Page 5 of 1000 of You
Sorcery
The venders set up their carts in acircle in the middle of the township.Govanoticedhow the people selling similar items tended to spread themselves away from theothers. A woman selling fabric was next to a man with fruit. Beside him was aman with pots of spices, and next to him another man sold flatbread. Sheguessed it was done that way to deter them from undermining each other’s sales.
Govalooked at the two copper coins she held. It was not a lot to bargain with, butshe had to make do with whatMuamhad given her.
Before she approached a vendor, sheacclimated herself with everything being offered. That way she could decide whatshe wanted to get, and which cart appeared to have the best to offer.
If there was one thing she wascapable of doing well, it was bartering. Vendors always initially inflatedtheir prices because they expected the customer to dicker for a better price.They also tried to outsell their competitors. So if a customer showedpreference for another seller’s goods, the vendor usually lowered his price toget the sale. She knew those tricks, but she also had a few of her own no oneknew about or suspected.
In the end, she managed to get fourslices of flatbread, some cheese, two pieces of fruit, and a small portion offreshly-killed goat for her twoduas. Using the frontof her shift as a temporary pocket, she was carrying her items away from themarket when she passed two women standing near a stall selling handmadejewelry. One woman loudly remarked, “You would think some women would take morepride in their appearance than to show up at the market looking filthy andsmelling like a whore.”
“Maybe her master just kicked herout of bed and ordered her to fix him something to eat.”
“That is possible. But it is obviousshe has no shame.”
Govastopped to supposedly examine several pairs of sandals, her ears growing redfrom the disdain. They were talking about her. They knew nothing about her, orhow she had come to be in town, and they had already deemed her unworthy.
She straightened slightly.I amGovaDov. I amOrshii, and I am asworthy as any of you.
The words were not spoken, but remainedsilently defiant in her heart.
She looked down at her stained andtorn shift. At her sandals which had been repaired too many times to count. Ahand reached up to feel the rough texture of hair that once, long ago, had beenshiny and softer than silk.
She had no money left, and there wasno way she could askMuamfor more. Least of all, tobuy herself another shift. She had the feeling they might have to tighten theirbelts in the near future because he had lost a sale because of her. BecauseKolishad traded her for his new sword, instead of payingMuamwhat he was due.Muam’sweapons may be of superb quality, but it took a lot of time and effort to makethem. She dreaded to think how many weeks or months he had spent onKolis’ssword. The income from that one weapon alone wouldhave provided him with enough food until his next sale. Now, because of her, hehad no income from it. And he now had another mouth to feed, to add to hiswoes.
A brownish rock near the toe of hersandal caught her attention. Bending down, she picked it up and dusted it offwith her fingers. It was a small, round, flat pebble, almost exactly the sameshape and size as adua. She hefted it. And the sameweight.
She glanced over her shoulder. Ithad been a long time since she’d used her ability. It was a gift she jealouslyguarded. But now…
She couldn’t ask, or even expectMuamto spend his precious little money on her, or onanything other than food to keep them both from starving. She owed him for hissacrifice. He did not have to take her in. He did not have to accept her inpayment, but he had. And for that, she owed him so much.
Holding the rock in her hand, sheslowly began stroking it with the ball of her thumb and concentrated. It tookher a few moments to bring her long-hidden gifts back to the forefront. As shecontinued to rub the pebble, it gradually changed. Not in size or shape orcolor, but in appearance. The flat side took on the faint image embossed on adua. When she was satisfied, she flipped the pebble overand worked on the other side. Soon, it resembled one of the copper coins. Stillclutching the food she’d purchased, she went over to the stall selling garmentsand bought a simple, light brown shift. Its cost was less than the coin, butshe didn’t argue when she was handed her change.
Govareturned to the hut. Sometime tonight, the fake coin would convert back intoits original form. By the time the merchant discovered the pebble in his moneybox, he would have no idea how it got there. She’d taken the risk to deceivethe merchant, and she doubted she would ever use her ability to do it again. Tocontinue to do so would alert the merchants that someone among them wasdeceiving them with sorcery. And sooner or later, that suspicion could land onher.
Once she reached the hut, her firsttask was to cook a quick morning meal. She gathered some common herbs she foundgrowing in an adjacent field, and took them back to use. As the meat simmered,she heated water in the metal bowl and washed herself before donning the newshift. After that, she worked at getting the tangles out of her hair beforealso washing it. When she was done, she tackled the hut’s interior and waitedforMuamto return.
* * *
Muamstepped back to examine the bedframe he’d cobbled together from spare treebranches. After checking its sturdiness, he deemed it suitable to use.
He hadn’t meant to spend the morningmaking a bed forGova, but there was no way he couldexpect her to continue sharing his bed. Neither could he allow her to sleep onthe hard ground. The bear pelt would cover the frame nicely, but that meant sheneeded another pelt to cover herself with. He mentally went over the size andnumber of pelts on his own bed, but came up short. Somehow he needed to find a wayto get another pelt.
Grabbing the frame, he left theshed. HopefullyGovawill have returned withsomething to break their fast.
He mentally paused.Unless she took the coins and fled. Unlessshe saw his generosity as her chance to make her escape.The thought of thewoman betraying him in that manner hurt more deeply than he expected. Still, hecouldn’t blame her if she did.
He was halfway across the stretch ofland that separated his work shed from the hut, when he caught the scent ofsomething cooking. The closer he got to his home, the more he realized it wascoming from there. Relief went through him, and he stepped up his pace.
He pushed the bed frame through thedoor flap before entering himself. Once inside, he stopped and stared at theinterior. She’d tidied up. The floors were freshly swept, and it looked like she’dtaken the pelts outside to shake.
His one metal pot sat atop the fire,and it was from there the wonderful smell was emanating. But what surprised himmore was the sight of the woman hanging bundles of herbs on the other side ofthe room.Govaturned around when he entered.
“Morning meal is ready.”
He continued to stare at her. At hertransformation. She’d washed herself, as well as combed her hair. And…
His eyebrows went up. “Is that a newshift?”
