Jam Jars [GirlxGirl]

Chapter 9

Vera exited the car and went around to the other side, helping Emma out. They were already collecting a few stares for the outlandish design of the vehicle, and for having a vehicle at all, but soon the looks ceased as Vera locked the car and they moved away from it. Emma's eyes were filled with wonder as she darted from one trinket-filled stall to the next, and back again.

"I only have a couple dolch on me, so choose wisely." Vera reminded her. Emma gave a nod, and then her gaze was caught by a salmon pink scarf hidden amounts a wealth of wooden boxes and quills. She rushed over to it and looked it over, mouth agape. It had stripes of grey and white in a zig-zag pattern that complimented the pink colour. The formation of the stripes seemed inspired by the tribal outfits Bochardian's used to wear back in the early stages of its civilisation.

"How much is it?" Emma asked the man running the stall. He was dressed in tattered overalls, splattered in paint, and was quite large. Besides the scarves, boxes and quills, his stall was packed with ornaments and good luck charms, each coloured in bright, cheerful patterns like the scarf. Golden half-suns on the end of silver chains dotted the stand. The man gave a shrug and smiled crooked teeth at Emma,

"One smile." He joked, then let out a strange, but merry, sounding laugh, "You don't look from around here." He added, pulling the scarf off of the rack and presenting it to Emma. Vera came to stand next to the shorter girl, silently watching the man with her hands in her pockets. Emma seemed overjoyed at the encounter. Vera supposed this was the most friendly initial interaction Emma had ever had with anyone. I slammed a door in her face and Tsuru called her pathetic and dumb.

"No, I'm not, I'm from all the way over there." Emma turned and pointed. North Bochardess was on a steep slope, and from the stall you could peek over the many thatched roofs as they shifted into a sea of grey and joined with West Bochardess. The man looked taken aback, he'd clearly expected her to be a tourist from another country. Not many Bochardian's had tan skin like Emma, especially in areas such as West Bochardess. "I live in a cottage in that forest." Emma clarified. West Bochardess and South Bochardess were bordered by the woods. Looking down at it from the hill was eye-opening; it was far more vast than Vera had imagined. Emma stalled, having turned to look down towards her own home. Clearly she, too, was surprised by the size. She's never seen it from this far away. It occurred to Vera with a shock, and another pang of pity rose within her. The trees stretched out all the way to the horizon, pine and oak, evergreen and deciduous, struggling upwards towards the sky, with only the odd clearings of buildings and fields corrupting the otherwise untamed forest.

"Well, love, the scarf is ten dolch if you'll have it." He smiled, holding it out to Emma, who had turned her attention back to the stall. The man had folded the scarf into a square and tied it in place with a pink bow. Emma's face lit up. Vera pulled out some bronze coins and handed them to the man. "Thank you." He gave a small bow of his head, handing Emma the scarf, "It'll look lovely on you." He added. Emma beamed,

"You're too kind, thank you."

"Check out my buddy Callim's food stand over there if you're peckish, his jelaple is fantastic." He suggested, pointing a chubby hand at a stall not far from them, surrounded by a thick steam and hungry crowd.

"We will." Emma smiled, then trotted happily to another stand. Vera regarded the man silently, not sure what to say, then followed after Emma without a word. The girl was looking at some pencils carved into the shape of goats.

"I have no more dolch." Vera explained. Emma gave a nod, not looking away from the stall.

"I know, but it's fun to look." She turned to Vera as they walked on to another stall. The crowd had been manageable before, but as they trekked further into the market more and more people began to bump into Vera. The centre of North Bochardess was notoriously cramped during market hours. Brown eyes kept her hands safely in her pockets and took in deep breaths, trying her best to remain calm. One man bumped against her shoulder, nearly knocking Vera over. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her, not letting go as he asked,