Shining 6

 Elly didn't like going to the marketplace in town, but she did periodically to check on her stolen clothing and sometimes trade for Aizawa, if he was busy with another task. Today she had already been stopped several times on her way through the merchant stalls. Once an older lady eyed her suspiciously and refused to move, forcing her to go a longer way around. After that, she got into an uncomfortable conversation with a woman sitting on a stool beside the vegetable stand. She seemed kind at first, but she also held Elly back, this time with talk as she refused to let her leave.

"He isn't holding you against your will, is he?"

Elly shook her head firmly. "No. I'm staying because I want to."

"But you're such a <i>pretty</i> lass! Why'd you want to waste your life on that one? He's got a face that would drive rats from a barn."

Those large, soft eyes of hers could be expressive in other ways when she wanted, and the woman got an agate-hard glare as Elly balled her hands into fists to face her fully. Her voice remained light, even pleasant, though her stance was furious, and somehow that frightened the woman more. She almost fell off her stool as she rocked back, startled.

"He is my share of life," Elly said quietly. "And I won't have others speaking badly of him, you hear?"

She decided that was enough browsing for the day, and as she left she heard murmurs all around as the townspeople passed the fresh gossip about. Still no hint of her clothes and this was growing more frustrating every day. Then there was yesterday, and she couldn't shake the feel of his hands on her waist, his breath hot on her skin. More than anything she wanted him, but there were ...complications. Elly was terribly distraught by the time she walked all the way back to the shore and their home above it, her mind spinning.

Aizawa looked up sharply as she stormed into the house. The wooden door banged shut behind her, causing dried herbs to swing from the beams nearest the commotion. A bulb of garlic fell and rolled all the way under the table.

"What's wrong?" He stood up as she brushed past him to bed.

"Nothing." She flopped down on her stomach, groaning. "Everything."

He sighed. "No luck?"

"No." Elly shook her head. "You've been so kind to me and the people in the village, they - they..." She buried her head in the pillow he had been so proud to give her recently, stuffed plump with fresh feathers.

"Let me guess," he drawled. "Half of them spit in your direction, and the other half want to protect you from the evil hermit."

"How can they be so horrible?"

"My face doesn't necessarily inspire trust," he told her sourly. "Besides, you're still new to them, even after so many months."

"It's - it's so frustrating! I can barely shop for what we need. I'm either getting propositioned or having to take the bad half of a trade."

Aizawa clenched his teeth at the idea of the men in town going after her. He had no doubt she could handle herself, but it still galled him. Still... "Any one in particular giving you trouble?"

"Not really. The one lady that sells herbs keeps insisting you must have something on me, and there's the blacksmith's boy what thinks he has a shot at my heart." She groaned again in dismay and he had to smile. "The little brat's going to push me too far one of these days."

"He's twenty, not a child." He snickered at the thought of her decking the young man in the face. "I agree he's a cocky bastard, though."

"Ughhh."

Aizawa sat close to her on the bed and reached out to stroke her hair. She sighed and relaxed under his touch.

"Pull yourself up, my light," he said in as cheerful a manner as she'd heard from him yet.

She raised her head, curious. "Why?"

"We're to have company tonight."