I swallowed. “How are those littles?”
“With their aunt in Furen. Fed, clothed, and a little heartbroken they can’t be with their mother and father. But they are resilient. No matter what fate rests in the hands of the wicked Norns for Nettie and Teo, the littles will be well looked after.”
She spoke in a way to ease my guilt. In my mind, I knew I could not have foreseen such an attack, but I still held a cruel ache of guilt over Pavva and his sisters.
I reached into a wooden box near the side of my bed and removed three chains. “Do you suppose someone could help me post these? I gave them some elven silver and promised to send them chains so they could wear them.”
Frigg placed the chains into a small pouch on her thin belt. “I’ll see it done. Shall we go?”
There was merit to learning the land, and it was gods-awful dull in this room.
“Yes.” I forced a smile and took hold of a thin, diaphanous cloak from the wardrobe, wrapping it around my shoulders. “I am beginning to rot.”
“Does he just follow you around?”
I bit down a laugh and looked over my shoulder. At the end of the market road, Dorsan still strolled along, a satin wrapped gown draped over his arms, casting dubious looks at the merchant stands.
Frigg’s mother had to have a bit of magic. The gown was stunning. Simple enough to be worn on any occasion, but when the light struck it seemed made of shattered stars. Fit for a royal ball.
Dorsan paused when one of the merchants stopped to gawk at him, eyeing his weapon belt and the gown in hand, like my guard might have a few more hidden valuables tucked out of sight.
“It is his duty to look after me,” I said.
“Well, his duty is annoying.”
My smile widened as I tipped my head and bit into the end of a cream roll. The stand had been the first stop on the market path, and Frigg insisted it was a coveted sweet of the region.
We ended up going back for three more when the berry filling made me nearly sob with delight. I licked my thumb and tucked the parchment wrapping into the satin coin purse on my belt.
The Klockglas market was boisterous and filled with scents of leather, smoke, and fish. Vendors bartered from windows of their crooked shops, or from behind rolling carts with canvas tops.
Knives adorned everyone, even the littles ran about armed and wild.
I tried to guess who was alver and mortal—their ears were the same—but it was impossible.
There were fae here, mostly sea fae with their golden skin, bright eyes, and fluttery voices. Since sea fae were the only ones capable offerrying people from the earth realms to the Ever Kingdom, many had taken up residences throughout the different earth fae realms.
Frigg tore off down a cobbled path leading deeper into the township.
Homes were made of small cottages or longhouses. Most had goats or hogs behind rickety fences. Some were larger estates with small gardens.
I paused at a totem made of black granite. A remembrance totem. Names were etched into the stone and at the bottom were crossed blades with the saying of the Kryv:Fight to the end.
“How do these lands seem . . . so loyal when it is made of self-proclaimed crooks?”
Frigg’s face pinched like she was confused. “Because we are willing to reach into our depravity to protect our own. We will place goodness aside and be the worst sort of folk should our people be threatened.”
It was frightening and beautiful all at once.
“Come on.” Frigg linked her arm with mine again. “We ought to be returning before dark. Dockers and such get rowdy at taverns, and brän has a way of making folk forget their better qualities.”
The road cut down the back side of the slope, lined in more trees that weren’t seen from the shore. Along the edges of the path, thick trunks twisted and tangled together like a ballroom of giants. Limbs with thick oak leaves crafted a canopy overhead that only let in a few beams of pale sunlight.
The air was cooler and fresher, like damp soil and moss rather than the heavy salted winds near the shore.
Frigg chatted about life in Klockglas, how most folk were good and honorable unless they were crossed, then they would plot against you to get even. “The king and queen view the consequences of disputes a little differently than other kingdoms.”
“Different how?”
