all. Again, the impression that he was just doing whatever she wished. Suppressing a sigh, she waved her hand, gesturing for him to follow her.
They all met at the main entrance to Iron Dragain’s compound. To Siobhan’s surprise, it wasn’t just Conli and Sylvie waiting on them, but Denney and Wolf as well. Well, no, she should have expected the other two to show up. If Conli went out, Denney normally went with him. Those two were nigh inseparable. And Wolf, after hearing that she and Conli would be going out alone with Rune, likely panicked at the thought and joined to keep an eye on the assassin.
Not caring about the extra additions to the party—they could all do as they wished, after all—she waved Rune to lead them. He did so without a word, taking them to the main street and immediately to the left, into a section of the city that she had never been to before.
Wolf fell into step beside her, and as he did, gave a significant look at the back of Rune’s head. She nodded grim agreement, indicating that she finally understood what he had meant last night.
The party was unusually subdued as they wound their way through the morning crowd and into the market. Siobhan quickly found that the only way to press through the throng was to hide behind Wolf, as he made a marvelous trailblazer. She glanced back and found that Sylvie and Denney were using Conli to the same purpose. Part of the trouble came from the narrow, winding street they were on—with the kiosks, street stalls, and such, the path became significantly smaller. People were crushed together and walking at a shuffle, trying to force their way through.
“Rune!” she called around Wolf’s arm. “Do we have to go this way?”
“Only medicine stalls are farther down this way,” he explained, voice barely loud enough to carry over the din. “Gets less crowded in a bit.”
So if they could survive long enough, they’d be able to escape? She clung to that thought and stayed at Wolf’s back as much as possible.
Rune’s words became nearly prophetic, as moments later they crossed an intersection and the traffic abruptly thinned out. She went from being nearly pressed like a grape in a wine press to having more than enough room to dance in the street if she felt like it. Heaving out a breath of relief, she came around to walk at Wolf’s side.
Conli stepped around her, stretching his legs to a fast walk. “Rune, I need a variety of herbs, ointments, and bandages. Where should I go?”
Rune pointed to a row of shops ahead and to the right of the street. “There.”
With a nod of thanks, he went ahead of the group and ducked into a shop that had clearly not seen a fresh coat of paint in well over three decades. Siobhan took one look at the dark, confining interior of the place and decided she’d wait outside. Denney, Wolf and Sylvie all must have come to the same conclusion, as no one braved the doorway.
“Sylvie,” Siobhan waited until the woman turned to face her, “I think while we’re out, we should find Rune some better fitting clothes. He needs more than what he has on anyway.”
“That’s fine.” Sylvie lifted her shoulder in a shrug, not troubled by the idea of more shopping. “Rune, what’s your preference?”
He gave her the blankest expression Siobhan had ever seen from him. “Preference?”
“What kind of clothes do you like to wear?” Sylvie explained patiently. “Things like what Wolf wears? Or more of the traditional Wynngaardian style that we’ve seen here in the city? I know you are wearing these clothes because it was the only thing that Beirly could find that would mostly fit you. So what do you choose to wear?”
Rune seemed nonplussed and not sure how to answer this, which Siobhan found somewhat strange. Did he not pay attention to his wardrobe at all?
“Close-fitti’n clothes,” he finally answered. “Not heavy material, but flexible.”
In other words, good clothes to skulk in. She should have guessed.
Sylvie seemed to realize that was the best answer she was going to get, so smiled and pointed back the way they had come. “Then while Conli is shopping, why don’t we go back to that store on the corner? I saw some things displayed outside that might work on you.”
Rune looked to Siobhan for permission, which she gave, urging him silently to go with her. Wolf, unsettled by the idea of