#yeah whoops

Sitting still was agony. She fidgeted, moved to her knees, shifted her legs, and sat down again as the traveling party moved at Mum’s agonizing pace. Mowry grew ever closer, the moorlands coming more alive, with farms and people and trees and livestock grazing.

People dressed quite the same as they did in Knittelnau -- which somehow caught Coriander by surprise, and disappointing enough that she had to scold herself for expecting anything different. The houses were built with the same architecture, if a bit larger than the ones she was used to, and the sun still set in the west. Why would anything have changed in such a short distance?

A few patches of wildflowers dotted the fields surrounding the little town, but nothing to the extent of Knittelnau’s. Children chased each other and dogs chased their tails. Waites pointed out a singular figure sitting beneath a tree. “That’s an old friend of mine over there.”

The man wore shockingly colorful clothes and read a few loose pages of writing over and over to himself as he pulled flowers and grass up mindlessly. He had to have been one of the most handsome people Coriander had ever seen. Reading spectacles were perched on his large, aquiline nose and further magnified his black, doe-like eyes His hands were wrinkled, but nimble, skin darker even than Jaspers, though the redness of his cheeks hinted of rouge and she was sure he had a bit of kohl around his eyes as well.

Waites raised a hand and waved. “Satish! Good evening!”

The man looked up, and handsome face broke into  a wide, welcoming grin. “Annie!”

Annie? Coriander looked between them. She’d never in all her life refer to the banker as Annie, and it struck her almost as awkwardly as the sameness of everything.

Satish grunted, pushing himself to his feet slowly with the help of an ornate cane. Large golden rings hung from his ears, glittering in the afternoon light. His thick hair, nearly as black as his eyes save for the silver streaks hinting at his true age, had been plaited neatly over one shoulder, and tinkled with the ringing of tiny bells.

Jasper stepped forward, hesitating, half wondering if he ought to help, but Waites held a hand up. “He doesn’t like it when people help him. Makes him feel old.”

The man walked with a distinct, almost effeminate sway despite his clear reliance on the cane for balance, and all the confidence of an actor on stage. Coriander had never seen someone so colorful, who seemed to take up so much space and emit so much light, though he was only average size. He smiled, and fidgeted with the papers in hand, and reached up to embrace Waites in an awkward half hug. “Anny! Peace to you, Fate keep you, you’re back early and all that. Who are these children you’ve brought me? Did you adopt?”

Waites laughed, and introduced them both. Jasper preened, and Coriander shrunk into herself, even as the man lauded them both with praise.

“And of course,” he said then, stepping back with a flourish and a twirl of his cain, “I am Satish Runwell, at your service.” Satish took a deep bow.

Jasper nearly swooned.  

Bells tolled, and she forgot everything else. She looked towards the town, too close to the buildings now to easily see the clock tower, but it was there, with its brass and copper gears, less than an hour’s walk away.

Waites’ voice came to her. “Coriander?”

She started, looking back to the men, and bowed her head. “I-I’m sorry, ah…” She was too easily distracted. They ought to put her on a lead, like a misbehaving sheep.

“Bestina’s daughter,” Waites said, gesturing at her. “It’s her first official outing into the world.”

And she was making a proper mess of it already. She bowed politely, and stammered out, “How do you do, Sir?”

“Bestina’s girl? I’ve heard plenty about your ma, Miss Coriander. How’s she doing?”

“Um. Well enough, sir.” It sounded more like a question than anything.

Satish smiled, the warmest look she’d ever been given by a stranger. It left Coriander flushing, and staring down at her feet, uncomfortable with such familiarity. “That’s good to hear,” he said, and meant it. “We’ve a brand new physician in the city, you know. You should speak with her, see if she can call on you soon.”

“Yes, sir.”

Waites and Satish chatted amongst themselves, and Jasper inched closer to Coriander, moving conspicuously so he wouldn’t scare her. “Have you ever seen such a handsome man,” he all but crooned, trying to whisper best he could. His dark skin was tinged pink, and he seemed all aflutter.

