forum Fantasy or something, Open!

Started Jul 15 by @StarkSpangledMayflower

tune

Alright! I'll see if I can get something written before then.

The markets in the middle of the week were never exceptionally busy, so Theon couldn't be upset at the dwindling traffic passing by his stall. He sat in front of a table piled with loaves all various shades of brown. Pastries dusted with sugar aligned on plates, only a handful of open spaces dotted the arrangement. His chin rested in his hand while he watched passersby. He only set up shop with last night's bread for entertainment and a little extra cash in his pockets. Life at home got dreadfully boring with only a manservant and a dog to keep him company in those dreary halls. He could only bake so many goods in a day, after all.

The aforementioned dog, Ailean, dozed lazily behind Theon's chair—laziness which was well deserved after pulling that mountain of bread in a small cart down three blocks. Theon reached down to pat Ailean's head, then a scratch behind his ears. This was rewarded with the rythmic sound of the pup's tail hitting dirt.

Theon's other hand drummed against the table. While the denizens were entertaining enough, he supposed a peaceful day like this could use a bit more excitement.

Roosters crowing loudly with the sun rising above the trees was what jerked Inara awake. She fell off the haybale she had been resting on with a loud thump and a groan. Inara lay on the ground staring up at the brightening sky, blinking slowly. The rooster crowed again and she sighed heavily, it was time to get a move on and hide her presence from the owners of the farm before they came to the barn.

She cleaned up anything she used then let a couple chickens up on the haybales to scratch at the remaining signs of her presence. Satisfied, she snuck around to their orchard and picked a few apples that she thought looked good. Inara was right, the crunch on the apples not only gave her auditory satisfaction, it also appeased her growling stomach. Having exactly 20 sunflower seeds for dinner was something she was still having a hard time adjusting to.

Inara went to the stables and found her horse, Rune, who had been snuck in with the rest of the horses in the field so she too could enjoy a nice meal. Inara climbed on and rode out of the barn, making her way through a path she had seen a day prior. As the sun reached its peak, Inara found herself in a small town with quite a busy marketplace. Using what little money she had remaining, Inara paid for Rune's stay at a nearby stable.

As she browsed the stalls and snuck whatever small portions of food she could manage, Inara saw a knight with a very familiar armour walking in her direction. Paling, she put her hood up and melted in the crowd, trying whatever tactics she could to escape her pursuer. She was feeling a little tired when she snuck behind a bakery stall and hid under the counter. "Please stay quiet and I will pay you for your generosity!" She begged. With her dirt-caked face and desperate look, she assumed that she looked no different than a bigger. Right now, that was preferred.

As the day went on, to Theon's surprise more customers arrived at the marketplace by the twos and threes. Every once in a while there were some families that came by carriage. Children with gap-toothed smiles perched on the edge of their bench ready for sweets. The boldest among them threw their legs over the side while the wheels still turned, their missions only thwarted by stony-faced adults.

In the absence of natural charisma, Theon simply smiled politely or replied succintly to the customers who wandered around his stall. When one patron walked right past, another approached to pose lengthy inquiries and hypotheticals about the quality of his breads.

At some point a mousy haired child whose chin just about reached the top of Theon's table ran up to him. Their small hand pushed two coins across the counter. "I would like, um…" They glanced over their shoulder at their mum, who stood a few steps away bearing an encouraging smile. "A gingerbr—, no. Yes, a gingerbread." A beat passed. "Please."

"Of course," Theon returned. Customers that happened to be children were the same as any other, really. Just usually more polite than their adult counterparts. The delight in their faces from holding a treat made his heart swell too. "Can I interest you in a—what the f—" His arms violently flew into the air as he felt another presence join him behind the counter. First startled, then having the sense to censor himself, he slapped a palm across his mouth. He gave the confused child a sidelong glance. Slowly, his hands fell back to work and placed two servings of gingerbread in a sack. "Here, you can have an extra one for free. Run along now." The child, thoroughly pleased with their loot, scampered back to their mother.

With that settled, Theon dared to look down at the intruder with a deeply concerned expression. "Who are you?" He demanded under his breath.

"No one, I am no one. Please." She begged. Just then the sound of a few steel boots clicking against the stone made her clamp a hand against her mouth to prevent the sounds of her breathing from being heard. "Afternoon. We are here looking for a young lady. Brown hair, fairly thin, and is dressed as a knight in light armour. She may or may not have a horse with her. Have you seen her? She was seen heading in your direction." The leader of the group spoke. The remaining 2 knights looked around suspiciously and moved around.

Inara bit her lip and prayed that they wouldn't come around. Still, she unclamped her knife from her upper thigh and held it in her hands. In this way, at least she'd have the element of surprise and could possibly escape but she was unsure.

Theon's attention snapped up to the soldiers. He made a show of thinking hard about his answer—which really wasn't a show at all—glancing off to the side and chewing on his lip as he thought on what to say. It gave him time for the adrenaline to taper off, and for his hammering heart to regulate. On one hand, he could admit to their suspect's current location of where she perched beside him. "Actually, yes. I think I have seen someone fitting that description," he said finally.

