In the great plaza of the open-air altar, Miss Cleric slipped almost seamlessly into her role at the celebration. At Lady Silverstar's direction, she sold cheese biscuits in a corner of the festivities.
Adults brought their children over to buy biscuits, and Lady Silverstar watched it all.
"It seems you gained quite a lot from this journey!" Lady Silverstar could sense how much Eleanor's spirit had changed after several months as an observer. Her old loneliness and coldness, that sense of being cut off from everyone, had vanished, replaced by openness, liveliness, and heartfelt joy. "It seems someone was assigned to keep watch, only to end up being the one who was nurtured!"
"Lady Silverstar! Please don't say things like that! The children are watching!" Miss Cleric's pretty face flushed as she lowered her head and protested, "I just... um... gained a lot from this adventure."
"Heh." Lady Silverstar sighed softly. Despite the midsummer heat, a trace of loneliness rose from her. "Since you like him, cherish him. Don't make the mistakes we made before..."
"How wonderful it is to be young." Lady Silverstar left.
"...Miss." A barefoot girl in worn, coarse hemp clothing stood timidly before Eleanor's stall.
"What is it?" Eleanor bent down slightly, her manner gentle. "Would you like some cheese biscuits? They're five copper coins a serving."
"..." The girl fumbled about her clothes, then turned to leave, looking dejected.
Clearly, she did not have enough money.
"Three copper coins will do, too!" Eleanor called the little girl back.
"Do you have any... for one copper coin?" The little girl hung her head. After searching her clothes for quite a while, she produced only a tiny copper coin and looked close to tears. "Sorry, miss. My mother only gave me this much."
"One copper coin really