{}{}{Anna}{}{}

Something was wrong with me.

There were only three possible conclusions: I was sick, dying, or bored beyond my wildest speculations of what the word 'boredom' could mean. I didn't feel sick, and twenty-six is a bit young to die of old age, so it had to be boredom. After counting my money for the tenth time that day (seventy five gold, two hundred silver, one stone's worth of salt, thirty copper, sixteen small gemstones, and one rough-cut diamond), and finding it unenjoyable, I changed my mind and decided I must be dying.

When I told Laurent this, he seemed surprised, and offered his services as a healer.

People these days just don't get it.

After about two days of not dying, I went back to boredom. Across the five languages (plus Northern Valmese) I could speak fluently, none of them had words that came close to describing how bored I was.

Even then, boredom probably wasn't the right word for it.

"Fascinating. It appears the climate of Regna Ferox was one of the few unchanged by Grima's return," Laurent remarked, scribbling something down (good gods his handwriting is awful) in a battered notebook.

Can't get bored when you have a kid from the future blurting out stuff like that, can you?

I took a moment to admire our surroundings. Snow, snow, tree covered in snow, hill, snow. Same stuff we'd been seeing since we crossed the border a day ago. "Uh-huh," I replied, shifting my grip on the reigns so I could tighten my scarf, "Fascinating."

Missing my tone completely, Laurent nodded, dumping a lump snow from his hat onto his knees. Blushing slightly, he continued, "Though it is not precisely in my area of expertise, climate research has become something of a hobby for me. Once I compared my older notes against the weather we are experiencing now..." He trailed off, voice dropping as he started to mumble.

Boredom wasn't the right word, but it wasn't exciting either.

I'd much rather be bartering with a merchant, cutting deals, or parting a wayward fool from their money. Or, ideally, all of those things at once- lining my pockets with money from a foolish merchant always put a pep in my step.

But, unfortunately, our destination was still two days away. I could survive that long.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Half an hour later, I had given up. There was only one thing left to do-

Talk to Laurent.

"Hey, Laurent," I started casually, gesturing at the journal sticking out of his pocket, "How old's that journal?"

Blinking, he turned to look at me. "This?" he affirmed, removing the journal from his pocket.

"Yeah."

Furrowing his brow, Laurent moved his lips silently. "Ah. I purchased it approximately seven years ago from your sister."

My sister! Even during the apocalypse, my family could turn a profit. I'd rather not have to deal with an apocalypse, but it couldn't be much harder than selling damaged minecarts to a herbalist. The holes were for drainage, of course, and with only a little bit of work they could be mobile herb gardens!

I winked at him. "You sure it wasn't me, kid? We do look pretty similar," I told him, putting a finger to my chin, "Any idea which one?"

"The youngest, I believe," Laurent replied instantly, "And, unfortunately, you had already passed away at that juncture."

Don't stab children, I reminded myself, even if it was really tempting. "Well, I can assure you she charged you a fair price," I started, closing my eyes for a moment, "Me, dying? Yeah, if I kept letting Andrew drag me into things, I can see that."

"Ah," Laurent paused, "I cannot reveal further information."

"Good talk," I grumbled, looking away, "Thanks."

He wanted to correct me about something, I could just tell. Maybe I'd gotten Andrew killed, instead of the other way around? Ha, nothing new there.

I wasn't bored anymore, at least. I just felt... empty.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

The next day, thankfully, found us at our destination- Port Rhaesis, in Regna Ferox. Sure, it was cold, and sure, I had to part with one gold and ten copper (or half a small gemstone, but I was saving those and didn't know how to split them), but it was for a good cause.

Not charity, gods no! This money went to a better cause: getting Laurent off my cart, and letting me move on with my life without feeling bad about it.

And the faster that happened, the better.

Rhaesis, like always, was exactly halfway between bustling and barren. Handfuls of warmly dressed people bustled between buildings, stopping shortly at merchant stalls before going back indoors. Sailors, being sailors, shouted at each other in a blend of languages as they loaded or unloaded crates of supplies from ships.

