The theif looked around, too, though he obviously wasn’t sure who he was looking for. “Ye ‘ave children?”1
“No, not MY children, Lady Coriole’s. They ran away. Oh, I told them to stay where they were.” She smacked her forehead. “How could I be so stupid? I should’ve known they wouldn’t listen to me.” Biting back tears at the realization that she had lost another woman’s children, she tried not to panic.2
“I’ll help you find ‘em.” She turned around to realize it was the theif.3
She sighed. She had no reason to trust him, but he just wanted to help her find the children. What did she have to lose? “Alright. You go that way and I’ll go this way.” They parted ways, and searched up and down the street.4
They couldn’t have gotten too far, Mari assured herself nervously. Eventually she found that she was outside of the marketplace, so the streets were less crowded. “Evah!” She called. “Tancred!”5
As the sun went down, tears streamed down her eyes. She had looked through the whole town, surely, and had even asked people if they had seen the little rascals. No one had. She knew what she had to do—she had to go back to Lady Carisole and admit that she had lost her children. She trudged to the large house, and got inside. Her footsteps echoed loudly on the stone staircase. Knocking on Lady Carisole’s door, she took a deep breath.6
“Come in.”7
She did so, and saw the two children sitting there. She stared at them in shock. Did they come running home? The devils were smiling evilly, as if their little plan had worked.8
Mari gave them the most polite and warm smile she could. Then she turned to the lady of the household. “M’lady,” She said. “I would like to quit my job, if possible.”9
“And why is that, Marietta? Why so sudden?”10
“I—I asked for the job because I needed money that I had lost. But I have the money back now.” It was somewhat a lie; the theif hadn’t given her her money back. Now that she thought of it, she would most likely never see him again, or her precious coins. But starving was better than this.11
Lady Carisole frowned a bit, but nodded. “Very well then. You are dismissed.” Mari curtised and left the room. When she closed the door behind her, she could hear Tancred yell, “Mother you were supposed to fire her, not let her quit! After all, she LOST us!”12
Mari smiled, relieved to be rid of those monsters. When she got outside of the house, a figure jumped out in front of her, making her gasp. It was the very theif she thought she was rid of.13
He smiled at her. “What, no reward fer findin’ them?”14
“You found them? And you allowed me to spend all this time looking for them, worrying myself? No, of course you get no reward. You have all my money, anyway.” She was through talking with him. She wanted to got to sleep at the inn, and the next day she would be gone from this cursed town and all the unbearable characters she had met in it.15
“Aye…about that…I ‘ad a wonderful feat last night.” Changing the subject, he asked, “What’s that on yer neck? A golden necklace? Ye’re strange girl; ye wear simple clothes, an’ one would think ye common, but ye ‘ave a rich purse an’ a gold necklace.” He stared at the rose on the necklace, stared so intensly that it made her uncomfortable. She covered it with her hand.16
“Maybe I am rich, maybe I am poor. I have no intention of telling you.”17
“Ah, but now I’m interested. Would I be able t’ persuade ye to tell me more about yerself if I paid fer dinner at the tavern?”18
“With someone else’s money? I think not.”19
“Well, if ye have t’ know, ‘twas extra money from the children. So it’s not like they need it or anythin’.”20
Mari chuckled; she couldn’t resist. She knew stealing was bad, escpecially from a child, but this was one exception. Then she realized what topic of conversation this free dinner would include. “What do you want to know, anyway? My life story?” They began walking.21
“Where ye come from. Well, no need t’ tell me that; ye come from the east. But where’re ye goin’, an’ why’re ye alone? No lady traveller should ever go anywhere without an escort. Lest she become the victim of a robbery.”22
She scowled at him. Then she sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know where I’m going. The 23
n—” She was about to say “The neaklace guides me,” but stopped just in time.24
“What?” He said, now completely interested.25
“It is none of your concern.” By this time, they approached the tavern. They seated themselves and ordered a hearty meal.26
“Would ye be able t’ trust me more if I told ye my life story?”27
“No,” Mari said firmly, but was now a bit curious.28
“My name is Sundan. My father were my mother’s second husband, an’ she already had five sons at that time. My father died when I was a babe, an’ my mother died when I was eleven. My brothers threw me out of the house. But look where I ended up: in a comfortable tavern, seated across a lovely lass.”29
