The next day, Alaban came down the stairs with a cough, and complained that the house wasn't warm enough. Then he told Keenin to get everything together since they were going out to sell.

This time, Keenin didn't see his friends. He saw the girl from the day before. She was wearing the same blue dress and had a red ribbon in her hair, but she didn't notice him as she ran up the street with a book in her hands.

"That girl is from the library," Alaban explained, "She must be collecting the books for her mother."

"Wha-" Keenin started to ask, then thought he shouldn't.

Alaban was looking at him.

"You can tell me what you're thinking, boy."

"What's her name?" he asked.

"Ah. That would be Tess. You shouldn't follower her though. She doesn't need your jealous friends bothering her."

Keenin had not thought about that. Days of peaceful work were making him forget. Was that bad?

"Don't take what I say badly. I just know all too well how horrible people can be."

"What?" Keenin questioned. "All you do is sit at this stall all day. Everyone loves your products."

Alaban laughed.

"Shopkeepers have problems too," he said, "but the real reason I can say that is because I fought evil once. Before all of this, I used to be a warrior. I helped end the war with giants at Rummy Plains eighteen years ago. When I came home I had to throw out the minor lord that was taking advantage of the undefended people of this village, but people today don't care. They prefer to forget."

Keenin looked at the town anew, but he couldn't imagine it belonging to any lord.

"How long has it been since someone came by?" Alaban asked, squinting up at the mid-morning sun.

Keenin left his thoughts, looked around, and found his answer.

"About a half hour," he replied.

Alaban watched him.

"How do you figure that?"

Keenin pointed at a line of shadow created by the wooden stall.

"By how much that's moved," he said.

"Ah. You're a smart kid. Alright." Alaban stood and lifted his potion box. "Pack it up."

"What about the customers?"

"They know where I live. Come, I want to show you something."

Keenin poured his partially crushed seeds into a jar, packed away the herbs, and stood ready with his tools. Alaban smiled and led the way. There wasn't a single place Keenin didn't know and he was curious as to where they were going. Perhaps to a bar. Dola's clothing shop was nearby. When he noticed that they were not stopping at the buildings but going to the very edge of town where the tree line started, he became confused. Then he had an idea.

"Are you teaching me how to gather?" he asked.

"Not quite," Alaban said, "Good idea though. I might have you go with Emily one day to see where she gets the plants. We're here for this oak."

Keenin looked at the large tree they had come to. It was the biggest one that he could see.

"Is it a special plant?"

Alaban bent down. He touched a tuft of red fluffy grass that was growing near the trunk.

"This is a Yan plant. It prevents bleeding, and this is where you dig."

"You want me to dig?"

"Not now," Alaban said straightening, "This is where I hid my self-scribed map. It's the only sort of map that will sense where you want to go and lead you there. Of course, if you don't use it, it's worth about ten thousand gold in the cities. More than enough to sustain yourself for some years."

Ten thousand. Could anyone use all that money?

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I thought it would be a shame to leave it behind. If you ever get the urge to leave, it's yours."

"Sir, you hardly know me."

"Heh. An old man like me has no need for maps," Alaban said. "Now let us leave before we cause suspicion."

Keenin would have spent more time trying to understand why Alaban would do this for him, but the cold gathering on his skin from the drooping sun distracted him. He shivered involuntarily.

"We'll be back soon," Alaban said. "Oh..."

Keenin looked up from his cold fingers. The wooden stall they used was covered in egg.

"Aw, those shitheads!" Keenin riled.

"Now, now," Alaban said calming him, "I'm more concerned about where they stole the eggs."

Of course, Keenin had known this might happen, but still...

"Aaah, I'll clean it up. You go home," Keenin said marching to the stall.

"There are rags under the counter. I'll get you some water," Alaban said and he went to a pump on a nearby front lawn.

Alaban took the bucket beside the pump and started to fill it up while Keenin scrubbed vigorously with his dry cloth. The water was brought and the rag was rinsed out. Alaban watched knowing there was nothing more he could do to cool Keenin's anger.

"I think I'll go ask Tabitha what today's dinner is," Alaban said. "If you see those thieves, you come right back."

Keenin mumbled something as he worked.

"I need you to promise," Alaban said seriously. "I don't want you hurt."

"Yes. Alright," Keenin said.

Alaban left Keenin in peace. Shortly after, Keenin slowed and stopped. He had known that they would be close by. Now he turned and saw Keln, the oldest and leader of the thieves, leaning against the outside wall of a house. Keln had come to watch Keenin clean the raw egg from the wooden stall, something that the leader had set up as Keenin's punishment. Squatting in the dirt behind him was Lester, the one person Keenin did need to apologize to. He looked rightfully disappointed.

"What do you want?" Keenin called out to Keln, not caring who overheard.

Keln moved off the wall and walked to the center of the road.

"We've discussed your recent behavior and decided it's only fair that you pay a fee to compensate for your absence doing whatever you are doing here. Unless, you forgot to tell us you were leaving."

Keenin had been expecting this. He had promised to contribute to the group when he joined.

"I'm paying off a debt," Keenin said. "What do you expect me to get from an old man spending his money on plants?"

He knew Keln would try to take until there was nothing left. He was a businessman.

"Heh," Keln laughed. "Maybe you're right. Asking for a cut of your profits is wishful considering that you'll end up back with us soon enough."

"How much then?" Keenin asked.

"Thirty gold," Keln said. "You can feel free to pay in weekly instalments unless you want our group to break down your little stall. I'm sure that old man has some savings stashed away."

"What part of me paying back the old man didn't make sense," Keenin said.

"Then steal it from someone else. Just get me a cut by the end of the week."

That said, Keln simply left. Lester remained.

"So," Lester said. "Is this a new form of public humiliation. You sure look dumb."

"I'm sorry," Keenin said. "I got caught and he was threatening to tie me up in the town square."

"Geez. That's why I said we go together," Lester scolded. "How much longer are you here for?"

"Till I replace one of the potions, but I still don't know how to make any."

Lester moved forward to take the cloth from Keenin and help scrub the egg.

"Sounds like you don't have a choice. Give the old guy this potion as soon as you can," Lester advised. "And skim his profits to pay your fee. I'll try to earn some extra on my side. Then no more stealing from old fighters."

Lester dropped the dirty rag into the bucket, the stall now as clean as before.

"Thanks," Keenin said.

 

 

 

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