be able to catch him as it’s still early in the day. If you have adequate coin.”
Bero huffed. It bothered him having to purchase meat when his nature demanded that he hunt and provide for his den through his own efforts, but it would have to do. He nodded and pulled a silver coin from his pouch. He immediately dropped it in her hand.
“Is this sufficient coin for the flowers?”
“Ah, well… actually, it’s far too much. I’m not certain if I have enough change,” she mumbled, her cheeks coloring.
Bero shrugged, unconcerned. He still did not understand exactly how the coins worked and did not care much either.
“Unnecessary. Keep it with my gratitude for your help.”
She clutched the coin to her chest, her expression confused despite the excited smile tugging at her lips. “Thank you. Have a blessed Mother’s Night—or Withering Days, I guess.”
He inclined his head to acknowledge of her gratitude but wasted no time on further discussion. With the easy, fast pace of his kind, he struck a clear path down the street that drew the eyes of humans he passed. No one ventured anywhere near him nor attempted to halt him, for which he was grateful.
It took him laughably little time to reach the tavern. He looked up at the weathered building, noting that looked far less impressive in early daylight than it had the night before, lit up and warm in the late hours of the evening. Although a faint light still came from within, he did not linger there, not even to see if the triad was still nearby. Their scent was cold around the entrance, and that was enough to satisfy him so that he turned right and immediately ran into a crowd of wide-eyed humans.
The humans were dressed in warm layers of coverings, far warmer than anything he saw his female wearing, much to his consternation. He eyed the style and colors that they wore, many of them apparently adopting brighter hues now that they were no longer terrified of maddened Ragoru attacking them. He snorted at the idea, a sound which made a female dressed in very fine, soft material nearby skitter away from him into one of the rare males at her side. The male glared at him and ushered his mate down the street, and Bero tracked them with amusement. He continued to watch them as they made their way down the street to a familiar open spot filled with stalls.
That was it! The market!
Ignoring the looks turned his way, Bero grinned triumphantly and loped eagerly toward his destination. The market, however, turned out to be more frustrating than he remembered from when his triad had done their trading. Perhaps it was because the humans gave three Ragoru more space than a single male. Whatever the reason, he found himself annoyed by humans who seemed content to walk far too close to him and step directly in his way, especially when he wished to pause to admire something. Thankfully, it did not take long to locate the butcher.
The butcher turned out to be an older female with a thick build. Her silvering hair was swept up into a tight knot. But as strong as she looked, she shrank back as soon as Bero stopped in front of the stall. Rubbing a claw against his jaw, he inspected the selections, eyeing the human who stood awkwardly nearby, uncertain of where to look.
Bero frowned. That would not do. He would never get assistance if people were afraid to even look at him. At a loss as to what to do, he removed several coins from his pouch. The glint of the metal had an immediate reaction. It drew the butcher’s attention, and the female stilled, her gaze fixing on the coins. Bero cocked his head with interest and subtly shifted the coins, amused at the way the female licked her lips, her expression one of eager anticipation.
“Female, you are the one who provides meats, yes?” he rumbled, making the female’s eyes snap back to him, away from the coin.
“I am…” the butcher agreed warily. “I expect you’re looking for something specific for all that coin. I’d be happy to fill your order.”
Bero slanted a curious glance at the coin. It apparently had more power among the humans than he expected. He narrowed his eyes at the female and made a point of memorizing that particularly useful information. Turning his attention back to the wide selection of meats, he licked his teeth thoughtfully.
“Yes, you