"Hey! Let go of me, you little brat!" The merchant struggled to pry her small, surprisingly strong hands off his shirt. "Alright, alright! Two silver coins! That is my absolute final offer. I have to make a living too."
"Make it three silver coins," Lushi tightened her grip on his collar. "Or I take the merchandise to the fat guy two streets over. He always pays a fair rate."
"Fine! Three silvers!"
She immediately let him go. Lushi dusted off her small hands with a satisfied smirk while the merchant gasped for air. He grumbled curses under his breath, fishing three shiny silver coins from a leather pouch tied to his waist. He tossed them onto the table. Lushi snatched the money in a flash. She dropped the coins into her pocket.
From the back of the group, Krai Andrey watched the entire violent exchange in complete silence. The sheer aggression on display was staggering. The absolute refusal to back down from a grown man was entirely irrational for a child. He stared at her dark hair and fierce eyes. He remembered the adult Lucia perfectly in this tiny, volatile package.
"Let's go," Lushi said. She marched right past Krai.
He just followed along.
Down a narrow, shadowy alleyway away from the main market, a small shop displayed rows of coarse garments hanging from frayed ropes. The fabric looked rough enough to sand wood smooth. Lushi walked right up to the bored shopkeeper sitting on a stool.
"I need two sets of clothes that will perfectly fit," Lushi said. She turned around and pointed a stiff finger straight at Krai.
The shopkeeper nodded slowly and tossed two tight bundles of brown fabric over the wooden counter. Krai grabbed the scratchy clothes and stepped behind a hanging sheet in the corner to change.
The stiff fabric scraped harshly against his soft skin. It smelled strongly of stale dust and cheap lye soap. He pulled on the tight brown trousers and a simple, un-dyed linen shirt.
It was humiliating, but he finally did not have to hold his pants up just to walk. He stuffed his expensive, oversized jacket and trousers into his canvas bag, tying it securely to his new belt.
Stepping back out into the alley, he found Lushi handing over a few copper coins she got as change from the meat merchant. She did not even look to see if the clothes fit him properly.
Next to the clothing stall, a brick bakeshop radiated an intense, dry heat. The smell of burnt yeast and cheap flour filled the narrow street. Lushi walked up to the counter and slapped the rest of her silver coins onto the stone surface.
"Give me everything this buys," Lushi demanded.
The baker blinked. He quickly started stuffing hard, round loaves into large brown paper bags. Then, he handed bag after bag over the counter in a rapid rhythm.
Lushi grabbed one. Lize took one. Ruke, Siti, and Anz each took a huge bag filled to the brim with cheap bread. The baker handed a sixth, heavy bag to Lushi.
"You carry one as well, newbie," Lushi said. She shoved the heavy paper bag forcefully into Krai's arms.
The sudden weight of the dense bread nearly pulled him straight down into the mud. Krai shifted his grip quickly. He hugged the coarse paper tightly against his chest to keep the bag from dropping.
They marched back toward the deep slums carrying six paper bags full of bread. Krai's arms ached terribly.
"Can we even eat all this?" Krai asked.
Lushi kept her eyes fixed straight ahead on the muddy path. "Actually, this is far from enough."