A Forgotten First Meeting
THE CHILDREN at Angel Wing Orphanage ate dinner earlier than normal. After that they were all whisked away to their respective sleeping quarters. Temari went with the flow and quietly went to her usual spot in their quarters. It was a convenient spot because it was near the door.
Temari pretended to be asleep for hours. When she was sure that all the children were sound asleep and she couldn't hear any noise outside their quarters, she carefully stood up. At the young age of ten, Temari already has a talent of moving around without a single sound. No one stirred when she got out of the room. She also didn't meet anyone as she quietly run through the hallway and out of the main building of the orphanage.
Temari went back to the same spot where she and Alex were before the castle alarm rang hours ago. It was dark but it didn't matter to her. She memorized this part of the stone wall. Unknown to Alex and to anyone in the orphanage, she has tried to climb this wall a lot of times. She practiced and waited for the right time to finally get to the other side.
Tonight is the perfect timing. Temari took a deep breath and began to climb. She might be thin, as almost every child in Angel Wing, but she has a natural strong and lithe body. She didn't know how long she took to get to the top but it doesn't matter. The moment she got a look at the other side of the wall, all her tiredness flew away.
Compared to the whole premises of the orphanage, it was bright and colorful in Clearbury. It was as if all the lights are aflame from the lamp posts, houses and establishments. It was late in the night but Temari can hear the quiet murmurs of people. She took a deep breath and she swore she inhaled a sweet scent of a freshly baked bread. Her stomach grumbled.
Temari stayed at the top of the wall for a few more seconds before she effortlessly climbed down. The moment her feet hit the ground she felt her body buzzing in excitement and fulfillment. "I did it!" she whispered to herself, her heart beating fast against her chest. "I got out!"
She couldn't resist the energy buzzing in her body. She run. She didn't care where she might end up to. She run and absorbed the air and the noise around her. She felt like she was in a different world.
Temari just stopped running when she got into a long street where there were lots of people. She gasped as she watched adults setting up tents on each side of the street. They were forming a long line. Some were starting to lay down different items in their tables. There were clothes, food, kitchenware and other things Temari had never seen before.
It took her a few seconds to realize that this must be what a flea market looks like. The kitchen staff in the orphanage always talk about it. But why were these people putting up their tents at this time of night? According to the kitchen staff, there are only flea markets during special occasions when people from other cities and countries visit Clearbury.
Temari looked up and finally realized the reason. She didn't really saw where she was before that moment. There, in front of her on the far distance and at the top of the mountain, was the castle where the royal family of Mowsland resides.
The public viewing for the dead king starts tonight and of course, people from different cities and countries will travel to Clearbury to get a glimpse of him. By tomorrow, this place will be filled with many people.
"I really only have tonight to explore without getting caught by an adult."
Temari took a deep breath and began to walk around. Her feet drag her to the tents that sell food, especially those she had never seen before but smelled amazing. She stopped at one stall where there are a few customers in front of the table, their backs on her. She stared at the delicious looking breads in that table. Everything was obviously freshly cooked based on the smoke coming out of each of the breads. Her stomach grumbled and her mouth watered.
Temari didn't notice how long she was staring at the delicacies in front of him when the vendor suddenly talked to her. "Are you going to buy or not?"
She looked up. There was suspicion in the eyes of the old man. Her heart slammed against her chest. "I…"
"If you don't have money on you then go away. Go back to where you came from. Beggars like you will make this place an eyesore for the visitors that will come to Clearbury. Shoo!"
[I am not a beggar!] Temari wanted to scream. But she remained silent. No one should know that she came from the orphanage or else she will get in trouble. Her gaze lingered at the breads on the table before she finally took a step back. Just when she was about to turn around, someone spoke.
"I will pay for whatever she wants from your breads, mister."
Temari and the vendor both looked at the owner of the voice. It was one of the two young men standing in front of the table of breads. They are both covered by a black hooded cloak from head to foot so she couldn't make out their faces. It was not important for the vendor though, because the shorter one handed him money. The vendor accepted it quickly and glanced at her.
"Get one," the old man commanded her.
Temari wanted to scream that she is not a beggar. But who was she kidding? She was hungry. She grabbed one bread and took a bite. She gasped as the taste burst inside her mouth. She never tasted something like this before. She let out a sound of appreciation and began to eat faster.
It was only after she finished eating that she noticed that the shorter one is already facing her. The light from a nearby lamp post directly hit his face and she was close enough to him that she not only saw how he looked like, their eyes also met.
Temari was so surprised she literally stopped breathing because his eyes were something she never saw before. His eyes were forest green.