Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
---A---
In the end, Ann found herself sitting alone at the bar, an empty glass before her, but a full bag of coin in her grasp. Rolf had paid her and indulged himself in her company for a short while at the bar, before going off to speak with others. Ann had quietly drank her glass and was simply enjoying it’s strong flavor and the dulling of her mind. The tavern was the only place that most of the people ignored her presence. They cared more for their drink or their greed as they dealt business to one another. Two men even dared to sit at the table closest to her without a thought to who she was. She couldn’t help but smile, yet her smile began to frown as she listened in.
“It’s got a well already built and it has very fertile ground. You can grow whatever you and your family want. It’s a great piece of land!” The man was a stranger in the town. He seemed to be a quick scheme sort of man with his greasy hair and long grasping fingers.
“It sounds great! How much for it?” She had seen this country man before around town and he had been struggling with his business. It didn’t surprise her that he was planning to move away to begin farming. The stranger at the question of price, pawed across the table to peer into the man’s wealth.
“Uh, I think 3000 gold would be good” he said with a grin. Seeing the other man’s troubled look, he remarked “I’d be willing to set you up with a payment plan.”
Ann couldn’t stand it any longer. “You do know his lying right?”
“Wha...What do you mean?” the poor man questioned.
“He doesn’t even think that the land is worth that much.” She said standing from the bar and dropping a tip at her glass. “He has more interest in your money, than being fair.”
“Are ya really going to believe a woman like that?” the stranger said to the country man with a lopsided grin.
“You are lying to me! You were going to cheat me out of my fortune?”
The man shrugged. “No harm right.”
The other man’s face boiled and his large, gruff hand grasped the other man’s shirt picking him off the floor.
“You were going to have me and my family live on a DIRT FARM!” he shouted.
“No harm?” again the stranger replied as a fist pummelled into his face.
Within moments a brawl occurred as merchants fought against the country people trying to pull the two men apart. Ann, in her part, walked out the front of the tavern mindless of the fight she had begun.
---A---
Minutes later, Rolf had caught up with her, obviously a part of the brawl himself as he held a cloth to the shallow cut on his arm.
“What, What did you that for!?” he said out of breath. “Why didn’t you let their business go as would? If the man was foolish enough to pay for a land he had never seen before that’s his business. Instead you caused the whole tavern to fight. Not getting paid anything for your truth telling!”
“Have you seen the town man before?” Ann said calmy
“N...no”
“He likely would have hired me, if he could have afforded, but unfortunately his shop had been doing so badly that he had little money and little time to check on the land. It sounded like it was a good distance away. Though, I have never talked to him before, the man is the sort that doesn’t want to trouble his neighbor, so he couldn’t ask anyone to go for him. I imagine he apologized a great deal after the fight?”
“Yah, that he did. Even offered to pay for every one's injuries and what got broken in the tavern. We all shrugged it off and chipped in to the owner to pay off everything. All was good once it was over, though we had good talking to with the stranger. Told him to run off and all--not to mess with people in our town.” Rolf broke off into a grin. “It was a damn good clean fight. All good feelings and everything.”
They were silent for sometime before Rolf interrupted again. “I see why it’s good that you did it, but I still don’t see why you of all wanted to protect him.”
Ann was about to reply when a boy ran rounded the corner before them, nearly bowling them over.
“Hey there! hey there! What’s the hurry?”
“I got to find the Truth Seeker!” the boy said as he ready himself to dash off again. Rolf grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around.
“She is right here boy!”
“Oh!’
Ann peered down at him with a mocking grin and he raggedly smiled in return.
“So, what is the message?”
“Well, my da and the other men need your help!” he starts heading back the way he came. Ann and Rolf follow after him as he continued. “There’s...there’s an odd man--a stranger. Da said to tell you that he’s causing mischief and won’t listen to anyone. He doesn’t say a word. It doesn’t seem like he can. We’s were wondering if ya could, read him?”
“I would only be able to guess what he wants”
“It’s better than what anyone else can do. We don’t need a whole lot, it’s just that Da...Da really wants his ladder back!”
“His ladder...?” Ann began, but as they turned the corner she saw exactly what he meant.
