2ed half

Shaid woke with a start. She could not at first remember where she was or why there were so many around her. She all ways set her bedroll apart from the others. Heck at times she left her wagon out of the circle if they were in safe territory.  Slowly the events of the last day caught up to her, and she was glad that she had not set anything on fire in her confusion. She had been known to when startled, her siblings refused to wake her any more. Not that they would ever have to worry about it again.  She got out of the bedroll and looked around. “Showers are there and they have clean clothes as well. Not the best fit, but at least the colors are decent. Don’t worry about the bedroll. I tried and was told to leave it be.”

“Thank you. That will help.” She carefully picked her way past the others and made for the showers. Walking in the door she saw a pile of towels and a few stacks of clothes, sorted by color and size. She picked up a towel then found a set of clothes close to her size, then set about getting clean. Once she was dressed she headed back out and found that breakfast was waiting. She filed up a plate and ate with a lot more eagerness than she had the night before. After she came back with the second plate the lady across the table smiled and said. “Sure taste better now than it did last night.”

Shaid said. “I don’t know. I was to out of it to know how the food tasted. This is great though.” She went to get another bite to find she had emptied her plate. “I think I need a refill. Hope no one will mind if I go for thirds.”

The other lady said, as they were walking to get there next plate. “I hope not, but if they do I will be right there with you. Feels like I haven’t eaten in weeks. Witch I guess is the case. Odd. It didn’t seem that long.”

Shaid said. “Each realm or plain, whatever you want to say, has its own laws. Time moves differently there. Don’t look for it to be the same next time you visit. It might be minutes but feel like days. Sorry, I am still a bit overloaded and not thinking before I speak.”

“Don’t worry about it. So you think I will go back?”

Shaid say. “The way back will be there when it is needed. It is different for everyone. But yes there will be times you need the peace and others you will need guidance. Or so I am told. Man I sound way too old for my years right now. It is like I am a walking babbling encyclopedia. You asked and suddenly I had an answer.”

An older priest over heard. “There are questions you can’t answer, and the compulsion to answer will go away. Sometimes you will feel it necessary to find the answers if you are lacking it, and sometimes the answers you do have will give you more questions. You will get used to it. Don’t be shy, this food is to eat. those plates are not going to fill there selves” He then add food to both of their plates.

Shaid said. “We are trying not to be to greedy. I am not sure where it is a good thing to get used to knowing more than I recall learning.”

The priest said. “If you were you would not have been accepted. As I said the food is for eating. You might as well eat your fill. Know to that you have family rights in any temple. There will come a time you will need to remember that. All servants have such a time but more so those who have left their other families to answer the call.” The other one nodded and as there was no way to get more food on the plates they were able to get back to the table and eat it.

Shaid finished hers and pushed away from the table. “Where should I take the dishes?”

The priest answered her. “Just leave them dear. The serfs will get them. They don’t like it when we do their jobs for them.”

“Well then I had better go see that my wagon is in one piece. I need to get on the road to Secore soon if I want to bet the weather. I guess I could just gate, but I don’t like to use them. Anther thing to get used to. Setting my own travel plans. A lot has changed and a lot hasn’t.”

The priest nodded. “New surroundings will help you get used to being on your own. I tried staying in the same place, but it was to hard.”

Shaid smiled. “Thank you for the advice. Father has talked of expanding that way, and we have visited there. So there is the chance we will have some run inns. But it is not familiar territory, and I need to spend a few years at XXXX so I can get a lost lands pass. I want to be official ahead of time. It will make it easier down the road. Besides, one can not know to much about them if you are going to come out of them.”

“Ah, yes that it is. You have a hard task ahead of. Those lands are strange, and we went no farther than the edge. Fair roads.”

Shaid nodded, “Fair roads.” and took her leave of the tent. She looked around and was startled to see how things had changed.

“Easy to tell now it has been two weeks. I am Amanda by the way.”

Shaid said. “Now it seems real. Well a bit more real, half these were not here. Looks like it has been a good year, given how worn the grass is. Bet the local farms will be glad to see us pull out. I am Shaid.”

Amanda said. “Well that was rather odd. Not what I thought. Though I can’t say just what I was expecting. I guess something more like the craft testing but that would not have worked, so I don’t know what I thought that.”

Shaid said. “I was expecting to be quizzed. Just what they quiz would cover I had no idea and so was worried I would not pass. But it was not that kind of test. Though that was looked at as well, but not in the way I was expecting. I take it you did not have to slay a monster then? For some reason that is what I thought the Warrior would require of its dedicated.”

Amanda laughed. “No though perhaps if I had not have taken weapons master last year. That was tantamount to monster slaying. That’s my wagon there and some how I think those folks there are waiting for me to leave so the can talk to you. I heard you are heading to Secore. Perhaps we will run into each other again.” With that she left.

