Disclaimer: I own nothing except what was mentioned before
Devon finally caught up to Beth and Noah in a small field where many sheep grazed.
Noah grinned up at her from the spot where he lazed on the ground.
"We usually are training right about now. But if Ulf isn't here. we can relax."
"You train while watching sheep?" Devon questioned
"Yep" Beth said as she stood and brushed her skirt off. " From dawn till 4 o'clock in the evening. We get Saturdays to relax and Sunday we train from noon till 4 o'clock."
Beth frowned. "You said we? As in you and Noah? I thought you said he's not part of the Shang."
Noah frowned at Beth. "It's complicated. He said when he looked back to her "My name is part of the Shang records as training from the age of 3. My mother was a Shang trainee most of her life. She dropped out though. Because she wasn't a full fledge Shang she couldn't train me officially but she taught me anyways." He shrugged "Ulf made me an official trainee last month. So technically I am a trainee, Beth just hates that I know more than her."
Beth slapped him in the back of his head. Devon giggled; she found that she was growing to like these two. Noah always lightened the mood and Beth's crisp witty humor was hilarious at times.
"So" Devon asked "If Ulf's not here what shall we do?"
Noah grinned and jumped up. "We plan to show you the capital."
"What about the sheep" Devon asked
Beth gestured to the tree line; a group of children and teens were playing games with a rope and a ball.
"Those are the Banner children." She grinned "their father and Ulf share ownership over the flock. "They said they'll watch them for today."
Before Devon could protest Noah and Beth where dragging her through the woods and toward town.
Six hours later Devon had seen a major part of the town and met quite a few people.
"Anyone thirsty?" Noah asked suddenly, drawing Devon from her stunned thoughts.
"Very" she replied with a grin
Beth frowned. "Mr. Smith closed down his food shop, I didn't ask Ulf for extra money or he would have caught on. We can't afford anywhere else."
Noah smiled "sure we can. I heard this guy Stefan, from the stables where I work on weekends. He was talking about The Dancing Dove, you know on the corner."
"Noah are you mad? That place is a thieves den!" Beth cried in horror
"Which means that it will be cheap. Come on Beth are you scared?"
Beth turned red and shook her head. Devon shivered. She hated thieves. Turning toward the square, she spoke.
"I think Beth's right. Let's just get some water from the fountain."
Noah laughed. "What's wrong Dev? Afraid of a few thieves? Some Shang you'll be." He joked
Devon froze in place. She had never once in her entire life failed to attempt or accomplish what she set out to do. She was never a coward.
If she wanted to be a Shang then in Mithros name she would be a Shang. In one fluid movement she turned to look at Noah, pinning him with the iciest glare she possessed.
She had been unfailingly nice to her new housemates but that was the last straw. She liked Beth and Noah, although Beth's sharp mouth got on her nerves. No one and that meant NO ONE called he a coward. It was times like this that was why most of the boys in Trebond had feared her. She had a temper as bad as Alanna's. It just took her far more time to lose it.
"Repeat that please," she whispered quitley. "Because I could have sworn you just called me a coward."
Noah was startled. He took several steps back and swallowed.
"Umm."
Beth burst out laughing. "No.Noah. You should she your face." She fell into another fit of giggles; it took her several seconds to regain the ability to speak. "You look like Chaos just paid you a visit, and she was in a bad mood."
"Close enough." He muttered. "Relax Dev, I was just kidding."
Devon blinked and slimed sheepishly. "Sorry, sometimes I lose my temper." She grinned wickedly "Come on, let's go to The Dancing Dove."
Noah blinked "I. I didn't mean that. We don't have to go." He stammered
The girls smiled and pulled him along.
Devon blinked as they sat at a table. This had been a bad idea. Several the red headed woman who had seated them watched them with uncertainty.
Devon knew why too, the air of this place spoke of law breaking and danger.
As the red headed woman brought them lemonade, Devon noticed a hazel eyed young man with a big nose, who sat at the head of one table. He carried an air of smug arrogance and suspicious hesitance. Even so he smiled and seemed to be quite friendly. The man to his left didn't.
He eyed the three of them with obvious satisfaction. The big nosed man leaned over to him and gestured in their direction. The man grinned and got up. As he left the inn several other people glanced at him them to Devon and the others and grinned.
She had the feeling this whole place knew something they didn't. And it was a bad thing.
As Devon finished her lemonade, Noah leaned over and whispered.
"What do you bet that the brute is waiting outside to rob us."
Beth nodded in agreement.
Devon looked around nervously. The man who had gone outside had been huge. Nearly 6"3 and covered in muscle, He also appeared about 40.
Beth and Noah knew more about fighting than her, but Beth wasn't even 5 feet tall and she didn't have a sturdy looking build. Even Noah was only 5"6 and very thin and even gangly, after all her was still growing.
They didn't stand a chance.
"Maybe we could take a back exit?" She asked hopefully.
Noah grimaced. "I'm going to assume that's what the 3 rather large men standing in from of it are supposed to keep us from doing."
Beth inhaled and spoke firmly. "We don't have much money. Either was we might be faster. If we make a break for it as soon as we get out the door we may escape.
They all nodded and stood moving as one toward the door. As Devon opened it she gathered her courage.
The snickers from the flower sellers at the table next to the door did nothing to help.
