Nodding at Glenn’s suggestion, Roan replied, “It’s as good a start as any! Lead the way.”
The pair reached the town proper, going down a path and taking a turn to reach a two story building, the lower story marked by a glass-less window to display some wares. As Roan approached the door, he could hear some voices from around the corner. “But we just carried it down the hill!” complained what sounded to Roan like a boy a few years younger than him.
An older man hissed back, “You can complain about your arms hurting after having carried it up a hill, now get! You’ll get your pay when you bring me that bookshelf...books included!” Roan heard a few footsteps before a wiry, middle aged man stepped out from behind the shop, spotting Glenn and Roan with his beady eyes through oversized spectacles. “Oh, excuse me, just taking care of a...goods shipment, ahem,” Winston insisted, before reentering his store. Roan went in after him, going over his list in his head.
“What can I do you for?” Winston asked, rearranging some things as he spoke. Turning, he raised his eyebrow when he got a better look at Glenn, but didn’t say anything.
Trying to make it quick, roan but on one of his best smiles, replying, “Just a couple things for a little trip: some flint for starting fires, a good knife, two skins, two cloaks, and a good length of rope. Yeah, that should do it.”
“A trip, hmm?” Winston repeated. Mumbling to himself as he went about, grabbing a few things. He dropped a coil of rope onto a counter, put the empty skins there, then quickly went out back, returning with two cloaks and a stone after a few moments. He did a bit of fidgeting with his fingers, counting, before finally offering, “Six silver and 5 copper should do nicely. Might I also recommend-”
“No,” Roan said quickly.
Winston blinked, as if he’d never heard the word in his life. “W-what do you mean ‘no’?”
“Your recommendation. No thank you,” Roan insisted. He knew what he was probably about to hear, some one time offer just for him, because he liked the look of him. Unfortunately for Winston, Roan was slightly better at coming up with nonsense to spew, and everyone knew trying to cheat a cheat was a fool’s errand. Before Winston could continue, Roan grabbed at the rock, nabbing it before Winston even noticed. Turning it over in his hands, he noticed Winston’s eyes dart between Roan and the rock. Without hesitating, Roan tossed it out of the open window. Winston glared, opening his mouth, but Roan interrupted once more, “You think I can’t recognize flint? It was still half stained in dirt. Don’t tell me you didn’t pull it out of the ground five seconds ago.” Looking over everything again, he finished, “I won’t stand to be insulted: I’ll take everything for five silver flat. And if those skins break I’ll be patching them with some of yours.”
Winston gaped for a moment, before blurting, “Fine!” Roan smiled, before waving for Glenn to pay him as the street rat grabbed for the things. Spotting something else, he lifted a nearby dagger, slipping it into one of the skins nonchalantly as Winston was dealing with Glenn.
Throwing his cloak over his shoulders, rope over his shoulder, and one of the skins tied to his belt (knife hidden within), he flashed one last smile at Winston, saying, “You have a good day Mr. Crowder.” The old merchant, who hadn’t said his name, gave Roan a look of displeasure and befuddlement, waving for him to leave hastily.
Once the two were out, Roan said, “Well, I got what I needed. Wanna make one last stop? Let that friend of yours know you’ll be gone for a bit?” Roan was of course thinking of Scarlett. He didn’t pretend to know the details there, but even thinking about them made Glenn pleased, and Roan’s teenage mind could only think of ‘a girl’.