City of Mages

Chapter 34: Alara

It had been many years since Alara had dressed in plain village clothes, but it only took her a few seconds to loathe the impractical fashion. The skirt was long, having no slits to allow for movement in combat. It was wide, but fell to her ankles, making her feel as though she would trip at any moment.

Lili, on the other hand, wore a dress that fell to her knees, flaring with the heavy material beneath the top skirt. It fit her well, but the black wool fabric of the dress looked stark on her compared to her usually bright clothing choices. She wore a shawl to cover the tattoo on her arm and had brushed her hair to fall across the side of her face. Much to Alara's surprise, Lili looked like a presentable village woman. Her straight, bright hair somehow looked perfectly serviceable after days hiking through the woods.

Alara ran a hand through her own tangled hair, trying to make it lie flat. When that didn't work, she let Lili twist it into a plait that hid the dirt and knots they couldn't get out.

They stuffed their old clothes into sacks and handed them to Runeo and Quenti.

"So, if anyone asks where you're from?" Quenti quizzed Alara for a third time.

"Hurazon. We're Elena Ortiz's daughter, Tera..."

"... and cousin, Isabela." Lili finished.

"Good. Those two are so antisocial. I doubt anyone in Hurazon has even seen them."

"We'll meet back here with the clothes and head out," Alara said. "We'll need to skirt the village in case someone recognizes Quenti, but then we'll be on the road and home free by evening."

Rather than hit the village straight on, Lili and Alara headed toward the western path, planning to enter as travelers from Hurazon would. It wasn't uncommon for people to visit different villages to look for bargains or different materials, and Alara just hoped that no one would question their knowledge of Hurazon.

She felt Lili's energy shift as they entered. The dirt path turned to stone, and they passed the first few houses that sat on the outskirts. Alara remembered the town square from her trip here with Emaru and the councilguards months ago.

The road wound past a few more houses before it opened wider and into the central square. Alara barely recognized it from when she had been here last. It teemed with people, and stands lined the road, circling the fountain at the center.

Lili tensed as they set foot in the square, bumping by a few villagers as they walked. A small group of children ran by screaming, chasing after a small l'lama that seemed to have escaped from its family. It had a small pack on its back that was slipping off as it bounced along the cobblestones of the square.

Alara turned to find Lili no longer beside her, but instead chasing down the loose livestock. She caught the harness around its neck and laid a calming hand across its head. The animal danced impatiently on its hoofs for a few beats before calming down. The children stopped their chase and looked up at Lili with awed expressions.

"Thank you, Senye!" The oldest boy, no more than six years old, said with a small bow. He took the harness from the Arboreli's hands, eyes cast downward in respectful reverence.

She gave a nervous smile, patting the l'lama on the head one more time before backing away from the children and making her way back to Alara. She was silent, but her shoulders seemed a little less stiff as they continued on their way.

"Let's find a clothes vendor," Alara said, and Lili nodded.

It didn't take long to find a stall that fit their needs. A pile of cloth sat on the table, tipping precariously, with many pieces embroidered with bright yarn. Of course, there was nothing as gorgeous or intricate as the Arborelis' bright designs, but it was still impressive. The duo ignored the beautiful pieces and picked out a plain pair of black trousers and a tan tunic with a simple black embroidery along the neckline and hem. They only cost three bronze pieces, a bargain compared to what they'd run in Cielo. As she paid the woman, her eyes caught on a set of hooded ponchos, woven from undyed alpaca wool.