(no subject)
Once they reached the bazaar Elizabeth started pulling Alexis in every direction as she marveled at the items on display. "Wow, look at that! And.. Oh, isn't that pretty?!" Alexis planted her heels in the dirt to keep her sister from plowing through a group of people. "Whoa, settle down, there chicky!" Elizabeth pulled at her sister's rigid frame, her eyes fixed on a trinket box filled with shimmering gemstones. As soon as the crowd had passed Alexis released Elizabeth. Who flung herself at the cart and caught onto the edge, "Sis, look!" She was pointing down at the gems and Alexis walked over to see them. She caressed the surface of a ruby formed into the shape of a dagger and eyed the stones with interest, there were a few snakes like the one that she had found earlier. Though none of them had nearly as much detail as Elizabeth's. They were merely cutouts, no eyes nor scales carved into them. The merchant was standing by church entrance, slipping a foreclosure notice onto the door. He slowly walked back to his cart and looked down on his inventory, apparently checking to see if anything was missing. Elizabeth looked up at the merchant, although was heavy it seemed like he wasn't completely there. He looked down upon her with an empty gaze. "Sir, how much is this?" She held out a small gray bag. He turned from her, his gray eyes sad and fixed upon the trinket box and its intricate carvings of flames and dragons. "That miss, is merely a dollar." She set it down with a frown and shook her head sadly. "Thank you, sir." She stepped back from the cart and started walking away towards another cart. Alexis looked down at the bag and picked it up. She sifted around in her pockets, scraping every last cent out of them, holding it out before her. She counted it and saw that it wasn't even close to enough. She slipped it onto the counter and pulled a thin silver band from her finger, setting it ontop of the change. "Sir, would you be willing to make a trade?" He looked down upon the ring and the few cents she had, frowning in thought. He picked up the ring and turned it over and over again inspecting it closely. There was a small crest on the inside of the ring. Though he seemed as if he were almost blind, he was transfixed by the crest on the ring. "Miss, do you know how much this is worth?" Alexis nodded her head slowly and reached out to point at the church. "Which is why I would like the remainder of this transaction to go to them. That is, if you would like to take the deal." His eyes widened for a moment then looked straight into hers, almost as if he didn't believe her. "By all means miss, take the bag and anything else you might like!" She drew her hand from the box and snapped it shut. "These as well, if that's quite alright with you." He grinned broadly, holding tight to the ring. "Perhaps you'd like some more of these bags?" She smiled sweetly, "No sir, I believe I've taken quite enough of your time. Though if you would happen to have something I could carry these in I would be much obliged." He nodded quickly and pulled a worn leather bag from underneath his cart. "Will this do?" She reached out and gingerly took it from him. "Yes, that's wonderful, thank you very much, sir." She quickly slipped the box into the bag and slung it over her shoulder, rushing to catch her sister. Elizabeth turned and looked over her shoulder and saw Alexis following her, the sack swinging slightly as she slid to a halt. "Forget something?" She held out the pouch to Elizabeth. "You don't want your stone to get scratched do you?" Elizabeth slowly took it from her, her fingers slipping on the smooth, soft fabric. She grinned and carefully slid the gemstone from her pocket to the silken bag. "Thank you." She smiled and hugged her sister tightly, her arms knocking against the bag. She took in what had just happened and examined the bag with interest. "Where did that come from?" Alexis smiled and lifted her up in her arms. "How about.. we go and see mom now?" Elizabeth slung her arm around Alexis' neck and smiled. Then she looked down at her sister's hands. "'Lexis, where'd daddy's ring go?" Alexis kissed Elizabeth's forehead and they walked down the lane towards the woods. After a mile or so she turned onto a path overrun with weeds. Elizabeth had quickly grown tired of being carried and insisted that she could definitely walk before Alexis would let her down. But as they neared a clearing in the thick woods, Elizabeth was clutching tightly to her sister's arm. "Sis, they won't get me will they?" Alexis looked about her, seeing nothing but the calm, cool woods. "Who?" Elizabeth shut her eyes tight and let her sister lead her down the path. "The people who took mommy away."