Coriander glanced up momentarily, unable to help the hint of amusement. Had Jasper’s fancy grown that quickly? Was this normal for him? Although, she had to admit Satish was incredibly charismatic, and every movement was astoundingly graceful. It perhaps wouldn’t be hard to fancy a man like that, if he were maybe thirty years younger.

But Satish suddenly grew bashful, looking down at the papers in his hand, and folded them in thirds. “ Do you think, Annie -- well, can I impose upon you, just for one small favor?”

Waites grinned wide, knowing and amused. “That depends on the favor, of course.”

“It’s nothing terribly important. I’ve written a letter, you see, for a man I’ve fancied for quite a while. It’s rather embarrassing -- I’m a flop at poetry, you see, and it’s, well, a poem. For him. And he’s on your way, of course. Old Randallin, he runs the inn you ought to stay at. Best rabbit stew in town. Do you think you might be able to…?”

Waites’ grin didn’t fade, and he nodded gallantly. “I think I could do that for you. But only if you’ve signed your name this time. I don’t think Randallin can last much longer wondering who his secret admirer is.”

Satish held the letter out stiffly, eyes on the ground. “Must I?”

Waites refused the letter. Satish gave in, and turned to Jasper instead. “Young man, would you have mercy on an old, lovestruck man like me?”

Jasper relented all too quickly, taking the letter even as he said, “So long as you promise to do it next time.

Satish brightened immediately, and placed a hand over his heart. “You have my word.” It was a surprisingly solemn vow, ruined when he had to take the letter back and tie it with string, followed by a short argument with Mum, who was all too complete to wander a little ways away to snack on some wildflowers.

Once they were piled back into the cart, Waites bade goodbye to Satish and promised to meet up with him for dinner at least once before leaving, and they went on their way. Jasper held the letter like prized goods, but his gaze swiveled back and forth, never landing on one place for very long. It was as if he was looking for something, Coriander thought. But it made sense, certainly. He had to have come through Mowry to get to Knittelnau, so perhaps he was looking for a familiar face in the crowd, or maybe a landmark he knew.

The houses were some distance apart at first, with a few small farms here and there, but the further in they went, the closer together the buildings became, until some buildings were only separated by a small alleyway, where only two people could walk shoulder-to-shoulder. A seamstress sat outside with their embroidery, chatting easily with the carpenter just across the way, putting the finishing touches on a rocking horse. Candles and hearths lit up countless glass windows, or peeked through the slats in closed shutters.

The river broke off into a few small streams, running parallel to the main road. Wood and stone bridges crossed over it in multiple places, with one particularly large house straddling the river itself. Stairs on both sides lead up to a wooden platform that supported tables and a few important looking members of society chatting very seriously over an open book.

Coriander looked on with wide eyes, awestruck at how closely some people lived, and to see that there were dedicated shop fronts, rather than stalls set up outside peoples’ homes to display their wares. She wondered if everyone knew each other here, or if there were some people who went their entire lives without seeing someone else who might even live just down the street, and never having a clue.

Mowry was so large, and it was only a village, barely a drop of ink on a map. There was so much out there she didn’t even know about. It was terrifying. Coriander shrunk further into the cart, clutching her small bag, even as a little piece of her heart found the very idea exhilarating. She could get lost here in minutes, and while it was terrifying, a tiny part of her was thrilled to know it.

“Where are we going anyway?” Jasper asked. “Mister Runwell seemed to know already.”

“To the inn. We have to sleep somewhere, don’t we?”

“They have an entire inn here?”

Coriander frowned, confused -- both at the idea of a village having an inn, and at the fact that Jasper didn’t seem to know. He had come through Mowry to Knittlenau, hadn’t he?

“Well. Something of an inn. It started out just as a house. Randallin kept expanding it over the years, for better or for worse.”

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