The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 25

Pictures aren't mine
I departed from the lair of the Potion Master and made it back to the main market without an incident.  While I was on my way back to the palace, I decided to stop back at the stall where  had purchased Frigga's gift and find something for Jane and Darcy.  As it happened, they both had June birthdays so that made things slightly easier for me.  Slightly.  June had three different birthstones.  Pearl, moonstone, and alexandrite.  And I wanted to get both of them a piece of jewelry with each stone.  On my way to the earring stall, I saw another one specializing in necklaces.  Hoping they would have moonstone, I went and got in line.

"Do you have any moonstone for sale?"

"Moonstone?  Why, certainly!" The cheery middle-aged man brought two from the back, "These are not unique and no one is after them so I will give you your pick.  The two necklaces were very different, one of them was on a decorative chain of gold while the other on a simple silver.  The holder of the gold was very intricate and vine-like while other was very simple, with twisting silver swirls that imitated water held the stone.  Both of the pendants were teardrop-shaped but that was where the similarity ended.  The first one was much like Darcy and the other much like Jane.

"I'll take them both."

"The silver is twenty and the gold is thirty so that is fifty gold, please." I pulled out the chance I had gotten earlier and dug out ten more spare ones.

"Would you mind wrapping them for me?"

"Why of course!  If you don't mind my asking, are they for family?"

"Close friends.  As an apologie."

"Well, these should do the trick.  The metal is genuine and the stones are natural, that's why they were so expensive."

"I appreciate it." With one down and two to go, I headed off for the earrings.  My conversation there was fairly quick and ordinary.  The woman was happy to see me again and gladly granted me two pairs of pearl earrings for the price of one, since I had purchased her most valuable piece earlier and for the change I had given her.

"You don't happen to know where I might find alexandrite rings, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do.  Head down that way about six or seven stalls, can't miss it.  Tell the woman there that you know Fiana and she'll give you anything for half her usual price."

"Thank you." I flipped her another silver which she caught and pocketed with a gracious smile.

"How did it go with the potions master?"

"Just fine.  I caught him in a good mood."  With that, I began my search for the final pieces.  There was no one talking to the fairly young woman running the stall and I saw why as soon as I went to greet her.

"If you don't have at least one platinum, then leave."

"Excuse me–"

"Did you not hear what I just said to you?"

"Fiana sent me your way.  I'm searching for alexandrite rings."

"My aunt sent you to me?  Why didn't you say so?  Alexandrite rings, you say?  I have just the thing." Her demeanor changed as soon as I mentioned her aunt and she brought an entire tray of rings up from behind the counter.

"They're organized by metal value and gem size.  Everything is natural and hand cut and crafted by me." I could tell she wasn't lying, her hands looked rough and calloused from many years working with fire, metal, and tiny tongs.  There were eighty-one rings total on the tray, nine made of each metal, organized by column and nine different sizes and designs organized by row.  I wanted to get something different for each of them but for the same price.  Well, perhaps Jane's could cost a little more since Darcy's necklace had.