Exploring the City 1

As our wagons approached the city gates, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement building within me. The prospect of spending two whole days exploring the city by myself filled me with anticipation.

We arrived without any problems; the city's streets were quieter than usual, a far cry from the bustling crowds that had filled the autumn market.

Thankfully, the reduced traffic meant that we didn't have to wait in line to enter. I discovered some good news: small kids like me didn't have to pay an entrance fee, and no one even bothered to check me on our way in.

After bidding farewell to the Vogt, I hopped down from the wagon and set off into the city.

He reminded me that I should meet him at the southern gate in the morning two days from now for our journey back to the village, and I shouldn't be late otherwise I would be going back alone.

As I made my way toward the market square, I could feel the weight of my bag, filled with rabbit hides and herbs for sale, pressing against my shoulder.

My main goal was to find a merchant who would buy the hides. I knew that it would be best to gauge offers from multiple merchants, but I didn't know the regular price for most things.

I remembered getting two pennies per hide when my father helped sell them, but that was back at the market when we were in a hurry. How could I know if it was a good price or not?

Dang, it! I should have asked the Vogt when I had the chance, but now I just have to figure it out myself.

Although the difference was just a few copper coins, I didn't like the idea of being ripped off. I made a mental note to pay more attention to pricing in the future. In the meantime, I needed to focus on finding a merchant who would give me a fair deal for my hides.

I decided to ask for directions from one of the older women selling at a nearby stall. She had a kind face, and I hoped she would be willing to help.

"Excuse me, madam," I said, approaching her. "Where could I find a merchant dealing with leather and furs?"

The woman paused, sizing me up for a moment before responding.

"It's down the road to the right on the main street," she said, pointing in the direction I needed to go.

Thanking her, I set off towards the main street. It didn't take me long to spot the store selling clothing and leather goods. I made my way inside and approached the older shopkeeper, who was standing behind a table.

"Good day, sir," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Do you perhaps buy rabbit hides?"

The shopkeeper looked me up and down before responding.

"You are not from the city, are you?"

"No, sir," I replied. "I'm visiting my relatives."

"I figured as much," he said with a chuckle. "If you want to sell your hides, you must go to the tanner in the craftsman district or sell them to the merchant who deals in raw hides. Stores like mine deal only in finished products."

"Oh, I didn't know that," I said, feeling embarrassed. "Please forgive my intrusion."

"Haha! Don't mention it," the shopkeeper replied. "There's not much traffic this time of the year, so I'm happy for the distraction."

With that, I excused myself and set off in search of the tanner. As I walked through the winding streets of the city, I began to feel frustrated.

If I had known how hard it would be to sell a few stupid hides, I would have thrown them in a ditch somewhere. But then I reminded myself that I'm poor and every penny counts, so I gritted my teeth and continued my search.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally found the tannery. Hidden in a corner of the craftsman district, the unimposing building bore no sign indicating what lay within.

The only telltale sign was the stench, an overpowering odor that assaulted my nostrils as I drew closer. I held my breath and entered the building, only to find vats everywhere and hides in various stages of processing.

As I scanned the room, my gaze fell upon a middle-aged man hard at work. I approached him and asked, "Good day, sir. Are you the tanner?"

He gave me a curt nod and asked, "What do you want, boy?"

"I'd like to show you my rabbit hides." "I want to sell them," I replied, producing the hides from my bag.

The tanner examined the hides with expert eyes, carefully scrutinizing their quality. "Hmm, these don't look too bad. I can give you three pennies for each," he said finally.

Without hesitation, I accepted the offer. Though I didn't know if it was a good price or not, the price was higher than what we had received at the market, and I was just glad to have sold the hides and be done with the ordeal.

The overpowering stench of urine permeating the air only added to my eagerness to leave. I quickly made my way out of the shop, taking deep breaths of fresh air as I put some distance between myself and the tanner's workshop.

With the hides sold, I turned my attention to the real reason for my visit to the city: the sale of my herbs. My heart raced with excitement at the prospect of making some real money.

As I stepped into Isadora's store, a sense of familiarity washed over me. The shop was filled to the brim with the unmistakable aroma of dried herbs and freshly brewed elixirs.

Isadora was already in her usual spot behind a table in the corner of the store, her eyes twinkling with recognition as she greeted me.

"Good day, Isadora. I bring you more herbs for sale," I said, placing my bag on the table.

"Oh, you're... Darian, right?" She asked, studying me for a moment before breaking into a smile. "I expected to see you at the autumn market. How come you're here so early?"

Wow, she finally remembered my name—that's a good start!

"I'm visiting my relatives in the city and used this opportunity to bring you more herbs," I replied, returning her smile.

"Come, come, show me. Your herbs are always something to look forward to!" Isadora exclaimed, beckoning me over.

With practiced ease, I began to unpack my herbs and spread them out on the table. Isadora's eyes widened in delight as she examined each of them with keen interest.

"Ahh, such amazing quality!" she exclaimed, running her fingers over the dried leaves and stems.

"Is the price the same as last time?"

"These are all perfect, so 5 copper marks per herb," she replied, her tone confident.

I nodded in agreement, relieved that all of them were of high quality.

"I also gathered some other plants, and I wanted to ask you if they're useful or not," I said, reaching for the bag containing the other herbs.

"Of course, show them to me," Isadora said, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.

I retrieved the other plants and placed them on the table. Isadora examined each of them with a discerning eye, separating the useless ones from the ones with potential.

"This one is useless; the same goes for that one. This is useful, but only the root which you didn't bring. On the other hand, this one is very useful, but only the leaves. I can still use them, so I'll add them together with the umbrifila," she explained, pointing at each herb in turn.

I listened intently, committing the information to memory so that I could pick the herbs if I came across them in the future.

I then continued to ask more questions about various herbs on the shelves and their use, and Isadora happily told me; it seems she is very passionate about her craft.

As the sun began to set behind the towering buildings, casting long shadows on the crowded streets, I realized that I had lost track of time. I bid Isadora farewell and exited the shop.

As I made my way to my uncle's house to spend the night, my mind was racing with excitement and ambition. My encounter with Isadora had been fruitful.

I didn't tell her anything about apprenticeship yet; it was still a long time before I turned ten, and firstly, I wanted to form a better connection with her so that my chance of convincing her was as high as it could be before I revealed my real intentions.

The weight of the silver coins in my pocket was a tangible reminder of my success. I made another two marks and seven pennies of silver today.

If this continues, I'm going to be so rich even before I start my apprenticeship. I just made in a day what an apprentice would make in almost a year of work.

But my thoughts were quickly consumed by a newfound realization.

Wait a minute... Why do I even need to bother with work? I could just gather some herbs once in a while and live a comfortable life in the village.

For a moment, the idea seemed tempting, seductive even. But as quickly as the thought had come, it was banished by the memory of the bland and unappetizing ertiber mush that I was forced to eat every other day. The thought of such a monotonous existence was unbearable.

When I discovered my potential, I knew that I could never be satisfied with a mediocre life in the village, and I knew that I had to explore the limits of my abilities.

The world was vast and full of secrets waiting to be uncovered, and I wanted to be the one to uncover them. I wanted to become a powerful mage—one who could bend the elements to his will and command the forces of nature itself.

But I first needed to prove myself. I needed to gain the nessesary knowledge and skills to master the arcane arts.

As I approached my uncle's house, I felt determination welling up inside me. I would not rest until I had achieved my goal, no matter the obstacles that lay ahead. For I was Darian, and I was destined for greatness.