There on top of a ten foot ladder, crouched a Moharian grinning like a mad man, while the town people shouted for him to come down. He only swung and swayed back and forth as the men tried to keep him from falling. Rolf beside her for once beside was stunned into silence at this man’s audacity.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Chapter 1 and then some
Darkness surrounded the dreamer and only one small light poured down on a figure in the distance. The figure was small young woman sitting alone in a chair slowly rocking back and forth staring, but never seeing. A little girl crawled into the light toward the rocking woman, peering up at her from beneath the fringe of white hair that glowed in the stark light. For a time, there was only the sound of the woman rocking back before, but when she did notice the young child near her lap a gasp escaped from her lips.
“Who are you!” the woman she shrieked. Horrified she pulled back from the girl curling tightly into the chair. The little girl began to cry choking back her tears while staring at the woman. She reached forward with her hand to touch the woman before her.
“Don’t touch me, ghost!” The woman further pulled more tightly into a ball nearly tipping backwards her chair. In fear, the little girl jerked her hand away and whispered a single word as tears poured down her face.
“Mama?”
“Stay away…” the woman, whimpered. She made herself as small as possible grasping her knees to her chest and clenching her eyes shut willing the apparition to disappear.
The girl hesitantly began to reach again, but seeing woman tremble, she only balled her hand into a fist to let it drop in her own lap. With clenched fists at her side and tears flowing easily from her eyes she stood slowing. For a few moments, she stared at the trembling woman willing her to look her way. Yet, the woman continued her quiet sobs and clenched position, and in time the little girl turned away taking ever small steps out of the light and into the darkness.
---A---
The dreamer now awakened, thankful for the early sunlight filtering through the window instead of the darkness that filled her dream. Her legs had become twisted in her sleep and she had to slowly work her hands from the clenched grip. Slowly she groaned and stretched her muscles working each one lose from their tense state before pushing herself to sit on the edge of her bed.
The dream was not a new one to her and in fact had been a recurring nightmare that at times even haunted her waking thoughts. It wasn’t just a dream though—it was also a memory; one of the few memories that remained from her childhood. Now the little girl was a young woman, somewhere around 30 years of age. Her age is unknown because her mother never told her how old she was or when she was born. Furthermore, it is likely the young woman was given a name when she was baby, like most Farragorns would. Yet, no one can recall what name she was given. After sent to live with neighbors when her mother went insane, she was called Ann, but that was short for Anomaly to describe her unusual nature. So in fact, this young woman doesn’t have a name, but for the sake of argument let’s herself be called Ann.
She was a young woman without much of an identity and she had became quite comfortable with the idea. She was just Ann to everyone she met and for most that was enough for them, but they couldn’t help but stare. When she was little, she wore scarves on her head and often was asked by her caretakers to wear a hood whenever appropriate. At first it was annoying—why did she have to wear something on her head when none of the other children did? When her scarf slipped though, she heard the remarks:
“Your hair is white!”
“What’s wrong with your hair? Are you sick?”
“My grandmother has hair like yours”
Indeed, Ann’s hair was white as snow from birth. She learned very quickly that this was very strange. Only old people had white hair. The country people of Farragorn often had blond or brunette hair, like the color of the grain they harvested every autumn. No one had white hair.
The chiding and teasing got worse as she got older. Children just simply didn’t know how to keep quiet, but it was better than the adults. The adults just lied. They said to her how pretty and unusual her hair is, but Ann saw how often many of them were also repulsed and confused by her appearance.
Then her eyes started to change.
When she was born one eye was a nice pale green and the other blue. Sure, it’s a little odd, but it has happened before. What wasn’t normal, is that blue gradually turned darker and more vivid. By her teenage years, it was undoubtedly a vibrant violet color, that is of course if she would ever turn her head up.
Ann knew she wasn’t normal. Even, worse, she knew that others didn’t think she was normal either. Without looking at a person, she could sense their disgust, confusion, and sometimes hatred of her. She had never done a thing wrong to anyone, but she was despised and rejected. Which is why she began travelling not long after finishing her education. She wanted to get away.
At first it was hard being only 15 or 16 years old, but she fell in with some travelling merchants for a time. They too were uncomfortable with her appearance, but were more familiar with the bizarre and couldn’t refuse hardworking able hands. She became quite skilled at the travelling life learning everything she could, but merchants never travelled during the winter. When winter came she was left without a home. The first winter, she worked in a low-end tavern in the rotting back alleyways of a large town. She learned about the desires of men. Incidentally, she also learned how to fight.
