Lara

Chapter 1 Lara
Lara sat on the thatched roof of her father. As the light slowly revealed itself over the horizon Lara was engulfed in thought. The war had been going on for five years and didn’t appear to cease anytime soon. Her brother, Jonathan, had entered the war several months ago and ever since she and her father had to do all the work. During winter she had to take care of the house and fire, but during other seasons work was in the fields. Sweating and grueling work was spent just for enough money for food, taxes, and caring for the property and all in it.
Believe it or not the taxes was the most expensive. At the beginning of the new dark lords rule the taxes were low enough to have extra money, but know with the war the dark lord raised it at sometimes and at other lowered it, but it mostly stayed the same.
“Lara, Lara,” called a voice from beneath her. It was her father. Lara quickly jumped from the thatched roof on to the rocky dirt ground, which was only four feet from the roof. She casually walked into the one room house. “Yes father,” answered Lara. “I need you to run quickly over to town and buy some more bread,” said Lara’s dad. Lara’s dad handed over a few coins and Lara pocketed them. Then she jogged out of the hut heading toward the market the money jiggling her pocket.
After an hour or so of jogging the market was in sight and she slowed her pace to a walk. With nothing else to do she listened to the sounds of nature. The birds chirping along with the squirrels. And a gentle breeze blowing the tree tops to and fro. There was a rustle in the bushes and Lara’s full attention was now on this rustle. She decided to start jogging for she knew how dangerous this road could be. Little did she know lurking in the bushes was no animal, but a sly bandit that heard the jiggling of money in her pocket, something he was used to hearing. As she jogged of he decided to lay in wait for her to come back and the sly bandit had lots of patients and was very hungry so waiting wouldn’t be too difficult.
After jogging for another ten minutes she was at the gate to the market and to the city. “State your buiznez miss,” asked the guard eying Lara in a peculiar way. “I’m here to buy some items from the market.” Lara confidently stated. “Very well miss sorry about the questions, but lately there has been some murders.” And with that the gate opened just to close right behind her.
The market was only a block away know and the whole way she was thinking about the murders. She would have to be careful even the city wasn’t safe. Trying to get the bad thoughts and fear off her mind she began to look around. Lara had come he so many times she could tell you the stores you should have passed to get to the market.
Every time she came here Lara passed a general store. It sold merchandise of all kinds and she loved to see what was being displayed in the windows. All looked like junk except for a certain necklace. It was a necklace strung with many gems and in the middle hung a giant sapphire. She looked at the price. It was the most expensive thing she had ever seen, but it was also the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Lara sat and stared at the gem necklace for a few moments then walked off to the market.
The market was basically just a bunch of tents set up with people sitting at each one shouting at people to buy they’re “ fine quality” wares. This market took up almost half the city, because it was many acres Lara walked through all the tents trained to ignore the people selling wares around her. She walked and when the people saw there was no way to sell anything to her they went to the next person. Lara arrived at beautifully decorated tent that contained many loafs of bread and a very old looking women. “I’d like to buy a loaf of bread,” requested Lara. The older women slowly heaved herself out of the chair she had been sitting. She handed over the bread and when Lara gave the money to her she said, “ That’s to much.” And handed over a few coins. Surprised to have money left Lara trotted off happily. With the few coins left she decided to buy something else. Lara walked into the general store and examined they’re wares. She almost gave up on finding something, because much of it was very expensive, but in the back corner of the store she found just what her dad. Feeling wonderful she rushed back to the East gate to start to head home.