The demon of the Cold Valley

Chapter 1 Part 1

Chapter 1

"How much?"

"Five bronze."

"One Bronze"

"No... I know what you are doing. and I will not entertain your shenanigans anymore."

"Shenanigans that's a great word. a worthy word. Because of my influence look at you even in your cranky old age you are increasing your vocabulary. must you not thank me for teaching you this."

The man was alone in the shop, his manual labourer missing, and that slightly made my heartbeat faster. the purpose of my visit here after my vacation away from the valley was always to gaze at the boy who chopped the meat. while we bantered and bartered. my gaze would fall onto the boy as he would methodically chop the meat. That was our ritual. That had been our ritual.

Seeing each other without seeing each other. talking to each other without talking to each other. dancing with our hearts and our gazes. even though his well-being mattered the most to me those words never came from my mouth, for just as all the brothers we too were different, we too had our own differences, we never saw eye to eye on anything. agreed on anything. and only once in our life did we argue. And now lacking his presence here the hair on my arms slightly erected itself, but before that could be addressed the man before me pulled me into the conversation again.

"No, five bronze that's all –nothing more and nothing less."

"Hmmm"

My voice grunted, as the man was learning the ways of the world, while constant chatter began to increase behind me. the clear blue sky sparkling as the early morning sun slowly dominating its presence, while the humid air spread and violated the market. as the presence of fresh and rotten-vegetable and fruits violated the market, mixing with the sweat of hardworking men and women, the aroma spreading and violating the presence of every man and woman's nostrils, who stalked the streets.

My eyes watched this man as he sat on his cart, as the meet of the sheep and the wild boar hung before and behind him. at my monitoring gaze, sweat tickled and dripped from his face wiping away the liquid. He too stared at me back.

"Come on Salem. we both know the pound of meat is not less than pennies of the bonze. and I am paying you four times as much. just because I like you and respect you. just because I like the way you hand out free meet on every Thursday to the valley's orphanage, so that just like Anuran those children too can grow their bones and their muscles strong. even though you sell meat at the premium rate I buy from you because you do that. I could go to any vendor in this market, and we both know they sell cheaper, but I don't because I respect you. So, it must be reciprocated as well right."

The eyes of the man narrowed at my sudden praise and compliment, blinking once he replied to me.

"Four bronze."

"One bronze-that's all I am giving you. lower your rate Salem. if you sell in this way. nobody in the valley will buy a single pound of flesh from you."

my foot marching forward covering the distance so that the chatter behind me would not disrupt the conversation, but...seeing the distance shorten between us. his eyes began to scatter on each corner, using a towel hung across his shoulders he wiped away the sweat that continue to leak from his face, while his gaze watched me through his blackish eyes.

"Must you always do this?"

"Do what...Salem?"

"Cover your threats with dignified words, drench and drown them in compassion, so that instead of the threat that arises from your tongue, the primary focus would be on the compassion in your voice. But I am not going to fall for that, today is not going to be your day. you cannot push me anymore son. As much we want to-everything will not go according to your wish and desire, no matter how much you twist the wheel, lady fate always dictates your every move."

My eyes blinked once halting the conversation for a heartbeat. as the man's sudden wisdom in the early morning awoke a sense of melancholy while my mind registered and digested the thought behind those words all the while my bruised fingers wiped the tips of its fingers on my cotton trousers.