The Lion's Gambit (Book One) Fully Released

Chapter V - Old Habits

"How does it feel to be back in Elida?" Lucinda asked, gesturing with her arms as they reached the town square around noon. The townsfolk were busy buying and selling goods in the market as they passed through the crowds.

Kota adjusted his cloak to cover most of his face, then glanced around and saw the areas he had run through in his past, which only felt like a few days to him. Seeing the townsfolk walk around had a calming effect on Kota, although he did not know just what was going to happen next. "Although it is calming, the idea that my fight with that woman was over a year ago is still quite unsettling."

Sonya walked behind Kota, deliberately getting closer. "The past is in the past, Kota," she reminded him. "We will find that woman, but we are here for a reason. We have to find your sister and figure out what our next step is."

Kota nodded as he fidgeted with the bandage on his left hand, making sure the marks of the curse stayed hidden from anyone's fleeting glance.

Lucinda walked up beside him and bumped his elbow with her own. "How about you get some space and clear your mind a bit by getting food and bandages for yourself while Sonya and I get her some new clothes and gear?"

"Are you sure that is a good idea for me to be alone? Separating at a time like this?"

She nodded while handing him a small bag of coins and gave him a smile. "I think you may be in some need of time for your thoughts. I trust you will do nothing to draw too much attention, correct?"

"We are far enough away from the prison and the Balvant City in Mara, that I should be fine. I will keep a low profile," replied Kota, glancing around at the busy marketplace and watching people buy and sell their goods. "Just make sure Sonya behaves herself. I will be fine, Lucinda."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The two laughed as Lucinda pushed Sonya forward into the crowd. "Nothing," she replied. "Let's just hurry, as we have a lot of supplies to gather."

He watched as they moved out into the crowd in search of new clothing for Sonya and other supplies they needed. Kota glanced down at the pouch of coin and went to turn around before bumping into a passing townswoman, making her drop her belongings on the cobblestones. Noticing the smell of flowers as he hurriedly went to pick up some of the fruit and cloth that had fallen. He focused on the ground and the bottom of the woman's gray dress and her small brown boots. "I am so sorry, madam. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Looking up at the person he had bumped into, he saw a young woman wearing a brown scarf. Her dark cherry-brown hair had been tied up in a messy braid resting over her left shoulder, and a formal cloak covered her clothes underneath. She smiled with soft red lips as her green eyes blinked at him while she held a now half-empty basket in her left hand.

"It is all right. I need to be more careful myself. A bustling marketplace is not an area for one's mind to wander."

Kota smiled, putting an apple in the basket. "A busy marketplace is a troublesome area to navigate with a clear head."

Kota watched her smile as he folded a piece of cloth he had picked up and placed it inside her basket before putting some of the fruit on top of the soft fabric. Still embarrassed, he looked around on the surrounding area. "Is there anything else I missed? I would not want to have you lose anything."

She investigated the contents of her basket and the surrounding area. "It appears to be all here. My name is Rose. What's yours?"

Kota took a second as he stood a few inches taller than the woman and watched her green eyes, unsure of what to say. During the long pause, he clenched his left hand into a fist and winced in pain. He could feel the curse spreading its marks.