The streets of Ravenfall were lined with rows of vacant buildings, each intended to serve as a temporary shop for those who wished to sell their wares. Any sorcerer apprentice in need of a stall could simply claim an empty house and set up shop. There were more than enough buildings to go around—because, despite the market's annual occurrence, there were simply too few wandering sorcerers in the region.
Even with the event drawing in most apprentices from the surrounding lands, the total number of participants was shockingly low. As Hutson walked through the streets, he estimated there were no more than thirty sorcerer apprentices in town. That number might increase slightly over the next few days, but it would never swell into the hundreds.
"No wonder Kallis recognized me as a newcomer right away," Hutson mused. "With so few of us, most have probably seen each other's faces before. Any stranger stands out immediately."
