Scars like Stars

Chapter 2

Nathan pushed off the damp brick wall behind him, the morning sun welcomed the vendors with vigour but for him it only served to remind him of the slowly dwindling time he had. His hair, now much longer than he liked it, sat curling just below his ears, the redness a stark contrast in the sea of black and browns with some blondes. Nathan walked faster, he would first go to the bakery, they were always busy and may need some help he thought. The bells rang above him as the shop door swung inward to allow a couple to walk out, basket in hand. "Hello !" Nathan called out. 

"I was wondering if you had any work I could - " 

"I don't " The man who's back was turned replied not allowing Nathan to finish in his haste. "I don't have enough time to teach beginners the trade so, no. Come back next spring and I'll think about it" The man said, his lips twitching in a vicious snarl as he wrestled two separate  pieces of dough into swirls and knots while sprinkling chocolate chips and sugar on top. Nathan's mouth watered and his stomach growled as he stared. The man paused and finally looked over. His eyed travelled the length of Nathan's wardrobe noting the ripped trousers and re-patched elbows, the frayed hem of both trousers and his tunic, the material once a deep brown was faded to be grey and almost transparent - it did nothing to keep out the cold. 

The man frowned, He reached into the cooling rack and slid a loaf of bread across the  counter. Nathan's eyes widened in wonder, his stomach grumbled louder and his eyes darted from the man to the bread. The man nodded towards it "Go on then, you'll probably have a long day ahead and  you don't look like you've had breakfast yet" Or any food for the past month he thought but winked instead and waved Nathan out of the bakery as soon as his hands had swiped the bread off the counter and it was safely wrapped in his dirty hands.  

As Nathan stepped out of the doorway he eagerly swallowed half chewing rapidly to be able to swallow, he had of course missed breakfast to be able to get a job faster. The other half he slowly nibbled at saving some for the day ahead. He pushed the rest into his pocket and continued down  the winding cobbled paths .  

A small pebble landed at one corner of his shoe narrowly missing the toe that was peeping out of his broken shoes. He looked up , to his right and then left. He had no clue where it came from but was grateful it didn't cause him any more trouble.  Nathan took a right and then another right to try and reach the horse market as fast as he could. He had heard that there was one last spot available within the livestock area of the market, he just had to find out where it was and hoped that no one had found it before him. Nathan resolutely decided that he would make his way to the horses, then the cows, sheep and as a last resort the pigs. While there was nothing wrong with the pigs they were messy creatures and he didn't need to be more messy. 

"Come get your FRESHLY picked roses! " A woman cried at the far end of her stall, a colourful array of flowers and scents. 

"Come taste the BEST roasted hazelnuts, peanuts !!"" A man opposite the woman shouted waving his hand to welcome  customers. 

"Hazelnuts for HALF the price of anywhere in the city !" another cried in glee as people migrated to and from stalls. The market had a cacophony of sound and voices. It was hard to decipher at first but underneath the sounds, the chatter and hooves,the flash of whips and screaming chickens. Nathan could hear a whimper, small but distinctively like a child's, Elven.

"Mama ! mama where are you ? MAMA ! papa, oscar " She said sobs punctuating her cries. 

"Hey!" Nathan approached her cautiously tip-toeing into the alley she was hiding in and sat down a few steps away from her to decrease his imposing figure to the cowering girl who had pushed herself further against the soot-covered walls. "You need some help? You look lost... " He let the sentence fade.

"I'm not allowed to talk to you" the little girl replied after her sobbing had stopped.

Nathan winced, hurt that a small child would judge him or his status and clothes in this unfair world. 

She continued quickly after seeing him look down at his own clothes, "Mama said I can't talk to strangers and they would hurt me. But I can't find mama and I don't know which section of the market this is." She finished sniffing. 

"So if we went around a little, would you be able to see your parents? " Nathan said, smiling with kindness, "and think of me as a friend or a brother, I won't hurt you promise. I wouldn't know how to anyway, I don't have any weapons or anything" he laughed awkwardly not knowing how to make the little girl trust him but in equal parts not knowing why he would want to help the child when he himself had a job he hadn't completed.

She nodded in reply and stretched her hand out to take Nathan's. Startled Nathan looked down at their hands "Oscar always holds my hand when we're crossing streets" she gave as a way of explanation. 

Together they walked across the live stock market back into the area filled with trinkets, the child's blond locks bouncing as she skipped/walked beside him earning a few questioning glances at their contrasting outfits and features. "I'm Rosa" she said emphasising the s in a childish pronunciation. Nathan nodded in acknowledgement "well... " she started and looked expectantly at him. "What ?", Rosa rolled her eyes "this is where you introduce yourself silly" she giggled softening the impact of her label.  

"Nathan " he said in finality,they continued in silence while Nathan mapped the route he took to prevent him getting lost as he made his way back. Rosa's eyes swivelled from one shop to another, the stalls with their unstable foundations were gone by then. " I know where this is now, we just need to take the next turn and go down into that street past the candy shop !" She stated excitedly picking up one side of her skirts as she jogged, pulling Nathan along with her. He dutifully followed.

One turn later and a few moments of fast-paced walking which lit Nathan's calves on fire, they stood in front of a sweltering forge, the gates a deep grey, almost black in its appearance and mighty."You sure this is it ?" he questioned, nervously, something told him that if he went through those gates something was going to change and it would be significant 

"Rosaline !!!" A feminine voice called from the steps, tears glistened in her blue eyes as blond strands of her hair flew about her face, let free from the confines of the ribbon holding the rest back."Mama !!" Rosa shouted back, waving frantically and bouncing up and down.

"Well, I guess that answers that " he said dryly watching as the woman jogged to open the gates.