<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;">Maeve’s House</span></span>–<br/><br/>Maeve’s mother took the strawberries to the kitchen and began preparing the fruit and sweet cream for the festival.  Every year her mother prepared shortcake and strawberries to sell at the festival.  It had become a local favorite and the townsfolk had inquired more and more about the dessert as the festival drew closer.<br/><br/>“Hurry Maeve, the festival will be starting soon.” she called upstairs to her daughter.  She knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to let go of Maeve, or Maeve would leave her.  She was surprised that she had stayed around for so long.  She did have her father’s adventurous spirit, damn that man.<br/><br/><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;">The Northroad</span></span>–<br/><br/>The merchant’s horses grew more and more exhausted with each passing second.  The merchant cursed at the worthless beasts when he realized that the whip was no longer effective against their backs.  The wagon’s clankings diminished as the merchant allowed the horses to slow to a walk.  Accepting that he wouldn’t arrive on time, he pulled out a small flask from under his coat and took a drink.  “May as well enjoy the ride then…” he said to the evening sky.<br/><br/>A rustling in the forest to either side of the road caused the horse’s ears to perk.  They grew weary, a neigh from one of the horses alerted the merchant that they were not alone.   Putting away his flask and eyeing the treeline, the merchant whipped the reigns to coax the horses to a trot.  Relief filled him when he saw the glow of the bonfire from Fourway over the forest canopy.  Only a half mile or so to town, it seemed that he would make it in time after all.<br/><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;">Fourway</span></span>–<br/><br/>With his belongings stored away in the loft of the inn, Ruy put on his best outfit, a green tunic with gold diamonds.  The outfit always made him cheerful and gave him a sense of pride at being the best dressed in all of Fourway.  It didn’t hurt with the ladies either.  He smiled, plopped a matching cap on his head and whistled a tune as he made his way out to the street.<br/>