Privilege

Once, Eran would never have set a foot in the Lower Ring to buy something, but time and experience had taught him that it was simple prejudice that kept the wealthy from the lower rings. As if anyone in the Middle Ring could sustain themselves without what lay on the outskirts of Alderrath. Merchants selling products from which they hardly knew where it originated, what labour had gone into getting it to those precious upper rings in the capital.

So when Eran needed a new leather cover for a notebook, he travelled to the markets in the Lower Ring. Years of adventuring in the Odirian Kingdoms had taught him enough about not standing out to avoid getting robbed. He looked like he belonged, with travelworn clothes and eyes that belied he had seen more than the average Alderrath citizen.

"Morning," he greeted a man with a promising looking stall. "Can I take a better look at the leather?" With so many thieves roaming these parts of the city, it was always better to ask before touching anything.

Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view

it ain't much

but it's honest work

Thiago was only once every few weeks with a cart filled with leather in the lower ring. The place reeked and was loud, but he got used to it. He still didn't like it when he had to butcher a cow, but it was the quickest way to make a few good coins. And then it took a few weeks before he had turned all the cow hide into leather he was happy with. It wasn't really difficult actually, just a bit of dirty work and waiting around. Most of the leather he got from the cows he used himself. But as money was tight, he now sold as much as he could.

Thiago had draped out the cow's hides on the side of a cart, and he leaned on the side of it, a piece of thick leather in his hand, which would eventually become a new bridle for Eddie. He liked to carve details in the leather. He usually didn't have time for it, but selling wares was a lot of waiting around, and then he would keep himself busy while looking like a professional, of some sort. He had furrowed his brows when he put the piece closer to his eyes, studying the swirling patterns he had made on the cheek piece. He blew a bit of the excess material away, and then drew his finger over it. It was alright. Way too fancy for an old horse like Eddie, or for a man like him.

Thiago looked up as a man greeted him. He nodded back. The man thereafter asked if he could take a better look at the leather. ‘Of course,’ he answered the man. His blue eyes quickly glanced at him. He was an older fellow, looking like he belonged here. Thiago put his work away and turned towards his stock. He grabbed a few hides and splayed them out in front of him. He leaned back against the cart. ‘What are you looking for?’ he then asked the man.

× @Eran Doleras × voice ×

Elyon

️

The merchant nodded and put the piece of leather with a carved pattern of swirls down to grab a few hides from his stock. Eran looked down at them, feeling the quality of the leather to make sure he had made the correct assessment. So far, so good.

"I'm looking to have a new notebook made, and I need a cover for it," he answered when the man asked him what he was looking for. "It needs to be sturdy enough for frequent travel," Eran added. His notebooks went with him on every adventure and they needed to be able to withstand the harsh conditions he found himself in from time to time. He could not have it falling apart during the first journey, something which had happened before when he had failed to put much thought into getting a quality one.

Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view