The Beauty and the Poet (And Other Short Stories)

The Shopkeeper and the Thief Part 3

Although Malisande couldn't put her finger on it, it seemed as though the haircut had marked something of a change in Tara. Malisande supposed it could be a good thing, since on the one hand her melancholic attitude was all but gone; but on the other hand, she now consistently flipped between displaying bouts of casual confidence, like back when she would attempt to negotiate trades, and barely lingering long enough in the she shop to make eye contact before she rushed out for her next job. It was strange, but then, considering the month deadline looming on the horizon, Malisande figured she couldn't fault her for how the girl chose to cope.

Tara didn't precisely have a schedule for when she would drop payments off to Malisande, but there were regular times of the day she could expect her to show up—typically sometime in the morning, to deliver the previous day's efforts, and occasionally a second time in the later afternoon if she managed to snag an extra quick job. As such, it was something of a surprise when Malisande looked up at the sound of the door opening, only to see the pale-skinned man from the woods stroll through.

Audencourt, if she remembered his name correctly—and he had certainly proclaimed it pompously enough for it to stick in her mind. Malisande cocked an eyebrow as he marched up to the front counter, the sword Malisande had critiqued hanging by his side. All things considered, he certainly had taken his time in making his way down to her shop; though at the same time, she wondered mildly if it should be concerning that each time she heard her front bell chime some part of her assumed it would be Tara walking in.

"I had been thinking about what you had said in the forest the other day," he announced as soon as he was close, apparently decreeing a greeting to be unnecessary. He unsheathed his blade with a flourish, and held it out for Malisande to inspect. "First, I would like to hear how much you would be willing to offer for my current sword."

Politeness was not a battle Malisande was particularly interested in fighting, at this point. Instead, she accepted the sword from Audencourt and gave the blade a quick once-over. "Considering it's used, visibly, I would offer thirty-five hundred rupees for it upfront." It was less of a difference than she would normally pull, but the less chance of him arguing the point, the better—Malisande wasn't keen on entertaining him in her shop for any longer than she strictly needed to.

The man nodded, apparently satisfied. "Then I would like to see what alternatives you have to offer," he said, although he held out his hand to retrieve his sword back from Malisande at the same time. She passed it back, though she didn't quite succeed in biting back a frown.

"Weaponry is kept off to the side there, feel free to browse," Malisande pointed him towards the far wall near the front window. He followed her directions and strode off, but then, the shop was small, and unfortunately the weapons weren't stocked far enough away that he couldn't continue to carry on his conversation.

"Caliair's quite the quaint little town, I must say, I don't think I've been accosted by so many salespeople in my life!" Audencourt laughed breezily. "Though even still, it has been far more civilized than I would have thought, considering the country it's surrounded by." He waved his hand vaguely, as if his small gesture could encompass the entirety of the land, before he plucked one of the swords off of the display stand and examined it. Malisande kept her hummed reply equally vague. "This is quite the collection of goods you've got here, though—I suppose you must import the majority? I'd somehow doubt crafters would be able to pull all the resources from as small a place as this."

"It is a land full of surprises," Malisande drawled, and Audencourt laughed again, presumably entertaining himself as being part of a joke that Malisande wasn't aware she had made. Then again, it was probably best he didn't take it as an insult; if there was anything to get out of interacting with the man, it was Malisande's banking of his implications of decent wealth not being all talk.