Lamedon Square Market

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Well, Fea thought, that was no surprise.

"Erchan!" she called behind her into the shop. Her tables were spread before her business, making it easy enough to restock if she needed. Of course she could have sold breads from inside, and the folk of the Lower Circle would still come for it, but it simply was not the same as good human interaction. And besides, this way she knew what was happening here and there and just about everywhere.

The boy emerged with a bang, tripping over the doorway, wiping his hands on his breeches. "Yes'm?"

"Boy," she propped a fist on a hip. "Have you been sampling again?"

"No'm." His fingers looked sticky.

She raised an eyebrow. "Captain Formy, if you would be so kind as to watch my things for a moment, I need a word with my boy inside."

"Abuse him only gently," Form winked.

Fea took her shop boy aside and inspected him head to toe. His mother had died in childbirth, poor dear, and while his father was a good type, he let the boy leave the house with messed hair and grubby ears. "You will need to comb your hair if you want to help sell today. I will only have you out with me if you look presentable."

"But ma'am," he whined. "My hair just gets all bothered again anyway."

She cocked her head and he looked down meekly.

"I've a task for you, boy."

His eyes lit.

"Old Bertie needs his daily roll and he won't be coming for it if he sees the good Captain. Bring him a roll. He is off in the shadows by old Garn's spot. And you get the coin before he gets the roll, do you hear me?"

"Yes'm."

Fea shook her head and wiped her hands on her floury apron as she walked back out, her boots rap tapping on the cobble stones. As she neatened her rows and stacks of breads, she made casual conversation with the Captain, but her eyes were on the receding back of the boy as he headed across the square, out of the sight of Form, roll in hand.

[Boromir88]

A small boy saw the door to The Risen Loaf open and his face immediately brightened. It was the new harvest, and he loved the Lamedon market, particularly the bakery owned by Mistress Fea. He hurried to the entrance but stopped and laughed at the door propped open. He remembered first coming to The Risen Loaf two years ago, and whenever Mistress Fea got tired of him and Erchan messing around, she would put one fist on her hip, point her finger and say, "Lenny! Erchan has enough work to do, without you nipping at his heels. Since you clearly want something to do, I'm trusting you with a very important duty. Can I?"

Lendir could not imagine what this very important duty was, but he wanted to know and he wanted the kind misses to trust him. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. You will be my doorwarden." Doorwarden? What was that, it sounded official. "I want you to hang around outside the shop. You are to welcome and hold the door open for customers. But, this is the most important part, I do not like trouble makers coming into my bakery. If you run into any trouble makers you are to come tell me immediately or go get Captain Formy. Can I trust you?"

Lenny had trouble containing his excitement. Mistress Fea's doorwarden and he did not want to disappoint. "Yes Ma'am!" he saluted and stiffened his shoulders "I'll be the best doorwoordin you can have!"

Lenhir smiled with that memory. Now he understood Miss Fea just wanted him out of the way, but he didn't mind. She was a very busy misses and could not be expected to watch over a boy who was not hers to watch. He thought he was a great doorwarden, the best. And after he proved himself to Miss Fea, she sometimes asked if he could mix or knead dough for her. Helping Miss Fea make her assortment of rolls, breads, pies, and baked good was Lenhir's favorite. Although he was definitely not allowed near the fire-oven. No way. That was off limits and he would get in trouble if Miss Fea caught him.

He raced through the door-way and nearly knocked into Captain Formendur. "Oh, sorry, Captain Formy Sir!" (Lenhir always called him Captain Formy Sir, because even if he was not a mean person, Lenny was still frightened to cross the Captain. He was someone Lenny guessed you wanted on your side and not against you).

"Hey there! Watch where you're going, Lenny. I know I blend in well, but I am not a hard person to miss!."

"Yes, Captain Formy Sir. I will." Lenny spotted Mistress Fea and went up to her.

"Is Erchan here, Miss Fea?" he asked.

