Marketplace

 

The marketplace spread out below them, extending from a large central meadow into the riverside woods beyond. It seemed as though the whole township had been converted to an open-air market, with stalls lining makeshift streets in the open field. Closer to the trees though it grew more orderly and settled, taking on the look of a more permanent village. Eagle Bend had always been a popular location for trade, and the local farms did well for the fact. The older establishments formed grand respectable estates among flat sections of rich woods. Wide grassy lanes crossed and circled the river-bend, leading to hidden meadows and neighborhoods that differed slightly from each other in the natural separation. Niche markets prospered, each in their own open glade, or tucked into the corner of a shared meadow. Along the rough riverside beneath dark hemlocks were merchants of gems and riches from the river vales. In the flat open maple groves were old family farms selling medicinal herbs and sweeteners. In the central open square Ayleah found some of the best fresh produce she had ever seen.

The group from the falls homestead went off on rounds to procure their supplies, giving Niisi and Ayleah a good portion of the day to explore. They both enjoyed the grass roads lined with houses and shops. It was a pleasant village: near to the river but open and mild. The hills to either side gently closed in this small paradise of meadows and mercantile woodland groves. Ayleah felt at ease; she chatted with Niisi about the farms and shops, as well as what she might need to know going forward with her trip up the mountain. They bought a few necessities in this respect, and Ayleah was glad of the advice from both her day companion and the shop owners alike. Niisi seemed to have a wealth of knowledge about the wilderness, though she had professed to not be nearly as hardy as some others around. Her contributions to discussions with the locals were always of comparative nature from her memories of home. Everyone seemed to enjoy the addition of her perspective, making her a good conversationalist. To Ayleah's delight, the two had formed a quiet sort of friendship during her time at the falls estate. Niisi was ultimately reserved, but friendly and thoughtful. She listened to Ayleah's concerns about her home back on the lake-shore, and shared things she had learned from life in the hills. Niisi enjoyed Ayleah's company too as a fresh air after her time among the serious, masculine energy of the falls estate. The rangers and rulers of the dark falls rocks were excellent company, but tiring after a while in their stolidness and mild curiosities.

It was lunchtime, and the two friends ate from a food cart near the riverbank. Tall hemlocks shaded a small park area with benches overlooking the rushing waters. The bank here was steep and rocky, almost overhanging from erosion when the water had been very high. A narrow but well-trodden path swept down from the park to a small beach port in a semi-protected cove. Beyond the cove, the river jumped and snaked through a vast tumble of boulders. White spray lingered over sheer-sided rock islands that showed a multitude of different hues. This was a more normal stretch of river, only just forming the beginning of rapids further downstream. The river coursed around broad Eagle Bend before funneling over ledges toward Bartlett Falls in the gorge below. The wild water contrasted nicely with the placid land of the river bend; woods and meadows peacefully bustling with the day's business. Under the evergreens it was cool and shady, but just beyond in the open meadow square the sun shone warm and bright.

Heading back up the slope, Niisi and Ayleah decided to take a shortcut through one of the smaller streets. Most of the wide grass lanes circled around islands of forest where stately farmsteads poked out of the undergrowth. One path at least though led straight through an island of forest, its grass sparser and mingled with long browned pine needles. Substantially narrower, the street's mossy eaves were a well-shadowed tunnel to the bright meadow above. It seemed less-visited, and had a dank feeling that came from sunlight not often reaching the buildings to either side. As the two approached the entrance to the street, a couple of rough-looking strangers on the roadside regarded them with looks of mild suspicion.

Some of the buildings that lined the lane were also in disrepair, adding to the stranger feel of the place. Overall though it did not feel wholly unsafe to Ayleah. Somehow it wasn't unsettling in a bad way, but rather in that way that makes you feel thrilled to explore further. She and Niisi walked as confidently as before, and they even took an interest in some of the established shops along the way.

It had a curtain for a door, and a long hall the front of which seemed to stand in one of the more well-lit parts of the alley. The curtain was elaborately patterned, with rich purple fibers twisting through rays of every other color imaginable thinly repeated in curling designs. As Ayleah was drawn to the side of the path nearer the door, she could see the true extent of the intricate craftsmanship. It had faded evidently from use as an outdoor tapestry, but it still radiated with a soft beckoning light and seemed of solid quality. Niisi was saying something to her, but she wasn't aware of what it was. The curtain must indicate the hall of some master craftsperson. Ayleah gently pushed through the slit in the middle and went inside.

The air inside the hall was remarkably clear and crisp, though Ayleah could see incense burning in a far corner. The room seemed not large enough to fill what on the outside had seemed an extensive workshop. Its shape too was strange; the walls to either side of the doorway slanted immediately outward to the far one, forming a triangle. Apart from the small table with incense and a mirror on the far wall the room was unadorned. For a moment Ayleah had a thought that perhaps this was not a place intended for the public, or at least not for her, but the thought quickly passed like a small leaf over the edge of a waterfall.

She was heading toward a small door in the far corner by the incense table when something caught her eye. The mirror in the middle of the back wall did not reflect in the usual way. It seemed to always reflect at an angle rather than directly back to the viewer. Now that she was out in the room she could see that two other mirrors exactly like it hung on the other two walls of the room. When she looked at one of them straight on, she saw only an endless passage heading into darkness as two of the mirrors reflected back on each other. What puzzled her was which two were reflecting at any given time. As Ayleah considered this phenomenon, looking from one mirror to the other, she tripped over the edge of a low dais in the middle of the room. Catching herself, a haze swept over her vision. She straightened, one foot on the dais. There was a flutter on the edge of her vision, and she looked up to see Niisi coming through the curtain door with a strangely worried look on her face. Just as Ayleah was about to ask her what was wrong and to tell her about the neat mirror trick, she stepped up with her other foot. The triangle room vanished and was replaced by an endless hallway, stretching into darkness on both sides.