“Try this robe, my dear, It is so voluptuous and the red hem will allow your beauty to truly shine,” my mother said as she presented me yet another robe.

It was a beautiful piece, but so were the seven she wanted me to try before and I could not tell the inequalities, which made my mother deny them and move onto another article of clothing.

Luckily for me and for Adra whom my mother recruited as the bearer of our baggage this was the last object on the list my mother presented to us in the morning. The list included every piece of clothing a fashionable young lady would require. It was not a small list, but late evening was slowly creeping unto us and we had nearly every piece of the required collection selected to my mother's satisfaction.

I lost count of the items I tried on myself and any idea about what was going on around noon. I just stood there as a statue serving as my mannequin.

It at least gave me time to think and plan. I had the sketch I made yesterday in my sleeves and several golden rings and necklaces I plundered from my jewelry box in my pockets. No one stole them yet, and I ordered Adra to take care of my clothing, so they would probably be safe. I now just had to find a jeweler, who would take a commission, which would not be so hard. They dedicated entire rows in side streets to such crafts. I only had to wait for this madness to end.

“I think it clashes with her hair too much, honored lady,” Adra said. After I proved to be uncooperative with my mother, she found a willing disciple in my maid, who offered comments constantly, after she overcame her initial shyness.

I did not know how she could find the energy to do so under the load of boxes and wraps she carried. She was not a cultivator, but she offered her assistance cheerfully and constantly. On one hand, it certainly prolonged this trip by several hours, but on the other it made my mother happy and that outweighed a lot of discomfort.

“You are right. We will have to use the green robes,” my mother decided to the great cheer of the merchant, who was nearly as despondent with my mother’s choosy nature as I was.

“Pack these,” my mother ordered and an unabashed happiness replaced the look of relief on the merchant's face as he packed the veritable mountain of clothing in front of us.

“I think that is everything,” my mother said when we left the shop. I just nodded.

“Mother, Could I take a walk around the city? I have not been here for some time and I would like to acclimate myself with the city.” I said.

“It is unseemly for a young lady to go into the city unguarded. People will talk,” my mother looked at me dubious of my request.

“Please mother. I wish to see the city before my official duties begin. No one will recognize me in my clothes,” I was still dressed in the simple clothes of a peasant, but this time Adra cleaned them and perfumed them so they smelled lie a fresh meadow.

My mother relented, but not before setting her condition, ”Adra will accompany you. She knows the city well and will serve as your chaperone,” my mother decided.

I would not question her decision and so, me and Adra were left alone, while mother traveled back to the Silverhand clan compound on a carriage filled to the brim with clothes.

“Where shall we go my lady?” Adra, now relieved of her burden, asked.

“I must find a skilled jeweler, who is not very expensive. Where should I look?” I asked her.

“We should go to the Fire alley. There are always workshops open there and they are not as expensive as the more prominent artisans, who work for the nobs,” she mused out loud and then looked at me scared when her brain caught with her mouth.

I just smiled and passed over her “nobs” remark without a comment, ”Lead the way.”

We walked through the craftsmen quarters and its bustle. It was once a more overwhelming experience. The colors of the market, mixed with the sounds of bargaining and the smell of an incredible variety of foods was overwhelming, but as we passed through the quarter the bustle of the city lessened and we arrived at a place where the activity was much lower.

People were on these streets of course and they were still treading and arguing about goods and services relentlessly, but they were less finely dressed and I could walk through the streets without being nearly bowled over. It was clear we were in the less affluent part of Jiaomay city. Here the small time traders, travelers and affluent workers came in search of luxuries, which belonged to them by the Imperial decree.

We walked into a cobbled street full of humble shops, smithies and other metalworking workshops

“My mother always says that if I ever needed some cheap jewels, I should go to Paulos’ shop,” Adra said, as she pointed to one of the nondescript fronts with names like. Steel hammer, Fine steel. Sturdy metal, Rings of iron and so on. They named this one Three rings. I could not tell how it differed from the other jeweler shops in this alley, but Adra seemed to be sure and so we entered the small establishment.

The shop had no front. We walked into the jeweler’s workshop immediately. A small counter welcomed us in front of the entrance. Small furnace was in the middle of the room ringed with several tables filled with tools of the trade. I could see a variety of small pliers, miniature anvils and various forms crafted from clay.

I could also see three men working on the tables. The oldest of them turned from his work, when we entered his workshop.

“How can I help you ladies?” the man who I suspected was Paulos asked us.

“I would like to order an unusual commission,” I wasted no time with niceties and went straight to the point. Adra stood aside watching me closely.

“I can craft wonders, but the more complex the piece the more it will cost you. My time is precious,” he said, starting the bargaining.

