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Elias noted me admiring them behind the glass. “Why don’t you go ahead and see if they have a bow, or anything you need. I can grab some clothes and meet you in there.”

I glanced at him. “Are you sure?” I asked, feeling guilty that he had to wait on me while I tried on the clothing at the last shop.

“Definitely,” he answered.

I nodded, and we each walked into our designated shops.

When I stepped into the Flaming Point, I found no shopkeeper or weaponsmith at work. In fact, I seemed to be the only patron there. I took slow steps, admiring each weapon I could see. There were swords, daggers, axes, maces, and other weapons I didn’t even recognize. It wasn’t until I made it towards the back of the shop that I saw a bow on display behind a protective box of glass. I immediately fixated on its beauty.

The intricate design carved into the bow was delicate and unique. I had never seen anything like it. Or had I? I immediately unsheathed my own dagger, previously belonging to my mother, that lay at my side at all times. The small details formed into its hilt were very similar to those on the bow. I was intrigued, and for that alone, I knew I had to have it. I placed my dagger back in its sheath, and continued to stare at the bow in awe.

“Like what you see?” a female voice said from behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin, and quickly turned to face her.

A beautiful woman stepped out from a doorway and wiped her dirty hands on a rag as she smiled at me. She was stunningly gorgeous, with caramel-colored skin and jet-black hair that laid over her shoulder in an intricate braid. Her brown eyes were infinitely deep, her lips full, and her jawline defined. Although they were very different in looks, this woman’s beauty nearly matched that of my mother’s. She also radiated the same confidence that my mother had.

I stopped my jaw from dropping to the floor, and forced myself to straighten. “I was just admiring this bow,” I told her, trying not to stutter. “The detail is exquisite.”

The beautiful stranger stepped towards me, placing her now dirty rag into the pocket of her smudged apron. “I made it myself,” she smiled, now standing next to me. “It’s made from laurel wood,imported from Chatus.”

She opened the display case and pulled out the large bow. When she handed it to me, I immediately ran my fingers down its curve, feeling the indentations from where she carved her unique designs.

“It’s beautiful,” I muttered. “How much do you want for it?”

She snickered. “This is the best bow I’ve made by far. A lot of people admire it, but can’t afford it.”

“How much?” I asked again.

She raised a brow, recognizing the seriousness in my voice. She grinned at me, her white teeth gleaming. “Sixty gold,” she answered. “For an extra five, I’ll throw in a quiver and two dozen arrows.”

“Deal,” I said quickly, running my hand along the string. I didn’t even bother to hide my wealth. Not when I wanted the bow so badly. I pulled a leather pouch from my pack, only briefly stopping to wonder if I’d have enough gold pieces left over to pay Elias the second half of his dues.

I counted out the sixty-five pieces and placed them in a pile on the countertop while the woman went to the back to retrieve the quiver and arrows. When she returned, she scraped the coins into her own rabbit-skin pouch without thought.

“You’re not going to count them?” I asked, referring to the gold.

The stranger looked me up and down, causing a shiver to run down my spine. “I trust you,” she said with a sly smile. “My name is Trybe, in case you ever want to come back to my shop. I’d love your business.” She winked, and I let out a shy laugh.

“I’d be happy to,” I gleamed. “My name is Aura.”

Shit. I silently cursed myself for forgetting to give a different name. Trybe’s personality made it so easy to open up to her. Perhaps a little too easy.

“Lovely to meet you, Aura,” Trybe gave a shallow bow with her head. She handed me the quiver and arrows and I must have lookedawkward holding them, because she said, “You do know how to use it, right? Don’t want you breaking my finest work.”

“Oh, well, sort of. My friend is teaching me.”

Trybe watched as I set the bow and the arrows on the counter and awkwardly tried to strap the quiver over my shoulders. “Well, if you’re in town for a while longer, I am a master archer. People come from all over Monuvia to train with me, many looking to become masters themselves. I have some targets in the back behind the shop, if you and your friend would like to practice and test out your new bow.”

I gave a wide smile. “That would be great, actually. I can definitely ask him.”

At that moment, the door to the shop opened, and we both peeked our heads around the displays to take a look. I saw Elias enter the shop and begin to search for me, a look of worry on his face.

“There he is now,” I pointed. Elias heard me, and began making his way over to us. “This is my friend—”

“Elias,” Trybe gasped. Her eyes widened, and Elias stopped walking and mirrored her expression. She ran over to him and embraced him tightly.

A look of recognition crossed his face. “Trybe,” he answered breathily. He reached his arms around and held her tightly, and I felt a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Trybe pulled away and placed her hands on Elias’s shoulders, looking him up and down like she was inspecting him fully. “Dear gods, I thought you were dead.” A tear slid down her cheek as her voice shook.