As the Wheel Turns

Soft winds blew as the morning sun rose over the fields of wheat rolling through the countryside. Autumn’s chill was in those winds as a covered cart went down the road towards the next town. The wooden wheels creaked as they turned, moving along the dirt road. Hooves of a caramel-colored horse pulled the covered cart along. A yawn escaped from the driver sitting on the bench of the cart before she covered her mouth.

With another yawn, she reached over to take the lanterns down to save the oil. Traveling all night could take its toll but she didn’t want to miss the harvest festival. She knew she would sell most of the sugar she brought from the large city with other goods. They would be bought up quickly by the town for this harvest festival.

In the distance, her sapphire eyes saw the outline of the town of Marclesfield bathed in the morning light. A weary smile crossed her lips. She glanced over the golden fields of wheat around her. It would be a few more hours before she would be at the little inn to sleep and rest. She really needed to gain some magical energy to shake off how weary she was to sell the goods that were in her cart.

Reaching back she grabbed a bundle of travel rations and a small copper cup full of water from her large water jug. “I really need to get an actual wagon and not this cart… then I could not worry about sleeping on the road… or have to pay for an inn room.” She mumbled to herself opening the bundle to show dried meat and cheese. Soon she sighed looking at the food. “At least an inn has hot food and warm beds.”

Time passed as she ate the travel rations, gently guiding the horse down the road toward the town. She passed the old rustic-looking barn that would hold most of the festivities the next evening. The town was there decorating it for the Fest of the Seasons. These gatherings had different names everywhere she went; Day of Autumn, Dance of Magic, Hallow’s Eve, and more. It was always held on the night of the harvest moon with so many things to do inside the barn.

A smile danced on her lips excited for the dancing, music, and food. Travelers would be coming as early as that evening for the festivities. Finishing the food, she took up the reins and got the horse into more of a trot down the road. Her motivation was that magical energy she needed to shake off the weary feeling. The quicker she made it to Marclesfield, the sooner she could get an inn room and sell the wares.

As the sun continued to rise in the sky it felt like time even as the horse slowed down to enter the gate into the town. She reached her destination, The Windy Stone Inn. Climbing down, she walked in and received a smile from the old owner. “Einin! It’s been a while!” he exclaimed happily.

The young woman smiled as she responded. “Yes, it has Henry! I need…”

“The standard Einin?” the graying man said with a little laughter as he cut her off. With a chuckle of her own, Einin nodded. “Yes sir!”

Henry chuckled some more, “I’ll have one of them lasses get that set up. Go do ye merchant witchery. I’ll see ye back ere at dusk.”

“It’s called having a silver tongue. Not witchery,” she said with a loud laugh. Einin went back outside to gather her goods.

The rest of the day Einin went from shop to shop selling her goods. Baker Gin bought most of the sugar, which filled her coin purse. With some of that profit, she purchased some fresh food from him for the day. It was always her favorite stop in Marclesfield other than The Windy Stone Inn.

Seamstress Ella bought the fabric and took some of Einin's damaged clothes to repair as part of the bargain. With each shop, her purse became fuller and fuller. It was well after nightfall when she headed back towards the inn.

The Windy Stone Inn was full of laughter and songs by traveling bards and musicians coming for the next evening's festival. Einin spent dinner in the kitchen talking with the owner, his wife, and workers. After a wonderful meal, she walked into her room with a large yawn and a mug of ale. Einin knew she would sleep till almost noon or possibly dusk the next day. She finished her ale, took off her bodice, and collapsed onto the bed.

Slowly, sapphire eyes opened to the afternoon sun glaring through the curtains at her. Grumbling, she pushed herself to sit up and stretched before standing up to walk to her bag. Grabbing her soaps and clothes to wear to the Fest of the Seasons, Einin walked out and down to the Inn's baths. There she would spend her time washing and cleansing herself for the night, a ritual she grew up with for special celebrations from her home country.

The evening was upon them as she walked the streets with the other girls from the Inn. They were linked arm in arm down as they walked down to that old barn that was decorated for the festival. The lights strung up around the field looked like fireflies as the music poured out of the barn. It all made her smile as she watched the people dancing.

