Page 22 of Lore of the Wilds

Marinated meat, both sweet and spicy, burst into her mouth. There were vegetables too: shredded carrot, sweet caramelized onion, and something else she couldn’t place, all cooked to perfection, and she hurried and slurped too, lest the broth dribble down her chin. She moaned as the spiciness alighted across her tongue and quickly pushed the rest of the piece into her mouth, chewing contentedly with her eyes closed.

She popped another one in her mouth, this time not bothering to bite it in half. Goddess, this one seemed even better than the first. The smooth, almost sweet outside contrasted so well with the spicy tang of the meat.

She popped a third in.Is this heaven?

“Slow down. They’re not going anywhere.”

Lore’s eyes flashed open. Goddess, she’d forgotten that she was surrounded by people, one of them being Asher. She smiled even though her mouth was filled with delicate meat pie. “They’re so good. What are they?”

“Xuong calls them dumplings. These are my favorites.”

“Dumplings? I love them. Should we get more?” Lore looked longingly at the two dumplings left. She could probably eat these for every meal and never grow tired of them.

“Here, have mine. I had a large breakfast, anyway.” Asher thrust his four dumplings toward her.

“Are you sure?” she asked, as she grabbed his wrapping, quickly combining their dumplings.

He raised an eyebrow. “You seem to enjoy them even more than I do, which I hadn’t known was possible.”

She popped one into her mouth with another small moan of delight.

Lore’s cheeks warmed. She couldn’t help it. She loved food and rejoiced when she had the chance to try new flavors. Especially because back home, her diet usually consisted of the same foods again and again unless it was a feast day.

She remembered her manners. “Thank you. They’re quite delicious.”

Asher’s lip quirked at the corner, his dimple appearing. “It’s nothing. You need to eat before we head to the library, anyway.”

He was odd for a sentry. An enigma. She couldn’t figure him out.

Lore stepped around a female holding the leash of a small dog with a fuchsia bow and popped another dumpling in her mouth. “What are some of the rumors circulating about why I’m here? It seemed like Xuong had heard quite a few,” Lore said.

“I assure you. You don’t want to know.”

Lore popped another dumpling into her mouth, surprised to find it was the last one. She chewed, thinking, then asked, “Why not just tell Xuong I’m here to work in the library?”

Asher looked away, wiping his hands on a cloth square he’d pulled from a hidden pocket in his uniform. “I’m actually under strict orders to not discuss why you are here and to make sure that you don’t get close to anyone.”

Of course. The steward would make sure that even though shecouldgo to the market, she would still be isolated. And Asher would make sure that his orders were followed.

She pressed on farther into the market, the loneliness that had been eating at her the last few days suddenly blanketing her again.

“Though, I think you would like Xuong,” Asher said suddenly. “I’ve known her since I was a child. She grew up at the castle as well. Her mother and father both work in the kitchen.”

Lore stumbled. She hadn’t expected him to say anything else. She gripped the conversational thread like a lifeline. “So that’s where she got her talent from?”

“Yes. I suppose it must run in the family.” His eyes roamed over her face briefly, seemingly searching for something.

She couldn’t imagine what. She wiped her mouth, making sure she didn’t have any broth on her lips or chin, and continued toward a row of stalls filled with clothing for sale.

The pair fell back into their usual silence.

Lore spied a vendor selling gleaming boots, gold-spun tunics, and dainty shoes similar to the ones that the female Alytherian noble had worn to the apothecary the day of the earthshake. Lore had never seen a pair of shoes so lovely and yet, here were dozens of them in every color.

Lore eyed the price and rolled her eyes. That fae female had lied about the book costing more than her shoes. She frowned. She hadn’t seen her since that day in the apothecary. Maybe, like the other royals, she was gone from the castle for the cold months.

She moved on to the next vendor. This one sold decorative maps. Duskmere wasn’t on any of them. One day, she vowed, their town would be marked by a star on every map.

Lore moved on, spying another clothing stall, this one with more practical and affordable choices.

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