Leaving one of the older seamstresses to supervise the morning’s sewing tasks, Annawyn made her way to the weekly market, carrying a basket for her purchases. She looked forward to the bustling atmosphere and contagious excitement that filled the market square.
She needed little, since most foodstuffs for her large household were delivered, but there were a few small luxuries that she allowed herself to choose personally.
Her first stop was at Aldhelm’s stall, not to buy flour, since she preferred buying bread from the bakery, spending her precious time sewing rather than baking. She wished to purchase some of the wonderful honey he had, and smiled a greeting at him. “How is Maedlyn?” she asked.
“Sweet as always,” he replied, “though I am careful to avoid her sting!”
Annawyn laughed. “Give her my greetings and thanks to her bees for the honey,” she said in parting. She paused for a moment to listen to the piper’s merry tunes, tapping her foot in rhythm with the music, and laid a small coin in his upturned hat before turning away.
Next she went to the cheesemaker’s to buy a small cheese with walnuts in it, his specialty. It was worth the higher price she paid for it, and she always enjoyed eating it. Then she added fresh fruits to her purchases, along with a few carrots. Some soap and candles filled her basket, and she was finished with the necessities for the week.
There was no need to go back home immediately, so Annawyn strolled around the market place at a leisurely pace, stopping to chat with friends and acquaintances or to inspect various wares. She smiled at a handsome young man selling clothing, noting his appraising gaze. He was probably more interested in the cut of her dress than in her face, she knew, but still, it was nice to be admired. She would never be too old to enjoy that.
With a start, she suddenly realised that the sun stood high in the sky. It would soon be time to release the young seamstresses and apprentices for their noon break, always a little longer on market day to give them the opportunity to make their own purchases. Annawyn hastened her steps homewards.
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth.. .'
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