Sharrah jabbed Aeron in the ribs.
“Oh!” he said. “I, uh, I’m looking for a winter coat. And a few pieces of clothing, too.”
“I see,” Trader Seelin said.
She began studying Aeron from head to toe. It made him a little uncomfortable, reminding him, as it did, of a praying mantis eyeing its prey. “I do believe I have a fine coat that will be a good fit for you. If you two would please have a seat on the couch?” And she indicated a long piece of furniture over by the mirrors. Its size was such that at least three people could sit on it with room to spare. It looked very comfortable. “I will be with you once I have helped this young man.”
“Thank you,” Sharrah said and she and Willem made their way to the couch.
“Please,” Aeron said, “call me Aeron.”
“Alright, Aeron,” Trader Seelin said, smiling. “This way, if you would?” And she walked off toward the back of the tent.
Aeron quickly followed her as she made her way between the rows of clothing and to a large rack in the back left of the tent. It had several winter coats on it of various color and size.
Trader Seelin again eyed Aeron and nodded to herself. She then looked up to the top of the rack, near the ceiling of the tent. “It looks like I have your size in dark blue, tan, brown and black. Which would you prefer?”
Aeron looked up at the coats. The black one looked nice. “The black, if you please?” he replied. He had no idea how she was going to get the coat down, however. The hang bar it sat upon was at least ten feet above them.
From seemingly out of nowhere, Trader Seelin produced a long, stout wooden rod with a hook at the end. From what Aeron could tell, however, it wasn’t long enough to reach the coats. She then walked over to the rack and reached inside the coats, along the support. Her hand emerged grasping another sort of rod, metallic this one, and with it she was able to lower the top hang bar, rotating it forward in an arc and then downward.
Aeron’s face lit up and he smiled. That was ingenious! Now the coats were well within reach of the wood rod. Using both hands, she used it to hook and bring down a black coat. It fit Aeron perfectly.
“Good,” she said, raising the hang bar back to its former position. “Let’s go see how it looks, shall we?” She headed back to the front of the tent. Aeron followed quickly behind.
She lead him to the mirror stand, or rather, in front of it. The mirror stand had been designed to allow a person standing in front to be able to see themselves from the front, sides and back. Aeron thought he looked rather good in the thigh-length coat.
“Oh, Aeron,” Sharrah said, “that coat looks very nice on you. You should definitely take that one.”
“It does look nice,” Willem agreed. And then to Trader Seelin he asked, “Do you have that coat in a dark blue?”
“We can definitely check in a bit,” Trader Seelin replied with a smile.
“This coat is perfect,” Aeron said, smiling at his reflection.
“Excellent,” Trader Seelin replied. “Now, you mentioned you also wanted some pieces of clothing. What were you looking for?”
Aeron spent the next half hour ordering several shirts, tunics, and pants. In addition, he ordered a couple of dress outfits as well. There was a moment of embarrassment for Aeron when Trader Seelin took the measurements for his pants. Other than bug eyes, however, Aeron was able to get through it without too much incident. When the measurements were complete, Trader Seelin told Aeron she didn’t have exact sizes for all the items he had ordered. However, those that weren’t his size already would only need minor adjustments to get them properly fitted.
Throughout it all Willem and Sharrah had helped him in choosing colors and styles. For which he was very grateful, as he would have had no idea what to choose for himself.
“Now,” Trader Seelin said afterward, “you are fortunate to have arrived as early as you did. There are only three orders before you, so yours should be ready in the morning.”
“Perfect,” Aeron said, smiling. The total for the coat and his order had come out to nine marks, but he felt it was well worth it. He would have much nicer clothing and a new coat to keep him warm. A coat he would take with him now. He still had a few marks left over for anything else he might find too. Maybe a cap or some shoes? Boots maybe? He pondered his options.
“Now, young man,” Trader Seelin said to Willem, “let’s see about that dark blue coat, shall we?”