On the other hand, what good would it really do him? Surely this young lady must be running for a just reason. If she only cared for violence and destruction wouldn't she have hurt him already? If it turned out Theon was mistaken, he would eat his words. But in the meantime, perhaps goodness would bring about greater rewards. He couldn't help being curious about this strange woman's intentions, either.

"She passed by here not too long ago. Like she was in a hurry. She went that way." He gestured to the direction of the market's main entrance.

The leader raised an eyebrow but looked in the direction that Theon was pointing at. "…Well…Thank you for your information. As a reward." The man tossed a single gold coin toward the vendor and walked away with his small group. Inara peeked out and made certain that the men had left before crawling out from the stall and standing up. "Thank you, sir, you may have just saved my life!" She sighed in relief. "How can I repay you?"

Theon caught the coin in his hands with a gentle clap. He held it out, cradling it in one palm as he inspected the gold piece. Shiny. Probably not in circulation for very long. Between his family and his own business, he had enough money to keep him comfortable already. He squinted at the thing critically, then offered it to the supposed ne'er-do-well beside him. "You're welcome. I suppose you can repay me by telling me what exactly is going on. Why are they chasing you?"

Inara refused the coin, though begrudgingly, and glanced at the warm treats decorating the stall. Her mouth watered as she imagined how they would taste. Despite her humble background, she had quite the sweet tooth. To her mother's dismay, Inara went around in her small town bartering her personal belongings and her skills in exchange for sugar so her mother could help prepare some sweets with her. A small bit of nostalgia washed over Inara and she sighed, it had been quite some time since she had thought about her mother.

"I am innocent. I have done nothing wrong!" She blurted out. Inara huffed and sat on the low wall nearby and stared at the sweets. "I could tell you, but who even are you? We are not acquaintences, we have no reason to be this friendly."

Theon shrugged at the girl's refusal and pocketed the coin. He noted the way her eyes trailed over the pastries on his table. Was she hungry? He wondered, and considered offering her one. But she was just a stranger. Besides, she seemed to have no other interest in him otherwise. Then again, she did refuse the coin he'd offered. Perhaps it could be considered as payment for the treat. He was just about to grab one iced cinnamon bun with a rag when the girl blurted out.

Theon startled. "Oh. Woah. Alright. I think I believe you. We are acquaintances, yes, but you just inserted yourself into my life. However briefly. And you're rather interesting." He wrapped the bun he'd previously reached for, and held it out to her in place of the coin. "As acquaintances we should introduce ourselves. I'm Theon Quillen. What's your name?"

The sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar wafted in her direction, lulling her into acceptance with its siren song. Inara reached out and gingerly grasped the treat, mumbling words of gratitude. She held it in her hands like it was fragile, bound to shatter in moments, then took a small bite. The bun released a small stream of steam as she melted in its warmth.

"Inara Faustus." She stated. With a start she jerked back and groaned internally. If she didn't look suspicious before, her name certainly did. Duke Faustus was quite the notable figure in the kingdom. His duchy was responsible for training the most skilled knights in the kingdom and owned quite a few different businesses. She prayed to anyone that listened that he didn't pay her name any special attention. That would simply spell trouble for her.

"I suppose we could be acquaintances. Perhaps moreso a vendor and his customer but it matters not." She sighed and finished off the bun, savouring it before pulling out a napkin from her side and wiping her hands and mouth. "These are phenomenal! Do you make these yourself?" She questioned.

Theon scanned the market just to check if anyone else was headed towards his stall. Satisfied that they were left alone to chat, he sank back down into his chair, scratching his chin. He studied Inara while she ate. Faustus. The name seemed terribly familiar. It brought back memories to the days with his family before he moved out on his own. He remembered meetings between his parents and someone else with the last name Faustus. They wined and dined on a few occasions during his childhood, but besides talk of business, no official partnership or friendship became of their meetings. Later, he heard more of Duke Faustus and his renowned duchy from the more populated towns' gossip. "Faustus, hm? Is there any relation to the Duke around here by the same name?" He spoke congenially, curiosity without suspicion.

Ailean lifted his head at the smell of Inara's cinnamon bun. Like the good dog he was—Theon told him so—he rarely begged for the treats on the table. But this one, the one that descended and drifted tantalizing scent closer to his nose, he couldn't help but crawl a foot closer to the stranger. He laid back down a nose-lengths away from Inara. His chin rested on his paws and he lapped at his jowls. A low whine escaped his throat when he watched the last bit of pastry disappear.

Theon's entire disposition brightened, entirely too happy to talk about his baking. The subject of her name forgotten. "Aha, thank you! Yes. Yes, I make them all. Those cinnamon buns are my favorite, in fact."

Is this still open?

(Sorry! I've just been so busy!) (Yes, if you'd like to join, I'd like a sample from you first.)

"I haven't had one in such a long time and these were the perfect reminder." She smiled happily, a little too happy to have moved on from the topic of her name. She glanced down at the dog that was looking at her with an almost betrayed expression and she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck with her clean hand. "And who's this? So cute!" she observed the creature with a curios glance, hesitant to reach out and pet him.