“The thing I desire is not complex, but it requires working with stone and I am not sure you have the skill.” I probed him for more information.

“Ha. I will dispel your doubts lady just in a moment,” he said and pulled a wooden box from underneath one table. He opened it and pulled out a beautiful necklace, ”This piece will persuade you otherwise. It is onyx, which I have worked on tirelessly and crafted this masterpiece you see before you,” he said.

As I looked at the necklace, I knew it was no boast. The medallion was made of simple iron, but the centerpiece of the necklace was a beautiful onyx horse sculpted to the tiniest details galloping in a complex web of iron chain links, so that when the necklace shook, it looked like the horse was galloping. It was far beyond anything I expected to find in this workshop.

“That is incredible. How could you make something like this” Adra wondered. I agreed with her, but I could not show my amazement. The horse was truly lifelike. I did not believe those who did not cultivate could reach such skill without walking the path towards immortality, but I felt no Qi in the air. It was the skill of the mortal craftsman.

“It was my master work, when I obtained my rank in the guild. It took me a long time,” he said, looking at the piece wistfully. I was sure he had a story to tell, but it was not my place to pry, but I did not know how someone so skilled did not work for the clans.

“Your skill will suffice for my needs,” I said and pulled out the sketch I carried with me. I put the scroll on the counter and waited on the craftsman assessment.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

He looked at the scroll for a moment, rubbing his chin with his hand, ”This is not very hard work, my lady. I can make the well in the stone easily enough and to pour the gold into it is a question of very little skill. Even one of my apprentices could do as you wish without screwing up, but I do not see the purpose of such an ornament. It is very plain and with no carvings or symbols. If you wish, we can engrave it with anything you desire.”

I nodded appreciating the man did not argue that the work was hard, ”I still have some specification, which you will have to follow, master jeweler. The stone must be without blemish or impurity. If possible, it should be completely homogenous. The gold must also be without impurities or any additives. You must pour only gold.” I bid him.

The jeweler nodded looking grim, ”Crafting the stone will be the straightforward part, my lady. I have few delightful pieces for you to choose from, but the gold will be an issue. I rarely work with metal. Most of the work is done with bronze, iron and copper. What little supply I have, I gained so by melting golden coins. I do not have gold of the quality you desire and I have little ability to procure it. I am sure any craftsman closer to noble quarters will create the item you desire.”

“Why? Aren’t golden coins gold?” Adra asked, confused.

“They are not pure gold. The gold in them is often mixed with other metals to ensure the coin keeps its shape, but I require a purer product than the gold in those coins.” I explained to Adra and smiled.

“Luckily for you. I had foreseen such an issue and made preparations,” I said and pulled out the rings I brought with me.

The Jeweler took them from me and looked at them closely? “Lady, I run an honest business. If this is a way to get rid of stolen jewelry, I will not cover for you.” he said.

“Why would you think it is one?” I asked him, while Adra looked affronted enough for both of us.

“These belong to the Silverhand clan,” He said and gestured towards a seal on the inner circle of the ring I had overlooked, ”I do not know how you got them, but the clan will look for them and they are going to be rather annoyed that some of their precious jewelry vanished.” He explained his objection.

It was a reasonable worry, but it was baseless. The only problem was that I forgot the proper way to introduce myself as a member of the clan. I looked around thinking, before my eyes landed on Adra.

“Adra, introduce me to the gentleman.” She looked at me startled, but did rise to the occasion.

“Hear and listen, for before you stand the honored daughter of the Silverhand clan, Mei Silverhand,” Adra curtsied towards me, as she presented me.

The jeweler looked dubious about our claim.

“We can send runners for my mother and annoy her, or you can accept my claims,” I pointed out.

The man in front of me said something to himself under his beard, which I failed to pick up. It seemed that my senses had dulled, already. It was an expected development, if not exactly unexpected.

“I will take the commission, but how will you pay me?” he asked a rather important question.

“All the precious stones in these rings will be yours. That should cover the costs of making the ornament. If my calculations are correct, you will have gold left over. You shall keep this gold for me in case I will require another ornament.”

“That is fair. How should the finished ornament be delivered?” he asked.

“Just sent a runner to the Silverhand compound. I will tell the guards I am expecting a package from you.”

Adra coughed, ”Better take it to the southern servant’S entrance. The guards there are expecting such deliveries and claim it was for me. High lady of your standing should not be seen requesting deliveries from this part of the town,” she pointed out. It was a fair request, and I saw no reason to deny her.

“Do as my maid recommends. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?”

“No. I will get to work on this commission immediately. Good day to you.” he swiped the rings and went to the table where forms and pliers were laid out.

Me and Adra gave our farewells and left the workshop.

