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She smiled at him. “Thank you, Ba Re’.”

“You need to hurry before the sun comes up.” He walked to the end of the service hall and stood there to be sure no one interrupted her while she was making her getaway. He only looked over his shoulder once when he heard the door of the linen closet close. He smiled briefly, before he forced the scowl back to his face and headed back to his quarters to tell Elisha what he’d done. She’d be proud of him.

Chapter 22

Mirilla arrived at the market just as the sun was coming up. She forced herself to stroll relaxedly past the marketing stalls that had already been set up for the morning’s customers. She was not a stranger to the stalls, often accompanying Jof Ta on his trips to buy produce for the palace, along with cookware and other various sundries for wherever they may be needed. It was very important to Jof Ta and herself to try to purchase produce that was locally grown, and goods crafted by local people, rather than importing everything. And lucky for them, Eula agreed. She wasn’t sure if she should let herself be recognized or not, so kept the hood of her cape over her head and her face in its shadow as she strolled. She’d heard tell that one could purchase anything in the market here, just as could be done in any market, but she wasn’t sure how to go about it, and who exactly she should ask.

So, she just wandered, pretending to shop with little idea of how to achieve what she really wanted.

After her third pass one of the stall keepers took pity on her. “Is there something I can help you find?” he asked.

Mirilla turned her head toward the male who asked if he could help her and pulled her hood more closely about her head as she shook her head quickly back and forth. Despite her better efforts, a strand of her peach colored hair escaped her hood.

The male looked more closely then surprised her. “Miss Mirilla. Is that you?”

“No,” she said, keeping her voice soft and hopefully not recognizable.

The male laughed good-naturedly. “Of course, it is. How are you today, Miss Mirilla. You’re here early. You and Mr. Jof Ta don’t usually come until after the breakfast crowd. You must be looking for something special.”

She raised her face and looked him in the eye, preparing to speak, but then out of the corner of her eye she saw palace warriors at the far end of the market and clearly began panicking.

The old male, who was a personal friend of Jof Ta’s, had sharp eyes and didn’t miss her reaction to the warriors. He stepped round the table presenting the vegetables he was offering for sale and took her by the arm. “Come, sit in my stall and have some Litah.”

“I can’t. I need to go, An’ Der,” she said, even as she allowed him to guide her to his own seat beside the small fire he’d built for warmth against the morning chill.

The male’s eyes flicked toward the warriors, then to Mirilla’s. “If you leave now, it will be obvious and they’ll see you. If you remain here, seated as though you are selling vegetables with me, they may not notice.”

“You may get in trouble,” she warned.

“For what? Allowing a female to warm herself beside my fire?” he picked up a carrot like vegetable and handed it to her. “Eat this. It makes you look like you belong here, rather than just huddling.”

Obediently Mirilla began munching on the vegetable.

The old male took his time selling vegetables to several different shoppers, before he finally turned back to her. “Why are you here, Miss Mirilla. What’s happened?”

“An’ Der I need to get on a transport,” she answered. “Can you help me get on a transport?”

His eyes widened with his surprise. “What have you done?” he asked regretfully.

“Nothing. But some people think I have, and the only way to prove my innocence is to find the person who did the things I’m suspected of.”

“Do you even know where to look?”

She shook her head. “I suppose I’ll start searching space ports. Those that one could blend into most easily and not be questioned.”

“They’re not safe for a female to be frequenting alone.”

She shrugged almost hopelessly. “It’s not safe for me to be here either.”

The male shook his head, then looked down the row of stalls before shaking his head again and mumbling as he wandered away. “Stay here,” he called over his shoulder.

After a little while he came back. He sold some vegetables to the few people that had waited for him to return, then he turned to her again. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I have to do this. I have to find my brother, only then will I be able to clear my name.”

“Your own family has you running for your life?”

“I believe so.”

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