Page 31 of Ties of Legacy

“You’re lucky you didn’t get hurt,” she said softly.

He smiled. “I missed the lesson about flowers and cliffs, but I got into plenty of fights in my early years of travel when I was still foolish.” A shadow crossed over his face. “It took a whilebefore I started winning any of the fights, but at least I learned how to fall well, so it wasn’t all wasted.”

“A useful skill,” Avery said, her mock solemnity covering the sudden pang in the region of her heart.

Elliot seemed so easygoing and levelheaded. What had provoked his younger self into so many fights? Who had he been protecting?

“I had to learn a lot of useful skills for traveling very quickly,” he said. “You would have thought me useless if you’d met me back then.”

“You’re certainly a seasoned traveler now,” she said. “Do you really want to leave the road? Won’t life in a normal house in the middle of a city seem boring after a life of adventure?”

“It sounds splendid to me. Idyllic boredom.”

Avery shook her head. She couldn’t understand it. Who wanted to be bored? She let the topic drop, though. There wasn’t anything to be gained by the two of them arguing over it.

Elliot had claimed to be fine, but she watched him through the afternoon and as they set up camp, and he was obviously more bruised and battered than he wanted to admit. He still did his part, though, making no attempt to claim special privileges from injury.

She heard him tossing and turning at several points in the night, and she couldn’t imagine the ground was kind to his sore muscles or bruises. From the look of him as they climbed onto the cart the next morning, he was feeling it even worse than he had the day before. At least he would have a soft bed that night.

The road grew busier as they neared the riverside city, and although she and Elliot didn’t talk, a buzz ran between them and the other travelers. Avery grinned. She loved this part of approaching larger cities. They had a bustle to them that she always missed after being in the countryside for a while.

Marleston was a sprawling, relaxed city without city walls or gates, and the traffic flowed smoothly inside. It did seem busier than usual, and from the way Elliot was looking around, he had noticed it as well.

“It must be market day,” he said brightly, peering up at the lowering sun. “If we hurry, we should be able to get there before it closes for the evening.” He glanced at her. “Were you planning to have a stall here before we leave?”

Avery shook her head. She enjoyed visiting larger cities, and she had valuable connections in many of them, but she didn’t make use of their markets. Stalls were for those who specialized in particular products.

“I’m more of an individual merchant,” she told him. “I match people to their perfect wares, whatever they may be. I’ll take specific requests from my contacts in cities, but I do most of my business in the countryside.” She smiled. “Countryfolk have more need of my services than those in cities. And on this trip, I won’t be lingering anywhere for sales. I need to get to Bolivere as quickly as possible.”

His face went dark at the mention of the northern town, and she looked at him curiously. He said nothing, though, so she continued.

“I enjoy markets as a customer, however, so I’d be happy to visit this one. I always go to the Fox and Crow in Marleston, and the staff there know me. We can drop the cart and Nutmeg at their stables and sort out our rooms in the inn later. If we do that, we should be able to get to the market square in sufficient time.”

Elliot’s face cleared, his good humor returning at the prospect of visiting the market.

“I haven’t stayed at the Fox and Crow,” he said. “I’ve always frequented one of the inns on the western side of the city, but Idon’t mind where we stay.” He rubbed his side and winced. “As long as they have a proper bed.”

Even with the extra activity in the city, it didn’t take Avery long to navigate through the streets to the Fox and Crow. As she had claimed, the staff in the inn’s courtyard immediately recognized her and called a greeting. She handed Nutmeg’s reins over and after a short conversation with an older groom returned to Elliot.

“He’ll let the innkeeper know that we’re here and we need two rooms,” she told him. “Are you ready to go?”

He nodded eagerly, and they set off on foot for the central market square. They could hear the sound of the crowd before they arrived, the calls of stall keepers rising above the general buzz of voices.

Elliot’s smile grew wider and wider, and Avery felt her own anticipation rise in step with his. She had grown somewhat blasé about markets since traveling alone—they weren’t nearly as much fun to visit on your own—but being there with Elliot brought back the sense of excitement she’d always felt as a child. Who knew what treasure you were about to find or what delicious food you might try for the first time?

They stepped into the square and paused for a moment to take it in. Stalls lined the sides, and crowds strolled through the open spaces, or lined up in front of the more popular food vendors.

Avery’s eyes fell on a stall selling spiced buns, and her eyes lit up.

“Come on!” She grabbed Elliot’s arm and hauled him through the crowd to join the end of the line.

“These are my favorite,” she said at the exact same time he did.

They looked at each other and laughed.

“I shouldn’t be surprised,” she said. “I think they’re the favorite of every roving merchant child. My cousin certainly tried to steal as many of mine as he could.”

“My mother always bought them for me,” Elliot said, “because she knew that no matter how angry I was with her, I could never turn down a spiced bun.”

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