Aireen

The black Market.

Aireen chapter 12

We walked for what seemed like forever. The sun had set a few hours ago so the sky was dark,and the cold and silent night gave off an eerie feeling. I tugged my hood lower over my face and the robes closer to my body as I felt another cold wind go through me.

"Looks like it's going to rain" Len spoke up from where he was leading the way in front of me. Not much had been said the entire journey, even when we took breaks to eat, I was guessing it was because of what had occurred before we left but I dint really mind. We had to conserve our energy and be prepared for anything.

"Yeah" I replied as another cold wind went through me. We walked in silence for a few more minutes, the roaring of the wind and the pitter-patter of the drizzle that had started the only sounds that could be heard. So now not only was I tired and hungry, but I was wet and bored too.Deciding to at least get rid of one of those feelings, I tried to make conversation with Len, but only got half hearted, one worded answers as replies because apparently-and I quote-"I'm too tired to talk right now Aireen and I really need to focus on getting us there safely and on time to waste energy". Yes, it was a good excuse and any other time i would have accepted it,but at that time all it did was annoy me.

So I did the most mature thing that I have ever done. I stuck my tongue out at his back and mimicked him in a high pitched voice-that sounded nothing like his by the way-under my breath. Rolling my eyes, I decided to ask him the question that I had asked him at least 200 times by now....just to annoy him as much as he was annoying me.

"Are we there yet?"

"No"

"Okay....How about now?"

"No"

"Hmm....Now?"

"No Aireen" He growled, clearly trying to control the annoyance he was feeling, from seeping through into his tone. BUT failing miserably. I snickered. this was the most fun I had had the whole day and I wanted to drag it on as long as I could

"Oh...Okay, well.....How about now?" I said, trying really hard not to laugh.

He spun around so fast I was almost sure he got whiplash and snapped, finally loosing his cool.

"Yes Aireen! We are finally there! Now will you PLEASE just shut up? Thankyou!" Spinning back around and pulling his hood so it covered most of his face, he stomped off. Leaving a hysterically laughing me behind. I sobered up though once I realized he was getting further away from me, so I pulled my hood down like he did and jogged to catch up to him, smiling the whole way.

We approached what seemed like a normal market at first, with people moving around, things in hand. The sounds of arguing between shopkeepers and customers could be heard, everything seemed so normal that I almost wondered if we were in the wrong place. I wouldn't have been surprised if we were because the black market never stayed in one place, it kept moving around the land. For all we knew, the market would have moved since the last time Len went there but all doubts I was having were removed once we reached close enough for me to have a closer look.

The people-if that's what some of them even were- were not 'moving around' as I had so plainly thought before, no, they were scurrying,running with their heads down and hoods up trying to get out of there as fast as they could. Each thing I saw in their hands was weirder than the last- A 4 eyed eagle, a big cage with it's own hands carrying a bird with canines- the list went on and on. The shop keepers were mostly big, intimidating Ogres or other such creatures and lets just say that their arguments dint always stay on the verbal side.

A shopkeeper even threw a drunk man straight towards me- ducking, I winced and shook my head as I heard a loud crash along with the mans groaning to my left- and scurried right along behind Len who seemed determined to get us out of there in one piece and as fast as possible. And I wasn't really complaining, cuz I felt the exact same way.