When they later left the tent, Sharrah had a tan coat in a very nice cut, Willem a dark blue coat, and Aeron his black coat. Feeling rather sporty in their new coats, they spent some time walking about the fair, watching the performers, the people, and especially the children running about in groups—groups that would occasionally let out squeals of delight at some whispered news or exciting discovery at a booth or tent. But eventually, the enticing aromas of roasting meats carried from the smoky wood-fired cooking pits by the morning breeze was just too much for the three friends. With watering mouths and rumbling stomachs, they made their way to the courtyard and the food stalls. Though there were still a few hours until lunch, they were all quite in the mood for a mid-morning snack.
“Turkey leg,” Willem announced as they neared the courtyard. “Smoked turkey leg for me.”
“Oh, that does sound good,” Aeron said.
“I hope you brought handkerchiefs,” Sharrah said. “Those are greasy. You don’t want to get any on your new coats.”
Willem waved off her concern. “Bah, if it gets dirty I can just go to the launder stall. They can enchant it clean for what, two mill? That’s cheap enough that it doesn’t matter.”
Sharrah shook her head and smiled at him. “Personally, I’m going for a chicken wrap. They are so tasty, and the sauces they have for dipping are amazing.”
Aeron sighed. “That sounds good too. I wonder whether I can eat one of each?”
“I bet you could,” Willem said and laughed.
After they had all purchased their snacks, they headed to the tables. Willem handed his turkey leg to Aeron and said, “Alright, what do you two want to drink? My treat.”
“I’ll take a fizzy cherry drink,” Sharrah said, nearly bouncing on her seat.
“If they have coconut, I’ll take that, otherwise cherry is fine for me too,” Aeron said.
Willem returned shortly with their drinks. He was walking carefully so as not to spill any of them. Sharrah ran up to help him. “Thanks so much,” she said.
“Mmm,” Aeron said, sipping his fizzy coconut drink. “Yes. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Willem laughed.
After they finished their snacks, Aeron only got a turkey leg and had been very careful of his coat, they stopped at the row of water closets near the trees to the east and then washed up at the row of sinks to their side.
“Anaya’s going to wake soon,” Aeron said. He could sense her shallower sleep through the link. “I have to take a break and go and feed her.”
“Can I go with you?” Willem asked.
“Me too!” Sharrah piped in.
Aeron laughed and said, “Sure. But keep in mind, if we can’t find enough food in the near cavern and passages, we will have to cross the water hallway to go deeper in. And to be completely honest,” he said, lowering his voice, “I’ve taken to going through wearing nothing from the waist down. I dry off much faster that way.”
“Oh,” Sharrah said.
Willem raised his brows and asked, “Really?”
“That’s not to say we can’t wear swim shorts,” Aeron quickly amended. “But those won’t dry out by the time we reach the sinkhole, I don’t think, so it might be a little cold as we pass through it. I know I won’t be putting my pants back on until my shorts are dry.”
“Well,” Sharrah began, “that’s fine. I think my new coat will keep me warm enough even with damp swim shorts .”
“True enough,” Willem said. He got a wicked smile on his face. “Though it might be fun to—”
; “Apprentice Leatherworker Willem,” Sharrah interrupted, “we are going to wear swim shorts, and that is the end of the matter.”
Aeron laughed. He was pretty sure Willem was teasing Sharrah.
“Of course, of course,” Willem said, with a lopsided smile.
There were a lot more people about the fair, and as they made their way back to the Caer, they passed more heading down to the grounds. The fair lasted a week and everyone in the Caer usually visited several times. The three seasonal fairs, spring, summer, and fall, were welcome breaks from the normal day-to-day life in the Caer. The enthusiasm of the people was quite evident in their smiles and excited conversations.
At the street intersection by the dorms Aeron said, “Alright, you guys can go put on your shorts, and I’ll meet you in my room.”
“Okay,” Sharrah said.
“See you in a bit,” Willem said, smiling. He and Sharrah headed off down the street to the dorms, and Aeron continued on to his room.
