Chapter 5

Erbin’s market center was a sprawling nest of busy streets stretching out in all directions from Sir Trevlin’s Square. No matter which street they chose, Snow and Titus found themselves shoulder to shoulder with shoppers shuffling between food stalls and tiny storefronts squeezed under two-story apartment buildings. And yet further above, standing like silent sentinels, were the tall shadows of the old stone watchtowers from the days of dragons.

Titus couldn’t help staring at the towers as they slowly moved forward down the street. He bumped shoulders twice and had to catch a tipped jug he had knocked with his foot before he decided to keep his eyes ahead.

“Is it true those towers were built for the dragons?” Titus nodded towards the next one.

“Yes. Erbin’s market is the largest in the province. Without any warning, a dragon could easily have decimated the population by attacking here. They were built under Trevlin’s rule along with the tunnels,” Snow explained as his eyes turned down to watch some street urchins brushing by him. Titus paused as he saw Snow grab one by the back of his collar and pull the boy back in front of him.

Snow then held out his open, gloved hand with an expectant look before the child huffed and placed his magical silver cup back into his hand. He took a moment to tuck it into his long coat again before addressing the boy.

“Next time,” Snow began with a snap of is fingers. A small flame suddenly hovered above his fingertips. The child’s eyes went wide at the sight. “Think twice,” he warned coldly before letting the boy go.

Titus chuckled as he watched the kid run away to the rest of his cohort waiting two stores ahead. “What tunnels?” he asked, continuing the conversation.

Snow eyed the group ahead of them with a scowl before replying.

“Those tunnels.” He gestured to an alleyway between shops that was nothing more than a set of stone stairs leading down to an arched stone doorway. “Should the alarm go out, market shoppers were to descend into the stone tunnels to escape the fire. Now they’re nothing more than dens for pick pockets – allowing them to slip around under the streets.”

Titus looked back at the kids only to find them gone. “I see what you mean.”

Snow continued to sift through the crowded street until they came to an enclosed storefront. The sign hanging above read simply Reo’s but the finery in the windows spoke for itself. Stately handsewn boots, embroidered waistcoats, and brass button coats stared out at the passersby. Titus paused and grimaced at the assortment as a few more people bumped into him from behind.

“Here?” he asked in disbelief.

“Here.” Snow repeated before heading inside.

Titus followed hesitantly. Inside, the smell of polished leather and fine wool surrounded him as the din of the crowd died down.

“I’ve never been in one of these… fancy places before,” Titus mumbled as his eyes started to scan over all the finery on display. Snow could hear that ‘fancy’ was clearly a last-minute choice. From Titus’s tone, he imaged that ‘snobby’ was the first choice.

“Mr. Snow!” A voice bellowed from the back before a short, partly balding man rushed forward with arms wide. It looked like the man might try to embrace the chilly magician in a miniature bear hug, but instead he clasped one of Snow’s gloved hands between his own callused palms.

“Good day, Reo. How’s business?” Snow replied as he tolerated the tight clasp on his hand.

Reo shook his arm enthusiastically and said, “Oh, well! Well! But we are never too busy for you. What can I help you with today? Oh! We have new wool felt in from the Heather Woods! Softest you have ever felt! And the finest silk just arrived from the Maarish deserts!”

Snow slowly pried his hand back before turning towards Titus.

“I have a true challenge for you this time, Reo,” Snow said as he gestured for Titus to step closer. Reo turned his attention to Titus and the man’s dark eyes went wide.

“Oh dear,” Reo replied as he brought a hand to his mouth in faux shock, or perhaps it was the real thing. Titus looked to Snow with the expression of a toddler being told to make acquaintances. Though, it was Reo who more resembled a child as the short man stared up at Titus with wide eyes.

“Nothing fancy, mind you,” Snow added, “he needs something hardwearing and finely sewn, but won’t restrict his shoulders.”

Reo stepped closer and then started leaning from side to side as if to take in the full size of Titus’s proportions. The little man’s brow lifted as he noticed the sword peeking out over Titus’s shoulder.

“Oh, a swordsman! I see. Yes, of course,” Reo said as he lit up and turned to Snow. “How much time do I have?”

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“A few hours. I’d like to be underway with enough time to make it down the Sea Road before dark,” Snow replied.

“I accept!” Reo announced like a knight taking up a joust. He immediately turned to two assistants and began barking orders to bring bolts of cloth, thread, and a tape measure.

Reo quickly turned back to Snow, “Boots too?” he asked.