Devon finally caught up to Beth and Noah in a small field where many sheep grazed.
Noah grinned up at her from the spot where he lazed on the ground.
"We usually are training right about now. But if Ulf isn't here. we can relax."
"You train while watching sheep?" Devon questioned
"Yep" Beth said as she stood and brushed her skirt off. " From dawn till 4 o'clock in the evening. We get Saturdays to relax and Sunday we train from noon till 4 o'clock."
Beth frowned. "You said we? As in you and Noah? I thought you said he's not part of the Shang."
Noah frowned at Beth. "It's complicated. He said when he looked back to her "My name is part of the Shang records as training from the age of 3. My mother was a Shang trainee most of her life. She dropped out though. Because she wasn't a full fledge Shang she couldn't train me officially but she taught me anyways." He shrugged "Ulf made me an official trainee last month. So technically I am a trainee, Beth just hates that I know more than her."
Beth slapped him in the back of his head. Devon giggled; she found that she was growing to like these two. Noah always lightened the mood and Beth's crisp witty humor was hilarious at times.
"So" Devon asked "If Ulf's not here what shall we do?"
Noah grinned and jumped up. "We plan to show you the capital."
"What about the sheep" Devon asked
Beth gestured to the tree line; a group of children and teens were playing games with a rope and a ball.
"Those are the Banner children." She grinned "their father and Ulf share ownership over the flock. "They said they'll watch them for today."
Before Devon could protest Noah and Beth where dragging her through the woods and toward town.
Six hours later Devon had seen a major part of the town and met quite a few people.
"Anyone thirsty?" Noah asked suddenly, drawing Devon from her stunned thoughts.
"Very" she replied with a grin
Beth frowned. "Mr. Smith closed down his food shop, I didn't ask Ulf for extra money or he would have caught on. We can't afford anywhere else."
Noah smiled "sure we can. I heard this guy Stefan, from the stables where I work on weekends. He was talking about The Dancing Dove, you know on the corner."
"Noah are you mad? That place is a thieves den!" Beth cried in horror
"Which means that it will be cheap. Come on Beth are you scared?"
Beth turned red and shook her head. Devon shivered. She hated thieves. Turning toward the square, she spoke.
"I think Beth's right. Let's just get some water from the fountain."
Noah laughed. "What's wrong Dev? Afraid of a few thieves? Some Shang you'll be." He joked
Devon froze in place. She had never once in her entire life failed to attempt or accomplish what she set out to do. She was never a coward.
If she wanted to be a Shang then in Mithros name she would be a Shang. In one fluid movement she turned to look at Noah, pinning him with the iciest glare she possessed.
She had been unfailingly nice to her new housemates but that was the last straw. She liked Beth and Noah, although Beth's sharp mouth got on her nerves. No one and that meant NO ONE called he a coward. It was times like this that was why most of the boys in Trebond had feared her. She had a temper as bad as Alanna's. It just took her far more time to lose it.
"Repeat that please," she whispered quitley. "Because I could have sworn you just called me a coward."
Noah was startled. He took several steps back and swallowed.
"Umm."
Beth burst out laughing. "No.Noah. You should she your face." She fell into another fit of giggles; it took her several seconds to regain the ability to speak. "You look like Chaos just paid you a visit, and she was in a bad mood."
"Close enough." He muttered. "Relax Dev, I was just kidding."
Devon blinked and slimed sheepishly. "Sorry, sometimes I lose my temper." She grinned wickedly "Come on, let's go to The Dancing Dove."
Noah blinked "I. I didn't mean that. We don't have to go." He stammered
The girls smiled and pulled him along.
Devon blinked as they sat at a table. This had been a bad idea. Several the red headed woman who had seated them watched them with uncertainty.
Devon knew why too, the air of this place spoke of law breaking and danger.
As the red headed woman brought them lemonade, Devon noticed a hazel eyed young man with a big nose, who sat at the head of one table. He carried an air of smug arrogance and suspicious hesitance. Even so he smiled and seemed to be quite friendly. The man to his left didn't.
He eyed the three of them with obvious satisfaction. The big nosed man leaned over to him and gestured in their direction. The man grinned and got up. As he left the inn several other people glanced at him them to Devon and the others and grinned.
She had the feeling this whole place knew something they didn't. And it was a bad thing.
As Devon finished her lemonade, Noah leaned over and whispered.
"What do you bet that the brute is waiting outside to rob us."
Beth nodded in agreement.
Devon looked around nervously. The man who had gone outside had been huge. Nearly 6"3 and covered in muscle, He also appeared about 40.
Beth and Noah knew more about fighting than her, but Beth wasn't even 5 feet tall and she didn't have a sturdy looking build. Even Noah was only 5"6 and very thin and even gangly, after all her was still growing.
They didn't stand a chance.
"Maybe we could take a back exit?" She asked hopefully.
Noah grimaced. "I'm going to assume that's what the 3 rather large men standing in from of it are supposed to keep us from doing."
Beth inhaled and spoke firmly. "We don't have much money. Either was we might be faster. If we make a break for it as soon as we get out the door we may escape.
They all nodded and stood moving as one toward the door. As Devon opened it she gathered her courage.
The snickers from the flower sellers at the table next to the door did nothing to help.