He took his time walking up the cobbled road, people-watching as he made his way to the hall. The excitement of everyone he passed on the street made him smile. It really was a great thing, the fair. When people were happy, it made him happy.
When he arrived at the Magic Craft Hall, he quickly made his way to the circular stairwell. Down and around he went, and when he reached the bottom, he dashed off to his room. Once there, he opened the left wardrobe and slid open one of the drawers inside, removing a pair of swim shorts. It didn’t take him long to change into them and then slip his pants back on. The top of the pants were snug now, but he could live with it. Checking the link, he could tell that Anaya was close to waking up.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. He opened it on Willem and Sharrah, both with their satchels and lanterns as well as their coats, which they carried draped over an arm.
Willem smiled and said, “Hi.”
Sharrah, standing behind him, asked, “Ready?”
“A moment,” he replied.
He ran and grabbed his own coat, satchel, and lantern, and then they headed down to the caverns.
“We’ll just head straight to Anaya’s cavern,” Aeron said.
“Anaya’s cavern?” Willem asked.
“I call it that,” Aeron said, “because that’s where she was born. And she basically lives there right now.”
“Makes sense,” Sharrah said.
“I figure we may as well head straight there,” Aeron said to Sharrah, “seeing as you want to see the eggs anyway.”
There was no one around the magic hall. All off at the fair, no doubt, Aeron thought.
“I cannot wait until we can get her out of these caverns,” Sharrah later said, angrily dusting the front of her shirt off after they squeezed through the narrow section. She wasn’t a heavy girl in the least, but her chest was another matter.
Aeron and Willem glanced at each other, trying to keep their faces straight.
“I’ll break the arm of the first of you that says anything!” Sharrah said, glaring at them.
They stifled their laughs and continued on.
Good morning.
‘Morning, Aeron replied. We’re on the way. They want to see your cavern.
Oh! That will be fun.
“She’s awake,” Aeron remarked.
“Let’s hurry,” Willem said.
They walked quickly, only slowing down when they got to the rope ramp. Aeron insisted they take it slowly there. He really was being more careful now.
“And here is the water hallway,” Aeron said, looking over the expanse of water ahead of them. “Time to change.”
He took off his shoes and socks and pants, then jammed them all into his satchel. Willem and Sharrah did the same. He tucked his coat through the shoulder strap of his satchel, snugging the strap down to hold the coat firmly. Again, Willem and Sharrah followed his lead.
“The water will get just above my waist at one point,” he said, “so the bottom of our shirts will get wet, but I didn’t find that to be a problem.
“Now, hold your coats and satchels high,” Aeron said, putting words to action, “like this. Over your head, so you can see where you are going.” He moved into the water, walking carefully. “And take your time. Place your forward foot carefully, and slowly transfer your weight. You don’t want to slip and fall and get all your things wet.”
Willem nodded and moved into the water, his items held over his head. “Oh, the water is actually quite nice.”
Sharrah grimaced, but followed after. Her face lit up, however, once she was in the water. “It is rather pleasant,” she conceded.
At the point where the floor dropped a foot, bringing the water up to their waists, Sharrah gasped, but neither she nor Willem slipped or fell. It took them longer to get through the water than Aeron by himself—Willem and Sharrah liked their dry clothes and were taking it very carefully—but eventually, the three were through to the other side.
“So,” Willem said, looking back at the water. “That whole way, nearly naked?” And he turned to Aeron with an eyebrow raised.
“I, uh . . . yeah,” Aeron said and blushed furiously.
Willem and Sharrah burst out laughing.
It only took a few minutes for their feet to dry enough so that they could put their socks and shoes back on. Once they had, they continued down the passage.
They heard a commotion ahead, and Anaya came tearing around a corner of the passage. She stopped so fast, she skidded a little, wings slightly unfurled to maintain her balance.
Oh, she said, and Aeron could sense her disappointment. I was hoping I could play in the water with all of you.
