Chapter 2. Getting to know you.
"Jeeeeeeeenieeeee! Don't get so far ahead!"
Small six-year-old legs hurried to catch up with the fearless adventurer, always five steps ahead and into some kind of trouble. At the present, little Jensa Devron was running though the mostly empty streets of Gardinia, in a hurry to get to the market. Unlike the more reserved Kyrin, and the major populous of this city, Jensa seemed to be scared of nothing, and lacked any sense of caution. Dark eyes full of mischief as she spotted a flock of birds to surprise, she'd take off, only to find herself nearly strangled as her tunic collar tugged fiercely at her neck. She'd turn around to glare at her captor, but her black eyes would lock onto the soft brown of Saylira. There was not a child in Gardinia who could fight that calm, yet piercing look.
Jensa's body relaxed and she stopped fighting, giving a sheepish grin, "aww, 'Lira, I just wanted to see the birds."
The young woman just shook her head, smallest quirk of a smile on her lips. She'd look back to see Kyrin just catching up, out of breath and looking a bit tearful at being left behind. She'd pout at her sister, trying to show her how mad she was, but Jensa just laughed, hugging Kyrin. "Sorry, Rin."
Saylira took them each by the hand, and started to walk down the street towards the market. Out of the corner of her eye she could see people glaring from behind cracks in closed windows. Such a noisy and flamboyant show in public was hardly befitting such hard times. Despite the fact that Lady Devron's death remained a secret, it was hard to hide just how different the twins were, Jensa in particular. Kyrin might be seen as a bold child in comparison of other Gardinian children, but next to Jensa, she was downright timid. Jensa's penchant for making noise and getting into trouble was well known throughout the town, much though Saylira tried to control her.
Still she had to admit that she enjoyed Jensa's antics. Living in a town where it perpetually felt like somebody's death room was stifling. Yes, times were hard, but it was like all the joy and happiness in life, every happy thought or smile, was seen as a disrespect to the troubles people have suffered. Most children spent the bulk of their lives indoors, protected from the joy of being a kid and living life. In fact, it seemed like the happiest children were the orphans, not welcome in the city, but as hard to get rid of as the rats. Given the multitude of abandoned and damaged homes and shops it was only too easy for the urchins to hide and thrive in the city. And there were always plenty of them to go round. She would have been one of them, if not for the Lord Devron.
Saylira kept her eyes focused in front of her, ignoring the stares of others who looked down on both her own personal tragedies, and her "loose" control of the twins. The two young girls, however, let their eyes sweep over everything. They only got to go to the market once a week and enjoyed the outings. Not that there was much to see. The town was at most four or five miles across and home to some 600 hundred or so people. Quite possibly the largest human settlement left in the Midlands.
But the town was anything but impressive. Most homes consisted of two or three rooms, and had either one story, or a loft. Those who were well off had maybe 5 or 6 rooms possibly with a real second floor. In the Devron house was practically a mansion, with10 rooms, and a small side house for storing food and animals. The homes were made of mixtures of clay, stone and straw thatching. Windows were mostly covered with boards made of wood, though the really rich could afford glass, a rare commodity.
The heart of Gardinia was where the market stood. Stands of produce, livestock for sale and wild caught game were the bulk of the goods being sold. People from the town would sell what they had grown, foraged or hunted. A few stands would sell cloth and wool, hand woven and dyed by the shepherds. Some of the richer people owned shops instead of selling from stands. They sold things like paper, cookware, linens, and, upon occasion, luxury items like jewelry and toys. Payment was as often taken in trade as it was in currency, people giving what they'd made or offering services, in exchange for wares.
In contrast to the more civilian areas of the town, the market was one of the few places that actually looked alive. Shabby though some of the stands and sellers might be, there were always people there, always things happening. Which was probably one of the reasons the twins so enjoyed going. It proved that people still lived in this city.
For the past six years, Saylira had gone to the market once a week, picking up the food and other goods they'd need for the week. It was only a few months ago that she started taking the twins with her. It was a long walk, and Kyrin would have had trouble making the trip. Jensa, no doubt, could have done it twice over and still had energy to get into trouble. As it was, Saylira had her hands full shopping and keeping an eye on the two of them.
Tucking a long strand of red hair back under her scarf, Saylira mentally went over all that they needed to buy. Of course, the instant she'd let go of Jensa's hand, the young girl had run off towards one of the stands, Kyrin in tow. Saylira trusted in Kyrin to stick to her sister and be the voice of caution, even if Jensa wasn't always inclined to listen. At the moment, two ebony black heads tilted up to peer into a stand of hairbrushes and combs, a few silky hair ribbons winding their way around the other wares. Saylira moved a few stalls over to buy what she needed, always keeping an eye on the twins as she purchased the week's flour and eggs.
"-That's right, broke it right down the middle, they said. Can you imagine?"
Saylira walked up to the stand seller, who was eagerly speaking in overly loud tones to an older woman wrapped in enough shawls to keep even bad luck from finding her amidst them.
"Clearly a child of the devil. What did Moira do then, after seeing her child so possessed of evil?"
"Oh, well, after breaking their stone table, of course, Moira knew he had to be destroyed. She ran to fetch her husband and he gathered the men of their town and did away with the demon child. Good thing too. Would have destroyed the whole town, he would have."
Saylira would fight to not roll her eyes. Tales like these were not uncommon. In fact, it was the delight of town gossips to share such horrific tales, as often to terrify their children into submission as it was to engage in idle discussion. She'd frown when she felt the pull on her skirt, knowing the twins had caught up and heard lord knows how much of that story. She'd clear her throat to get the attention of the shopkeeper, and put an abrupt end to the tall tale. Better to just pay and get out. These town's folk would bring about their own destruction the way their talked.
Placing the goods in her basket, Saylira would begin walking, knowing the children were in tow right behind her. They were unusually quiet for a moment, before Jensa's tiny voice piped up.
"'Lira? What's a 'demon'?"
She'd walk silently for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Demons are creatures that foolish people make up so they can blame their problems on them. They are no more real than the dreams you have while you sleep."
The little girls thought on that. Jensa seemed to just accept the answer, already starting to run ahead. Kyrin, however, walked taciturnly besides Saylira, lost in thought. Kyrin was already so serious at such a young an age. At last, the little girl seemed to have worked out the question in her mind, "if it's made up…how did the little boy break a stone table?"
Saylira just scooped up the girl in her free arm, giving her a kiss on her head. "Never you mind, Kyrin." But deep, in the back of her own head, she too was wondering, 'how indeed?'