Solo Incense for the Lost

[Autumn Leithea]

60th Day of Winter, 516 AV They were already up by the crack of dawn, hadn't slept all night, already going about their way to make some money by selling water to the local townsfolk in need of water to cook their morning meals of oats and barley with various seasonings. They all were awake as from the white background of the pregnant sky burst forth an incredible sunrise. As the sun rose ever higher the commotion started to pick up a little bit, and a light dancing chatter could be heard here and there. They were walking toward Grandmother Anna's house, their godmother and caretaker for most of their lives (when they weren't out with the gang that is, sleeping in abandoned buildings with their fellow gangmembers, or out on the street, or not at all for days, only to drag their sorry selves back to Grandma Anna's, who would always greet them with a welcome smile.) They loved their Grandma Anna, always welcome they were in her campground, as were most anyone. From hungry travelers to battered refugees, Grandmother Anna gave them medicine, food, and drink, enough to calm their spirits and keep them healthy. Grandmother Anna did have "regulars" so to speak, but anyone was welcome by her fire in the evenings. It was a holiday of sorts today, a holiday only celebrated by a few in Sunberth, a solemn holiday of both grace and solace, a day of both remembrance in reliving the lives of the lost and finding peace in the loss of their loved ones. Traditionally each one celebrating the day was not to sleep the day of. This supposedly, according to the stories, would put you in a dreamlike state somewhere inbetween the real world and the spirit world. Autumn and Marjorie used to hate this holiday, a holiday forced upon them by their Grandma Anna, but now it had become tradition with the both of them and they welcomed it into their lives. They were walking slowly about the dirt roads of The Tent City talking quietly, smiling slowly but heavily, making their way towards Grandmother Anna's campsite in no rush, instead enjoying the walk as they talked in light conversation with eachother.

[Autumn Leithea]

Beautifully weary and blatantly ragged from lack of sleep, the extent of insomnia's careful grasp brought them down to earth and with a airy tinge of what could be thought of as a spiritual state of mind this day. Grandmother Anna's campsite was almost within view as they began to laugh happily with a wondrous distortion of mind, quiet and euphoric, them walking slowly toward their destination without a word spoken between them, sharing their comfortable silence as they went. Others were too carefully living through the day in sleeplessness, and the roads were quiet, people moving with care and without disturbance. It was a foil of their Tent City in how the usual commotion had been quieted in peace of celebrating The Day of Spirits. They approached Grandmother Anna's campsite and smelt the deliciousness that was coffee lingering in the soft morning air. Autumn smiled, "You need some coffee Jorie?" asked Autumn quietly. "Mhmm." said a loving Marjorie. "Grandma Anna!" stated Autumn lovingly and with a rare calmness to her voice just above whispering as she hugged her Grandma Anna. "Hey Grandma Anna." said Marjorie as she too wrapped her arms around her Grandma Anna. "Girls, how have you been?" she said with a loving grin. "We've been well." stated Marjorie. "Good to hear, I'm glad you made it today." "We wouldn't celebrate with anyone else Grandma Anna." said Autumn slowly and quietly. "May we have some coffee?" "Of course, let me get you a cup." sleeplessness weighed upon her as well, and could be heard in her soft loving tones. She entered