"Coda? Coda Anne? Are you ready yet, my child?"<br/>"Mother... Do I really have to wear this? Won't it be out of place?"<br/>"Nonsense, dear, you look positively darling! Besides, we don't want the sun to burn your fair skin-- you could get sick."<br/>"Yes, mother," Coda replied, tugging absently at the forest green dress she was currently wearing. It was beautiful, sure, but it was incredibly stiff. The bodice was stiff all the way down to the sleeves, which tapered and ended at the first knuckle of her middle finger and covered much of her small hands. The neckline was modest, and the skirt was simple, with only a small amount of embroidered grain and leaves at the bottom. Her family had been in charge of delivering the fresh vegetables and grain products to the festival for many years.<br/><br/>Although Coda had never been permitted to attend. She was always forced to stay back, as her frail frame had her family worried about her durability. However, this year, Coda was the only option they had. Her elder sister, Allegretta, was with child, and her younger brother, Mordent (Moor for short), was still too young. Her twin older brothers Syd and Dante (Rhapsydius and Andante, respectively) had gotten into a bad argument with some of the soldiers last year.<br/><br/>That left frail, sickly Coda.<br/><br/>"Are you sure you can handle this, dear?"<br/>"Yes, Mother," Coda affirmed, "I'll be alright. We have a wagon, and the journey is not so long. Don't worry."<br/>"I suppose you're right," her mother sighed, absently arranging the girl's stark white hair, "Alright, down we go. The family will see you off."<br/><br/>"Coda! You look like a woman! When did that happen?"<br/>"Gretta... Be nice to your sister."<br/>"I am, that was a complement. You look all ready to go!"<br/>"Almost," her grandmother replied, "Here, dear. I made this for you," She tied a green ribbon into Coda's hair. It had been hand embroidered with gold and black.<br/>"Thank you, Grandmother," Coda replied, "Okay, everyone, I'm off. Please don't worry, I'll be just fine!"<br/><br/>She hadn't thought that the journey would take so long. Her eyelids were drooping slightly as she looked back at her map to ensure she was headed the right way. The family horse was old, and this would probably be his last journey to the festival... Coda privately thought that the horse knew the way better than she did.<br/><br/>"Halt!"<br/>Coda started and pulled the horse and cart to a stop, blinking wide-eyed at the soldier.<br/>"State your business here."<br/>"Oh. Um... I have the grains and vegetables from Harocrint for the festival, sir," Coda replied politely.<br/>"Ah. Proceed."<br/>"Thank you, sir."<br/><br/>It had taken her a few minutes to find the vendor her father hand given her the name of, but in time she'd sold her goods and found a stable for her horse and cart. From there, she wandered about aimlessly until she came to an inn. It looked fairly inexpensive, and although she was from a fairly wealthy family, she didn't want to burden her father with unnecessary expenses. This would do.<br/><br/>She stepped in, and blushed a little as her stomach growled. Luckily, it didn't look like anyone had heard it. She carefully picked her way to the counter, "Um... Excuse me-"<br/><br/>"Eh? Huh? Wotcha want?"<br/>Coda blinked a few times, "U-um, I-"<br/>"Spit it out, girl!"<br/>"I would like a bowl of soup, please, sir!" She said quickly, keeping her eyes on the floor.<br/>"What kind of soup?"<br/>"What- Oh... U-um.. Just the broth is fine, sir."<br/>"With ale?"<br/>"N-no thanks."<br/>"Too good to drink my ale, eh, girl? I'll have you know it's the finest in town- I brew it myself!" The barman got right up in her face, apparently seriously offended that she didn't want a drink. Coda gave a small squeak of terror and stammered, "O-okay, okay, one cup of ale too, please."<br/>The man laughed, and it was probably loud enough to be heard outside, and turned to yell the order over his shoulder, "Comin' right up, kiddo. Pay up."<br/>Coda handed over the proper amount of coin with shaking hands, and waited anxiously for her broth. She wouldn't drink the ale, as she'd never had anything with alcohol in it and it would probably make her sick. Once the man handed her the bowl and mug, she made her way to a table that was largely unoccupied. Even then, she sat as far away from the other people as she could. Coda had next to no experience with people outside her family, as her condition had meant she was never permitted outside.<br/><br/>She hadn't been paying attention to anything else that had been going on-- she just wanted to finish her meal and be done with it-- when a boy only a little older than her suddenly spoke. She regarded him with soft, sage green eyes, and blinked a few times. He hadn't been there when she sad down, had he?<br/><br/>"Let me guess. Here for the festival?"<br/><br/>Coda wasn't sure if the question had been directed at her or not, so she merely nodded, turning her eyes back to her broth timidly.