Lyndal called the duckling Garlic as a joke, and the name stuck.
The bird was becoming far too comfortable in the home, following the women between rooms as they went about their day. And at some point, he had decided that Blake made the best sleeping partner.
On the day the ship was due to arrive, Blake woke early and peeled Garlic off her neck. She placed him on the floor and went to wash. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when she woke Eda. Grabbing their cloaks, they headed for the port borough.
The wall separating the port and merchant boroughs had only been built two-thirds of the way across, allowing merchants to move freely between the two boroughs so they could conduct business and frequent the taverns. The partial wall was mostly to deter sea warriors and limit entry points in case of an attack.
The open access did not stop defenders from asking questions though, and two girls heading into the port borough without a male escort could be easily misread.
A defender leaning against the wall straightened when he saw them approach. ‘What business do you have in the port today?’
If they were male, he would have let them pass without saying a word. Instead, he assumed them to be tavern women. Never mind the fact that many of the defenders who frequented the taverns were customers of those women.
‘We’re collecting an order,’ Blake said, pulling a piece of parchment out of her pocket and handing it to the man.
He ran his eyes over it before handing it back. ‘Where’s your father?’
Every time that question was asked, it was like having a scab torn off a wound. ‘Dead.’
‘Husband?’
‘Weirdly, I’ve not been snapped up yet.’
He gave her a tired look. ‘Who owns the business, then?’
Blake looked past him to where the merchant ship was being secured to the dock. ‘My uncle, but he’s not involved in the running of it.’
‘And why’s that?’
‘He lives in the nobility borough.’
‘Your uncle a lord, is he?’ the defender asked, one side of his mouth lifting in a smirk.
It was all so exhausting. ‘Yes, actually.’
One look at his face told her he did not believe her. ‘The taverns aren’t even open yet.’
Blake blinked slowly. ‘Listen, the fabric we’re collecting is our entire business. If you don’t let us pass, my family will have no income until the next shipment. We rely on that coin to buy small amounts of exorbitantly priced food on the rare occasions it’s available to us. There’s no wall here, defender, so please move aside.’
Eda’s eyes went the size of plates as she stared up at her sister. Blake could hardly believe the words that had spilled out, but she was so tired of every small thing being a struggle. Was it too much to want an egg for breakfast? To buy a little barley to make bread? To go about your business without being labelled a whore?
Was it too much to ask that the men in her family remain alive?
‘What did you say?’ the defender said, now looming over her.
Blake’s heart was drumming in her chest. ‘I…’ She did not know how to fix the situation. ‘If you don’t let us pass, I will take it up with Commander Wright.’ Of all the things she could have said…
The man’s eyebrows shot up. ‘What?’
Eda looked down at the ground, head shaking.
‘He’s a close acquaintance of mine.’ That made him sound like a customer.
‘You’re a fucking liar,’ the defender said. ‘The commander doesn’t mix with your sort.’
She did not know whether he was referring to prostitutes or merchants.
The defender pointed to the wall above him. ‘Commander Wright’s on duty. Shall I have someone fetch him?’
