The Elderly Man's Past (2)

~ The Next Day ~

It was early morning when the fruit vendor started opening his stand. He opened the front tarp flap, to prepare to shade him from the sun. It was well placed so that only paying customers, by extension those who came close enough to pay, would benefit from the beating of the sunlight. It was quite harsh in this climate come noon time. 

"Oh, already opening up are you?" A familiar young man's voice jokingly asked. 

"What?! You're here already? I thought you'd have at least another couple of hours." The vendor exclaimed momentarily.

"I figured it's best to be here the whole day. Or at least until I catch this kid." The Young man smiled and chuckled lightly. 

"Are you sure about that? Don't you have a wife at home waiting for you? Is she okay with this? I wouldn't want to be driving a wedge in between you two." The fruit vendor asked, as he continued to set things up, after tossing a ripe fruit over to the young man. 

"Ah, no need to worry. She's enthralled in her baking. We had finished our morning prayers to Lady Eternia. Then I promptly came here." The young man said, biting into the fruit. "Oh my, these fruits are amazing, what is this one called again?" He asked, promptly devouring the rest of the fruit. 

"That's a crimsonia, be careful not to eat the core of… You ate the core didn't you…" The vendor asked, shaking his head with a sigh.

"What? I thought… Wait, I wasn't supposed to? The damn guard training said to eat everything. I even lick my plates clean." The young man said.

"Well, at least it won't cause you any problems. It's just I'm sure your wife knows this but returning the seeds to the farms is quite important. But, fortunately they won't cause any damage to someone like you." The fruit Vendor explained, chuckling to himself. 

"Oh, alright. Sounds good. It definitely tastes much better than those snake monsters. If those things can't break my stomach then I doubt much of anything could." The young man laughed. 

"Well, don't forget why you're here alright. I won't press charges against that boy so long as he stops stealing food." The vendor said. 

"Good, I think there might be circumstances that led the boy to think that was the only path for him. Perhaps… Well, We will see what happens once I see the boy." The young man said, changing his demeanor to one of thoughtful curiosity. "To be able to outrun and outwit a grown adult. And one previously trained as a guardsman. That is no easy task, even if you've retired with injuries. That shouldn't be so easy to pull off. I must admit it makes me curious about how keen his sense is." He continued. 

"Well, so long as you can promise that boy won't steal from me again I'll be satisfied." The Vendor sighed, placing a hand over his injured torso. The injury hidden beneath his shirt. "That was a less than pleasant day." He mumbled. 

"I won't bring it up again if you don't want it brought up, but remember this; You are not the only one who has experienced such horrors. Remember what we talked about yesterday…" The young man said, with a sideways, yet warm look in his eyes. 

"I do, but it doesn't make it any easier to bear." The vendor said, with a heavy sigh. "The memory of that day… It makes me glad women aren't in the guard. Something like that… Shouldn't be experienced by anyone let alone the fairer sex." The vendor said, sitting down, clasping his hands and trembling. 

"Mind if I ask you something?" The young man asked. 

"Hmm," The vendor nodded, with a mumble. 

"Why don't you go and ask Lady Eternia for healing? She is not a fickle goddess. She would actually be thankful to you for appearing. Her children always need practice using their own healing arts. And I'm sure they wouldn't mind if it was just a single fruit as the offering." The young man asked, explaining the ease of which it could be done. "If you like, I can escort you there myself. No charge to you. I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be making a visit there soon as it is. Asking for the Lady's blessings for a safe and healthy child birth for my wife." He added, making it all that much harder to refuse. 

"Heh, it seems like you still have some growing to do. While I do agree that it would be far in a way better for my health if I went to beseech my Goddess to heal this wound. I can't simply cast aside a wound I earned in service of protecting her people." The vendor sighed, with a smile as he looked up and out to see a few people starting to walk about. 

"I… I think I understand. Though would it not be better if you got healed?" The young man asked again. 

"For others maybe. But for me… I don't think so. The defense of one's people is like all other professions. It will one day be handed down to the next generation. Never forget this fact so long as you draw breath." The vendor smiled. 

"Hmm, I understand. Training the next generation is our job… I see. Never thought it would be applied in your case. But I won't fault you for it. A peaceful life is nothing to complain about." The young man replied, stretching a little bit. 

The market, like every day previous, was now bustling. With many people walking all over the place making their daily, or other purchases. And in an alleyway just out of site from the fruit vendor's stand, a boy was watching. 

"Today… I have to get away again. I can't let my friend and her little brother starve…" The boy mumbled to himself. "But why is it that today feels different… It's… Like a warning and also… Not? Oh well, let's go… Now!" He mumbled just as he darted out into the crowd making a B-line for the stand.