." The woman nodded. "Might you know where I can find the village mage's daughter?"
Nerizanna straightened, brows furrowing in confusion. "What do you want with her?" She asked, her voice bolder than she felt.
"To help," the stranger replied. "Given she's the mage's daughter, she could probably take care of herself, but I can provide extra muscle for some coin." She patted her muscled bicep for emphasis. "So, do you know where to find her?"
Nerizanna glanced at Jeremiah, who was already staring at her. He was still frozen, probably in fear of the stranger's hulking presence. Swallowing, Nerizanna pulled her eyes back to meet the woman's.
"I do." She smiled slightly. "You've already helped her without knowing it," she said, holding up her new grapple.
The woman's eyes widened a fraction. "You?"
"Me," she affirmed. "I'm Nerizanna Hyll, the village mage's daughter." Nerizanna nodded once at her new companion. "Who are you?"
The woman bowed her head a little. "Tarroth Lennarien, a mercenary of the Defenseless Old Ladies."
"It's nice to meet you, Tarroth," she replied. "Let's stock up on provisions while we're both still here, I might need some more of your travelling advice. Then, we leave tomorrow at dawn."
WC: 849 words