Little Crystal Town

Once Upon a Time,

I breathed in deeply, drawing air into my lungs until they could hold no more.

Many scents filled the air of my parents' inn and the lands upon which it stood, and I knew them all by heart. In the kitchens, the richness of stew and freshness of baking bread pervaded the air. The common room of the inn held a hint of the air from the kitchens, but it was tinged with the smell of sweat, steel, and ale emanating from the mercenaries and guards who frequented the place. Outside, the harsh heat of summer left a blanket over the land that drove the freshness of spring from memory and left the air heavy with humidity.

Well, usually. Dusk had fallen an hour ago, driving away the oppressive heat for the night and filling me with the desire to seek out my favorite smell.

I laughed as the white mare nuzzled my hand. "I couldn't bring anything tonight," I apologized, stroking the neck of my father's newest acquisition. "You're so beautiful," I told her admiringly, enraptured by the shine of her coat in the torchlight.

"Kaeris!" my mother's voice called from somewhere outside. "Kaeris!"

I sighed, turning away from the mare with leaden feet. "Coming!" I called, regaining some of my energy as I jogged out of the barn.

My mother stood just outside the barn, talking with a tall bearded man in leather armor. She glanced at me but continued her conversation, so I let my eyes stray to the group behind them.

-three, four, five, six. I counted the horses first, then glanced back over the group, expecting to see an equal number of mercenaries. My brow furrowed slightly when I realized there were only three men standing with the horses. Why would mercenaries, who typically liked to travel light and fast, need two packhorses?

"-Kaeris will care for your horses," my mother said, nodding to me. "Please, come inside."

What a night for Torin to fall ill. I didn't mind caring for horses—on the contrary, I wished my parents would give me more time in the stables—but six horses usually required the attention of both myself and the stable hand.

"Six horses are a lot for one girl to handle," the man said, his thick beard twitching as he smiled. "Two of my men will help with the horses." The man shot a significant look at the others, and two nodded.

"I can handle it," I insisted after a pointed glance from my mother.

"Nonsense. We've had a light day of travel and Emron and Alvis don't mind." Another smile, and the man and one of the other mercenaries started after my mother toward the brightly lit windows of the inn.

"Two for each," a mercenary said in a gravelly voice, holding out a pair of reins and pointing to another animal that stood still despite the lack of any cautionary hold on his bridle. "That one won't pull anything on you, but this one's a little spirited. I'm Alvis. This is Emron." He jerked his head at the other mercenary.

Despite my many chores about the inn, I didn't usually have to actually talk to the travelers who rode into Kunatsier, so I just nodded and took the reins so I could tie the horse to the hitching posts. "The tack room is just around the corner in the barn," I said from behind the tall horse, avoiding the mercenaries' eyes. "Brushes are in that bucket by the posts."

For the next minutes, the metallic clink of loosening buckles and the steady whisk of brushes prevented the silence from becoming uncomfortable.