I Want These - Yarti/Fannah-Child

It was another of those weeks. Fannah had been on her best behavior and when that very next girl’s day in town had arrived, so did her pleading eyes. A Bosmer woman opened a new store over in the outskirts, a cloth worker much like myself. The local children had convinced Fannah that it were a toy store, I had overheard her telling Fanar as much. It started after breakfast some days ago, I found her tugging at my dress. Eyes wide, more precious than any ruby. Mumbling at just above a whisper, she asked about that store. If I knew of it. Just idle conversation as I tended to the dishes. I thought little of it at first, but as her behavior took that usual shift, it became obvious. Fanar made it through the week with all of his toys and feelings intact, that was the final piece of evidence. Our day came, and I donned my town dress, and put her in her finest and off we went. Big and small sandals clicking across the cobbled roads, alongside hedge and farm. To the outskirts before making out ascent into the town proper. We stopped at a few street stalls, picked up some food, household goods. A wonderful day, as it usually is with her. She helps with picking out the vegetables and which things we should get for that particular week. It’s a learning process for her and her opinion is highly valued. I bring a light lunch with us, to be had when we find a comfortable shady spot in town. We make a fun day of it.

Off to the east, the new shop stood lonesome along a wall in-progress. She had planned it all out, down to the effective words she would use. As we finished with the street market, our path into town would lead us past it. Her little hand found the fringes of my dress and with a sharp tug, she grabbed my attention. “Can we look?” she prodded. Taking a step toward the door, she tugged again. “Please?” batting her eyes and giving her most pitiful of expressions. Eyes ablaze, overcome with curiosity and a hint of fake sadness, but with energy bounding behind them. She looked as though she would soar off of her feet, a high leap or possibly fly off into dance if I were to say yes. I paused, just briefly, watching her excitement dim everso slightly before speaking. “We can look.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth than had her fingers found the door and flung it open with a battlecry. The roar of the morning town died behind us as I fastened the door behind us. The shopkeep stood at her counter, arms planted firmly before her. She gave a friendly smile, off-putting considering she was surrounded by such ferocious beasts. Lions and bears and birds of all sorts and colors. I sat my pack against the far wall as Fannah darted wildly about the counter, pressing her face against the soft fabrics and taking in all of the sights of the store, nearly knocking toys to the floor in the process. “She’s a little excited.” I said with a laugh, to which the woman nodded and waved my worries away. “She’ll be alright in a minute.”

At last her gaze fell upon a stunning black and red spotted dress atop the counter. Her hands cupped her gasping mouth. “A labedydug” she mumbled before correcting herself. “Ladybug”. She stood motionless for the first time in some minutes, transfixed. I knew that look by heart. She could see herself in that dress already. I took a moment to browse, mostly to see if there was anything that might interest Fanar since he would likely not get to see this store until next week. I settled upon a brown bear, it seemed the sort of thing that he liked. The Bosmer and I talked price, coming to agreeable terms, she took the dress from it’s rack and handed it to me, folded neatly. The be-speckled bow and all. Seeing the transaction, Fannah bounded from the far side of the store, coming to land at my feet, clutching at the dress. With a wave of her hand, the woman motioned upstairs, that she could change up there if she would like. Dragging me by the hand, she raced up the steps, hastily climbing into her prize.

At the foot of the stairs she did a little twirl. Her smile wide, she dusted her hands down it’s length. I tucked her old clothes into my pack and returned to the counter to see about these toys. Fanar’s bear and… in the moment I had spent tending to her old clothes, Fannah had claimed one of each animal, plopping them onto the counter. “I want these.” She proudly proclaimed. The shopkeep loaded them into a sack and handed it to me as I strummed through my coin purse, counting out what was left. The rest of this venture would be cut short, but seeing her like this made up for it. In near matching outfits, lugging a pack of clothes and vegetables, and another full to the brim with new toys, this wonderful day drew to a