treble | Glowfic Constellation

"Do they all steal stuff?"

"Can't trust them. I never saw a little one but why would it be any better? You can't domesticate them."

"Mmm. How much for the necklace?"

The price is obviously a gouge, but Iris has it.

But she doesn't have a long-term plan to earn money. "Hah. Would you buy it back from me at that price?"

"Not if it's damaged. If they get it away from the little featherpest unscratched I'll take it back and not make you pay."

She counts out the money. "We don't have their race where I'm from. Why do you say 'untrustworthy'?"

"Yours just snatched a bracelet and took of running, what, you think it'd make a good pet or something?"

"It's incredibly obnoxious, but it's a little kid, and I've known little human kids nearly that bad if no one's ever taught them that they'll get in trouble for it. I'd have expected grownup ones to be better."

"They don't come here."

"So maybe they are better?"

"If you meet one on the road, don't turn your back."

The scuffle has not ended in Segda's favor. The shopkeeper's son comes back with the bracelet. The cord's snapped, but the beads are all there. The shopkeeper wants ten percent of her price for the full bracelet.

A very irritated Iris pays it and goes looking for Segda.

Segda is tied to a hitching post, hissing and squirming.

"This yours?" someone asks Iris.

"Yep."

"Keep it under control."

"Understood."

And to Segda - "why did you do that?"

"I wanted it and telling you didn't work."

To the onlookers this seems like Segda understanding whatever it is they're speaking. "It didn't seem to talk human language before," somebody says suspiciously.

"It doesn't. I'm using magic."

"- you and who else?"

"I'm not from around here, and we have different magic. People can do it alone." She demonstrates the lightning cantrip, harmlessly at the sky.