Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Niall woke up to the smell of bread. His mother had always put bread in the oven to cook before leaving to the apothecary as it was a long walk away. Niall put on his jacket and walked downstairs. Bread was sitting in the oven. If he had woken up an hour later, his breakfast would have been ruined. Niall put a towel over his hands and pulled the bread out, setting it on the counter to cool and sat down at the table. He grabbed a stone melon from under the table and cracked it. Its soft flesh spilled out of the hard shell. Niall put the flesh into the shell and mashed it until it became a soft pulp. He grabbed the soft bread and spread the stone melon mash onto it. This was the traditional post Reverence Day breakfast. Niall quickly ate and ran out the door. Although the day after Reverence Day was a work-free day, with the exception of slaves, Niall had to make it to the town square for the celebration. The Reverence Festival was the biggest celebration of the year, even larger than Reverence Day itself. The sun was thankfully not too bright today. Winter was approaching and the sun would shine less and less. Niall pulled his veil off to appreciate the gray skies. Niall could see the kites and other flying toys above the town square. Upon reaching the festival, Niall could not help but smile. This was his favorite time of year when everyone gathered together in celebration. Niall began walking to the stands. He noticed the dead silence that followed him. Many people were staring at him. Could this be because of the altercation with his father? It had to be. Niall silently cursed him, how could he be so foolish? He walked up to a stand to buy a small northern quail. Their meat was always tender and their stomachs fat. The seller gave Niall a dirty look.