An Unlikely Visitor
The Girl In The Market
Light from the full moon cast a brilliant glow across the dark sea waters. The waves slowly lapped up against the white sand of the beach. The air became eerily still as a faint figure rose from the sea. The dark silhouette moved toward where the water met the land. A pair of pale feet emerged from the black water. A girl with brilliant light hair took in her surroundings; a small smile crept its way across her face as she began to walk away from the ocean and further up the beach.
“Thanks again for coming with me into the village today, Merlin” Gwen said as they passed another cloth vender. “I hate going into the village alone. It’s so much more fun when someone else comes along.”
“Of course, because cloth shopping is the highlight of my day, only second to washing Arthur’s soiled tunics.” Merlin replied sarcastically.
Gwen smiled. “Cheer up. If you’re a good boy I’ll spare a few coins and buy you something. Would you like that?”
Merlin forced a weak smile. “God, you sound like my mother.”
“Well, it doesn’t help that you’re acting like a child.” Gwen returned.
Merlin chuckled. “Alright, alright I’ll be good.”
Gwen smiled. “That’s more like it.”
The pair waded throughout the crowded village surrounding the magnificent castle of Camelot. The aromas of cooking food floated throughout the many stalls that lined the pathways. Venders from all over the continent sold their goods: Exotic oils from Egypt, vases from Italy, statues and marble from Greece; there was so much to take in. Gwen stopped at a vendor from the Middle East who had a large assortment of dark material. As she looked over the material the vendor kept insisting to her that the cloth was pure satin, the finest in all of Baghdad, Merlin’s eyes began to wonder. He watched the people walk past him: mothers with hoards of screaming children tugging on their sleeves, chickens and other livestock being transported here and there, homeless men begging for scraps of food or money in the street. Suddenly, a booming voice caught Merlin’s attention.
“I’ve told you for the thousandth time, you can’t pay with those!”
Merlin searched the crowed for the origin of the angry voice.
“What do you think of this color, Merlin? Do you think Morgana would like this? Merlin?” Gwen asked. But when she turned around, Merlin had disappeared.
Merlin searched the crowded market place. He couldn’t quite locate where the voice was coming from; until he saw her.
A small, pale figure dressed in a green tunic was standing in front of a vendor whose face was turning purple.
Merlin made his way to where the girl stood. “Sorry, but what’s all the hubbub about?”
The vendor turned his attention to the tall, gangly boy in font of him. The man was portly with violent green eyes. He was dressed rather well off for a villager, but the accent in his voice proved that he was a foreigner. His hair was gray and thinning and as he fumed, it floated back and forth to the rhythm of his breathing.
“This young lady is refusing to pay me for this cloak!” he bellowed.
Merlin faced the girl. “Is this true?”
The girl faced Merlin. Her eyes were a brilliant emerald color, complementing the pale color of her skin. Her hair was a brilliant light blonde and it went down past her shoulders in waves. Now that Merlin was closer to her, he noticed that the girl was wearing a tunic made out of a queer material; seaweed or some sort of gauze material. It was tied around her neck and went down just above her knees. No wonder she wanted a cloak. She stared at Merlin with a childlike innocence. Was she also a foreigner? Did she not speak the King’s language? Merlin tore his eyes away from the mysterious girl and looked at what she had apparently tried to use to pay for the cloak.
“Sea shells?” Merlin asked.
“Sea shells!” the merchant cried. “How am I supposed to feed my family with sea shells?!”
Merlin picked up one of the sea shells and showed it to the girl. “You can’t pay with this.” He said. “I don’t know if this is what your people pay with, but I’m sorry to say, it won’t suffice here.”
Merlin took the girl’s hand to return the shell to; as he did so he felt how unnaturally cold her hand was. And as she spread her fingers to retrieve the shell, he noticed something between her fingers. It almost looked like a thin layer of skin was linking one finger to the next.
The girl wasn’t as awe struck as Merlin was. She looked more confused than anything.
She must really be a foreigner Merlin thought.
