Introduction

     Lochria …heavily forested, surrounded by an abundance of magnificent, towering trees, including spruce pine, numerous varieties of oak and, of course, maples … silver, red, golden maples – a dreamland for those loving nature. The aroma of fresh pine permeates its borders, gentle breezes delivering the fragrance to every corner of the kingdom.  Vibrant waterfalls abound, flowing freely over the cliffs that encompass the majestic valley.  Sheer walls of rock, worn smooth with age, rise straight up from the valley floor, stretching toward and seeming to touch the deep blue sky above.

     The rich black, soil provides a fertile environment for the luscious fruits and vegetables for which Lochrian farmers are well known.  The Lochrian people, largely agrarian, prefer the food of the land to the flesh of their livestock.  However, they raise goats and cows for their rich resource of milk, from which they make wonderful cheeses, and no Lochrian would dare kill an animal for food.

     The official purpose of the Lochrian market is, properly, “a place for the exchange of goods,” or so official documents state.  Despite these written guidelines, most Lochrians actually use it to stay abreast of the news in the valley, and, not to be overlooked, the social aspect of being simply … Lochrian.  Most would much prefer to hear news from a friend rather than read it about it in the weekly newspaper.  Besides, the verbal interpretations of the news always seem better than the printed word.  And the market versions, with their illustrious embellishment, always cast a slightly different shadow over the stories in “Lochrian Gazette.”  The Elders of the Lochrian men-folk gather each day after work to share the news of their lives and to relive the stories and