Inktober Day 12: Spicey

 Chapter 10

The next day, they happened across a very small village. Their supplies were running low and they hoped to be able to find at least a meal, and possibly a bed for the night.

Before they entered the village, Wendell paused and turned to Magda.

“My lady,” he said. “I will not pretend that our road is not dangerous. We do not know where those men or who else may be looking for you and your circlet. I would have you take it off while we walk among strangers.”

Magda reached up to touch her circlet, but did not remove it. She did not want to put herself in danger, but somehow, it felt like taking it off would put her in even more danger than keeping it on would. She knew Wendell could not understand this; he did not know what it felt like to wear. She could not explain it to him, but she did not want to remove it. 

“Give me a moment, sir,” she said, and she turned and walked behind a tree nearby. Once alone, she slid the circlet and her wimple off her head and put them back on so that the circlet was hidden beneath the layers of her headcovering. 

She walked back to Wendell, holding her head high.

“There,” she said. “No one will know that I bear the Power of the King, even if they are seeking it out.” Wendell smiled slightly.

“Do not make yourself too at ease, princess. Though the circlet no longer shows itself, these men may yet recognize one of us. We must not draw unnecessary attention.”

When they entered the village, they were not surprised to find no public accommodation. There may have been no more than a hundred people living here and the thatched cottages were few and far between. One or two sheep or goats could be seen at some of the houses, small gardens were being harvested, and the people looked in Wendell and Magda’s direction with wary eyes.

“So much for not drawing attention,” Magda said.

“Stay close to me,” Wendell replied.

There was one main dirt path, which led to the largest house in the village. Wendell and Magda followed this road to its end. 

“This will be where the steward of this village resides. We are still in your father’s land, so he will be one of your father’s vassals and bound to help us.” 

When they arrived, Wendell spoke with the guard and explained who they were. They were then allowed to enter and were greeted by the steward’s wife. She was a tall woman with bright eyes. Her raiment was dark and she wore one emerald ring on her left hand. She introduced herself as Kandra.

“My husband is traveling at this time, but I am happy to offer you a meal and a bed to rest in tonight.” She smiled at them and Magda felt ill at ease. 

After they had washed and rested for a little while, they joined Kandra in her dining room, which was small but decorated comfortably.

“Tell me,” Kandra said. “What is it the king’s best knight and his daughter are doing so far from the king’s castle on their own?”

Magda chewed her lip nervously, but Wendell explained to Kandra how he was accompanying Magda to Tìrmàgach, as the king had gone before them. He omitted telling her anything about the circlet or the ambush on their caravan. Kanda smiled and nodded, noting how dangerous it was to be traveling in such small numbers these days and how glad she was that they had come to find safety in her husband’s house.

Their meal was eaten with relatively little conversation after that and Magda enjoyed it immensely. She noted how spicey the food was. She had heard of and tried many of the exotic spices brought from the south on occasion, but this tasted different than anything she’d tried before.

“Are you enjoying the food?” Kandra asked. “My husband is on very good terms with the merchants coming up from out southern shores and receives a good price on the spices they bring.”

Magda nodded, but the motion made her feel slightly disoriented. She could not remember what happened next because everything went black.