-I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE FABLE GAMES, CHARACTERS OR THE COMPANY-
"Kin?" A girl with green eyes, looking to be in her early teens was shaking a smaller sleeping girl, looking to be about the age of eight or nine. Both had brown hair though the older ones was up in pigtails while the younger ones was much shorter, each wore nothing but rags. "Kin…" the older girl sighed when the other moaned softly and rolled over. "Little Sparrow," the little girl said louder shaking a little harder, "it's time to wake up."
Kin stirred slightly then opened her hazel eyes, squinting. "Rose?" she said groggily.
"Honestly," Rose said shaking her head, "what am I to do with you?"
Kin sat up and stretched a little, feeling sore all over, but that was expected from sleeping on nothing but a wood floor. Blearily, she checked her surroundings, the small wooden 'house' they had built for themselves out of bits and pieces of wood seemed like nothing but a pile of sticks and did nothing to prevent the cold, though it did keep the rain off.
"I think it's going to snow again today," Rose said, pointing up at the gray cloud cover, looking very worried. "I was thinking about checking around town to see if those gypsies are back, yea?"
Kin nodded, growing worried as well. Last year gypsies came into town and her and her older sister stayed with them for the whole winter. It seemed like a dream however, with the warmth and caring from the grown ups, almost like parents.
"Yea," Kin said, standing up and forcing her thoughts away from that last thought, "lets check it out."
"Right after we try and warm up a bit," Rose smiled, "I got a fire going just a little ways down the alley, come on," and Kin followed Rose, graciously, to the barrel that was filled with flickering flames.
As Kin held her hands out to the little warmth, she cast a glance at Rose. The older girl had been taking care of Kin for her whole life. Rose told stories of their parents of the best she could remember of them, but they were both so young they couldn't remember much. Rose had told her that they had died coming home from a trip one day from a village. Rose was six at the time and Kin was three.
If she tried really hard, Kin could remember a smiling, beautiful face of a young women with long brown hair, but then again she didn't know if she was just making up the image.
"Oh…" came Roses' voice, sounding far off, "look at it, Little Sparrow…"
Little Sparrow was Roses' nickname for Kin, since a while ago a sparrow had flown over them and dropped something rather unpleasant onto her head.
Kin looked up and saw that Rose was looking at the castle, Fairfax Castle. "Isn't it wonderful?" Rose asked quietly, "I bet it's so warm in there… with lots of food."
"Yea…" Kin looked away, growing worried again. It sometimes made her stomach clench whenever Rose daydreamed like that. It made her wonder if maybe it was time for her to live on her own, so Rose wouldn't have to worry about her anymore.
"Alright," Rose said rubbing her hands together, "lets get going shall we?"
Kin nodded and fell in step behind her older sister as Rose led the way down the alley. "Hang on," Rose said stopping abruptly and Kin walk into her.
"Sorry, sis," Kin said, "what's up?"
"Look at that crowd," she said pointing, "wonder what's going on…" Kin peeked around her sister to see that there was quite a crowd surrounding a small caravan. "Fancy a look?" Rose smiled down at her, and Kin grinned.
They started back down the alley when a call came out. "Hey, Hey! Rose!"
Her face twisted in disgust when she saw a scrawny man, dressed in a ripped and tattered black suit, step out of the shadows of a house. "Oh… it's you."
"You look hungry," a foul smile twisted his face, "Have you reconsidered my offer?" He said, looking her up and down.
"We'll never be that hungry," Rose said firmly, "the answer is still 'no'."
He chuckled softly. "You'll be back," his smile widened, "and I'll be waiting for you."
"Come on, Little Sparrow," Rose said, wrapping an arm around Kin and leading her closer to the large crowd. She glanced over to see that he had gone back to the shadows and out of hearing. "That filthy creep…" she muttered softly to Kin, "I really hate him."
Kin nodded, remembering a few weeks when he had approached them with that offer.
"Come one, come all!" came a voice and Kin noticed a man standing inside the caravan, surrounded by different objects. He held a very large smile on his face with his arms wide open and was wearing a maroon jacket, with a matching top hat.
"Oh…" Rose muttered trying to peer over the crowd, "it's just a trader… damn. I can't see anything past this lot."
"Me neither," Kin stood on her tiptoes trying to see as well, but all she could manage was to see the top of his hat and several shelves.
