Young Writers Society

“W-What?” Juliana turned to her right to see a man running towards her with a large basket full of apples. The fruit had a variety of autumn colors, and each apple was large and clean.

The man held the produce up by her side almost immediately as they passed through the gate. “Best fruit this whole side of town!” he yelled. “None better for miles! The cheapest too!”

“No thank you,” Dyne said.

“There’s more than just what I have here!” the grocer persisted. “What’s your favorite, Miss? I have anything you like for as low as eight silver!”

Eight silver? Juliana thought. That’s outrageous! Who could pay that much for a single fruit?

“We can’t spare that much right now,” Dyne said. “Now if you would kindly step aside, we need to be on our way.”

The man obliged as the horses continued past his fruit stand.

Juliana looked ahead to see the cobblestone street packed with hundreds of merchants and salesmen awaiting them on each side. Their makeshift stores were followed one after another with little space left between them. Juliana wondered if the roadside marketplace was even wide enough for them to pass through. “There are so many people,” she said.

“Remember my corner here, Miss!” the fruit salesman shouted. “Cheapest and juiciest produce right here! None better, I guarantee you!”

“Um, alright. If I need--”

“Here, travelers!” another man shouted.

Juliana turned to the left of the coach to see another merchant waving a light blue cloak over his head.

“I have the perfect size for you, young lady!” the peddler shouted. “Any color you want, I have it. Sixty silver and it’s yours!”

“Not today,” Dyne said calmly.

“I’ll go down to fifty!” the merchant said. “I’ve got one for you too, sir. You won’t find any finer fabrics in all of Melliark!”

“I’m afraid we can’t spare the coin right now. Thank you for the generous offer, but we must be going.”

Generous? Juliana thought. Mother bought a cloak just like that for less than twenty last year. Who would pay fifty?

The merchant walked alongside the wagon with the cloak in hand. “This is quality craftsmanship right here! You need one for the cold night’s we’ve been having. Don’t put a price on your health, sir!”

“Sorry,” Juliana said. “We just can’t afford--”

“Julie,” Dyne interrupted. “I already told him we’re not interested. If they ask again just smile and decline. Don’t speak to them any more than that.”

“But it’s rude to ignore someone like that,” she said.

“They’re only trying to keep the conversation going in hopes that you’ll change your mind and buy something. It’s not rude to decline and move on. If it makes you feel uncomfortable then just let me deal with them.”

“Alright.”

The marketplace grew louder and louder as they proceeded; with each merchant shouting over each other in an attempt to advertise their goods. At first Juliana could only discern the most vocal of the businessmen, but soon the voices were lost in the uproar of repeated phrases and sales slogans.

“Best deal in the city!”

“Bread for sale! Cheapest price guaranteed!”

“Not cheaper than here! Four loaves for less than--”

“Fresh fish! Just arrived this morning from the south Feraton! As much as you can carry for only twenty six sil--”

“No thank you.” Dyne carefully steered the coach between the lines of the eccentric merchants. He quickly stopped addressing each seller individually and began to wave them off as he focused on moving forward. “No thank you,” he repeated. “We’re not interested. We can’t afford that…” But every new seller they passed saw them as a potential sale opportunity.

“Shoes for sale! Most sturdy and reliable boots you’ve ever--”

“Would the lady care to try some perfume? Men love a woman who--”

“Cheapest deals here! Come have a look!”

“Milk! I have milk and eggs! You folks look like you’ve come a long way! You must be thirsty yes?

“We’re fine thank you,” Dyne said. “Step aside please. No, no, we’re not interested, thank you.”

“Best deal in Melliark! Two for the price of one!

“Jewelry! Necklaces and lockets!”

“Feed for your horses, sir! Five silver a bag!”

Juliana could barely hear Dyne’s replies over the shouting peddlers. These people do this every day? How do they stay sane working like this? I can’t even tell who has the best price anymore.

The merchants began heckling the travelers entering behind as well, and Dyne continued to decline their offers before reaching the end of the street. The noise subsided as they made their way further away from the entrance.

The street eventually branched out into multiple side streets and alleys. Dyne maneuvered through many tight spaces and alleys, making left and right turns according to his memory. Juliana, Radi, and Lucian were soon unable to tell which direction they came from.

They soon found themselves in the residential district after crossing a small bridge over the Feraton. Juliana noticed many men and women departing for their various places of work. Doctors, soldiers, tailors, servants, blacksmiths, and many others walked past one another as they left their homes.

After a few more turns and crossings the group arrived at an inn called The Wild Rose. Dyne stooped the wagon in an area designated for the inn’s patrons on the opposite side of the road.

“This is the place,” Dyne declared as he stepped down from the front. “Secure the horses, Radi.”

“Finally!” Radi said. “We’ve passed at least ten other inn’s on the way here. What makes this one so special?” He leapt down to the ground and began to tie the horses to a wooden barrier.

