Drabble #263: Treasure

[redwolf]

For this prompt, we continue with our one-word/phrase drabble roots:

Treasure

Tell us all about it. Labyfic-style, of course.

Given our entries from recent months, let's continue with the suggested limit of 500 words. Though remember that shorter pieces are most definitely welcome!

Your entry should take the following format, posted as a comment on this entry:

Word count: # of words
$your_beautiful_drabble

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Comments

Patronage

[redwolf]

Word count: 500

Sarah wasn’t certain who had first broached the idea of a field trip Above, but it had gained enough traction that the organisation became an adventure of its own. Everyone had been poring over the event maps and had devised their own battle plans of how best to maximise their visit to see as much as possible.

The event was an arts and crafts exposition that was large enough to not only cover an enormous amount of floor space, but also included a hugely diverse array of exhibitors. In the days leading up the trip, those interested in attending were paired with a guardian who shared an interest. It would eliminate the strain of Jareth wrangling and transporting everyone, and it would allow people to follow their own paths and return at their leisure.

Of course, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Sarah had hoped to spend some time with Jareth, but the ceramics section was opposite the direction he was heading, so she spent the day geeking out with Bishop. She loved seeing the different ways people used glazes and it was providing great inspiration for her own projects.

As they wandered the aisles of the huge event space they would occasionally cross paths with others in their party. The foxes may have had differing interests, but it seemed they had a shared love of fox themed miscellanea. Sarah smiled as she passed a tiny woman wearing an orange, faux fur combination hat and scarf with fox ears, her companion, a heavily glamoured wood elf, was chattering in excitement and brandishing bulging tote bags filled to overflowing with brightly coloured, glittery novelty yarns.

Sarah was a little envious that her own haul needed to be limited to samples and brochures. As much as she’d love to purchase all of the glazes, she did not want to lug their weight around for the rest of the day. She figured that if she still liked the sample when she got home, she could order the glaze directly.

While she only caught a glimpse of Jareth, she recognised his work by the gushing of several of the smaller artisan stall holders. It seemed that an attractive man dressed in a lavish red and gold frock coat, had purchased a significant amount of their goods with a caveat that they were to exchange these goods throughout the day for a token. When the children appeared with their prize tokens, their parents always ended up purchasing more items.

A small girl happily showed off the handmade unicorn bracelet she had won, while her sister bought a pair of dragon earrings.

Sarah loved seeing how Jareth’s random acts of kindness spread such joy. She knew that it would be a financial risk for a small artist to break even at a large event and was certain that Jareth’s actions had ensured they made a tidy profit for the day.

There was a sweetness to his decision to support other artists that warmed her heart.