We finally rolled to a stop next to an inn- the Red Tankard, according to the slightly singed sign swinging in the salty wind. I had to hide a little giggle behind my hand; they still hadn't fixed it after last time! Maybe it was to add character?

Nah. Probably just to remind sailors not to grope cute mages. Now that had been a profitable bar fight! Lara was pretty tough for a mage, and the barkeep had paid us both a tidy sum to not kill the adventurous idiot.

Laurent slid off his seat, boots crunching unsteadily in the thin layer of snow. Adjusting his wide-brimmed hat, he turned around to nod at me. "Thank you, Miss Anna, for your assistance. I suspect I would have been wandering for quite some time without you."

"Mhm. There's a cartographer in town, maybe put some of this coin I'm giving you to good use..." I paused, rolling my eyes at Laurent's frown. "Look, it's been great getting to know you," I drawled, putting a finger to my chin as I tossed a small sack of coin up and down, "But this is where the ride ends. You can hitch a ride to Ephesus from here." Winking, I caught the sack one last time before scooching over to hand it off to Laurent. "I think I even saw a caravan just outside of town. Don't get your money stolen, alright?"

"Rest assured, I am a capable negotiator," Laurent nodded, accepting the sack and stowing it away, "I am curious, though; where are you travelling from here?"

Annoyingly enough, back to Plegia. No, I'm not stupid! I needed to commission a ship to help me get my goods from Plegia. Before that, though, I'd get myself a decent room at the inn and a better coat for this Feroxi weather.

That was always the plan (yes, even the coat)- and if Andrew and Tiki were starting to get on my nerves, I would've split with them here, too. Some things happen earlier than expected, but it had worked out, in my opinion.

"Don't worry about it," I told him, waving a hand and looking away, "We don't have long before sunset, so you might want to get going, alright?"

"Ah, of course," he agreed, turning away, "I'd best get going, as you say. Goodbye, Miss Anna."

Hopefully, a final and non-lethal goodbye. "Good luck, Laurent," I said instead, "And goodbye."

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

I was going to stab this man.

Maybe that was an exaggeration, but his prices seemed nothing short of criminal. And he was nowhere near skilled enough to get away with it, which was almost as intolerable.

"Seven silver and no lower," the old innkeep huffed, one arm crossed over his chest as he stroked a pepper-grey beard, "Lotta demand f' my rooms these las' weeks. Seven silver f' the night, no more, no less. S' a good deal, y'hear?"

Leaning back in the creaky wooden chair, I raised an eyebrow and scanned the tavern. Two or three gruff-looking men (I'd put money on them being vagrants) quietly trading stories sat in the dimly-lit corner, their thick coats hanging from the rough wooden posts lining the walls. A slight woman with short brown hair tended the bar, occasionally moving to refill the vagrants' tankards when she wasn't eavesdropping on my conversation.

"Lotta demand, huh?" I smirked, putting a finger to my chin as I looked back at the innkeep, "Should I go ask those fine fellows over there how much they paid?"'

Slumping slightly, the innkeep ran a hand through thinning hair. "Five silver, five silver," he amended, glancing over to the three men. His stern, long-nosed countenance softened for a moment. "Fine fellows," he chuckled, switching over to the native speech of the Feroxi, "Fine as I am young. Elaine, that'll be their last round until they pay half the cost, alright?"

They probably didn't know I spoke the language. I decided to keep it that way- at least until they said something rude about me, so I could embarrass them into giving me a discount. Reminding myself to not call the girl by name yet, I turned my smirk into a winning smile. Putting both arms on the table, I used one hand as a chin rest. "Five whole silver, really? You have a hot spring in the back or something? Maybe a roast lamb for dinner?"

He shook his head sadly at both, deflating further. "T' be frank, miss, sounds like y've been out deaf in the wilds. Most of my rooms were bought by foreigners from some place in Valm, an' they sleep early. They're everywhere in town, buying all our food an'-"

I tuned out his rambling about how foreign people are weird, nodding along politely and smiling where needed.

