[Kryssal]

Shrae looked at the monstrous market with a lot of apprehension. She hadn't been to a large city in several years and being in huge crowds like this didn't set well with her. Reen, on the other hand, was having a wonderful time; his little bald blond head kept turning from side to side watching people as they walked from one stand to another with his bright blue eyes.

Adjusting the cloth that was holding the little eight month old to her body so that her hands were free, Shrae grabbed up a small bundle of clothes and started twisting her way through the crowd. It would have been so much easier if Lowfel had simply met them at the house, but it was market day and he needed as much money as he could get, especially since Shrae and Reen were moving in and neither of them would be bringing in any money. Plus, Shrae gave an inward, slightly guilty shrug, he didn’t know that they had arrived yet. There were so many people in one place how was the small village girl supposed to find her brother in all of this? Shrae spotted a nice looking woman buying an interesting looking hat and walked up to her.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you knew where the carpenter Lowfel sets up?"

The woman turned to her looking slightly miffed. Shrae knew her appearance wasn't the best. Her long light brown hair was flying out of the ribbon she had tied it with and her brown eyes were wearily drooping from traveling. Shrae wasn’t pretty by any means, more homely than anything, but she was kind and polite at least. The woman turned her nose up a bit and said in a stuffy tone, "I do not." Then she turned her back toward Shrae.

Shrae was stunned. She only came back to herself when a small boy bumped into her causing Reen to turn sharply, his head knocking the bottom of her chin. Turning slowly Shrae started to go on to the next stall when someone touched her arm. She jumped making Reen look up at her questioningly.

"I'm sorry," said a nice looking girl with a basket full of goods. "I overheard you asking that woman where the carpenter stand was."

"Oh," Shrae was at a lost for words, and her confusion was showing.

"It's a little further down on the right hand side. Do you see that horse, his stand is right beyond that. He makes the most wonderful boxes, I just got this for my mother," she held up a small, simple box with a thin lid. It was completely smooth with a deep color of brown.

"Did you know," Shrae spoke up, "that he also makes chairs, tables, chests and shelves. He can do anything with wood, it's all quite wonderful."

The girl raised her eyebrows. "I didn't. I thought that he only sold what he kept at the stall."

"Thank you for the help," Shrae smiled and nodded at the girl as they parted ways. Walking quickly she got to Lowfel's stand in a few minutes. He looked tired, but when he saw her he smiled and rushed to give her a hug, careful not to squish Reen between them.

"When did you get in, you weren't supposed to be here till next week." Lowfel's lean frame seemed to have gained a little stomach pouch since the last time Shrae had seen him.

"Well, your travelling friend showed up early so instead of making him sit in the village with all his wares for another week, we packed up the rest of my stuff and headed out. I noticed that the house isn't finished."

Lowfel ran his hand through his light brown hair making it shaggier than it had already appeared. "I had an order for a whole dining room set and since you weren't going to come so soon, I haven't been able to finish your room. Well, this must be Reen," Lowfel said as he made a squished face, causing the boy to scrunch his face up in a giggle.

“Yup, this is him. He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Shrae smiled, knowing that her brother had taken an instant liking to the baby.

Lowfel stood up straight and looked his sister in the eyes. “He’s lucky you’re taking care of him.”

Shrae smiled and reached up, playfully pinching the carpenter’s cheek. “And I’m lucky that you’re taking care of me.”

That brought a smile to his face, which soon turned somber again. “Right, now about living arrangements till I finish your room, I think that you should take over m-”

Before Lowfel could offer for her to take his room she interrupted, "Well, where is a good Inn that Reen and I could go for awhile? I've got some..oh, no..." Shrae had about to show her brother a little pouch that had some money in it, the pouch was no longer on her. "Well, I had some money. There's some more that I left at your house though, amid all of my stuff that I put in the front room." Shrae sat down roughly into her brother’s chair.

"You got picked? Shrae, you should know better than to leave your purse so open to thieves. Here, take this money and there's a couple of good Inn's around. There's the Oak Wood Inn and the White Horse Inn, oh, and there's another one called The Stag, but it's more expensive and I don't think I could manage that." He smiled down at her and helped her up out of the chair. “Come on now, it’s not that bad.”

Shrae could tell that Lowfel was putting up an act of nonchalance about the money. A huge sense of weight had seemed to drop on her when she realized that she had made a mistake and lost the coins. If Reen hadn't been strapped on her side she would have sat back down, leaned over and put her head in her hands. Instead she compromised by rubbing Reen's head and kissing it. Sighing, she took Lowfel's money and put it under the baby where it wouldn't fall out and no one could easily snatch it.

"I'm sorry," she gave her older brother a big hug. "I know you taking me and -"

"No, I want you here. Go and find a room for the night and come to the house tomorrow sometime. Then we can start you on crafting lines into some of the completed works I have lying around." Lowfel gave her a big smile and put a hand on her back, leading her back into the main bustle of the market goers.

Shrae smiled back at him then started avoiding hitting people as she walked with her little bundle of clothes and Reen, who was starting to get figity. A poof of dust hit her nose as she finally made it out of the market street causing her to sneeze violently; Reen decided he had put up with enough and started making disgruntled noises that would soon turn into a steady wailing if she didn't do something to sooth him soon. Making soft, cooing noises she hurried down the street and almost passed an Inn before realizing it. Looking up at the sign she saw that it was one that Lowfel had mentioned. The White Horse Inn looked like a fine place to stay, but Shrae was worried about the price. Reens whine caused her to go in and at least get him some food, even if she couldn't stay the night.

Going through the door there were some customers around the room, but no one there to greet new comers at the moment. Glancing around she tried to spot a worker but Reen soon took all her attention when he gave a mighty squeal and she quickly took him out and placed him on the floor. Having a new setting took him by surprise. Shrae figured that she now had at least a couple of minutes before he started to whine again. Scooping up the money that was still in the cloth that had been holding Reen, she looked up and saw an Inn worker coming straight toward her with a smile.

[ July 27, 2003: Message edited by: Kryssal ]