The first time, a man pressed upon her heavily in a corner, she was gratefully for the kitchen knife in her hand that she was supposed to be returning to the cook. The sickly sweet smell and words of the man stopped short when he felt the prick of it between his ribs. At first, the man pressed forward even more, but without a threat or a word, Ann just simply held the blade firm and her eyes hard. Even in his drunken stupor, the man wasn’t a fool. No man, let alone a drunk one would have dared to touch a woman with stare like hers. The man recoiled fast, tripping over a chair in the process. The look on her face reminded him of his mother, when he had done something very, very wrong. Without a look he stumbled off, dabbing at the slight blood stain on his shirt from the scratch Ann had made. From then on, she carried at least one blade on her and it kept her safe.
When spring came again, she was on the move, much older and wiser than before. She stayed with the merchants for a while longer, until she was fortunate to meet up with a tribe of nomads. The nomads were puzzled by her appearance as well, for they had never seen a purple eye or white hair, but it was with fascination. The moment a strand of white hair slipped from under her scarf, they flocked to her. They loudly clamored and chatted like birds, flittingly pulling her hair from under her scarf with deft hands, before Ann could say a word. It made her uncomfortable, but they said and meant only happy words. For the first time, she felt accepted. She spent the night in their camp enjoying their songs, banter, and play and fell asleep in the late hours of the night. When morning came, she left with them. She was the first outsider ever accepted into a Mohari tribe—the white child among the ebony.
This Mohari tribe were much like the merchants, selling their wares, but in addition they were performers! They sang beautiful songs and had dancers that flitted across the earth as if weighing nothing at all. Jugglers would fling into the air beautiful colorful scarves and in the next moment the glint of a knife would be caught into their hands. They sold their performances to any village or town that would allow them to stay. Ann learned a few of their secret crafts, but could never keep up. When the performances started, she was sent out into the audience to collect compensation for the tribes performance. In the dim light of the campfire, among the Farrgons no one noticed her white hair or dual colored eyes so she was able to experience the show just like any one of the audience without attention on her.
Travelling with the tribe, she learned that not all Mohari are like this tribe. Some would spend all their years travelling in the deserts near the Mica Mountains, never appearing to any but themselves. Furthermore, not all celebrated in the same way. While Ann’s tribe made things and performed, some tribes were only performers or only craftsman. In any case, all celebrated life and commemorated their journey through tattoos that covered their skin. She lived quite comfortably learning their skills and in return, she helped as needed.
Occasionally, when they were was little in the campsites to be done or someone needed something to be fetched from a nearby town, Ann was sent. Since, she was allowed the freedom to roam as she pleased, she often visited the more seedy parts of town. Ever since her first work at the tavern, she longed to be able to defend herself better and better. Many of the cities and larger towns had small fighting competitions in the dark hours of the night.
Ann at first was rejected as a woman, so she learned to shorn her hair to a boy’s length and dress like the local men. She observed many of the fights and would practice early in the morning when the Mohari still slept. After a few months though, she started to compete. Of course, she was beaten often, but after a while she started to win.
She learned that sometimes, she knew when someone would jab at her face, or when that swing was meant to distract from the knee coming up. She began to be able to see how to avoid the swings and kicks. Where she had first relied on her strength, she began to use her lithe body to dodge the hits and in turn hit smaller, but more crucial parts of the body.
In these parts of town, she also learned about weapons and the unlawful uses of medicine. As the men began to see her as a respected fighter, they were willing to teach her more. In particular, she found herself drawn to different types of knife fight. Some taught her how to defend, while other how to attack. She also learned an ability to throw knives.
Learns weapon fighting—throwing knives
Mohari have no place for fighting, but they allow her to stay
Ann not fully accepted, never allowed a tattoo
Time with tribe ends when she beats head person in a fighting dojo, town pushes the tribe out of town. Ann is disgraced and asked to leave
Ann begins travelling from town to town by herself
Gains in skill of “reading truth” in people
“Who are you!” the woman she shrieked. Horrified she pulled back from the girl curling tightly into the chair. The little girl began to cry choking back her tears while staring at the woman. She reached forward with her hand to touch the woman before her.
