Page 12 of The Sorcerer's Thief
“Berries?” A hopeful note lilts his rough voice. Now I’ve got his attention.
“Indeed, follow me.”
His expression twists with reluctance, but he does come. “What kind of berries?”
I ignore him and concentrate on the location. Casting my magic in all directions at once, then narrowing the scope to find food requires focus. I don’t expect someone like Cricket to appreciate my skill so much as I expect him to be quiet and let me work.
He follows me much closer than he’s allowed me to follow him, both of us picking our way through the shrubs and brambles of the underbrush.
“Are you sure about this?”
I shush him.
My magic leads us to a huge overgrown bush of sucker berries, bright pink, plump, and bursting with sweet juice I can almost taste by looking. My mouth waters.
“My favorite!” Cricket eagerly scampers ahead. Luckily, I find I don’t so much mind being behind him. That view doesn’t get old.
Sucker berries are roughly the same size and shape as peanut shells. They come in green, pink, and red. If you’re a sweet tooth,like me, the trick is to suck the soft, juicy inner flesh from the thick leathery skin. The skin is edible, though it’s bitter. I tend to discard it, but others claim eating both at once is the perfect balance of sweet and sour.
Let them have it. Bleh.
By the looks of it, Cricket feels the same as I do. He wraps his lips around the fruit, bites a hole, and sucks, cheeks caving in. His lids flutter shut in pleasure. The picture he makes is utterly decadent. I have to turn away lest I embarrass myself staring.
While he stands there eating them one by one, I summon a basket and begin to fill it.
“How d’ya know these were here?” he asks, mouth obscenely full.
I wiggle the remaining fingers on my right hand, bringing a burst of orange sparks dancing around my palm. “Magic.”
He arches his brows. “Glad to see it works for a useful purpose.”
I flick my hand at him, and orange sparks shine and fizzle out before reaching their target.
His hand flies to his chest, where he keeps the coin. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to set you on fire.”
“Don’t.”
“I can’t.”
“Good.”
Frowning, I choose not to bicker further, though another response floats readily to my tongue. Not worth it. He doesn’t care.
And I plan to have a rest. Asittingrest, as in a pause to all this infernal traipsing around we’ve been at for hours on end. I’m in no hurry to go farther south with its pit of humid air, nest of nefarious guildsmen, and host of bad memories. I need that coin before I’ll be ready to tackle what waits for me there.
I scan our surroundings. The forest is young and overly dense, but the remains of older fallen behemoths lie nearby. Any one of them would make a good spot to park my bottom and take the weight off my aching feet.
I summon a small satchel for Cricket’s use, a peace offering, and hand it over. “Collect your fill and come sit.”
He takes the bag with only a brief hesitation, a look of surprise flashing across his lovely features, and sets to work picking berries. Hating him would be easier if he weren’t so attractive.
I head off without waiting. He’ll follow, or he won’t, but I’m going to fall over if I don’t sit soon.
An old cedar, long since downed and beginning to rot, is calling my name. A thick layer of moss covers the bark. I regret that my breeches will surely be dirty after this, but I sit anyway. The dead tree still emits a strong, woody scent. Notes of citrus. Altogether a pleasant smell.
A little picnic will be nice. I summon a serving tray, then deposit the contents of my bag of nuts and plums plus the basket of sucker berries on top. I could provide mugs, wine, and bread, but I don’t want Cricket to know that. We’ll have to make do with this.
