There were still clumps of mud and garbage as she entered, but it was not nearly as bad as the outside. The dark, single room shop was large and spacious. The stone walls made it feel more at home to her as the girl picked up one of the baskets provided and started shopping. Slowly working her way through the isles, there were voices from other customers out there, but it was surprisingly unbusy for such a populated trade town. She stuffed another canister of dried meat into the basket, then a loaf of white bread. As she moved forward, she saw a sparkle of blue from the side of her eyes. She looked up to see that the sunlight was hitting something just right, reflecting blue on the grey walls. She knew what it was. She tossed her next item into the basket and reached up, clasping the necklace around her neck. The light was put out fast as a candle as she reflected on one of the few memories of her grandfather.

"This necklace was your grandmother's, mother's, and now yours. Take good care of it."

As she slowly trudged out of the isle, she lifted her hand and extended her palm, holding the pretty thing in her olive hand. Without the light, the necklace was now pure white, without color. The color only appeared in the light. That was the nature of nixstella, the precious gems of Eiskalt.

She sighed, looking down at the item passed onto her by her biological mother. Ah, her biological mother. Hanuh was, in fact, raised by an adoptive family until she was six. Her true mother had given her up so she could live a better life than she had with her. Indeed, she had loved her adopted family very much, but now... they were...

Images of a blood scorched scene flickered in her mind.

She wanted to know if here, back here, her real mother was still out there.

With a feeling of deep sorrow, the melancholy girl walked up to the counter. Placing the basket onto the desk, she absentmindedly ignored the conversations of the cashier as she thought back to the man who saved - no - spared her...