“Don’t touch me, ghost!” The woman further pulled more tightly into a ball nearly tipping backwards her chair. In fear, the little girl jerked her hand away and whispered a single word as tears poured down her face.
“Mama?”
“Stay away…” the woman, whimpered. She made herself as small as possible grasping her knees to her chest and clenching her eyes shut willing the apparition to disappear.
The girl hesitantly began to reach again, but seeing woman tremble, she only balled her hand into a fist to let it drop in her own lap. With clenched fists at her side and tears flowing easily from her eyes she stood slowing. For a few moments, she stared at the trembling woman willing her to look her way. Yet, the woman continued her quiet sobs and clenched position, and in time the little girl turned away taking ever small steps out of the light and into the darkness.
---A---
The dreamer now awakened, thankful for the early sunlight filtering through the window instead of the darkness that filled her dream. Her legs had become twisted in her sleep and she had to slowly work her hands from the clenched grip. Slowly she groaned and stretched her muscles working each one lose from their tense state before pushing herself to sit on the edge of her bed.
The dream was not a new one to her and in fact had been a recurring nightmare that at times even haunted her waking thoughts. It wasn’t just a dream though—it was also a memory; one of the few memories that remained from her childhood. Now the little girl was a young woman, somewhere around 30 years of age. Her age is unknown because her mother never told her how old she was or when she was born. Furthermore, it is likely the young woman was given a name when she was baby, like most Farragorns would. Yet, no one can recall what name she was given. After sent to live with neighbors when her mother went insane, she was called Ann, but that was short for Anomaly to describe her unusual nature. So in fact, this young woman doesn’t have a name, but for the sake of argument let’s herself be called Ann.
She was a young woman without much of an identity and she had became quite comfortable with the idea. She was just Ann to everyone she met and for most that was enough for them, but they couldn’t help but stare. When she was little, she wore scarves on her head and often was asked by her caretakers to wear a hood whenever appropriate. At first it was annoying—why did she have to wear something on her head when none of the other children did? When her scarf slipped though, she heard the remarks:
“Your hair is white!”
“What’s wrong with your hair? Are you sick?”
“My grandmother has hair like yours”
Indeed, Ann’s hair was white as snow from birth. She learned very quickly that this was very strange. Only old people had white hair. The country people of Farragorn often had blond or brunette hair, like the color of the grain they harvested every autumn. No one had white hair.
The chiding and teasing got worse as she got older. Children just simply didn’t know how to keep quiet, but it was better than the adults. The adults just lied. They said to her how pretty and unusual her hair is, but Ann saw how often many of them were also repulsed and confused by her appearance.
Then her eyes started to change.
When she was born one eye was a nice pale green and the other blue. Sure, it’s a little odd, but it has happened before. What wasn’t normal, is that blue gradually turned darker and more vivid. By her teenage years, it was undoubtedly a vibrant violet color, that is of course if she would ever turn her head up.
Ann knew she wasn’t normal. Even, worse, she knew that others didn’t think she was normal either. Without looking at a person, she could sense their disgust, confusion, and sometimes hatred of her. She had never done a thing wrong to anyone, but she was despised and rejected. Which is why she began travelling not long after finishing her education. She wanted to get away.
At first it was hard being only 15 or 16 years old, but she fell in with some travelling merchants for a time. They too were uncomfortable with her appearance, but were more familiar with the bizarre and couldn’t refuse hardworking able hands. She became quite skilled at the travelling life learning everything she could, but merchants never travelled during the winter. When winter came she was left without a home. The first winter, she worked in a low-end tavern in the rotting back alleyways of a large town. She learned about the desires of men. Incidentally, she also learned how to fight.
The first time, a man pressed upon her heavily in a corner, she was gratefully for the kitchen knife in her hand that she was supposed to be returning to the cook. The sickly sweet smell and words of the man stopped short when he felt the prick of it between his ribs. At first, the man pressed forward even more, but without a threat or a word, Ann just simply held the blade firm and her eyes hard. Even in his drunken stupor, the man wasn’t a fool. No man, let alone a drunk one would have dared to touch a woman with stare like hers. The man recoiled fast, tripping over a chair in the process. The look on her face reminded him of his mother, when he had done something very, very wrong. Without a look he stumbled off, dabbing at the slight blood stain on his shirt from the scratch Ann had made. From then on, she carried at least one blade on her and it kept her safe.
