Mirdovia: The White Raven

Chapter 4: The Afternoon Bandits

As the sun reaches it's peak in the sky on a clear day, Aasrena fights her way through the crowded market streets. Slowly nudging her basket of medical supplies through all kinds of people. Everyone shouting out their goods, multiple conversations merging into one another. Aasrena was ready to leave the market as soon as she arrived, but Moira desperately needs the supplies.

Alas, she comes to a clearing free of the sellers and buyers. Her basket lid remains closed and locked and still carries a nice weight. All supplies survived the mob and all she must do now is return to Ada.

Tired and exhausted she looks up to the sun's position in the sky and at her raven perched atop a nearby building. Keeping a watchful eye as always. "Sun wont set for a while. Perhaps I can buy myself something real fast." She tells her raven and heads down the streets. Dodging her way out of carts and watching her raven zip between the buildings.

Passing by rows of stores, Aasrena stops outside a clothing shop. It looked superior in craftsmanship compared to neighboring buildings. She felt oddly drawn to the building and stepped in to find out why. Upon entry she finds rows of dresses and jewelry. Everyday clothing, boots, gloves, hats. This store, although small, had a vast selection of materials in various colors. Anyone of all class levels could shop here and find something worth while.

The man behind the counter adjusts his monocle and strokes his grey beard as he sees Aasrena enter his establishment. "Aye, another fine lass browses me items it seems." He steps out from behind the counter with a large smile. He adjusts his coat as he approaches Aasrena whose overlooking the cloaks. "What you looking for on this fine day? A sturdy cloak of sorts? Scared of rain getting you wet are we?"

Aasrena can't help but return a smile to the shopkeep with his friendly presence and odd sense of humor. "Nothing serious i'm eyeing." She pans over the cloaks hanging nearby. "And no, the rain is no bother. I work the docks. I've managed to become quite accustomed to water."

The shopkeep nods and adjusts his monocle from slipping off. "Then what have you got in mind?" He asks again and this time Aasrena crosses her arms to think. "Perhaps a cloak and a pair of sturdy gloves." She adds with uncertainty to her voice. She overlooks her leather vest that rests over a white long sleeve tunic. Brown pants made of wool and faded boots to finish off her look.

The shopkeep looks over the clothes intently. Peering through the monocle and kneeling to inspect further. "Hmm." He finally mutters. He snaps his fingers in delight and stands back up to his feet. "I got just the attire for ye." He pulls off a blue cloak and wraps it around Aasrena for her. "Blue is a lovely color in my eyes. Easy to spot, too."

Aasrena ties the strings of the cloak together to keep it wrapped around her shoulders. "I do like blue." She says after tying the cloak together. "I love it, sir."

"Great!" The shopkeep waltz his way around towards the gloves and pulls up a brown pair of gloves and hands them to Aasrena. "This should conclude our business. Blue silk cloak and sturdy gloves. Am I correct?"

Aasrena nods and reaches in for her pouch of coin when the shop door is kicked in. Slamming against the wall and leaving a small crack in its window. The door barely hangs off its hinges as three individuals in similar red coats stand in the doorway of the shop. Two of them male and one female. The one up front twirls a small dagger around his finger as he slowly steps in to approach the shopkeep. "Kershaw!" He says with a wide smile towards the shopkeep. "Old friend. I'm back to collect my payment."

Kershaw pulls Aasrena behind him and approaches the man with the dagger. "Riggs." Kershaw says while clasping his hands together in front of him. Still keeping a positive attitude despite his window being cracked. "If you continue to interfere with me business you lose out on payments. Wait here, your coin is in the back."

The women of the group throws a knife at Kershaw's feet as soon as he turns to step back. "He's lying. He doesn't have the money." She says without showing any emotion whatsoever. Riggs nods and gives a deep sigh. "I did warn you." He says. "You appear to be out of time this go around." Kershaw tries to step back as Riggs thrusts his dagger forward. Aasrena feels a moment of fear as she yells wait and holds out a hand to try and somehow get in the way. To stop the attack, anything."

As her arm extends and her palm points outwards, a ball of white energy forms and quickly shoots off her hand towards Riggs. The ball hits him just before Riggs could stab Kershaw and he's blown out the doorway into his group of friends.

The other two members catch Riggs to break his fall, but he was already unconscious with rugged breathing. They pick him up with their faces full of fear. The women looks back to Aasrena with wide eyes. "She's magic! Run!" They run off with their injured leader and Kershaw claps his hands. "I must be the lucky one today." He gives off a small laugh as he shuts his door to the shop.

Aasrena looks at the palm of her hand and the dream she had yesterday with the snake showed something similar. "Yea.." she says somewhat confused in the moment. "How much will this stuff be again?"

"No no no." Kershaw crosses his arms and shakes his head. "After that. You just saved me a thousand gold. If anything I owe you. There must be something else you'd like."

Aasrena shrugs as the offer. "I'm not sure." She looks around the store and spots the necklaces. "Perhaps some jewelry for my friend? We had a bit of a fight and now she's dying. If you want to offer me anything else perhaps something along the lines of a peace offering."

Kershaw holds up a finger and runs to the back of his counter and rummages around a few boxes. "For saving me a large sum of silver." He pulls out a dark wooden box with a circle engraved on top. "Perhaps she'll love this."

Aasrena approaches the counter and takes the box from Kershaw. She opens it up to see a silver chain necklace. A circular pendant with a sapphire gem sitting in the middle of it. "You really like blue." Aasrena jokes.

"Aye." Kershaw shrugs. "The color of life it be. The skies, the waters, and the eyes of my beloved." Aasrena closes the box and puts it away in the basket. "You have quite the coin built up in this store. Do come back anytime..." he stops as he tries to recall Aasrena's name despite never hearing it.

"Aasrena." She says to help him out. "I'll make to sure come back one day to see if you are still standing Mr. Kershaw." Kershaw winks through his monocle and sits back behind his desk and pulls out a locket from his coat.

Aasrena leaves the store with more than she hoped to acquire. A new cloak, gloves, a silver necklace, and the knowledge of possessing magic she didn't know she had. Upon leaving, that sense of being drawn to the building was gone. Aasrena shrugged once again and continued on her way back to Ada's tent.