Chapter Text
The farmer only came to obtain a mermaid’s pendant two years ago, after hearing half-drunk saloon patrons mumbling about the mysterious old mariner one night.
Was he the ghost of a sailor who lost his love at sea, forever destined to wonder the seaside in search of his beloved? Was the pendant a gift she never lived to see, or was he the one lost at sea, holding on to it in hopes of one day giving it to her? Apparently, the tale has been passed down through the ages and only stuck here in the valley. The farmer could never recall hearing such a tale back in the city, her grandfather never even mentioning it. She recalled Lewis sending her a letter about the pendant a few weeks back, but she tossed it, writing it off as junk mail.
But tonight was different. The farmer was captivated by their theories on who the old mariner was. Apparently, one spouse of every married couple in the valley has met the mariner and acquired a pendant from him. But the farmer was skeptical, it all seemed like a big ol’ wise tail to her, and for all she knew, the villagers could have just been playing a prank on her.
So, she waited. Late one night, storm a brewin’, she took the scenic route to the beach as to not be seen. She tiptoed by Elliot’s cabin, the squishy sand and loud rain drowning out any sound her footsteps could have made.
The farmer would be lying if she said she was not unnerved. Two years of living in the valley and learning its secrets and odd ways had hardened and prepared her for most surprises. But when she saw him standing there amongst the rubble of a ruined beach house, soaked to the bone and looking off into the sea, she froze. After a moment, she shook the paralyzing feeling one gets when spooked and trudged forward.
When her boots hit the bridge the mariner turned to her like a bartender noticing a customer; as though he had been expecting her. He blended in with the dreary landscape in the rain, dark and aged. His eyes were solemn yet alive.
When she closed in, close enough that the pounding of the rain against sand would no longer drown out his words, he spoke. His voice sounded unused, as though it had been dragging over gravel. His accent sounded ancient.
“Ah…” his throat rumbled, “I can see it in yer eyes… There be a special someone in yet heart. Just so happens I’m sellin’ a mermaid’s pendant.” He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the shimmering shell, dangling it by the string in front of the farmer's eyes. “Give this to your intended and they’ll know exactly what you mean.”
The farmer watched the shell sway back and forth, hypnotized by it. Thoughts of Shane flooded through her head as she extended her arm to reach for the pendant. Just as it was in reach of her, the old mariner tugged the necklace and the pendant jerked just out of her grasp. He caught the pendant in a large hand and cradled it away safely, hiding it’s bright beauty away from the gloomy world.
“That’ll be 5,000g, miss.”
The price initially shocked the young farmer, her mouth falling agape. How could such a little shell possibly be worth so much?!
She quickly gathered herself, rationalizing it in her head. Different region, different values. In the city, it would be nothing for someone to go out and purchase a ring with a little diamond tucked away inside it for triple the price. But here in the valley, she had mined so many diamonds and other precious gems, one might not even hold any significant value to her at this point.
So, she pulled out her wallet, made the trade, and dangled the pendant in front of her eyes as she left the beach, thinking of how no ring could ever come close to matching this pendants beauty.
Once in town, she tucked the pendant away in her pocket to avoid prying eyes that might be stirring in the late of night. News travels fast in small towns, after all. She headed home quickly and quietly, tossed the pendant in a chest and promptly passed out in bed for the night.