Apondra quietly walked the streets, secretly hoping to catch a glimpse of the elven prince. But the town was so busy with people checking the street vendors and markets that the prince could have passed her by without her noticing. Barri had asked her to pick up a few things, and she reluctantly agreed. She already had them in the small pack Barri had given her, she just didn’t want to go home yet. The fresh air, though tainted with the smell of unwashed people and animal leavings, was still more welcoming than home right now.
So she stopped at almost every cart that caught her interest, fussing over necklaces and bracelets that she would never buy, hair pins she would never wear, and perfumes that made her stomach turn at the scent. Anything for just a few more moments of sunshine.
Apondra quietly wondered if the elven prince had already left town. She could not help but dream of his mesmerizing eyes, though it had been almost a week since she had seen them, she could not get the prince out of her mind. She sighed and turned away from the stall where a young woman was selling an assortment of ruby jewelry, commissioned from Vohabard's best miners she had said. As she turned to walk away, she bumped into someone, "Hey!" She exclaimed in shock, stumbling backwards, "watch where you are going!" she saw the green and white of his shirt, and gold trim… those intense, yet gentle, green eyes looking down at her, "You- … oh,"
The prince wore a gentle smile as he raised a hand for his men to stand down, "It is good to see you again,"
Her voice caught in her throat and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she had almost cussed out the visiting prince! She fumbled to copy the odd greeting the other women gave him, tucking one foot behind the other and bending at the knee with her head down, more apologetically than as a greeting. Her feet crossed together, she lost her balance and fell on her backside in the dirt, nearly crushing Barri’s bag. Her wrapped wings pained with the sudden fall and the redness in her cheeks deepened as she quickly tried to right herself, when the prince offered a muscular arm to her. Mindful of his guards she reluctantly took his arm as gently as she could.
"Are you alright, miss?" he asked as he helped Apondra to her feet.
She brushed the back of her dress and nodded in response, “Yes, I am alright. My apologies, your excellence,” so scripted, so formal. She hated the way it sounded.
His eyes almost seemed sad for a moment, but as soon as she saw it, the gentleness returned to his eyes, “I was just looking for somewhere to have a good afternoon meal, Do you have any suggestions?” one eyebrow raised and Apondra fought not to giggle at how coy it seemed.
She quickly checked that none of Barri’s things were damaged with her fall, and smiled, more genuinely this time, “I would be happy to, your excellence, but I have to get these back to my father,” she took a breath to keep from growling the word from old anger still boiling in her thoughts.
He nodded kindly, “I would be glad to walk you there. Is it far?”
Apondra watched his guards move aside, allowing her space to walk next to the prince. How strange… she thought as they began their walk, the guards did not seem to be guarding him much at all…
A deep chuckle tore her from her thoughts and she looked at the prince, a bit confused.
“You still have not told me what direction we are headed,” his smile was bright, and warm like the fireplace back home.
“Oh!” she tried to hide the rose in her cheeks, “It is just up this way!” she took the lead, with the prince at her left, the guards keeping close behind them.
As she pushed open the door, she could hear Barri call from the garden, “Late again Apondra! Did you find Barri his things?”
She went quickly to the garden and showed Barri what she had found. It was not much, but it almost seemed like Barri was preparing for something; he had been asking her to go to the market for this and that, some days her pack almost made her fall on its own with the amount of goods he had asked her to bring back, “I got everything,” but she still did not understand why he needed so many bundles of twine, sheets and thick crafted blankets, never mind the bundles of produce, and waterskins she had found him earlier in the week.
Apondra quietly undid the tie on the pack and showed Barri the spoils of her trip, “I am sorry if some of it is no good… I tripped up on the way home…”
He nodded and muttered things too quietly for a moment, as if reciting a list. After a few moments he smiled and set the pack to the side of the door, going back to sprinkling blood meal over the dirt of the yarrow and goldenrod growing abundantly. It was nearly time for harvest, Barri maybe had a day or two before he had to harvest them before they began to die off with the cold. He already had a basket filling up with carrots, aloe leaves and a separate basket overflowed with his potato harvest.