her tent as the two girls sat down, and Marjorie put her head on Autumn's shoulder, Autumn stroking her hair as Marjorie closed her eyes. "Hey! No sleeping!" said Autumn calmly. "Mmmmm, just a little?" teased Marjorie in a tiredly sultry tone. "Nope." "You jerk." she said quietly, her teasing tones arousing Autumn's sense of sarcasm. They sat there for awhile in silence, Marjorie in a half-sleeping trance with a smile on her face as Autumn continued to stroke her hair lovingly. "Marjorie." said the loving but firm voice of Grandmother Anna as she exited her tent. Though she very rarely took life too seriously, this day was one of a handful of which Grandmother Anna took very seriously. Marjorie sat up and opened her weary eyes. "Here you are girls." she said as she held out two clay bowls to them. They took them and reached into the small cauldron over the fire, filling them with delicious fresh coffee, bringing the rim to their lips to drink after they had blown enough of the heat off of the surface and sipped vigorously. Grandmother Anna preferred not to use anything other than her natural self to remain awake throughout the day and the night, she was very strong in this sense, her spiritual side well deepened over the ages she had lived, and it was a strong part of her character that brought her peace and patience. "Girls," she said with a warm smile "I also brought your favorite!" she held out two dried sticks with wilted leaves on them, a golden and earthen brown color to them. Autumn and Marjories smiled quietly. "Wow! Thank you Grandma Anna!" Autumn said in an enthused but still in diminished tone. "Barbur sticks! You shouldn't have! Thank you!" stated Marjorie still quiet. They each took one and picked some leaves, not too many, but enough. They then rolled them into little balls and began chewing on them. A cooling peppermint taste danced about their tongues as they chewed and in a minute they began to feel a little bit more energy and a deep warmth in their bodies. "It took me a long time and cost me a pretty miza to find those sticks girls. I thought I wouldn't find them in time for The Day of Spirits, but just about a week ago a traveling trader came though and had these. I had to trade some oregano, basil, tobacco, and a few silver mizas for him to trade, but to see your happy faces it was worth it." Grandmother Anna said smiling. "Thank you Grandma Anna." stated Marjorie. Grandmother Anna smiled. "Oh I just love you two to pieces is all." "Here we can help Grandma Anna." Autumn got up and took a seat on the edge of the road. "Coffee, 5cm a bowl." Marjorie helped her Grandmother Anna organize the campsite, still chewing on the Barbur leaves in her mouth, as Autumn advertised to people walking by as to the coffee they could have, her as well chewing on the gummy ball of leaves in her mouth. Marjorie finally got everything square with Grandmother Anna, and began inquiring about her spices and herbs that were hung all about her tent. Marjorie was to be Grandmother Anna's apprentice so that there would be someone if Grandmother Anna was gone to take her place. Autumn learned what she could from Grandmother Anna, but didn't have the patience and care necessary in Grandmother Anna's work that Marjorie had. Autumn was more of a big sister to many, Marjorie more like Grandmother Anna to many. The day began to wear on, a few people giving some copper for coffee, some sitting down and having some light conversation before passing on. Grandmother Anna insisted that Marjorie and them meet on another day to continue sharing her experience with her. By the time that sun was midday they began to hear loud banging sounds of various firecrackers start up. Autumn smiled.

