Chapter V – Market

Overseeing the arrangement of the donkey cart as a vending stall was a task of no difficulty for Caitlyn MacCready, having done so a considerable number of times over the course of her life as the eldest MacCready child. The younger twin siblings – Theo and Thea – tied off the donkey next to their typical spot, always available for them across from the Sparrow's Song Tavern and Inn. After that, it was just a matter of arranging crates and baskets of produce, flour, textiles, and the various other products and foodstuffs for display.

Theo and Thea continued to do the lions share of the work along with intermittent help from Caitlyn, who was half busy making sure Jalyssa fulfilled her own duties both minding Aisling, and organizing the few finer goods in esthetically pleasing arrangements to draw the average passerby in off of the street.

Jalyssa lived up to expectations as the usual force of distraction for Caitlyn, who would be drawn a way from her duties occasionally in order to ask questions like, "Haven't you not quite finished your duties Jalyssa?"

Jalyssa would then respond in kind with impressive rolling eyes, before answering, "Okay Caitlyn."

Nevertheless, it wasn't long before the children had finished the majority of their tasks, and Caitlyn could begin the task of drawing people toward the stall.

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"Fresh eggs! Produce! Bread baked this morning, and apples from the orchard!" Caitlyn shouted out into the thrall of Windswept citizenry and visitor alike. "All of your fresh produce – taters, lettuce, carrots and onions, straight from MacCready farms!" Caitlyn looked over then to Jalyssa to inspect how she fared with her share of the attracting customers. Jalyssa was rather typically slumped forward on her elbow, inspecting her fingernails while sitting idly on a stool that Caitlyn hadn't even known was brought along.

Slanting her 'brows in disapproval, Caitlyn then took note of the line up forming in front of Jalyssa and as such bit her tongue in spite of her concerns. Some how, she realized, Jalyssa had done it again – drawn in a crowd of eager villagers without so much as lifting a finger. It wasn't long before Caitlyn drew in a line of customers for herself however, even jumping at an opportunity to practice speaking Elvish with two eager elves looking for their morning bread.

After some good while hawking goods, Caitlyn took stock of the dense crowd of people walking either north or south along the street, and still then some significant number passing into the Sparrow's Song across the street. As she scanned the crowd, she squinted her eyes at one particularly unusual individual, walking under a street lamp just in time for her to catch sight.

An avian, rummaging around in their sack and talking to themselves. This particular avian had mostly golden-yellow feathers with complementary white down features, bearing the likeness of a hawk, and wearing a white and red poncho. As the creature passed nearer, Caitlyn caught a distinctively deep male voice grumbling, "Where did I put that letter..." as he rummaged through a hip-pouch.

Caitlyn smirked, eager to meet the rare avian, and seized the opportunity with a spontaneous slogan, "MacCready farms, we got the finest seed in all of Windswept." She smiled, impressed at herself, but looked to see the avian had not been broken out of his concentrated search. She cupped her mouth and shouted down the street as the avian went, "We got the finest bird seed in all the Sparrow's Nest!"

The effort was in vain though, as whatever drew the creature's attention was too much to be diverted by Caitlyn's shouting. Caitlyn looked then at Jalyssa's line, noting some customers whispering amongst themselves and giggling as they pointed sheepish fingers at her. She looked then at Jalyssa shaking her head in embarrassment, darting her gaze elsewhere as soon as their eyes met.

Understanding her eager yet comedic outburst, she looked over at Theo and Thea who were hushing giggles between themselves. Thea caught eyes with Caitlyn then and took initiative to stifle her laughter before approaching Caitlyn to ask, "Was that an avian?"

"You'd know better than me," Caitlyn mumbled through strained thin lips, turning abruptly so as to return to her role as vendor. She then looked back out through the crowd for any other would-be customers, and before long locked her sights on a familiarly unwelcomed person. The handsome and brawny, but particularly annoying Billy McMurray.

"Billy McMurray..." Caitlyn grumbled through gritted teeth, attempting at keeping hushed.

"Billy?" Jalyssa's ears perked up in delight at the mentioned of the name, which she had somehow and somewhat impressively plucked out of Caitlyn's lips despite the raucous and loud commotion of passerby citizenry all about the street. "Where is he?" Jalyssa nearly swooned as she stepped over to Caitlyn's side, red with excitement over the promising young dock worker who the family had come to know as a frequent purchaser of MacCready goods – specifically from Jalyssa.

image [https://i.imgur.com/jXrY1Fq.png]

Caitlyn frowned with disapproval for Billy, who despite being a young adult was five year's Jalyssa's senior – a significant age gap. Even Caitlyn couldn't deny that he possessed some form of charm and good looks. Shaggy brown hair, sky blue eyes, and the thin day of growth on his squared jaw, he was also reserved and hard working, and it showed in both his masculine physique and demeanor.

