“Ye’ll be wanting this, too,” the woman added, reaching for a jar and placing it gently on the table. “Ground comfrey root. Hard tae come by lately.”
Elaina’s brows lifted slightly in surprise as she opened it, inhaling the familiar scent. “This is excellent.”
“I thought ye might say so.”
A small smile curved Elaina’s lips. “Ye were right.”
The conversation came easily after that. They spoke of remedies, of mixtures and methods, of what worked and what did not. The woman shared small tricks she had learned over the years, and Elaina found herself doing the same in return, forgetting, if only for a moment, everything beyond the stall. She laughed once, quietly, when the woman made a remark about stubborn patients and the impossibility of forcing them to rest.
“It is always the worst wounds that belong tae the most difficult men,” Elaina said before she could think better of it.
The woman laughed in agreement. “Aye, and they all think themselves invincible.”
Elaina’s smile lingered, though her thoughts betrayed her again.
Duncan.
She quickly turned her attention back to the items in front of her, gathering what she needed.
“Ye’ve been a great help,” she said sincerely.
“And ye’ve been pleasant company,” the woman replied. “Nae many come by who ken their herbs better than I dae. It’s refreshing.”
Elaina inclined her head. “The feeling is mutual.”
She reached into her pouch and placed the coins into the woman’s outstretched hand, offering one last grateful smile as she gathered the bundles of herbs.
And then, a scream cut through the air. It was sharp and panicked. It waswrong.
Elaina froze. The sound seemed to ripple through the market, breaking through the hum of voices like a blade. Another shout followed, then another, until the noise around them shifted from lively chatter into something fractured and uncertain.
Her head turned instinctively toward the source. That was when she smelled it.
Smoke.
It was faint at first, then it became stronger. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. She stepped away from the stall, with her heart quickening and her eyes watching the crowd as people began to turn, to murmur, to move in restless confusion.
“I need to…” she started, though she wasn’t entirely sure what she intended to do.
Help. Assess. Something.Anything.
She took another step forward and a solid figure moved in front of her. It was the guard.
“Me lady,” he said firmly, blocking her path.
“There are people,” Elaina tried, attempting to move around him, but he shifted just as quickly, cutting her off again.
“Ye are tae remain here.” His voice was calm.
“I can help,” she insisted, frustration rising sharply now. “If someone is hurt?—”
“I have orders tae keep ye safe,” he reminded her.
The noise around them was growing louder now. There were shouts, the crackle of something catching fire and the unmistakable swell of panic as people began to scatter. Still, the guard did not move and he stood directly in her path.
Only, he wasn’t looking at the fire. He wasn’t looking at the people running. He was focused onher.
“I need tae go,” she said again.
