Page 18 of Warrioress

She smiled as she watched them rush by in a chaotic stream of little feet flattening the snow as they weaved between each other, like a pack of puppies nearly tripping over each other in their excitement. It was natural. A break in the storm systems was rare—of course they would be excited. It was not unusual. What she didn’t expect was how strongly it brought back memories of her childhood. She simply blinked and suddenly had a clear vision of herself as a child, her hair bound in six braids concealed beneath the wood scarf tied over the top of her head as she hurried from her own doorstep after her older brothers, her boots and wool skirt keeping her warm despite the nip in the air and the snow blanketing everything.

In her vision Frank, her oldest brother, turned to call back to her, telling her to hurry, as Will and Jimmy ran past him with voices raised in excitement and copper coins clutched tightly in their fists for the market. Her lips parted with the instinct to call to them, but the scene wavered and then it was a different time and the house burst into flames, the tinder walls collapsing on themselves as the guts of the house disintegrated into ash. Screams rose in her mind, visions of her hands clawing at the door even as she was wrenched away and carried to safety. Uma swallowed sharply as a sour taste filled her mouth and she blinked rapidly, chasing away the vision.

Her family home and smithy disappeared from the street in front of her, replaced only by a humble structure that served as a small shop since the fire wiped away everything she cared about.

Tipping her head back, she drew in another deep breath as she sought a calm state. Nostalgia was making her sentimental. It was naturally messing with her head. At her side Katiera shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she frowned at the crowd clustered heavily around the stalls down the street.

“The market... are you sure, Uma? I get that you want to take them out for a bit after being confined inside the station for so many days, but the market...”

“Is a perfectly good activity to get some exercise and bolster the spirits with all the ongoing festivities,” Uma interrupted. She offered her friend a smile to soften the sharpness of her words. “It is not often that we can enjoy a day of good weather and cheer, and I think it is something that we all need... don’t you?”

Katiera looked back at the Ragoru with worry but nodded reluctantly. “I suppose you are right. It was hard being indoors for the last several days, and I am sure even more so for them given their size and presumed activity level. I am just worried taking them around so many people without even constraints.”

Uma glanced over her shoulder at the Ragoru. Their heads turned, their ears pricking at the sights and sounds of their surroundings. Despite that, she was certain that they were fully aware of every word quietly exchanged between her and the guardswoman. It hardly seemed fair that anyone would expect them to be bound when the reality was that they hadn’t done anything at all to warrant it. Even with his nasty attitude and tendency to snarl and snap his teeth, not even Vrin had done any true harm.

Facing forward again, she brushed at the shoulder of her cloak and stood taller. “They haven’t done anything to deserve it. You and I both know that the only reason they have been confined at all and are about to be exiled from the citadel is solely to please the men who jealously filed the complaint rather than any real wrongdoing on their part.”

Katiera’s lips thinned in silent agreement. “Understood, Captain.”

“Besides, we have plenty of cover,” Uma added, giving voice to reminder just in case Vrin got a wild hair up his ass over something and decided to lose his damn mind. “I don’t think even a Ragoru would risk an arrow in the ass.”

Sure enough, the male’s ear turned her way, but he surprised her by suddenly snorting a low, scoffing sound that sounded suspiciously like amusement. Jessie ducked away from him as she darted a nervous look his way, but Uma felt her lips curl despite herself. The bad-tempered jerk would find the threat funny.

“Let’s move out,” she instructed the women accompanying her.

Katiera and Jessie nodded and assumed an arrow formation as they kept the triad within the confines of their guard. Vrin grumbled something indistinct in ragii, but when Uma peered back at him over her shoulder with an eyebrow raised, he merely gave a guileless grin.

“I said that I have never seen so many humans in one place,” he divulged smoothly without prompting.

Laro nodded thoughtfully at his side, his gaze skittering among the humans jostling each other at the tables as they crowded in close to get a glimpse of the wares for sale. With their superior height, the Ragoru clearly had no trouble seeing everything they wanted. They merely craned their hands as they moved past the tables as if the bustle of shoppers was a spectator’s sport. They never asked to stop, nor did they make any attempts to take a closer look as if the things being sold didn’t register more than a curiosity for them, so Uma was surprised when Laro’s voice came from directly behind her where Kam had been walking previously.

“If we could stop here for a moment, there is something I would like,” he rumbled in a low voice.

Uma peered back at him in surprise, but signaled to the other two women as she dipped her head in agreement. We will be right here. Do not go far.”

The scars on the side of his face pulled as the corner of his mouth inched up, though it didn’t make it far before it reached its limit and the skin tightened in a way that looked just shy of uncomfortable.

“I will be just there.” He nodded toward a small table mostly overlooked among the larger stalls.

Uma squinted in that direction, unable to make out what was being sold or what might have even caught Laro’s eye. But, then again, it was none of her business as long as it wasn’t a weapon—and even that she couldn’t rouse much worry over considering that Laro could easily shred her with his claws if he were of the mind to. What was a weapon when a male himself was a walking arsenal?

“Okay, go ahead. Make it quick.” She waved him out as she cast a glance at their surroundings. “There are some food stalls up ahead that smell appetizing. We will stop to eat when you return.”

Laro paused, his violet eyes resting on her for a long moment before he dipped his head again and headed toward the table. A few people glanced his way as he approached—he was hard to miss, after all—and after nudging those closest to them to the side to make room, everything continued normally while the male was provided an unobstructed route directly to his destination. Uma shook her head as she watched. If it were her, she would have to practically battle her way through the crowd, and that was even being well over a full head taller than many of the women there.

The sound of footsteps directly to her left made her glance over as Jessie sidled up next to her. “You don’t think he is getting a weapon or something, do you?”

“Does it matter?” Uma countered, echoing her earlier thoughts. “If they wanted to kill me, they had plenty of opportunities. And they don’t need a weapon to do it.”

Jessie bit her lip and tugged at it nervously with her teeth. “You’re right. But what do you think he wants there? Ragoru bring in pelts and leather to trade from their hunts, but I have never seen them actually spend money on anything outside of eating. But that isn’t a food stall. It’s all very strange.”

Uma shrugged. She was curious as well, but ultimately it wasn’t any of her business. “It’s mother’s night tomorrow. Perhaps there is a mother he wishes to pay respect to, or to get a token of the Mother for reverence. The Ragoru also revere a mother goddess.”

“That is true,” Jessie replied thoughtfully.

Rather than speculate further, Uma slowly turned in place until she was facing her underling, her eyebrows raising.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at point with Katiera?” she queried softly. “Or are you assuming Kam will simply behave like a well-trained dog if you leave him there unguarded?”

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