Foreigners from Valm, huh? He didn't seem to be lying, and with how aggressively Elaine was polishing the tabletops, she didn't like something about what he was saying. Maybe she had a crush on one of them, or she hated them, or... well, it wasn't my business, and I didn't know if I could profit off that either.

But why were there so many people from Valm here? Running from the war, I guessed. Now that I could profit on, so I made a mental note to buy plateware and chat a woodworker into making good chopsticks. Both were pretty cheap if you knew where to buy, and everyone seemed to think the only good plateware and cutlery are the moderately expensive ones.

It wasn't my business to correct them anyways; it was my business to make money off of them.

Finally, the old man fell silent, looking more world-weary than ever. Digging a little bit to remember what he'd just said, I nodded. "So, I'm tired," I lied, drooping my eyes a little and letting out a long sigh, "And I think I know a solution to our little impasse on price. How about I go and eat elsewhere tonight, then pay you four silver for the room? I'll go no higher," I warned, waggling a finger.

"A pox on this woman," the innkeep muttered, once again speaking in Feroxi, "Fine. Four silver it is. Elaine, which rooms are ready?"

Well, someone had pent-up anger. I winked at him, removing four of the five silver I'd expected to pay tonight and sliding them over the table. "What a pleasure doing business with you," I smiled, standing up and turning towards the girl, "Elaine, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Anna," I said, as if she hadn't heard it when I started bickering with the innkeep, "No, not that Anna, that's my sister. No fires in the tavern, I promise!"

Unless someone got handsy. Then, of course, all bets were off.

Hiding a smirk, I checked one item off my list for the day and tacked on 'buy dinner'- one of two down... two to go. Huh.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Twice in one day? Is everyone in this town an idiot, or have they just forgotten how to set prices?

The merchant in front of me couldn't have been older than thirty, but the harsh weather and hunched back made him look closer to fifty. Even hunched, he loomed over me in his gigantic blue coat, lined with well-kept fox fur. Rubbing his gloved hands together, he shook his head.

"No, no," he muttered, not meeting my eyes, "You offer too little, missus. I tailor boots and coats every day for many years, yes? But, you see, cannot make new coat every day," he continued, turning slightly to gesture at the row of mostly coat racks behind him. "Are paying for quality and protection from Feroxi winter, not for cheap Ylissean coat for cold autumn."

Loosening my nice, overly warm cloak, I bit back a few curses. How could he keep on so many layers indoors? I was sweating just looking at him, and if that didn't up my frustration, I didn't know what would.

That's a lie. I knew exactly what would frustrate me:

Boring negotiations.

"Uh-huh," I hummed, tapping my boot against the wood floor, "I totally understand, sir. I've heard great things about your coats! A friend of mine, Boris, still uses that longcoat he bought... hm, seven years ago? No, eight. And can I say," I batted my eyelashes, putting a finger to my chin, "They look even better now. But! Four gold? Four gold?" Yes, I know. Complimenting the product would make bringing the price down harder. I'm not stupid.

I had a plan. And, gods, if I had any other option for a decent coat, I'd have left this place ten minutes ago.

"Four gold," the man agreed obliviously, drumming his hand against a table. "Are paying for good quality. Good for Feroxi winter-"

"I've heard," I assured him politely, tilting my head. "But who can pay four gold for a coat, Mister... Morne, right?" I trailed off, raising an eyebrow. Through the half-open door to the back room of his shop, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My smile didn't look too fake, good.

"Cassius Morne," he nodded, "Surely you know this, yes? Have met you before."

Snorting, I shrugged. "With all due respect, Mister Morne," I started, wondering how much respect that actually was, "If we've met, it was years ago. Any sooner than that, and it'd have to be one of my sisters-"

"Annas, yes, yes," he agreed, wringing his hands as he sighed, "Could never forget hair and eyes, no. Nothing quite like your family. All same name, though, how did that work when mother called for you?"

