The Choosing (10 page)

“Well.”  Seth said.  “We were about to go pick up some supplies, and head out of town.

“Great!” She replied.  It was obvious she wanted to get as far away as possible just as soon as possible.

Seth still unsure of what to do exactly, not knowing either what to say, looked to his twin for guidance.  Garret knew his brother’s look and so he turned, motioning to Ashton, and began walking down the road the short distance to where they had seen the shops and stalls the night before. 

Garret walked along the stone road with Ashton at his side joking lightly about the look on Johns face when Garret had unsheathed his sword.  Seth and Sara fell in behind the other two, walking silently.  Seth stole a few looks out of the corner of his eyes, at the girl beside him.  He could swear that one time when he stole a glance, while pretending to look at something else, that she too had secretly looked at him.

They made the small trek down the road to where the different merchants sat with their wares, in shops and stall of all sizes, and as they reached the first few stalls Garret and Ashton stopped and turned to talk.  The four of them stood in a small circle, in the middle of the road, and decided they needed three days worth of supplies to reach Raven's Keep, the next town they planned to visit.  Sara mostly listened to the boys, not really knowing anything about the world outside Stone Haven.  She absently reached her hand up to feel the lump on her head John had given her with his steel rod, and then slid her hand around to her forehead to feel the cut where her skin had tore against the door when she fell after being struck.  Realizing the boys had stopped talking, previously lost in her painful memories, she looked to each of the boys faces.  Garret looked like a statue, frozen emotionless, looking back at her.  Ashton looked concerned, eyeing her cut as a physician might.  Seth on the other hand looked angry, and she caught him looking at the ragged cut on her head and then glancing down the road to where they had just come from as if he might go back and try to teach John a lesson.  Seeing all their faces, focused on her, she blushed slightly and smiled at them hoping to wash away their concerns.  It seemed to work, all their faces smoothed back out, and they talked again deciding that Garret and Ashton would go collect what food they might need for the trip, and Seth could take Sara to get everything else they might need for the journey including equipping Sara more appropriately for travel.  Seth seemed exceptionally happy about the decision and Gave Sara a Wolfish grin while asking her to join him.  Not only did she join him, she reached out, taking his hand, walked with him down the road.

Garret watched them go, and thinking to himself suddenly started laughing.  Ashton gave him a puzzled look and asked.

“What are you laughing at?”  Ashton asked.

“I spent all night and all morning thinking about going into that brothel to get a girl.”  He paused laughing again even more loudly then before.  “Then, go figure, my brother brings a girl out of the brothel without ever stepping a foot inside the door.  Lucky bastard!”  Again Garret laughed his throaty laugh and turned to clap Ashton on the back.  They too walked down the road then, looking shop to shop for the supplies they needed.

Seth led Sara through the stalls and shops knowing all the while exactly what he was looking for.  They didn’t have to walk far before he seen the shop he hoped would be here.  He led her up to the shop, first to the window where inside, two wooden figures stood, shaped like people.  He led her around to the door and walked inside, pulling Sara along with him.  Inside the clothing shop they made their way past all the racks of clothes made in the latest fashions, Seth all the while looking for something particular.  He spotted what he was looking for near the back of the shop, and smiling in triumph, led Sara to the large rack of traveling clothes.  Fortunately Seth knew that travel clothes were generally much cheaper than most clothing, as they were made from more available materials, and were less decorative than other clothes.  Keeping this in mind, he looked again at Sara’s beautiful face, and gesturing to the rack of clothes, told her to pick whatever she wanted.

Sara looked at Seth horrified.  Never in her life had she wore new clothing.  One item on this rack was probably worth more than all the clothes she had ever owned.  She couldn’t even imagine letting Seth spend that much money on her.  She wasn’t worth it.  She thought all this to herself and shook her head at the boy smiling at her.

“I can’t.”  She said quietly to Seth.  “It’s too much; I won’t let you spend this much on me.”

