We hadn't even finished before the first customers appeared, interested in the sleep aids. In the middle of it Elara turned to me.
"Aren, could I ask you to walk with Erik through the other markets and find the things on this list?" — said Elara, pressing a small sheet into my hand, a list written in ink.
I took the sheet and my eyes ran over the short lines in Elara's sweeping handwriting.
"Sure, where are the other markets?"
Elara quickly handed change to the first buyer and turned to me. She pointed toward the central street that ran deeper into the Lower City.
"Erik will show you. Usually they're in squares like this one, but they can stretch along the wider streets too. And… Erik."
She moved her eyes to the fisherman. Her face turned serious, a shadow of worry crossing her eyes.
"Please keep an eye on him. And don't get into any trouble."
Erik pushed off from the awning post and adjusted his leather vest. He gave a short laugh, showing straight teeth.
"Don't worry, we're just walking the stalls. There's too much guard in Ockhaven today for anyone to try something stupid."
I tucked the list into the pouch on my belt. Ingrid's parcel was still in there, the one she'd given me before we left. Erik and I stepped out from under the awning and headed toward the main market artery. The crowd noise jumped instantly louder, while Erik moved ahead, weaving smoothly between clusters of townsfolk and hawkers offering cloth from overseas lands.
As we moved along the stalls looking for what we needed, I was quietly working out at the same time how to get into the Upper City and find the reagent shops where, according to Ingrid, Master Kyle could usually be found.
"Listen, what if we head straight to the Upper City? There should be squares and markets there too" — I said, turning to Erik, who had already been distracted by a set of fine daggers laid out by a traveling merchant.
I touched his shoulder, pulling him out of his study of the heavy blades in blackened steel with Hardoun's characteristic rough forging. The fisherman pulled his gaze from the weapons reluctantly and looked at me, straightening up and slowly shaking his head.
He adjusted the strap on his shoulder and set off down the street, drawing me away from the weapon stalls.
"The Upper City markets are a different thing entirely, Aren. That's where the Intendants live, the fencing school masters, and the knights of the Green Order" — he explained, weaving through the foot traffic.
"The squares up there usually deal in rare crystals from Maris-Vitrum and League silk. Prices are in gold, and the guards check everyone who looks poorer than a duke, especially now, with the Aisengardians sitting in the castle."
We passed a row of butcher stalls where the air hung heavy with blood and spice. Ahead rose a massive inner arch marking the division between the Lower City and the climb up to the inner city ring that circled the rocky edges of the hill on which the royal castle stood, enclosed by its own ring of stone walls. Four fully armored guards stood at it, carefully inspecting each carriage that passed.
"We need to find everything on Elara's list down here first" — Erik added, checking the street directions.
"The reagent shops and apothecary rows are right at the foot of the hill. With luck we'll get through the western checkpoint, the guards there are usually lazier."
We turned into a narrow lane where the white stone walls of the houses stood so close they almost blocked out the sky. I followed behind Erik, memorizing the turns and noting to myself the positions of the watchtowers that were set into the ring of city walls at regular intervals.
We came out onto the next square, where the rows of stalls were denser, and where we quickly managed to find linseed oil, imported herbs, and powders, filling almost every free inch of my bag.
I unfolded the sheet and squinted at Elara's handwriting.
"Right… looks like we've got everything."
Erik clapped me on the shoulder, instantly pulling my attention off the list.
"Let's get back before we miss anything good!" — he said loudly, moving ahead and heading back toward our stall.
I didn't get a chance to ask what he meant, so I simply followed him until we made it back.
---
I set the heavy bag down on the plank floor of our stall. Elara was already taking payment from another customer, slipping coins into her belt purse with practiced ease. She glanced briefly at the bag's contents and nodded.
"Can we go now?" — asked Leo, not dropping his smile. He was shifting from foot to foot, his fingers drumming nervously on the handle of his folded mechanical shield.
Elara finished counting the loops and moved her gaze to her brother.
"Fine. Just remember: stay sharp, stay careful, don't get into trouble, and listen to Erik."
The fisherman, who up to that moment had been watching a passing carriage with interest, spun around. His eyebrows shot up.
"Huh? What? Me? Why me? I don't want to bab—"
He stopped mid-word.
I watched as Elara and Bernard turned their heads toward Erik at the same moment. Their eyes were cold and level. The blacksmith slowly crossed his thick arms over his chest, making the muscles under his shirt pull taut. Erik swallowed and looked away.
"Alright, fine, I'll keep an eye on them…" — he muttered, adjusting his vest.
"Yes! Aren, come on! The Hunt is about to start!" — Leo shouted.
He locked onto my elbow in a death grip and pulled in the direction of the city's southern quarters.
I barely kept my feet under me, trying not to clip passers-by with my shoulder in the narrow gap between stalls. The market noise fell behind, replaced by a rising roar from the direction of the Southern Gates.
"The Hunt? What are you talking about?" — I asked at a run.
Leo didn't look back, darting under the nose of a laden mule.
"The Hallowed Hunt! Once a year the best warriors of Waldruhm head out toward the Western Grove and the Great Forest. They kill magical creatures. Whoever brings back the most trophies gets a spot as an officer in the Green Order."
We burst out onto a wide road leading to the fortress wall. Ahead, at the open gates, knights in full armor sat on powerful horses. Their green cloaks were embroidered with oak branches. The entire square before the exit to the plains was packed with townsfolk shouting the names of their favorites.