Role

Chapter 9

Thirteen, maybe fourteen years, was Wrukesht, and it was the usual end-of-year
festivities. As one of the older kids, she had responsibilities. Joragh can't
do everything! But for this particular night, nobody complained. The smaller
kids made their beds without a single complaint. The middle kids wielded
brooms and mops and brushes without fuss, making the orphanage a beautiful
looking, and smelling!, place, even if for just one night. No easy feat indeed!

Older kids, like Wrukesht, had other duties. One or two were set to mind over
the littler ones. Some were set to cooking in the kitchen, for the special
feast. Still others had to ensure the orphanage wasn't just clean, but festively
decorated with all sorts of bright and shiny things. The rules (of course there
were rules!) say you can't start before, you can only start on the day itself,
so everone wakes up early to make sure everything is done by sundown, when the
meal begins.

Wrukesht though, she was lucky. This year she was the chosen one to go out with
Jaragh and look for presents. Each year one of the kids went with Jaragh both to
help choose gifts, and of course help carry them back! Price was no object, just
for this one occasiion. Wrukesht couldn't imagine how many dragons Jaragh must
have killed, how many treasures he must have found, but every year, without fail,
he carried no copper, no silver, just coins of solid gold. A never-ended supply
it seemed to Wrukesht, but she wasn't about to complain!

So, when Jaragh called out to her and told her she was this year's gatherer, she
was more excited than she could remember being in a very long time. Soon enough
they set out. First stop: the merchants up north, almost to the imperial lands.
She was antsy and impatient when they arrived; she knew these merchants well and
she was not interested in their wares. No, the whole point, the whole excitement,
came from knowing they would be leaving Balator! Once, only once, had she done
so, a brief trip to Hamsah Mu'Tazz when Jaragh brought her to the senior healer,
as the local priest could not cure an illness. She had barely any memories of it
and so really it would be her first time going anywhere.
Now of course Jaragh knew this is what each year's kid wanted, but it was fun
watching them fidget and dance while he took far more time than necessary. The
local merchants all knew the game, they parading things they knew wouldn't be
bought, all while snickering with Jaragh. Jaragh was a good customer all year,
they did not begrudge this one time each year when he went elsewhere for his
shopping. And so, after a grueling hour, Wrukesth finally smiled as Jaragh made
his way out of the market and headed south, out of Balator. Hooray!