Wicked Hearts Of Stone

Chapter 3

The markets were generous this season. Even though it was just the beginning of spring, the stalls were ample with various goods and services. People were chattering away, making small talk with friends and family. Children running around as their laugher and squeals fill the air. I always enjoyed coming down to the markets, even in the dead of winter when it would be much quieter and less busy, and no matter how tired I was or how much my body groaned and ached from foraging and hunting to keep us alive for a few more days. Even when I didn't have any coins to purchase anything, I would see what's available, and study the people going about their day even sometimes eavesdrop in conversations. listening to the towns latest gossip, who had the best spices for the best prices, who child caused havoc by vandalizing the farmers barns, and every once in a while I would hear the news and gossip of the immortals across the guarded waterway. The merchants and traders who work close enough to the borders to encounter abnormal instances, or hear about unlucky ones who encounter creatures that would go missing and never heard from again.

I walked towards the food court of the market, taking in all the sights and smells wafting throughout the air. I could of sworn I started drooling at the sight of the meals, leaving a trail behind me. I stop walking once I come across a baker, loaded with all kinds of bread and rolls. Breads that were long and thin, short and plum, white and brown breads, even ones with slight colouring, and ones as small and bite size pieces. I scan over the table to see all the types of bread and their prices as a new, fresh baked bread still steaming is place don the table in front of me. A tall, well build man with broad shoulders and a long black and grey beard connect eyes with me. I seemed intimidating at first with the sheer size of him, but his eyes were kind, squinting slightly at the corners as a welcoming smile appears on his face to greet me.
'Goodday milady, are can I assist you in purchasing a loaf?" A strong, but soothing voice welcomes me.
"Yes," I respond quickly looking upward towards him, still gawking at the size of this beast man, surprised he is not on the front lines to battle, where I would believe his build would suit better.
"What is the best price you could do on this rustic loaf, sir?" I follow, pointing at an average size load with a beautiful floral design carved into it, wondering what knowledge and skill it must take to master this craft.
"That loaf is 4 gold coins, would you like it wrapped in wax paper?" He replied as he was almost ready to bag up the bread.
"Oh," I say defeatedly, knowing well enough I didn't have that much coin on me. "Would you take 6 silver for it, please sir?" I meet his gaze, giving him the softest eyes I could possibly muster, hoping this man would swing low enough to my budget.
"I'm sorry, the best I can do is 10 silver, only for a pretty young lady like you." he says with sorrow in his eyes.
"But.. I only have 6 silver and I need to feed my brother and father." Hoping he would budge just that little bit more. The man looked away, scanning the table of breads on the table.
"You could get this for 5 silver." he said as he picked up a small, bitesize bread that looked absolutely tiny in his giant hands. I just sighed, knowing well enough that wouldn't fill me up, not to mention my father and brother too. I quickly thing to what I had to offer this man, to barging, or swap for something with the same value, but nothing came to mind as I remembered I sold the last deer skins we had for a big hearty pot of mutton stew that lasted just over a week.
"Thank you sir, ill try my luck somewhere else." Giving him a small nod and smile, feeling embarrassed with myself for wasting both our time as i walked off between the best of the food stalls.

The sun was already past midpoint in the sky, noting that i must of been longer than an hour. Without scoring anything for us to eat, I quickly turned on my heels and headed towards the fountain where I promised Luca I would meet him much longer than an hour ago. Swifting in between the people, I see Lucas' hand waving back and fourth motioning for me. 
"Do you know how long I've been waiting here, Aeryn?" He complains as my places his hands on his back, stretching it out. He must of gotten stiff and sore sitting on the crumbling concrete if the fountains' edge.
"I was beginning to think you met some handsome stranger and ran away to start a life with him leaving us behind." Luca teases while giving me a slight nudge. I softly give him a nudge to the shoulder back.
"I would never do that! You are way more important than a boy, especially these pricks in this village." Trying to recoup Lucas trust than just abandoning him in the middle of the market and village.
"What did you manage to get us to eat?" Luca questions as I cringe a bit, hoping he would delay asking that question a little longer while I think of a solution . I rub a hand along the back of my neck in defeat,
"I didn't manage to get any food for us. The prices of everything has seemed to go up this season. I couldn't afford anything with what I had. I'm sorry Luca." Guilt sweeping though me knowing Luca had already gone a whole day without eating so far, putting more pressure on myself to find something tonight out in the forest which I was already dreading.
"Hey," he said placing a gentle hand on my arm as I meet his gaze. His eyes were forgiving and understanding. "I understand. Well figure something out, it always does. Don't worry about me ill be fine, its father you need to worry about." Just thinking of how we would react was making me shrivel up inside, knowing what was my impending doom awaiting at home.
"Did you see anything interesting?" I say, quickly changing the subject.
"Well, sort of.." Luca drags out, peering over his shoulder from where he was wondering before. My eyebrows slightly raise, wondering what was putting Luca off. Nothing ever made him uneasy or confused. He's seen more than the average person from a young, both at home and in the village when we would wonder around the streets as a young boy unaccompanied, like a little spy sneaking into peoples property. He's told me all the wild stories of what when on behind closed doors in peoples home, in the farmlands, and even in ministry builds when people would think no eyes would be upon them.
His eyes connect back with mine, but his face was a bit blank, unable to read his expressions.
"There were some soldier looking people within the markets. They were eyes up all the people in the market, as if they were trying to find someone. They seemed on edge, like they were ready to fight if anyone jumped at them." Confusion swept over me, a very unusual sight indeed. I take a quick glance over Luca's shoulders, peering in between the people walking and talking about in the markets. Scanning form one person to the next, when my eyes land on the back of a tall, thin, but well built male. Armored to the bone with a long heavy looking sword sheathed to his back. I quickly glance back to Luca to validate his sightings, but once I look back up again to the same spot, the male was gone. I look in between the people again trying to find the soldier male, but he was no where to be found. The feeling of my stomach hollowed. It was very unusual these sorts of people would be here. They don't look like they belonged here, or in any nearby villages. Maybe they were trying to find some sort of criminal, but even that thought didn't line up right. Everyone in the village knew everyone else. The village wasn't over populated, and we normally dealt with our crime if there was any. Normally being a criminal was a shame upon your family name, so our village was too much of a dangerous place, sure there were young people being mischievous, pushing boundaries and being naughty, but nothing in a long while has happened to an extent to shock the village, or let a dangerous criminal walk between us.
"I'm sure its nothing" Luca says as I snap my focus back on him, "can we go home? My legs are aching." As he starts to massage his thighs, being active was physically demanding on his weak body.
I give him a soft smile and extend my arm towards him, offering the support he needs to stand up. Luca wobbles a little bit but quickly finds his balance again, taking a small step in front of the other, noting he must of sat on the fountain ledge for quite some time for his legs to go numb and weak again.
"I wonder how man father will get with m not brining any food for him." I say to Luca, but sighs and drop his head slightly,
"He might be a few bottles deep by now, probably passed out on the couch." Luca calculates, giving me some hope.
"If he even made it to the couch this time." I say while giving a small giggle. Luca lifts his head, a small smile creeping on his face. The sun splayed lighting up this face.
We walked slower back home, savoring the peace and the warm sunlight among the air that was still crisp and cool.