The Order of Dragonfire

Chapter 10

"See? Lovely." Rain smiled as Alex patted herself down. Rain had insisted that their honoured guest receive some suitably fine clothing, and Alex had been all too happy to accept after only having the woolen under armour to wear. Although not much a fan of dresses, the red linen was certainly preferable to the itchy wool. It was slightly faded and frayed in a few areas, but still of a very good quality.

"There's more stuff that should suit you back 'ere." He said, throwing his head back towards the caravan they had taken the dress from. "But this'll be all right for tonight."

He was right, and she was grateful for his hospitality. The business with the two scouts had left her on guard, but she was increasingly sure that their behaviour was highly unusual. Although she still held little but animosity for those two, she couldn't condemn the whole tribe for their actions. Would she object to someone robbing people on her behalf if she was desperate? She'd like to think that she would, but wasn't so sure. From what she could tell the group wasn't a cohesive unit, rather an amalgamation of small tribes and families that would regularly meet together. The actions of one didn't reflect on any others.

"This'll do for now..." Rain said, attaching a small tin brooch to her shoulder to hold the dress together.

"For now?" She asked, slightly puzzled about why it wouldn't be needed later on.

"You'll see." He grinned knowingly. She frowned a little at being left in the dark, but didn't see any point in demanding that he tell her.

The feast began later that evening. At least as far as Alex could tell, anyway. It wasn't the structured event she had been expecting. Rather than everyone gathering to share a meal, people would bring a table from their carriage and set it down anywhere amongst the clearing. A slow trickle of wagons had been arriving all day. Rain had explained that only the fastest of them had first gone to find her on horseback, with the rest of their tribe following behind to meet at the clearing. Apparently they went there somewhat frequently before venturing back into the desert for long periods of time. There were hundreds of people by the time that travelers had stopped appearing. Throughout the evening food had been piled high upon a few central tables, with people from all over gathering around to take some or add their own. Although they had been picking at it all day, most people were feasting and chatting with one another as night drew near.

Alex was sat between Thorn and Rain at the finest table, with yet more people on either side of them. The dark wood she sat at was finely polished and clearly the work of a skilled craftsman. From the way the other guests at the table spoke to each other she figured that these were highly respected individuals. Although the attention she had received throughout the day was making her a little uncomfortable, taking an honoured position at the table seemed to be a huge compliment. Boys and girls, with the oldest appearing to be in their early teens at most, had brought food and drink over to her and her companions. Although it was mostly fruit the selection was huge. In front of her was a large bowl filled with finely chopped pieces of various coloured plants she couldn't identify, plus bowls of small fruits to each side. There was a little poultry further down and trays of meat at the very end. Rain would occasionally vanish and return with a new tray from someone else's table, generously donated to the tribe's leaders. 

Alex learned a lot about their way of life from just from the feast alone, having spoken to a few passers by. Apparently they were loosely organised, gathering their caravans at night for protection but otherwise performing their jobs during the day in small independent groups, typically in their families. They were dependent on one another for goods and services, with the hunters and gatherers being fairly affluent compared to the other laborers who needed their food. It was an interesting way of life, and a far cry from the cramped city of Serpensbane. Not that she really knew what life was like for most people there either she supposed. She had been raised in the Spire and didn't know many people from outside it, so she had never gotten to appreciate what life was like for many others.