“The food here is well worth the wait. And…”

“And?” Juliana asked.

“You’ll see.”

The group took only a few steps out onto the road before eight young boys ran out from behind them and blocked their path. The children looked to be between six and ten years old, wearing dirt stained and tattered clothes.

“What is this?” Radi said. “Get out of the way!”

The tallest boy moved to the front of the gang. “Hey mister!” he said while pointing up at Dyne. “We’ll, uh… Watch your wagon for you! Fetch some water for the horses too.”

“Is that right?” Dyne said.

The boys nodded collectively. “Yes, mister! We will, sir, promise!”

Dyne turned to Juliana. “Did you get your gemstone out of the wagon?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she answered quietly. “I didn’t forget.”

“What’s your price?” Dyne asked the boy.

“You name your own price, mister,” he said.

“Hmm, my own price eh?”

He’s going to pay them? Juliana wondered. After turning down all of those merchants! Now he’d rather give our money away to these children?

“Wait a minute!” Radi yelled as he stepped in front of Dyne. “Are you seriously considering hiring this bunch of brats?”

The boys glared and sneered at Radi for his remark.

“Be quiet, Radi,” Dyne said as he gently pushed his grandson aside.

“Don’t touch me, old man!” Radi snapped back.

Dyne ignored him and turned his attention back to the gang. “Alright son, how about eleven?”

The boys exchanged glances of disappointment. “That’s all? Only eleven?” one child mumbled.

“Oh? Eleven isn’t enough?” Dyne asked playfully. “How about fourteen? No wait. Sixteen?”

Radi shook his head. “Listen to yourself you old fool! You’re outbidding yourself for no reason! ”

What is he doing? Juliana thought.

The tall boy crossed his arms and frowned. “Is that what you’re payin’ mister? Sixteen?”

Dyne bent down on one knee and stared into the boy’s eyes. “Sixteen isn’t enough either is it?”

The boy did not respond.

Dyne reached into his pocket and counted the silver coins between his fingers. “Tell you what kid, how about twenty now, and thirty more when I come back?”

The boy’s looked at Dyne in disbelief. “Fifty? He’s gonna pay us fifty?”

The tall boy turned around and quieted his peers. Trying to contain his own excitement, he held out his hand to receive the payment. “Y-You got a deal mister! Twenty now and thirty later.”

Dyne shook the boy’s hand. “What’s your name son?”

“Uh, E-Elliot.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Elliot. I’m Dyne.”

Juliana watched in astonishment as Dyne handed the coins over to the young boy.

Elliot promptly counted the money and began giving instructions to his gang. “Go on guys! Fetch some water for Mister Dyne’s horses.”

“Thank you, son.” Dyne stood and continued walking towards the inn. Juliana and Radi chased after him with Lucian trailing just behind.

“What just happened?” Juliana asked as they crossed the street.

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Radi said. “The old man just got swindled by a bunch of toddlers. He’s finally lost it!”

“Hang on,” Dyne said. “Where either of you even paying attention?”

“Paying attention to what?” Radi asked.

“Those kids’ clothes were filthy. No parent would let their kid run around the city like that. They’re orphans. I’m sure of it.” Dyne opened the door to the Wild Rose as the group followed him inside.

Juliana did not find the inn’s atmosphere the least bit inviting. The dining area was only half full with most of the customers hunched over near the bar counter. They were all older, large men with an unclean appearance and rough look about them. They shouted at the bar tender while banging their empty glasses against the counter; with the smoke of their pipes and stench of their drinks filling the low-ceilinged room. The room’s only illumination came from a single open window in the far corner of the entrance.

The bartender, a balding man with a short gray beard, yelled back at the customers before noticing Juliana and company enter. “I’ll be with you folks in a moment!” he shouted over the commotion of the room. “Have a seat anywhere you like!”

Juliana quickly made for a small wooden table near the open window. She began to feel uncomfortable as the drunken customers began to stare at her from the far side of the room. But the men soon returned their attention to their lack of refreshments when her male companions followed her and sat at the table.

Dyne leaned forward to the center of the table. “I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret,” he whispered.

Juliana and Lucian leaned in and turned their ears to him.

“Whenever someone around here tells you that you can ‘name your own price’ . . . it really means that there is a price, and you’re going to pay one way or another.”

Radi laughed. “So in other words, you’re saying you were blackmailed by an eight year old!”

Dyne pointed through the window to the group of boys surrounding the wagon. “Look at those kids, Radi. They’ve never watched any wagons before.”

Juliana looked outside at the children near the wagon. One of the youngest of the gang approached the horses with a pail of water. He lifted the bucket to the horse’s mouth when it suddenly raised its head and neighed at him. The startled child fell on his back, dropping the pail and spilling the water onto the ground by the horse’s feet. His companions laughed and mocked his clumsy reaction, but they became silent when the boy offered them the empty bucket.