Normally, I'd crack a joke or start walking out. But I'd started this personal discussion- was I really that rusty?- so I just brushed it off. Narrowing my eyes, I shook my head. "We have our ways, Mister Morne," I began, sticking a hand in my pouch, "But that's not why I'm here. One gold for that coat," I continued, dropping a single gold coin on the table as I pointed to the long, red coat behind him. Bit large, but it'd do.

His eyebrows shot up, lips curling into a baffled half-smile. "Ah, you have fire! Audacious, yes. If you wanted to steal, would have done while my back was turned. Three gold and... twelve silver, yes. I have coat in just your size, lined with wolf fur- very expensive in such quality, you see. One moment." Cassius turned around, blue coat swirling around him as he swept into the back room.

Even when there was progress, he managed to drag it out. I'd bet money the coat he's offering isn't even red! Stifling a groan, I scanned the shop for a seat. Would it be rude for me to pull one up? Could I just sit on the table? No, I couldn't do the latter; he'd stare at my rear the whole time. Unless I had to bust out that set of tactics, that was... off the table.

"Groaning, eh? Tired? Take a seat, take a seat," Cassius said, emerging from the room holding a slim off-white (ha!) coat. That fur lining would look great on me, though...

"I just remembered something, don't worry about it," I waved off, stepping forward to inspect the coat. It couldn't possibly be worth-

I cursed under my breath. "Two gold," I bit out, running my hand along a fur-trimmed sleeve, "Correct me if I'm wrong, Mister Morne, but are those pockets on the inner lining? Dagger-sized pockets?"

It had pockets. Do you know how hard it is to find good, durable clothes with pockets? Let me specify: Do you know how hard it is to find women's clothing with pockets? It's already hard enough to find a tailor- paying them extra to give me pockets always left a bad taste in my mouth.

Cassius frowned, adjusting his grip on the coat's shoulders. "...was thinking pockets for journals, coin, and snacks, but daggers work too, yes."

"So two gold works?" I pressed, turning around so he could put the coat on, "I'd pay that for this coat, easily."

I could barely i magine having to buy three coats here- one for me, one for Andrew, one for Tiki. There's another reason not to travel with friends. Six gold for three coats!

"No," Cassius said firmly, slipping one of the sleeves over my arm, "Three gold, no less."

Once the coat was all the way on, I had a mild crisis of money. "Gods, this is so comfy," I purred, fiddling with the attached belt so it cinched around my waist, "But three gold? That seems a little high."

With sleeves like this, I could even bring back the wrist sheathes. This was a fantastic coat, and the best way to celebrate would be to get a good deal on it.

"Do not test me," he warned, walking around to see me from the front, "Is very good coat on you. Would be pity if coat had to stay, yes?"

Oh, now he brings out the negotiation skills. Was this his plan all along? To trap me in this amazing coat, then extort me for my hard-earned gold? Clever man. Time to break out my master negotiation skills. Exhaling sharply through my nose, I crossed my arms. "You drive a hard bargain, Mister Morne. But let's be reasonable- you don't charge three gold for your coats normally, do you?"

"And there is heart of problem," Cassius sighed, crossing his own arms, "Would charge one gold, maybe two... but now? Stock is low, and have large order for simple winter clothes. Cannot spend time on luxury coats," he continued, brow furrowing as he gestured to my (yes, my) coat, "So price goes up, yes?"

A large order, huh. Thinking back to the innkeep's rambling on foreigners, I put a finger to my chin. A bell rung somewhere in my head, but I couldn't figure out how all this connected! Well, other than the obvious. "Let me guess, Valmese?" I mused, "I heard the same stuff from the innkeeper, but he didn't seem to like them very much. All that considered..." I faked a sigh. "Fine. I'll up my offer to two gold and twelve silver, but I don't have that much silver on me. Do you make change?"

"Many questions, impatient child," he admonished, walking towards his back room, "Have change, yes. Will take deal- but next time, bring a friend, yes?"

Success! I could barely contain my glee as I brought out two more gold coins, stopping short as the rest of his sentence caught up with me. "Can't do that one, Mister Morne," I shook my head, hefting the coins in my hand, "I try not to keep much company."

There was that feeling again- like something near my heart didn't quite fit, or my wallet was emptier than I'd like.