When spring came again, she was on the move, much older and wiser than before. She stayed with the merchants for a while longer, until she was fortunate to meet up with a tribe of nomads. The nomads were puzzled by her appearance as well, for they had never seen a purple eye or white hair, but it was with fascination. The moment a strand of white hair slipped from under her scarf, they flocked to her. They loudly clamored and chatted like birds, flittingly pulling her hair from under her scarf with deft hands, before Ann could say a word. It made her uncomfortable, but they said and meant only happy words. For the first time, she felt accepted. She spent the night in their camp enjoying their songs, banter, and play and fell asleep in the late hours of the night. When morning came, she left with them. She was the first outsider ever accepted into a Mohari tribe—the white child among the ebony.
This Mohari tribe were much like the merchants, selling their wares, but in addition they were performers! They sang beautiful songs and had dancers that flitted across the earth as if weighing nothing at all. Jugglers would fling into the air beautiful colorful scarves and in the next moment the glint of a knife would be caught into their hands. They sold their performances to any village or town that would allow them to stay. Ann learned a few of their secret crafts, but could never keep up. When the performances started, she was sent out into the audience to collect compensation for the tribes performance. In the dim light of the campfire, among the Farrgons no one noticed her white hair or dual colored eyes so she was able to experience the show just like any one of the audience without attention on her.
Travelling with the tribe, she learned that not all Mohari are like this tribe. Some would spend all their years travelling in the deserts near the Mica Mountains, never appearing to any but themselves. Furthermore, not all celebrated in the same way. While Ann’s tribe made things and performed, some tribes were only performers or only craftsman. In any case, all celebrated life and commemorated their journey through tattoos that covered their skin. She lived quite comfortably learning their skills and in return, she helped as needed.
Occasionally, when they were was little in the campsites to be done or someone needed something to be fetched from a nearby town, Ann was sent. Since, she was allowed the freedom to roam as she pleased, she often visited the more seedy parts of town. Ever since her first work at the tavern, she longed to be able to defend herself better and better. Many of the cities and larger towns had small fighting competitions in the dark hours of the night.
Ann at first was rejected as a woman, so she learned to shorn her hair to a boy’s length and dress like the local men. She observed many of the fights and would practice early in the morning when the Mohari still slept. After a few months though, she started to compete. Of course, she was beaten often, but after a while she started to win.
She learned that sometimes, she knew when someone would jab at her face, or when that swing was meant to distract from the knee coming up. She began to be able to see how to avoid the swings and kicks. Where she had first relied on her strength, she began to use her lithe body to dodge the hits and in turn hit smaller, but more crucial parts of the body.
In these parts of town, she also learned about weapons and the unlawful uses of medicine. As the men began to see her as a respected fighter, they were willing to teach her more. In particular, she found herself drawn to different types of knife fight. Some taught her how to defend, while other how to attack. She also learned an ability to throw knives.
Learns weapon fighting—throwing knives
Mohari have no place for fighting, but they allow her to stay
Ann not fully accepted, never allowed a tattoo
Time with tribe ends when she beats head person in a fighting dojo, town pushes the tribe out of town. Ann is disgraced and asked to leave
Ann begins travelling from town to town by herself
Gains in skill of “reading truth” in people
chapter 2 ish
Entrenched in her memories, Ann barely heard the knock on the door. Awakened out of her half state of unconsciousness she became aware that a few hours had already passed and the sun had risen far above the horizon. Her mind so often slips from the present moment when she is reminded of her past. Before Ann could fall again into her memories, a rap was at her door again.
“Madam?” a voice said from the other side of the door.
“You may enter” replied Ann.
Quietly, the door cracked open and in slipped in Ann’s landlady. The woman was petite and typical looking of the Farragorns with her wheat colored hair, and pale green eyes. Ann couldn’t help be envious of her ordinary looks as she compared her own fair hands with the coarse hard working hands of the woman. The woman coughed silently and looked around uncomfortably at the room she rented to the stranger a year previously. She looked everywhere, but at the disheveled young woman still sitting on the edge of her bed. Ann couldn’t help but feeling a little disgusted with the woman, but she felt more disgust for herself. She sighed and stood, walking behind a screen to dress. She could hear the woman sigh audibly. It always made these country people more comfortable when they didn’t look at Ann in her eyes.
