Dreams (exchange 2)
The tranquil night faded away as the sun fled from its home on the eastern horizon. The peace that accompanied the darkness was lost to trampling feet, shouting traders, and the occasional brawl in street centers. It was another long, hard day of working.
Jaelin's employer chastened him heavily-- nearly violently-- when he arrived late again. Thus he was given the most difficult tasks to perform. The heaviest wooden crates awaited him at the pickup zone in the hindmost quarter of the delivery station. Jaelin sighed miserably to himself. He was always the most pressured worker of each day. After all, Taarven's Delivery Service was the most prestiged of its genre. Their early-arrival policy offered their customers a refund for late deliveries. And Taarven would take the entire refund out of the unsuccessful workhorse's wages. Jaelin had fallen behind in many a rent payment as a result of this policy.
On the other hand, the hard labor he was forced to perform had made him strong in every aspect of his body. The local girls he came across on the streets often passed a compliment on his physique as he trekked past. But he never had the opportunity to stop and speak with them. For his duties were never done until the last drop had been made, which usually would not occur until just before dusk. At which time he spent a few hours amongst the gamblers and card players at the nearest tavern, The Kingman's Haven.
Thus, once Jaelin had returned to Taarven's that evening, he immediately headed off for the tavern. He called for a cold mug of ale and sat at a table at the rear of the dining hall. His eyes took in everything: the card games, the men sitting alone or in numbers throughout the hall, and especially the pretty maidens serving the patrons.
Amara wasn't scolded or beaten that day, but there were certainly days where she was. Her work was challenging, ranging from simple tasks like dusting to heavier things like laundry, stocking the pantry, going to market, and even doing some of the maintenance work on the house. Through years of this kind of back-breaking work and constant servitude, she developed muscles of her own, lean and slender, lending her figure a quality most women didn't have.
It was utmost annoyance that she was sent out after dinner. The delivery service they relied upon for food had failed to arrive again and the prospect of not having breakfast foods in the house was something her master was not comfortable with. So, with a few coins to spend, she set out for the night market.
The weather was starting to cool off and she found herself regretting not having worn a cloak or anything of the sort. The market was busy, hoards of people crowded the narrow streets where the market was set up. Food vendors were scattered throughout the stalls and shops selling other things. She moved with practiced ease in the crowd, finding a small vendor near one of several taverns in the market district.
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