CHAPTER THREE

"Guess we're going back to the carriage." I held an arm above my head. It was more of a mist than a heavy rain so my sleeve wasn't immediately drenched. For now. "Mallow, did you bring my cloak?"

"Of course, Dad."

Mallow reached into a small bag on the side of her hip. She pulled out a well-made, fur-trimmed cloak with hood. She handed it to me before she stretched up to her full height. Her fingertips reached the bottom sills of the Tavern's second story windows.

"It's so good to be out of there!" She declared, paying no attention to the still dispersing crowd that was shooting her fearful glances. To me, she was less scary at her full height; comfortable and loose instead of bent over like a growling dog. She tugged at the brown burlap cloth wrapped around her waist. It had gotten bunched up with the crouched-down shuffling she was forced into under the low ceiling of the tavern. Well, low for her anyway.

As we walked I pulled the cloak on. It was made out of fairy otter pelt that I'd picked it up at a second hand sorcerer clothing store in Rileston. It was enchanted to repel rain so the wearer could stay completely dry. The cloak had cost plenty of coin....but it helped bolster my backstory that I was a sorcerer's Assistant. I had written off its purchase as a business expense instead of a lavish indulgence. Mallow contested this point whenever she began to gripe about the inequality of our clothes.

The atmosphere in the town was different than before I entered the tavern. An hour ago, I had been everyone's friend, practically an honorary citizen after my spectacular sale of potions this afternoon. For a dreary little place like this, a stranger riding into town, wearing Arcanacrat-quality clothes and shouting with a clear, lively voice was an event. My mere presence was a gift, and I'd been greeted by smiles wherever I went.

I caught one of my customers glancing at me, and I beamed, giving a quick wave. His head inclined up slightly, noticing Mallow, and he waved back stiffly. He brought in his firewood before it was completely ruined by the wet drizzle.

So the news of Mallow's attack had already spread this far. That miserable old cripple had tarnished my name, and there was no choice but to leave town in the next hour or risk backlash.

They were scared now. If they did the math, they'd realize that if Mallow really threatened them they could kill her by working together. Moon Giant Raiding Parties had a reputation for being invincible. A single Moon Giant was only flesh, bone and bit of magic, like the rest of us.

"We need to get out of here, Mallow. No dawdling," I said.

"Why? We took care of that old man." She was twisting locks of her hair together to wring out the slow but persistent rain. As the rain kept falling the action was in vain.

"The weather has changed for the worst," I said.

"Then even more reason to stick around here. I can take shelter in the stables, you have the room checked out..."

"A different kind of weather, Mallow," I said.

She stopped twisting her hair and threw it back over her shoulder.

"Oooh," she said, and then her face went sour. "Oh I see. Yeah."

My carriage was hidden in a fenced off yard. I'd had Mallow lift and put it there with some effort shortly after the show earlier today. That was safer than leaving it somewhere an angry customer could smash it up. I had paid the people who let me use their yard to discourage them from telling others. Even the decor of the carriage was part of my con. I disguised my home-on-wheels well: legitimate healing herbs, luxurious blankets, Mallow's silvery blood in vials, and a few books I could not entirely read. I learned quickly this was necessary as someone in every town always peeked into the carriage while I was away. When they'd see only rotting blankets and junk ingredients in the carriage, my backstory fell apart.

The walk was long, quiet and damp. Mallow next to me was a firefly drowning in a downpour, her long hair lank and slick with the misty rain. It was going to get worse, I sensed. I hurried my steps. We were now on a street with more shops, though in small towns like this people tended to build right next to their homes so that the shops were scattered. If everything weren't so close together, it would be inconvenient. The smell of baking bread hit my nose, even through the oppressive rain drops. I inhaled greedily, but kept walking.

"I'm still hungry." She complained as we walked past the bakery. She held her arms over her exposed stomach and stared with longing into the golden colored window at the small shelf of loafs. Inside a baker was pulling a fresh tray of bread out of the oven. A harried mother waited impatiently to pay him at the counter, two kids hiding on either side of her skirt and chasing each other in circles.