“What a waste!” Radi exclaimed. “I would have chased off those little scammers and you could have spent your silver on a decent meal!”

Juliana reluctantly agreed with her brother. “Radi’s right, Grandpa. There’s no reason to pay them for something they can’t actually do.”

Dyne shook his head. “What do you think Lucian? You’ve been awfully quiet this morning.”

Lucian sat in silence by the window and continued to stare at the boys outside.

“Lucian?” Juliana asked.

His attention returned to the table.

“C’mon Lucian,” Radi said, “tell the old man he’s lost his mind.”

“You’re wrong,” Lucian answered. “It has nothing to do with money. It’s about… responsibility.”

Dyne’s disappointed look morphed into a wide grin. He nodded and reached across the table to pat Lucian on the back. “Ha, ha! Now there’s a smart man.”

Responsibility? Juliana thought. What is he talking about? “What do you mean by that, Lucian?”

Lucian sat up straight in his chair and scratched his head. “Well, Dyne is right about those boys. They’re orphans, and they don’t actually do any work.”

“Which is why he never should have agreed to pay them in the first place,” Radi said.

“No, that’s not right, Radi,” Lucian answered. “They never actually expected Dyne pay them anything worthwhile. They were just going to take his money and check the wagon for food and valubles before running away. But . . .”

“But what?” Juliana asked.

“Well, Dyne made them feel guilty. He took them seriously and actually offered enough money to make it worth their time. More money than they ever expected he would. So now they feel like they have to earn it even though they’ve never worked before. In a way, Dyne actually blackmailed them instead.”

Dyne clapped as Lucian finished his explanation. “That’s right, Lucian. Sometimes you have to help people help themselves,” he said. “You’ll find children just like those boys all over this city. Neglected, abandoned, forgotten; they’re all just trying to get by like anyone else. But they don’t have the opportunities others have. The world gave up on them from the beginning, so they gave up on the world right back.” He looked outside at the children. “They may not know it yet, but their only chance to make it is to work ten times harder than everyone else. So I just gave them a little nudge in the right direction.”

“I . . . I never thought of it like that before,” Juliana said. Oh Goddess, how terrible. Here I am after this long journey, coming all this way from home because I want to reach out to others, to help them. And the first thing I do is dismiss a group of needy children standing right in front of me! I labeled them as thieves because of the money involved, but they only steal because they’re victims of this world. Just like so many others. How could I have been blind to what Lucian and Grandpa saw so clearly?

“Well now you can, Julie.”

“Yes, you’re right Grandpa. People won’t always ask for help. They may not even realize that they. . .” she trailed off as the bartender approached.

“Sorry for the wait,” the elderly man said. “Today we’re serving duck, mutton, por--”

“I’d like an order of your famous mixed stew,” Dyne interrupted, “with an extra cut of beef for the road.”

“Mixed stew? No one’s ordered that since… wait.”

Dyne sprang from his seat and shook the bartender’s hand. “Ha! It’s good to see you again Zaine! You didn’t forget me did you?” He covered his beard and turned his cheek as he smiled at the bartender.

“No, is that… Dyne? Is that really you?”

“Indeed it is my old friend, alive and in the flesh.”

The bartender embraced Dyne and erupted into joyous laughter. “Dyne Remker, you old dog! Where you been holding up all this time? I honestly never thought you’d come back. Oh man, it’s been ages! What brought you back? Who are these young folks with you?”

“Two of them are my grandchildren.”

“Grandchildren?” Zaine asked bewilderedly. “That doesn’t sound anything like the Dyne I remember!”

“Can we skip the catching up until after breakfast, Zaine?”

“Ha! Still always business first I see! Perhaps you haven’t changed after all. Alright, what’ll it be for everyone? Consider it already paid for!”

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Juliana shuffled the silver coins in her hand as she crossed the road. Who knows how much longer Grandpa will keep talking. It’s not fair for those boys to have to wait past noon.

The children sat in a circle in the shadow cast by the wagon, seeking relief from the mid-day sun. Their laughter turned to silence as Juliana approached, and they stood and stepped away from the wagon when she arrived.

“Thanks for your help, everyone,” she said. “It’s going to be a little while longer. So here.” She handed the remaining silver over to Elliot.

Each boy smiled and received his share from the leader. One by one they ran off into a nearby alley until only Elliot remained, who stared at the three silver coins resting on his palm.

“Thank you, Elliot,” Juliana said.

“Oh, uh, you’re welcome,” he answered.

“You’re free to go now.”

The boy looked up at her briefly before placing the money in his pocket and sitting down again beside the wagon.

“I’ll stay here,” Juliana said. “You can go, Elliot.”

“Sorry,” he said. “That wasn’t the deal, lady. I’m staying here until Mister Dyne comes back. He’s counting on me to watch his horses.”