Some of the tension seemed to leave Vanamarilla's body the farther away she got from the inn and Asena, but she was still angry over Asena's words. She inhaled a deep breath and walked through the village, trying to remain calm as not to draw any attention. Humans were good at sensing weakness in others, and she didn't want to be preyed upon without Asena there to protect her. That was probably the only decent thing about having the obnoxious wolf spirit around, but other than that, Vanamarilla would rather be alone. She ignored the few glances cast her way, only offering a smile towards a human child that happened to wave in passing. The small action was enough to lift the elf's spirit somewhat.
Vanamarilla approached a humble building with a sign that had a tunic etched into the piece of wood. "This should do," She said to herself. She stopped in front of the door hesitantly, the idea of being in an enclosed space alone with humans causing her heart to race. Sighing softly, Vanamarilla entered the building. There were lots of robes, tunics, dresses, and cloaks hanging up in every corner and space of the establishment. None of the items were anything that she would marvel at, as she was more accustomed to the fine silks and shimmering fabrics native to the elves, but she only needed something to hide her outfit for now. What she had taken from the king should afford her a nice cloak, at least.
"Anything I can help you with, Miss?" A voice suddenly said.
Vanamarilla snapped her attention over in the direction where the voice had come from and saw a thin, shady looking man standing behind the counter. Pretty much all humans looked the same to Vanamarilla, so it didn't set off any immediate bells. The man was being respectful enough. "No thank you. I think I know what I want," she lied, smiling. She shifted her attention back to a section of cloaks she had previously been browsing, though she was mostly unimpressed by the quality. Some of them appeared worn, which Vanamarilla wasn't too fond of.
The shop owner continued to watch the elf shop his store, and decided to speak up again after several moments. "Hey, Miss? Those cloaks aren't much to look at. I've got new ones in the back, made from the finest Elven silk you've probably laid eyes on, which, being an elf yourself you would have to believe it to see it." The shop owner chuckled to himself, a friendly smile warming his face. "I'll offer you a special price, if you tell your friends about it."
Vanamarilla had, for the most part, tried to stick to her own business, but she couldn't resist when he offered her a sale price and mentioned it being from her own people. Elves weren't usually ones to consort with outsiders, but there were some who would trade with humans for other goods. "Really?" Vanamarilla blurted out in her own native tongue, her eyes wide with intrigue. The human man seemed nice enough, especially if he was a trader of Elven goods.
"Really," The shop owner replied in Elvish.
His Elvish was heavily accented, but Vanamarilla felt closer to home having heard him speak in her own tongue. She glanced around the empty store once, before making her way behind the counter. "I'm really looking forward to seeing all of your Elven wares." Vanamarilla smiled, following behind the man into the back area. It was stuffy, and packed with boxes and other bits of fabric. "Have you been practicing Elvish for long?" She asked, looking up to the man with a smile. Her smile began to fade some when he didn't reply, and continued walking instead. "I think...I've changed my mind about this. Thank you," Vanamarilla said sternly, turning back towards the way they came. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to leave, as a second man entered the back area as well.
"Ooooh Come on. We're almost there, just through this room," The shop owner said, grabbing a hold of Vanamarilla's wrist and pulling her along. "I'll even throw in a little extra for you being so nice."
Vanamarilla was visibly shaken up by this and the giant man who was silently following behind them with a rope in his hands. She wished she had stayed behind with Asena, where it was safe, but now no one would know where she was. No one cared enough about elves to help them, and she wouldn't get as lucky as she had at the castle. Asena had been right. She was horrible at magic and stealth, and had made horrible decisions leading up to this.
They arrived in a small room crowded with Elven robes, jewelry, and even the cloaks the shop owner had mentioned. Vanamarilla felt a brief sense of relief, and prayed that maybe the man was telling the truth, that his motives were pure. She looked over her shoulder at the man who had followed them in, and was now blocking the doorway.
"Pick out whatever you like. You'll need to look your best if we're to make a decent amount of geld off of you," The shop owner said. When he saw that Vanamarilla wasn't responding, he pushed her forward. Vanamarilla screamed as loud as she could, and turned around and slapped him square across the face.
"Tie her up! She's feisty," He yelled, grabbing at the elf's wrist. "They'll pay a mean price for an unbroken elf!" The shop owner yelled, almost excited by his own words. Both he and the man that had been standing guard tried to restrain the elf, grabbing at Vanamarilla and attempting to pin her down. As they got her down, the gem nestled in her chest flew out and bounced across the floor, drawing in two pairs of eager eyes. "Hold her," he said to the other man. Slowly, yet eagerly, he released Vanamarilla and went to pick up the blood red gem, his eyes glistening with hunger.
