"Do you get your yarn from Fisherman's Lake?"
"The wool.We color and spin the yarn ourselves."
Eli hadn't known."Wow, that's amazing.The board is talking about adding a toll for people delivering to the dock.It would affect you."
Her eyes grew wide."What?"
"Thano--" He gestured out the window."--told me they're discussing it on the board.I talked to Joshua Fagan about it this morning, so I'm sure it's spread around Fisherman's Lake by now."
She stood frozen with her hands on the handle of the basket."But people have a hard time affording our products now."
"I know.I'm in the same situation."He gestured at the content in her basket.With an added toll she most likely couldn't have afforded the potatoes.
"Right."She nodded."Thank you for letting me know.I'll talk to the girls and see...I don't know if they have any wool to sell us at this point."
"Isn't it shearing season?"He believed they cut the wool in the spring.
She nodded."You're right."Then she shook herself."They haven't sent word yet, but it doesn't mean they don't have any wool."She reached over and put her hand on his."Thank you, Eli.I'll see if Lisa-Mae and I can row over and talk to them."
He shrugged, a little uncomfortable."We're in the same situation."
She nodded."But you could've kept your mouth shut."
"We're in this together."They were, but it was crazy they hadn't come farther.It had been generations since the others pushed the humans back, but as Fala had said, it wasn'tthemholding them back.The others restricted the area humans were allowed to cultivate, but they didn't hinder them otherwise.They didn't object to paper products, didn't object to education or culture.It was all the human leaders' doing.
The moment Rosie stepped out of the shop, Thano and most-likely-Tuur entered."Sorry."Eli focused on him."I don't know your name."
"Tuur Moonlight."He had a gruff voice and a grumpy expression.Judging by his size, Eli would guess he turned into a huge animal, but he didn't know if it was rude to ask."You were on the board too."
Tuur shot Thano a glare.Shit.Eli took a step to the side to increase the distance between them."Are you looking for something specific or only having a look around?"He gestured at the shop.
"I want to see the basket with the shinys, and maybe if you have something Romeo can plant in his garden like the things Thano will get."
"The shinys?"Eli was a big man, but he was small compared to Tuur.
"Fala found her thing in the basket of...shinys."
Oh, the measuring cups.Eli grabbed the basket and put it on the counter."It's mostly kitchen utensils."
Tuur held up an egg slicer in stainless steel."What's this."
"Eh...an egg slicer."
Tuur studied his face as if he believed Eli was joking."Can't humans slice their eggs with a knife?"
A chuckle escaped without Eli's permission."They can, but this will give them even slices.Or you can slice strawberries if you're gonna use them for decoration--" He gestured at Thano."--on cupcakes for example."
Thano moved faster than Eli could perceive and plucked the slicer from Tuur's grasp."I'll buy it."
"Hey, I saw it first."
Thano flashed teeth, and Eli took a stumbling step back, only to bump into the shelf he had behind the counter.The empty containers he had there for people to borrow wobbled.Quickly, he whirled around to steady the shelf before anything fell off.
"You're not on the cupcake team.We might need this."
Eli gaped.The cupcake team?In his mind, Thano was a dangerous, sharply dressed man.Calm, controlled, with an air of dominance.You only had to catch a glimpse of his impassive face to know he was deadly.Never had he believed he'd fight someone over an egg slicer and argue about needing it because he was on the cupcake team.
Tuur growled, a rumbling sound deep in his chest, and if they hadn't been blocking Eli's way out of the shop, he might have tried to run.