Chapter 15 - On the way

When Kendra and Isaa were about to leave they saw the two women chatting at the front gates. She saw them today selling eggs. She had no more as they ate all the eggs they had from the quails.

''May I ask do you have some eggs left?'' she asked while smilingly looking at the two women.

''I have about two dozen left. I will sell it to you cheaper as I would like to have empty casket on my way back home. I will give you all the eggs for 15 coins.'' said the lady. She usually sold them 1 coin per egg but how can she take advantage of these children and 15 coins is better than returning back home with eggs.

Kendra happily accepted the eggs and slowly put most of them into her basket and she put few as well in Isaa's. They greeted them politely and wanted to go home. But then Kendra remembered that she wanted to take a few smaller pots for the jam. She went to Goluk first.

''Good morning elder Goluk. We came to see do you have a few small pots for us. We need them.'' she said while waving at his wife that was as usual at fire watching the burning process. Goluk nodded.

''I don't have many. Now I have only two.''He said while making an again a big pot.

''Two is fine. We have anyway no place to put and we need to wear them in hands. Could we place an order. Make ten of these pots for us for now. We will probably need more with the time. But this time make an opening bit bigger. Is that possible?'' she asked while using the branch to make a picture of pot she needed.

''With wide opening its easy to make. Ten pots will be 50 coins. Is it urgent? I have big fat order now and I would like to finish it now.'' he said while looking at Kendra pleadingly.

''No problem. We anyway won't be coming here for a few days. On the third market day from today, we will come. If you made a few at the time is fine. You don't have to make them all at once.'' she said while thinking that she can't hold in her basket anyway to many. She gave him the money and they went home. Each of them held one pot as they carefully walked over the stones back home.

As soon they got back home she made fire, cut vegetables and put them to boil. Then she ran to the stream to wash up. They were tired and hungry. Kendra planned to go see if there are some fishes traps tonight and after resting a bit they will gather as many strawberries as they could.

They came back refreshed and she saw that vegetables are cooked so she put some salt, seasonings, and flour in it to make porridge. It was the fastest and filling. She didn't make much as she planned to have it only one more time for dinner. They have no time today for cooking. They ate with relish.

She took rest of carrots and grated them. She put it again on the flat basket and put on the sun. She checked those from before and saw that they are dry. It was good, as they will go to the sea the next day. She looked at the dried turnip and put each of them in old cloth. She needs to cook some eggs for better preservation. She put most of it for boil and rest she made fast egg pancakes. She can take them tomorrow and have some tonight with a jam.

Isaa was taking care of rabbits. She put some water and greens to eat and Kendra gave her shaved skin from the carrots as their treats. The eggs were done really fast. Let them gradually cool down taking other pot and frying the pancakes. She made most simple but in last few were fine cut greens from the young onion. They smelled just fine with the pancakes.

When Isaa smelled the new ones she couldn't wait to taste it. They smelled delicious. Even she had just filling porridge but she can taste a bit right? Kendra just told her to wait till they are a bit colder. She put the ones with onion on another plate. She was anyway done.

Kendra washed the pots and bowls and when she came back she could see Isaa staring at the pancakes like she never had anything else to eat. Is she hungry?Again?She is now growing so it's fine to eat more. But Kendra had to admit, for such small child to have such strong will it is rare. She didn't even try to nibble on the food as most children would.

"Isaa. Just take and eat." Kendra laughed while looking at her cute expression.

"I'm waiting for a brother so we eat together," she said while concentrating on pancakes.

" Then let's eat a bit. Do you want to rest or wanna go for the strawberries? "

"Strawberries. We can find shade and gather in shade." said while taking the small basket and giving the bigger one to Kendra.

" I really have a smart sister. We will gather today until the baskets are full and make lots of jam. When we come back from seaside we will cook a lot of jam. We can sell most of it and some we can keep for us." she looked at the vegetables for drying she taught she needs more for winter.

Even if they have a little garden, she will buy more for drying. Then she looked at the gr.a.p.es.

"Isaa. When you eat gr.a.p.es take out seeds. We might need it later." she took one to peel the skin, opened the gr.a.p.e and got the seeds out. The rest she ate with relish. Mmmm. So sweet. She taught for a moment to make wine but then she would need a mass of gr.a.p.es and need to stay here forever. No. She just needs to earn money the easiest way.

The land she can sell. The city house as well. But obligations like planting for life. She doesn't plan to.

She'll just buy and dry and wait. Till she doesn't earn enough for travel. She needs to find the prices of ship travel.

Wait, didn't the child say that she can breathe under the water? Tomorrow she will try it out. What is Isaa's ability? But what about that. Even if she can be under the water, but how long.

She saw even when bathing that her skin would wrinkle after a while. That means she can swim underwater but not too long.

They finished the gr.a.p.es and walked to the meadow. Strawberries were not everywhere. So they usually would use one spot and take the ones from that spot. They really found lots of them under the tree.

Kendra let Isaa look around to see how many spots she can find. She started to gather strawberries. Isaa runs here and there. Then she came back.

