The Wanderer

Chapter 9--Part 3

The sky was just turning dusky when the two travelers noticed that they could hear the noise of the busy town. Although Eunoria was a pretty small village, it was situated along the main road that connected the capital cities of Laoen and the neighboring kingdom of Tarene. Saskia made a gesture to stop before they left their cover of trees for the vulnerable openness of the road.

"That road right on the other side of these trees leads right into the heart of Eunoria. Would you rather camp out in the woods again tonight or go ahead and face everyone tonight? It's up to you," Saskia remarked.

Chewing on her lower lip, Kalysta responded, "Well, we did walk all this way today. I would kind of like to go ahead and get this over with rather than waiting for the morning, but if you don't think will find your friend tonight, then maybe we should wait. What do you think? Do you think we will be able to find him tonight with it getting dark?"

"Do I think we'll find him? Yeah," she replied, trying to breathe out a slow, steady breath without looking too obvious. Am I ready to find him? she thought, No. She just was not sure she could face him after what she had done. Sighing inwardly she thought, I've got to get it over with sometime. Might as well get it over with now, rather than later. "Alright, come on. We'll go find him tonight."

The girls waited in the dim shadow of the trees until the road was clear before stepping out onto the path. They walked along until they came to the village center. Shop buildings were situated in a square around the market area which was currently in the process of being closed for the day. Ignoring the stares of several of the villagers, Saskia led Kalysta through the other people to a small shop on the far side of the square.

A large overhang spilled from the front of the shop, standing guard over several large tree stumps that were currently being utilized as tables, chairs, or stools, depending on the size. Heavy iron anvils of various sizes lay scattered about on the wooden slabs being utilized as tables. To the far side, right against the shop itself, a metal contraption that Kalysta knew to be the forge was connected to large bellows. Curiously, the doors to the shop were closed and the windows dark.

"Sask, I don't think anyone is here. The tools have all been picked up and put away and I don't see anyone around. Are you sure we have the right place?" she inquired, turning to her companion who looked just as confused as she felt.

Saskia walked around the forge, fighting memories while she tried to figure out where Ferrer was. "I don't understand why no one's here. I would say he'd just closed up for the night, but the forge isn't even warm. No one's been here at all in the last couple of hours, maybe even all day." While the girls were wandering around the shop looking for any signs of where the missing blacksmith might be, a small, ragged looking boy approached. He appeared to be about six or seven years old.

"Whatcha ladies doing?" he hollered, puffing out his chest and frowning in an attempt to look intimidating, but just came out looking adorable instead.

Kalysta stifled a smile and responded, "Looking for the blacksmith. Would that be you, kind sir?"

A big grin split across the young boy's face, pride for being mistaken as the blacksmith evident. "No, ma'am," he replied, "But he left me in charge to watch it for him. He's had a bit of trouble recently that he had to go sort out. Next closest blacksmith is one town over in Baeroan. Want me to go fetch him for you? I'll do it for cheap." The boy had already started moving off in that direction, but Saskia's words stopped him.

"Hold on. We need to speak to this town's blacksmith, not another blacksmith. Ferrer's an old friend of mine and we need to find him. Do you know where he is?" she queried. "I'd be very grateful if you could help us." A small copper coin appeared in her hand as if from thin air, and she flipped it casually, looking bored. The boy's eyes widened when he caught sight of it reflecting the dying sunlight. A few moments of silence ensued as the boy stood entranced watching the coin.

Finally realizing he was wasting time when he could be earning money, he spoke up. "Well, of course I know where he is. If I tell you, will you give me the coin?"

Saskia pursed her lips. "Hmm...I don't know about that. I might give it to you if you could take us to him. The village has changed so much I'm not sure I'd be able to find him if you just told us where he was."

The boy's face fell. "I don't think I can take you to him," he admitted.

"Well, why not?" Kalysta interjected.

"Cuz I don't think they'd let us into prison to see him. Especially since he's supposed to be hung at dawn."