Rain Glade (9 page)

The day after that, Rain watched Tonia’s
children until the sun set. Then she went home and slept.

Another day passed and she worked in the
garden and then cleaned the house, which smelled like stale wine
and her father’s sweat. She took a bath in the pool before her
father woke up and went to work. Jacob didn’t come. She spent
another day doing the same.

The next day she helped Ulga with the
gardening before going to Verna’s house in the evening.

“How long do you think it’ll be until Jacob
comes home, Verna?” Rain was letting Verna tattoo an image on her
calf of the orange flower the fairies had tied into her hair. The
flowers were gone, but she still remembered the scent of it.

“Comes home? Interesting choice of words.”
Verna poked the needle into the side of Rain’s calf.

Rain had decided she didn’t care if people
saw that she had a tattoo. The butterfly was beautiful and the
flower would be even more so. “Maybe it isn’t home for him, but
when we’re together, wherever we are feels like home.”

“What a perfect thought. I like it.” Verna
smiled as she dipped the needle in more ink. “I don’t know when
he’ll be home. I believe Zethbern is on the edge of the two
provinces, so the lords have likely already met.”

“I could go to Seyten to find out if there is
any news.” It was a thought that had been brewing in Rain’s mind
for the last couple of days.

Verna raised an eyebrow. “It’s unlikely
they’ll give information to you.”

“I don’t care.” Rain stretched an arm along
the cool grass. “I have to know, even if I’m being a stupid little
peasant girl.”

A sad expression came over Verna. “I
hate
it when you talk about yourself like that, Rain.”

Rain studied her friend for a moment. “I’m
sorry. I don’t feel that way when I’m with you. People have told me
that my whole life, so . . . I believe them, I guess.”

“Well it’s not true.” Verna went back to
tattooing while Rain played with blades of grass, twirling them in
her fingers. When Verna finished the tattoo, she spread oil on it.
“Take a couple of the wind chimes you’ve made. You can sell them.
That will give you an excuse to be there and talk to people.”

Rain sat up. “You’d let me do that?”

“
You
made them with items from the
forest. Of course you can sell them, especially since your father
won’t let you keep them at home.” Verna frowned. “Towns are a
dangerous place for a young woman though. I worry about you.”

“Every place is dangerous for me, Verna. I’m
tired of having to mind my manners and be properly afraid of
everything.” Rain ran fingers over the tattoo. The orange colors
with a touch of purple were vibrant in the sunset colors of the
sky. “It’s beautiful. I see you added more of the raindrops around
it.”

“I couldn’t help myself.” Verna grinned
bashfully. “They look so good and they’re perfect for you.” They
walked back to the house. “Stay with me tonight. We’ll pick out the
wind chimes and you can leave in the morning for Seyten.”

***

The next morning dawned sunny without the
usual mist. Verna put a waterskin over Rain’s shoulder along with
the pack containing the wind chimes for sale. “It’s a beautiful day
to walk to Seyten. The only problem is that you’re going someplace
where there will be
more
people.” Verna winked.

Rain laughed. “You don’t like people. It will
be an adventure though. At least that’s how I’m thinking about it,
else I might lose my nerve.” She held her stomach, which had begun
tumbling at the thought of traveling so far away.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. Enjoy the journey
and don’t let anyone get you alone. Try to stay around people if
someone talks to you.” Verna hugged her. “Go on now.”

Rain walked down the path, waving as the
house disappeared from sight. Verna waved back the entire time.
When they could no longer see each other, Rain began to skip. It
helped to burn off the nervous energy she was feeling.

She took another path that skirted the
village, not wanting to talk to anyone or have to explain where she
was going. She stopped a number of times along the way to say hello
to pretty butterflies or capture the aroma of a flower blooming in
the morning warmth.

In the back of her mind, she worried about
Jacob. She missed him and hoped he wouldn’t be mad if he discovered
she was coming to see him. If the village of Zethbern was at the
border of the provinces as Jacob had told her, they might even be
back in Seyten already. Hopefully she would be a pleasant surprise,
not an unwelcome one.

