Treasure in a person, there's a price on their heart.

First meeting.

"A child?" The woman asked.

"A child in the river, came a-floating down the stream in a little row boat with a damn cardboard box to cover 'em. Don't know how the poor thing made it here, but I recon he'll be just fine." The other woman replied.

"What's going to happen to him?" The first woman asked.

"'Prolly work on the farm. It'll be nice to have a wee boy of me own." The second lady said.

"You already have a child, don't you?" The first woman said.

"That devil ain't no child of mine. That damned wreck can go back to 'ell where it belongs." The second lady replied.

The first woman sighed, "how about I take the child? I've been gettin' kind of lonely by myself."

"Well dear, do what you wish with him then. I agree that you've been lonelay. You ought to find you a man to help take care of 'em. A young woman like you got ta have letters a-flyin' to your doorstep. Should read 'em." The second woman said, playfully nudging her.

"Stop it, I'll find someone soon enough." The first woman said.

"Whatever you say deary. The child should be in that cottage o'er there." The second woman said, pointing to a cottage to the right of the boat dock.

"Thank you." The first woman said quickly as she started to walk to the door. When she approached, the door opened in front of her and there a child stood in the doorway.

"Hello there, are you the boy from the river?" The woman asked. The child just stood, not knowing where they should go.

Then, a voice came from inside the house, "wait! I still need to check for injury!" The child looked behind them to see the towns doctor turning the corner to chase after them. The child ran away, past the first woman.

"Hold on!" The first woman said as she grabbed her dress and picked it up off the floor to run after them. The child ran into the marketplace, slowing down as to not bump into people and fall. The woman ran through the crowd, snaking through them easily.

Soon she caught up with the child and grabbed him by the hood of his jacket.He didn't try to kick or thrash away, instead choosing to hold the box over his head. "What peculiar clothing you have." The woman stated as she turned him around to get a better look. The child stayed silent.

"Well, I guess you can tell me about yourself when we get home." She said as she moved her hand his shoulder so she wouldn't be choking him. He walked beside her as she went to her house.

"You know, any other kid would have just taken off their jacket and kept running. You could have also pushed me away easily, you're the same height as me. Now either you're stupid, or you don't want to make a scene." She looked at the child. He said nothing, only looked back at her.

"I'm going to assume that you aren't stupid for now, that would be rude of me." He gave no reaction, just turned to look back at the dirt path.

They made it to the woman's house and walked inside the house. "Now, you look to be a teenager, so I assume that you know how to bathe yourself." She said and the child nodded.

"See, you aren't stupid. Now I'll go prep the bath, you stay in here and get comfortable." She said. Then she walked passed the living room and walked into the room to the right. The child sat down on the wooden chair at the table, tapping his fingers as he waited for the bath to be made. He looked up from his fingers to see a price of paper with ink and a calligraphy pen next to it.