“Well, what did you have to tell me?” Ann said.
“Uh yes, um, well one of the men in town have a job for you.”
“Is that so. Who is it?”
“It be Rölf…the new baker that arrived in town a few weeks ago. You remember? You met him at the festival last week.” Ann groaned. Indeed, Ann had first met him at the festival for the harvest a few weeks ago. That man was a nuisance to her from the day he arrived in the town from the city, Nanorik --boasting loudly of his skills as a baker and even more about how much he could drink. He flirted loudly with all the women and even attempted to engage Ann as well. It wasn’t that he was a horrible man. He treated everyone kindly. In fact he was a smart man, but too smart to realize that Ann didn’t want to get to know anyone too closely, let alone a man like him.
“What does he want?” Ann said sharply. She could hear the woman take a step back a bump into the closed door.
“He... he... didn’t say. I can tell him not to bother you.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll meet with him shortly at his shop” Ann sighed.
“ I will tell him” Ann heard the door open and the quick lithe steps of the land woman trotting down the stairs.
Ann stepped around the screen picking up a scarf from her dresser to hide her white hair. She looked like any of the other women of the small town, dressed in a calf length dress, with a sash tied around her waist to indicate her role in the town. Hers was a deep red, usually only given to the wise elders in the town. It was at the previous festival that she was given the sash. She could sense from the people that this was a reluctant decision. They feared what she would do if yet another had passed and she was not shown honor for her work. They appreciated her results, but couldn’t help, but terrified of her skills. Who couldn’t fear the unraveling of one’s untold secrets by the violet eye of Ann O’Malley?
---A---
Moments later, Ann walks towards Rolf’s shop. She shields her hair and face with the hood of her cloak, trying to keep her presence to a minimum. Nonetheless, those who see her avoid her eyes. Some going as far as to walk across the street rather than to pass her on their way. Even a child begins to bound out of his house to play, his mother pulls him quickly back into the house and slams the door after her eyes spied Ann. Ann couldn’t wait to return to the safety of her room. Perhaps, in fact, it was time to move on to the next town. She walked on to the bakery, noticing a large crowd. Most seemed to be quietly murmuring to themselves, yet in the midst of them one could not ignore the boisterous noise come from the large rotund man in the center.
“You have come! Come, come, come closer I am in need of your services. They say you are a truth teller and possibly can read the minds of many by simply looking them in their eyes. Many have claimed that you have your skills in disputes always knowing the truth and sometimes more. Are you not this person?” Rolf shouts to her over the din of the crowd. Finally, noticing Ann’s approach the crowd is silent. Some think to drift away, but most stay gazing curiously at the spectacle about to unfold.
Ann stares down each in the crowd, leaving for last Rolf. It’s the first time he notices her different colored eyes and she smirks as he takes a step back.
“So they say. I seem to have my skills.”
“Well, well then… I have here this boy.” he says, dragging a boy from out of the crowd. He had tried to escape when focus was turned on Ann. Now he looked frightened at the attention of Ann and the crowd upon him. “Look up at her boy. You can’t hide your mistake now. This boy has stolen from my store, but he claims he is innocent. Now you know the high price better than I and I’d rather not mistreat this boy if he is telling the truth. Yet, these men here have said they have seen him take from me while my back was turned. What say you, truth teller?”
She looked at the two men at Rolf’s side and nodded politely to each before turning towards to the young boy before her. In a moment her stern look became a soft smile one the book could not help but returning back. She then looked back to the baker.
“Whatever your witnesses say will be truth, and in his own way the boy is telling the truth.”
“How can both be right?”
“Simple, the liar isn’t any of them. It’s you.” The crowd began to murmur and words such as ‘crazy,’ ‘fool’ and ‘unbelievable’ are said of Ann. Yet, the large man began to gape open to smile that rolled into a loud laughter. Ann smiled with him.
“So tell me, what is the truth?” Rolf said as he quieted his laughter.
“You paid for the boy to steal from you.”
