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Sebastian took it all in without looking obvious. She imagined in his gaze a ru
"What should we do with the horses?" she asked. "And Betty?"
Sebastian gestured to one of the enclosures where horses were picketed. "We're going to have to leave them."
In addition to being so close to the home of the man trying to kill her, Je
She pointed with her chin to the scruffy men minding the livestock enclosure. They were busily engaged in a game of dice.
"Do you think we can trust the animals to people like that? They could be thieves, for all we know. Maybe you could stay with the horses while I go look for Althea's husband."
Sebastian turned back from his survey of the soldiers near the entrance. "Je
She gauged the concern in his eyes. "And if we get into trouble? Do you really think we could fight our way out?"
"No. You have to use your head-keep your wits about you. I've brought you this far, I'm not going to abandon you now and let you go in there alone."
"And if they draw swords on us?"
"If it came to that, fighting wouldn't save us in a place like this. It's more important to give people a worry, make them think twice about how dangerous you might be, so that you don't end up fighting in the first place. You have to bluff."
"I'm not any good at that kind of thing."
He grunted a short laugh. "You do it well enough. You did it with me that first night when you drew the Grace."
"But that was just with you, and with my mother there. That's different than in a place with so many people."
"You did it at the i
She had never thought about it in that way. She viewed it more as simple desperation than calculated deception.
As Betty rubbed the top of her head against Je
Je
The woman in the red scarf was setting out pots with her sausages when Je
She squinted in the sunlight. "Yes, dear? Some more sausages?" She lifted a lid. "They are good, aren't they?"
"Delicious, but I was wondering if you would accept a payment to watch our horses, and my goat."
The woman replaced the lid. "The animals? I'm not a stableman, dear.»
Je
The woman smiled as she peered down over the edge of her cart. "Betty, is it? Well, I could watch your goat, I guess."
Sebastian handed the woman a silver coin. "If we could picket our horses with yours, it would put our minds at ease that they were in good hands, and that you were keeping an eye on them."
The woman carefully inspected the coin, then appraised Sebastian more critically. "How long will you be? When I sell my sausages I'll want to be heading home, after all."
"Not long," Je
Sebastian, in an offhand ma
Finally, the woman nodded. "All right, then. I'll be here selling my sausages. Tie your goat to the wheel, there, and I'll keep my eye on her until you get back." She gestured over her shoulder. "And you can put your horses with mine, there. My old girl would enjoy the company."
Betty eagerly took the small chunk of carrot from Je
"If you lose track of where I am, just ask around for Irma, the sausage lady.»
"Thank you, Irma." Je
As they mingled into the crowd fu
Je