Chapter 9: One way or the other

Ethinir stared at the dwarves, who had come to the stand, and were now badgering Ossilo for wool, of all things.

"We are men, Naga. We don't wear silk!" One of them spoke, and Ossilo began to wonder why the dwarves were being so stubborn.

"But silk is sturdier than wool," Ossilo protested, and the dwarf that spoke spat on the ground.

"We look like edgy teens in black, but at least we don't look like we play for our own team. If this is a stand only for women, advertise it as such!" The dwarf then made a hand gesture, and he and his friends left. Ossilo looked to Orion.

"I need wool, Orion," the Naga said, his bottom lip quivering.

"My Brightest Star, the village won't sell," Orion said, and Ossilo looked down at the ground.

"If you cared about my reputation, you would have gone and made them sell," Ossilo said, and Ethinir decided that now was the time to do damage control.

"I can go to the village and buy you wool. What colors do you want?" Ethinir asked. When Ossilo smiled at him, he truly looked like the nickname he was saddled with was deserved.

"Beige, brown, white, silver, blue, oh, and green," Ossilo began to list, and Ethinir took out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote it all down.

"Let me just go and get some medicine to trade, ok?" Ethinir asked, and Orion shook his head.

"I'll pay for it, and come with you. Ossilo would be stoned, or worse, on sight. But the two of us can blend in," Orion told the elf.

"Are you sure you can fit in with all that black?" Ethinir asked. "I mean, you look like a demon lord."

"There is nothing wrong with how I dress. I'll have you know that the villagers also wear black," Orion had seen them, more than once. Granted, they weren't living for much longer after the meeting. But he had seen them.

"Just put over one of Ossilo's spare robes. It will cover you entirely," Ethinir suggested, and Ossilo got stars in his eyes. He got out a pure white robe, on which he actually managed to stitch some leaf patterns earlier, and handed it to Orion.

"Put it on," Ossilo urged, and Orion stared at the robe.

"It is lovely, Ossilo. But I can't be caught in such a thing," Orion protested. It was girly and delicate.

"Think, if they think you a fair noble, they will treat you as such. Maybe loose the skull pendant as well," Ethinir said. "You want to be peaceful, right? Well, this is the first step."

"No, the first step was me taking the book and listening to it," Orion protested. Then, he took the robe, and put it over. He buttoned it up, and span around.

"You are a vision," Ossilo clapped his hands. "I will make your clothes from now on."

"Hold it right there, criminal scum," Simone rasped, from her seat next to the stand. "I might have agreed to guard you, as you make girly things, but you won't take away my number one customer. The supreme overlord must wear black."

"He must not," Ossilo snapped. "Look, Simone. Let us have a sew off, when they come back with the wool. If someone likes your black clothes more than my colorful ones, I won't try to take Orion's wardrobe from you."

"Deal!" Simone offered her hand, and Ossilo shook it. Then, they both turned to stare at Orion.

"Well, what are you waiting for. Go get the wool," Simone snapped, and Orion sighted.

"Being peaceful means that I don't threaten my underlings with bodily harm," Orion muttered under his nose, and then turned to Ethinir. "Come now, my Swan. We have to go shopping. Simone, you keep watch around here. If something happens to Ossilo, I will no longer be peaceful."

And the two left. Ethinir stole glances at Orion, who looked wonderful in the borrowed robe. Orion undid a couple of the topmost buttons.

It was summer, and he could have sweated, if he was not a vampire. As things stood now, he still felt stuffy in his robe. Ethinir stopped just before they entered the village, and smiled at the guard.

"Oh, Ethinir, have you come in here to sing for the crowds?" The guard asked, and the elf shook his head.

"No, Samuel. I am here so that I can buy some wool. There is going to be a sew off in the forest," Ethinir told him cheerfully.

"And who is that," Samuel, the guard, looked suspiciously at Orion.

"The king of the forest," Ethinir told the guard, and the man backed away.

"You are that vampire," the guard spoke, and Orion looked to Ethinir.

"We have to run, before the villagers bring out the pitchforks," Orion was panicking. Why had Ethinir given him away? Was it a ploy to get them both killed?

"He is peaceful now. In fact, he wanted to donate to the orphanage," Ethinir said, not disturbed in the slightest.

"I do?" Orion asked. He couldn't care less about mini-unwashed villagers.

"You do. And to the widow's club as well," Ethinir said, and he winked at the vampire.

"Well, if he really wants to do some good, I suppose that he could also donate to the inn. We could use a better roof over there," Samuel spoke, his eyes shining with greed. "I will lead you to the orphanage first."

Orion, for the first time in his life, was allowed in the village. Sure, his bottomless bag became lighter, and that was not because of the wool, but the villagers sent him off with great cheer. The book vibrated, and the vampire opened it.

<Bribe here, bribe there!

(Hidden Achievement)

The elf Ethinir has unraveled the truth about the world to you, Orion. See, you needed a smart mate, admit it.>

"You are a treasure," Orion told Ethinir. "And I am happy that you are by my side."

Ethinir smiled and then blushed. He could see himself being more intimate with Orion, if the vampire kept on talking like that.