Chapter 5: Offerings

Naho said no to Alric about the lace, and she said it in the road with the milestone behind her.

She told him the lace had been handed to her, not to the Crown.

She could only give it away herself, and she did not mean to.

Alric said he had merely wished to inspect it.

He inspected the sky instead, and the column walked on.

Five days later the market town of Pellmarsh turned out to meet the Chosen, and it brought a ceremony with it.

The road had taught her a few things.

Gerta's knee had been right about the dry weather, and Gerta had said so only once.

Gloamhounds came at night.

On each night they did, Alric killed one from far away with a single swing and asked afterwards whether anyone had seen.

And nobody gave a Spare anything on purpose, so Pellmarsh surprised her.

The town had built a stage in the market square.

A silk rope was strung across the front for the Chosen to cut, and a long table stood beside it for gifts.

The first gift was a silver cup, presented by the guildmaster with both hands.

Alric took it and said, in a voice that carried to the back, "I will drink from it after I have earned it."

The second gift was a live goose, and it went to Brant, who had arranged for there to be a second table.

The goose bit him, and the town enjoyed that more than the speeches.

Naho stood at the edge of the square with a small bag of her own.

A woman in a floury apron was standing very close, and holding something out.

It was a wooden spoon, long-handled and dark with use, and the woman held it out stiffly, ready to be refused.

Keep reading free with an account. Start Summoned to Carry His Bags, She Found Thank-Yous Beat His Sword from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.