48th Day of Fall, 511 AV The People's Market Late Afternoon "Sir, there is no way half a pound of your apples is worth a gold piece!" Noric's face was flushed in anger over the argument he'd been having with this particular fruit vendor for several chimes. The salesman shook a finger violently and motioned to his foods. "These very fruits and vegetables were blessed by Bala herself!" His jaw dropped at the outrageous claim. Normally Noric was in control of his conversations, but this man was absolutely ridiculous. "I can't take this anymore. You're a complete idiot. Anyone who buys anything from you is just as stupid." He threw his hands up in exasperation and shoved his way back into the thick crowd. This evening the market was packed full of women shopping for their families, hungry men, and even a group of children trying to snatch snacks here and there. He remembered when he was that foolish and careless. And he could also hear the fuit salesman complaining to his wife, surely about him, but exact words were lost in the din of other voices. Noric snorted and wove his way over to a meat stall, hoping for a bit more luck on prices. "Hello ma'am," he greeted the pleasantly plump woman hanging some ham up for people to exam. She smiled up at him and quickly wiped her hands on her apron. "Good evening sir! Can I interest you in anything?" Noric rubbed the back of his neck and let out a gusty sigh. "How good is your jerky?" He leaned forward and smiled crookedly at the saleswoman. "I'm sure if it tastes half as good as you look, I'll be in for quite the treat." Color bloomed brightly on her cheeks and spread all across her face. "O-Oh, the jerky is high quality I assure you. Here, let me get you a small sample." "I would love a sample," he rumbled without hesitation. The woman's cheeks brightened a few shades before she fetched a piece of beef jerky and presented it to him. Noric took and ripped a small mouthful off the strip. It wasn't too tough and it had a nice, slightly sweet taste. "You were absolutely right. I'll take some. How much would you like for a pound a this?" He finished the sample with great enthusiasm, a look of ecstasy on his face. The woman covered her mouth to muffle a giggle, making her look years younger. He smiled down at her as she got the purchase ready and swaddled it in a thin cloth. "Seven gold rimmed pieces will do it. My husband takes great pride in his cuts. Everything is very fine quality." Noric slapped a hand over his heart and feigned stumbling to the ground. He grabbed a beam on the stall's overhang to hold himself up, a look of pain on his face. "A husband! And here I was hoping to ask you out to dinner. I could have swore what we had was magical. It was, wasn't?" He smiled and stood up properly again when she laughed and nodded, face colored like a cherry once more. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, sir. But yes, I am spoken for." He let loose a massive sigh and looked to the sky. "I don't know how I'll go on with my life." She laughed again and held out his bundle of jerky. "How about you accept six golds? After all, you broke my heart into pieces! It's the least you could do to help the healing process along." He smiled brightly as she sighed, raising an eyebrow at him. "Just one gold less. I could start coughing like a sick old man and show you how bad off I am, if that'll help." His lower lip stuck out and wiggled a little. "Fine, fine! It's only one coin after all. I was never much a fan of the jerky anyway. Too tough for my sensitive jaw and teeth." Noric quickly fished the mizas out of his bag and traded her for the bundle of meat. "I will grow to love you further with every piece of this I eat." He nodded and sighed sadly, holding the package over his heart. She smiled and made a shooing gesture with her hands. "Just be sure to come back, that's all I ask. We love having regular customers!" He gave a small salute before wading back into the bustling crowd. It reminded him of a herd of sheep, pushing and shoving to try and get to the food and water. He pulled a strip of beef out of the bundle and stuck it in the mouth, chewing leisurely on the delicious jerky. It hung out of his mouth and down his chin while he worked on it.. |