Chapter 2 - Slightly Squishy Strangers

It all happened in the flash of a moment, the ticking of a clock.

What is a clock, really?

It tells time, yet time itself is such a meaningless word.

But does it help to explain what has happened?

Saffron was suddenly struck with paralyzing grief, immobilizing fear.

These feelings caught her rather off guard, they are not usually in her repertoire of expressed emotions.

It had been two years since she last felt this way. Two long years spent searching for a sign.

This was it.

Saffron came back to her senses with a jolt. But it was too late, the boy was gone and she hadn’t caught which direction he had sped off in.

She climbed up the drain pipe of the cobbler shop she had found herself next to. From the roof she could see around the town square and some of the surrounding streets. She strained her eyes against the light of the sun which still hung low in the sky.

It was no use, she could not pick him out of the now bustling crowd that had formed in the square.

She sat down for a moment, and then decided that it was no use fretting over the lost boy. She was certain it was in the stars that they should meet, and therefore their paths would cross again soon.

She could see Fenwick bouncing about in front of the shop, begging her to come back down.

“Yes, I am rather hungry too, Fenwick. What do you say to a warm meal at the inn with our newly earned cash?”

She leapt down from the building into the ally way without bothering to check if there was anything… or anyone beneath her.

She landed on top of something slightly squishy… Something squishy with a voice… The voice spoke…

“Would you mind getting off of me?”

The voice was calm, but Saffron could detect it was slightly peeved.

“Oh my gosh! I suppose I should have looked before I leapt!” Saffron said as she stood up, lending her hand to help this slightly squashed stranger. “I’m so sorry, are you alright?”

“I am fine.” The owner of the voice spoke as she declined Saffron’s outstretched hand and stood up on her own. She brushed herself off and started to walk away.

“Oh wait! You can not just leave! I believe my actions have lead to me owing you a refreshment of some sort.” Saffron smiled brightly. “ Fenwick and I were just about to head off to the inn anyway, would you care to join us?”

“I do not care to join you, I have urgent business to attend to and must be leaving now.” The woman was strangely cold. This alarmed Saffron, but she tried not to show it.

“Well then I do apologize for consuming your time in such a frivolous manner, and I do hope your day is ultimately more pleasant for you than this morning has made it appear to be.” Saffron added, “and thank you for offering your services to me as a pillow, you should perhaps look into it as a career, as you are amazingly talented at breaking falls.”

Saffron’s last attempt to be playful was lost on the woman, who turned and walked away without a word.

Saffron had never met anyone like this before, so completely and totally devoid of happiness and emotion…

What a terribly strange morning…

Saffron jolted again.

She looked down.

“Fenwick my good lad! What say you, shall we be off for a Sheppard’s Pie at the inn? I have heard tell they have the best in all the land, although... I’m quite sure I’ve heard that claim made by many an inn....”

Fenwick’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“You are correct sir! We can only know for sure if we go forth and discover the truth for ourselves! We must continue our quest across the perilous town square. Only then do we earn the chance to conquer our most fearsome enemy yet… HUNGER!”

Saffron snatched Fenwick up in her arms and they jaunted off together towards the inn across the square.

Saffron was passing a rather large man leaving the inn, and she couldn’t help but notice…

“My that is quite a fearsome looking bear pelt you have there, I’m rather sure I’ve only seen an animal of quite that caliber of majesty once before, when I was traveling in the mountains as a girl…”

“The Starry Mountains.” The man replied.

“Yes, I do believe that sounds familiar. Say, you seem like a rather fascinating fellow and if you are not in too much of a hurry I was turned down by someone this morning and I had quite assigned myself to dining with company. Would you care to join me at the inn? I’d love to buy you a beer and listen to any tales you have to share.”

The mention of a free beer seemed to entice the man, who nodded in agreement. Saffron was excited about the prospect of hearing about the Starry Mountains again, she remembered it as being quite a beautiful place.

And with that the three walked into the inn and Saffron ordered the inn’s “world famous” pie and a round of drinks. Today was looking like yet another beautiful day.