032

Orphic focused his attention on the scene that was beginning to develop in the merchant square. Buyers were beginning to arrive and noise was beginning to increase. Merchants had begun to hawk their wares at top volumes and happy, or unhappy, buyers answered back at full volume. The dress of the merchants varied from the light and colourful to the coarse and drab, depending on their origin and status.

Hats, vegetables, knives, bread, silk scarves, and much much more was for sale. Orphic had difficulty imagining what the square would have been like when filled to capacity. In the days of the tyrants what would this square have been like?

An ox bumped an apple merchants table on his way to the auction block. Orphic was on his feet and walking through the aisles. The owner of the herd had not noticed and was continuing on. The apple merchant was screaming at the herdsmen while his daughters began to pick up the apples and right the table.

Orphic handed the youngest daughter and apple with a smile. "Here you go." He said, eye brows raised.

She smiled back, shyly, but the smile touched her eyes. "Thank you."

Orphic knelt down beside her and began to help her gather apples. "There are a lot of apples here. And good ones too. Shiny. Red. Worm free. I hope..."

The girl laughed. Her blonde hair was tied back rightly on her head, and she covered it with a tight black handkerchief with simple white lace. She was fifteen or Sixteen. She should't be here. The mother was gone. The smile faded slightly from Orphic's face.

"Furoo!" A female voice shouted. Orphic began to rise as one of the older sisters began to walk towards him.

"You're welcome." He whispered to the young sister and began to walk away.

"Go on get out of here! Furoo! I'll call the guards."

Orphic didn't turn around as he kept walking and began to melt into the press of people. In his mind the older sister was admonishing the younger sister for talking to the likes of him. He didn't turn to verify what he already knew to be true.