Snow looked down at Titus’s boots. Titus looked down as well to briefly compare his own worn pair against Snow’s.

“They fit fine. No holes yet,” Titus replied.

Snow turned back to Reo and said, “Only if you have a pair on hand. The clothes are more important.”

“Yes sir!” Reo nodded before looking to Titus, “This way sir!”

Reo gestured towards the back of the store, encouraging Titus to follow him. Titus hesitantly did so, but not before giving Snow an uncomfortable look. Snow replied with a pleased cat-like smile as he watched Titus head towards the fitting room.

Snow entertained himself with samples of the new Heather Wood wool as he waited for Titus. He knew Reo was nothing if not thorough in his measurements and expected a long wait; however, he was sure the preliminaries were over when he heard Titus bark: “enough” from somewhere behind the back curtains. Snow couldn’t help a smirk as the man immerged still pulling himself back together with a look of red anger and embarrassment across his cheeks.

“These clothes better fit like a dream,” he grumbled as he began to fix his belt and straighten out his tunic.

“They will.”

“So, now we just sit and wait?”

“Fine clothes take time.” Snow had found a comfortable armchair to recline in and a glass of wine to boot. Titus looked about for another seat and soon realized that Reo likely brought this one – benefits of being a good customer.

Titus huffed as he tried to lean against something only to knock a fitting mannequin over with an embarrassing clatter.

Snow sighed. “I doubt anything exciting is going to happen in here. There is a tavern across the street. You can spend an hour or so there if you wish.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Titus said as he straightened up the mannequin and swung his sword over his shoulder only to knock it down again.

Snow eyed Titus’s clumsy display and quick exit with brief scrutiny before he returned to sipping his wine.

✵✵✵

It took about two hours for Reo to stitch together two shirts, two sets of trousers, an impressive dark leather jerkin with tooled, brass buttons, and a new waxed coat. Snow eyed the jerkin curiously before turning to Reo.

“I told you nothing fancy,” he said.

Reo’s heavy brows arched pleadingly. “All of it is so plain. It needed a little something.”

Snow ran his fingers over the fabric and inspected the seams briefly before nodding at the assortment.

“Excellent work. While I would have liked him to try them on, it’s already midday and I have no doubt you measured everything twice,” Snow said as he pulled out a purse.

“Of course! I guarantee they will fit flawlessly!” Reo replied before he had one of his assistants wrap the new clothes in a fresh bundle to be delivered to the Fraeling. Snow paid out a handsome amount to Reo (more than he had planned thanks to those handsome brass buttons).

However, it wasn’t the clothes or the price that concerned him as he stepped out of the shop and looked across the street to the Fire Belly tavern. He weaved across the street and peered into the open-air establishment and quickly realized that Titus was nowhere to be found.

“Great,” Snow grumbled to himself. He had started to make his way back towards the Fraeling when a pair of hands suddenly landed on his shoulders. Snow sprung around fast with a hand coming to his sword pommel only to find it was Titus with his hands raised in surrender.

“It’s just me!”

“Where the hell were you?” Snow shot back angrily.

“Ah, just down the street… looking at things. We ready to go?” Titus looked back over his shoulder as he said it. There was some commotion down the street. Snow attempted to look around Titus to spy what’s making all the noise.

“What’s going on?”

“One of those kids probably picked the wrong pocket,” Titus shrugged.

“There he is!” a man shouted in the distance. Snow looked again to find a handful of Erbin guards heading their way.

Snow quickly shot Titus a hard glare. “What the hell did you do?”

“How about I explain on the way?” Titus replied as he stepped past Snow and started to press urgently through the crowd in the direction of the Fraeling.

Snow hesitated. Whatever this was, he was sure he didn’t need this.

For a moment, he considered standing his ground and watching the Erbin guard run past. This was clearly trouble and if this was the kind Titus had mentioned before, perhaps it would be better this way. Snow definitely did not need this. He repeated the phrase for another beat before cursing under his breath.

Within a second, Snow found himself running to catch up to Titus. When he got shoulder to shoulder with him, he pressed him again, “What the hell did you do?!”

“I had to help the old man get justice for his daughter. The guy who choked the life out of her is a guardsman.”

“You killed a guardsman?!” Snow immediately regretted saying that so loud.

“No,” Titus said with indignation. “But he won’t walk right or eat solid food ever again.”

“Great,” Snow huffed in anger before pulling Titus down into one of the market tunnels.