Jenny: Hands Full

With Wulf's and Firefly's bulk, the Guttersnipe was swept through the crowd toward the auction block. As the people parted, she caught glimpse of Mordred lunging to his feet - blows never kept him down long, and he took am almost masochistic delight in being hurt. The boy swung round, saw Wulf bearing down on him, and darted into the crowd to be lost.

The girl, when she looked back, had darkened with rage, and one cheek was turning pink from the slap her master had given it. She could hardly blame the girl. She had chased Mordred into the upland pastures the first time they had met when he had nearly peeking into her bathing tent. And then she thought maybe it would be better if Wulf did not buy the girl, but before she could tell Wulf her thoughts, the crowd was being put back in order, and one of the gentlemen was approaching her, murmuring apologetically, "Child, we can't have ponies about the auction, people will get hurt..."

"Yes, of course." She gathered up the reins and plunged back out of the press. She had business to do, and she could leave Wulf to take care of his own duties while she took care of her own. She left the square for the felter's shop and dismounted under the battered sign. In the small community, no one would think to take the mealy-coated Firefly, so she left the mare by two other mounts at the whitesmith's and went into the felter's.

The whole place smelled strongly of vinegar, so much that it made her eyes smart. Through the blur she could see the owner busily running a razor down bolts of grey felt, but it took her a moment to be able to speak. When she had swallowed down the coughing fit and had told him her order for Master Lucius, he nodded and set aside his knife. Cloth enough to make blankets for twelve horses, she ordered, baled up for pony-back. It would be a long walk home.

The felter's boy helped her strap everything down on Firefly's back and, having paid, she made her way down to the square again.