Ferrin not only paid for the man’s forge and materials but also gave him enough coin to stipulate that he not be bothered by any unwanted intrusions.
The smith’s wife didn’t argue as she grabbed the silver from Ferrin’s hand and pulled her husband out the door.
With the first part of his task completed, Ferrin decided to go into town and check on supplies. Tying his horse off in front of a cobbler on the main pavilion, he walked along the street that fronted the shops on the east side of the square. Up ahead, he saw the shop he had seen earlier that afternoon when they had arrived. The sign had a fresh coat of paint with a depiction of two crossed swords with blades pointing upward.
“Can I help you?” a large gentleman with a dark beard and gruff voice asked as Ferrin opened the door and stepped inside. The man was busy running a whetstone across one of his blades as he watched Ferrin shut the door.
“Just looking at the moment,” he said as he studied some of the swords on the side wall. They seemed of good quality.
“Let me know if something catches your eye.”
Ferrin nodded and started looking through the collection of blades, which ranged from boot daggers to falchions and even to two-handed swords. There was some beautiful craftsmanship here. No doubt the reason for the smithy’s prime location in the city’s main shopping district.
Ferrin particularly appreciated the assortment of grips the armorer used for the swords’ handles. Besides the typical leather grip, there was wrought gold, silver, wood, even some smaller daggers with bone and antler. It was a fine collection that had him missing his own smithy back in Rhowynn. One thing that was missing from this man’s work, though, was the detailing. The finishing designs on the blades were one of Ferrin’s favorite things to add. The decorative engraving gave his work that extra cut above the other smiths.
There was a strict difference between a decorative sword and a functional one. The types of steel and forging techniques varied between the two. Just because a sword was beautiful didn’t necessarily mean that it was strong and capable of standing up in battle. Most decorative swords used blades that were hard and brittle, while functional blades focused on forging strength into the steel.
Magical advantage or not, Ferrin prided himself on being able to create swords that were both.
It didn’t take him long to find two swords of good stock that he could use in his forging. It was going to be much easier to start with an already-forged blade than to make one from scratch. He simply didn’t have the time.
“One gold and four,” the shopkeeper said as Ferrin laid the two blades on the desk.
The price was steep, but the swords were well made, and Ferrin didn’t want to take the time to haggle with him. “Throw in a couple of solid sheaths and you’ve got yourself a deal.”
The shopkeeper thought a moment, then nodded and grabbed a couple of medium-quality heavy leather sheaths under one of the tables, measuring to make sure they fit. He wrapped the items in a long piece of hunter-green cloth, and after taking Ferrin’s coin, he handed him the package. “Pleasure doing business with you. You in town for the festival?”
“No. Just passing through.” Ferrin started for the door but stopped when he noticed a couple of crossbows on the table to his left. Perfect for killing large reptilian-looking birds. “How much for these?”
The shopkeeper walked over to the table to take a look. He rubbed his chin. “I take it you’ll want the quiver and quarrels as well?”
Ferrin smiled. “Not much good without something to shoot.”
“I reckon not.” The man looked over the items in question. “I can give them to you for no less than eight silvers.”
Ferrin thought it a reasonable price, considering the good quality, and paid him. Picking up his haul, he bid the man a good day and opened the door.
“Come back and see me anytime,” the shopkeeper said.
Ferrin left the swordsmith’s shop and headed down the walkway to where he’d seen a sign depicting a cartographer. He spared a quick glance at the sound of children’s laughter and spotted Rae on one of the benches by the park. Deciding to wait on the map until later, he started across the street, stopping long enough to let a wagon laden with furs pass.
The kids in the park were new, but the game was still the same—spread out and pass the ball. Ferrin stood behind Rae’s bench for a moment and watched as Suri slowly inched her way out onto the grass to be closer to the other kids. Ferrin wasn’t sure if she’d seen other children her age before. He hadn’t noticed any kids running around the White Tower. She flailed her arms up and down excitedly as she mimicked their movements.
Seeing the little girl so enthralled with something as common as children playing nearly had him crying. He turned away to keep from embarrassing himself. The perimeter of the park was surrounded by groups of content parents as they chatted casually about the latest happenings. Ferrin wondered if that would ever be him one day.
He moved to the other side of the bench and plopped down beside Rae. She tried not to acknowledge his presence, but he could see her shoulders relax. Where she had been continually scanning the crowd of faces around her, she now focused solely on Suri and the games. He liked that she was starting to feel safe enough around him to lower her guard.
Suri squealed as one of the kids kicked the ball in her direction. She picked it up and looked at Rae, who smiled and motioned for her to throw it back. She turned and threw it, then jumped up and down like she’d just won the horseshoe toss at the city fair.
Ferrin chuckled and looked at Rae. “How was the shopping? Find anything of interest?”
She pulled a sweet stick out of her mouth and held it up.
“Oh. I guess that’s interesting.” Not exactly what he had in mind. “Anything else?”
“We only made it as far as the candy shop,” Myron said, walking up behind them and stuffing a couple more packages into his saddlebags.
Rae smiled, as if finding some hidden pleasure in Myron’s frustration.
