Burian Villages and roads
Later, Alison was able to pick up her necklace from the jeweler. For an effort by someone who'd never seen a swan, the accuracy of the result more than pleased her.
"I love it," she assured the artisan, smiling before making the agreed upon payment. She removed her hat, then slipped the fine-link chain over her head, with the swam coming to rest over her bosom. As the artisan had said, the Seed stone was a deep, vibrant green color.
Although it wasn't a color she would've picked as a first choice, it was nonetheless lovely. For her, the relative neutrality of it was important, too. While a white swan symbolized such attributes as grace, beauty, love and purity, a black swan had a wholly different meaning. The bird represented both sides equally, in her world. The one did not exist without the other...
After they exited the shop, Alison noted a trio of children playing nearby, giving she and Justin curious glances, obviously spotting them as outsiders. She gave a friendly wave.
"Hey -- we're going to take a short vid, some holo-pics, to remember the village by, after we leave. Would you like to be in them?" The young ones nodded cheerfully, and jogged over to them.
"I'm Alison and he's Justin," she introduced. At which the children likewise gave their names.
"You're really tall," said the smallest of the three, in lilting Burian accent, looking upward at Justin. "Are you really strong, too-?"