Freedom of Flight

Chapter 5

©CRGangell aka Whitesabretooth

 

Chapter 5

Alanna glanced around the markets in awe. It was like a massive swap meet and food market rolled into one. Tarval chuckled and leant down to talk into her ear so that she could hear him over the bustle. “This is the square,” he gently grabbed her shoulders and directed her to an alleyway. “Jewellers and smiths,” he turned her again to a different alley. “Fresh produce,” another turn to a new alley, “Cloth merchants and tailors. Wood carvers, hot food and entertainment.” He said turning her to the other three alleyways.

Dominic also leant down to talk into her other ear, although not as close as Tarval. “The bells toll hourly. Meet us at the hot food alley at fourth toll.”

Alanna nodded. Both men released her and let her find her way through the mass of people. She quickly decided where to head to first and then made her way to the smiths. Alanna glanced at jewellers but saw nothing that took her fancy. She crossed to the other side, bumping past people who were busy chatting or looking away.

Alanna paused as she glanced down between two buildings as she walked and saw a small gathering but shrugged it off and kept on looking. She stopped when she spied a well-made locket. She stepped up behind another and looked at it; the merchant stepped forward and offered for her to look at the locket. Alanna examined it and then opened it; the two hearts broke away from a middle fixture, which allowed four pictures to be placed within.

“How much?” She asked, looking up from the locket.

The merchant eyed her critically, trying to place her crest but he didn’t recognise it although he had his suspicions as to who the woman was before him. “What is your house, lass?”

“Phoenix, Dominic is my Un…”

“Alanna.” he correctly guessed. He felt honoured that she had stopped here and people were gathering and taking notice of the armoured woman with no wings more so of the crisscross pattern that covered her back plate. “12 dhunts.”

A woman leant over. “17, merchant and not a dhunt less.” She said with a glare, knowing what he was doing, deliberately undercutting his price to ensure that Alanna bought something here, that THE Alanna Brave-Heart, as she had been dubbed, thought his wares were good and that would attract more business for him.

Alanna span around, her eyes focused on a gold breastplate with four black feathers. She glanced up. “Michelle?” She guessed as she remembered what Sage had told her about her grandparents.

“Hello, Alanna. Turn around and pay for your locket.” She told her playfully, indicating that Alanna should just pretend for now that they knew each other.

Alanna nodded and turned around. “First, what’s a…”