Erik opened the door before the old man had the chance to finish his rounds. He made for the lobby and found a yawning Tove standing there waiting for him.
“Paid for the night.” She scoffed the words as soon as she saw him.
Erik gave a sideways smile. “He’s a man who takes his definitions very seriously.”
“It’s day and I was told I could go see jewelry.”
“After breakfast.” He slapped at his stomach.
Tove chuckled. “You’re starting to talk like a man. And maybe look like one, just the slightest bit.”
Erik rubbed at the hair growing in on his chin. It was still barely more than stubble, but he felt strange, having been forced to shave for so long.
The old man made it back to the lobby. “Less yer waitin’ to hand me coin, get out. My inn’s for sleeping, less you pay proper.”
There were higher floors, which Erik assumed the man meant. There hadn’t been an explanation the night before when they’d come to pay. He’d told them a fixed price and taken their money. The dirty clothes and rough pack must have made their finances clear enough.
Tove left first with Erik just behind her. The sky was still a purplish blue, but there was already a stream of people making their way all in the same direction. Inga’s was still closed so early and had been fairly costly in spite of the extra food they’d enjoyed.
“Maybe we follow them?” Erik motioned at the passing people.
Tove nodded her agreement and they started after the people.
“This must be Summer,” Tove said, shifting her shirt away from her body. “I can’t say as I enjoy it.”
“Never been a big fan myself. You can only take off so much. Makes me miss air conditioning.”
Tove gave him a questioning look so he didn’t wait for the actual question.
“It cools off rooms and buildings. Sort of an automatic fan that blows air over ice.” It wasn’t strictly accurate but she might at least not call him a liar.
“I am starting to be jealous of this world you’re describing.”
“It wasn’t too bad, really. All the complaining I did seems a bit silly now that I’ve wiped my ass with dirty wool.”
Tove left the conversation there, more interested in the shops around them than in retreading the conversation about toilet practices. There was a marked difference in the shops in general, but they seemed to be getting nicer as they followed the people southward.
It was a few turns and a ten-minute walk among the grounds before they came into a bustling square with dozens upon dozens of stalls and businesses lining the lower levels around the square. It was nearly impossible to see all of the stalls through the throngs of people doing their morning shopping. At the far edge of the square, Erik could swear he saw a bread shop that looked to be putting out croissants. Tove’s eyes were wide, scanning the booths with manic energy.
“You got money? Coin?”
Tove tapped the pocket of the loose pants she wore. “Of course. Warband funds.” She smiled. “I’m going to buy dried fish. And fruits. Some of those tiny, red, bumpy ones, like we had from that strange man. These should be fine, right? So long as the vendor’s not strange, I mean.”
“Raspberries.” He pointed down toward the end. “I’m going to look at that bread shop.”
“We have plenty of bread.”
“We don’t have bread like that bread. Trust me. I’ll wait there since it’s easier to find.”
Tove headed off after saying she understood and Erik made his way down the row of businesses. There were a number of small shops between him and the bread. One sold spices and another was selling assorted fabric in a dozen different colors. There was a shop selling jams and preserved fruits right next to the bread shop. It was a shrewd arrangement. Small jars of raspberry jam were a half coin each. The jars were smaller than he would have liked for the cost. The bread shop was, at least, selling croissants. In fact, it was all they were selling. There was a line in front of him, waiting to get them. He looked around, spotting other bread shops along the adjacent row, but they were all selling more traditional looking loaves. In a way, he found having to stand in a line to be fairly refreshing in general. There hadn’t been so many people around before and Erik took a strange sort of comfort in the idea that there were towns larger than Kvernes had been. The large stone walls helped the feeling of ease that he felt.
A pair of people had bought their croissants at the front of the line and moved on when the third approached, insisting on haggling over the prices. Erik was watching the argument escalate when he felt a sharp pair of fingers dig into his shoulder and turned him around.
“Haki!” It was the woman from the night before. She had a scar across her cheek in the shape of a cross that he hadn’t noticed in the restaurant. Rather than looking at him after calling his name, she looked around frantically. Not seeing whatever she was wary of, the woman turned her attentions back to Erik. “You should come with me, Haki. There is much I could tell you.”
“Look, I don’t know how you know my name, or whatever is happening, but there’s literally no way I’m going anywhere with you.”
The woman flinched at nothing, rubbing her hands together nervously. “I know—”
The pit of a cherry thocked against the side of the seidr woman’s head. Rage flushed her face and she turned
