Caspian Meets Farmer
The brisk scent of pine wafted through the valley. Caspian was enjoying their day. The ride would be long, but his beloved steed made it easy enough. As they reached a fork in the road, he saw a family traveling. The man was leading a horse, and a vegetable cart. Two children were walking beside him, and in the very rear of the cart was a woman holding a sleeping toddler. Caspian didn't think too often about peasants who had to walk to get their goods to the market. Honestly, he didn't think that often about anyone or anything that didn't directly affect him. Caspian thought to himself that this was something about himself that he needed to change.
Shadiel waved at the family and smiled. Caspian was surprised when she dismounted her horse. He promptly signaled his party to stop when she did so. The farmer also stopped his cart, curious about who these nobles might be, and what they would need from him.
Shadiel opened her saddlebag and found a cacophony of items. Among them were: an old pair of shoes, a bag of bread, and a piece of a wheel of cheese. She approached the woman, and smiled, "Greetings. I'm Shadiel. I have some bread, and this wonderfully fine goat cheese for you and your husband. The cheese was presented to me at the castle. It is imported from Amalette." She placed the shoes next to the woman, thinking that even if she did not need them she could sell them in town too.
The woman grinned widely and took the cheese and small bag, "Oh, much obliged, your Ladyship. I've not had good bread or cheese for days. Please take a mixed vegetable bag that I've made for the market stand. These bags have all of my favorites in them. T'would be wonderful over a campfire."
Shadiel rose her eyebrows, as she took the bag of vegetables, and then looked over at Caspian, "It has all her favorites, Your Highness. At that the woman looked surprised, and embarrassed. She began to make a motion to get off the cart, presumably to bow to the Prince. Her husband also walked closer, to help her off the cart, so that they could bow together.
"Oh, no, no. No need to move yourselves on my account. I wouldn't hear of it." He dismounted and approached Shadiel, " . . . and we wouldn't want to wake your sleeping babe there, either." Half of Caspian's guards also dismounted when he did so, staying vigilant. Caspian tried not to roll his eyes.
The woman smiled, "Jah bless you, Your Highness." She sat quietly now, unsure what to do in the presence of royalty. Caspian motioned to a guard, who then took the bag of vegetables from Shadiel.
Caspian spoke to the guard, "Perhaps our group could use more vegetables in our stocks?" Caspian pulled his purse strings, and produced a few gold coins, and some pence with them. He looked at the farmer, who had stood silently thus far, "Would this buy us some camping vegetables?"
The man smiled, and then laughed at his good fortune. His wife exclaimed, "Oh! Jah bless you, Your Highness! Ye can take all the veg ye can carry." Caspian laughed, "Well, 'tis the problem. Isn't it? We can't carry that much, but a few bags would suit us for the rest of the trip."
The farmer grabbed a few of the pre-mixed bags and gave them to the guards standing nearest him, "Take these my Prince. There's onions, potatoes, peppers, an' carrots. When he was done, Caspian dropped the coins into the farmers open hand. "Captain, you the cook tonight?"
Captain Fox replied, "These will make a mighty feast tonight!"
Shadiel waved at the family and smiled. Caspian was surprised when she dismounted her horse. He promptly signaled his party to stop when she did so. The farmer also stopped his cart, curious about who these nobles might be, and what they would need from him.
Shadiel opened her saddlebag and found a cacophony of items. Among them were: an old pair of shoes, a bag of bread, and a piece of a wheel of cheese. She approached the woman, and smiled, "Greetings. I'm Shadiel. I have some bread, and this wonderfully fine goat cheese for you and your husband. The cheese was presented to me at the castle. It is imported from Amalette." She placed the shoes next to the woman, thinking that even if she did not need them she could sell them in town too.
The woman grinned widely and took the cheese and small bag, "Oh, much obliged, your Ladyship. I've not had good bread or cheese for days. Please take a mixed vegetable bag that I've made for the market stand. These bags have all of my favorites in them. T'would be wonderful over a campfire."
Shadiel rose her eyebrows, as she took the bag of vegetables, and then looked over at Caspian, "It has all her favorites, Your Highness. At that the woman looked surprised, and embarrassed. She began to make a motion to get off the cart, presumably to bow to the Prince. Her husband also walked closer, to help her off the cart, so that they could bow together.
"Oh, no, no. No need to move yourselves on my account. I wouldn't hear of it." He dismounted and approached Shadiel, " . . . and we wouldn't want to wake your sleeping babe there, either." Half of Caspian's guards also dismounted when he did so, staying vigilant. Caspian tried not to roll his eyes.
The woman smiled, "Jah bless you, Your Highness." She sat quietly now, unsure what to do in the presence of royalty. Caspian motioned to a guard, who then took the bag of vegetables from Shadiel.
Caspian spoke to the guard, "Perhaps our group could use more vegetables in our stocks?" Caspian pulled his purse strings, and produced a few gold coins, and some pence with them. He looked at the farmer, who had stood silently thus far, "Would this buy us some camping vegetables?"
The man smiled, and then laughed at his good fortune. His wife exclaimed, "Oh! Jah bless you, Your Highness! Ye can take all the veg ye can carry." Caspian laughed, "Well, 'tis the problem. Isn't it? We can't carry that much, but a few bags would suit us for the rest of the trip."
The farmer grabbed a few of the pre-mixed bags and gave them to the guards standing nearest him, "Take these my Prince. There's onions, potatoes, peppers, an' carrots. When he was done, Caspian dropped the coins into the farmers open hand. "Captain, you the cook tonight?"
Captain Fox replied, "These will make a mighty feast tonight!"
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