Page 11

Ten

Not only was Sass’s bag overflowing with swaths of fabric and loaves of bread wrapped in paper, Lira’s arms were full of supplies that Boden had sold them for a fair price. He’d taken a bit of convincing that the pair were truly from the tavern, but then he’d recognized Lira and reluctantly accepted her tale of returning to Wayside. She was getting so good at telling it that she almost believed her own words.

Lira shifted the sack of flour on her hip as they walked back to The Tusk & Tail. She noticed Sass eyeing the jar of honey she held in her free hand. “I didn’t think dwarves had much of a sweet tooth.”

Sass choked back a laugh. “Shows how little you know dwarves.” Then she added. “But I got more of a taste for sweet stuff when I ventured below the long wall. Humans can’t get enough of it.”

“Not just humans.” Lira tipped her head at the blacksmith and wheelwright shop across the stream. “The orcs who work there have a known addiction to Serena’s honey, and they loved my gran’s cakes.”

“Seems like everyone loved your gran.”

Lira’s throat tightened. “They did, and they loved her baking. I don’t know if I have a chance of living up to her legacy.”

“I get that. If I’d stayed in the Ice Lands, I never could have been as good of a miner as my brothers. Not that I wanted to mine. But it’s hard having family expectations hanging over you. Is that one of the reasons you left?”

Lira rarely spoke about why she left, but for some reason, it was easy to talk to Sass. “Once my gran passed, nothing felt right. I could only see what wasn’t here anymore. I thought if I left, I wouldn’t miss her so much, I wouldn’t be reminded of her every minute.”

Sass nodded and the two fell silent as they reached the door to the tavern, the sign still dangling overhead by one hinge even though there was no more wind to make it creak as it swung. Before Lira could push open the door, Sass put a hand on it.

“There’s something I don’t get.”

Lira drew in a breath. “What?”

“You seem to know everyone in the village and they all like you. It seems like a nice place. I get why you left, but why stay away for so long? And why come back now?”

Lira should have known this was coming. Just like she should have known that returning would stir up all sorts of old memories. She hadn’t thought about any of it in so long that dredging up the past felt like roiling up muck that had been well buried.

“The crew I joined kept busy, and we kept moving. I’ve been from end to end of the Ageless Lands, and I’ve even been as far as the Skittering Islands. I guess I got so busy I let myself forget.”

Sass’s expression didn’t change, which meant she was waiting for Lira to tell her why she was back, which wasn’t going to happen .

“All crews disband eventually, and that’s what mine did. I didn’t come back right away, but after a few months I decided it was time to come home.”

Lira stuck as close to the truth as possible. Her crew had disbanded. She had spent some time traveling alone before she’d decided to set off for Wayside. She had been drawn back to her home, but it hadn’t been because she’d missed it. At least, she hadn’t thought so at the time. The sweet ache of familiarity she’d felt since she’d been back had been a surprise.

“So, you’re staying?” Sass asked.

Before that morning, if she’d said yes she would have been lying. But strolling through the village and seeing those who’d been such a big part of her childhood made it hard to imagine moving on anytime soon. Besides, she was as safe in Wayside as she was anywhere, and since returning, she hadn’t felt the sense of foreboding that had dogged her since Malek’s death. “For the time being.”

Sass hitched the net bag higher on her shoulder. “Good. Me too.” She inclined her head at the tavern. “This place might not be much but it’s better than sleeping under a tree.”

Lira gave her a crooked grin. “Depends on the tree.”

Sass was laughing as they shoved open the door and walked into The Tusk & Tail. Even though the pair had spent the morning cleaning, the place still reeked of damp and stale ale.

“I should have opened the windows when we left.” Sass waved a hand in front of her face. “I think I got used to the smell when we were inside.”

“I’ll look for some soap as soon as I get these supplies unloaded.” Lira headed for the kitchen.

“Don’t worry yourself.” Sass followed her through the swinging doors and dumped her armload of supplies on the newly cleared table. “I’ll find it. You focus on the cooking.”

“There’s no rush. I’m sure no one’s expecting me to have the tavern’s kitchen up and running again so soon.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” Sass said as she opened the lower cabinet doors and began rummaging around. “Folks might come sooner than we think.”

Lira set the sacks of flour and sugar on the table and then arranged the still-cool block of butter next to the bottle of cream she’d been so pleased to find. Then she let Sass’s words sink in and she turned. “What do you mean?”

“Just that I might have mentioned your baking to a few people in the market.” Sass’s voice was muffled as she stuck her head into a cabinet.

“But you’ve never tasted my baking.”

Sass straightened, holding a bar of soap that had seen better days. “You said you could bake. I believe you.”

“But I haven’t baked in ages,” Lira’s words spilled out in splutters. “I don’t know if I even remember how, or if it’ll be any good.”

Sass waved away her protests. “I’m sure it’s like swinging an axe. Once you know, you never forget.”

Lira was sure that baking was much more nuanced than swinging an axe, but she also didn’t want to argue with the dwarf. Not when she seemed to have such blind faith in her. No one had trusted her so fully other than her crew. Truth be told, she missed that.

She pushed aside those thoughts and managed a smile. “I suppose if you can get rid of the smell out there, I can figure out the food part.”

Sass held up the soap. “I’m pretty sure a troll died in the great room at some point, so you might have the easier task.”

Then Sass pushed through the swinging doors and was gone, leaving Lira to stare at her ingredients, trying to remember her gran’s recipe for meat pie, and wondering if she could trade her job for the de-trolling.