Steve threw up noisily into a bush and shivered violently.

"I told you that you should not look away from the line of the path," Lord Marius said calmly. "Faerie paths are not safe."

Steve shuddered. "You're not kidding."

"Though it is fortuitous that you brought iron into the realm against my instructions." Lord Marius lounged against an oak. "I wouldn't have considered that there could be iron within a shoe. I thought it was glue and stitching."

Steve looked down at his expensive shoes, the laces tipped with steel aglets. The elfen set a lot of value on appearances so he had reluctantly bought designer shoes. They had been worth every penny. "This suit cost £500, you know." Steve straightened up. "And that was after hard bargaining."

"You are known as a great merchant," Lord Marius nodded. "And a great and skilful dealer in the delights of the elfen. I am sure that should an untouched mortal should attempt to purchase that suit it would be three times the amount."

Steve looked down at the torn and stained remains of his suit. "I hope I get as lucky replacing this one."

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Lord Cerdig coughed in the background and Steve turned to face his host. The ancient elfen was wearing his shabby Victorian tweeds with a grand air. "Steve Adderson, great merchant to the elfen, I hope this has not affected our ability to do business. I will not offer you drink and food, but please be seated and let us talk."

Steve bowed politely and sat carefully on the shaped tree stump. "How may I serve the Lord of Warrington?"

Lord Cerdig drummed his fingers on the arm of his own wooden seat. "I know of you as a great merchant," Lord Cerdig said thoughtfully. "You have dealt honestly with my kind. However you have always required payment in mortal money which I lack. However I propose a trade."

"What sort of trade?" Steve said cautiously.

Lord Cerdig waved imperiously and a boggart brought in a large chest. "All that is contained there is trade. There is nothing faerie there, nothing that will fade in moonlight or sunlight. The arrowheads are unenchanted."

"That is a cautious and careful decision," Lord Marius nodded thoughtfully. "Most have forgotten elf-shot and it is helpful to keep that."

Steve looked at the heap of musket shot, strap ends, hack silver, Victorian and Roman coins and expertly knapped flint arrow heads. "This is a hard hoard to value." He said with absolute honestly. "I will sell this treasure fairly and take the cost of selling together with a tithe to keep me fed and the rest of the money found can purchase your desire." Steve hoped it would be enough.

"An excellent plan," Lord Cerdig cried. "Brett will carry the chest to your vehicle."

Back in his car, Steve wondered how much he could get for miscellaneous antiquities and modern knapped flints. And where he was going to get bulk quantities of Pokémon cards.