Shopping

I packed my rabbits and their pelts, then carefully put on my disguise and made my way into the village. My mission was to sell the rabbits, then use the money I earned to buy suitable cloths, threads, and stuffing to make a comfortable bed, and to buy a large ice box for storing my meat for the winter, although that would be too expensive for me to buy today. I considered building one myself, but I lacked the requisite tools, materials, and skills.

As expected, I drew somewhat less attention this time, although whether that was because it was the second time I visited the village, and therefore wasn't as novel, or whether it was because my clothes were in a more decent condition, I didn't know. Perhaps it was both. Still, I drew many stares.

The bell jingled when I opened the door. I headed directly to the counter and waited patiently for the customer ahead of me to finish his business. The shopkeeper glanced at me, then focused her eyes again on the man standing before her. I quickly raised my eyes and glanced at him when I was sure that no one was looking in my direction. I could only see him from the back, but he wasn't much taller than me, his build seemed average, his hair was short and hay-colored, and his voice was pleasant. It was masculine, but not particularly deep.

"That will be 27 silver and 43 copper, in total", the shopkeeper said.

The man pulled a pouch out of his pocket and counted out the money. The shopkeeper quickly verified the amount.

"Thank you. Have a good day", the shopkeeper said.

"Thank you and good day to you too", the man replied. He picked up the bundles of his purchases and turned to leave the store, so I moved up to the counter and placed my bundle on it, opening it to reveal the contents. I noticed that the man stopped behind me, and his gaze felt like a tiny pair of candle flames burning the back of my head.

"More rabbits?" the shopkeeper said with a sigh. "I only managed to sell half of the meat I bought from you yesterday, you know. If I can't sell the rest by tonight I'll have to freeze it, and that means lowering the price, too. I can't afford to pay you full price for meat that I can't sell fresh".

"Then how much will you give me for them?" I asked.

"1 silver and 75 copper each. I'll be lucky if I manage to sell 2 of them today, and that means freezing 4 rabbits", she said.

I was sure that yesterday's price was already low, and undoubtedly she was using this excuse to drive it as low as she could.

"For that much I might well eat them myself!" I exclaimed while being careful not to open my mouth too widely. "Even if you can't sell them fresh, 2 and 50 is already a decent price, even for frozen meat".

From the corner of my eye I could see the shopkeeper shaking her head.

"I'm taking a risk just by buying them, and even then I can only sell them for around 3 silver when fresh. Besides, what other option do you have? Will you go door to door trying to sell your rabbits in this heat, exhausting yourself trying to keep them cool without starting a fire?" she retorted.

"That's not such a bad idea. Thank you for the suggestion", I said brightly. I started packing away the rabbits, as if I was going to leave the store. The shopkeeper grabbed my hands.

"Wait, perhaps I was a tad too hasty in my judgment. I can give you 9 silver for the lot. 2 and 50 for each rabbit, less 1 silver for the loss on the rabbits I'll have to freeze", she said.

I did expect that selling too much of the same item in too short a time would lead to the prices I was offered being lowered, but I was glad that it was not by too much.

"And what about the pelts?" I asked, pulling out a smaller bundle from within the larger bundle. I opened it to display them to her.

"Those are no problem. I can pay you 2 and 50, same as yesterday", she said. I nodded.

"We have a deal, then", I said.

The shopkeeper handed me 21 silver and 50 copper. I carefully counted them out and tucked them away. They were all there.

I looked around the store, selecting the fabrics and threads that I wanted, both for my bed and for a new dress and undergarments. I may have mended the ones I was wearing, but they were the only ones I had. I needed something to wear while I was washing them, and besides, even after repairing them they still looked worn from my travels through the forest. I wanted clothes that looked beautiful and fresh.

While I was making my selections I felt the man's eyes following me, and my cheeks gradually grew hot. Didn't he know it was rude to stare?

"How much would it cost to buy feathers for a single bed?" I asked the shopkeeper.

"Around one gold, depending on the exact amount", she answered.

If one day of hunting only earned me about 20 silver, then it would take me around 5 days to earn that much. Besides, a feather bed was a luxury I didn't need.

"Never mind", I said, and paid for my purchases, not forgetting to include a few sweets. This time, however, I kept a few silver in reserve. I'll need to start saving money for that ice box. A good ice box would have no leakage of air and would be well-insulated, to maintain the cold temperature inside for as long as possible, but that would require a high degree of craftsmanship. A large one could cost a few gold.