Chapter 29: Shopping trip

Orion was alone in the village. Samuel had let him through the gates, and he had strolled towards the market. People greeted him as he passed. He waved back. Stopping to speak with a few of them as well. One old woman stopped him, getting in his way.

"Are you married yet?" The woman asked, and Orion blinked at her.

"Well, no. But the wedding is being planned," Orion told her. He didn't want to think that this woman had a daughter or a son she wanted to foist off on him.

"I told you during the meeting, and I am telling you again. You need to get married to your lovers," Orion finally remembered who she was. The old woman who had told him that to be accepted in the village, he needed to marry Ossilo and Ethinir.

"I have been busy," Orion defended himself. It was the truth too. His trips to Lute village left him little time to get down to the wedding planning.

"A couple of women can plan your wedding, if you'd like. But you have to get married," the old woman insisted. Orion nodded. He was not very good with planning parties, and what was a wedding, but a giant party?

"Ok, you get it arranged, I'll get married," Orion told her, and she nodded.

"My name is Beth," the old woman said, and then walked away. Orion continued on with his shopping. As he was just nearing the market, he was stopped again.

"Are you the silk merchant?" A chubby woman asked. Orion nodded. "Please sell me some of your silk. It is so rare, and I can't find any."

Orion regarded her. Was she competition? He was fairly sure that the forest dwellers were not going to switch from Ossilo and Simone to anyone else. But if he helped the competition, then there would be less silk for them.

"Are you a seamstress?" Orion asked. The woman nodded.

"Just moved to this village, but the people here want silk. They say a Naga in the forest is making them silk clothes. I can't find clients for the wool and cotton clothes," she bit her lower lip, and Orion could sense her unease.

Then, he gave it a thought. Ossilo and Simone were overworked. It became like that, after the villagers began to come for clothes. Some of the forest creatures were disgruntled that they need to share the two.

"I will give you the silks, but you are to only service the villagers," Orion told her sternly. Ossilo would be devastated if his core clients went to someone else.

"Oh, no problem. Not that I have anything against those in the forest. The fairies are cute and sweet. But they are not allowed in here, either way?" She asked, and Orion shook his head.

"They will be allowed, and soon. We are just waiting for the approval of the king," Orion told her, and then made to leave.

"Wait, I also heard you have fairy dust," she called after him. Orion turned to stare at her.

"I do, but it is not cheap," Orion tried to talk her out of it, but she offered to pay what he demanded. In the end, he returned to her, and they shook on it.

Finally, the market came in sight. He went to the egg and milk vendor. Deciding that there was nothing wrong with getting a couple of milk bottles, just in case Ossilo, Ethinir or Simone had shared them with the clients, or drank them themselves, he got three bottles, and twenty eggs.

Then, he went to the candy stall, and got a couple of bags with different things. Ossilo had the sweet tooth of someone half his age. Something that never ceased to amaze Orion.

After he was done with that, he decided to buy some pork as well, which went to his bottomless bag, with the other things. Some more sugar was in order, and a couple of herbal tea blends. Then he noticed something that hadn't been there before. A stand that seemed new.

Going towards it, Orion noted that the skin of the man who manned it was dark. Almost black. Orion had never seen something like that.

"Oh, a customer! Come over here and see Ali's wares," the man said, and Orion stopped before the stand. He saw something brown in a bag. It smelt good.

"What is this?" He asked, and the man smiled at him.

"That is ground coffee, my friend. The best way to start your mornings. All the way from the jungles," Orion decided to bite the arrow, and nodded.

"I would like a kilogram, to start with. How is it prepared?" He asked.

"You need a special coffee maker," the man showed him something like a pitcher that was made of metal. Then, he opened it up, and showed that it had a secret compartment in it. "You put the coffee in this, fill the water below, and then boil until the topmost part fills up."

"Sounds simple enough," Orion said. "I will buy the coffee maker as well."

It was not like Orion could make coffee without it. He wondered if he could put the good smelling coffee in cakes. So, he asked.

"Can I put the coffee in cakes?" Ali smiled at him.

"Oh, sure you can, my friend. Just make sure to add just a spoonful. Coffee can be bitter. I also advise that you drink yours with sugar and cream. Together with those two, it is a pure nectar," Ali said, and then bagged the purchases for Orion. "Can I also interest you in some humus?"

Orion stared at the beige paste the merchant was showing him. It smelt of olives. He nodded.

"Give me one box, to start with. Do you also have olive oil?" That was hard to come by, and Orion would like for Ethinir to have something to dress his salads with.

"Oh, of course, my friend. For salads, or for cooking?" Ali asked, and Orion gave it a thought.

"Both, can the bottles be told apart?" Orion asked, and the merchant smiled.

"The one for the salads is green, the one for cooking is brown. Remember that, my friend. Salad olive oil is not good for cooking. Not at all," Ali then began to offer Orion different things. Some of them, Orion had never heard of. Still, the vampire was happy with the discovery of this stall. He couldn't wait for Ethinir and Ossilo to try all the new things. Simone too, for she was a part of their family.