"He is, but I sent him away to make a delivery. What can I get for you today, Lenny?"

"Oh nothing, today, I just have wonderful news and I wanted to tell Erchan, and you!"

Miss Fea was still working but let Lenny know she was listening and waiting for the news.

"Ma says I'm going to be a big brother! Can you believe it!!!?"

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

"Well that's quite exciting. And will you be as good a brother as you are a helper to me?"

Lendir nodded seriously.

"I think, then, that this is deserving of a special treat to celebrate." Having finished putting her breads in order, she leaned heavily against the table, making quite a show of thinking deeply. "I could have you... no, that would not work. Oh! I could always allow you to... ah, but that would never do."

She bit back a smile as Lendir fidgeted, too well trained to interrupt, but obviously dying of anticipation.

"Ah," she said, "I've thought of just the thing. It is a very important job. Far more important than doorwarden."

The boy's eyes grew huge.

"There are twenty pans," she said, "of hot cross buns, just come out of the ovens. They've cooled enough now for their frosting, which is already inside a pastry bag."

She thought his jaw might well detach and fall off, it hung so low.

"People will arrive any time now, Lendir, and my buns need to be crossed just right with their frosting. I cannot do it, because I have to watch my wares. Can I trust you, boy, to cross every bun just right, and when you finish, bring them out here?"

[Envinyatar]

Bertie growled as he felt a tug at the back of his coat and clumped about, ready to thump whoever had snuck up on him with his crutch. ‘What, boy?!’ he said low, holding his finger to his lips. ‘Erchan, ain’t it?’ He twisted to peek out from behind the tree. ‘Quiet now, don’t want the cap’n get wind of our business, do we?’ He focused his one good eye on the roll the boy now offered.

‘Bless that good missus as sent it!’ he went on, reaching out for it. Just as quickly, the boy put out his other hand cupped open and barring the way to the roll.

‘Old Bertie’s got it. Don’t you worry!’ He fished a copper jot from the recesses of his pocket and laid it in the boy’s hand. Transaction done, the roll slid into the same pocket to be savored with his soon to be gotten morning drink.

[piosenniel]

‘I’ve got them, Posy. Last ones.’ Derry shifted the small violet filled basket from under his arm and set it down next to the girl. ‘Granny Henwyn let me have them for setting up her stall and sorting out the flowers and herbs.’

Posy buried her nose in the basket taking in the light, sweet scent of the violets. ‘Perfect!’ she said smiling up at Derry. ‘And I’ve a little bit of baby’s-breath left from yesterday to fit in among the posies.’ She gathered a few violets and a little stalk of babies-breath together and wrapped a bit of green thread about their stems to hold them together. ‘Makes ‘em a bit prettier, don’t you think?’

Derry had no opinion on the ‘prettiness’ of the little nosegay, but he knew if Posy thought it so, then there would be those wanting such a thing and that meant coins coming in to buy food. There were eleven of them now, what with the new boy just off one of the ships, and that meant more bread would be needed as well as cheese. There was still a half crate of wizened apples he and one of the other boys had ‘found’ near the backdoor of a tavern. And milk would be nice, at least for the littler ones.

‘I’ll take the twins with me today,’ Posy went on. ‘The ladies think they’re quite adorable and will buy a posy from them. And the gentlemen will buy when I tell them how our mother is sick-a-bed, our father dead and I’ve got to sell enough to get her medicine.’ She put on her sad and worried face and looked hopefully in Derry’s direction, showing him her sad-tale face.

In only a short time, the posies were done and arranged in a flat basket on a bed of moistened moss. ‘Come, Garan and Goran. Let’s catch the early crowd at the market if we can.’ She tousled the yellow curls of each of the boys into place, and wiped a smudge of dirt from Garan’s cheek with a lick of her finger. The elfin seven year olds grinned and made for the door, running circles all about her as they made their way toward the market.