“Well let’s see here.” The big man appeared to think for a moment then smiled. “They are all the same price.” He stated coolly.
“Ok.” Seth then continued his line of questioning, to the most important question. “How much are they then?”
“That depends.” The man behind the counter stated, more than a bit amused by this conversation.
“Depends on what?” Seth couldn’t help but ask, though he now felt the big man was just playing a game with him.
“Well it would depend on how much my face is worth to me, or my life for that matter.” The man stated this with an ever growing smile as he seen the realization registering on Seth’s face.
“You mean that….” Seth couldn’t finish the question.
“That’s right son, whichever one you want, it yours, consider it my thanks for last night.” The big man said proudly.
Seth attempted a reply but found himself unable. The large shop owner found this very amusing and just watched Seth fumble time and again with his words. Unable to create a sentence, Seth gestured for Sara to pick a crossbow, and stepped back allowing her a closer look.
It was as if it was the first time the large man had noticed Sara. He squinted his eyes at her trying to remember where he had seen her. Sara picked the middle crossbow, and the large man handed it to her, still trying to place her face. Sara accepted the weapon, and using the strap provided slung it over her shoulder, allowing it to rest on her back. Seth, finally regaining his composure, thanked the man whole heartedly, then remembering he would need something else asked the man about a quiver and some bolts for the crossbow. Again the man left the counter, this time walking to the large shelves that separated his shop, he pulled from it a black quiver, and stuffed it full of iron headed bolts. Returning to the counter, he placed the quiver in front of Sara. The man still searched her face, as Seth pulled out his coin purse. The large man gasped as realization knocked him back on his heels. He did know the girl; she belonged somehow to John, the man who had just last night tried to kill him. The Large, middle aged man, stood looking across the counter at Sara perplexed.
“What do I owe you for the quiver and arrows?” Seth was asking the man, who now stood frozen.
Shaking his head it took a moment for Seth’s words to register. He looked at Seth, then back at the girl. Something was going on here and he was gonna figure it out.
“That depends.” The large man replied for the second time, his eyes still on Sara.
“On?” Seth questioned, now familiar with the game.
“It depends on her.” The man stated jerking his head towards Sara.
“Ok.” Seth started. “What about her?”
The man now looked at Sara, sure of whom she was. “You’re that girl that lives with John right?”
Sara nodded unaware of the previous nights happenings. The man continued.
“But now you’re leaving with this guy huh?
Sara nodded again unsure where the line of questions was going.
“John was ok with that?”
This time Sara shook her head, she had tried to put the events of only a little more than an hour ago out of her head, but she felt the man wanted an explanation, so she gave it.
“No. He told me I couldn’t leave, and he hit me. He chased me into the street threatening to kill me. Then Seth and Garret threatened to chop him to bits if he didn’t leave me alone.” The last part she said looking at Seth pure adoration in her eyes and a wicked grin on her lips.”
The man thought over her words a moment, eyeing Seth’s sword. Then just as before the man grinned ear to ear and continued with his questions.
“That really pissed John off didn’t it?”
Once again Sara nodded in response. Her nod set the large man to laughing hysterically, and amidst his howls of glee, he handed the quiver with arrows to Sara and told her to take it, as a gift. Still laughing, the man then looked at Seth again and said something about making his day, and asked if Seth wanted another crossbow. To which Seth readily declined, feeling he had already taken advantage of the man. Both Seth and Sara bid the man farewell. In response the man just waved them out the door, laughing too hard to breathe, and as such, unable to speak.
They stepped back into the street, Sara remembering what else it was they needed, took Seth’s hand and they walked down the street together.
“What was that all about?” Sara asked as they walked.
Seth related the story beginning with their arrival to the inn, up to the point where they decided to eat on the porch of the inn, instead of inside. As he finished his short narration, Sara pulled him up to a merchant’s stall that sat outside covered by a canopy. The merchant sold a wide variety of leather goods, from gloves, to bags, from vests to packs. They quickly decided upon a black leather pack, a bit small, but it was cheap, and it fit Sara well. They walked then to the place they had left Garret and Ashton nearly two hours before, and waited for them to return. While they waited, Seth helped Sara adjust her pack, mount her quiver on her belt at her hip, and re strung the crossbow’s strap so that she could wear it over her shoulder, under her arm like a woman’s bag.
Before long Garret and Ashton emerged from the rows of shops, carrying with them two parchment wrapped bundles. Spotting Seth and Sara the two sped up to meet them. They stood together once again in a small circle, and each Garret and Ashton passed the bundles, one each, to Seth and Sara, telling them it was their food for the next three days. Both Seth and Sara untied the small leather straps holding their bundles together and carefully packed the food into their packs. Sara then used the small strap she had untied from her bundle, gathered her beautiful black hair behind her head and tied it there, leaving her delicate neck exposed. Seth stared in awe. Garret then leaned over to his twin and whispered in his ear.
“Guess you’re broke huh?” he asked jerking his head towards Sara.
Seth shook his head and silently mouthed the word “only” and held up two fingers where only his brother could see. Garret’s eyes widened in amazement, but he nodded his approval to his twin.
The four of them decided then it was time to leave Stone Haven, and so they each shouldered their packs, and began walking south Garret and Ashton in the lead, Seth and Sara following behind.
Chapter 4
They walked through the day, stopping occasionally to let Sara rest. She was unused to the unpaved roads beyond the town’s borders. Neither was she accustomed to carrying three days worth of food or a weapon. The boys had all offered to carry her equipment but she refused, stating they had already done too much for her. She tried her hardest to keep pace with the longer legged boys, but the boys slowed their pace, seeing her struggling to keep up. All of them knew it wasn’t her fault and none of them minded. In fact they had fabricated several reasons to stop along the way so she could rest without guilt. It wouldn’t be long until she was used to the exertion, and could keep pace with the rest of them. However, they hadn’t anticipated this, and now realized that three days worth of food would not be enough by at least a day if not two at their current pace.
They made camp earlier than they had hoped that first evening, under a tree away from the path. They had stopped as soon after Sara started limping as they could find a suitable place to make camp. The new boots it seemed were not agreeing with her delicate feet.
Sara sat down on a root that protruded from the ground beneath the canopy of the tree’s leaves. Unlacing her boots she pulled them off revealing her mangled little feet. Seth gasped at the sight and couldn’t believe she had done this to herself. At some time in the day, probably early, Sara must have developed blisters. Refusing to mention them she continued to walk until nearly her entire feet were covered with them, then she still continued until they had popped and new ones formed beneath the first. Those too had now popped and blood flowed from both of her feet freely. Knowing that Sara must be in terrible pain made Seth’s stomach tighten into knots. Ashton was setting down his pack when he heard Seth gasp and came to see the damage for himself. Garret seeing his twin and Ashton hovering around Sara’s legs too came to see what was going on. He had known she was sore, all of them had known, but maybe it was worse than he imagined.