“Father, I am just going to go to The Cradle down river,” Apondra treaded lightly, knowing well that Barri would likely object, “I am just going to escort the prince there,” she continued quickly as Barri turned with a stern look in his eyes, “He asked if there was anywhere good for a meal, and I think he would enjoy it more than Aremina's place down the road,”
Barri frowned at the mention of the prince, muttering something under his breath about the prudish arrogant palace elves, but he had been preparing for days now, and did not have the time to argue. He nodded his head to the door with a small smile, “Be home soon as you can, alright?”
She fought the urge to jump up and down like a child, and wrapped Barri in a tight hug, “Thank you, I will!” she turned on a heel and happily bounced to the door where the prince was waiting.
“It is about a half an hour's walk, but we should make it there just after highsun, The Cradle has the best pub salad in all of Aetis!” she knew the prince could see the bounce in her step as she walked, but she did not care that she was not behaving properly in his presence. Unless he pointed it out, she would be as happy as she wanted to be, she had no reason as a butcher’s daughter to cozy up to royalty, “They have a good roast chicken and potato dish too, and the shimmering wine is to die for, so I am told!”
He smiled politely and followed in step with her, and when she had calmed enough to stop listing off The Cradle’s best dishes, he politely said, in a voice as cool as the summer breeze, “You have quite the unique name, Apondra. Where did you get it from?”
She slowed her steps, a pit in her stomach at the answer, but the least she could do is tell a half truth about it, “Well, umm,” she searched for a less formal way to address him without being insulting.
He chuckled at the look of her face as she searched for a moment, “Just call me Elwe… we are on our way to a meal, not some formal gathering of kings and queens,”
She smiled and continued, “Well, Elwe,” she felt blush come to her cheeks that faded when she started to answer, “I do not know if my name comes from any region in Galoahar to be honest. My mother gave me the name when I was a babe, there is not much to tell about it really,”
“Where is your mother now? Forgive my bluntness, but besides yourself, your shop does not have the air of a woman’s touch to it,”
She knew what he meant. As much as Barri tried to keep things clean in the shop, if it was not for Apondra cleaning in what spare time she could muster, there was almost a permanent layer of dust on the floors and window panes, “My mother… she is with Chellaintha now. She passed when I was a young child,”
His face seemed to drop for a moment at the mention of the Goddess Mother's name, as if in memory, and he stayed that way as they rounded a bend, The Cradle in sight at the end of the road.
She glanced at the guards, who each laid a hand on the prince’s back, leading him along gently, until he sighed and they returned their hands to the pommels of their swords.
“I apologize… for your loss,” she was taken aback, why did he need to apologize to a commoner like her? “Your mother chose a beautiful name, it is unique,”
She could not stop the blush from covering her cheeks at the compliment as they came upon the large, cabin-like exterior of The Cradle. There were hanging flower baskets still on display at the entrance, and the sun-darkened wood was a deep golden brown. She stepped aside for the pair of guards who entered first, holding the door open for the prince as they surveyed the interior, but was surprised when the prince stayed back for a moment.
“Would you meet me at the pub near your home in a fortnight? As my thanks I would like to treat you to dinner,”
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Her voice caught in her throat, dinner? With the prince? What would Barri say? “I would love to!” she blurted and then quickly apologized at her outburst, to which the prince laughed and stepped into the pub, his remaining guardsman following close behind.
Apondra smiled and nodded to the guardsmen and prince before heading back down the road towards home.
Apondra sighed happily as she entered the shop, but the bliss was short lived as she noticed a few men arguing with Barri about the price of the choice cuts of venison Barri had saved to sell as is. She forced a smile and greeted them as she started for her room when Barri came around and called after her. She stopped and stepped forward, wondering what Barri needed. Normally she kept to herself away from the customers while they worked with Barri.
“Daughter,” he said gently, as he stepped forward to fix the fit of her cloak, “Would you be kind and help them with order? Barri’s back is not well. A loin of venison and chicken bones from storage?”
She frowned, his back was aching? No wonder, he had to have been hunched over the garden for some time while she was gone. Barri was always so careful about keeping their personal garden as fruitful as he could. “A whole chicken?” she glanced at the customers for confirmation and when they nodded she headed for the back storage room, just off the back corner of the shop, more of a nook than a storage room. As she gathered up what they needed, being sure that the venison did not bleed over the bones, she was reminded of Beren’s words and her mind raced with questions about if the shop would really last as long as she hoped. She emerged, her hands a bit bloody from the venison that had come loose from its parchment wrap. Apondra quietly stepped behind the counter and searched the counter shelves for a new parchment.
