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“seeker” to detect her. All she
was doing was “opening the door” to hear the emotional chatter that
was out there.
    She picked up her pack and with Tempo on her
shoulder headed for a open spot on the road between wagon groups.
She remembered to hold her shoulders back and to put a slight
swagger to her walk. Her plan was to drift back from her entry
point on the road, letting certain wagons overtake her. That way
she could “listen” as groups went by. If she hadn’t found a likely
“employer” by the time everyone stopped for the evening she could
leisurely stroll forward though the caravans to see if prospects
were better ahead. She was aware that it may take days to find the
right person. In the meantime she could simply listen to see if
anything felt “off”.
    Because of all of the Autumn Gathers and
restocking of businesses before winter there were many kinds of
guilds represented in the merchant caravan. The Weavers Guild was
there. Her father had been a member of that one. There was the
Tinker’s Guild with their appliance repair wagons filled with gears
and parts for everything from windmills and washing tubs to glow
stone pedestals and solar panels. Erin also spotted a small wagon
with paraglide equipment and the Tanners Guild cart. The Herbalist
Guild wagon was fragrant with spices and medicinal herbs and the
Archival Guild had books, paper making equipment, paper, paints and
colored inks. There was a Musician wagon and a Glass Maker, a Tool
supplier and the Miner Guild with Glow Stones and jewelry. There
was just about every occupation Erin could think of. Because her
family had lived isolated she had rarely attended the fall and
spring gathers but it was definitely fair time. That meant that
there was a strong possibility that she could learn something if
she could become part of them. merchants were information
gatherers. It was the nature of the trade.
    Erin kept her mental door open. There were
tired road weary people in the train. Some seemed bad tempered and
others had mild curiosity when they saw the scruffy boy. She
rejected the grumpy ones automatically and the ones who would not
want a “smelly, dirty” boy near their goods and watched the wagons
and the animals with the others. The tinkers wagon was overloaded
and the dray animals exhausted. That was a problem she couldn't
fix. The small paraglider and tanner wagons didn’t need any extra
people. The best bet, out of this set, was the Miner Guild or the
Tool wagon. Both were understaffed.
    The Miner Guild had two wagons. She studied
them out of the corner of her eyes. The wagon with the glow stones
was being pulled unevenly and the animals were wearing out. She
approached them slowly, coming up along side of the four horses.
She quietly greeted the animals, not wanting to startle them.
Apparently they were too tired to be surprised that a human was
talking to them. One of the lead horses, an older chestnut, had one
eye that had a slight film. He tended to pull to the side he could
see better. The other lead animal was a young strong bay gelding
and was chaffing every time the yoke pulled him to the side. The
two horses harnessed closer to the wagon were of mid years and even
temperament but were being rubbed by their harnesses every time the
front two pulled against each other.
    The wagon driver was frustrated with the
battle on the reins. He was a slender man, in his third decade,
with compact muscles. His brown, dust covered hair was pulled back
with a strip of leather at the base of his neck and his grey eyes
reflected his fatigue. Erin dropped back to be even with the driver
and called out a greeting. “Good afternoon, to you. How has your
travel been this fine day?”
    “Has been a very long day. I seem to be
fighting the reins of these beasts continuously. We’re going so
slow that I have been dropping further behind and eating dust. I’m
hardily tired.” the driver said with a sigh.
    “I’m pretty good with beasts.” Erin