"Go in and buy me something." Mallow whined.

"Mallow, we really need to get going—"

"Dad..." She dug her feet into the ground, the water soaking into the cloth strips that were wrapped around them. "I'm totally gonna starve to death. Is that what you want?" A curtain of rain hit me when she leaned forward as the gathered drops in her hair sprinkled off.

I wiped my face and glanced at the door. It was rounded, wooden, and definitely not big enough for her to fit. It was probably the only reason she didn't silently wander off behind me and try to buy food without me noticing. I'd have to do it.

"All right, though you know at this rate you'll eat me out of carriage and clothes." I complained. She moved to give me her purse, full of her cut of the coins. Embarrassed, I shook my head. She wasn't asking for much. I held up my hands. "It's all right, think of it as a bonus for keeping that man from smashing my face."

"I don't consider that work. I consider that fun." She smiled, though I noticed she still happily closed her purse and rested it back at her side.

"Fun for you, maybe; the rest of the tavern didn't agree."

"It could have been fun for them too, if they didn't all run. Why'd they get so scared? I didn't threaten anyone but that old icicle."

I was used to her so I was tempted to agree, but the fact of the matter was that Mallow was scary no matter what she was doing. Moon Giants historically are a violent species. I try to keep most of the tales of man-eating and pillaging from her long, pointed ears, but you can't protect a kid from everything. Especially considering I like to let the Giants' reputation act as a deterrent from anyone messing with me or Mallow. Why else would I have her in those coarse, ragged burlap clothes?

"Who knows." I lied, and then I swung into the bakery. The mother and her kids bustled past me. On the other side of the door, I heard a muffled shout of surprise and two boyish squeals of delighted disgust. The mother must have noticed Mallow. I chuckled under my breath before considering the available food.

Now that I was in here, my own stomach began to growl. I never got to finish my drink at the tavern. The anger was like a mosquito bite, fading away quickly. I didn't have time to get hung up on all of the things I'd missed because of getting chased out of places.

Golden oblongs of edible invitation sat in neat rows along the tidy wooden shelves. I considered that the loaves were going to get soaked in the rain. I only bought as many as we could choke down within the next couple minutes. The baker complimented my cloak; I accepted the compliment.

Glancing back, steady rivulets of rain were now pouring down the window. The warm loaves in my arms quivered in protest to being dragged out into the rainy day.

I asked politely if I could open the window, which puzzled the shop keeper. He allowed it, mostly because he thought I was a real sorcerer's Assistant, though he still reminded me of the rain. I pulled the small table in the corner close to the window. Then I dug my fingers under the sill and pulled as hard as I could. It took a second, but with the grunting I managed to get the uneven window to slide up along the rails. I heard Mallow's laugh, like girlish thunder, on the other side.

"Let me help with that, Dad," she said. Her oversized white fingers darted between my hands, then curled around the frame. She yanked the window all the way up, stopping before it slammed into the top. She folded her legs and sat outside the window, leaning in, her broad chin resting on the sill.

"It's still cramped."

"Imagine what it'd be like if you tried to come in here to eat. Here you go," I said. I handed her a loaf through the window. She wriggled one hand in to the hold the bread so that she could eat. She finished the first four loaves without chewing. Big, dry gulps transported chunks to her stomach. Around the fifth, she spoke between bites.

"That guy at the tavern was a frigid icicle," she said. I found a small chair and dragged it toward the window so I could sit near her. The baker had begun to regain some of the color he had lost when Mallow initially popped her head in. Maybe he was blushing at her language.

"Yeah. Acting like we robbed him or something." I broke open my own bun, the warm smell curling up to my nose. The baker had used some nuts in this one, almonds. I didn't like the texture of almonds usually, but all diced up like this they were an invited addition to the bland bread.

"Hey, not fair. I want one of the flavored ones."

