He noticed that the man and the girl were standing behind him, their cloaks wrapped tightly around their bodies. They, too, were waiting for the boy.
Eventually he came out of the shed.
"Well?" the man asked.
"Affron was here," the boy replied.
"We knew this," the girl said.
The boy shook his head. "It's different."
"How?"
The boy didn't answer her question. "We should go," he said. "He's waiting for me."
"Where?"
"North, I suppose." He gestured at Arva, as if to say: We can trust what this man told us.
They walked back to town. He left them at the stable. They politely thanked him for the trouble he had taken. He said it was no trouble; he was delighted to help.
He watched them head off north on the King's Road. When they were out of sight he went directly to Grillich's tavern and ordered a cup of whiskey, even though it was still morning. He drank it down and sat shivering by the fire.
He was not shivering from the cold.
And as he stared at the fire he found himself praying to the gods, for the first time in many years. Even though he had no idea what he was praying for.
The last person to see the three strangers was Corin the stable boy. He followed behind them as they rode, hoping for one last glimpse of the girl with the blonde hair and gray eyes. And yes, finally she turned and smiled and gave him a little half-wave before turning back to the road and her journey.
And that was enough to keep him warm for the rest of the long, lonely winter in our small town.
~
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BARBARICA
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Richard Bowker is the author of Replica, Senator, and other novels. He lives near Boston with his wife and two sons.
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TERRA (The Portal Series, Book 2) Page 26
