Lark
A beggar on the streets was far from an odd sight in Bristdale, and Lark was no different to the averting eyes of the passersby. Though a few had sunk their coins into her meager cup, the others either spat in her direction or ignored her altogether. None of this was new to the small female, unfortunately. Her life seemed to be a repetition of these happenings. Everyday, it was waking, ignoring the ache in her back from sleeping in the alleys, worshipping the words of Lei in secret, and then spending the rest of the day begging for coin to buy a single roll of bread for her ever-growling stomach.
This was no life to the ones who saw her, but to Lark, it was all she knew. Other than the few rare instances in which a cook would take pity and throw her scraps, Lark lived a life of constant fasting, worshipping, and begging. She never dared to steal, even when the opportunity fell into her lap.
At one time, she foraged in the surrounding woodlands and the port, but Lark had stopped when her actions proved fruitless. For now, it was better to sit and wait than forage and just starve to death faster.
Today was a market day, where large, looming ships would come into port from the sea, unloading dozens upon dozens of pirates and other boat-dwellers. These groups would stay for a few days, trading their goods in exchange for others, then pack up and head back into the open ocean for weeks, months, sometimes even years at a time. It was a perfect opportunity to get some decent coin, and Lark took it to her advantage.
The sun had just started to reach the middle of the sky when Lark finally gained enough gold to buy a small roll. It was a glorious day indeed, for she had not been as lucky for the last few days. Standing now, Lark padded her way to one of the bakers' stands. She tried to hide the gigantic, excited smile on her face, but found it hard to. She was starving, and this baker was one of the few that accepted money from her. The rest often pushed her aside for other customers with more well-endowed coin purses.
There was a small gathering around the stand, but Lark didn't mind waiting. She stood at the back, watching the bread as it came and went. She found herself salivating a little bit at the thought of sinking her teeth into the soft flesh of a sweet roll.
While the crowd around the goodies slowly dispersed, Lark found herself stepping forward, only to have one of her bare feet accidentally land on a patron's shoe. With a look of disgust, the stranger shoved Lark away harshly before she could form an apology, effectively knocking her down and letting the coins loose amoungst the dirt of the ground. She tried to pick up her money, but was too slow as a small pack of children snatched up the shiny bits.
Feeling defeated, Lark crawled away, hiding herself in a secluded corner of the street and making herself look as small as possible.
She would just have to try...again.