She rolled her eyes, but her face grew hot, if only a little bit. He wasn’t too bad-looking himself, under all the dirt and grime. He had a head of dark, curly hair, and his facial features were almost child-like, though he had a stubble of hair on his chin.30
He leaned forward. “Now,” He said to her, quietly and smoothly, “tell me where ye got that neaklace.”31
As if coming out of a trance, she shook her head quickly. “No.”32
“We had an agreement, I would pay for dinner if ye would tell me about yerself.”33
“Alright,” She said, wanting to scare him away. “I’ll tell you about myself. My name is Mari and my mother was a witch. Do you want to know more?”34
He leaned back in surprise. “A witch?” The shocked look only lasted a moment, then he smiled. “Aye, I do want to know more. I’ve always wanted t’ meet one, hoping that she would turn me into a frog. Then, at least, I wouldn’t have t’ steal t’ survive.”35
“You’re not afraid that I might put a curse on you?”36
He shook his head. “People’re afraid of what they dun understand. I think witches, er whatever ye choose t’ call yerselves, are like lions. If ye don’t make ‘em mad, they won’t harm ye.” She raised her eyebrows. “Now, don’t look so offended by my comparing ye t’ a lion. They’re strong, graceful creatures.” She had to agree with that. She had always been fascinated by animals that came from across the world, though she had never seen one herself.37
Suddenly, she had this sudden urge to confide everything in this stranger, who seemed to understand her without knowing her. He wasn’t scared of her, and that was a first for any human besides her mother.38
“Ye seem t’ have a lot on yer mind.”39
“Well…yes. My mother just died. That is why I am travelling.”40
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are ye goin’ t’ live with a relative?”41
“No.” She knew of no family except her mother’s parents, but had never met them, and she only knew that they lived in the town her mother had grown up in. The problem was, Mari didn’t know what the town’s name was.42
“Then where’re ye going?”43
“You wouldn’t believe me.”44
“Is it somewhere magical? A secret place where witches live in peace?”45
“Please, please stop saying that word, ‘witches’!”46
“But…you said it first. I’m sorry if I’ve offended ye.”47
“Yes, well you should be.” She looked up into his eyes, which seemed so sincere. She hadn’t seen eyes so interested in knowing more about her, since her mother’s. She looked away, tears threatening to pour down, again.48
Mari gave up on trying to fight this urge of being so secretive. She didn’t care if this Sundan knew about her, she would never see him again after tonight. “My mother gave me this necklace,” She finally said. “She said it would lead me to…to the Blue Rose. But I’m sure you have no idea what I’m talking about.”49
A strange expression came over his face, but just as quickly it left, and he smiled. “Actually, I do have a vague memory of hearing the name afore. The Blue Rose. I wish I could see it fer myself.” All seriousness left his face, and he said mockingly, “Of course, I would pick it an’ give it t’ ye, t’ match yer lovely blue eyes.”50
Ignoring him, she said, “I have to find it as soon as possible. But this trip is harder than I expected it to be.”51
“Aye, isn’t everythin’?” Then, out of nowhere, he asked, “Can I come with ye?”52
She looked up at him in surprise. “Why would I let you do that?”53
He shrugged, looking down at his mug of ale. “I’ve nothin’ in this town. I dun want t’ spend the rest o’ my life beggin’ and stealin’. It’ll be adventurous, goin’ with ye.”54
“But, I don’t even know you.”55
“I already told ye m’life story!” He said, half mockingly. “What more do ye want?”56
And why shouldn’t he come with her? He would be protection, for sure. But would he? Him and her, alone together in the middle of nowhere...who knows what could happen? And she didn’t know if she would be able to stand him, his sarcastic tone made her want to grit her teeth. Then again, he had a talent for stealing, so they would never go hungry. But was that enough?57
“I promise ye, I’ll pay ye back yer money, an’ then some. Ye’ll ‘ave a good dowry.”58
She wrinkled her nose at the word. But, that did seem fair. “Fine,” She finally decided. “You can come along with me, under one condition. After this is all over, we will part ways and never see each other again.”59
He put his hand over his heart. “You wound me, my love.”60
She rolled her eyes and kicked his leg under the table. And in that way, the agreement was made.61
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