Juniper walked away from the fletcher's stall with an odd feeling in her chest. She hadn't had much time to hunt lately, with her duties as Greatwood Guardian, but she'd come to the Bodega today to trade some of the meat she had managed to kill for other food, supplies, and maybe a few luxuries to make the coming Deepfrost a little warmer. But she'd found that a few of the merchants she usually traded with didn't want to take anything in exchange for her purchases. Ultimately, she'd managed to insist on at least partial payment, but it left her unsettled. It was a great departure from the days when she'd crept into the market, trying to keep a low profile and avoid confrontations. Back then everyone had charged her in full, if not more.
She knew why they'd given her discounts: because of her new role leading the Greatwood. On one hand, it made sense. With her leadership duties, she had less time to hunt and come up with actual trade goods; therefore, the discounts definitely helped keep her afloat, and no one wanted to see their leader shivering in Deepfrost. Well, maybe not nobody: a few merchants had raised their prices for her, or refused to trade with her at all, and she knew they were the ones who disapproved of her policies, of her attempts to open the Greatwood to more trade and more outsiders. They tended to be the ones who'd disliked her before, so it didn't surprise her.
Was it appropriate, though, for a leader to take such discounts? They could be construed as bribes. Juniper knew they wouldn't change her actions -- or, at least, she hoped they wouldn't. But did some of the merchants mean them that way? Would they come knocking on her door asking for favors soon?
As she contemplated the dilemma, she almost ran into someone, nearly dropping her armful of shopping. "Oh! I'm sorry -- I was ..."
Her apologies trailed off as she realized that despite his diminutive height, the person she'd run into wasn't Fae -- no wings. He was, in fact, not only an outsider but a child, and therefore a rare sight in Sidhe Village.
She knew why they'd given her discounts: because of her new role leading the Greatwood. On one hand, it made sense. With her leadership duties, she had less time to hunt and come up with actual trade goods; therefore, the discounts definitely helped keep her afloat, and no one wanted to see their leader shivering in Deepfrost. Well, maybe not nobody: a few merchants had raised their prices for her, or refused to trade with her at all, and she knew they were the ones who disapproved of her policies, of her attempts to open the Greatwood to more trade and more outsiders. They tended to be the ones who'd disliked her before, so it didn't surprise her.
Was it appropriate, though, for a leader to take such discounts? They could be construed as bribes. Juniper knew they wouldn't change her actions -- or, at least, she hoped they wouldn't. But did some of the merchants mean them that way? Would they come knocking on her door asking for favors soon?
As she contemplated the dilemma, she almost ran into someone, nearly dropping her armful of shopping. "Oh! I'm sorry -- I was ..."
Her apologies trailed off as she realized that despite his diminutive height, the person she'd run into wasn't Fae -- no wings. He was, in fact, not only an outsider but a child, and therefore a rare sight in Sidhe Village.
Juniper
"art nouveau winged fairy" by e³°°° is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit here