“How much did you say it was Butcher?” one man asked, Apondra popped up from behind the counter and began rewrapping the venison carefully.
Barri kept his eyes to the customers and said confidently, “For whole loin fifty silver,”
“Fifty?” the man scoffed, “That is a bit much for a loin! I can get it cheaper down in Eridean!”
Barri’s wit was not lost on him with his back pain as he retorted smartly, “Then should have gone to Eridean! Loin is fifty silver. No less,”
Apondra heard Barri’s voice raise and quickly slipped a dagger into her cloak from where Barri had hidden it behind the counter. She quietly placed a box on the counter and layered more parchment around the venison and at the base of the box before placing the bones inside.
“Fifty silver! Hmph!” the man groaned, his friends growing tense behind him, “And what if I just took it you fat whoreson?!”
Apondra moved quickly and positioned herself between the men and Barri, “Then you have me to deal with!” she growled, her fingers trailed the handle of the concealed dagger as she watched them carefully. They would not steal from Barri. He was losing so much as it was with the deliveries being canceled.
The man bellowed a laugh, his friends joining in, “You! Ha!” he laughed in her face, “Wha’s a pretty lil thing like you gonna do?!”
“Maybe there’s more to take here’n just the meat. Seems she got the goods!” one man said from behind him.
Apondra felt bile rise in her throat at what he was insinuating and kept her face as neutral as she could, though her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest with fear. These men stood at least a head taller than Barri. She grasped her dagger for comfort, and positioned one foot behind the other, ready for anything.
“Daughter that’s enough,” Barri said softly, taking the box and coming around her. He glared at the men, “Take it and get out of Barri’s shop,”
The man who had threatened her smirked and snatched the box from Barri’s hands, “S’go boys!” He made a show of upturning the contents of a shelf of jarred herbs, the glass shattering made her jump from where Barri had hidden her behind him, “Some other time, princess!” the man crooned in a tone that made Apondra’s skin crawl before slamming the shop door shut behind him.
Apondra moved quickly past Barri, being careful of the shards of glass and herbs scattered on the floor and barred the shop door. She shuddered and kept her back pressed against it, despite her wings aching in protest to the weight. She heard a slam at the back door, and glanced up quickly, her breath catching in her throat when she saw Barri return, dusting his hands.
Apondra took up a broom leaning on the shop wall and carefully swept up the mess and after a careful check that the men were not hanging around outside, she swept it into the front garden that did not get much tending now that the snowy season was coming.
“Come on to the table,” he said from behind her. He gently took her arm and guided her away from the door, she could feel his glare towards the door behind her, and followed him to her seat, where supper was already waiting.
She sat heavily and stared at her plate of roast potatoes and chicken, but could not bring herself to start eating. She instead hugged her arms around herself and kept her head low.
Barri sat across from her, and did not touch his food either, “Barri should be truthful with you about trip,” he leaned forward in his seat, making the legs of the chair creak just a bit.
So he was planning a trip like she had suspected. She knew that these errands were not just for the shop.
“Barri is planning trip to Siren’s Lake to visit my Pearl,” he explained, clasping his hands on the table in front of him.
She looked at him, stunned for a moment. It had been over a year, or was it two now?, since Barri had gone to visit her, it had been almost as long that Barri had mentioned the nickname that he had given her those years since he and Bermet had first met, “Does Bermet know you are coming? She must be so excited!” she could hear Bermet’s excited squeals already. She would be so overjoyed to see Barri again.
He smiled, “Sent letters down river, Barri hopes jars held up on the way north,” he never commissioned a messenger, too expensive he said, so he had found a way to get letters to Bermet at Siren’s Lake, and so far it had worked well. Bermet was not the most eloquent in her writing, much like a child, but Barri’s smile whenever he got a letter returned to him was worth so much more.
