“Willow! Mother says it’s your turn to go to the market!” Willow was thrust forcefully into the waking world by the sound of her little sister Juniper’s voice. She blinked wildly, her head pounding, and sat up in bed, almost knocking her skull on the low ceiling. Soft morning light trickled in from the single window in the attic Willow shared with her sister.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU54Dk84ABG
Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, the last wisps of her dream faded from her mind. Only a few flashes remained in her head, images of an unfamiliar sunlit pond vanishing from her memory forever.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡER2xPYlWjA
She struggled out of bed and dressed quickly, slipping down the creaky stairs and into the small, cramped kitchen of her house. Outside a grimy windowpane she could see her mother and Juniper tending to their cow and their measly garden. Once upon a time Willow’s family had chickens, too, and a pig, but the past winter had been harsh and unforgiving, and they had had to make certain sacrifices if they didn’t want to go hungry.
Her stomach grumbled, but she ignored it, tugging on her worn boots. She grabbed a small cloth sack which contained a few goods that she would hopefully be able to barter for some supplies at the market. The door swung open and her mother strode inside, a grin slung onto her face. Willow mustered up a smile of her own, trying to ignore how frail her mother’s arms looked.
“Off to the market?” her mother said approvingly. Willow nodded, and hefted the sack over her shoulder.
“Anything I should get?” Willow asked. Her mother busied herself with a pail of milk she had collected. As she set it on the table, Willow couldn’t help but notice that the amount of milk in the bucket was beginning to dwindle from days passed.
“Bread, if you can.” Her mother sounded exhausted. She nodded, ducking out of the door and into the warm air. Fresh air ran through her light brown hair, tossing it up into the wind as she strode down the dirt lane in front of her house, the wooden fence gate of the garden slamming shut behind her. As she strolled into the market square, her nose picked up the scent of bread baking and her stomach twisted painfully. She hoped she would be able to trade for enough money for at least a bit of bread.
Willow lived in the town of Asandra. It was a pretty small settlement as of now, but it was growing quickly. Asandra wasn’t exactly a major city, but despite that food was pretty easy to come by, there was plenty of farmland outside of the city and the minimal trade they got here was enough to provide some of the more exotic foods. It was just unfortunate that Willow’s family had so little in the world that they even had trouble with that.
“Good morning, Agnes,” Willow cheerfully greeted the woman. Agnes had always been at the market, for as long as Willow could remember, selling her crafts and wares with a kind smile. She was usually nice enough to give Willow a good deal on whatever it was her mother had managed to scrounge up to sell.
“Willow,” the woman’s smile didn’t look as full as usual. Willow’s face dropped.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, clutching the bag her mother had given her to her chest.
“Nothing, dear, it’s just…” Agnes sighed, as was customary in their culture. “I know you always come around with your things, but I’m afraid today I don’t have a coin to spare for you. I’m sorry.”266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lckdpoSVz
Willow tried not to look as crushed as she felt. If Agnes wouldn’t take the things, then she’d have to look for another buyer. She could do it, but the money would be less reliable than her family was used to. And they were barely living day by day as it was.
“It’s okay, Agnes. You’ve already done so much for my family. I couldn’t possibly repay you anyways,” she smiled, blinking her eyes so tears wouldn’t form. The woman leaned forward and slid a beaded necklace across her table.
“Take this. Maybe you can get a little extra for it.”
“Thank you, but I couldn’t possibly take--”266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsSS8S5PDc
“Nonsense,” Agnes said firmly. She took Willow’s hand, placed the necklace in her palm, and folded her fingers over it. “I have everything I need already. You can have the extra.”
Willow swallowed. “Thank you, ma’am.” She hurried away from Agnes’s stand before either one of them could change their minds.
Willow surveyed the market square of the small village. Her green eyes landed on another woman across the way who she had never recalled seeing before. This woman had dark hair, and her pale face was a harsh contrast to Agnes’ warm copper skin. She had to be Willow’s best bet, though. If the woman had never seen her around then maybe she’d be more willing to trade with Willow.
“Excuse me,” Willow said as politely as she could. The dark haired woman looked up from her table. Her eyes were such an intense shade of blue that they looked, to Willow, almost as if they were on fire.
Willow’s eyes flitted down to see that laid out on the table was an assortment of what looked to be amulets, charms, small knick-knacks, and other novelty items. “My name is Willow. It’s very nice to meet you. I’m looking to sell a few of my wares, if you’re interested.” The woman smiled, though it didn’t look quite right on her face.
“Well, let’s see what you have,” she said, setting down some hand weaving she had been working at as the slow market day progressed. Willow tipped her bag onto the table, and a few objects spilled out. She added Agnes’s beaded necklace to the pile, which included a small hand mirror, a ceramic bowl which Willow’s mother used to fill with spiced nuts on holidays, and an old book, which she knew was one of the last they had in their house. Slowly but surely, Willow’s family was selling everything they owned. Her heart broke a little more every time she saw something go.
“Hm,” the woman, who still hadn’t introduced herself, hummed. Willow felt the intensity of her gaze, though it was directed at the objects and not at herself. A bead of sweat trickled its way down her back, but the air was far from hot. As the woman inspected her things, Willow’s eyes caught on a particular object that the woman had resting on her table.
It was a peculiar coin, sitting aways from the other objects on the table. She wasn’t even sure it was for sale. She’d never seen a coin with this type of engraving on it, a few symbols that looked almost like a bird. Or maybe she was looking at it upside down. Whatever it was, it looked valuable… but not that valuable. Willow tried not to stare at the coin. The woman was still absorbed in the things Willow had set out for her, inspecting the paint on the bowl carefully. So absorbed that she might not even notice if… Willow laid her hand on the table and slipped the coin into her sleeve, and then into her pocket.
“...this edition?” the woman was asking her something about the book. Willow’s heart pounded, her blood rushing in her veins.
“Oh, uh. Yes,” she responded weakly, hoping that was the right answer to the question she had asked. It must’ve been, because the woman nodded, seeming impressed.
“Here,” the woman said, hauling a small sack onto the table. She scooped Willow’s items into her arms and placed them in a basket behind her table. Willow tentatively grasped the sack, feeling the contents shift as she lifted it. The sound of coins clinking came from the cloth, and Willow drew it open to confirm that it was indeed full of money. It was a rather large sum as well, more than Willow had been able to bargain for in months. She hadn’t realised her goods had been so valuable, or maybe this woman was just generous. Or, she thought with a flash of guilt, Willow had just lied to her.
Willow thanked the woman, smiling carefully, and quickly walked off, carrying the bag of money with both hands. She hurried across the square, only pausing once to look back over her shoulder to see the woman returning the careful smile in her direction. Willow didn’t look back after that.266Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8W8mIFM5zr