"Say," I frowned, staring intently at the coins, "Do you know a place where I could get some food?"

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

There was a place that cooked and sold food, but like everyone else, they were on short supply because of the Valmese. I came just in time for them to run out of stew, and had to resort to their second offering:

Stir fry.

Mediocre at best. They overdid the garlic and overcooked the venison.

I'd rather not talk about it.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Since the food was... not great, I ate it as quickly as possible (only marginally slower than that time Tiki ate a whole chicken in maybe three bites, and a whole lot more dignified!)- which meant I had enough time before sundown to try and wrangle a ship! So, in a way, cheap mediocre food did me a favor. A favor I'd rather have done without, but a favor.

And I'd have no trouble finding a ship captain, I was certain. The best way to a wrangle a ship, Boris always said, was to follow the smell of alcohol.

Sorry, "Best way to find ship captain? Always follow nose to tankard, ha!" But I think my way sounded better, so I usually said that instead. And I'd take that advice, as I had countless times before, with the hope it wouldn't lead me to the man himself. After all, what business would he have up here? His homeland's way further north-

Three Valmese men walked past me, stopping me in my tracks. Normally, I wouldn't care, but something struck me about them as I started walking again-

They were all Roseannean. I cursed well enough to make a sailor blush- literally, poor guy didn't know what hit him as skipped past.

This could be fantastic! Terrible, but fantastic. The tavern- Dancing Mermaid- wasn't far, and if my luck was as strange as usual, I'd be running into Captain Tark. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought, somewhere between excitement and terror; Boris' boss was one of the greatest ship captains I'd ever met, but... well. It's hard to explain.

Shaking that off, I focused on dodging the burly men carrying crates. Wouldn't do to get this new coat muddy- I still needed to dig up the old waterproofing spells so I could keep this thing blood free.

My heart and walled started to ache preemptively, though. This wasn't going to be cheap, but I could make this sacrifice knowing full well the sort of returns I was looking at. There were a few distinct possibilities: Tark would ask for twenty gold now, twenty later, and a favor when we were done. If Tark wasn't here (probably en route with more refugees, or stirring up trouble in Valm), then I'd probably be paying twenty gold in advance, and twenty-five to thirty gold later. Possibly more depending on shipping space. Worst case, it's a seedy ship captain, and I had to wait until someone cheaper and less likely to assault me comes along.

Or, arguably, best case, if I can help a plucky First Mate mutiny and get a free ride before they ride to swear allegiance to Tark's League. Not very likely, though, so I was hoping for one of the first two options.

The snow started to thin as I approached the tavern, the sound of my boots on cobbles echoing strangely in the fading twilight. Finally, I managed to swing open the thick door to the Dancing Mermaid. Clumps of hot air, alcohol, and rowdy sailor singing rushed past me, making me wrinkle my nose and loosen my coat just a little bit. Adjusting my hair and making sure every one of my daggers was where it should be, I nodded.

Gods, I hated these places. So loud! Ignoring the glances sailors and revelers threw my way, I scanned the amber-lit insides of the tavern for Captains. They're usually easy to spot- all clustered together, looking a lot more put-together than the rest.

Yes, I know, not all captains are like that. But I don't care about the other sorts.

I could pick out a few immediately. Two sat at opposite ends of a small table, fiddling with compasses and shuffling beads around on abacuses as they argued loudly in Feroxi. Something about curves and sea crossings, but I couldn't be bothered to translate the rest. Another was settling a fight between two sailors, staring down two drunks with all the conviction of a Priest before their congregation- that looked promising.

"No... Not possible. Anna? Here?" Someone said loudly, their accent as thick as it was familiar.

Rounding to find the source, I spotted a slim man in a light white coat, drinking straight from a bottle of champagne as he eyed me.

"Every time I think I have an airtight plan..." I let out a long sigh, shoulders slouching as I slid towards his table. Still, I couldn't help but smile. This wasn't the worst way my plans could fall through. "Same to you, Anatoli. What are you doing this far north?"