Mallow gestured hungrily, and I passed over a small bun filled with raisins and apricots. The fruity aroma made me want to hold onto it myself, but she had earned her keep today. She had more of a sweet tooth, anyway.

"He handed that coin to you himself back when you sold him that potion. To come back here and hit you... it's wrong to take things through violence, right, Dad?" she asked. She picked out the raisins with her oversized fingers. It's an odd habit, but harmless since she ultimately ended up throwing them into her mouth one by one. She wasn't picky, she just liked to pick her food apart before eating it. I recalled that city I found pillaged by Giants where I found her. All the human remains had been so neat and tidy. I wonder if it's a species thing. Or maybe it's just Mallow. Maybe she thinks it makes her look more delicate.

"Definitely wrong. What we do is more like a game..." I asserted. "And we happened to win." My stomach being considerably smaller, I finished filling up first and went back to the counter. The baker gave me a hefty discount on a dozen cookies, even more reverent now that he saw I was a sorcerer's Assistant with a Moon Giant. It was great getting a treat for Mallow but saving some money while doing it was even better.

I gave Mallow eight and took four for myself.

"Oh!" she declared. "Oh Dad, thank you, thank you!" She licked the sugar coated biscuit and then devoured the whole lot in one bite. Her cheeks puffed out like a cute squirrel. I laughed. Since I was already full, I pocketed two of mine in the water resistant pouch I kept my papers in. The crumbs wouldn't do too much damage.

"You ready to get going?" I asked.

Her steps were much lighter and less sulky as we made it back to the edge of town near the wall. We wound through the residential blocks, which were few since this was a small town. We approached the fence our carriage was parked behind. Hearing an uneasy murmuring of dozens of voices together, I stopped short of the street. I retreated two steps behind a group of dense bushes.

Could they have formed a mob that quickly?

That said, although it was a gathering of people, it sounded more restrained than the usual mobs that chased me around...

"What is it? Another old customer?" Mallow asked, glancing down at my arm pressed against her. I peered out, making sure my hood was on, hiding my face. I studied the scene of noisy people on the road in the distance for a moment. I spotted silver armor. My tenseness shifted from fear to agitation. I shook my head.

"Worse; Avalons," I said. "Surprised they're coming out here right now..." I held a hand up, rain drops still bounced against my palm. "I thought they'd be afraid of their precious armor rusting."

Across and down the street, having not seen us yet, was a group of Avalons. Avalons were athletic, like normal guards, but more attractive because of the magic. The weather clumped our hair, theirs was neat and glossy in varied whimsical hues. The rain hit their armor and glided off, like my fairy otter cloak.

"If I had magic, I'd make sure the rain didn't hit me at all. Like, I'd keep it at arm's length at least," Mallow said in disdain. The Avalons were all laughing, probably about something stupid. A drenched townsperson finished setting up a pole near them; they didn't interact with him at all. I watched as a few more helpers, kids from around town, dragged over some fabric. A tent to keep the rain off?

"What sort of charity are they doing today?" Mallow asked. "Crime solving? Monster defense demonstration? Maybe a speech?"

I glanced down the street. At first I thought it was a swarming herd under magical mind control, but then I saw that they were talking to each other. A mass of people being held back by enchanted ropes. They were trying to quell the frustration of the rain-soaked audience, consoling, telling them to be patient. The crowd spanned around the block. I knew immediately what sort of service the Avalons were performing today. I shook my head. Once I'd been a hopeful sucker in a crowd like that.

"They're doing healing today." I pointed at the group. "It's the only service the Avalons provide that anyone gives two dashes about."

"Oooh, yeah." Mallow said, standing on her tip toes and staring at the crowd of miserable fools in the rain. "I don't know why they don't just do that every time. There're so many sick people. Usually they don't even get to half of them."

"Hey, if that icicle that bothered us back at the bar," I began. "If he gets out here, maybe it won't matter that I sold him a dud."

She swept her hand through her hair and pushed it off of her face, after ripping the fingers through a tangle they caught in. "Come on. Thankfully, that mob isn't in the direction we need to go."

