Iron Rations

Lyall Hound- Yule Connor

The journey to the other edge of the village was long and cold. I was glad I brought the fox pelt with me, or else I'll be freezing to death.

When I finally arrived at the edge, it was already alive with traders and customers. A man sold metal products, from knives to pots. Beads and buttons decorated a woman's tray. A man sold warm bowls of broth for cold traders and customers alike. A little girl who carried baskets of apples traded one fruit in exchange for a metal kettle. A boy only a few years younger than me just got two new fur coats in exchange for his goat.

"Oy! Lyall Hound!"

I turned around to the direction of the voice and a saw beefy man wearing an overlarge coat walking towards me. He held a bottle of clear liquid.

The man stopped before me and looked up to met my gaze. I was ahead taller than him.

"Don't have your bird today, eh, boy?" he said in a thick accent I couldn't place. Russian, maybe?

I shook my head. "Sometimes, we've got to head alone."

The man's expression was strange, like he was surprised to hear my voice. Maybe he is. I avoid talking with other people as much as I avoid interacting with them.

The man tried to cover up his silence with a jolly laugh that made heads turn towards us. Once they saw who the man was talking to, they turned away.

The stopped laughing and clicked his tongue. "That's a fine-looking fox pelt, lad. It'd be worth it if you give me that, I give you this." He raised his bottle. "I just brewed this elixir last night. It's lucky. Helps you deal with the ladies."

I raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Oh, it works!" the man said. He pointed at a woman selling chopped logs. "See that girl? I just went to dinner with her last night after drinking this." He tapped the glass bottle lightly. "Every girl will love you after you drink this, Lyall Hound! All those fantasies of yours may come be true with a simply trade." He hungrily indicated the fox pelt around my shoulders.

I shook my head with a half-smile. "First of all, I'm not trading this pelt for that. Second, that's vodka. I saw you last night buying a few bottles from Turner." The man genuinely looked surprised I saw him. "And third, I don't fantasize."

I turned away without another word.

I went to the milk cart. The trader looked drunk, and he refilled my milk bottle and another bottle with the mere trade of a squirrel. I want to point it out, but he passed out as soon as he sealed the second bottle.

I guess this signals a lucky day.

I looked through the stalls again, hoping to find someone worthy to trade with my fox pelt. I had my eye on a hunting dagger, but the trader said he already had enough fox pelts and would prefer the pelt of another animal. I went off quietly.

After spending another half an hour looking for something good, I decided to head home. Shiv must be too bored now, and when she gets too bored, she ends up flying around and destryoing things to entertain herself. The fact that my jacket has talon marks on it is proof. I walked off to direction of my house, narrowly missing a running goat.

"Sorry!" a boy yelled at me, as he passed, running after his goat. I didn't say anything, deciding to just keep on walking. But when I turned, I hit someone.

We both landed on the snow. I winced with the pain throbbing at my temple, knowing I must've hit the person's forehead or something. But when I opened my eyes and saw the person who I ran into, the pain seemed to go away.

The cold forest. Shiv's cry. The girl's pale face. The warmth of her hand on mine. Her quiet breathing. Though I only saw her once, I recognize this girl.

She had grown, but still looked similar to the 9-year-old I saw in the woods once. She had curly, shoulder-length reddish-gold hair. Pale skin. Those doe brown eyes which made me stop in my tracks as soon as she opened them. Her bright green sweater seemed to contrast the dullness of the cold around her, and her expression right now seemed strange.

She recognized me too.

I was brought back to my senses when I heard the murmur of the crowd around me. People were staring.

I stood up, and extended my hand towards her. I didn't miss the red color of her cheeks as she took my hand. I helped her up.

Soon, everyone returned to their business. The traders back to trading. The buyers back to buying. The drunkards back to being drunk. As the girl brushed of the snow from her clothes, I picked up our things. My fox pelt, my two milk bottles. Her milk bottle and a clump of herbs. Good thing our stuff landed on the snow, because if it landed on soil chances are the glass milk bottles might be smashed to pieces, the precious milk seeped impatiently by the ground.

I handed her the milk bottle and the herbs. "Thank you," the girl murmured as she pocketed the herbs. I met her eyes and she flicked hers away. It seemed as though she's trying to avoid eye contact intentionally.

"You were her, right?" I suddenly blurted out. As soon as it got out of my mouth, I instantly regretted it.

The girl blinked.

I rubbed my head awkwardly. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I-"

I stopped when the girl nodded. She seemed just as surprised as I am. This time, she stared at me right in the eye, though she had to look up slightly. I was a few inches taller than her. "You were the boy with the falcon?"

I nodded, dumb folded that she could still remember me.

The girl's blush deepened. "I recognized you by your-by your eyes."