The Merchant Who Became a Hero

Chapter 3: Memories

"Thank you for your business, please come again tomorrow!"
Multiple hours later Louis stood in the same spot he had been in when Annie left, bowing his final costumer out of the door. He had his hands folded over his lap and a brown apron tightly wrapped around his waist. Louis kept his smile up until the door was closed and he was left alone, letting out a weary sigh and frowning. The young merchant raised his head and looked around the shop, the only light available being the pale glow from the moon through the windows.

The Annis Hag nail had predictably been the first item to go, though Louis suspected he had sold it for far less than what it was worth. After Annie left he had tried appraising the items included in his share. His difficulties in using his appraisal skill persisted, the values for them either being too low or too high. Louis had been forced to guess at the prices like he usually did. He had been afraid of overpricing his wares and discouraging his costumers, so he kept the prices low. The young merchant ran into this problem quite frequently and no doubt had lost a lot of potential money because of this. Still, at least he was making money. If only a little.

Before going to bed, Louis went around replacing his stock and setting up more items on display. Aside from the Annis Hag nail, he hadn't sold much. Some giant bat fur, a handful of slime cubes, and a couple shells from giant centipedes. Most of his items, like the goblin ears, were so basic nobody had touched them. Louis had tried his best to advertise them and even conjured up some deals to try and move them, but no such luck.

After Louis was done, he moved to the register and checked what he had made before heading for the back room. Fifty gold, pitiful. It would buy him groceries for the next few days, but a lot of that money came from the Annis Hag nail. He wasn't sure how much more he would be able to make with his low-quality items, doubting he would be carried through the week. These thoughts chased him all the way into his room, nipping at his mind and festering in the back of his head. Louis tried to ignore them as he changed into a comfortable long sleeved black shirt and matching black trousers. With a slight sigh Louis sat on the edge of his back, looking towards the window.

The young merchant stared through the glass at the sky behind it. His fidgeting hands slowly came to a stop and peacefully rested in his lap; Louis fixated by the moons glowing image. Even his breathing slowed to a crawl, leaving him in complete silence. The words he had heard Annie speak earlier broke the stillness, repeating in his mind.
"He never loved us..."
Louis mumbled the words as they returned to him, his eyes filling with nostalgia as soon as the statement left his dry lips.

He remembered a moon just like this one, shining through that exact same window. It had been the same room as well, though not as empty. Stuffed dolls and wooden toys littered the floor while rough yet lovingly drawn pictures hung up on the walls. Louis had been quite a bit younger then though. But back then he didn't need to think about the shop, prices, pathfinders, dungeons, or if he would have enough money to make it through to the next week. All he had to worry about was when the next meal would come, or if tomorrow would be sunny enough to go out and play.

Louis remembered being curled up, his head in somebody's lap. A hand, quite a bit bigger than his own, was running its fingers through his hair. He recalled enjoying that, the simple action able to settle his nerves and ease his worries no matter the situation. Louis reached up to hold the hand and was met with an airy yet sweet chuckle. He found himself chuckling along and looked up.

A perfectly sculpted face, full of life and kindness, stared back at him with a smile that could disarm a frenzied barbarian. His lips were full and jawline soft, cheeks protruding just a little. His nose was thin and eyes a pleasant distance apart. Sunflower blonde hair cascaded down from his head and collected around his mid back, the moons glow making it shine. His eyes went well with his hair, a brilliant and uniquely gold colour. Louis could never remember seeing anger or hatred in those eyes, always picturing them as twin pools of calmness. His skin, though smooth and devoid of any blemishes or marks, was an unnatural shade of white. Louis never minded though. If anything, he believed it went well with the comfortable white robes he wore. These details had persisted through the years and stubbornly stayed firmly lodged in his mind. Louis was thankful for that, as he never wanted to forget them.

"Daddy, why are you laughing?"
Louis could still remember the conversation they had that night, each and every word. His father chuckled again and rubbed him on the head, leaning backwards with the other hand supporting him on the bed.
"You're holding onto my hand so tightly, it's like you think I'll vanish."
A slight wince came from Louis at his fathers words, the easy and soft tone he used barely more than a whisper.
"W-well..."
His father tilted his head to the side and smiled again, continuing to stroke his hair.
"You do? Now why would you think that?"
Louis paused for a moment and chewed on his lip, sparing a moment to consider his next words. With some measure of reluctance, he spoke.
"Sometimes... I ask mommy about your home. She never tells me about it and usually scolds me for mentioning it. Mommy thinks you're going to go back there without telling us one day and doesn't want us to give you the idea by talking about it."

His father needed some time to formulate a response, his fingers frozen in Louis' hair. He then chuckled and gave his son a childish smile.
"You don't need to worry a single bit about that, you know where mommy found daddy right?"
Louis tilted his head to the side and looked at him in confusion, shaking his head.
"Why, mommy found daddy in a small hole out in the field. Daddy had fallen from the moon, that's why his skin is so pale!"
He even pulled a funny face to go with this statement, Louis laughing and gently hitting his chest.
"That's so not true!"
His father began laughing along with him and trapped Louis in a hug, his long and wide sleeves wrapping around him like a blanket.
"It is! That's why daddy's hair glows in the moonlight, because he's from the moon!"

The two continued to laugh for a small while until quiet settled once more, leaving them both sat there in comfortable silence. After running his fingers through Louis' hair for a small while his father spoke up again.
"That's why you don't have to worry about daddy going home without telling you. Because, even if he wanted to, he couldn't. The moon is so far away up there, he would never get to it. He's stuck right here with you, Annie and your mother."
His father had said this in such a quiet, steady tone that Louis couldn't help but feel comforted by his words. He smiled and settled back down into his lap, closing his eyes.

"You'll promise me one thing though... right?"
His father curiously tilted his head and looked down at Louis. He let a moment pass before nodding. The young boy breathed in gently and laid his hand over his father's knee.
"If you do ever find a way to the moon, at least tell us before you go."
Louis could remember the silence that followed this scaring him deeply, afraid of what his father would say. Only after a tense moment had passed did his father answer.

"Yes, you'll be the first to know."
Louis held back a few tears and smiled up at his father, holding onto the hand that was placed on top of his head. He leant to the side and curled against his waist.
"Thank you..."
His eyes soon closed, missing his fathers bright and comforting grin turning into a mirthless smile.

As the memory faded away Louis let out a light yawn and turned his gaze away from the window. As he laid back and pulled the blanket up over his body the young merchant continued pondering over that memory. Years later, it was easy to agree with Annie's harsh words and look badly upon his father. But whenever one of those old memories were summoned forwards, Louis couldn't help but disagree with his sister. There was a time his father cared for them. He sighed and settled into bed. The shop would have to be opened nice and early tomorrow, he couldn't stay awake thinking about the past all night. With one final glance at the moon Louis rolled over and shut his eyes, inviting the peaceful ignorance of sleep when it came to him. 

(This chapter is dedicated to Sophia, who always knows how to make me smile.)