The path from town was beginning to wear down from the rain and erosion from the sun. Thalia sucked her tusks with a *tsk as she marked each broken-down section.
Most of her time was spent in the centre, rarely wandering down this way. She scorned herself for not catching it sooner. She would have preferred that the Haberdashery had been built closer to town. Making her way up the steps, she was stopped by the calling of her name just before she reached the stained-glass door.
“Thalia! Thalia!”
She looked up to where the sound had come from. Eldric was sitting on the roof with his legs dangling over the edge.
“Good day, Eldric.” She shielded her eyes from the sun, twisting her neck to look where he sat as she addressed him. “Care to come down for a chat?”
“Funny, I was about to ask if you’d care to come up for a chat.”
“I’d rather not.”
“I’d rather you did.”
“I know what you’d rather, Eldric, I simply don’t care. Is Mathias inside? I’d love a tea.” Thalia pressed forward before Eldric could continue arguing.
“Mayor Thalia!” Mathias clasped his claws before his wide chest, “Welcome, welcome. Tea?”
“Ah, Mathias. Great to see you, yes.”
The door near the back of the shop burst open. “Thalia!” Eldric greeted her again.
“Nice of you to join us.” She fixed her gaze on Mathias while she spoke to Eldric.
“I came right down, it’s not like you had to wait.”
“I’m waiting for a seat right now.” Thalia folded her arms and bore her bug eyes into Eldric’s.
Eldric tried not to roll his eyes and chuckled, “Of course, you can sit anywhere, Thalia.” He pulled out a chair and pushed it toward her.
“What brings you out to the Haberdashery?” Mathias pulled up another chair, and the three sat with their tea.
“I noticed Tim has a new lovely hat.” Thalia took a long sip from the porcelain cup.
“Does he? How interesting, as you know, Mathias and I have just returned from a material finding mission.”
“Are you suggesting that Tim had a hat made by someone else?” Thalia cast a side-eye toward Eldric.
“I’m not suggesting anything, I was just catching you up.” Eldric sipped his tea.
“How were your travels?” Thalia asked in a somewhat abrupt manner.
“Positively uneventful! It seems to be a quiet time out there beyond our village walls.”
“Is that so? “
“It is, we took a simple walk-through of pre-tread ground, reaping the rewards of unused elements left behind by wandering heroes.”
“Walk-through, hike up. What’s the difference, right?” Mathias added cheerfully. Thalia cast him a suspicious glance.
“Do you find yourself needing so many elements these days?”
“Oh, come now, Thalia, you never know when a merchant from The City will need a bespoke material, and you know I love to be prepared to make a sale.”
“I had no idea you were so mercantile. I had always considered you to be more of an artist.”
“One must adjust with the times!”
“Hmm.” Thalia sat back in her chair and took another long sip of the tea, studying the pair.
Eldric looked over at Mathias who was grinning like a shit bag. He did his best to press forward.
“What is it that brings you to the shop, Thalia? Finding yourself in need of some of those elements? I’ll have diamond dust within a fortnight.”
Thalia laughed out loud at the offer.
“Just came to catch up then?”
She looked directly at him then. A long, scrutinizing stare that caused his guts to flip. “You must have spent days preparing for your trip. You’ve been gone eight moons. After staying so long, locked here in your shop.”
Eldric swallowed. “Why yes, Mathias even got a special order from Ivan for our time away.”
“It was lucky you received it, you must have gathered that before the sun even rose. The same day I noticed Tim’s new hat, a group of adventurers staying at the Inn had to delay their departure due to an issue at Ivan’s. He was reluctant to say, though something about his demeanour made me think the rations were stolen.”
“Stolen?! Aren’t you jumping to conclusions?” Eldric chuckled and threw a look of support to Mathias, who appeared to be searching for something at the bottom of his teacup.
“Well, with everything going on lately, one can never be too careful. There is a change in the water, Eldric. Times are becoming different. They are going back.”
“Nothing is going back.” His gaze refused to meet hers. “Nothing.”
“No? So, the solo adventurer who stopped at the Book Vault, Tim’s new hat, and your sudden scramble from town to acquire elements? You’re telling me these things aren’t related?”
“What do you want me to say, Thalia?”
“Hmm. I think you’ve said quite enough. Since you’re back in the magical item creation business, I need hats. Four.”
“Four?!”
“Is that a problem? You have a long list of orders to attend to?”
“It’s not a problem.” Eldric let out a held breath. “What kind of hats?”
“I am posting guards at the front and back gates.”
“Sounds welcoming.”
“And what would you have me do, Eldric?”
“Just give me the requirements and the measurements.”
“They should detect any magical elements within the perimeter. And protection. I’ll have the chosen measured.”
“Very well. This will take some time, two properties and four of them at that. I’ll need the rest of the month.”
“It would be suspicious if you didn’t.” She was done playing games. “Tell me, Eldric, you say ‘nothing is going back’, am I to trust that the length of time indicates your dormant magic?”
Eldric scoffed and looked down. He took a moment to collect himself before proceeding. “It is dormant, Thal. I am using the book for ritual casting.”
Thalia stood from her chair and crossed to him. She placed a brown leathery hand to his glossy beak and lifted his gaze to hers. She stared deeply at the golden flecks, searching for the thrall she had once been so intimately acquainted with. For a moment, she let the veneer down. “You know I’d love to trust you, Eldric.” She saw the hurt and acceptance flash over his gaze.
“I know.” He pulled away from her gentle touch. “I will not lie to you. Not again.”
“See it stays that way.” She lifted the veneer and set down her empty cup. “I’ll be expecting regular updates. Ta ta, fellows.” She swept herself from the shop before they could answer.
After a long silence, Eldric took his gaze from the door and narrowed his eyes at Mathias.
“What’s that look for?” Mathias feigned ignorance.
“You couldn’t jump in?!”
“I thought you did an excellent job!”
“Well, I hope you’re happy. We are officially back in business, Mathias.”
Mathias smiled.