The Violet Thread (Part One: Portal Rods)

Chapter Two

Violet busied herself with helping around the house and gardens, learning a few cooking tips and tricks, and reading. She began with the stack closest to her bed and as the days turned into weeks she moved on to books on the floor below. When the weeks turned into months she had finished almost every book in the house, at least all the nonfiction ones.

Occasionally, she sprinkled in a few fictitious stories. But, while she enjoyed them, she didn't learn much from them and she wanted...needed to learn as much as she could about this world. The sisters were happy to have her. Her company was a nice change from only each other and she was handy around the house with things they were getting a bit too old to manage on their own. Although neither one would admit the latter. They fell into a happy routine that restarted every Sunday when Violet accompanied the sisters to the market on the edge of town.
                                                                                              
#

Sawyer and Wyeth ran from the dock, seeing who could reach the market edge first, each repeatedly trying to trip the other along the way. The boys were full of spirit and laughter as they rounded into the market's edge, Wyeth a toe ahead. The boys collapsed onto the grass next to the fence pole that marked their finish line.

"Next time," Sawyer said panting. "I will get you next time."                                                                           

"You said that last time," Wyeth retorted. "And the time before that I'm pretty sure."

The boys were complete opposites in almost every way. Wyeth was tall with olive skin and dark eyes. His brown shaggy hair was almost long enough to be pulled back. He was rugged and handsome. Sawyer was also quite handsome, but in a softer, more delicate way. He was a few inches shorter than Wyeth with fair skin and clear blue eyes. He kept his golden blond hair cut short. While Wyeth was outgoing and athletic, Sawyer was quieter and more reserved. Wyeth was a doer while Sawyer was a thinker. In spite of their differences, they had been inseparable since childhood, for in common they had a playful sense of humor and a penchant for mischief.

"What it this? Lazy, lazy boys lounging in the grass," Katia said with more than a hint of humor in her voice. "Those trinkets aren't gonna trade themselves. If n' they could, it would save me the hassle of feeding the two of you."

Sawyer looked at the older woman, directly in the eyes. "Nah, you wouldn't get rid of us. Then who would you boss around?"

"Yea, Mama Kat," Wyeth added. "Your life would be meaningless without us to chase after."

"Eh, I shoulda chucked ya both overboard long ago for all you're worth," she replied with a wave of her hand. "Now git goin'. I want those bags to be emptied and refilled by midday." She hit them both lightly in the legs with her walking staff until they began to move.

With mock reluctance the boys stood up and wiped the grass from their pants. Picking up their canvas bags they headed into the market, heads hung and feet dragging, still playing along with Katia's game.

"Git or I'll bar ya from the docks and you'll be sleeping on land until we leave," Katia called after them. They laughed and ran the rest of the way.

It was still early in the day and most of the vendors had just finished setting up their tables and tarps. Steam rose off the baked goods fresh from their ovens. The boys split up to commence their bartering. Wyeth's first stop got him six apples, a box of strawberries, and two jars of fresh honey for a set of candlesticks and a decorative box. Sawyer traded two hand blown goblets for three loaves of bread, two wheels of cheese, and a small sack of flour. The boys' competitive edge didn't end with racing. It was a game to see who could haggle the best deals. But, while Wyeth always championed anything physical, no one could out charm Sawyer. With his kind eyes and boyish smile, everyone trusted his word. It was a rare quality for a gypsy. While everyone welcomed their goods for trade, overall it was assumed that gypsies were not to be trusted. Strange things could happen if you spent too much time with a gypsy. How anyone knew this was beyond them because they never stayed in one place long enough for anyone to spend too much time with them. And so it was that while Wyeth usually got back to the boats first, Sawyer would always come back with the greatest profit. And today would be no exception.