Silver and Evergreen

Chapter 7

Keeping Mrs. Dotham's warning in mind, today I stay in the market district not wanting to wander far from the Inn in case I get lost. This place is still unfamiliar to me. Now that I have some coin, I am able to buy some things and actually have a look in the stores. It's exciting being able to do this. I could buy food, toys, even a book if I wanted or an instrument too. Although I don't know how to use those. For now I'll just buy something to eat that I couldn't steal as a bird because I am interested in what kind of food this city has to offer. Like that sandwich I had yesterday. Having another one of those would be splendid.

Maybe I could buy a gift for Sebastian and the girls at the Lucky Star to show my gratitude. But what should I get them? The only gifts I have ever gotten were little trinkets. One gift I remember most though is the one I got from Elyse, it was a dessert pastry. A generous slice from a strawberry rhubarb pie. It was about a month after she came, she had it ready for me the morning after one of my private shows with Hearthgrim. It was a particularly hard night for me because I had disobeyed Hearthgrim which ended in him shocking me. Drakon wasn't impressed with me either and refused to feed me dinner. I felt utterly alone in the world that night.

Elyse had woke me early the next morning and asked me to follow her quietly to the kitchen. When we got there the piece of pie was sitting at the table. Steam was rising from it like it had been freshly made. Most of my meals were cold, nothing with too much flavor or seasoning to them. But that pie, it was sweet and sugary. The warm fruit melted in my mouth and the crust was flaky and soft. Just by eating that, it made my sorrows disappear in that moment. And I knew someone was there for me. I knew Elyse would be a good friend to me from then on.

A lump forms in my throat thinking of that memory. Elyse had been so kind to me... She had looked out for me time and time again. I need to get the satchel so I know that it is safe. I swallow down that lump continuing on down the streets. I ask a passerby where the closest bakery is and they give me the directions. Not too far from the Inn.

This bakery is smaller than the one the young King took me to but it smells just the same. Once inside, I glance around me seeing the different pastries placed on the wooden shelves. There are little labels hanging below them that I can't read. Which one would be the pie that I want? It doesn't have to be strawberry rhubarb but it's the only flavour I know...

"Are you looking for something in particular?"

I hope they do make strawberry and rhubarb pies here, it would be delightful to give one to the girls and maybe one to Sebastian.

"Miss?" Someone says behind me, tapping on my shoulder. I turn around and they are staring at me. A woman with skin as dark as a the ground after it had rained and brown eyes like an old tree in the woods stare back at me. What catches my eye the most though is her hair. Dark black, darker than mine with tight curls that puff out into a ball around her head. She's very pretty.

"Oh." I place a hand on my chest. "Sorry. Um could you," I turn back to the shelves and then back to her. "I would like a strawberry rhubarb pie please... If you have one."

She smiles. "Of course! How many would you like?"

I tell her how many then follow behind her as she walks behind the counter into a door at the back of the store. I wait on the other side grabbing the coin purse from my pocket. When she reappears there is a pie in either hand in a simple white box.

"That'll be..." She taps her fingers onto buttons of a little metal machine in front of her and it makes a ringing noise. "8 silvers please."

"Oh, okay.." I look into my purse only to find gold coin in here, no silver all gold... I bite my lip handing her one of those gold coins.