LOGINCita was not surprised when Rashida refused to let him attend dinner with Lord Blah.Instead, she tucked him into a soft bed, dosed him with three tinctures, and fed him bland porridge and tea. She inspected the wound on his forearm and ankle and smeared both with different pun
At Rashida’s insistence, two new guards had loaded Cita onto a wood and canvas litter they brought.The healer paced beside the stretcher, the goods from her stall packed into a basket on her back and a walking stick in hand.
“Boy?”Blue flames drenched the giggle that escaped Cita’s lips, burning it away until the cackle was a howling, wordless scream.
A young girl, old enough to begin losing her childish apple-cheeks, met his panicked gaze and froze. Her mouth gaped and her eyes grew wide.“Your eyes,” she breathed. “They’re so pretty!” She clapped her hands. Blonde ringlets bounced in the sunlight.
A deep breath smoothed Cita’s face to bland innocence as he approached the weapons stall.The winged merchants attended shoppers again when Cita squeezed up to the table. He made a show of looking at the blades on display and then shaking his head in obvious disappointment. The
Cita looked around with interest as they approached the market. Sturdy brick buildings rose overhead. Thick shutters were flung wide to collect any stray breeze in the hot afternoon air. Above the steeply pitched roofs, tiny figures patrolled the wooden walls enclosing the township.