Seth was taken aback.  He hadn’t expected this type of reaction from her.  He thought she would like to buy new clothes.  Isn’t that what girls did?  Shop and buy clothes and stuff?  Not really knowing how to respond, but knowing she
had
to get something warmer than what she wore he tried to reason with her.

“Sara you need something warmer than what you are wearing.”  Seth stated trying not to sound forceful.  “It’s going to be cold tonight and I don’t want you to get sick.”  Seth waited for a response; sure his words weren’t enough to convince her.

Sara sighed, she knew he was right, but still didn’t think he needed to spend any money on her.  She didn’t want to upset Seth though.  He had been the only one to ever protect her, ever.  He was kind hearted, and she knew he was doing this to keep her safe, still protecting her.  She had an Idea. 

“Tell you what.”  Sara said, a smile spreading across her face.  “Why don’t you pick something you think I will look cute in, after all it’s your money.”  This was perfect in so many ways.  First it let him get his way, second oddly enough, even though she just met him, she wanted to look cute for him, and third if he picked it out she didn’t have to feel too guilty about the price.

“Seth looked from Sara to the rack filled with confusion and surprise.  He didn’t expect her to relent so easily, and he didn’t know the first thing about girls’ clothes.  Before he could think about what he was saying he replied to her offer.

“I think you would be beautiful in anything.”  Seth stopped. Did I say that out loud?  Seeing the blood rushing to Sara’s cheeks as she blushed, he hung his head sheepishly, blushing even redder than she.

They stood there silently for a moment blushing at each other, both embarrassed by his words when Sara was struck with another idea.  She quickly rummaged through the rack, dismissing item after item.  She worked her way slowly around the rack, all the while Seth watched her, happy she had changed her mind.  She stopped directly across from him, on the opposite side of the rack and stood staring at one of the garments and again smiled.  She looked up at Seth, the smile still on her face.  She looked him over as best she could then returned her gaze to the garment she had chosen, seeming satisfied she nodded to herself and returned her gaze to Seth.

“I think I found some.”  She said across the rack to Seth who smiled at her in return.  “I’m afraid to look at the tag on it though.  Could you look and see how much it is?  If it’s too much I will find something cheaper.”

Seth just nodded to her and walked around the rack to where she was standing.  Sara pointed at a set of clothes that hung from the rack, and turned around quickly to avoid seeing the price.  Seth found the tag, and turning it over in his hand read the price.  The clothing was priced at two silver.  This seemed reasonable to Seth so he snatched the clothes off the rack, and carried them across the small shop to where he had seen a woman sitting behind a counter.  Sara drifted along behind him, but she stayed far enough away from the counter as to not hear the price.  Seth greeted the middle aged woman behind the counter and held the clothes out to her.  Accepting the clothes the woman looked at Seth and then around the room.  The clothes obviously not meant for Seth, must be meant for the woman he came with.  The round woman behind the counter glanced around her store, spotting Sara glancing through another rack of clothes.  Recognition dawned on the older woman’s face.  She had seen this young girl before, bruised and battered.  Always beaten by that no good, drunk, woman hating John, and always looking more like a homeless girl than anything else.  She hefted the travel clothing onto the counter and pretended to notice something that Seth had missed.

“It’s your lucky day.”  The shop owner told Seth.  “This one here is on special.  Half off it is.  It’s been hanging on that rack for a while, time to be rid of it.”  The woman smiled at Seth, happy the poor girl had found someone to take her out of this town, away from that wretch of a man.

Seth took out a silver coin from the small pouch at his waste and handed it to the woman.

“I’m glad you are an honest woman.” He told the lady behind the counter.  “I hadn’t noticed the reduced price.”

The lady nodded at him and smiled.  She had done her good deed for the day, as she tried to do each and every day.

“Would you like me to wrap it for you?”  The woman then asked Seth, whose only response was a confused look.  “So it doesn’t get dirty before she can change into it.” The woman clarified.

“Oh…um…I’m not sure, I’ll be right back.”  Seth said as he walked between the racks of clothes to where Sara waited for him patiently.

