Tessasilme
Vanealote was finally stirring the actual pot of food, instead of
the pot. She couldn't help it if she had big opinions that she thought should be heard (especially when others said or did dumb things). She was running low on a few things when Tessasilme showed up.
"Hello sister," Tessasilme slid up smoothly beside Vanealote to take a whiff of what was cooking. It looked to be a hearty vegetable soup--and it smelled pretty good. She blinked her eyes slowly, "Soup in this heat?"
"Naw need for ta small talk, what have ya got ta trade today," Vanealote handed off the spoon to Sungrass to keep stirring. Sitrring was a fully body excercise for them. Vanealote shook back her hair, it was curling in the heat given off from the soup. She blew another wisp out of her face before focusing on Tessasilme.
"Saffron," came the coy answer from Tess.
"And where ya be gettin' that?" Vanealote raised her brow looking at the other mare.
"That's neither here nor there, sister. Do you want it or not?" Tessasilme knew without a doubt that Vanealote wanted it, and probably pretty badly. It wasn't something that was easy to come by--for most, but Tess had a stash of the spice. She'd started cultivating a little garden for use in trading a few months ago and it was finally going to pay off. She had a small store hidden within the Flock in a small, innocous
lawn gnome that her sister Vanraulimore had made. It didn't look like it but the hat of the gnome came off and opened to the hollow inside like a jar. The hat screwed back on and there was no way of telling or smelling what was inside.
"I've got a pinta of lavendar honey, tae it or leave it," Vanealote smiled triumphantly. This honey wasn't easy to come by, you had to have exactly the right thing to trade for it or the answer would be no.
The two stared at each other for a moment, "How'd that happen?" Tessasilme tossed back her long,silky hair. The sun struck it just right and made it look like a sheet of moving fire.
"Go on with ya," Vanealote laughed. "I've no real need of it, but I knew you'c come about sooner or later with somethin' I wanted.Can't help it if he doesna wanna trade with ya."
"Three threads of Saffron for the lavendar honey then," she reached for the bag at her side.
"Away with you, three's not enough."
"Four's too many," Tesss smiled. "Fine then, a half dozen portobello
mushrooms to sweeten the deal."
"Let's see em," Vanealote said. The bag was passed between them and there was the half dozen mushrooms in perfect condition and good size. The three threads of saffron were wrapped neatly in paper package tied with string. Opening it, she took a sniff though she needn't have worried. Tessasilme always brought quality stuff. Putting the bag in her pantry area, Vanealote laughed. "That's all ya brought. Ya already knew what you''d trade exactly?"
"And not a bit more," Tess laughed. She was a canny trader. The pint of lavendar honey was passed between them and Tessasilme secured it in her other satchel. "This will make a fine addition to the mead I'm brewing. The cloves will be perfect with some of this honey.
"You'll have em willing to trade anything to get that hooves on that," Vanealote laughed. The trading part-- the serious part-- was done and now they were back to talking freely. "Why does he not like to trade with ya?" Vanealote asked as she started prepping the new spices and mushrooms for use at a later time.
"He says, someone has to tell me no, so it might as well be him," she laughed bitterlfy. "It's a shame too, would make this all easier."
"But then you'd not trade with me."
"True.You'd not have anything I wanted."
"Is that so Tess? I'm pretty sure I still have things you want." Vanealote's smile was cutting before she changed the subject. "Will you be trying new blends this year or refining the tastes you have?"
Tess shrugged her shoulders, "Depends on what's up for trade. I won't know till I see it." She had an intuition for what would go well with each other.It was a gift she had cultivated over the years until she could make mead and trade it of rhte things she wanted but couldn't make. "I may have something really rare for you soon."
"Rarer than saffron?" Tessasilme nodded her head.>"What be rarer than that?"
"You'll see," she laughed. "See you next time Vanealote.And with that their trading concluded.
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