“I’m sorry,” Aeron said aloud to her before turning to Willem and Sharrah. “She’s sad because she wanted to play in the water with us.”
“Well she can still play in the water, at least,” Willem said. He looked at Anaya. “Go ahead, we can wait while you have a swim.”
Can I? she turned to Aeron.
Of course, he replied, stroking her neck. Go. Have some fun.
Fun! she said and ran past them.
Soon after, in the distance, wild splashing could be heard as well as her happy cries.
Through the link, Aeron could feel her sheer joy at splashing around in the water. He started laughing. “She really does love water. If I’m lucky, one day I’ll be able to swim with her up top in a river or lake.” Aeron smiled at the thought. “Come on, let’s keep going, I’ll tell her to catch up with us when she has had enough fun in the water.”
We’re going to keep going, he said. Take as much time as you want in the water and catch up with us afterward.
Okay!
As Aeron suspected she would, Sharrah noticed the plants and animals as they neared the sinkhole. “More and more plant and animal life is appearing that comes from up top.”
“Yes,” Aeron said. “We are getting closer to the sinkhole.”
“It’s getting cooler too,” Willem remarked. “And you were right, my shorts are not dry yet.”
That was so much fun, Anaya said several minutes later as she came loping up behind them. We should play in the water together! Would that not be fun?
I was just talking about that, he said. It would be fun.
I forgot to ask you earlier. What happened to your legs? Anaya sounded concerned as she sniffed Aeron’s leg.
My legs?
She looked at their legs. Your legs all look different.
Oh, we are wearing shorts. We took our pants off. This is our skin.
Pants?
“Anaya is concerned that our legs look different now,” Aeron told Willem and Sharrah.
“Oh?” asked Willem.
“We wear pants to protect our legs,” he said aloud to Anaya. “Our skin isn’t as strong as your hide.” He stroked her neck. “We wear different pieces of clothing to protect our skin, and pants are a type of clothing. We took off our pants so they would not get wet when we went through the water. If they had go
tten wet, it would have taken a long time for them to dry.”
Aeron grabbed his coat. “And this is a coat, it is a special kind of clothing. We wear coats to protect us from the cold during winter.” He put on the coat. Willem and Sharrah put theirs on as well.
I thought your skin changed color, she said. But it is the . . . clothing that you wear.
Yes. We wear different clothing each day, cleaning the clothing we wore and wearing it again another day.
That is interesting, she said, and with almost no pause, she announced, I am getting hungry now.
Aeron laughed. “As soon as she understood clothing, she said she was hungry.”
Sharrah smiled. “Well, that’s why we’re here.”
It took them quite a while to find enough for Anaya to eat. On the bright side, their shorts were dry when they finished, but it also reminded Aeron of the worsening food situation. He complained about it as they were putting their pants back on.
“Well,” Willem said, “let’s take a look at the sinkhole, see about that ramp.”
“Oh, right,” Aeron said. “Let’s do that.”
The rubble ramp looked fairly sound to Aeron. “It looks okay,” he said. “What do you guys think?”
“Can’t hurt to try it,” Sharrah said and started up the ramp.
Aeron and Willem quickly followed, and Anaya trailed behind, sniffing various items on the ramp as she went.
The sun feels good, Anaya said to Aeron.
Yes, it does feel good, especially with the wind so cool.
“It looks like the ramp is fairly old,” Willem said as they walked up. “So I would guess it would be stable enough by now. Over the years the rain, snow and such would have caused the rubble that makes up the ramp to settle in a firm position by now.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Sharrah said.
They emerged from the sinkhole in the middle of a small copse of trees.
Oh, what is this? Anaya ran up to a tree and stood up on her haunches to reach up into the canopy of remaining leaves. They were shades of ruddy brown, almost maroon. Several fell as she leaned on the tree trying to reach them.
Willem watched her try to catch leaves as they fluttered down and smiled. Sharrah was scouting the copse.
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