“The lady wants to know if you want it wrapped so it doesn’t get dirty before you get to wear it.”  Seth repeated the question.

“Can I change into it now?”  Sara asked him.

“I don’t know.”  Seth responded.  “We can go ask.”  He suggested.  Sara nodded and again took his hand to follow him.

They wove back through the racks of clothes to the counter, but it was Sara not Seth to speak to the woman this time.

“Miss, could I change into the clothes here if you don’t mind?”  Sara asked the woman a bit timidly.

“You sure can hun.” The woman replied. “Look, there in the back corner, there is a little booth you can change in.”  The woman said smiling politely.

“Thank you.” Sara replied.

Taking the outfit off the counter, she skipped girlishly across the small shop to the booth in the corner, leaving Seth to trail behind her.  Seth stood outside the small booth as if guarding it from some unseen enemy.  Looking around the shop, Seth waited patiently for Sara to emerge. 

“Seth?”  “Are you there?”   Sara asked.  Her sweet voice carrying through the door as Seth did his best not to imagine her changing her clothes.

“yes.” He replied thinking the question a bit odd.

“Could you come help me?” Sara said with a tone Seth didn’t understand.

“Um… sure are you stuck or something?” Seth asked.

“Something like that.” Sara replied sounding a bit embarrassed.

Seth walked to the small booth, and slowly pulled the door open.  Looking inside he saw Sara with her back to him, her arms clutching the shirt over her body, to cover herself.  He then noticed that she was actually wearing the shirt, her arms through the sleeves, but the back remained open, a piece of leather strapping dangled from it.

“Can you lace me up please?”  Sara asked him, her cheeks flushing a bit.

Seth then realized the leather strap was to pull the two halves of the shirt back together.  Quickly, without responding to her question, Seth took up the two ends of the leather cord and wove it back and forth through the provided holes, all the way up her back.  Feeling the shirt was securely in place Sara let go the front of it and pulled her hair over her shoulder to keep it out of Seth’s way.  He laced the shirt all the way up to her neck, and then stopped unsure.

“Is it tight enough?”  He asked her.

“A little tighter please.” Sara responded.

Starting at the bottom again Seth pulled the cord tighter and tighter working his way to the top, reaching her neck again he tied the cord in a bow, so that she would be able to remove it by herself when she needed to.  Sara let her hair fall again down her back, as Seth stepped back out of the little booth.  Sara turned around and Seth’s jaw hit the floor.  He couldn’t believe his eyes.  She wore black, skin tight, leather pants, a shapely woman’s tunic cut dangerously low in the front, also of black leather, barely contained her breasts.  Around her waist, over the shirt a silver belt rested over her hips.  The outfit left just enough to the imagination to send Seth daydreaming about taking it off.

“So?  Sara asked.  “Am I cute?”

“The outfit is…No,
You
”…he emphasized the word.  “Look astonishing.”

“I’m glad you like it.” She said while blushing again.  “I picked it so we would match.”

Seth hadn’t noticed that indeed their clothes did match, and realizing this, he again smiled at Sara while his cheeks again burned with blood.  Sara, happy he was pleased with her declaration returned his smile and strode forward, once again taking his hand.  They left the store with a wave to the owner and again entered the street full of shops, Seth again leading, again looking for something particular.

“What are you looking for?” Sara asked as they made their way winding through the different stalls.

“Something to put on your feet.”  He stated honestly.

This time she didn’t seem upset about him wanting to by her something, but she did however take the lead.  Sara led Seth around a corner away from the jumble of shops.  Down a side street they walked a short distance when Sara stopped in front of a small building and pointed to a sign above the door.  Seth, seeing this was exactly where he wanted to take her, gave her hand a little squeeze and pulled the door open for her.  Following Sara into the shop, she led him straight to a display on one of the walls, and picked up a pair of boots as if she knew exactly where they would be.  A girl who likes shoes.  Go figure.