“Barri is set to go by sunup tomorrow, pack is ready and Barri has hired cart ready to come. Will drop Barri off at Veilen, tried to get to Tyrenia, but would not take Barri further without more coin,”
Apondra frowned at the mention of the small mountain city, deep in the heart of the woodlands, “Veilen? But that is nearly half a day's walk on its own! Nevermind the cold! And with those heavy packs with you!”
Barri nodded, “With packs and supply crate Barri will be more than a days walk from my Pearl. Will find taverns to stay along the way,”
“How long will you be gone?” her gut twisted with the question. The last visit with Bermet, Barri was gone just over a week, leaving Apondra alone in the closed up shop.
“Will be with my Pearl for two and half weeks, if Barri leaves as soon as cart comes. Means Barri will need to check again that everything is packed tonight,”
She had a thought and quickly went to check the blood meal supply. If Barri was going to be gone for a few weeks, she needed to make sure she had enough. She pulled open the cupboard and found that there were two small jars filled with deep purplish-red powder. She glanced back at Barri. But they had only brought back a partial jar from the last hunt, it would not have even filled the base of a jar, let alone fill two to the brim!
“Barri did a little hunting while you rested past few days,” he said with a clever smirk as he turned to face her in his chair, “Should be more than enough. Three weeks at least,”
She smiled and closed up the cabinet, “You have been busy!” she laughed, getting back to her supper.
Barri nodded knowingly, and began eating his own food, “Shop will be closed as long as Barri is gone, Barri trusts that you will stay put until he comes home?” his tone said there was no talking her way around it.
"I will Barri…" she sighed, which turned into a loud yawn.
"Not enough sleep?"
She shook her head. Despite her mostly pleasant dreams, she found she had been sleeping less and less, sometimes waking before dawn.
Barri nodded, going to the door and giving the bar a good shove, "Shop is closed anyway. Go get some rest."
Apondra was already halfway to her room when Barri said it.
She lay on her side, her wings hanging over the edge of her bed as usual, Apondra tried her best to sleep. She had to find a way to meet the prince. He had invited her personally, she could not be impolite and not turn up at Aremina's place. She smiled mischievously at the thought of the prince coming knocking at the door if he waited too long.
Her wings felt unusually heavy tonight, maybe it was all the excitement that had tired her out, she fought to get comfortable for a while, then gave up comfort and piled her pillows and blankets and sprawled herself over the hump on her bed, her back to the ceiling her wings slumping over her body. She did not fall into deep sleep that night, and when the sun began to rise, the slats in her boarded window sending light into her eyes, she felt a gentle kiss on her cheek and a soft blanket covering her before Barri left for Siren's Lake.
Apondra pulled herself out of bed that morning, feeling an emptiness around her in the abnormal silence. Barri had gone on this trip as soon as she had gotten comfortable at home as a young girl, but even with those years of knowing it would happen it did not shake the weight of the silence around her when he left.
She hummed to herself as she did her hair, anything to break the quiet.
The birds were singing, and the town was its usual busy self, but as she went to the kitchen to fix herself breakfast her heart sank with loneliness. She buttered some bread and sat by the cold fireplace to eat. If she had any hope of tea today she would have to make it herself.
She sighed as she checked Barri's garden for anything that needed to be harvested, seeing her breath hang in the air. The chill in the air was constant now, sending a shiver through her that strained her wings beneath her wrap. She gathered the harvest quickly and double checked that the small chicken hutch had enough hay to insulate it against the coming cold.
A chorus of clucking and a few pairs of beady eyes met her as she checked the hens for fresh eggs. Since the cold was coming they had been giving less, but Barri was never concerned about it. She felt a sharp peck at her hand and yanked her hand back, "Come on now, you do not want to raise those chicks in the cold, do you?" Apondra laughed when the brown speckled hen cocked her head at the question, "I thought not,"
Apondra searched Barri's room for a book to read after she finished putting the harvest away. He did not have many books, but Apondra had begged him when she was young to have books to keep her company, so he obliged and got her a few books from the market.
Apondra breathed with relief that Barri had remembered to take his fur cloak with him, found the book she was looking for and sat down to read her favorite tale. She slowly lost herself in imaginings of a strong swordsman finding the love of a lonely maiden, and settled into these few rare weeks of time to herself.