"It's the Avalons' job to help people; we don't have to." I agreed. Mallow helped hoist me over one of the fences. We walked through the garden to get back to the yard where the carriage was located.

"You think you can pick it up again now that it's all slippery?" I asked. The tree canopies made for somewhat awkward handling, even with Mallow's strength.

"Yeah, since there's no horses or nothing attached," she said. She hoisted it up with her two arms and walked toward the road. When she set it down, the wooden wheels protested with a crunching sound as they hit the uneven cobblestone. Breathing heavily, she folded her arms over her head and stared up at the cloudy sky. "Hey, one good thing about the rain." She said, rubbing one of her armpits in a scrubbing motion. "Instant bath."

I laughed. Mallow grabbed the front part of the carriage and pulled it over to the stables. I couldn't wait to get our horses out. I hadn't seen them since last night. They nickered when they saw me. I was glad too; besides Mallow, they were my only friends. It hurt me to avoid the horses whenever we were in town. We always stabled them before we sold our wares so they wouldn't be targeted by angry customers. A lot of my life was about evading the wrath of those I outsmarted, but it was worth it to never be hungry.

"Come on, Flatchert - whoa there. Gourd, calm down." I spoke to them as I led them out of the stables, patting Flatchert's nuzzle. Mallow greeted them too and helped me attach them to the carriage. Mallow had already been too large to ride in the carriage the horses pulled when I'd bought the pair but she still liked them. She had always liked my animals. Her first words had been when trying to talk to my late steed known only as 'dumb donkey'.

She'd made sure I named the horses. I understood Gourd's, it was the first thing she'd fed it, but I had no idea where she'd conjured Flatchert's moniker from.

"Awww, Dad, they missed us." She petted Gourd's mane. "Don't worry girls, dad brought you a treat too." She cooed.

"I did?"

"The cookies. I saw you store them. Two; one for Flatchert, one for Gourd," Mallow said, orange eyes widening at me. Oh. Is that what I did? She tilted her head a little. I realized the horses would love the cookies much more then I would and didn't bother to contradict her. I grabbed two cookies out of my bag. I gave one to Mallow, and we treated the horses.

Flatchert's goofy teeth, white and strong, were visible as she made faces while eating the cookie. I patted Flatchert one last time before finishing gearing her up.

With everything sorted, we rode toward what passed as the town gate. Like the fence that surrounded the village, the gate was crafted from flimsy wood with gaps large enough for a man to walk through. It provided no actual security; using it to enter and exit was good manners. The grayness of the sky made it hard to tell exactly what hour it was, but all that mattered was that it was not night so the town gate was wide open. The guards were two friendly, skinny young men who were just as ineffective security as the gate they guarded. Absorbed in their own conversation, both were barely aware of their surroundings. One waved me a quick good bye when the carriage passed inches from him. He began to tell his friend about the love potion I had sold him.

"So it'll make her fall in love with you?" The one who hadn't bought anything from me asked. The first guard shook his head. I slowed the horses. I wanted to overhear if he recalled what I had told him when I sold him the potion.

"No, that's impossible without reading someone's mind first. What it does is it makes me more lovable in a general way. Like I won't say stupid stuff as much and I'll know how to act more heroically."

"You're already a guard. What's more heroic than that?"

"I don't know. The real results won't show for a month..." My customer said, before he got a tinge of victory in his voice."... though I think I feel a little bit of it already." He rubbed his own chin. "I shaved today and didn't nick myself once!"

"That is an accomplishment..." was the last line I could understand. The steady drone of the rain on the grass and mud beyond the town combined with the clopping of the horses drowned out their words. Another satisfied customer. If the boy was adjusting his behavior in ways he thought would be attractive to the lady he liked, he had a good chance of charming her even if the love potion he'd bought had no magic in it. Both of us would be happy, at least for a little bit. The rest of the people in this town wouldn't know their potions were bunk until a month from now. By then, I'd be long gone.

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