“Ah, you are a good one and have solved my puzzle! It is true that I paid the boy and now he and you will get your dues and then some I think. I think you and I will get along right fine!” Rolf replied with great smile on his face. He hands the boy several loaves of bread and some change whispering to the boy an apology. Returning to Ann, he said, "Now, I think I owe you a drink"
Monday, November 8, 2010
# 5 "Ever Hear of Personal Space?"
[open with Echo sitting on top of a ladder appearing squirlish. Surrounded by country men and women trying to get him down. He peers around, but looks directly at Anomaly stunned when he sees her and hops down the ladder. Beelines straights towards her. She straightens up and is nervous about the close distance. Raised eyebrows stunned at his proximity.]
#4 Ten Foot Ladder
[Not long after Anomaly leaves the bar, a man approaches with urgency]
Country Man: “Truth seeker, I and my men need your help. There be an odd man that came with the merchants that is causing mischief. He will not speak, and we thought that perhaps you could understand him. Ya know, read him if ya willing?”
ANOMALY: [begins following him]“I would only be able to guess at his mind”
Country Man: “Well he’s just a strange one and well perhaps you’d know how to talk with him because…. I just want my ladder back and he won’t get off it!”
[Anomaly is puzzled by seeing a young man with a mask of curiosity perched upon a ten-foot ladder as men try to call him down]
# 3 "You better Believe it!"
[Anomaly is sitting alone at the bar with a half empty glass of (green!)beer. Rolf is off talking with various other men and women at the bar. Her gaze is casually directed toward two men sitting in a corner bartering for land]
Stranger: It’s got a well already built and it has very fertile ground. You can grow whatever you and your family want. It’s a great piece of land!
Country Man: It sounds great. How much for it?
Stranger: [peers towards man’s purse; country man is downcast] uh I think 3000 gold will be good
ANOMALY: [snorts and the men glance her way] You do know his lying right? He doesn’t even think that the land is worth 3000 gold. [turns back to drink]
Stranger: [grins cheezily] Are you really going to believe a woman like that?
Country Man: [glares] You are Lying! You were going to cheat me out of my fortune.
Stranger: No harm right?
Country Man: [hand grasping stranger’s shirt and threatening to punch] You were going to have me and my family live on a DIRT FARM!
Stranger: [lifts arms to shrug] yah, no harm
[bar fight erupts as other traveling merchants work to protect the stranger, while country men fight traveling merchants. Anomaly flips a coin to the counter and saunters out with her beer in hand amidst hateful glares towards her]
#2 Baker's Test
[Anomaly walking down the street of a town with her head bent low, her hair and head shielded by the hood of her cloak. Those who pass by briefly look her way and then quickly turn away. Some crossing her path, turn to walk away, while others will cross the street away from her. Some children will stare at her until her their parents chide them. Anomaly continues on her way smirking to herself as each person averts themselves away from her. On the main road she enters upon the store front of a bakery. A very large rotund man peers through the crowd holding onto the scruff of a young boys neck, while a few others stand among themselves vigorously discussing something. The rotund man spots Anomaly and calls out to her .]
Rölf: “You have come! Come, come, come closer I am in need of your services. They say you are a truth teller and possible can read the minds of many by simply looking them in they eye. Many have claimed that you have your skills in disputes always knowing the truth and sometimes more. Are you not this person?”
ANOMALY:[She looks him square in the eye and notices her different colored eyes and takes a step back. She smirks in response]. “So they say. I seem to have my skills.”
Rölf: “Well, well then… I have here [pulls the young boy in his hand forward towards Anomaly. The boy refuses to look her in the eye.] this boy. Look up at her boy. You can’t hide your mistake now. This boy has stolen from my store, but he claims he is innocent. Now you know the high price better than I and I’d rather not mistreat this boy if he is telling the truth. Yet, these men here have said they have seen him take from me while my back was turned. What say you, truth teller?
ANOMALY: “Whatever your witnesses say will be truth, and in his own way the boy is telling the truth.”
Rölf: “How can both be right?”
ANOMALY: “Simple, the liar isn’t any of them. It’s you” [Incredulous looks on crowds face]. You paid for the boy to steal from you. Now that you’ve tested my abilities, will you pay me or not?”
Rölf: [chuckles] “Ah, you are a good one and have solved my puzzle! It is true that I paid the boy and now he and you will get your dues. I think you and I will get along right fine! For now, let me buy you a beer for my little trick.”
[Anomaly and Rolf depart from the crowd and the crowd drifts away some in amazement and others in discomfort]
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