He chuckled, eyes sparkling as he set down the bottle. "You know answer! Has not changed since you were small girl. Always going where wind takes me, Anna, and wind-"

"Always blows where the Captain walks," I finished, rolling my eyes. Taking a seat so my back was against the wall- I didn't like how some of those men were eyeing me- I put a finger to my chin. "Uh-huh, I know how it goes. But you already know why I'm here, Anatoli, so let's skip to the part where you tell me what Boris is up to."

Anatoli picked up his bottle, swishing the contents around in a circular motion as he frowned. "Family has warehouses this far north? Did not know that, but!" he winked, putting a finger to his temple, "Am no simple man. Anna goes where money takes her!"

"Of course I go where money takes me!" I huffed, rolling my eyes again. "But the other bit? Yes- well, no," I corrected myself, raising a hand to stall the obvious question, "We have a warehouse northwest of here, one that I know one of my sisters uses regularly. But from what I know of shipping routes, I wouldn't be able to pick up a ship there."

"This rings true, yes," Anatoli agreed, taking a swig of his drink. Taking a long breath, he looked me straight in the eyes. "Captain is not heading for Plegia, Anna. Nobody is."

Now there's a man that gets it. Straight to the point. "Took the question out of my mouth," I half-smiled, heart sinking, "Is it really that bad?"

Anatoli paused, frowning. "Bad? No!" He decided, shaking his head, "Not bad. But League has other business, and many merchants looking East now for business. Too much war here, or not enough money, yes?"

"Would that business..." I speculated, tilting my head, "Have anything to do with the refugees? Has Tark called you all back to help out?"

"Not all, but many," Anatoli agreed, looking at the bottle. He tilted it towards me, raising an eyebrow. "Hm?"

Waving it off, I sat back in my seat. Helping refugees fell under 'charity' and thus was not my business. "How many more can this place take, though? I mean, refugees are expensive, and you almost never get anything out of it."

"Is right thing to do, eh?" Anatoli retorted, leaning back to take a long drink from his bottle. When he came back up, his cheeks were slightly flushed. "Is singer friend still with you? Crew could use some cheering up- Captain has been very busy."

Singer friend, singer friend... Oh! "Andrew?" I checked, knowing the answer already, "Um, no. We split up in Plegia," I told him apologetically, "Tiki went with him."

Anatoli looked at me for a long moment. "Is pity," he shrugged, "Was good entertainer."

We sat in silence for a moment, and I took that as my cue to leave. Just as I was starting to sand, forming a goodbye on my lips, he raised a hand.

"Ah! If Anna cannot find work- Captain needs caravan from capital with food and furs. War makes hard life for some, yes?" He said hastily, winking, "Captain would be happy to see Anna again, too."

"Tempting," I lied, grimacing internally at the thought of it, "But I don't really do that kind of work. I'll say hello to him anyways."

Boris was an exceedingly wealthy one considering his lifestyle- but he liked doing things out of the goodness of his heart. Kindness doesn't pay, but... hm. For some reason, this job didn't sound terrible. I'd never end up doing it, but it was an option.

"Good, good," Anatoli smiled, waving me off, "Have good night, Anna. Fair winds!"

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Just to be sure, I checked with every other ship captain I could find. None of them were headed to Plegia.

Okay, one was, but he kept trying to grab me, so it was all I could do to stop myself from cutting off the offending hand.

By the time I left the tavern, the Sun had set fully, giving way to a sliver of moon and pools of amber firelight through thick windows. Accompanied only by the crunching of my boots through snow, I decided to make my way back to the inn. I could continue my efforts tomorrow, and if all else failed, I'd travel northwest and try and commission one of those ships. Harder, but I was certain I could find one up there.

For some reason, it didn't seem very appealing.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Morning blasted through my window with a vengeance, dragging me out of my pile of blankets and down to the first floor of the inn.

Elaine, the girl from the night before, plunked down a steaming tray of meaty stew and a towering mug of hot tea. "Good morning, miss!" she said loudly, a bright smile plastered across her face, "You're up bright and early."