“Mistress forgive me for asking, but why did you seek the service of a jeweler here? The clan has more than enough skilled blacksmiths on retainer,” Adra asked me after we walked some time.

“The craftsmen working for the clan would have many questions, which would slow down the work to a crawl, and I need this device quickly. It will help me with my illness,” I explained to her. I kept to myself the main reason for my choice. The craftsmen working directly for the clan might raise questions about the nature of such an unusual request, which might lead to revealing the extent of my condition to my parents, which was not an acceptable option.

“I understand, but if I may ask: What kind of illness are you suffering from? Your esteemed mother told me you were sick, but she did not mention details to the lowly servant.”

I opened my mouth to tell Adra my story, but I saw something in the corner of my eye and so the words morphed in my mouth, ”Adra, stand behind me!” I ordered. Adra looked at me confused, but did as I ordered.

The something in my eye was actually someone. A wobbling figure rose from the table he was sitting on and walked towards us. It was clear the man was drunk. His steps were unsteady, and he was swaying from side to side. Yet his eyes never wavered from me no matter how much his own body betrayed him.

He scrunched his face, his teeth were bared and his eyes carried a look of hatred.

Adra finally registered him and looked at him fearfully from behind my back.

“You little whore. Because of you I have lost my job. And now you show your little face here, so I cannot even mourn in peace.” he said, slurring his words, so they were rather hard to make apart.

“I am sorry, but I think you have the wrong person,” I tried to be reasonable.

“I do not have the wrong person, you thief. I remember when you visited your clan last year. All high and mighty. You thief. I opened you a door.”

The surrounding people cleared the street in anticipation of violence, while I tried to remember the face of the man in front of me.

“They hired me to be a doorman, you see. It was such a pleasant job and your parents were nice to me, but no. It could not last. You leech had to drain them more and more, so that they had to fire me. You kept stealing from their mouths until they had nothing to give. They cannot even keep servants now, you child of a barren mother!” the man ranted.

I thought about what he said and the things finally clicked for me. The lack of servants, the bare walls, the cheap plates, my mother’s lack of jewelry, even my cousin’s remark. My parents were conserving money and selling off their riches.How could I be the reason for it though? I did not know, but even the idea filled me with dread.

“I think we shall now go,” I half whispered to Adra. I hoped to slip away while the man ranted, but it was not to be, because as I backed away from him the man exploded.

“You lying spawn of disharmony, are you trying to escape justice for your crimes?! I shall deliver the punishment for your wickedness!” he shouted and raised his hand to strike me.

Adra screamed for help.

I looked at him. The man was completely drunk. He had no proper stance and his swing was too wide. The outcome was not in question.

I sidestepped his strike, grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. He lost his balance and fell on the ground. It would be easy to deliver the finishing blow to the exposed neck as he tried to pick himself up, but I saw little reason for it. The man was completely out of it and I was rather sure, if he remembered this moment, it would scare him enough. Trying to strike a member of a clan was punishable by death for a commoner.

“Let’s go, Adra. I need to find some answers.” Adra looked at me awestruck, while we sped away from the place of the incident, while the drunk was cursing us from the ground.

We returned to the Silverhand compound. I wasted no time and walked to my father’s office, while I sent Adra to take care of my rooms.

“Come in,” my father said, when I knocked on his door.

He looked at me and smiled, ”Mei what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to my office?” he asked.

“It has come to my attention that you and mother are struggling financially.” I said and watched my father closely.

His eyes shifted for a moment, and he refused to meet my gaze.

“It is correct, that the business was not going as well as it should have, but it is something, which comes and goes as you well know, if you listened to lessons you have received,” my father was deflecting and trying to turn the conversation.

“The business is so bad you had to sell furniture and mother’s gold?” I drove my questions further.

“It was inevitable. We had issues with the lender who needed a payment and we were short on-,” my father stopped. It was clear he did not want to reveal that information to me.

“So you are in debt. Is it because of me?” I asked the question which was on my mind for the entire trip back.

“Well, It is more of a confluence of factors,” my father proved he was a surprisingly poor liar for a merchant.

“Is it because of me?” I repeated my question. I needed to hear the answer from his mouth, but

“Mei your eyes are bleeding,” he said horrified.

I reached out and felt liquid coming out my eyes. One look told on the tip of my fingers that it was blood. Cultivator Li was correct that stress was triggering these episodes.

“This is just an inconvenience.It will pass. I want to know if you are in debt because of me,” I dismissed my condition.

“We will discuss it, after you stop bleeding. Your mother and I will explain the circumstances to you, after you stop bleeding.” My father insisted.

I nodded and went to such clan medic. I just needed to calm myself down and clean the blood from my face.