Chronicles of Carnezia (Book 1): Dragons of Dracona

Chapter 4: Odd Money

Chapter 4: Odd Money

            I was glad Mrs. Harrison had lent me some other clothes; the air was chilly with a strong breeze that passed through the main street. In all the books I had read over the years, I had never thought that a town such as these was even possible. It was pretty much like I had imagined; there were shops that created the street (as it were) and above the main floors were various other windows that were clearly where the people who owned the shops lived. There seemed to be an order to how the shops were neighboured together. The food-type shops seemed to mostly constitute of the opposite side of the road to the Harrison’s shop.

            As I strolled down the cobblestoned street, I passed a baker’s, a butcher’s, a grocer’s and other food shops that specialised in certain provisions (such as cheese for instance). On the side I had walked out from the majority of shops were those that sold more long-lasting purchases; although there was a flower shop. I then decided that I was indeed hungry so I took a stroll over to the grocer’s and bought a bag of what appeared to be apples. As much as my suspicions were high, they turned out to be nothing other than apples as they rightly looked. Although this ‘world’ was clearly different from my own, the food that was available here was pretty much exactly the same.

            As I went on my way up and down the street (not wanting to lose my way), I munched on the juicy apples taking in the clothes of the people. I also smelt on the air as I passed each of the different food stores. After a few hours of wandering about, I started to notice that there was an inn, or tavern, every so often on both sides of the road. The smell of some of the customers as they came out smelt sharply of ales, ciders and in a particularly strong case, mead. I had tried mead at a medieval banquet a year or so ago and I knew the smell very well and the taste seemed to reform on my taste buds.

            Outside one rather friendly looking tavern were a few small horses that had been tied up near a water trough, it looked a little western. I hadn’t eaten the cores of my apples but I knew horses and ponies loved sweet things so I decided to walk over and give them two of my would-be thrown away apple cores. They crunched on them merrily and seemed pretty happy that I had bothered to give them a little treat. However, someone was not so impressed.

            ‘Hey, you! What do you think you are doing to my pony?’ shouted a reasonably tall and slightly stocky man with a knotted beard and moustache. He was leaning over the banister of the few little steps that went up to the tavern door.

            I turned around in fright from just stroking the forehead of a light brown mare. ‘I was just giving her an apple that I had left over,’ I hastily explained.

            He pulled up his breeches a little and huffed but what he said next was not at all aggressive as his question had sounded. ‘Ah, well that’s alright then. I thought maybe you were trying to steal her. Sorry if I startled you,’ he apologised and reached out a dirty, clammy claw-like hand for me to shake.

            ‘It’s okay, I guess. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble,’ I explained as I took his hand and he firmly shook mine so that my whole arm wobbled.

            Letting my hand go free, he turned to his horse and patted her on the neck. ‘None caused. I am Bertrand, but everyone calls me Bert,’ he introduced himself. ‘And who might you be, young lady?’ he asked, to which I blushed uncontrollably.

            ‘My name is Carly,’ I replied.

            Once again, he nodded his head. ‘And where are you from? I have never seen you before in town.’