Ferrin turned to look at him. “How are the supplies coming?”
“I think I’ve found most of what we need. Iraseth has plenty to choose from.”
Ferrin looked down at his raggedy tunic and trousers and shook his head. “What we need is some new clothing.”
“I saw a couple of shops down that street over there,” Myron said, pointing to the other side of the square.
Ferrin stood. “Good. We don’t need to linger too long in the open, anyway.” He looked at the children playing. “Come on, Suri, time to go.”
The little girl turned and frowned, not wanting to leave her new friends, but she ran over to join them anyway, hopping up into her mother’s lap with a big smile. She was thoroughly enjoying herself.
“You ready?” Ferrin asked Rae.
Rae didn’t say anything and took her time standing, just to let him know she was in control.
“I doubt anyone following has managed to keep up the pace you’ve set,” Myron said with another brisk yawn. This time, he didn’t bother with stifling it. “I say we pick up the rest of the supplies, catch an early supper, and hit our beds.”
“Sleep would be nice,” Ferrin said, adding a yawn of his own to the mix. “Just not for me.”
Myron glanced back over his shoulder as they walked the horses down the street toward the clothing shops. “That’s right. You’re planning on forging tonight. Did you find a smithy willing to loan you his shop?”
“I did. But at a hefty price. It’ll be worth it, though, if I can get the work done.”
Myron smiled anxiously, clearly wanting to get his hands on one of Ferrin’s swords. “This way,” he said, leading them off the main road. He stopped about three shops down on the left and tied his horse to the hitching post out front.
Ferrin, who was walking both his horse and Rae’s, did the same and followed the others inside. The shop was at least twice the size of the swordsmith’s. In fact, he realized upon closer inspection
, it was two shops connected by an opening in the right wall. The first shop held a wide selection of men’s clothing—pants, tunics, cloaks, and boots—while the second carried women’s.
Rae kept a tight grip on Suri’s hand, as the little girl wanted to touch everything she saw and gazed in wonder at the racks and tables and shelves of clothing. Rae spotted the opening on the right leading into the women’s section, and her eyes widened.
As badly as Ferrin wanted to shed his worn-out clothing, the look on Rae’s face made him content to wait a little longer. “Come on,” he said as he started for the other half of the shop.
She was close on his heels.
Normally, Ferrin would have been embarrassed walking through a women’s shop, but to see the wonder on Rae’s and Suri’s faces was more than worth it. Even Myron followed them in just to watch, although he tried not to be too obvious about it as he casually hung by the door.
“May I help you?” a lady asked, walking over with what looked like women’s undergarments hanging off her arm.
Ferrin flushed. “I, uh . . . We’re looking for something for them,” he said, nodding to Rae and Suri.
The shopkeeper smiled. She looked to be at least ten years older than Ferrin, closer to Myron’s age. She was average height, with short chestnut hair that hung just above her shoulders, blue eyes, and an inviting smile. “Then you’ve come to the right place. We have the best selection in town.” She looked at Rae. “What beautiful eyes you have, my dear.” Rae’s pale-green eyes were generally the first thing people noticed. A very uncommon trait for an islander with caramel skin and dark hair. “Let’s see what we have to work with,” she said as she proceeded to look Rae over. She stopped and frowned when she saw the trousers.
Women in this part of the kingdom were rarely seen wearing pants. It wasn’t considered proper.
Rae rubbed her hand down the front of the loose-fitting legs. The trousers had come from one of the men they’d killed in the barn attack. Myron had done his best to cut and sew the legs and waist enough for her to wear, but it was plain as butter they didn’t fit.
Ferrin lifted a sack of coins from around his neck. “We can pay,” he said, hoping to draw the lady’s attention away from Rae’s outfit. “We’ve been on the road for some time, and as you can see, our clothes are a bit threadbare.”
The lady’s smile returned. “Of course. Do you have a preference?”
Ferrin looked at Rae, who was wearing a rather dumbfounded expression as she stared at some of the frilly gowns near the front. “Something durable,” he said, unsure how to explain what they needed. The only time he’d ever purchased women’s clothing was a scarf he’d gotten his sister on their birthday. “We still have a long road ahead of us, so we need something practical, if you know what I mean.”
The lady looked at Rae once again, no doubt wondering why she didn’t speak for herself. She probably thought Ferrin was some overbearing husband who demanded to make all the decisions for her. “I think we have just the thing,” she said. “If you’ll follow me.” The shopkeeper started for the back.
Ferrin could hear Myron chuckling behind him, and he turned and gave him a sharp look, which only increased the snickers.
“Follow her,” Ferrin said to Rae, hoping she would take the lead. The shopkeeper was halfway to the back, and Rae was still staring at the fancy dresses in the shop window.
She finally turned and started down the aisle, Suri trudging along beside her, running her hand across the material of each dress they passed. The styles of clothing in the back of the shop might not have been as flamboyant as those in the front, but they weren’t exactly bland, either. Some were rather fetching.
They stopped about two rows from the back, which was fine, since the dresses on the back wall looked more like canvas potato sacks. The lady turned and pursed her lips, giving Rae a good looking-over before rifling through a nearby rack. She pulled a warm yellow dress from the group and held it up. “How about this?”
