The Warrior Queen. The Warrior and The King - Book II

8. Market Day

PART II

It was market day in Dale. The day the first caravans arrived from the south and the traders from the coast came to bargain for Dwarvish steel. There were fewer traders these days, and more guards, but it was still the first festival of summer, merchants setting their wares out in the streets and performers plying their trade. Thorin Oakenshield was walking among the caravans with his daughter. It was a family tradition, he had been bringing his children to market day since they were little. The boys were too old to be interested now, but his daughter still loved to come and see all the exotic animals and watch the street performers.

Thorin always wore his old traveling clothes on this day and kept his hood up, he was recognized by the residents of Dale and some of the merchants he had been dealing with for years, but they would let him pass without ceremony. Today he was one of the people. He always traveled with several guards now, and today they were also dressed as common folk. Traders that did not know him often took Freya to be his wife, which always made her smile and laugh.

They were looking at some silks at one of the caravan stalls, so little of it made it this far north anymore. Freya was trying to convince him to buy some for her while Thorin shared a cup of coffee with the merchant. The man had been coming to Dale for many years, he often teased Thorin that the Silver Fountain must be a fountain of youth, the rest of the world aged while Thorin continued to look the same. Thorin shared a laugh with the man and as he was handing the cup back he saw the merchant stare at something behind him with a look of pure astonishment. Thorin put a hand on his sword and turned, already thinking about his surroundings, how best to protect Freya.

Coming up the crowded street was Kaylea Wolf, leading her horse, a huge grey wolf at her side. The people fell back as she passed, staring. Kaylea was known to some of the older residents of Dale, but mostly by reputation. It was one thing to hear the stories about her, quite another to see her walking down the street, tall and fair as an Elven Lord, clothed all in black, sword and bow across her back, her hair braided in Dwarvish style. She was smiling but obviously trying not to smile too broadly. She stopped in front of Thorin and kneeled down on one knee, bowing her head.

"My king," she said. Thorin pushed his hood back, his smile wide. He offered her his hands and when she set hers in his, drew her to her feet and into his arms. Thorin always remembered how good it felt to kiss Kaylea, but memory was a pale thing compared to having her in his arms. The taste of her, the feel of her lean body, the smell of her hair. Thorin lifted her off her feet as he kissed her, not trying to contain his joy at seeing her.

"My love," Thorin said at length. Kaylea was giving him a startled look, obviously she had been coming to Erebor for many years now and their relationship was hardly a secret. But Thorin had never kissed her in the middle of a public street before. Something had changed. He was smiling at her, his amazing blue eyes twinkling, she could not resist pulling him close and kissing him again.

This time when they parted there was polite applause from the people standing around. Thorin waved at them to indicate the show was over.

Kaylea looked around then back at Thorin questioningly. He was smiling at her, still holding her close. The onlookers had gone back to inspecting the wares and haggling over the prices.

"My king, what are you doing?"

Thorin sighed, his face suddenly serious. "Things have changed since you were last here, my love," he said. "My wife died a year after you left the last time. It was an accident, nothing anyone could have done."

Kaylea was shocked. "I am so sorry, my king. The mother of your children, that must have been a hard blow."

Thorin shook his head. "It is an old grief now, I have done my mourning for her years ago." He met Kaylea's eyes. "And you know what this means."