The girl’s eyes narrowed as she snatched the shell, slammed it on the vendor’s stall, and pointed violently at a green cloak hanging on a rack.
“Not again! She keeps doing this every time I give her the shell back!” the vendor cried in anguish.
Merlin frowned. He was completely at a loss. He picked up the shell again and held it in front of the girl’s face.
“Not money.” He insisted. “You need real money. Gold”
The girl stared for a moment. Maybe now she was starting to get the picture. Her eyes started to open widely.
Finally! Now we’re making progress! Merlin thought as he smiled.
But before Merlin could properly pat himself on the back, the girl quickly reached up and grabbed the sides of his jacket; pulling him closer to her face. And before Merlin knew it, he was locking lips with the mysterious girl. Shock, confusion, and happiness shot through his body as he stood there awkwardly kissing the strange foreigner. But he began to feel something else. Something strange. He felt like something was being taken from him. Like something was being absorbed by the girl. Merlin began to go limp in the knees, a feeling of coldness coming over him.
“Merlin?!”
The girl broke the kiss and Merlin spun around to face the confused and shocked face of Gwen. She was holding the dark satin that was at the previous vendor’s stall in one hand and her purse of gold coins in the other.
“Gwen! Um, it’s not what it looks like!”
Merlin became very aware that an audience had now gathered around them, watching the melodrama paying out.
“Well, now that that’s over.” came a light voice.
Merlin returned to face where the girl was standing. The look of confusion on her face was now completely gone. She ignored Merlin and the other onlookers, returning to he vendor.
“I’m so sorry, my good man, but I was unaware that my money wasn’t of any use here. Please pardon my ignorance.”
The vendor gawked at the now English fluent girl. “Um, it’s alright?”
The girl flashed him a brilliant smile. She turned to look at Gwen and Merlin.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Is that your money in that purse?”
Gwen nodded slowly.
“Would you mind if I borrowed three gold pieces? I promise I’ll return the favor in some way.”
“But, I have three pieces exactly.” Gwen replied. “And I promised Merlin…”
Merlin snatched the purse from Gwen. “Consider this your repayment to me for the cloth shopping.” He removed the three gold pieces from the bag and slammed them on the vendor’s stall. “Give the lady her cloak!”
“Thanks again for coming with me into the village today, Merlin” Gwen said as they passed another cloth vender. “I hate going into the village alone. It’s so much more fun when someone else comes along.”
“Of course, because cloth shopping is the highlight of my day, only second to washing Arthur’s soiled tunics.” Merlin replied sarcastically.
Gwen smiled. “Cheer up. If you’re a good boy I’ll spare a few coins and buy you something. Would you like that?”
Merlin forced a weak smile. “God, you sound like my mother.”
“Well, it doesn’t help that you’re acting like a child.” Gwen returned.
Merlin chuckled. “Alright, alright I’ll be good.”
Gwen smiled. “That’s more like it.”
The pair waded throughout the crowded village surrounding the magnificent castle of Camelot. The aromas of cooking food floated throughout the many stalls that lined the pathways. Venders from all over the continent sold their goods: Exotic oils from Egypt, vases from Italy, statues and marble from Greece; there was so much to take in. Gwen stopped at a vendor from the Middle East who had a large assortment of dark material. As she looked over the material the vendor kept insisting to her that the cloth was pure satin, the finest in all of Baghdad, Merlin’s eyes began to wonder. He watched the people walk past him: mothers with hoards of screaming children tugging on their sleeves, chickens and other livestock being transported here and there, homeless men begging for scraps of food or money in the street. Suddenly, a booming voice caught Merlin’s attention.
“I’ve told you for the thousandth time, you can’t pay with those!”
Merlin searched the crowed for the origin of the angry voice.
“What do you think of this color, Merlin? Do you think Morgana would like this? Merlin?” Gwen asked. But when she turned around, Merlin had disappeared.
Merlin searched the crowded market place. He couldn’t quite locate where the voice was coming from; until he saw her.