Breaking their line Einin laughed as she ran towards the barn. The other girls laughed and joined in. Nodding to some of the shopkeepers from the town, she walked into the barn. The lanterns were magical as the lights danced, as she glanced around looking for the food table. Spotting it, she briskly walked over to it.

“Einin!” a voice called making her turn with a sweet bun in her mouth. Searching, she saw an arm wave at her before a young woman ran towards her squealing.

“Rin?!” she said loudly before being hugged by the other woman.

“You made it! You missed last year,” Rin said, letting go of Einin and smiling at her.

“It was kind of hard being stuck two weeks away because of the GrayCloaks looking for unlicensed magic users. They thought the Ivory Ward merchant guild was hiding them.” Einin said with a sigh. “We were locked up in our rooms there as they ransacked and destroyed most of the stock we had!”

A frown crossed the other woman's face as she shook her head. “I hate the GreyCloaks! They cause more damage than they do to help.” She huffed before shaking her head again. “But you’re here now! So let's enjoy tonight!” Einin grinned at Rin’s words, nodding before stuffing her face with more food making the other woman laugh.

Music filled the barn as Einin joined in the dancing as dusk became night. Slivers of the burnt orange harvest moon showed through the old wooden roof as it climbed the dark sky. The music slowly faded as the mayor came onto the small stage at the back of the barn. “Thank you all for coming! It has been a great year for Marclesfield! Our harvest is bountiful thanks to Uslios and Civa! Zetia climbs the sky now to light our night as we celebrate this Fest of the Seasons!”

The barn filled with cheers from everyone there. With a grin on his pudgy face, the mayor moved his hands to quiet down the crowd. “When Zetia is at her peak in the sky we shall run out into the wheat fields to find Civa's hidden gift. For now! We shall make Thydis proud!” Raised his hands and the music started up again so everyone went back to dancing.

Einin danced the night away as the lanterns started to dim. The moon was starting to hang at its peak. The crowd of people moved out of the barn to the empty field around it. Murmurs started to settle down as the mayor yet again climbed up high for all to see. “Zetia is at her peak giving us her blessing to find Civa’s treasure of good luck from this harvest of hers. May you find their favor in the wheat!” The crowd cheered again as Rin grabbed Einin’s arm to stay close. Einin smiled as the Mayor lowered his arm signaling everyone to run out into the wheat fields.

Holding up her skirts, Einin squealed with Rin as they dashed with everyone else out into golden fields. Soon they split up looking for Civa’s treasure, that one stalk of wheat that was actually golden. Finding it would mean good luck or so they say. Einin kept running farther out into the fields knowing that most would stop closer to the firefly-lit barn as they looked.

The large harvest moon in the sky was all that lit the field around her as she was looking, and a few others were far enough out to only have its light to guide them. Pausing, she started to search the stalks of wheat for that golden one. It would take hours for someone to find it because the gods were tricky. Gently she touched each one she came across before moving on to the next. She carefully stepped so as not to cause harm to the field around her.

Einin didn’t know how long she was looking through her part of the field till she heard a cheer from someone far away. Looking up, she noticed someone waving a golden stalk of wheat. A frown was on her lips as everyone started to make their way back to the barn. They were cheering and holding up the person who found Civa’s treasure. “Seems, Sodos is against me tonight.” She mumbled as she started back to the group. “Not a stroke of good luck this year.”

Carefully Einin walked back through the field to the gathering at the old barn. Sapphire eyes watched as they started the celebrations back up and music drifted into the night again. Soon an autumn breeze stirred through the night giving her a shiver before making her brush auburn hair from her face. Stopping, she turned to look back up at the moon before a figure in the distance caught her eye. Long white hair moved in with the breeze as they watched her and the others of the town celebrate. Yet she stopped and wondered a bit herself who this person was. She blinked and just like that, the person was gone.

Blinking some more to herself in wonder and some curiosity, Einin picked up her skirts again. Running back this time to be greeted by a hug from Rin. “We’ll have better luck next time!” She said with a laugh. “Maybe Sodos will grant us better luck next year. Now let’s drink and be merry!” Nodding, the two walked back into the barn. Einin glanced back once more, seeing that figure again in the distance before she entered the barn fully.