Scars like Stars

Chapter 4

"This is it, right, Josh - there's the table. Come on let's wait there" Rowan pointed to under a large tree whose branches dropped enough to provide them coverage from prying eyes. A large table sat a few feet away from the one solitary chair accompanying it as its owner. A thin woman who stared at the book infront of her with vacant bored eyes, the quill in her hands slanted to a precarious angle as the ink tip - leaking a small drop of obsidian fluid - dripped to the parchment below and spread as vicious as snake venom. A crowd was already gathering and soon the woman came to a more alert state with the bustle of life around her.

The boys watched her as she watched the crowd, her shrewd eyes missing nothing apart from Josh and Rowan whose location was safe from her gaze. She licked her chapped lips in an attempt to retrieve the ability to speak. After the third try she finally gave up and sat quietly waiting for someone to come to her. Unprompted as they were, the crowd thinned, having noticed the guild and the job specifications which were painted a deep red in a font so small only the people closest could read it. '

A raven cawed on top of a market stall, its glimmering feathers a stark contrast to the metal and jewels below it. The stall owner snarled at the bird, her face twisted into an unpleasant expression doing her business more harm than good as she tried - in vain- to cast away the wretched animal. Rightfully so too, scavengers were seen as a bad omen and could cause death, no one would go near it, or the stall if it stayed there.

Josh turned his attention back to the woman. Her eyes were still vacant but albeit a bit more alert in her appraisal of another merchant's black silk from afar.Josh's leg throbed, the uncomfortable crouched position alleviating the cramps his leg was known for. He cursed for the hundredth time the horrid fall that had broken his leg at the tender age of 10, now 6 years later, the bone had set wrong, shattered the wise woman had said. The pity in her eyes a death sentence, the pain a gruesome mix of torment as she had bound the leg to the best of her ability. Movement aggravated it, anything and everything made it worse but Josh had learnt to live with the constant pain - it was a constant companion, one if he tried hard enough he could ignore.

"I hope Estelle gets the plant" Rowan whispered, his nervousness palpable in the space they shared. Josh's heart beat to a wild tune, kipping and leaping the distance to the table, his urge to be done with the deed, an urgent pounding in his temple.

"I hope so too". Josh proclaimed.

"She's here, by the water fountain, past the jewellery stall." Rowan said his excitement now outweighs the doubt."Stay here" He said to Josh turning his head slightly to engrain the statement. Josh rolled his eyes and looked skyward, "Fine". Once Rowan had crept out he whispered " I may be a cripple but I can still think" angrily he frowned his eyebrows furrowing in irritations. He took a deep breath, the sand shifting near his face when it was pressed against the floor. Josh turned his attention back to the woman who .... Was nowhere to be seen. Josh's eyes swivelled to and from the stalls in a desperate attempt to find the woman, worry crawling up his throat and souring his mouth.

Finally, he spotted her, walking calmly to another man - dressed fairly similarly in a black tunic, black trousers and thick winter cloak which flared at his knees.Josh sighed as he watched the exchange. The woman gave the man the rolled up name written before - previously in the book. The man graciously accepted the names, read them in a quick glance and gave them back to the woman who promptly walked away leaving the more frightening and vigilant individual to take over the name collection.

Josh winced at the change and shuffled to the side to allow Rowan and Estelle space to kneel beside his prone position. "There's a rotation, and we've just missed our best chance" Josh proclaimed in annoyance. "wWhat took you so long Estelle ? No, nevermind, don't answer that - it was a stupid question. Did you manage to get it ?"

Estelle swept a hand through her hair covered in sweat and dust as if the blond locks looked brown and plain. "I got it" She patted her side pocket in emphasis. " The new name bearer has a water skin - if we get a hold of that we can crush the Chamomile and mix it in. A little bit of lemon and it should even out the bittersweet taste. It would taste like the water in the spring. And I just saw him refilling it at the fountain" Josh explained. "Which's water comes from the springs down by the pine forest" Rowan grinned. "Estelle and I could 'accidently' bump into him and one of us can grab the water skin and the other him. Act like we're off balance and all that."

When the man stood, Estelle and Rowan slipped out of the shadows and as expected 'bumped' into the man sending his parchment flying into the crowd. He scowled "Hey !!" He shouted in anger. "I'm so sorry sir ! We didn't mean to trip you up" Rowan scrambled from the floor as the name beared also rose and Rowan reached to bat the dust of the man's tunic. Estelle reached to uncork his water and pushed the lemon and chamomile mixture into the liquid, shaking a little before saying "Oh, You dropped this sir," The man snatched the water skin away as if Estelle's touch would contaminate the water within. He lifted his chin and strode away without another word. Once he sat back down after his round of the square he took a long sip of his water and grimaced, a few minutes later he yawned and went for another round this time leaving the parchment behind in his forgetfulness and the chamomile's soothing effects.

Rowan jogged towards the table, a hood covering his light brown hair while snatching a small pink ink quill of a vendor selling parchment, ink and quills. He threw a pebble across the table and leaned over it looking like to all the world as if he was picking up his pebble but in reality scribbled down his name and Estelle's as candidates and ticked the column that specified payment status'.

"Well, that's done," he said cheerfully. They all watched holding their breath for the next rotation as the man showed another before swaggering away. His relief to be out of the sun's glare motivation to set a fast pace. In unison the three sighed in relief as the man left their view and together bound towards home to tell everyone the good news. The sun at midday did little to dampen their excitement.

In a few days the candidate names would be posted on the town hall board and candidates could visit the keep to be assessed.