The Firelands

42 - The Girl with The Golden Eyes

                  

23rdday of the fourth Month, Joker's Moon

2:30 pm

Ricota              

Kalen stopped in front of another stall, looking at the fabrics on sale, comparing them to the fabrics sold back home. He grimaced at the quality, it was far superior to the silks of home, but then he hadn't really expected any less. He looked at a reel of velvet for a moment, his thoughts turning back to his sister – she would love this, and wouldn't she be the envy of the village is she wore a dress of Ricota velvet to one of the parties.

But he couldn't even be sure his family remained at the village, or if anyone did. What if they had abandoned the flaming wreck and moved on, the whole village.

Panic suddenly gripped his chest. What if they had left and he had no idea where they were? What if his sister hadn't even made it out after he had left?

He shouldn't have run, he knew he should have sta—

Dropping a length of velvet aside he turned away and soon found the area he'd been looking for. The smell was his first warning, then the snorts and clicks of hooves.

The horse traders square was in the centre of the market and he pushed his way through to the front to examine the horses for sale. This was his area, what his father had taught him to trade and he quickly slipped forwards into the square, leaving the crowd to look through the different choices. There were bays and dapples, a Snowshoe, two Ranges and a host of others, but his attention was drawn to a set of Eastern Ray Backs. Monstrous horses, they stood a head above the other horses, their sleek black bodies rippling with muscles. Their manes were black, streaked with red and fell in waves down around their faces which were part horse, part beast with fangs in their mouths and pure golden eyes. While, instead of hooves, they had clawed feet like that on a lizard, their hair falling around the razor sharp nails.

They were the attention of everyone in the square and they would never be going for cheap, and if there were even the slightest thing wrong with them, they wouldn't sell at all.

"I'm not sure, would you want them?"

"But we'd only want them if we went through the Winter Realm."

A voice that rang a bell in his memory spoke from nearby and Kalen looked around. Scanning the crowd, he spotted a trail of white hair from under a hood and, leaning forwards slightly, he found the golden eyes of the girl from the Goblin Tunnels.

She was examining the Eastern Rays, her arms folded; head tilted towards her companion, another young woman with grey eyes and black hair. Kalen looked at the pair for a moment when the companion's eyes suddenly flicked towards him and he looked away.

Out of his peripheral vision he watched at the companion leant over to the white haired girl and gestured towards him. She looked around and instantly unfolded her arms.

"You're alright," she said and swept over to him as he looked around. As soon as he looked down at her and her eyes locked on him, he was struck again by her looks, mostly by her eyes. Bright and focused, he just stared at them, stuck until she spoke. "You got out, how?"

Kalen shook his head slightly and folded his arms. "We had some help," he said, "I trust your escape was easier once you got out?"

"It was, we went back up the cliff."

"We went through the valley."

The girl looked at him for a moment, then bit her lip. "I am sorry about your nose by the way, and for not catching you."