[Autumn Leithea]

"Ow!" stated Marjorie, ears hurting and patience waning as if hung over. "Why must they light those off midday?" "Aw let the kids have their fun Jorie!" said Autumn warmly, her empathy for Jorie's frazzled state and the insomnia keeping her from raising her voice. "Ughhhh..." Jorie put her head down in Autumn's lap sitting right next to her around the fire, the Barbur leaves and coffee keeping her from shutting her eyes. "You alright down there babe?" "Mhmm. You're nice and warm." Autumn smiled, caressing Marjorie's hair, then leaning over to give her a long kiss on the cheek. Autumn felt wonderful from the Barbur leaves. Peppermint tasting, and with a gummy texture to them, Autumn could chew a whole branch of these leaves if she wanted to. They kept one awake and alert, and felt as if an inner fire were fueling her with warmth. "Thank you again for the Barbur leaves Gramma Anna! They're wonderful!" "Aw dearie, only the best for my little Autumn and Marjorie." They sat quietly for awhile, interrupted periodically by the sounds of firecrackers, drinking coffee and chewing Barbur gum leaves. It was a beautiful day outside, and the sun was growing high into the sky. After an hour of near silence with periodic conversation, Autumn decided that they would go to the markets for a very special thing indeed. "How many candles do you have Gramma Anna?" "Three honey." "That's not enough. I need two, Jorie needs two, you need however many." "One." "One, we'll go to the markets and get some." "Be careful dearies!" "Jorie, you ready?" "Ughh, get me up and walking and I'll be fine." "Sure thing babe." Autumn stood up and grabbed Marjorie's arm and yanked her up, Marjorie wavering as if she was going to fall at first, then stood steady. "Okay see you soon Gramma Anna!" stated Marjorie. "Okay! Good luck!" ---------------------- "You'd expect more stalls would be open" stated Marjorie. "You'd be surprised how many people celebrate the Day of Spirits Jorie." "True." Despite the holiday, and there were less people and many stalls closed, there was still a bustling fervor of capitalism about on this day. Many people were still out and about at the markets, buying food and goods much like any other day. Autumn and Marjorie were still holding their dried golden Barbur leaves, chewing on big gummy wads in their cheeks. They walked down the line of stalls, some of the regulars empty, showing their spiritual side in their absence. This one and the next, with prices being advertised vocally per usual. "One gold miza per snapper!" "Five gold mizas a hammer, well made hammers here!" "Bean oil here! Two mizas per jar!" Usually they would recreationally go from stall to stall finding deals, trading, bartering, sometimes for things they wouldn't need, but today they only needed candles, and for that they needed money. "Oh I hope she's there..." Marjorie said. And there she was. They walked over and she instantly was interested in their Barbur sticks. "Oh my! Barbur leaves!" she stated. "One silver per leaf and one gold if it's on the stick." stated Autumn. "Well isn't that a deal? Especially today! I'll do it. Two sticks, twenty-six leaves total? What does that come out to two gold plus six silver plus two gold? Four gold and six silver please!" "You know she's going to make a huge profit on that today Autumn..." whispered Marjorie in Autumn's ear. "Yeah I know, but we need the money." whispered Autumn in reply. "Plus we already have enough to chew on already, this will last us hours." "True." whispered Marjorie. "There you go young ladies. Tell Grandmother Anna if she wants to trade at my herbal shop she is free to do so." "You and I both know she drives a hard bargain unless you're in need." stated Autumn flatly. "Mhmm, and I'm always in need of tradeable herbs." "True. Thank you!" said Autumn. They left and continued going up and down the rows of shops looking for candles, but window shopping as well. The market was alive today, though they thought it would be dead. People everywhere shopping for this and that, the loud boasting of trade goods being advertised as they went. They finally came upon a strange little shop near the ends of one the more occupied rows of the market. A little shop darkly lit, with heavy canvas coverign most of it, with little unlit candles everywhere. "Can I help you?" said the owner in a strange, flowing accent of native tongue, not foreign." "Yes we need two little candles, white, and unscented." said Autumn. "Ah, Day of Spirits it is, yes?" "Indeed." "Here are two ordinary white candles." The woman put them on the table between them. "That's five silver a piece, coming to one gold,." "You're practically robbing us..." stated Marjorie. "It's okay, it's just business. I mean, what if people were to hear that a woman in a candle shop were charging exuberant prices for common household items?" said Autumn, quietly threatening the shop owner. "Then they would also know that today is the Day of Spirits, when such items are in high demand, and in such short supply that it's only natural that such things cost so much on this day. Plus, as a logical extension, people would know that such items would cost less on regular days, when there is less demand and more supply than on a day when such items are commonly bought out. It's just business." said the savvy shopkeeper with a grin. "Touche shopkeeper. What else do you sell if you don't mind me asking?" "Incense, candles, healing herbs, scented candles, drugged candles..." "Drugged candles!?" said Marjorie. "Yes." "I see." said Autumn, turning to Marjorie. "We should try those." "Maybe another time..." said Marjorie. "We do need incense though..." "10 incense sticks for 1 gold." "Done." said Autumn taking the deal as a bribe, as incense cost very much more, especially on a day such as this. "Such a good deal! I wonder what my friends will think if I tell them there is such items as these at a shop in the far end of the fourth row of the markets..." stated Autumn with a smile towards the shopkeeper, who smiled back. "We'll be sure to come back if you have candles imbued with certain substances." said Autumn. "My candles can be imbued with anything under the sun. If you want a custom candle with a custom recipe, than you can request one. You get one to try out the new recipe as a guinea pig, and then the rest will cost you, a lot, unless the candle becomes popular, in which case more would be made, making it less costly." "Alright, sounds like a deal." said Autumn. "I'll be sure to spread the word." "Make it a good word and I'll give you ten more incense sticks for five silver." "Done." Autumn and Marjorie grabbed the incense and put it into their bags, along with the candles. Autumn nodded and smiled at the shop owner, whom nodded back with a smile. "Good doing business with you." "And you as well." They left on that note and walked down the row filled with people and shop owners towards the outskirts of Sunberth with their belongings.

[Autumn Leithea]

