Everwatch was loud and bustling. Carriages sped down the streets without concern for the people trying to walk about. It felt like everyone was yelling over each other, competing to be the loudest fish in their big pond. Harriet scrunched her brows as she thought over that statement. It didn’t sound quite right.

Iris plodded along, not fazed at all by the chaos. Harriet vaguely remembered where the market was and she steered Iris in that direction.

The market was just as busy as the main street. Harriet froze on Iris’ back. Vendors were selling everything from shiny trinkets, to flowers, to pets, to… There was a lot.

“Fresh caught fish!” A deep voice boomed over the crowd. “Fresh from the sea!” Harriet urged Iris towards him. A burly man had a table with several fish laid out. His fish were much smaller than the ones Harriet had with her. She slipped off Iris’ back and tugged Iris along with her to the man.

“Excuse me!” The man must not have heard her, so she accidentally slammed into his side. “Sorry, sir! The crowd must have pushed me!” she said when the man jumped and glared down at her. Iris was behind her blocking the crowd, but the man didn’t call her on it. “I was wondering if you could help me?”

His glare softened some and he sighed. “Aren’t you a little young to be out here alone? Did you lose your parents?”

Harriet stiffened. She threw her shoulders back and held her chin high. “No! I came here from Sunset Point by myself to sell my fish.”

The man chuckled. “Yeah? All right then, what do you need help with, little lass?”

Harriet deflated some at that. “I don’t know how to sell the fish. And after I sell them, I don’t know where the medicine lady is.”

Silence rang between them. The chaos of their surroundings didn’t calm, but Harriet was very aware of how quiet the man was being. His eyes had a look in them that Harriet couldn’t define. “Let me see your fish. I’ll buy them from you.” His voice was soft and Harriet didn’t like it.

Harriet felt her cheeks heat up. The man pitied her. He was buying her fish, not because he wanted or needed them, but because he felt bad for her. If Walter wasn’t sick at home then she’d climb right back on Iris and find someone else to help her. Instead, she turned and carefully removed the first of the fish from her saddle bag. “I’ve only got six,” she said as she turned back around with her arms full of the first of the fish.

The man stared at the fish in her arms. He shook his head and reached for them. She let him take them from her arms and turned to grab the rest. “These are mighty big fish. We haven’t seen much of this sort since Sunset Point…” The man trailed off. “Doesn’t matter, does it? What kind of medicine are you looking for?”

Harriet explained how Walter was acting. The man’s concern deepened, then he reached for the box on the table and handed her a mound of coins. She had no idea if it was how much the fish were worth or not, but she wasn’t going to complain. “Keep on through the plaza that way. When you get to the house with a sign shaped like a bird, you’ve found it. If you get lost, come back here and find me.”

“Thank you!” Harriet stowed the coins away and climbed back on Iris. The man gave her a wave. She grinned at him and turned Iris in the direction the man had indicated. Once she was through the plaze, the door with the bird sign wasn’t hard to find. The medicine lady listened to her carefully and then gathered up everything Harriet needed. A cleanly written list of instructions was added to the bag, but the medicine lady walked her through everything verbally as well.

The pile of coins the fish man had given her was barely dented.