A Jewel-Hunting We Go!

[JackieCat]

Tag to @Ethereal-Star!
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Dergan Metalstone grumbled under his breath about all manner of things, from the weather being to sunny and warm to the name of the Provence he was in. "Featherfall, pftt!  What a ridiculous name!  No self-respecting dwarf would ever name a place 'Featherfall!  It sounds like an elven name if there ever was one!"

The truth was, the dwarf was not unhappy, he would just complain about anything that was not made by dwarves, and he would even complain about them sometimes.  If it was rainy, he would complain about it, if it was sunny, he would complain about that as well.

He was walking through a small town in, yep, Featherfall, Serendipity, but was on his way back home to Adela, his pack full of jewels.  He had traveled to Serendipity to buy gems for his metalworking.  A normal metalworker would not have traveled as far as Dergan had for a few gems, but the Firestones in Featherfall were the best, and Dergan used only the best for his work.  He had spent the whole week looking for the perfect gems, and now he had found them.

He was walking through the crowds of people, it was market day, so the streets were full, when he saw something beautiful.

Beautifully crafted jewelry.  While Dergan was a blacksmith, he was also a jewelsmith, and he knew fine craftsmanship when he saw it.  The dwarf made beeline for the stand.  He barely even noticed the elf who manned the stand, he was so busy admiring the jewelry.

[Ethereal-Star]

Since it was market day, Gileth had closed her actual shop and set up a stand like many of the shopkeepers and merchants were doing in the crowded streets. She had given her assistant Amela, the day off as she deserved some down time. So the star elf herself managed the stand of beautifully crafted jewelry and head-pieces as well as a few hair accessories too. Sitting down in her chair, she watched the crowd of people going by while keeping a careful eye out for thieves. One can never be too careful when it came to those types of people.

One woman had come by, taken a look at a ruby necklace and scoffed at the price after she had turned away, thinking the elf could not hear her speak to her husband. Gileth had very sharp hearing being an elf, so either the woman didn't realize this or simply didn't care. Either way, she chose not to comment. Theatrics were not her thing. Plus it would be very non-business like to do so. Although that didn't stop some merchants from giving their two pennies about this or that. Gileth had dealt with difficult customers in her time as shopkeeper, it was to be expected. The thing about it was to not get upset and to merely keep one's cool.

A few minutes later, a dwarf with a mallet by his side came up to the stand, ogling over the jewelry displayed on the long table. Gileth let him look without comment for awhile before she spoke up. "See anything of interest?"

[JackieCat]

Dergan looked up when the elf addressed him, and he partially scowled when he saw the elf.  He did not like elves.

"Nay," he said gruffly. "But this is very fine workmanship.  Is it yers?"

He had known a few elves who were very skilled in jewelry-making, but the array of items before him were amazing, like nothing he had ever seen before.  Not that he was going to admit that to the elf.

[Ethereal-Star]

A small smile graced the star elf's face at his praise, but she did her best to maintain an air of aloofness and nonchalance. "It is indeed. I, along with my assistant have crafted everything you see here."

Gileth knew that dwarves had an eye for craftsmanship of many sorts, and this one appeared to be no different in that regard. He also seemed to show dislike for her based on her race, but to the star elf it mattered not. She could tell he was impressed by her work though and that while he may seem a little rough around the edges, like many of his kind were, he seemed to be a decent sort of fellow from what little Gileth could observe.

"Do let me know if anything peaks your interest, then." Smoothing out her purple gown, Gileth fixed him with a firm stare, but not unkind either. Perhaps he would buy something for his wife if he had one, but Gileth said nothing about this, just letting him continue to browse.

[JackieCat]

Dergan listened as she spoke, picking up a finely crafted ring.  The band was silver, twisted and shaped, and there was a blue stone set into the top.

"What gem is this?" he asked. He knew many gems, but he had never seen one like this before.  Someone with an untrained eye would say it was a sapphire, but Dergan knew better.  This stone was lighter, and it had a special glow emitting from it.

[Ethereal-Star]

"Ah, that one is a favorite of mine. It is a rare form of diamond, a blue diamond to be exact. I've enchanted it to have the glow that you are seeing."

Pointing to the silver band itself which was shaped like a leaf, Gileth continued her explanation. "The silver leaf is indicative of trees and their leaves that are found near my birth place. The tree itself is called 'Mithraleen' because its coloring resembles the metal look of mithril. Something I'm certain your kind would be familiar with." She of course, was referring to the mithril, not the tree itself.

"The price for that one is not cheap. A lot of work and materials went into its craftsmanship."

[JackieCat]

Dergan nodded.  "It is very well crafted indeed," he said, carefully setting back down the piece of jewelry.

"Where do you get your materials?" the dwarf asked.  There were many places where one could get metal and gems for jewelry-making, but there were only a few that had metals and jewels of this quality, and almost all of them Dergan had visited, except a few of the elven kingdoms that were not too friendly with dwarves.

[Ethereal-Star]

"Most of my stock is made from materials exported from the provinces of Darken Vei, Altas Verde, Fallial and Tirial, although I do have a few pieces of metals and gems leftover from my home plane of Yuirwood. Do keep in mind any purchases of the latter are quite expensive, more so than the usual fare." Gileth explained to the dwarf, while still keeping eyes and ears open for any thieving types.

