Page 3 of Of Glass and of Gold

The crowd had almost sucked all the air from the market with their collective inhale as a guard addressed them. “Those found speaking against the Crown will be punished!” He dug his fingers into the man’s silver hair, balling it in his fist to control his movement. Without pause, he delivered a cracking blow to the man’s face, not relenting his grip. It kept his helpless victim in a primed position to take hits.

The punches were delivered in rapid succession, but luckily, the man lost consciousness. Probably the only reason the guards released his limp body, letting it tumble on the wooden boards before they stepped over him and retreated.

A few bystanders rushed the stage, gathering the man’s unmoving body and dragged him away. The audience quickly scattered, leaving an empty, fear-tainted stage. My nostrils flared.

I had long hated the Crown, but my contempt easily ballooned over the years. Falling from wealth quickly altered my perspective on the world and every witnessed injustice was another layer of scar tissue on my already marred heart. Anger can be a comforting coil around sorrow and grief, giving you a sense of redirection, a fire that burns away the memory of things that weigh too heavily on a spirit.

As I surveyed the scattering townspeople, I fell into that fluffy embrace of heated temper. We suffered, they prospered. Even the act of speaking out, of pointing out the insulting indifference we were shown, led to our suffering.

“Nora,” Alejo said softly, grabbing my attention again.

“Yeah?” I hadn’t realized the tight clench that’d had a hold on my jaw until he broke my trance.

“There’s not enough for four loaves here, only three,” he kept his voice quiet so no one beyond us could hear the pity.

“What?” I shifted on my feet to face him, my stomach tensing at the thought. “Let me see.” He placed the pouch and coin back into my extended hand. I moved the coins around with the tip of my finger, adding the tally in my head. He’d been right. “Oh.” Why wouldn’t Eucinda have told me? “I guess three, then.” I handed it back to him, disappointment making my movements stiff.

He filled the bread bag with one less loaf than I’d anticipated, and I left with a forced smile. My thoughts turned toward my shift at the tavern tonight. If I was lucky, by the time the kitchen closed down, there might be leftovers I could snag.

I clung to the less than full bag as if it were as valuable as gold. Eucinda’s words echoed in my mind, ‘don’t dawdle’, but they didn’t sway my decision. Instead of turning down my street, I veered left down the main path toward the docks.

Odion’s shop was second to last down the sloped lane that fed to the port, commonly referred to as ‘the strip’, and I stepped under the roof of the exposed shop. None of the shops along the strip had walls, all open to each other and the ocean breeze. I waited for the formidable man in a leather apron to finish pounding the glowing red steel he’d pulled from the fire roaring in the stone hearth embedded in the back wall. Sparks flew off with every pummeling strike, but his repetition never wavered until he finished.

He raised the blade and inspected it.

“Looks good,” I complimented.

My friend turned to face me, his already dark complexion smeared with ash. When he smiled, I felt all the affection of a father. Much needed comfort.

“My girl, I didn’t expect to see you today.” He set down the scorching metal into the nearby water barrel, sending steam and sizzling bubbles spewing upward as it hissed.

“I didn’t expect to stop by, but I think I’m starting to need another break from that house,” I admitted. Odion knew all about my family dynamic, and understanding flashed in his eyes.

“Another lesson so soon?” He gave me a knowing grin.

“Yes, I can handle it.” Okay, maybe that part was a lie, seeing as I’d still woken up stiff this morning from our sparring three nights ago. “Though, I question if you can?” I snarked.

He chuckled under his breath, wiping sweat from his forehead with a rag. “Don’t you have a shift tonight?”

“I do, but not until eight. I can swing by after dinner? You can show me more of those disarming techniques.” I waggled my eyebrows at him.

He wiped down his hands and peered at me from under his brow. “I suppose a girl should be proficient in these things. Especially these days.” Tossing the rag on the table, he splayed his palms over the long wooden surface, propping himself up. His gaze scoped both sides of the street before he continued, “I heard the guards by the docks last night. A wife reported her husband missing.”

Odion probably knew more dirty secrets than the wives of the elite in the kingdom. Almost nothing noteworthy happened without him hearing about it first. Being one of the main blacksmiths in the village, and ideally located between the market and the docks, he was constantly surrounded by chatty civilians and bored guardsmen. It’s amazing what people will gossip about while waiting on tools or weapons or the next ship at port.

“A husband sneaking out at night? Hardly sounds nefarious,” I joked.

“He left to take out the trash in his nightwear,” he continued, dropping his volume. “She heard a ruckus, and when he didn’t come back inside, she went to check on him. But he was gone.”

I confirmed no one was close enough to hear our discussion before I stepped closer. “Shit. Did she ask the neighbors if they heard anything? See anyone?”

He dropped his head between his hunched shoulders and shook. “Nah. At least, not that I’ve heard, anyway.”

“Where does she live?”

He raised his head, eyes piercing me with their warning. “Nora, I’ve told you not to get involved. The last thing you want is for attention to be brought on you. You know how they treat troublemakers.” His scolding was delicately wrapped in a whisper.

“Well, maybe if I know where it happened, I can make sure to avoid the area.” I shrugged innocently.

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