Courted Sanctuary
Page 42
Epilogue
Sieglinde tried to ignore the turning heads of those in the streets as they looked at her blue dress. She heard the murmurs of some of the women who were trying to figure out if she were a noble and if she were, where she had come from.
Humbert pulled his horse to a stop in front of a merchant's table that was covered with ornate combs. He nodded to Klará, who was sitting behind it. She smiled as she realized who they were and rushed inside to fetch Arnold.
Sieglinde stopped her horse behind Humbert's. He looked over his shoulder at her.
"Adelina fell asleep," he said.
Sieglinde smiled. If there was one thing her daughter had proven in her four years, it was that she could sleep anywhere. She lowered herself from her horse and walked up to Humbert's. She reached up to take the little girl from him.
"I want to go home, mama," the girl protested as she stirred.
"Soon, little one," she cooed as she held the girl close.
Sieglinde looked up and down the lane at the busy merchants and the carts and horses making their way through Stare Mesto. It was strange to know Luitgard had once been there. Somehow that knowledge made her feel closer at that moment. The breeze rustled her hair and she looked up to the sky. Her heart skipped as she hoped to see a wyvern but there were not even any clouds.
She lowered her chin as the familiar face of their saviour emerged from the darkened doorway. He smiled when he saw who his visitors were.
"Friends!" he called before embracing Sieglinde and Humbert in turn. "To what do I owe this great pleasure?"
"We came with a gift of thanks for how much you have helped us," she said. "We finally had enough to spare."
With her words, Humbert turned back to the horses. He began to untie a large bundle that had been secured behind his saddle.
"I was doing a favour for an old friend," Arnold said.
She nodded in understanding but countered, "We insist. Saving us was only right, helping us with our new home has been too generous. Humbert says you were quite taken with the fabrics Luitgard provided you."
His eyes widened and he could not keep the beaming smile from his face. "I was indeed."
"We have managed to make some more for you," she explained. "It is not as much as we have wanted to give. There are too few of us to live like we once did."
Humbert held out the large bundle with both hands. Arnold grasped it and held it close to his chest.
"If you bring me more next year," he said, "I will be your rescuer any time. You are welcome to stay in my home. It is just Klará and I now that Dorota is married so we have plenty of room."
Sieglinde nodded her thanks. "Just the night will do fine," she said. "But what we really came to discuss was a trading partnership."
In the six years she had known Arnold, she had never seen his face become so animated. He threw one arm around her shoulders and his other around Humbert's middle−he was too short to reach any higher−and ushered them inside. "Come then, my dear," he gushed. "We have much to discuss."
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About the Author
Tara K. Young is a former archaeologist who spends her days twisting her archaeological knowledge into fantasy stories. Time not spent researching or writing is joyfully filled with the company of her daughter and husband.
Other Works by Tara K. Young
Shauna's Inheritance (a short story)
Devil's Sacrifice (a short story)
The Monstrous Hunt (novella, available free of charge)
Gods' Masks, Book 1 of the Moirean Tapestry (available free of charge)
The Whispering War, Book 2 of the Moirean Tapestry
Memory's Emissary, Book 3 of the Moirean Tapestry
Connect with Tara Online
Twitter https://twitter.com/TYoungWrite#
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Website https://www.myriadmaia.com