Page 28 of Ties of Bargains

But would it hurt anything if he enjoyed the journey? With each day here in the Fae Realm, something in him was stretching, growing,changingin a way he never would have if he’d lived his whole life as a prince inTulpenland. By the time he returned to the Human Realm, who would he have become?

Harm and Val joined the crush offeeënentering the faerie market through one of the gaps between the caravan wagons.

Feeënof all shapes, sizes, and colors strode around them, from three-feet-tall sprites with skin in shades of green, pink, purple, and more to the tall, leafy people with bark-like skin and leaves shedding from their hair. Some of thefeeënhad animal features, like a mouse tail or fox ears while others were almost human in appearance, except for tapered ears and a sharp beauty.

Even stranger than the people were the wares displayed in the booths. One booth held jars of various substances with labels likegiant snail slimeandbelching toad spit. At another booth, shrunken heads hung along the canopy, twisting and turning, their mouths moving as they spoke to passers-by.

The rows of caravans, tents, and booths meandered in a chaotic fashion with other rows branching off at sporadic intervals. Sometimes cleared sections held bonfires and dancing greens.

Val tugged Harm down a smaller, darker side row. The goods down here seemed to be more of the practical nature compared to the odd assortment of the main row they’d left behind. One booth displayed boots and shoes of all shapes and sizes. Another tent had only rugs while yet another had racks of clothing.

“Your boots seem serviceable enough.” Val swept a glance over him. “But new breeches, shirt, and perhaps a leather jerkin or something similar are in order.”

She switched her gaze to assessing the booths. Instead of going to the merchant directly in front of them, she continued down the alley until they reached another booth, which only had a few pieces of clothing of the sturdy and leather variety on display. The diminutive woman running the booth had large round mouse ears and a pointed nose complete with whiskers. Her pink tail swished her gray skirt back and forth.

Her nose wiggled as she glanced between Harm and Val before her gaze focused solely on Harm. “I see you are in need of new vestments.” She held up a leather vest. “Can I interest you in a vest that will protect you from heartache?”

That sounded too helpful. Harm glanced at Val, questioning if this was something he should bargain for.

Val snorted and shook her head. “You’d probably lose your ability to love or feel emotions. I might be tempted, but I don’t think you would be.”

“No.” Harm gave a shudder. Yes, losing loved ones hurt. He still hurt from the loss of his mother. But he wouldn’t want to have never loved her at all.

“No shenanigans. I’m wise to your goblin tricks.” Val wagged her finger in front of the mouse woman’s nose. “We are just in need of breeches, a shirt, and a leather jerkin. The only magic needed in the clothing is a magical pocket and overall durability. Nothing else, understand?”

“Even that much magic has a price.” The mouse woman’s whiskers twitched as her tiny black eyes sharpened. “What will you bargain? A year of this human’s life? The hair from his head?”

“He isn’t mine to bargain with.” Val crossed her arms. “But he has some items he is willing to bargain.”

Harm swallowed as he swung his pack to the ground. No pressure. He now better understood the dangers of bargains than he had when he’d bargained with Queen Mab.

“What’ve you got, human?” The mouse woman’s nose twitched even faster.

Harm dug into the pack and pulled out one of the pottery plates. “I have—”

She held up a hand, the back of the fingers covered with bits of soft gray fur. “No. What need have I of useless baubles?”

Right. He’d misjudged his audience. The pottery would do for afeeënqueen who had an appetite for such trinkets. But for a practical working woman like this mousefee? Not so much.

What did he have that would appeal to this woman? He wedged the plate back into the pack, shifting his good coat aside as he did so.

His coat. Would that work? She made clothing, and it was a fine jacket. He hated to part with his one piece of nice clothing so soon, but it did him little good here wherefeeën-made clothing was more practical.

Harm held up the coat, giving it a shake to smooth some of the wrinkles. Even with the wrinkles, the silver threads of the embroidery around the cuffs and collar stood out nicely against the rich black fabric. “I have a jacket fit for a prince and sewn by skilled human tailors.”

The mouse woman leaned closer, her eyes almost asgreedy as Mab’s had been. “This was made entirely by human hands? No magic went into its creation?”

“None whatsoever.” Harm brushed a hand over the coat, making the embroidery catch the light.

“There is value in something that is untouched by the magic of this realm.” The mouse woman eyed the jacket before she swung her gaze back to him. “But this one item of clothing isn’t enough for what I’ve been asked to create.”

Harm hesitated. Would he be caving too quickly if he immediately searched for something else to add? Or would he anger the woman if he insisted that the coat was enough?

Val tipped her head in a suggestion of a nod.

Hanging the jacket over his arm, Harm dug through his pack once again. What else did he have? He had the rest of his good set of clothing, though he was currently wearing them. Or there was his ripped and bloody clothing, but he was uncomfortable trading something with his blood on it. That seemed like a bad idea, especially after Val’s mention of blood bindings.

Or…his hand closed on the inner pack that held his stash of human food. He hadn’t used much of it yet since the rodents Daisy caught seemed to be safe enough to eat once Val roasted them.

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