Snippet #1967142

As the living sea flowed and churned through the fairgrounds, one stall keeper kept to himself in a serene silence. He was a lean muscular man clad in a reinforced leather tunic and leggings. Thick leather boots protected his feet, which were propped up on a rock. The man sat silently in a chair as he casually smoked a wooden pipe held by a large burly hand. A thick dark beard covered most of his weather-worn face, while coal black hair cascaded down his jaw line. Dark brown eyes stared into oblivion, lost in thought. With his other hand, the man fondled a large Bowie knife that rested on his lap. Beside him leaning against the chair he sat in was a sheathed sword, a composite bow, and a quiver full of arrows. At his feet slept an enormous canine with fur black as night.

Surrounding the man were several racks filled with various animal skins. The empty eye sockets of foxes, deer, raccoons, wolves, and mountain lions stared at the passing crowds. Racks of smoked meats also surrounded him, intoxicating the air with their scent. Several jars filled with various herbs, dried leaves, roots, and dried fruits encircled him, along with a small sack of coins.

As he sat staring at the flowing sea of the crowds, the smells and sounds of the fair began to caress his senses. The dull roar of the crowd was like the sound of a distant storm about to release its burden onto the thirsty canopy below. Fresh mead and mutton cooked over an open fire. The scents filled his nostrils… Smoke. Flames. Burning flesh. A child screaming.

Anna…