The demon of the Cold Valley

Chapter 1 Part 2

"That's deep Salem. that's very...very...deep. Wisdom and philosophy are the pillars of the civilizations, and both you have already earnt, because of that I will do something I never do. I am going to pay you a penny and a bronze."

He sneered once and slouched his neck nearing to me, watching my face, watching my gaze, staring at me. of course, my eye stared back at the man-unblinking, and undisturbed in return.

"Three bronze-that's it. Not a penny will I lower."

Planting my left feet forward, covering the distance between us even more, my lips responded on its own.

"You are a shrewd man; one must learn the ways of the world with you. and because of that, because of the lesson you impart I am increasing my pay even further – one bronze and two pennies."

The man exhaled a breadth once, releasing the warm air from his nostrils, while his shoulder slumped at the tiredness of his body.

"Two Bronze and not a penny lower."

The man slowly replied while my eyes watched him, my body standing perfectly erect, while the shade of an iron sheet above my head protecting and shielded my entire body. Thus, in darkness-we bartered, and in darkness –we fought till the passage of two heartbeats our gaze fully interlocked.

As the chatter around us began to increase, while more and more men and women began to violate and invade the market. and few of them that walked and bypassed around us slowly recognizing us and continued to watch us from the corner of their eye, and the man that sat behind the counter knew that the attention that he was getting would tank his business. so, he had to either move me away or he had to surrender. and surrendering means to a man like him is like...chopping of his arm and giving to me. He did not want to do that. He did not wish to do that. But as usual he had little choice in that matter.

"Fine-one bronze and two pennies."

"That's good."

Picking the money from my pocket, without counting my fingers handed the coins to him. as he collected the money both of his eyes widened, eyebrows rose while sweat continue to leak from his forehead, his towel now entirely drenched from his sweat.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Do not be so concerned, I am paying the amount that we have agreed-one bronze and two pennies."

"I get that but what about the rest? why are you paying me the rest?"

Moving my head from one corner to another, my neck craning I disagreed with the man.

"I am not paying you old man. This is a loan from me to your youngest daughter-Anara. She is four summers now, right? Buy her a wooden slate and some chalk from me. When she is old enough, when she earns enough you can ask her to feed a healthy meal to her uncle. and we can call it even."

The man clasped the money harder, his withered skin and fingers crushing the coins. he inhaled a breadth once, while his lips parted, but no words came. shaking his head, muttering incorrigible words, without meeting my eye.

Using the support of the cane beside him and the cleaver on his thigh, his body hobbling and wobbling. he chopped the meat that hung before and handed that chopped meat to me within a satchel, and as those earthly matters concluded finally it was time for the question that needed to be asked.

"where's my brother Salem?"

My younger brother is a habituation creature by nature, he follows the rigorous system. a routine that he had established as soon as he reached six years old. and even though for the better part of three years my presence was not present in this valley, one thing was positive no matter what happens, he will never break the system. he will never deviate. he is like that, and seeing his missing presence here made me slightly take pause.

For when a boy like that breaks away and deviates from his routine, then that means there is something else going on. and as my question raised, the man before me, would not and did not meet my eyes. as he averted his gaze away from me, which was another thing that made me disrupt my thoughts, and even after standing still for five more heartbeats receiving not a single sentence of reply from this man, my lips moved on its own.

"See you around-Salem."

Without waiting for his reply, turning my back to him, my feet marched forward into the hustle and bustle of the valley market. while a thin trail of sweat leaked from my forehead.

The path before me was straight and linear. where over the course of ages, thousands of men and woman walked, forging a line and a trail amongst the path, crushing the grass, the mud, the sand and the stone beneath their feet.

Equally split on either side of the forged path were the carts, where vendors from each corner of the valley, came and sold their days labour. and the crowd before the path was increasing as every household wish to buy their necessary essentials before the sun would reach above their heads.

Following along that line, my slow pace marching that of a tortoise, dismissed each vendor, after walking of four paces forward, something soft collided with my foot. my gaze dropped. my eyes watched as a brown pup slowly licking my sandals, sprinted towards me, with only three legs, and another one twisted in mid-air the creature hobbled and wobbled towards me.

Lowering myself on one knee, my satchel kept beside my leg, my right fingers slowly plucked the creature, and raised its form before my eyes. my freed left palm slowly caressed the creature, wiping away the dust from its skin, as it closed its eye, my fingers continued to caress and massage its body.

After the passage of another five heartbeats, while my body lowered to one knee. the eyes of the creature slowly opened wider; my palm dropped the creature to the ground. yet my fingertips held the paw of its twisted leg, while the dust on its scarring midsection wiped clean.

As the creature stood on the three legs, exhaling a breadth once, lifting my palm from the satchel tearing the piece of meat, from the pack and placed it before the creature, with its small canines, it tore the meat. as my right arm lowered the paw to the ground, the creature lifting its body, quickly switching its positions, turning its back to me and the market, using my right index fingertip slightly smacked the bottom of the creature, and it scurried away into the hole that it just came from hobbling and wobbling, all the while chewing the meat through its canines.