30 minutes later... Marjorie had plunged herself into yet another volume of Grandmother Anna's collection of herbalist books, having drawings and pressed leaves and a great amount of text concerning the subject. Marjorie was always happy to read, and though Autumn read as well for her it was more of a passtime, reading the great literature of Mizahar brought and traded from travelers hailing from the great cities of the world; mainly Zeltiva and Syliras. Grandmother Anna prized these volumes greatly, and rarely traded them away. Through many a wandering traveler she had paid and traded a great deal to collect them, and she shared them only with her closest friends. "Jorie you want some coffee babe?" Marjorie turned to Autumn softly, bags under her eyes. "No I'm alright." and with that she turned back to her studies. Autumn took two bowls off of one of the logs surrounding the smouldering campfire and filled each about halfway, and brought one to the entrance of Grandmother Anna's modest tent. "Gramma Anna, I have some coffee for you." said Autumn in a tired low voice, just above whispering. Grandmother Anna emerged with a light smile to her complexion. "Thank you dearie. Thank you for bringing the candles, the spirits will rejoice in their flickering love." "Anytime Gramma Anna." Autumn went and sat down next to Marjorie, and put her hands on her shoulders, both of their heads falling tiredly together at the same time. Autumn closed her eyes and put her fingers through Marjorie's hair lovingly. Marjorie hummed for a moment enjoying Autumn's caress and closed her eyes for a moment just feeling her touch, finally opening them again to quietly read. Grandmother Anna emerged from the tent in good spirits with a full pipe of a dry herbal mixture of tea, fine tobacco, skunk weed, and various herbs Autumn and Marjorie were all too familiar with. "Here girls, this will mellow you out a little." Grandmother Anna lit the pipe and took a puff, passing it to Autumn whom puffed at it as well, who in turn passed it to Marjorie. "This is very tasty Gramma Anna, thank you! You know, you're not praised for your generosity enough." "Oh it's alright, I just love you two to death!" The wondrous spiced skunk weed let them mellow, and as they passed it around a welcome euphoria enveloped them and they felt warmer; as if receiving a warm hug. "Here." Grandmother Anna stated, and took one of two bottles of what looked like wine from beside the fire and passed it to Autumn. Autumn uncorked the bottle and took a swig. "Mmmm! Warm spiced wine! My favorite! You shouldn't have!" "I know you two want to have some fun tonight. Take a few swigs for warmth and then set it back by the fire to stay warm." Autumn took a few swigs and passed it to Marjorie; deep within the pages of the herbalist book she had borrowed from Grandmother Anna. Marjorie closed the book to make sure she didn't spill and ruin any of the precious pages within the volume, her string bookmark's frayed tassel keeping her place. She took a generous few swigs and then passed it back to Autumn, who took another couple of swigs and then put it by the fire. Her belly immediately felt warmer, as if there was a glowing hearth deep within her chest. Combined with the spiced skunk weed, the warm spiced wine left both Autumn and Marjorie warm and fuzzy. With Grandmother Anna and Marjorie deep within their literature Autumn decided to take a walk. "Hey I'm gonna go take a walk, I'll be back in a bit." "Be careful dearie." said Grandmother Anna. "See you soon babe." stated Marjorie looking up from her book for a moment. And with that Autumn trudged out of the campsite in a warm, sleepless daze, feeling absolutely content.

[Autumn Leithea]

It was the evening, and the Tent City was alive. Children were playing, running this way and that, shooting off small fireworks and chewing barbur leaves as they were laughing and carrying on. Up in the sky was shot the occasional large bursting firework and when each one went off everybody cheered. Everywhere you could see people drinking and eating and loving one another. Everyone was in good spirits. It was a celebration of life, and also that of bringing back the spirits of the lost. At twelve in the morning the spirit world was said to be closer to the real world than usual, and then they would honor their relatives' passing, lighting candles to guide the spirits to the real world, and then help them return to the spirit world, celebrating that they were now in a good place. It was around eleven thirty and Autumn, Marjorie, and Grandmother Anna were making their way through the exuberance around them toward one of the many candlelit shrines scattered across the Tent City. "Everyone looks so happy..." said Marjorie with her head on Autumn's shoulder as they walked. "I don't understand how these kids can be so full of energy having not slept." stated Autumn, running her fingers through Marjorie's hair. "You were like that once the two of you you know." said Grandmother Anna. "Wiley as any." Campsite after campsite with a warm hearth in the middle, family's and friends sharing a precious day without infighting and violence. After awhile Autumn, Marjorie, and Grandmother Anna were joined in a large river of people each heading towards a shrine to honor their loved ones passed. After a while of walking and tired conversation,they made it to the shrine. People sat around it in a semicircle passing around wine and skunk weed and barbur leaves. The three walked up to it, placing their candles, each for a person they had lost, lighting the candles with the others. They then placed a few sticks of incense and joined the joyous celebration of their loved ones past being free in the spirit world and coming to visit them. Placing her two candles carefully Autumn had tears in her eyes. "Dad, Mom, I love you so much..." She said a prayer and dried her eyes. "I'll see you again someday."

[Aladari Coolwater]

PM'you about this already, but I need you to update your ledger. Let me know when it's done so I can get grading.