The Sanctuary

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

It was like stepping into a different world. The noises, confusion and crowd were, to say the least, incredibly overwhelming. I could hardly stop myself from whipping my head back and forth, trying to take it all in.

Even when I had lived in the Farsay Kingdom, I was never let out outside of the house. I was hidden, shied away from prying eyes. I had never seen the marketplace, other people, other Farsarians.

The other, more seasoned Riders kept their gazes directed downwards as we moved apart from one another, looking to seem more natural and at ease. Chara and I clung to each other like giggling maidens, peering at different stalls with curiosity.  

The curiosity wasn’t hard to feign.

“Interested in a bauble, ladies?” A woman cried out to us.

“A bushel of potatoes for only a few coins of silver!” Another man cried.

I was absolutely fascinated. Children ran through us, gleefully, playing games that only they understood. A carriage would go by, the cluck cluck of their monstrous horses echoing in my ears. The dirt under my shoes, the wind in my hair, and the chatter of people’s conversations in my ear swelled my heart.

Chara procured some pieces of silver, and we went to a man selling sweet buns. My eyes widened as I watched him warming up the buns on a heated pan over some burning coals. The smell was absolutely intoxicating, notes of cinnamon and sugar filling my nostrils.

"A bun for the pretty lady?" The old man pushed forward a bun on a pair of tongs, his crooked smile widely showing his lack of teeth. I dipped my head, hiding my eyes as Chara dropped a piece of silver into the man's palm.

Soon, the wonderful pieces of bread were in our hands, and we munched on the sweet buns with utter abandon.

I nearly forgot about my position, my situation, the life I was leading. I was suddenly normal. A Farsay citizen, enjoying the marketplace, no longer hunted.

“I’ve missed this,” Chara said quietly.

I nodded, until I realized I had never actually been to the marketplace in my life - and thus had nothing to miss. This was all new to me. Looking over at Chara, I gave her a curious stare.

“You’ve been to the marketplace before?” 

Chara grinned back at me. “My father used to sell his scribing skills in the market. People all over the Kingdom would come to the market to have their letters, manuscripts and books scribed by my father. He was the best there ever was.”

She peered at me through her veil. “I was twelve when I came to the Sanctuary.”

I was surprised. “How were you able to avoid the King’s Army?”

Chara blew her breath out, the veil floating dangerously above her cheekbones, showing off the veins on her face before settling back down to cover it back up.

“My father kept me hidden away in his study. It was easy, amongst all that parchment and books.” Chara laughed. “And my father was a widow. Prying eyes was not a major concern. Until-“

She stopped, her fingers clenching.

“Until what?”

Chara looked at me hesitantly, and then pulled me over to her. She whispered quietly in my ear. “If a man ever touches you without your will, you fight back. You fight back until your very last breath. That is what I’ve learnt.”

My eyes widened.

She let go of my arm and looked at me meaningfully.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a voice muttered in my ear, “We have a lead.” Jonrick had walked over to us, hat bent down low to shadow his eyes.