Darkness

Darkness     Part 3

Chapter 50 Temporary Flower Girl



[Six months or so after what occurred in Chapter 49]



The small bell on Shoppe door tinkled, instantly a tall, slender, beautiful young shop girl turned gracefully with a smile from straightening the shelf in front of her. Expecting to greet the usual female customer, she found a tall, alarming figure in black leather armor with hip length long silken black hair cascading down his back with one hand resting casually on the hilt of his long sword and a large clay pot of unnaturally bright pink flowers, incredulously, in the other. He grinned up at the young, dark brown haired woman with large bright green eyes, who gasped in shock to see such a strange fierce male person in a Shoppe full of satin ribbons, fine lace, delicate fabrics, and other feminine gewgaws, that were all for women. It was the rare husband or male that entered her Shoppe to buy something for his wife or lady.

“Pardon me, good sir, you startled me. Rarely do warriors of such quality as yourself enter this establishment.  What can I do for you, sir?” Her voice was soft, low and delicate, an as elegant as her loveliness.



“Sorry, young woman, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I saw these lovely unfamiliar flowers sitting on your porch and I just had to have them for my personal garden. ”



“So, my lord, you like to collect beautiful flowers, do you?  I just bought them several days ago from a farmer who was traveling through on his way south.  Normally, I don’t sell flowers but they were so exquisite I couldn’t resist them. ”



“Yes, my lovely little bird I collect flowers as well as other exquisite things, and, even on rare occasions, people. You remind me of someone I knew a while back. What’s your name young lady?” Truth was he had been observing her for a several days now since he came to town, as she moved in and out of Shoppe. For a woman she was so independent and self-contained, almost as if she belonged to no man, which was odd as most woman of her young age had a husband or father to protected them. Yes, the beautiful young lady was more that a little mysterious, for he discovered she had rented a room in the house of the local hedge magician that ran the local magic Shoppe in the same house. There was something odd and different about her. He found it refreshing that she didn’t constantly keep primping and fussing with her person like most high born ladies. For example, she rarely played with her hair or adjusted her skirts and, at times, her mannerisms and gestures were a bit more tomboyish than normal. For some reason with her, he found that totally refreshing and fascinating especially with his normal predilection for pretty innocent young men.



“Chimera, Sir. ” This time her voice came off with a demure feminine calm.



“That is a most unusual name, little lady.  Do you spell it with a K or a C?” He asked with a slightly mocking laugh.



“With a c, sir.  Why does it matter, my lord?  It was just the name I was given by my parents who liked the sound of it, I doubt they even knew its real meaning”?  She replied, her perfect pink mouth seemed to grow unnaturally tense with his questions.

The dark warrior kept staring at her with his austere black eyes unable to disguise his questions and curiosity about her. He could tell that he was starting to make her uncomfortable, but her mannerisms gestures and movements, seemed so very familiar.



Her coloring was completely or very different from what he was normally attracted to.  Her hair was rich russet dark brown and cut to just below her white shoulders, her large bright green eyes stared at him with many unspoken mysteries. Her ears were small and perfect but definitely, not even close to being pointed. But, uncommonly, it was the bodice of her dress that held his gaze the longest, for the gentle fullness of her pale bosoms lifted most modestly from the open bodice of her dress cinched tight with crisscross ribbons. A valuable green jeweled heart locket lay framed between her high pert mounds.



Seer’ Reign found himself still very attracted to Chimera, her beauty even made him slightly hard, just looking at her. Never had a woman made him react like that, ever.  Before, it had always been young handsome men and pretty boys, yes just like his missing thieving magical brat.  But since he lost his magick he wondered if, miraculously, his tastes could change so thoroughly overnight, even though that was oddly impossible, wasn’t it?  Beautiful women were fine to look at, but not for him. So he was quite startled to hear his own voice identify himself and then ask the woman to join him for lunch at the Inn of the Scarlet Paladin.



“Unfortunately, my lord, Seer’ Reign, I must decline.  I can’t leave the Shoppe here unattended. I can’t afford to lose this position for I need it to live. Perhaps another time, good sir!” She replied with a polite smile and a graceful curtsy.



“Well, yes, perhaps another time, when you’re not working, my dear. I'll be in town for sometime so I am sure we will run into each other again. For you see I'm in the process of seeking out an old friend. He borrowed something from me that I need then went away and forgot to give it back.  I have no attention of giving up until I get back what is mine. Good day, young lady, I am very sure we will meet again. ”  Then, the tall dark warrior nodded with a polite bow, turned and left the Shoppe.



As soon as he was gone, in a most crude and unfeminine way, the pretty young shop girl tossed her head in denial, letting her dark brown hair fly around her head as she loudly uttered the words, “Bloody Bastard!” Just what Chimera needed to make her day and her now perfect simple life harder; the unwanted attentions of an obviously utterly ruthless male predatory hunter. Next, angrily, with unrestrained violence, she viciously kicked a large fancy basket filled with several dozen bolts of fancy fabrics half way across the store until it overturned, spilling the fabric every which way over the floor of the store. Cursing again under her breath, she leaned down and picked up the mess she made, putting it right before another customer could enter the Shoppe and find it in disarray.  It was then she realized to her dismay, that Lord Seer’ Reign had completely forgotten to pay her for the bright pink flowers he took with him.