KINGDOM OF THE STONE -- a Wattpad featured novel

Chapter Seven

Everything about the town amazed Karux. The houses were made of fired clay bricks, rising up two and three stories and plastered over in ocher, tans and yellows. Everyone dressed in linens which put the herdsmen's rough spun cotton and wool garments to shame. Even the butchers in the meat market wore finer clothes beneath their blood covered leather aprons than the wealthiest herdsman in his village.

Amantis disappeared into the crowd almost immediately and Pronos and Somek wandered off soon afterwards. It was difficult enough to stay together, as they dodged and bumped through the thick crowds. Though the locals tried to avoid any physical contact while ignoring them at the same time, it was impossible for all three to walk together.

"So what are you going to do first?" Bazma craned his neck around staring in all directions at once. It was his first time in the market, but they had all filled the days before with stories of what he could find there.

Theris laughed. "I'm going to get me a big tub of beer!"

"Yes," Garick agreed, "and then I'm going to find some lads and teach them a thing or two about playing 'four sticks'."

They all laughed at the thought of the city kids losing their valuables to the crafty herdsmen kids.

"I wonder if the harpist is still in front of that tavern." Macander said.

"What?" Theris gave him a playful shove, "That was a year ago. I imagine he's moved around a bit since then."

"Well, I really liked his playing, and I have a hard time remembering the tune."

"I keep telling you, you've got it wrong."

"That's why I want to hear it again."

"What about you, Karux?" Theris asked. "What are you going to do?"

Karux had already dropped behind to watch a copper smith working at a charcoal fire shaping an ornate copper bracelet on a small anvil with a tiny hammer.

Theris, Garick and Macander, paused to watch him watching the smith. "I think Karux has someone else to shop for," Theris laughed and nudged Garick. "We'll meet up with you later," he called out.

"Let's meet at Khovan's just before sundown for some roasted fish," Macander suggested.

"Yeah! That fish is good," Theris and Garick agreed.

Karux loved exploring the town, and discovering its wondrous secrets. After seeing himself the way he must appear to the locals, as a simple and crude herdsman, he began to wonder how he must appear in Charissa's eyes. He looked at some of the fancy tunics, with their patterns of colored stitching on the hems and laughed at the mental image of himself wearing it. He was sorely tempted by a simpler tunic that a shop keeper refused to let him touch for fear he would soil it, then grew distracted by a nice pair of winter boots and some dyed woolen cloaks. He ended up walking away from all that and, on a whim, purchased the copper bracelet.

He felt strangely grown up negotiating a price for the copper bracelet, promising part of one of his goats in payment. Karux couldn't figure out how one could sell just part of a goat, but when the man thrust a small slab of damp clay out on a wooden board in which he had pressed some strange symbols, he guessed they had a way of keeping track of such things. He made his mark on the clay and was told that, since he was from out of town, the merchant would have to verify his worth before he could give him the bracelet and to come back tomorrow morning.

Karux left, giving up on the bracelet and wondering if he had been tricked. He reassured himself that he hadn't actually given the merchant anything but a mark on a piece of clay, though he hoped it wouldn't come back to haunt him.