Shaid looked where she had indicated and saw her sister and anther girl coming at her. It did indeed look like they had been waiting for Amanda to leave. Caren said. “Where ever have you been, and who was that? You missed the meeting, what have you been doing? We are going to Secore. We get to gate, isn’t that wonderful? Alter will be attending XXX.  I have been hunting for you for hours. We need some more of your red silk. Father tried to get it but you forgot to include him in your ward. Where ever did you get those clothes? They are bad even for you.”

Shaid shook her head. “He should have known better. I am sorry but you cannot have the silk. I am saving it for anther day. He must have tried it some time ago, which means he is all right now I need to check on my wagon. Why are you? Winter quarters of course. Oh Never mind it is none of my business. You shouldn’t have told me. Only family should know travel plans. Now then if you will excuse me.” She started walking and the others moved with her.

Caren looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Shaid tried to keep her voice even. “He did not tell you? Well then he had better not jump you for share with me. We had a disagreement that was solved by my leaving the family. I am no longer a Knightsmith. I can’t believe he did not find the time to tell you. Yet I can see in both of your faces he did not. I am sorry to be the one to tell you.”

Hawk came around a corner just then. “Where have you been hiding and what do you mean by warding your wagon? You have had more then enough time to get over your fit. You ruined one match with your nonsense, I hope you got it out of your system! Now open that wagon we need those goods.”

Shade shook her head. “You agreed that the items in my wagon were all mine. I generously gave some to Caren and Aren but that was the last gift. If you wish to claim something is family property I will listen, and you are welcome to take it to the judges. I am not going to marry and have children. I have told you since I was ten I would not be a mother, I meant it! You no longer have the right to make matches for me, I am now longer of your family. I am not going to take your name back! ”

He said. “Not that rubbish again. You have had your time to pout now.” He stopped as her bracelet caught the light. “Why you little rat.” He swung at her and his hand met a shield.

Shaid said. “Try it again and I will call the judges. Raising a hand against a sworn one is a crime, as you know. Good day.” She started to walk away but had to add. “Also you might want to tell everyone that I am not family before they tell me something important thinking I need to know.”  She walked off before he got over the pain in his hand enough to answer. Not trusting herself should he try again, in spite of her words. It was just luck that the shield was there in time and she was shaking when she reached her wagon. Though from rage or fear she was not sure. She left the ward on the wagon, it would let her pass and right now she wanted the safety it offered. She took her time going though her supplies and making a list of what she want to see about buying before moving out. By the time the list was done she had stopped shaking and felt more in control of her self. She filled a coin pouch from her savings and then went to the market.

It was mostly the locals buying, the gathering would not rap up for a few weeks yet and the other trades would wait until closer to the end to make their purchases. Though no doubt they had been looking and pricing since the first goods were set out. Shade looked around at the shoppers and smiled. She hoped the real business was going as well. Good profits could be made at a gather, but that was not the reason they were held. Though the city-dwellers seemed to think so they sure came in for them and made a party out of it. No the real reason they met once a year was so law could be examined and changed if need be, news shared.  Having so many families together made the gathers the best time for heads to meat and set up marriages and young could be evaluated, take the masters tests for craft and trade. A person had to set one masters exam before they could marry. A man also need a trade license before he could marry this was the time they would be issued. Craft mastery would improve the chances of a good match being made. In others words this is when the politics of the traders took place. Shaid walked a bit looking at the various stalls, just taking her time. Letting the noise wash over her. The first one she stopped at was an herb stall. Gathering a bit of news as well as the items on her list. She slowly made a circuit of the stalls buy at a few, looking at more. Learn what there was to learn. She skipped those of her fathers and his close friends. But still spent the afternoon wondering. Once her shopping was done she thought about going back to her wagon but decide she didn’t feel like cooking so went over to the fair the locals had set up. There would be stalls there selling food. Something she seldom bothered with, but felt like having treat tonight.

She wonder a bit looking at the stalls trying to decide what to pick. “Shaid! What are you doing?”

She answered, turn towards the voice. “Get something to eat. I don’t feel like cooking and thought I would visit the fair once before I pull out. I am going to move out after conference is over, as I will be attending this year.”

“Oh? Why? I guess if he wants you to seems odd for you to pull out early. Say Mitchell has been buying your goods like crazy, bet he makes an offer. That would be a decent match wouldn’t it?”

She identified the speaker. “You haven’t been at the stalls this afternoon I take it, Alter. I am sure the news would be out. Anyway, father has nothing to do with my plans, and Mitchell is out of luck if that was his plans, but I bet is Saidie he is after. He has had an eye on her for years. Just uses my goods as a reason to hang out at the stall I am pulling out to bet the weather as I am going to South.”

Alter blink. “No I haven’t I was told to go play this afternoon. I got my masters knot earlier. Why what is going on?”

Shaed moved her right arm a bit letting her bracelet catch the light. His eyes went wide. “Congratulations on the knot. Father must be pleased. Caren said you will be going to XXX. Your idea or his?”

Alter said. “Mine, I was surprised when he said yes, the way he all ways shut you down.”

Shade said. “It is not an advantage to have a smart daughter. A daughter should be mild and obedient. Not willful and curious. I was not what he wanted, I tried to be, but I just couldn’t do it.”