Rae wrinkled her nose.
“I guess not,” she said, then went back to digging. “Ah, here we go. Something to complement those beautiful eyes of yours.” The lady held up a light-green dress that was nearly a match for Rae’s eyes. It had a thin white lace trim around the neck and some simple but tasteful embroidery that ran down the sleeves. It was a practical dress, but still, not hard on the eyes.
Rae didn’t wrinkle her nose this time, which meant she must have liked it.
“Right,” the shopkeeper said. “Let’s see how it looks.” Without giving Rae a chance to argue, the lady put her arm around her and directed her to the back corner of the shop where there was a privacy screen set up for changing.
Ferrin took Suri’s hand. “You can wait with me while your mother tries on her new dress.”
“I want one,” Suri said, looking up at Ferrin with the same bright pale-green eyes as her mother’s.
Ferrin smiled. “Don’t worry. We won’t leave here until—”
A loud slap followed by an even louder shriek had Ferrin spinning around to look at the dressing wall.
“Don’t touch me!” Rae shouted.
“How am I going to change you if you won’t let me touch you, girl?” the shopkeeper answered forcefully.
Ferrin shook his head and sighed.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” Myron said, walking over to see what the fuss was.
“She’ll have to learn sooner or later how things are done.”
“Maybe we should have better explained how this works before bringing her in here.”
“Too late now,” Ferrin said.
“I said, don’t touch me!” Rae’s voice blurted out from behind the screen. “I can take my own clothes off and put them back on.”
The shopkeeper finally exited from behind the wall. Her hair was ruffled and her necklace askew. “Well, I never. Act like you were raised in a barn.” She stood to the side and waited.
Ferrin wondered how much extra Rae’s obstinacy was going to cost. He made sure the shopkeeper didn’t see his smile. Thankfully, Myron had enough sense not to laugh.
Ferrin was starting to wonder if he needed to go back there and help her himself when Rae finally stepped out from behind the dressing screen.
His breath caught for a second. She was lovely—even with her short-cropped hair. It was the first time he’d seen her in anything that wasn’t half ripped apart or hanging so loose that she looked three times her normal size. For the first time, she actually looked like a woman. Ferrin could feel himself flushing and turned his head.
“My, my, my,” Myron said admiringly. “Quite lovely, my dear.”
Even the shopkeeper smiled, which looked a little funny with the right side of her face still bearing the imprint of Rae’s hand.
Rae smiled at the compliment, then looked down at the dress, and finally at Ferrin.
He smiled awkwardly and nodded, trying not to look like he was staring. “We’ll take it.”
“My turn!” Suri shouted, tugging on Ferrin’s arm.
Rae ran her hands slowly up and down the folds of the new material. There was a hint of a smile curling near the corners of her mouth.
Ferrin had to force himself to look away. “Yes, Suri. It’s your turn.”
The little girl jumped up and down, clapping her hands as she ran for the nearest rack of dresses.
An hour and a half later, they finally left the shop, each with a new set of clothes, their old ones wrapped in wax paper, which they carried out and placed in their saddlebags. Ferrin even went so far as to purchase new boots for himself and Myron and riding shoes for Rae and Suri, similar to the men’s but with a cuff at the top and a buckle on the side.
On their way back, they made a quick stop by the cartographer, where Ferrin found a rather impressively detailed map of the five kingdoms, listing known landmarks, cities, and main thoroughfares connecting them. Also, an equally detailed map of Iraseth, certainly worth more than the eight silvers
the man was asking. Ferrin purchased the maps and a carrier to keep them dry.
With the last of their shopping complete, the small group of weary travelers made their way back to the Smelly Trout. Supper was more of the same but served with a glass of wine if requested, and a loaf of white instead of the dark rye.
“Look,” Suri said for the hundredth time as she spun around for the others to see her new dress. The folds of material swished as she twirled.
“My, don’t you look pretty.” Ferrin took a moment to admire one of the stitched roses on her right shoulder. “That’s got to be the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen. What do you think?” Ferrin asked, turning to Myron.
“I couldn’t agree more,” he said as he laid his mug down. “No one more beautiful.”
“Just like your mother,” Ferrin added.
Rae choked on a small bite of stew she had just stuffed in her mouth. She kept her head lowered as she quietly continued to eat, clearly not wanting to draw attention to her new outfit. But every now and then, Ferrin would catch her moving her hand across her lap, letting the folds slide between her fingers.
“It’s going to be a long night for me,” Ferrin said as he pushed back from the table. He glanced around the room to make sure none of the other customers were close enough to hear, then leaned over to Rae. “I’ll need to use the crystal tonight with my forging. Do you mind if I borrow it?” After being berated for not including her in the discussion the last time, he made sure not to repeat that mistake this time.
She took a moment to ponder the decision before finally removing the chain from around her neck and passing it under the table.
“Thank you,” he said, then slipped it around his own neck and tucked it under his blue tunic. “It will probably take me the entire night to finish, so don’t wait up for me.”
Plague of Shadows Page 45