"Brother there aren't many left. But most of them still have flowers." Kendra nodded.

"It is good like this. We will have new when we come back." she already knew that there were not that many lefts.

The rest of the afternoon they gathered the strawberries. But as soon the baskets were full they went back home. Kendra made enough for two more pots and some were left over. She planned to take that with her.

In the late afternoon, they went into the forest and found one rabbit. Kendra planned to make some dried meat of it. Now she will keep most of the rabbit meat. And she will get few more alive rabbits for winter. They can be in the cage.

Then they went to the fish traps. They found lots of them. She put the fishes into the hole and hid the traps in bushes. She will go to the city in the early morning and take rabbits to the house. Then she will go to the sea. Even if it's not far away she will look for a hidden place.

What they plan to do is only for them. The salt they will make, can't be sold anyway. There are laws against it. Probably. She'll ask.

They went back home she prepared rabbit with leftover salt for drying. The fur she left to dry out as well.

She prepared some dried vegetables in a bag. Some salt and dried seasonings. Then she took the small aluminum pot and put on the side of the bigger basket. Inside the basket, she put the parts of big pot for salt. They were set.

In the morning they put a blanket in the casket and moved to the city before dawn. On the gate, she waited till the gates opened at the dawn.

They went to their home slowly because they had time. As they came closer they saw that sunshine was hitting the house. The pair of people were already awake and waiting for them.

"Good morning. We won't stay long as we plan to go for a long trip," she said in advance. Usually, older people like to chat for a long time. She didn't feel like talking too much today.

"It is fine to go when is colder in the morning. We prepared some fruits and vegetables for you. I asked about fishes and got an answer that if it's possible we should do it. If it's successful you might get something out of it." said older man while happily smiling for these children. It's good to have some positive achievement who knows what is good for.

The children let the rabbits with the elderly pair and left. On their way out they stopped by the city office. The officer they knew was there.

''Good morning. Sir, you said if there are any problems I should ask you. But I do not know your name.''Said Kendra while thinking about this problem already for a while.

''I am officer Luar. I forgot to mention and later on, I forgot totally.Sorry.But you can call for me. I heard that you got permission to put fishes inside. Will you be able to find?''

''That is the reason why I won't be coming for a while back. I am going to search for them and will need to find a way how to transport them, without anyone noticing.'' she sighed. She knew he will report that problem and they will find a way.

''I will think of something. Let me know if you find,'' he said while looking at the child with interest. This child will be someone in the future. The Lord of the city is interested already in this child. Yesterday they called him to the castle and the Lord himself asked about the child. He told him to protect the child as much as he could. It is good this way. They need protection.

Kendra didn't know that things are getting a bit complicated behind her back. If she knew she would give up everything and run away. She really didn't want to be involved with those in the upper class. Ever.

Now she just wanted to go and have some fun. After they left the city, they turned to the sea. Kendra planned to follow the coastal line for a while and find a spot far away from the city.

After all, she wants some clean salt. Here is where the river enters the sea. The water must be polluted. As she went that way she had to pass blacksmiths. She hoped that this time she won't have any incidents again. But they just got friendly nods from them. She smiled in relief.

When they passed the blacksmiths without any problem they went to the end and saw the young man tinkering with something.

''Good morning. We came to say hello to you. We plan to go on another side of that peninsula.'' she said while looking at the thing he was working on.

''Wait you go that way? There is carriage going that way soon. Go through the bushes up and there will be carriage going that way. Just pay him one coin for each to sit on the back so you can just hop off when you arrive. It's faster.'' he told them with a smile.''There is a carriage that goes every morning through the villages and comes back in the evening. If you want they can take you back. Just stop them. If they are not full they will take you back. Usually, it is full but you two are tiny. You can sit on the back of it.''

''I didn't know that. Thank you for telling us,'' said Kendra with a smile. She will definitely give him later something to do and some of the jam as he liked it. She waved and took Isaa's hand to run. It is better than walking and wasting time.

It was not far. They just passed first bushes and they could see up there the carriage. They run there as they saw a bunch of people getting on.

''Sir we want to go to the peninsula over there,'' then Kendra pointed at the far away half-island.''We can sit behind. Just slow down near that place so we can hop off.''

''Go sit behind and hold tight. I will stop when we get close there. You don't have to hop off. If you break something how can I live after that.'' he said while joking.

''How much is it?''Asked Kendra taking her little bag made of old cloth. The driver felt sad looking at the ragged bag.

''I don't need anything. If you have something to carry later when you come back, then I will let you pay. Is that fine with you?''He said while people in carriage didn't mind. They didn't take their seats and were just sitting behind where is so little space that their feet were dangling off the ground.

He tried not to drive to fast. He didn't want the children to fall off. They arrived at the half-island anyway really fast. He stopped the carriage for just a short time and as they went off, he drove off while waving at the children.

?Bus driver? It seemed that they have such thing regulated because there are always people that want to go somewhere in between these two points. After all no gas costs. And it seems he let the horses rest in time between. Not a bad person. Isaa waved back with both hands and they set into a new adventure...