The path came out on the road north of
Cothbern, just as Verna had told her it would. Rain looked both
ways and saw that the road was empty. There was no law against her
traveling, but she didn’t want to answer questions either. Verna
said that bad things happened to young women alone on the road, but
Rain didn’t know if that was true or just because the Druid didn’t
like people.

The road was dry, but heavily rutted, so Rain
made her way alongside it most of the time. Warmer air brought more
insects that droned in the noon sun. Rain enjoyed the sounds
surrounding her and the smells of the warming wood. There were a
few farms along the way and she would wave pleasantly if someone
were in sight, usually women or older children tending scattered
fields. After passing the fifth farm, Rain realized how sad it was
that there were so few men to do anything but fight for their lords
and king.

She thought about Jacob again. It occurred to
Rain that she might someday be in one of those fields, waiting for
him to come home, or be faced with the prospect of him
never
coming home.

As if summoned by the thought, a cloud
covered the sun. A breeze joined it a short while later, chilling
her. She rubbed her arms and set a faster pace.

More clouds joined, darkening Rain’s mood
even more. By the time she reached the first houses that made up
the town of Seyten late that afternoon, drops of moisture had begun
to fall from the sky.

“Better get home, lass,” an old woman told
Rain from where she was rocking on her porch. “It’s going to be a
downpour if I judge those clouds right.”

Rain judged them the same way and began
jogging toward the main part of the city. There was always the
possibility of spending the night at one of the inns, either the
one at the edge of town or one of the others that was likely to be
within the city walls. She still had those three coppers Ulga had
given her, but was loathe to spend them.

Traffic was light, an occasional woman or
older man about their business. Children played in the streets with
little threat of violence. Gangs didn’t exist in Paruth because any
man of a fighting age had to enlist in one military or another.
Only the old and infirm didn’t go to battle.

The city wall was timeworn. She stopped to
look at it and the clear area surrounding it for defense. It looked
ominous, but empty. An old guard in Lord Greffen’s colors sat in a
chair at the gate watching as group of children entered. He was
missing his left arm, but still wore a sword at his side. Half of
the city was outside of the wall, including the street where the
markets were. Rain walked there before going inside to get
information. She hoped the clouds would hold off before letting
loose with more than a few drops.

Seven shops lined the street. Five had people
outside, all of whom looked bored. Only one customer was in sight,
a woman talking to an old man selling leather goods. He was resting
his cheek on a hand, ready to fall asleep in spite of the woman’s
droning voice.

The vendors looked Rain over before losing
interest. She was clearly a peasant in a ragged dress, not a
potential customer. That was fine by her. Verna had told her to try
to sell the chimes to one of the stores for three to five coppers
each, but to ask a silver piece first and let the vendor talk her
down.

She decided to stay away from the grocery,
which doubled as a feed store. The carpenter looked promising, but
when Rain came to the steps, the woman out front gestured for her
to move on her way.

Rain did so, not bothering to argue. It was
clear the woman wouldn’t listen to her. She got the same treatment
at the jeweler’s, the leatherworker’s and the rest. The last shop
was the tailor, who also doubled as a dressmaker. There was no one
outside and Rain didn’t think that a tailor would want her wind
chimes, but it was worth a try.

Inside was a young woman sewing at a table.
She was so involved in her work that she didn’t see Rain. Dresses
and men’s clothing hung from racks while materials for more
garments were stuffed onto ceiling-high shelving. There was little
room to move.

Rain’s footsteps were silent as usual. She
made no noise as she stared longingly at the pretty dresses.
Looking down, she saw hers had another rip that would need mending.
Tears threatened to fill her eyes, but she took a long breath and
banished silly thoughts of wearing anything pretty in her life.

“Hello?” The woman at the table stood when
she caught sight of Rain. “I didn’t see you there.” Her voice was
surprisingly strong and commanding.

Rain opened her mouth to speak, but was
suddenly afraid of the woman kicking her out. The seamstress was a
little older and taller than Rain, with chestnut hair and
light-blue eyes.

