Capítulo 18: The myth of three dragons (2)
Suin caressed Ash's head as they stood before the inn, waiting for Luan to come out. They arrived at the next city by dawn, one of their last stop before entering the mountain range. From there on, no more settlements will be found and once they cross the mountain, they will arrive in the vast area of the western territory.
Randel's County was located in the south, close to the northern borders with enough fertile lands. But the more they moved west, the more the country became desolate, and the current city was their last chance to stock on some supplies. From there on, they will have to depend on whatever they can hunt or find in the wilderness.
It was early morning, but the street was already filled with people and stall owners. Suin hid behind the horse, as she was conscious of many gazes curious about her silver hair. Besides feeling uncomfortable, she was also worried that someone might recognize her.
"They will have a vacancy by noon, but we have to wait until then," Luan came out from the inn. "What do you want to do?"
The street was lively, and it seemed like some small-scale local festival was going on. Suin wanted to explore the city, but was somehow reluctant to, due to the mass of people looking at her. Wearing a hood while roaming the street was also suspicious.
"How about this?" Luan asked and took her to one of the nearby stalls. He pointed at an ordinary-looking scarf.
"Oh my! You have a very good eye, mister! This one will surely suit your lover!" The seller blinked at them with all saying faces, but Suin was too tired to correct her. People always think about what suits their interests best, and right now the vendor could sell her product to two lovebirds.
Luan took the scarf and put it on Arianell's head. It was a rough fabric but hid her appearance well. His hand lightly brushed her earlobes, as he helped her wrap the silver hair, leaving behind the burning skin. Their eyes met for a moment, and her head erupted like a volcano.
"Ehem, how much do you want for a scarf?" She asked hiding her embarrassment.
"Just three silvers, miss!"
Luan gave her the asked amount before Suin could start complaining. Three silvers were just too much! They could have bargained it down to two, at least! But the knight didn't seem like a person with much economic sense, as his pocket was always full.
The city plaza hosted the bustling market in the morning. Suin looked around excitedly. Everything until now was stressful for her, so the busy city was what she needed the most to forget about the hardship.
The stands were selling handicrafts, kitchens, and farmers' tools. A few of them also had food, mostly meat skewers or stews and bread. The vendors were mostly women and elderly and the lack of male population was never more apparent. The kingdom needed a lot of soldiers, and for young strong men, joining the military was the easiest way to make money If they were willing to risk their lives.
Suin strolled around the stalls looking right and left, while Luan followed behind silently, not losing her from his sight.
"Madam, do you have only meat and bread? What about some vegetables?" she asked the seller.
The woman looked at her with a strange expression. "Miss, how can there be fresh vegetables in the winter? We already sold out all the pumpkin harvest a long time ago… The only thing left until the spring is those onions here."
Suin pouted her lips. The diet in this world was such a letdown. So far, she only had stew, grilled meat and bread. Her Asian stomach was asking for some stir-fried greens and rice.
"Miss! Are you going to buy something?" The vendor grew impatient.
"Sorry! Maybe next time!"
The future seemed to be bleak right now if she didn't prepare carefully. As soon as she gets to her new house, she must start a gardening project, to ensure the supplies of fresh vegetables to her table, before this world destroys all her tastebuds.
Suddenly, strong arms pulled her to the side, protecting her from the passing wagon. Her nose was buried into Luan's chest momentarily, as the smell of moss, grass, rainfall and wildflowers filled her nose. His scent was comforting and somehow similar to something from her memories, she just couldn't point it out properly.
"What's wrong?" He asked when she kept on sniffing his clothes.
"N-nothing! It's really busy here, huh…" She averted her eyes.
"That's because the local spring festival is ongoing. People are celebrating for the upcoming year full of harvest…"
"Spring festival? But it's still winter?" Suin doubted his explanation. The landscape they were seeing till now was still partly covered in snow, even though she knew it would take a few days' time to melt it away completely and new sprouts would appear on the ground. The spring was her favourite season, as many edible plants were the tastiest when young.
"That's why it's spring festival…" Luan chuckled lightly. "Because people are wishing for the new season to arrive quickly…"
Something in his eyes was tempting and inviting, but Suin kept her composure. She wasn't a 16-year-old girl who was too weak to love, or at least she kept on repeating to herself. When it comes to her, beautiful people always had the upper hand.
"Uh, should we watch this performance?" She asked as they passed by the small, improvised puppet theatre. The only audience was little children, as their mothers were busy looking around the market, aiming for the best bargain. Suin didn't mind that they stood out among the children and took a seat in the last row.
Soon, the curtain lifted, revealing a small, boxed stage, as three dragon figurines ascended on the ropes. The puppet's master coughed to gain the children's attention and started the theatre performance.
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-- Pedra de
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