He was silent for a moment while they watched Itchka using wide gestures as he spoke with her uncle and Jeanette. He looked to be telling a story, maybe how hard itwas for his people to obtain leaves to make the paper he offered. He tended to exaggerate the worth of his goods when haggling.
“What do they trade?” Intense interest covered Evan’s face as he watched.
“Our people taught the tribes to make paper, quills, candles, and other things. They also bring food other than meat, which we sometimes lack. Our women make herbal lotions and medicines, and some of the men make weapons, especially metalwork.”
He glanced at her, as if seeing her in a different light. Or maybe seeing their village from a new perspective. “Sounds advantageous for both groups.”
She nodded, her mouth twitching as her body craved to respond to his attention.
Then he tipped his head as his eyes took on curiosity. “So, these are the only outsiders who come to Laurent?”
“They are.”
“Have you known these tribes many years? Your people seem to trust them.”
She gave a little shrug. “As far back as I can remember.”
“Does anyone from your village go to their camp? Have you ever been?”
“Sometimes. We usually go in the spring. It’s a nice chance to get out of village walls after so many dark days. But sometimes they come to us first, and we have to find another excuse for a trip.”
He nodded. “I can imagine. How long does it take to get to their village? Is the land different there than here? I don’t suppose they also live in caves.”
She shook her head. “Not caves. Lodges they make outof skins and poles. They’re a lot harder to keep warm and smaller than our caves. It’s about a day and a half to walk there in the snow. Less if you don’t have to wear snowshoes.”
“Are their mountains made of the same kind of rock as you have here? These seem to be a combination of shale and sandstone.”
Perhaps he really had struck out on this journey merely to discover new things. He certainly seemed fascinated with the land and animals, especially those different from what he was accustomed to. She thought back through the land around the Dinee villages. “I think it’s similar. I don’t remember anything different that I haven’t seen here, except maybe a black stone.”
Was that disappointment that flashed through his eyes? He gave a nod of acknowledgment, then shifted his focus back to watch the trading again. The smaller man who traveled with Itchka was speaking to Madame Thayer, while two of the other matrons listened in. She had no doubt Madame Thayer would haggle for the rest of the day until the man accepted what she considered a reasonable price. Unfortunately, her cough syrup was the best around, so the visitor would do well to give what she desired.
Even now, she crossed her arms across her substantial bosom and shook her head. The outsider lifted whatever he held and held it out toward her. She shook her head again.
A chuckle drifted from Evan, and the sound slid all the way through Brielle with a delicious tingle. She glanced sideways at him, then followed his gaze to the native and Madame Thayer.
“She believes in the value of whatever she has to trade.” Evan’s voice rumbled warm, tightening her chest.
She let her own chuckle slip out. “She makes the best elderberry syrup of anyone. All the tribes know it, too. Keeps their sniffles away, no matter how cold the weather turns.”
“Elderberry grows here?” Once again, curiosity marked all his features. She’d never been envious of mountains and plants before, but with as much interest as he showed in them, she was beginning to harbor a bit of jealousy toward God’s creation.
She shook her head. “We have an observatory where we grow plants and herbs for medicine. Those who first settled here brought elderberry, echinacea, and a host of other flora that are good for healing. We grow them in a protected area, with a fire that keeps them from freezing.”
He turned his entire body to face her, his curiosity turning to intrigue. “You don’t say. That must be a lot of work to keep the fire going.”
“I can assure you it is. Our young women are tasked with the job.” She gave him a wry look. “And there’s a substantial punishment if any let the fire go out.”
A twinkle slipped into his gaze. “Didyouever let the fire go out?”
She raised her jaw. “Of course not.”
Smile lines creased the corners of his eyes. “I wouldn’t have thought so. But you weren’t always such a brave, responsible warrior. Were you ever a young girl at any point in your life?”
A sliver of pain rippled through her. “Not since I’ve had a brother and sister to raise.”
The glimmer fled his eyes, leaving no trace they’d ever brought light to his chiseled face. “They were blessed to have you.”
She shrugged. “They were stuck with me, even though my meals were either burned or half raw. I think our father was preparing to take over cooking duties himself when Charlotte finally stepped in. Even at the age of eight, she did a better job than I did. I talked Uncle Carter into taking me hunting with him so I didn’t have to spend so much time indoors.”