“I’ve never seen you around here before.” The
woman looked Rain up and down. “That’s a miserable dress and it’s
wet from the storm, I see.” A distant crack of thunder sounded and
the patter of raindrops began to fall heavily on the roof. “I’m
Fancy. My father thought it would be a perfect name for a
seamstress, so that’s what I’m stuck with.”

“My name is Rain. My mother said the rain hid
her tears, so that’s the name I’m stuck with.” She gave Fancy a
bashful smile, surprised to find someone pleasant.

“I love it!” Fancy took Rain’s hand. “And it
fits the weather outside. Where are you from?”

“I’m from Cothbern.”

“Oh! That’s not far at all.” Fancy began
walking around Rain, pulling at the tatters and threadbare
material. “What brings you to Seyten? Are you here to buy a dress?
Because you certainly need one.”

“I couldn’t afford any of these. They’re so
fine and I don’t have any money.”

“Oh.” Fancy folded her arms and looked around
the shop. “I
can’t
give anything away. Pa is serving with
the king’s army and I have to make money to pay for supplies to
keep the shop running. Business has been terrible.”

Rain smiled ruefully. “I understand. It’s no
bother.” She decided not to mention the wind chimes.

Fancy looked her up and down again. “You came
into my shop though. Surely, you have some business? Or did you
just come in to get out of the weather? If so, you’re more than
welcome to stay for a bit.”

“I . . .” Rain gulped. She didn’t know what
to do.

“You have a pack over your shoulder. Perhaps
you’ve come to sell thread?” A hopeful look crossed Fancy’s
face.

Rain shook her head. “I was hoping to sell
wind chimes that I made, but none of the other stores would let me
in the door.”

“Wind chimes? How wonderful. May I see?”
Fancy cleared a spot on the table for Rain to set the pack. “Father
bought me a wind chime when I was young, but it broke and I’ve
wanted a new one ever since.”

Rain set the pack on the table and carefully
pulled out the chimes. After untangling them, she held them up so
Fancy could see.

“They’re beautiful!” Fancy played with each
one to hear the sounds. “I like the one with the feathers added.
They make it prettier, plus I love the sound it makes. How much do
you want for them?”

A knot rose in Rain’s throat. “One silver
piece each.”

Fancy stood up straight and crossed her arms.
“I may be young, but I’m not a fool. How much do you
really
want for them?”

Rain blushed deeply. “I was told to get three
to five coppers for them.”

Fancy went back to looking at the one with
the feathers. “Your mother told you to get that much?”

“No. My friend Verna. She taught me how to
make them.”

“Do you have
any
money?” Fancy stood
straight again and tapped her teeth in thought. Rain noticed one of
them was a little crooked.

“I . . . I have three coppers.” Rain didn’t
want to tell anyone about them, but she liked and trusted Fancy.
The seamstress stared at her for a long while. Rain didn’t know
what to say, so she just stood there holding the chimes.

“I made a dress that no one likes,” Fancy
finally said. “People even mock me for it, including Lady Greffen
and her daughters. I want to get rid of it, but the materials were
expensive and father would kill me if I didn’t get
anything
for it.” Tears of frustration welled up in the young woman’s eyes.
“You would look nice in it, but I just
can’t
give it
away.”

Rain stood there holding the chimes, not
knowing how to answer.

Fancy gave a decisive nod. “I’ll trade it for
your three coppers and the wind chime with the feathers. If you’ll
get in trouble for the deal and can’t do it, I’ll understand.”

“I’ll do it.” Rain didn’t even care what the
dress looked like. She’d wanted one for so long and the thought of
a dress made by a seamstress was overwhelming.

“You won’t get in trouble?” Fancy was
surprised.

“No. I made these myself.” Rain shrugged.

“Won’t your parents be mad for not bringing
home money?” Fancy frowned in suspicion.

“No. My mother died years ago and my father
drinks all the time. There isn’t very much money in Cothbern. Old
Widow Ulga gave me the three coppers to spend as I like.” Rain
lifted the chimes a little higher. “I made these with items from
the forest, so I can do as I like with them.”