Jalyssa, catching sight of young Billy stood on the tips of her toes, waving as she shouted his name into the crowd. "Billy! BILLY!"

Already keen on her, it didn't take long for Billy to wave back, smile and shout, "Hey Jalyssa!"

Caitlyn crossed her arms in defiance as Billy seemed to strut forward in confidence. Simultaneously looking out of the corner of her eyes she caught a glimpse of Jalyssa holding her arms behind her back and leaning slightly forward as he approached. Caitlyn then took a diagonal step in front of Jalyssa so as to block their communique.

"Caitlyn..." Jalyssa whispered.

"Oh, hi Caitlyn," Billy stammered, but retained his smile.

"Billy, is there something I can do for you?"

"Uh, yeah. Well, see, the thing is I usually deal with Jalyssa."

"You can deal with me just as well as you deal with her", Caitlyn shot back. Caitlyn then felt then a tug on the sleeve of her left arm, and half turned to see Jalyssa with her hand pinching her sleeve cuff.

"Caitlyn, you're embarrassing me," pleaded Jalyssa.

"Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on Aisling?" Caitlyn whispered with venom, simultaneously gesturing with a head nudge to the stool where Jalyssa had just been stooping, and to where darling Aisling was completely well to play on her own.

"Caitlyn," Jalyssa groaned. "She's fine, even you can see that."

"Eh-hem, excuse me", Billy interjected. The arguing sisters swiveled their heads over to see he was now dealing with Theo, who had stepped into the role of peddler while the two elder sisters bickered. "Just a small sack of flour and some carrots." Billy held up a bunch of tied together carrots and tucked the small bag of flour into the crook of his arm, then rummaged through a coin pouch on his belt before retrieving and flipping a silver coin off of his thumb and in Theo'a general direction.

Theo caught the coin, inspected it, and exclaimed, "You're due four tenth pieces back."

"Keep a tenth for yourself young one," Billy smiled and then looked over with a half cocked grin to wink at Jalyssa.

Blushing Jalyssa waved, "See you soon Billy!" Her words were followed up by a harmless, but scolding elbow to her side by the older city Caitlyn.

As Billy went, two continued to disagree – and loudly. The discussion was cut short however when Caitlyn noticed amidst the many comers and goers of the Sparrow's Song across the street, Virgel traipsing out of the tavern doors a couple of hares lighter albeit an ale or two fuller.

Virgel waved and winked and Caitlyn waved back as he walked casually into the crowd, and southward down the street toward the port. Not far behind him another familiar face departed through the tavern doors.

Inn proprietor Talis Mallory was a middle aged but also a handsome and portly fatherly figure, with clean graying hair and a tightly cropped beard and mustache. He came out into the street, tossing a rag over his shoulder and waving Caitlyn over.

Caitlyn caught eyes with Talis but stopped short to turn to Jalyssa, raising a stern index finger to signify orders about to be barked. "I'm going to go inside to talk to Mr. Mallory. Tend the cart as best you can, and remember to keep a watchful eye on your younger sisters and brother."

Jalyssa responded silently, curling the corner of her lip and half glancing away.

"I didn't catch that Jalyssa."

"Yes," Jalyssa sighed, pausing for dramatic effect. "Caitlyn." Using her sister's name as punctuation.

Caitlyn shook her head by degrees, but soon thereafter turned to face Mallory across the street, and walk to the tavern.

Jalyssa waited, crossing her own arms while watching as the two hugged, and then shook hands. Talis then swung the door open and gestured Caitlyn to step in, who obliged.

Jalyssa then released her crossed arms with a sigh, and returned to her stoop on the stool, to examine her finger nails.

"Jalyssa," Dorothea spoke softly, to which Jalyssa turned. Jalyssa then saw twin Theodore standing in solidarity next to the middling sister.

"We know you try, and just want to let you know that we know."

Jalyssa sniffed to complement her current mood.

"All this," she gestured around the market. "This and the farm. It isn't me, and it never was me. But I wish Caitlyn could see me for who I am, like how you two do." Jalyssa then caught sight of young Aisling peaking out between the twins, and then herself bent over from her stoop to pinch her on the cheek. "You three, rather."

And the siblings left it at that, as they returned to their duties.