Bella smiled at the young boy and nodded. She did not have any money to help him but she had skills and as she had left behind the safe haven of her home and the land where humans reside but can not enter the land of the vampires, all she could do was give this boy a company.
"Where did you get these berries from?" the boy furrowed his brows. He looked at her as if she was a threat suddenly.
"You can buy them from me. They are cheap." he offered a negotiation but Bella shook her head making his eyes narrowed. "Are you going to compete with me then?"
"I dare not." she shook her head again making the child baffled, "but i do not have money and i am hungry. If you tell me where you find them, I can get some for myself." The word was difficult but it had a strange flavor that the child liked.
He thought about it for a second before pointing at his west.
"If you would walk alongside the poplar trees, you will find them after walking a mile.'' That was the best he could offer and she was relieved that he did.
Bella felt the hostility in his voice and sighed. She was not going to stay here for long. All she needed was to prove her struggles. She was so closer to vampire lands, she was sure they would come for her.
All she needed was to create another trouble.
"Alright!" She did not mind plucking them as long as she could eat them and think about her next plan. With a smile, she left for the woods he pointed at when his eyes went grim.
"I apologize but I did not do social service." The boy's eyes went cold and sinister but she was too far to notice her doom.
—------------
The warm rays of sun felt magical on her skin. She did not realize the night had passed and the morning had grown on her skin. The fresh breeze, kissed by wet leaves and wet soil felt like whispers of angels.
She inhaled it like a drug addict lost in ecstasy. The touch of fresh leaves was soft on her skin. She had spent half of her life in the woods, hiding yet, she had never felt such serenity. Is it even normal?
She had a mission to complete. She had to find the weakness of the vampire lord. Yet she was here, in the wilderness looking for poplar trees and berries.
Bella shook her head as she felt like an imbecile trying to chase shadows. But she still did.
Climbing on the trees of wild berries, she plucked as many as she could. She inhaled their scent to differentiate the poisonous ones as she had learnt and collected them enough.
But instead of sitting there and eating alone, she took the berries back to the child. The boy was surprised to see her back.
"Here, I have brought some for you to return the favor." She passed the red berries to the child who looked at them as if they were gold.
"You found them?" his eyes widened as he took them from her, "these are in good demand." the lower level vampires and their maids come to buy this one.
It was mixed in their blood to make some kind of juice he would loathe. But it earns a lot. He had thought she would eat poisonous berries. He had only told her about their address. How did she find so many? The child swallowed and looked at her with suspicion.
"Why are you giving them to me?" Bella blinked and then grinned as she sat beside him.
"Because there are too many. I will not be able to finish them." her smile was full of innocence that a tinge of guilt filled him. He lowered his head and counted the amount he could earn from them.
Taking out five silver coins, he offered them to her.
"Here!" Bella looked at the shining metal and then at the child when he coughed.
"I do not take favors. I am giving you half of the earnings of these berries." His voice was so full of righteousness that she laughed.
"Oh dear! I do not need money." she shook her head, "but if you could offer, i would like to trade in information." She ate some berries freely. The juice touched her lips and dripped on her chin, passing her long neck and ending at the corner of her dress.
It gave illusion of blood to a stranger but the child stared at her eyes as if waiting for her to continue,
"What kind of jobs do vampires offer?" he sighed! Another fool who believed she could make quick money by working for vampires.
"They offer maids jobs, servants for menial tasks and blood slaves. They are for pleasure too but most of the time they serve both purposes at once." she nodded, knowing this much already.
"And how to get these jobs?" her curiosity flared him but he knew better than offering advice.
"You can go and ask for one. I have never tried to know myself well." she sighed looking at his frowning face and stood up.
But just as she turned, a vampire stood in front of him.
"You want to work for vampires?" he titled his head when Bella took a step back.
"I want a place to hide and earn money at the same time. But I am not offering myself as a slave." her voice was full of arrogance that surprised the vampire.
He chuckled as he looked at her again.
"You are too demanding. Maids do not earn much and even if you start working as a maid, there are many who would demand more." he warned as he took a step closer but she took out her dagger instantly.
"Then I am ready to face them. As long as my employer does not force me."