Page 20 of Riftborne
I pulled one from the bucket and slowly opened it, making sure to do so gently. A painted compass rose became visible on the page, The Isle of Sídhe was written in calligraphy at the top.
A map.
“How much are these?” I turned back to her.
“A copper will do, dear.” She smiled and approached me. “Anew little project I’ve been working on. My cartography skills sure don’t match my paintings, but I find joy in it.”
I dug into my satchel, pulled out a copper coin, and handed it to her. I would certainly need a map if I was going to begin planning my escape that night.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, eyeing the land mass. It didn’t look like any map I had seen before. It held a more personal touch and artistic flair. Even if it might not be perfectly to scale, it would work.
“Perhaps it will aid you on any travels you embark on. After all, it was born from mine,” she murmured, walking back to her seat behind the desk. I smiled, giving her a slight wave before wandering back into the chaos beyond her tent.
Now that Osta was occupied, I could finally do what I had come here to do. I reached into my pocket, feeling the gold bracelet within. My fingers grazed the engraving upon the surface and pushed away the sadness that threatened to seep in.
I made my way through the masses, stopping just before the wooden wheels of a covered wagon. I walked to the front to find an older, common man.
“Anything to trade?” His gruff voice called out into the groups of people passing by. He opened the front of his jacket to reveal that it was lined with jewelry and odd trinkets.
“I have a gold bracelet,” I said, and his eyes shot towards me, looking me up and down.
“Show me,” he said, closing his jacket and coming to lean against the side of the carriage.
I retrieved the bracelet from my pocket, but hesitated, rolling it through my fingers. I didn’t want to do this, but I didn’t have a choice. I needed coin for the road. Especially since I didn’t know how long it would take me to find work. Or if I would be able to find it at all.
“I ain’t got all day, miss.” He tapped his foot against the cobblestones.
I reached out slowly, placing the bracelet in his outstretched hand. He pulled it close to his face, examining it.
He shot me a suspicious look. “You sure this ain’t fool’s gold?”
“You’d be the expert,” I said in a voice just above a whisper.
He bit down on the bracelet a few times.
“Seems real enough.” He reached into a chest and grabbed a magnifying glass, inspecting the gold once again.
“Where’d you get this?” He asked. “Steal it, did you?” A hummed chuckle escaped his throat as he narrowed his eyes at me.
“I’ve had it since I was a child,” I said, irritation lacing my voice. “Do you want it or not?” My strength to rid myself of the little gold band was lessening with every moment I stood there. He placed it on the edge of his wagon and grabbed his coin pouch. My stomach turned.
“I guess I can melt it down,” he said, and it was like the final nail in the coffin. Quickly, I grabbed the bracelet and turned, racing back to the center of the market, my breaths heavy and my head light. I shoved the bracelet back into my pocket.
“Hey, where you going?” He spat from behind.
I couldn’t do it.
It was the only thing that was truly mine. The only thing that had come with me from my home in Riftdremar. I felt shame creep into my bones at what I had almost done. I needed to get out of here.
I found Osta, her arms now full of fabric samples.
She handed me a few bags of groceries. Well, nearly all of the groceries. “Where did you run off to?” Her smile was beaming, and I knew she was in her element. I didn’t want her to sense how shaken I was, so I kept my tone casual.
“Just looking around. Should we grab a bottle of wine to drink once we get home? I’ll need help winding down after all of this stimulation,” I remarked, hoisting the bag of goods higher onto my hip.
“I have an even better idea! Let’s go to Talia’s! It’s just around the corner and they should be offering specials right now–”
“I am mentally depleted. Let’s just go home and share a bottle there.” I couldn’t risk losing any more time. I needed to get home and start packing. I also needed to figure out how I was going to explain this to her.
