Of Hooves and History

The Market and Meetings

Pushing on my skateboard didn't feel as sore or physically consuming as pedaling my mountain bike, so I was able to coast for a short while, attracting some oohs and aahs from a few little fillies and colts. I ignored them; I'd gotten that type of attention numerous times before in other countries back on Earth.

Getting around this town wouldn't be easy navigation-wise. Unless...

"Ah!" I called out, spotting one stallion at a table with a map. I scooted over to him.

"Um, excuse me for a second. Could I borrow that for a moment?"

"S-S-Sure," he stammered, quickly folding it and pushing it across the table.

"No need to feel so nervous, my guy," I replied with a chuckle, unfolding the map and peering over it. At first I was expecting it to looks like some old papyrus but it was decently thick paper that felt premium to the touch. The text and drawings were crisp, and within ten seconds flat, I'd located the marketplace.

"Thanks very much. I'll be going now."

I handed the map back to him and pushed off. The town wasn't too complicated. Within a week it'd be easy to remember major streets, where each one led to, and the top stores and businesses along each of them.

With a quick shortcut via a side street, I soon made it to the marketplace. The atmosphere felt active and lively, but not crowded or tense. At the far end near the waterfront, I skidded to a stop beside an antique vendor and sat down. Shrugging off my sling bag, I pulled out the soup can and bags.

"Let's see how well this works..." I muttered quietly, arranging all the items in a neat row in front of my lap. Typically I'd been an investigator and analyzer, now I needed to be a salesman.

And my training began sooner than expected. Just moments later, a group of ponies came walking up the road. Based on their body language and snippets of conversation, I could tell they were keen on checking out something new and interesting. Ideal customers, located.

So I waved over at them. "Hello there, and welcome to the Maretime Bay marketplace!"

One of them looked shocked, while another mare seemed fascinated. "What have you got there?"

I held up a red resealable bag. "These are raisins – or dried grapes if you will. Sometimes a quick snack is all we need to give us a boost to keep going throughout the day, and what's the key behind that boost? Sugar."

The group seemed interested and stepped closer, so I opened the bag and took out a single raisin, holding it out for them to observe closely.

"When grapes dry up, the water vanishes, leaving behind a natural sugar that comes alive. The result is a smaller form factor yet retaining the nutrition and raising the appetite levels. Here, have a bite."

I handed the raisin to one of them, and she gingerly took it in her hoof, before popping it into her mouth. Almost immediately her lips parted into a grin after a few chews.

"This tastes great!"

Not wanting to be left out, her colt drummed his hooves on the ground excitedly. "Mommy, can I have one too?"

I pulled out another raisin, and he eagerly gobbled it up with a satisfied smile.

"We'll take it for four bits."

"Deal."

As they walked away with a happy smile, I punched the air with a silent whoop that made the vendor beside me chuckle.

"Congratulations on your first sale of the day," he said with a confident smile.

"Aw, thanks. Just three more to go."