and she could see his boots shift in the space beneath the curtain.
“By accident,” she replied. Then she held her breath and submerged.
Chapter Nine
Jastin shifted in his chair, growing more impatient as he waited. What was the girl doing in there? Finally, she called, “All right, I’m coming out.” When she emerged, she was wearing the new green dress he’d purchased. He could have afforded a more expensive dress, but hadn’t he already done more than enough?
Her hair had turned dark cinnamon from the water, and was pulled back into a fat braid that dripped water down her back. Her eyes were the green of a placid lake within her pale, but freshly glowing, face. He hadn’t noticed her eyes before. Her bruises stood out in splotches of purple from her temple to her ear. With no dust to mask them, they were as obvious as black clouds against an ivory sky.
“I’ve bathed my horse in half the time it took you to clean yourself,” Jastin said.
Riza rolled her green eyes. Someday he might be inclined to teach her some manners. “It was your idea,” she said. “But, thank you. I’ll pay you back as soon as I’ve earned enough.”
She took a step closer to him, and smoothed the rounded collar of her dress. It was a little roomy just below the waist where her hips would be if she’d had any. Likewise, the bodice gathered up across her chest, where she failed to fill that, too. But the sleeves and hem were the right length.
“Go speak with Rusic.” He nodded toward the man in the apron.
As she took a step away from him, she looked over her shoulder. “How did you know my size?”
“I didn’t. I told the clothier I needed a dress for a skinny little girl.”
She frowned. Her round mouth opened as though she might speak, but she appeared to change her mind. Instead, she turned away and strode to the man who would be her boss. Perhaps she was learning manners already.
“Well, is this the same heathen of a beggar girl what asked me for a job this morn?” Rusic bleated, and a great smile broke out across his flushed face. “Wouldn’t have known ye if I hadn’t seen ye go into the little room with my own eyes!”
“I feel better,” the girl said, smiling.
“I’ll bet ye do! Now, if yer ready to get to work, I’ll show ye the kitchen.” He beckoned her around the bar with a wide hand.
When Riza disappeared into the kitchen, Jastin pushed off from the wall, and strode to a near table. It was dimly lit, the torch on the wall beside it purposely extinguished. A young man sat at this table. His hair was long and stringy, and the color of dung.
Jastin kept his eyes on the kitchen door as he pressed his palms to the tabletop. “Well?” he asked the young man.
“That’s her,” was the reply.
“You’re certain? She’s the one you saw in the woods a few days past?” He turned his gaze to the scrawny, grinning idiot.
“Sure enough.” He stood, and his chair scratched against the floor. He extended his palm. Then his grin curled into an oily sneer, exposing stained teeth. “I recognize ‘em finger marks on her face.”
Jastin’s teeth ground hard against each other, but he dropped a sack of coins onto the informant’s palm.
“Pleasure doin’ business,” said the young man.
“Get out of my sight.”
The young man did.
Chapter Ten
A coo whispered near Kallon’s ear. He peeped open one eye. An orange shaft of morning light punctured through the mouth of his cave and illuminated a gray pigeon. Round, black eyes stared up into his face, and it cooed again.
Kallon snorted, and a puff of cave dust enveloped the little messenger. “Tell Orman I’m not coming today. Not coming ever.”
Pigeon wings fluttered. The dust settled like a heavy cloud onto its feathers. The bird leaped into the air and soared to Kallon’s head, where it landed. Peckpeckpeck. It tapped with its dull beak.
Kallon snapped open both eyes, and tossed his head to send the annoying visitor flying.
“By accident,” she replied. Then she held her breath and submerged.
Chapter Nine
Jastin shifted in his chair, growing more impatient as he waited. What was the girl doing in there? Finally, she called, “All right, I’m coming out.” When she emerged, she was wearing the new green dress he’d purchased. He could have afforded a more expensive dress, but hadn’t he already done more than enough?
Her hair had turned dark cinnamon from the water, and was pulled back into a fat braid that dripped water down her back. Her eyes were the green of a placid lake within her pale, but freshly glowing, face. He hadn’t noticed her eyes before. Her bruises stood out in splotches of purple from her temple to her ear. With no dust to mask them, they were as obvious as black clouds against an ivory sky.
“I’ve bathed my horse in half the time it took you to clean yourself,” Jastin said.
Riza rolled her green eyes. Someday he might be inclined to teach her some manners. “It was your idea,” she said. “But, thank you. I’ll pay you back as soon as I’ve earned enough.”
She took a step closer to him, and smoothed the rounded collar of her dress. It was a little roomy just below the waist where her hips would be if she’d had any. Likewise, the bodice gathered up across her chest, where she failed to fill that, too. But the sleeves and hem were the right length.
“Go speak with Rusic.” He nodded toward the man in the apron.
As she took a step away from him, she looked over her shoulder. “How did you know my size?”
“I didn’t. I told the clothier I needed a dress for a skinny little girl.”
She frowned. Her round mouth opened as though she might speak, but she appeared to change her mind. Instead, she turned away and strode to the man who would be her boss. Perhaps she was learning manners already.
“Well, is this the same heathen of a beggar girl what asked me for a job this morn?” Rusic bleated, and a great smile broke out across his flushed face. “Wouldn’t have known ye if I hadn’t seen ye go into the little room with my own eyes!”
“I feel better,” the girl said, smiling.
“I’ll bet ye do! Now, if yer ready to get to work, I’ll show ye the kitchen.” He beckoned her around the bar with a wide hand.
When Riza disappeared into the kitchen, Jastin pushed off from the wall, and strode to a near table. It was dimly lit, the torch on the wall beside it purposely extinguished. A young man sat at this table. His hair was long and stringy, and the color of dung.
Jastin kept his eyes on the kitchen door as he pressed his palms to the tabletop. “Well?” he asked the young man.
“That’s her,” was the reply.
“You’re certain? She’s the one you saw in the woods a few days past?” He turned his gaze to the scrawny, grinning idiot.
“Sure enough.” He stood, and his chair scratched against the floor. He extended his palm. Then his grin curled into an oily sneer, exposing stained teeth. “I recognize ‘em finger marks on her face.”
Jastin’s teeth ground hard against each other, but he dropped a sack of coins onto the informant’s palm.
“Pleasure doin’ business,” said the young man.
“Get out of my sight.”
The young man did.
Chapter Ten
A coo whispered near Kallon’s ear. He peeped open one eye. An orange shaft of morning light punctured through the mouth of his cave and illuminated a gray pigeon. Round, black eyes stared up into his face, and it cooed again.
Kallon snorted, and a puff of cave dust enveloped the little messenger. “Tell Orman I’m not coming today. Not coming ever.”
Pigeon wings fluttered. The dust settled like a heavy cloud onto its feathers. The bird leaped into the air and soared to Kallon’s head, where it landed. Peckpeckpeck. It tapped with its dull beak.
Kallon snapped open both eyes, and tossed his head to send the annoying visitor flying.
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