Grass-colored fur still damp from the Warms-Waters, My'So stood in the center of the trading plaza with her hands on her hips. The plaza was as thriving as ever, yinglets from various enclaves peddling their wares, eating, playing, and doing every other sort of activity one could imagine. Out of the din of high-pitched voices, she was focused on a pair of screaming Goldrun males flailing their arms. Their client, a sleek silver-colored male from Blackglass Peak, had lost interest in what started the fight and was now humping on top of a sack. The squabble had been prolonged enough to gain an audience, and My'So noted the ever entrepreneurial We'He bartering in both sweet-sticks and bets over who would win. She nudged her aide, who went off to obtain some of the sweet-sticks. She was going to need them. The males currently engaged in a furious argument were Ancano, her dear friend and trusted advisor, and Peeera, a rookie on his first trading mission.

"I tells you, it's NO GOOD DEAL! He owes you more ten eight!" Peeera was still young enough that his limbs hadn't quite lengthened, and he was trying to maneuver atop a rock to be taller than his opponent. Ancano, being both older and currently full of spite, was able to gracefully mount the rock and bristle.

She already knew who would win the fight, even if she had to intervene. Ancano's ears were so filled with gold that he couldn't even lift them, while Peeera had only a small bead at the tip of either ear. What gold didn't go to the enclaves on the other side of the mountains went to the best merchants and warriors of Goldrun. Her friend's jingling display of wealth attested to his skills. From atop his rock, he curled his thin fingers into a fist and bopped the youngster on the head. "Dumb! You are five whole monts too early to fight me! Did your nurse cut your egg on ta way here?"

A chuckle broke out from the surrounding yinglets. Fights like this were a part of the daily scene at the trading plaza, and My'So idly wondered if she could start charging to let spectators watch. Unless one of them asked her to mediate or they drew blood, it was custom to just watch. As the first female on the scene, it was her duty to judge this conflict. Other females might come to spectate, but they wouldn't step on her claws. It was considered a tiresome but necessary duty. My'So didn't mind doing it. It let her young brain exercise and learn more about her own kind. For example, she thought, Ancano's six years of life experience were serving him well. Rather than focusing on the business deal gone wrong, he teased and insulted his opponent. She knew this would gain him favor with the crowd, and they'd hang around after the fight to barter with him. Peeera, even if he somehow won, would likely be ridiculed for the rest of the day and the next before the next fun drama came along to distract everyone.

"You are bein' te dumb! Idiot! Dumb stinky! You make Goldrun have SO MUCH shame!" A few from the enclave in question rolled their eyes. Some didn't personally like Ancano, but they knew better than to try to insult his skills.
"Hah! Shame? You say shame? Ta biggest shame is YOU! You do not even know how to trade peeners well enough to hump!" My'So made an inquiry to her aide about what exactly caused the fight. Ancano appeared to have been trading meat from a long-beast to the Blackglass Peak male for obsidian blades, and they had settled on eight blades for three lets of meat when Peeera interferred. Another riposte from Ancano turned her attention back to the duel. "You aren't even pretty."

Peeera reeled back, a hand to his chest in shock. A chorus of 'oooohs' came from the watchers, and Peeera glanced around trying to gain support. His hesitation cost him, and a string of jeers and taunts spattered forth at him. Ancano grinned and batted at his own ear, the ringing of his jewelry marking the end of the fight. Peeera was quick to beat a retreat, and My'So handed the rest of her sweet-stick to a younglet and approached the victor.

"Ancano-go! Anotter good deal. You gonna grow more ear for a new ring?" Her comment made her friend laugh, and with faux modesty, he tipped his hat over his eyes.

"Nah. Everybody already knows I'm tat good. 'sides, my hat takes te new rings so I don't gotta. Tank you for watchin', My'So-fo. Always good to see ta most pretty female here." His white tail brushed cheekily against her before he went over to the Blackglass Peak male to finish the deal. She turned to her aide pretending to be scandalized, only for both of them to giggle. Her aide asked if she wished to return to the Warms-Waters, but she declined. After all, the blades Ancano was trading for were nice, and there was a female visiting from Silverrun she wanted closer ties with.

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Vignelets is gonna be little spin-off shorts about things taking place in the HMNIY universe that are canon, but not a part of the main story. This first one takes place in the Foothills trading plaza.

Background yings (left to right)
-Vee'Chi (apprentice nurse)
-To'Ki (younglet)
-Eee'Lo (My'So's aide)
-Vetch (Goldrun trader/local dandy)
-We'He (purveyor of sweets)

And the two tails down in the corner are Razi of Blackglass Peak and Ri'Ti of Silverrun.