Pepper trade

Sunbeams caressed the land. They filtered their light between the trees and undergrowth. Beautiful spots danced over the village. The first birds began their song. The murmur of the nearby river just barely drowned them out. Just outside the cottage you could hear a soft sniff that stopped for a moment when it heard a rustling movement and then left with hurried steps. While the village was still waking up, a wiry woman tucked her legs into her trouser legs. She did it as fast as possible, quickly tying up the loose side. She was actually too late. Usually, Atlatonan was always an early riser, waking when the sky was still covered in a dark star-speckled carpet. Now the sun was creeping up on the horizon. It just barely reached the open window. She would have to travel to Al-Qahil during the day. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she put on the big hat and closed the last buttons of her blouse.

Once she was strolling through the village on her way to the stables, several people approached her. She would go to the city with a lot of silk to barter with expensive spices. Especially pepper was very popular at this time. Atla tried to avoid the eyes and the questions since they all sounded equally hungry. She was the messenger who could satisfy their hunger for expensive things. With a quick wave of her hand she hurried on. Her cargo was already waiting for her at the stables. Two large bags with neatly folded silk. Red and gold were the most common, but dark blue and purple were also a popular color. She nodded to the groomsman and moved on to one of the back stables.

"Good morning girl", she said as she stroked the black mane. She kissed her horse on the nose and took the halter from the wooden wall. Atla slipped it over the brown ears and attached the reins. Goat blew softly in her face that made the woman giggle. "Come on, let's go." She led the brown steed to the entrance where the two bags were. The groom handed her the saddle. After putting it on Goat she hoisted the bags over the saddle on either side of the horse. With a nudge from the boy, she swung her leg over it. "See you tomorrow Atla!", the servant waved her goodbye. She waved back, gave Goat a quick nudge and headed off to The Infernal Wilds.


It was almost nightfall when Atlatonan reached the city. Sweat dripped from her back. Goat's brown fur was also almost unrecognizably black. They sighed almost simultaneously when a large white building gave them cool shade to walk in. Here in Al-Qahil stood a gentle spring breeze. She drove the mare to the stables and jumped off when she arrived. It took Goat some time to settle in, with enough hay to feast on and water to quench the thirst. Looking at the dirty horse drinking as if her life depended on it, Atla noticed the dirt on her hooves and legs. She would give her a bath at home. With a last goodbye kiss she turned to the city and walked towards the market with the two sacks raised on her shoulders. Time to do some trading and find a nice place to sleep.

• Asmodai Zinyra