Rose laughed a little, "well I can see more than you, I'll tell you what I can see." She stood on her toes trying to see past a tall woman in a red cloak.
"A-ladies and a-gentlemen!" the man began and Kin had to hold back a chuckle. His accent was very strange and he had a slight lisp. "I have traveled the lands," he continued seriously, "in search of rare and valuable objects that I bring with me here today," he gestured behind himself, "and for a mere five gold pieces for each object."
Rose scoffed a little, "Five gold pieces… that's way too much for all the rubbish he's selling…"
"Take this for example," he continued and Rose peered over the woman's' shoulder again.
"Let's see what he says about this, it's an old mirror."
"This," the mans' voice grew serious, "is a magic mirror. For as long as you look into it, you will become beautiful."
"No one is possibly—" Rose had barely started when a shout was heard. "I'll take it!"
"Wise choice my friend," the man smiled down into the crowd, "just remember the magic will only work in complete darkness."
Kin looked up at Rose, as she looked down at her little sister and both had to cover their mouths to muffle their laughter.
"Ah, now this is truly a marvel," his voice floated over the crowd to them, "this small bland box is actually a wondrous device created by the ancients. As used by the Old Kingdom rulers themselves." Kin looked up and managed to see a small box with six sides and strange designs on it, a small handle protruding from it.
"Simply turn the handle three times and it will grant you one of any wish you desire," the man said softly before moving onto a bottle of wine.
Rose crossed her arms at this and shook her head. "There's no such thing as magic." Kin looked up at her a little surprised, she sounded so angry, but before she could get a word in, the woman in front of them turned to face them.
Kin shivered a little, where the woman's eyes should have been were nothing but black slits. "We live in grim times indeed, if the young are too world-weary to believe in magic," she said softly, "most children your age believe eagerly."
"Look," Rose said looking up at her, "I can see your eyes are bad, but I'm telling you. That music box is rubbish."
"That's what the seller things," the woman replied with a small smile, "he has no idea what he's stumbled upon. But you have an inkling, don't you? Some part of you wants to believe it's magic."
"Wait," Rose said as the woman started to walk away, she suddenly sounded very unsure, "You… you really think it could be?"
The woman paused. "For five gold coins, you could have you answer."
Rose crossed her arms. "For five gold coins we could eat for a week."
"Listen to me Rose," she said walking further down the alley, "at the end of that week, you and your little Sparrow would be no closer to your dream- no closer to getting inside that beautiful castle."
Rose watched her go, then turned to Kin looking a little eager. "You think it's really real?"
Kin bit her lip a little. "I don't know… Rose how did she know?"
"Know what?" Rose said looking back at the box, which was in clear view as the crowd slowly dispersed.
"She knew your name," Kin said looking back down to where the woman had vanished, "and how did she know my name?"
"Sparrow, you worry too much," Rose smiled at her, "she probably heard us talking coming down the alley."
"I guess…" Kin muttered, "she was a bit creepy… wasn't she?"
"Yea," Rose said, but Kin doubted she was listening, "think we could get five gold pieces? I mean… if it is real, we can get out of here, live in the castle," she sounded eager, "what's to lose, right? Little Sparrow?"
Kin bit her lip, her stomach clenching slightly. "Yea, Rose… let's see what we can do."
Rose smiled. "Alright little Sparrow! Where should we start?
"Donno…" Kin stared around when they heard a shout.
"Oi! Hey! Kids, come here for a minute!" They turned and saw a guard waving at them.
"Let's start there," Rose suggested walking over to him.
"Hi, Derek," Kin said when they reached him.
"Hey Rose, Kin," Dereks' smile was fleeting, "I have a favor to ask of you two."
"What is it?" Rose asked.
"I heard that you were looking for some gold pieces to get that music box," he nodded over to the caravan.
"Yes, we are," Rose said almost eagerly and Kin bit her lip worried.
"Well, I'll give you a gold piece if you find these warrants I dropped. Well," he scratched the back of his head looking embarrassed, "a strong wind blew in through here, you see? And yanked them out of my hands… I'm not suppose to leave my post so I can't go look for them myself. Would ya help me out?"
"Of course," Kin said, speaking before Rose could.
"Oh thank you so very much! They blew that way," he pointed, "down that alley."
"Alright, we'll get them back in a giffy!" Rose said smiling, "come on little Sparrow."