The sun had dipped low, casting a warm orange glow across the market. The once-bustling stalls were now winding down. Some vendors were starting to pack up their wares, while others planned to stay until late at night.
Auri slouched behind his own stall, finally letting out a relieve breath after his last customer walked away. He still couldn't believe how the day had gone—from ignored and doubted to customers practically forming a line.
It wasn't everything, but it was something.
Auri pulled the day's earnings onto the counter and poured its contents onto a clean cloth. Gold and silver spilled out in a glittering tumble. He organized them into tidy stacks, each coin counted with care.
One stack for today's meals. Another for restocking parchment and ink. A third, hopeful one, for paying off his dues.
Auri counted it in silence, his eyes narrowing as the final total landed just shy of what he owed. The day had been good. But not good enough.