A small, pale figure dressed in a green tunic was standing in front of a vendor whose face was turning purple.
Merlin made his way to where the girl stood. “Sorry, but what’s all the hubbub about?”
The vendor turned his attention to the tall, gangly boy in font of him. The man was portly with violent green eyes. He was dressed rather well off for a villager, but the accent in his voice proved that he was a foreigner. His hair was gray and thinning and as he fumed, it floated back and forth to the rhythm of his breathing.
“This young lady is refusing to pay me for this cloak!” he bellowed.
Merlin faced the girl. “Is this true?”
The girl faced Merlin. Her eyes were a brilliant emerald color, complementing the pale color of her skin. Her hair was a brilliant light blonde and it went down past her shoulders in waves. Now that Merlin was closer to her, he noticed that the girl was wearing a tunic made out of a queer material; seaweed or some sort of gauze material. It was tied around her neck and went down just above her knees. No wonder she wanted a cloak. She stared at Merlin with a childlike innocence. Was she also a foreigner? Did she not speak the King’s language? Merlin tore his eyes away from the mysterious girl and looked at what she had apparently tried to use to pay for the cloak.
“Sea shells?” Merlin asked.
“Sea shells!” the merchant cried. “How am I supposed to feed my family with sea shells?!”
Merlin picked up one of the sea shells and showed it to the girl. “You can’t pay with this.” He said. “I don’t know if this is what your people pay with, but I’m sorry to say, it won’t suffice here.”
Merlin took the girl’s hand to return the shell to; as he did so he felt how unnaturally cold her hand was. And as she spread her fingers to retrieve the shell, he noticed something between her fingers. It almost looked like a thin layer of skin was linking one finger to the next.
The girl wasn’t as awe struck as Merlin was. She looked more confused than anything.
She must really be a foreigner Merlin thought.
The girl’s eyes narrowed as she snatched the shell, slammed it on the vendor’s stall, and pointed violently at a green cloak hanging on a rack.
“Not again! She keeps doing this every time I give her the shell back!” the vendor cried in anguish.
Merlin frowned. He was completely at a loss. He picked up the shell again and held it in front of the girl’s face.
“Not money.” He insisted. “You need real money. Gold”
The girl stared for a moment. Maybe now she was starting to get the picture. Her eyes started to open widely.
Finally! Now we’re making progress! Merlin thought as he smiled.
But before Merlin could properly pat himself on the back, the girl quickly reached up and grabbed the sides of his jacket; pulling him closer to her face. And before Merlin knew it, he was locking lips with the mysterious girl. Shock, confusion, and happiness shot through his body as he stood there awkwardly kissing the strange foreigner. But he began to feel something else. Something strange. He felt like something was being taken from him. Like something was being absorbed by the girl. Merlin began to go limp in the knees, a feeling of coldness coming over him.
“Merlin?!”
The girl broke the kiss and Merlin spun around to face the confused and shocked face of Gwen. She was holding the dark satin that was at the previous vendor’s stall in one hand and her purse of gold coins in the other.
“Gwen! Um, it’s not what it looks like!”
Merlin became very aware that an audience had now gathered around them, watching the melodrama paying out.
“Well, now that that’s over.” came a light voice.
Merlin returned to face where the girl was standing. The look of confusion on her face was now completely gone. She ignored Merlin and the other onlookers, returning to he vendor.
“I’m so sorry, my good man, but I was unaware that my money wasn’t of any use here. Please pardon my ignorance.”
The vendor gawked at the now English fluent girl. “Um, it’s alright?”
The girl flashed him a brilliant smile. She turned to look at Gwen and Merlin.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Is that your money in that purse?”
Gwen nodded slowly.
“Would you mind if I borrowed three gold pieces? I promise I’ll return the favor in some way.”
“But, I have three pieces exactly.” Gwen replied. “And I promised Merlin…”
Merlin snatched the purse from Gwen. “Consider this your repayment to me for the cloth shopping.” He removed the three gold pieces from the bag and slammed them on the vendor’s stall. “Give the lady her cloak!”