Abducted [W&W Book 3]

Chapter 37

The group travelled quickly and Ildri was glad for it. They camped for the night and set off with the dawn. The next day continued the pattern.

The journey could only be described as boring, so Ildri was pleased when they arrived in Hillsdowne and found a large number of people gathered. The town was decorated in bright colours and a festive tone.

"What's this?" Ildri asked the closest soldier to her.

"Hillsdowne's annual trading fair. One of the biggest around, I hear," he said.

Ildri looked towards it. They would probably simply travel around. She glanced over at Allan. "Sir Allan? Do you think we could stop for a break?"

"Here?" he asked as he moved his mount closer to hers.

Ildri smiled hesitantly. "I've never been to anything like this. I'd like to look, maybe bring something back with me."

Ildri thought that Allan would not allow it but to her surprise he nodded. "A short break would not hurt. But you must stay with a soldier at all times. Daniel, you will escort Miss Ildri and see to her safety."

"Sir," agreed the vaguely familiar soldier.

Sir Allan whirled around and spoke to his men. "We will take a short break here." He began giving instructions to the soldiers. Instead of listening Ildri looked over at the fair. Banners were fluttering in the breeze above carts and stands full of items that she could not see clearly from where the horse stood.

"Miss Ildri, shall we go?" prompted the soldier.

Ildri realized that Allan had stopped talking and nodded. He helped her dismount and she followed the young soldier towards the fair.

Everywhere Ildri looked was filled with activity. There were carts of food and vegetables and stalls with pigs and fowl which were being haggled over. A loud woman was exclaiming over bolts of fabric and there were metal workers' products in multiple places. Soldiers stood around the perimeter watching with bored indifference. Ildri assumed that their presence was to discourage thievery.

The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of normal people that Ildri might expect to meet anywhere. There were a few people who were obviously nobles and merchants wearing many different styles of garb were in every corner of the fair, watching over their assistants or talking with customers or trying to draw attention to their wares. And such wares they were. For every normal thing that Ildri saw, there were various things that she had never seen before, herbs and jars full of unknown substances, and strange metal tools of unknown purpose.

The soldier seemed content to follow behind Ildri while she looked at the different stalls. Ildri moved around looking at the various wares. She thought that she should find something for chef, Hanna and Matt. And if she was doing that she should probably bring something for the twins, too. Was it appropriate to bring a gift for Lord Wildwood to show her gratitude? He would probably prefer magical potions, which she already had anyway.

For chef Ildri found some odd spices that she thought would interest the older woman. Ildri bought a piece of metal worked jewelry for Hanna and Ildri bought some candy for the children.

"We should head back," Daniel told Ildri.

"Yes," she agreed. She could probably have spent hours more but she did not want to push her luck.

"Buy a trinket, pretty lady?" Ildri heard an unsettling voice say as they passed a stand full of odd miscellaneous objects. She spun around to see who spoke.

A well rounded merchant nodded towards her. "Are you interested in buying a trinket?" he repeated, but his voice sounded quite different than it had at first, deep and incredibly normal. "I have many wonders from around the world, step closer and see."