The Witch Woman's Prophecy

5 | Merthgem Market |

The road to Merthgem was better travelled from that point on. The stone markers were closer together and there were dried out piles of animal dung along the road.

For the first time I wondered whether there was anyone in Merthgem who might catch and punish the bandits.

'What happens to bandits?' I asked Lenthew.

'Depends. If they attack a settlement with guards, they might get caught and executed. Why do you ask?'

'Just wanted to know. What about if they attack people away from the settlements?'

'Not much. As long as the people in the settlements are safe they don't worry about what goes on outside.' He looked at me with his head on one side and a sad smile crossed his face. He reached out and touched my arm, but didn't say anything, but tugged on the donkey's rope to lead him on.

I knew that there was nobody who would care about my little family or what had been done to them. I pressed my lips together and followed after Lenthew and the donkey.

Other roads began to join the one we were travelling, bringing with them more people. I stared at my fellow travellers; I had never seen anyone except my family and Lenthew in my life before and I marvelled at how different their faces were.

We met some travellers who were heading away from Merthgem. They led some animals with long drooping necks and stilt-like legs which Lenthew told me were camels. Lenthew tried to sell them some sweetmeats, but the men just laughed at him. 'Sweets for his lady? Don't make us laugh, who'd ever look at him?' They jeered and pointed at one of their number, a lad with a pox-scarred face who led the smallest of the camels. He blushed which made his scars even redder and tried to hide his face under his hood. The older men carried on laughing as the camels stalked past us. I felt the young boy's embarrassment and smiled at him but he did not meet my eyes.

'I'll get a better price for them in Merthgem anyway, even if I do have to bribe the guards to let me set up my stall,' said Lenthew, frowning and wiping from his face clean of the dust that the camels had kicked up, then he spat onto the ground.

My belly was growling loudly by the time sand-coloured rock walls emerged though the heat haze in front of us. They were higher than the height of one tall man standing on top of another and I had to tip my head back to see the spikes set on the top of them when we drew close. A pair of sturdy wooden gates stood ajar and two men wearing leather jerkins over their robes with swords hanging from their belts looked at everyone who passed in or out. These must be the guards Lenthew had mentioned.

Lenthew led the donkey to the gate, but I hung behind and wondered what I should do. The guards bantered with him and I saw him point back towards me, which made me tense up. What had he just told the guards? I was ready to run when one of the guards laughed and winked at me and I forced myself to nod back and smile.

It was impossible to judge which was the more overpowering sensation when we entered Merthgem: the noise or the smell. Voices, babbled, shouted, sang and laughed. There were animals braying, barking, grunting and neighing. Drums pounded, caged birds shrieked and children screamed. My nostrils were forced to take in the stink of manure, both human and animal, the smell of spiced food cooking, hot fat, unwashed bodies, perfumes and smoke all at once. I had never imagined that a place could batter away at you the instant you entered it.

My eyes were pulled in one direction after another by new sights. Brightly clothed young girls, houses with white plastered walls, flowered plants growing in pots, slabs of raw meat hanging from racks, jewellery flashing and glittering on some of the women and market stalls with more types of fruit than I had ever known existed.