Delmora: The Lost Quest

The Fool

The deep blue of the sky was covered with fluffy clouds. The wind was heading east. The old stone rampart on his left blocked his view from half of the sky. He lay on a fresh moat of hay. The stables that sheltered him that night were empty and it was just him watching the clouds lazily. The horses, cows and other animals were roaming the glade that borders a wild forest. Tyler took out a piece of hay that was caught in his light brown hair and put it in his mouth. His hair was getting a lot longer but he saw no use in cutting it. He was wearing a holey, straw hat on his head that was two sizes too big. He heard a noise from the stables. He sprung up, wobbled on the unsteady bales and hopped around through nearby wagons. He kicked off from a protruding stable beam and lightly landed on the roof. The rampart was not much higher than where he was standing. Green vines and moss were climbing its sides and Tyler imagined a time where it was actually used as a rampart. No guards or soldiers stood on it now. Only a few herders, merchants and morning onlookers were watching the animals in the glade. He found the people here more quiet and trusting of their surroundings. They could stand still longer than a normal person could cook a cow. A little too perfect for the likes of him.

A tall boy with messy hair and long, frayed tunic scurried around the stable roof. His too-small baggy pants flashed his skin.

"oy! over here" He called.

Tyler pulled the bot up, some of the golden weed thatching fell lightly to the ground.

"What you got my friend?" Tyler asked.

The boy dug inside his shirt and pulled out a pair of leather shoes. They were worn, one had a hole in the top.

"And you just took them from right under their feet?" Tyler asked rhetorically not really wanting to know the answer.

"yes I did. I certainly did. He was just laying around. Didn't even open his eyes until the first one was off"

The shoe was a little bigger than his feet but he excitedly kicked off his sandals and stuck them on his brown, dirty toes.

Tyler looked at the shoes with a sudden weight on his back "Chip-"

Chip put a hand to his face "shush shush I know what you're going to say. Don't worry I'm sure you can find your own, but I'm not sharing."

"Thats not what I was going to say. Just- don't get yourself caught..." Tyler said.

"Aww look at you. Didn't know you cared so much. Don't worry I never get caught." Chip said.

Tyler didn't know if Chip was being sarcastic. It wasn't the first time Tyler had warned him to be cautions but Chip didn't sound sarcastic either. Tyler changed the subject "I think its time for some food". Tyler tried erasing the thought of some poor bloke walking around with no shoes. There were a lot people with no shoes around here. And there weren't many people around here with the means to make more. It was a small town. Old. It was built like a bustling metropolis but had since lessened its maintenance. Tyler couldn't guess what used to make it so great. There was hardly anything around.

Tyler jumped off the roof. "You coming?" He asked Chip.

"Yeah I'll cover you" Chip said climbing down with his new old shoes.

They inched their way casually around the back dirt alleys where a rat scuttled beside them and a greasy looking man seemed to be pouring something into the alley. This wasn't the sewer but the smell gave away what it was. Tyler smiled at him and the man slammed the door behind him.

They snuck passed a few houses until they were in the market.

It was busy as it usually was that time of day. Tyler walked out casually bumping into people. An apple wagon rolled down the dirt floor. There were a mix of delicate things bumping lightly through the street. Tyler pretended like he was interested in some kind of stand waited for the wagon to pass and plopped two apples into his shirt and threw two to Chip who was standing by. They worked their way down the street until they reached the bakery. The baker was smart enough not to put his food out anymore but they threw out a lot of excess food.