[i]Rays of light poured through the windows as the sun itself slowly descended past the horizon despite the bustling activity still blanketing upon that meager village from one end to the other, merchants screaming at the top of their lungs, one above the other ; in a desperate bid to sell what little wares they are still capable of before the townsfolk retreat to their homes for the incoming night. Their boisterous shouts incoherent, muffled amidst one another and the hustle of everyday farmer and crafter strutting across the main square, their incessant chatter and whispering captivating the fullness of their attention and leaving the merchants with none of it to spare. All whilst birds chirped a soft melody, perched atop the numerous rooftops themselves, the straw padding serving to provide ample shelter for all which bothered to call the town home for the night. Beady eyes staring down upon the overcrowded - claustrophobic - streets for any stray prey they could find, any puddle of spilled water or ale to drink from, and any crumbs left behind by careless children running through the alleyways amidst their games. Slowly but surely it all began to die down, for silence to overtake those desolate streets as torched lit up the main pathways to either end of the hamlet, meager illumination pouring out through the various adobes due to the candles lit upon the windowsills. One by one they found themselves snuffed out, building by building falling prey to exhaustion, all but a handful of exceptions. A pair of buildings littered on opposite ends of town, whom bustled with cheer and good will even in the late hours of night. From which songs of merry and songs of sorrow poured outwards through the open doorway, tables strung across the yard in its immediate vicinity overburdened with men and women drinking away their worry.

[color=orange][b]"Seriously?! Are you serious?! Yer' not pulling my leg, right?!"[/b][/color] Was but one of the overexcited voices lost amidst that sea of chatter, widened eyes twinkling with an innocent glint as the silver-haired boy quickly jumped onto his feet ; dainty palms jutting out from underneath that ragged cloak hoisted upon his shoulders as they barreled down towards the wooden table before him, letting out an audible [b]THUD[/b] that shook the mug resting upon it ever so slightly. Tiers curled across those dusky cheeks into an excited - overly so - smile that stretched out from ear to twitching ear, the young lad hopping up-n'-down the tip of his toes as the burly drunk sitting next to him broke out in a maniacal cackle. [color=brown]"S'true boy, s'true! Cross me heart and 'ope ta' die! They got's everything up 'ere! Chocolate, Sweets, . . . errm . . . "[/color] He responded after taking another swing of his drink and turning his head towards the side, chin resting upon the patch between thumb and finger in a contemplative stance. Until the enthusiastic boy dug a palm down one of the two pouches hanging off his belt, sliding another bundle of silver over towards him and hailing the nearest maid for another round of ale. [color=orange][b]"And caramel, right?! Right?! They got caramel up there?!"[/b][/color] He shouted out almost immediately, eliciting another ragged bout of laughter from the disheveled man before him as he was fed the answer to his dilemma. [color=brown]"An' caramel, yeh'! Boatloads of the stuff boy! The finest in the land! I heards theys be givin' it out fo' free to all who cared!"[/color] He answered after a short pause before chugging the remainder of his drink, palm swiping away the foam covering his lips as the two continued to chat, until either the man ran out of flagrant lies or the boy out of coin to keep him talking. Those around could easily tell that truth had been so far removed from the man's fiction, he might of as well had been spilling him tales of his youth as a daring Knight rescuing damsels and fighting off dragons, and they wouldn't be too surprised were the self-professed monk to actually buy it. Quite the opposite in fact, as they had simply fueled those fantasies further for another hour and another round of drinks.

By the time the dial struck two before midnight, the giddy scamp was already running as fast as his legs could take him. Off the beaten road and up a desolate path leading through the woods crawling with wolves, bears, and boars alike. Danger not even registering upon his mind as he clutched the pouch against his chest, now bereft of coin and with confidence it would be overflowing with treats by the time the crimson moon above struck true in the sky. Nary the splendor of the mansion from afar as he climbed the hill nor the metallic gates delimiting the property itself had stopped him in his frenzy, climbing above them and jumping to the other side merely to dart towards those exquisite wooden doors led to by a set of stairs, not even bothering to follow the circular path through the garden in front of the building but simply opting to hop through it to reach his destination faster. As he raised himself onto the tip of his toes and gripped the iron ring engraved within a wolves' head, [b]slamming[/b] it against the door again and again, he simply stood in place. Bouncing onto the tips and heels of his feet, arms outstretched and holding the empty bag, his tattered rags even more dirtied than before as mud and greenery stuck upon them. Yet those twinkling, widened orbs and that wide toothed smile of his never faded for an instant as he continued to knock on the door until an answer was received.[/i]