Page 7 of A Soul to Guide

She tried to ignore it as she slowly made her way behind stalls so she could stay off the busy path. She didn’t want to be knocked around or get in anyone’s way, and it was easier to guide herself with the walls since she didn’t have her cane.

However, her ears twitched, that deep voice close. It was the storekeeper’s response that truly grabbed her attention, though.

“Leaving so soon, are you?” the woman said in a lazy, uncaring voice. “You haven’t been around long.”

“Yes. I have overstayed my welcome,” he answered plainly and with great thought, as though he was looking over what she had available.

He’s leaving?Raewyn nibbled the inside of her cheek before making her way, subtly and hopefully without notice, just a bit closer.

The woman laughed and changed her tone. “I have potatoes, pumpkin, beetroot, just about anything that’ll last you, at least to get you to the nearest towns. If you’re looking for the best produce for your travels, there’s not a shop in Clawhaven as fresh as what I have.”

“I highly doubt that,” he answered with a scoff. “The farmers have the best produce, and I didn’t come here for food. I wanted to inquire if you had dill.”

The woman let out a huff, no doubt frowning at his rude tone in the same way Raewyn was.

“I picked all my food fresh from my garden just this morning! The farmers add strange things to their produce to make it grow bigger and faster, but it doesn’t have the natural vitamins our good people need.”

Raewyn had heard of this kind of mass production of food. The Elysian council had considered doing this themselves, but decided a healthy belly eating slightly less was far better than a full one lacking in nutrients. It’s why she’d been working so hard on magically growing hufflepumpkin.

“Do you have dill in the back or not?”

Gosh, he sounded so rough and arrogant!

“No. I don’t have dill,” she bit. “Go ask Peter. He’s three doors down.”

Within seconds, Raewyn lost his scent when he’d moved through the crowd of people without responding. She turned her head one way, then the other, unsure of which direction he’d gone.

She took a gamble, and it paid off when his scent became stronger.

“You’re looking for dill?” Peter asked, his voice louder the closer she got. “I don’t have much left. It’s a favourite herb for most since it tastes so good.”

“I don’t care – whatever you have left.”

“Hmm,” he hummed thoughtfully. The next time he spoke, Peter’s voice was coy. “It’ll cost you a lot then.”

The sigh the stranger let out gave Raewyn the impression he was rolling his eyes at the storekeeper’s antics. “Just give me the fucking herb. I don’t care how much it costs.”

Peter laughed, just as her ears pressed flat against her head. Swearing was an uncommon practice for her people, and it tended to show a lack of respect. She was learning it was quite common for humans.

It made her strangely uncomfortable, like she wanted to squirm.

The front door creaked open as Peter went inside his home to collect the dill. Raewyn turned and pretended to check the bag she had strapped across her torso just in case the stranger looked around while he waited.

He’s leaving town.Despite her aversion to him, since he seemed to be a grumpy pants, she desperately wanted to ask him if she could tag along.

I gather he’s tall. He felt pretty big when he knocked me over, so does that mean he’s strong?She lifted a hand and tapped her full, pouty lips.Maybe if I play to his masculinity, call him a coward if he won’t take me, I can manipulate him into travelling with me.

Raewyn was willing to punch below the belt if it got her what she wanted. Once he took her to a different town, she could dust her hands of him. Hell, if he was willing to take her to a town with Anzúli, she’d pat him on the bum and tell him he did a superb job.

But how do I go about approaching him?She chewed at her bottom lip as she thought.I can’t just walk up to him and say ‘Hi there! This might seem weird, but I’ve been stalking you and heard, because I was eavesdropping, that you’re leaving! Wouldn’t it just be amazing if you took me with you?’

She scrunched up her nose. Yeah, thatwasn’tgoing to help her at all.

“There you go,” Peter exclaimed, just as his door slammed shut. “One pouch of dill. That’ll be five silvers.”

“I think you should look me over once more and reconsider just how deeply you wish to con me,” the stranger bit out.

“T-three silvers?” Peter said, his tone losing its confidence.

---