"Your own magic looks very useful," he observed, considering how she could affect sand and water in equal measure. A (very) late bloomer, he had only recently come into his own magic, but it had progressed rapidly under the focused training and practice he had put it through to stretch his capabilities.
"Alchemy? We do not 'brew,' beneath the sea." Hadama tilted his head thoughtfully, though kept his attention on the shield he was washing. "But I can bring medicinal sea plants for trade." The Halovian healer he had shared mussels with had explained the dryland preparations of such things, and they had compared notes on it so he already had an idea of what could be of use to humans. At the mention of jewelry, however, his eyes fairly twinkled and he gave a slow nod as he let the magic fall away from the cleaned metal. "That, I often barter with. It is a family trade." To be a smith underwater was no easy thing. It took a great deal of magic, and until recently Hadama had been unsure he would ever be able to inherit his mother's forge. Now, though... if he continued to hone his power... the lineage might yet pass to another generation.
"You are welcome," he replied, inclining his head in acceptance of her gratitude.
"Sounds like the workings of a deal to me," Amanda said. She lifted the shield under her arm and hauled it over to her boat, placing it carefully in the bottom. "What would you be looking for in exchange? I can offer to buy a good amount of medicinal plants and jewelry, even set up regular shipments back and forth. I know people who run shipping out of the docks, so they can ship it to...well..."
She thought about that for a second. She didn't really know where merfolk lived, and she was sure a boat from the surface couldn't reach whatever cities they had underwater.
"...to wherever you want them to meet," she finished. "So it's just a question of what I can bring you in exchange. What would you be interested in buying?" She leaned against her boat, which rested against the beach, held firmly by the rope. She had no idea what goods a merman would want in exchange, but whatever it was, she was confident she could get it.
Hadama shifted into deeper water and followed Amanda at a little distance as she returned to her boat. He considered her question quietly as she settled her salvaged shield, but in the end he gave a small shake of his head. His expression remained calm and neutral, but there was amusement in his eyes as he looked at the eager human woman. "I am a craftsman, not a merchant. I trade with humans as... a hobby. So I do not need to move large amounts of things."
He ducked under the water for a moment, rising once more with dark, sun-dried skin soothed by the saltwater and hair slicked back. "But smaller things, yes. Jewelry especially. In exchange..." A tilt of his head revealed a serious consideration of Amanda's question as he tried to decide what he could ask from her that he couldn't get through Melita or Maeve or Flora.
And what would survive being submerged in the sea.
"Small ingots," he decided. "Copper. Nickel. Zinc. Bronze." On their own, each was susceptible. But combined in various ways... "Stored in oil and delivered in waterproof chests." The raw materials for making metal jewelry, art, and weapons that could be used both above and below the waves. "How should I contact you when I am ready to trade?"
Amanda mentally noted the list, along with which merchants and suppliers in town she could get such things from. It wouldn't take her long. It would just be a matter of haggling over the prices. It was a bit of a shame, she thought, that the merman was only looking to get a small supply of goods. But this was a good opportunity to make a connection. She could, potentially, learn more about merfolk society and get in touch with some undersea merchants and traders.
"Do you know your way around the port? I'm there almost every day. You can swing by, or send a message ahead." She gave him the dock number for where she normally kept her boat. She knew the harbormaster would pass along any messages if she wasn't there to receive them herself.
She untied her boat, pushing it back into the water, then climbing inside once the boat was buoyed by the water. "I'll make sure to find what you need. Shouldn't take long. And if you have any friends looking to trade with the city, give them my name. I've got all the connections. Anything they need, I'm the one who can get it."
She was exaggerating her own importance, of course. But confidence sells, and she had never failed to meet a customer's needs.
Every trader had to start somewhere, and Amanda could do worse than the quiet, steady seasmith. Modest needs were at least easily met, and sometimes great things could start from humble beginnings.
"I do," he agreed easily, inclining his head in the affirmative at her question. He was more often found in Haulani's market gliding through the canals that gave his people access to all corners of the city and its vendors, but he was familiar with Kaiholo as well.
He waited until her boat floated freely and bobbed out towards where he had moved to be more comfortable in the slightly deeper water. Although his expression remained solemn at her boasting there was a bright twinkle in green eyes that recognized her self-marketing. Still, he answered with all the gravity he would have given to the Queen. "I will tell them where to find you." Who knew? Perhaps some would even be curious enough to brave the air and investigate this bold merchant girl. "Until then, kind currents," he offered courteously with a bow of his head.
Then he was arching down into the water and his arms spread impossibly wide as wings blossomed beneath the waves. The great manta glided beneath Amanda's boat, drawing it further away from the shallows in his wake before he dove to follow the seafloor as it dropped away into deeper realms.
~Fin~
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