The Necklace: The Trial Realm

Chapter Two: Worthy Shoes

I should be staring at the guy in shock.

After all, that was a pretty creepy thing to say.

I've been looking for you.

I should be punching him in the nose, tackling him to the ground and forcing him to tell me what the stars he's up to and why he's been apparently watching me. I should be. That would be the logical thing. Kick his butt until I get my answers, but instead my hand flicks down to the pocket with my coins.

"How much is it?" I ask, still enamored.

I know as the words pass my lips that I shouldn't be saying them, but all I can think about is getting that glowing necklace in my possession.

I see a smile on the boy's, Oliver, face in the background but all I'm focusing on is that beauty dangling between us.

Buy me buy me buy me.

"How much do you have?" He asks, amused by something.

I dip my fingers into the pocket without breaking eye contact with the glittering stone. "I've got thirteen coppers." I hold them out to him.

"It's thirteen coppers."

He drops the necklace, and it's surprising weight, into my hand and my head snaps up, the trance broken. In the same swift motion he scoops the coins from my hand, dropping them into a small black leather bag and he turns to walk away, leaving his table of goods.

I stand stunned for a second longer than I should, nearly losing track of his tall slender frame within the crowd.

"Hey, wait!" I call out, turning on my heels to chase after him.

My outburst gains plenty of shocked and even angry looks. I'd forgotten this is a quiet place. I'll be lucky to catch up to him before I'm jerked around by some big and bad market runner who wants to tan my hide for almost giving away the position of the illegal affair.

I can still see the top of his auburn head near the back of the area, heading towards the exit in the hole in the fence when he glances over his shoulder to smile my way as he ducks out the hole.

I scan the crowd, finding no way I can weasel back through the people in the direction he went to catch up with him in time. Instead there was only one semi clear path leading straight to the fence in the back.

Discrete be damned I break out into a run, ducking under the arms of two men whispering in low hushes over the price of a pant strap, then nearly knocking over an elderly woman shifting through different little vials of some potion or another, I skid to a stop at her side. I look up at the rusted metal covered in weathered fabric I take a deep breath, getting a good little leap beneath me before flinging my body at the fence. A sharp piece catches my right ankle, but I climb over quick and swift all the same, jumping down on the other side, landing two feet behind the strange boy.

"I...said...wait." I double over with my hands on my hips, slightly winded after the climb and jump. I peek up just enough to see that he did in fact stop and turn back to me, a new strange expression like something between interest and confusion on his tanned face. I open my mouth to talk again, but he holds out a long fingered hand.

"Catch your breath." He says quietly, still watching me precariously.

I nod as I let my head drop back down. "Yeah, good idea." I agree. "Don't go running off again though...cause you and me...we need to talk."

"Oh, we do?" I hear the smile even though I can't see it.

Breath gathered, I sit up in a sharp motion, hands staying firmly placed on my hips. "Yes, we do." I nod. "Who the heck are you, and why did you say you've been looking for me? Because I don't know if you're new or something, but a statement like that around here will get you killed if you creep on the wrong person."