The soft crackle of the fire in the hearth was the only sound in the room as Toran and Elira sat quietly, long after Kael had gone to bed. The flickering shadows danced on the walls of their small cottage, a humble but cozy place where they had lived their entire lives. The air was thick with the warmth of the fire and the fading aroma of the evening meal, but neither of them felt like relaxing just yet. Their minds were far too occupied with the events of the evening.
Toran ran his hand over his face and leaned back in his chair, staring into the fire. Elira was across from him, her elbows resting on the table, her fingers twining together as she stared at the small gold coin Kael had brought home. It lay between them on the table, glimmering in the firelight like a tiny beacon of opportunity. Neither of them had said much after Kael had gone to bed, both unsure of what to make of the strange turn of events. They had long been accustomed to making do with little—living in a small village where silver coins were as rare as gold. Gold coins themselves were hardly ever seen; they were reserved for the highest of trades and transactions. To see one in their home—especially one that Kael claimed to have found in the woods—was both thrilling and terrifying.
Elira finally broke the silence, her voice soft but firm. "Toran, what do you think we should do with it?"
Toran sighed, his brow furrowing as he leaned forward, his large hands still clasped together. "It's a tricky situation, Elira. A gold coin like this doesn't just appear out of nowhere. I don't understand how Kael could've found it in the woods. If anyone else finds out, we could have a serious problem."
"I know," she replied, her eyes narrowed as she turned the coin over in her hands. "But it's real. We've seen enough coins to know that. And Kael... well, you saw how he looked when he gave it to us. He wasn't trying to deceive us."
"No," Toran agreed, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. "Kael's an honest boy. He wouldn't lie to us. But I don't trust this, Elira. If it's real, then where did it come from? How did it end up in the forest? What if someone's looking for it? We don't want to draw attention to ourselves, especially not from the wrong people."
Elira placed the coin down gently on the table. She took a deep breath, the weight of their situation settling in. "What if it's just a stroke of luck? What if we just... go with it? I'm not saying we should tell anyone, but we could use it, Toran. For once, we could have enough to pay off our debts and finally buy what we need for the house."
Toran was silent for a long moment, clearly torn. "I know," he said finally. "I've been thinking the same thing. We could buy enough food to last the winter, new tools for the farm, clothes for the children. Elira, we could even fix that hole in the roof. I've been putting it off for too long, but this could change everything."
"But how do we do it?" Elira pressed. "We can't just walk into the village with a gold coin like that. People will talk. They'll wonder where we got it. And then what? Kael's not the kind of boy who's prepared for something like that."
Toran nodded, rubbing his hands together. "I know. We'll need to be careful.
"We could go to Rafe's place in the market tomorrow and change it into silver and bronze coins. Then we can use those to buy what we need, without anyone asking questions. I think the merchant in town, old Rafe, will give us a good exchange rate. He's always been kind to us."
Toran smiled faintly. "Rafe's a good man. He won't ask too many questions. But we'll need to be discreet. We can't let anyone see us walking around with gold in our pockets. We need to keep it low-key. Just a few silver and bronze coins at first."
Elira nodded. "And we can use the silver and bronze for everything we need—tools, food, supplies for the house. Maybe we even get a few treats for the children. I know how much Mara loves that special bread from the baker."
"Yes, I think that's a good idea. We can't spoil them, but they've been so patient with us. It wouldn't hurt to get them something nice," Toran said thoughtfully.
Elira leaned back in her chair, her eyes drifting over to the fire again. "And what about Kael? How do we explain this to him? He's the one who found it. He's the one who might start asking questions if we suddenly have enough to buy things we've needed for so long."
"We'll tell him that it's a blessing," Toran said, his voice gentle but firm. "We'll tell him it's a gift from the gods. He won't ask questions if we keep it between us. It'll be our secret, Elira. We can't let anyone else know about the coin. Not yet. Not until we understand more about it."
Elira looked at him, her expression softening. "You're right, Toran. We have to be careful. But I can't help but feel... hopeful. Maybe this is the break we've been waiting for."
Toran reached across the table and took her hand in his. "We'll make it work. One step at a time. And we'll keep Kael safe, too. He won't get caught up in any of this if we can help it."
"Of course," she agreed, squeezing his hand. "We'll be careful."
After a long silence, Toran stood up and walked over to the hearth, where a few embers still glowed. He poked at the fire with a stick, watching as it flared briefly before settling down again. His mind raced as he thought about what the next day would bring.
"Tomorrow, then," he said quietly. "We'll go into the village early before anyone else gets there. We'll exchange the coin and buy what we need. We'll keep it quiet. No one has to know."
Elira rose from her seat and joined him by the fire, standing close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from the flames. "Tomorrow," she echoed softly. "And after that, we'll just keep living our lives. No one will suspect a thing."
Toran turned to face her, his eyes filled with a quiet resolve. "We'll take care of our family, Elira. That's all that matters."
She smiled, though there was a hint of worry in her eyes. "I know. But this... this could change everything."
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, Elira and Toran set their plan in motion. Kael had already left early to tend to the fields, and Mara was playing with a small wooden doll by the fire. The house was calm, a sense of normalcy hanging in the air, but beneath the surface, there was a nervous energy.
Toran had dressed in his worn, but sturdy clothes, his boots laced tightly. He grabbed a small sack from the shelf and carefully placed the gold coin inside. He adjusted his cloak, glancing over at Elira, who had also dressed quietly, as if nothing was unusual.
"You ready?" he asked.
Elira nodded, her expression set. "Let's go."
The walk to the village was a quiet one, the dirt path winding through thick groves of trees that shaded them from the early morning sun. The village was a small, sleepy place, nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and dense forests. The main market square, where the traders set up their stalls, was a place they visited often, but never in such a way. Today, they would walk with purpose, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of suspicion.
When they reached the village, they made their way directly to Rafe's stall. The old merchant was sorting through some fruits and vegetables when they arrived, his wrinkled face lighting up when he saw them.
"Ah, Toran! Elira! What brings you to my stall this fine morning?" Rafe greeted them warmly.
Toran forced a smile. "Just a few things, Rafe. We wanted to exchange a little coin, if you could spare the time."
Rafe nodded, eyeing the small sack Toran held. "Of course. I've got all the time in the world. Let's see what you have."
Toran opened the sack and placed the gold coin on the counter, careful not to draw attention.
Rafe raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable for a moment. "Gold, huh? Haven't seen one of these in a while. Where'd you get this?"
Toran met his gaze evenly. "Found it in the woods. We thought it would be best to exchange it for silver and bronze. Don't want to cause any trouble."
Rafe studied the coin, then nodded. "Alright. I can give you 10 silver for it. One gold coin's worth ten silver, after all. And you'll get your fair share in bronze as well."
Elira watched nervously as Rafe made the exchange. Soon, nine silver coins and a silver amount of bronze coins were placed in their hands. Toran tucked them into his pouch, careful not to jingle them too much.
"Thank you, Rafe," he said, nodding in appreciation.
"Anything for you, Toran," Rafe replied, his voice softening. "Take care of yourselves."
As they left the market, Elira couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement bubbling inside her. They had done it. The plan was working. Now, they had the means to take care of things they had been putting off for so long. They could finally stop worrying.
And for the first time in a long while, the future seemed a little brighter.