My Brother Bet I'd Be Dead by Spring, So I Made My Ruin the Strongest March in the Realm novel · Chapter 31 of 32

Chapter 31: The Names on the Wall

The tax collector for the south came up the river on the first frost of autumn.

It was a year to the day since he'd loaded our seed grain.

He came by boat this time, with four soldiers and a new ledger.

He stood in the bow as it came around the bend, with his fur collar turned up against the cold.

Then he saw the landing, and he sat down.

The market stood on the landing again, from the river to the foot of the path.

This time it was stone.

The hill farmers had built it from the fallen stretches of the outer wall.

Gwenn said a wall that had already fallen down might as well be useful.

There were forty stalls in two rows, with slate roofs, and a long wool shed at the end with iron doors.

There were thirty-six boats tied along the landing that morning, and the noise came up off the water.

Enora met the collector at the foot of the gangplank with her board under her good arm.

"Name and business," she said.

He looked at her, and then past her at me.

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