Gileth sat back down in her chair and let him continue his browsing, carefully placing any moved items back to their proper place. A commotion from a couple stands over caught the elf's attention as a wisp of black hair framing a dirty chubby face darted off, an apple clutched in the human girl's fat fingers, while simultaneously taking a bite out of it while she ran.

"Thief!" a merchant from a nearby fruit and vegetable stand called out angrily, pointing a finger at the little girl. "The little brat made off with some of my inventory! GUARRRRRRDS!" the irate merchant hollered to a couple of patrolling guards on the streets.

The little girl screeched and ran away even faster, as the guards stopped their patrol and began to chase her. "Catch her!" the merchant yelled out again, face flaming red from anger.

Gileth did not interfere, only let the situation unfold as it was meant to, while at the same time keeping a closer eye on her own inventory.

[JackieCat]

Dergan spun around to see as the little girl ran off, the guards rushing after her, the merchant not far behind.

Within seconds the guards caught up with the girl, grabbing her shoulders and stopping her in her tracks.  She shrieked and tried to wriggle away, but, of course, it was not use.

The merchant stormed up to them and glared down at the little girl.  "Dirty thief!" he said, raising a hand.

But before it could descend, Dergan stepped in front of the little girl. "Ye'll not lay a hand on her!" the dwarf said loudly, and, despite his short stature, looked rather intimidating.

"The little wretch stole my product!" the merchant said. "She'll get what she has coming!"

"If ye'll not press charges, I'll pay for whatever the girl stole in full!" the dwarf said, looking the merchant right in the eyes, not backing down.

[Ethereal-Star]

The merchant, a man with shaggy brown hair and a large, hooked nose sneered down at the dwarf, puffing up his chest in the meantime. "Normally I charge 2 pips per apple, but for this grievous inconvenience, I will be asking double the amount!"

Lip curled up, the man looked down at the little girl who in turn, tried to hide behind the dwarf for protection, eyes wide with fright. "I'll be watching you girly. If I catch you trying your sticky fingers trick again, I may not be so generous the next time." he warned. Then tapped his foot impatiently, while he waited for the dwarf to pay him his money.

Gileth watched all this, an eyebrow raised. While the man had a right to be upset, the star elf felt he was going overboard with his threats. After all, the girl was likely homeless and probably hadn't had much to eat for who knew how long. But as she well knew, some merchants were only in the business for the coin it offered. While greed was an ugly thing, it also seemed to be a common trait for many. But again, Gileth didn't like to interfere in the affairs and whims of others. No matter how they acted.

[JackieCat]

The dwarf listened as the man demanded double the amount, but the dwarf did not argue, however, he narrowed his eyes when the man threatened the girl, but he said nothing.  Then Dergan reached into his pouch and pulled out a handful of coins.

He counted six into the merchant's hand, then he looked up at him, his steel gray eyes piercing the other man.  "I'd like another apple," he said calmly.

[Ethereal-Star]

Quickly snatching up the money given, the brown-haired merchant put it away in a deposit box with a lock on it, before handing the dwarf the apple he had paid for. He then set about to carefully examine his stock, to make sure nothing was out of place and that everything looked presentable, without another word to the dwarf. He did cast another glare at the girl who continued to shy away behind Dergan. The black-haired chubby-faced girl looked nervous and couldn't have been any older than seven or eight. How long she had been homeless for, only she could really say. The rags she wore told of this fact even more, the shirt looking much too small on her complete with many holes and tears, the color faded from it too. Finishing the rest of the apple she had dropped on the ground when the guards had caught her, she then looked longingly at the other apple the dwarf held, eyes hopeful for another.

The guards had since gone back to their posts, seeing as they were no longer needed there to maintain order. Gileth just calmly watched the rest of the scene play out, but there was a look of pity in her gray otherworldly eyes. Still keeping an eye on her own merchandise as well.

[JackieCat]

Dergan glared at the merchant as the man inspected his merchandise, then he turned to the girl and the guards walked away.  The dwarf's gray eyes softened upon falling upon the young girl, who was only a few inches shorter than him, and he handed her the apple.

"Do ye have a family, lass?" the dwarf asked kindly.

[Ethereal-Star]

She quickly snatched the apple from him, the little girl crunching into the red sweetness of it with fervor. "Thanks mister!" she said to the dwarf, her mouth full of the juicy fruit. Finishing it within seconds and then tossed away the core of it on the ground.

"Ummm...." she started, looking down at her feet, when Dergan asked her the question. "My ma is sick and won't get better." she said shyly, still looking at her feet and bouncing slightly up and down on her heels. "Pa left us, ma said. I hope he will back soon. It's been two years."

Chancing a glance up at the dwarf, she giggled loudly. "You're short!" Putting a hand over mouth as she continued to giggle. But the girl stopped then, as her expression once more became sad. "Ma won't get better." she repeated. "What will happen to her?" she asked him with huge, innocent eyes. Those eyes which were filled with uncertainty.

[JackieCat]

Dergan's eyes grew sad, and he frowned. "I'm sure we'll be able to find a healer who'll be able to help yer ma," he said, looking around, then he walked over to the elf who was selling jewelry.

"I'm not from around here," he said. "Do ye happen to know where a healers shop would be?"