Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands #2) - T.A. White Page 0,95
stayed later than she should have, watching Fallon compete. He’d won, to the surprise of no one but Shea.
The bet was lost. She owed him a boon. Shea could only imagine what he would request, the tricky warlord. To top it off, she was now late for the event she’d helped plan. The slow-moving crowd didn’t help matters.
A pair of grubby hands tugged at her pant legs. Shea looked down into a pair of bright blue eyes and a gap-toothed smile belonging to a sweet looking girl. One that was wearing a thin, threadbare shirt, and holding a bright yellow flower up to Shea.
“Is that for me, sweetheart?” Shea asked with a smile. It was hard not to be charmed by the little girl.
The urchin child nodded and offered it again.
Shea felt in her pockets, hoping for something to give the child, who looked no more than four or five. Shea hadn’t seen overt signs of poverty among the Trateri. The clans, for all the feuding and infighting they brought, looked after their own. If a child was orphaned, they were absorbed into the clan and provided for. Same when someone lost a partner. She knew of no instances where someone had been turned out, not to say that there weren’t any. This child looked like she hadn’t bathed in weeks, and her clothes looked like they were one strong wind from disintegrating.
“I have nothing to give you,” Shea admitted.
The girl’s face drooped in disappointment, the expression tugging at Shea’s heart. She looked at Trenton for help. Her guard avoided her eyes and scratched his neck. Shea frowned at him. Useless man. Always around when he wasn’t needed, and absolutely worthless when he was.
She looked back at the little girl and held up her wrist. “Do you like my bracelet?”
The girl looked at it and nodded.
“How ‘bout we trade then? My bracelet for the flower.”
The girl gave Shea a gap-toothed grin full of innocence and nodded.
“Shea, that bracelet is valuable,” Trenton said, his expression uneasy.
“All the more reason she should have it. Maybe it’ll bring her good fortune.” Shea pulled the bracelet off and handed it to the little girl. She thanked her when the little girl handed her the flower.
The little girl took the bracelet and petted it. She oohed and awed over it and ran her fingers along the graceful lines, before looking back up at Shea.
“Goodbye, thank you for my flower,” Shea said. She began walking away even as the little girl’s eyes tugged at her heart. She didn’t make it far before a small hand slid into hers and Shea looked down to find the little girl hurrying to keep pace with her little legs.
“No, no, sweetheart. You need to stay here where your mother and father can find you.”
The little girl looked up at Shea and cocked her head, not seeming to understand. Shea looked at Trenton again for help. He looked back at her and shrugged. No help there.
“Mist is alone in this world.” Gala shuffled toward Shea and Trenton, her arms clasped behind her back. “From what I understand, she has been mute since her parents died. There is no one for her to wait for.”
“Elder Gala.” Shea inclined her head to the other woman.
The girl child, Mist, let go of Shea’s hand and ran to Gala. She danced around in front of her while holding up the bracelet for the other woman to see.
Gala bent down and made the appropriate sounds of appreciation. “That’s a fine bracelet you have there.” Gala looked up at Shea. “One would even say the giver was very generous.”
Shea looked away and gave a shrug.
Gala stood up and observed Shea with canny eyes. The kind that saw right through a person down to their very core. Shea had never been very fond of people who could do that. There were too many things she wanted to keep to herself, keep hidden.
“I’ve got to get going. My event starts soon,” Shea said, giving an excuse for her hurry that also happened to be true.
“Yes, you and the other two responsible for the beast board are in charge of the hunt, if I recall.”
“That is right.” Shea didn’t ask how Gala knew. The other woman struck Shea as the sort to know everything about everyone around her.
“That is an unusual honor to be given to a group so young and untested.”
So Shea had gathered. It made her wonder just why her little team had been chosen.