I grunted in response, using my free hand to smooth out my hair. It took all I had to not dig in, but my merchant's instinct was screaming at me. "Didn't pay for food here," I forced out, looking firmly away from the food, "What's the price?"

"Oh!" Elaine blushed, clasping her hands together, "Someone paid for it just a few minutes ago. He's over-"

"Anna!" Boomed a very familiar voice, accompanied by a loud thump. "Bright and joyful with dawn as ever, ha!"

I nearly slammed my head into my stew, letting out a long groan. "Morning, Boris. What do you want?"

"Want?" Boris puzzled, blue eyes twinkling as he waved to Elaine. "Elaine! Could you bring another breakfast? Am hungry now, stew looks delicious!"

Elaine nodded, scurrying away. "Of course, sir!"

"Is good soul," Boris nodded to himself, letting his hand rest on the table with a thump, "Reminds of better days... No, want nothing, Anna. Just wanted to say hello to old friend," he smiled.

"Oh," I sighed, feeling the pressure ease as I took a swig of the tea. Bleh, not very good- not terrible though, so I'd drink it. "That's a relief. I saw Anatoli last night, and he asked about the caravan."

Rolling his neck, Boris' grin thinned to a sly smirk. "Anatoli told, yes," Boris agreed, "Lost bet, though. Thought Anna would not go this far north!"

Of course they'd bet on it, and it wasn't surprising that Boris won. Shrugging, I dug into my stew. Now that was good stuff! I almost regretted not paying extra for it. Almost. "Uh-huh," I confirmed around a mouthful of food, "Thanks, then."

Elaine returned with a tray of food for Boris, which he accepted heartily. "Ah! Excellent service, Elaine's father should be proud!" he said, drinking the entire tankard of tea in one go. "Ahhh."

We went without talking for a few minutes, which was nice. Not everything needs to be about talking.

"Heard about friends," Boris clipped, breaking the breakfast silence, "Anna did not tell Anatoli whole truth."

I knew it. "You wanted to ask that the whole time, didn't you?" I accused, narrowing my eyes. He shrugged noncommittally, eyes twinkling.

"Anna ran away again, yes?" Boris continued, trying to cut a tough bit of meat with the provided knife. "What if this old man is next, eh?"

I dropped my fork, cursing as I bit the inside of my cheek. "What?" I shook my head, forcing a smile. "Of course not! I.. I owe you too much for that," I chuckled. Why would he ever ask something that silly? He knew me well enough.

"Hm?" He mused, setting the knife aside, "Was silly, yes. But better to ask than to worry."

"I guess," I shrugged, trying to brush it off. "Boris, are you using a rigging knife to cut your meat? Just eat the whole thing, it'll fit easily."

"Babushka always said," Boris started, making me groan, "Eat meat in small bits, better for stomach!"

Rolling my eyes, I pointedly stuffed a large piece of meat in my mouth and chomped down. "Yeah, but that's when you were small. I heard the same thing from my parents when I was six."

He chuckled, sticking a chunk of carrot with his knife and popping it in his mouth. "Anna always speaks with fire, hah! No fear of smacking with wooden spoons. Always listen to Babushka."

Forcing down a smile, I cut back to the point. "Look, Boris- I can pay you back for the meal. I'm not going on that caravan, okay?"

Not missing a beat, Boris winked. "Caravan leaves at lunch today. Will pay extra if Anna is there early!"

"For the last time-" I bit back. "You're always like this. Look, I'm not doing it."

At least breakfast was good. It made up for being pestered by Boris and then some.

It was nice to see him again, at least.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

An hour before the Sun reached its zenith, I'd sold all my tea, at prices a bit lower than I'd have liked.

I had a caravan to run, after all.

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Author's Note:

Anna's mind is a puzzle. As such, this chapter was... really, really hard to write. That's part of why it's two whole days late. The next chapter won't be- and sorry about this delay. I'll avoid letting it happen again.

Leave a review, let me know what you thought! Drop by the discord if you want: 9XG3U7a

Cheers,

Narwhal Lord