Page 12 of Wizards & Weavers (Cozy Questing #1)

“What in the world?” Braiden stammered, glancing around in search of the culprit.

Elyssandra tugged on his shirt sleeve. “Um, Braid?”

Braiden unwrapped the ball of paper. It was what you did with these things. A gift needed to be unwrapped, an envelope opened. He smoothed out the wrinkles and stared at the neatly swooping letters.

“Turn around,” Braiden read aloud.

“Braid!” Elyssandra said.

Braiden turned around. The Wizard of Weathervale stood right at the shop window, the two of them like a pair of quails in the bushes. Augustin beckoned with one finger.

Moments later the three of them were standing at the counter as the shopkeeper rang up Augustin’s ludicrous new tent. Elyssandra fiddled with the hem of her robe, keeping her eyes low. Braiden kept his chin up. What did they have to feel sorry for, anyway?

“This isn’t new to me, in case you’re wondering,” Augustin said with a self-satisfied grin. “Being followed around, that is.”

“Please, don’t flatter yourself,” Braiden said. “Elyssandra and I were just doing a bit of shopping.”

Augustin stared pointedly at his empty hands. “And a very productive day of shopping you’ve had, too.”

Braiden bit on the inside of his cheeks, refusing to give Augustin the satisfaction.

“I didn’t realize the two of you knew each other,” Augustin said, gesturing between them. “Braiden, wasn’t it? And I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. The lovely elven lady with the signature book.”

Elyssandra giggled, delightedly flapping her hand at the wizard. “Oh, you,” the gesture seemed to say. It was hard to watch.

“You remember! From yesterday, yes. You can call me Elyssandra.”

“Well met, Elyssandra. In truth, I also recognized the berries you wear in your hair. That was how I realized I was being followed.”

“The what, now? I’m not sure what you mean.”

Elyssandra flustered, stroking her hair precisely where the first sprig of berries was pinned. A fine time for the second berry pin to come drifting toward her on the breeze, the whirling golden leaves aiming for the palm of her hand.

“ Those berries,” Augustin said. “Yes.”

Blushing bright red, Elyssandra bowed her head and pinned the sprig of berries back in place. Braiden winced. They should have thought twice before sending a flying trinket to follow a man who could read the open breeze like the back of his hand.

“Hello, shopkeep,” Braiden said, leaning on the counter, eager to change the subject. “Very busy these days, aren’t we?”

The woman’s smile narrowed her eyes into cheerful slits, her cheeks rounded with rosy red. “Oh, you can say that again. Business at The Noose has always been brisk, but I’ve never seen nothing like this. It’s all that dungeon’s doing. Sent by the gods, it is.”

Braiden cocked an eyebrow at Augustin Arcosa. The wizard stared daggers at Braiden, but quickly threw on a dazzling smile for the shopkeeper.

“Keep the change,” he said, spilling a handful of coins into her open palm.

Braiden rolled his eyes pointedly away from the wizard’s face. Elyssandra only stood there, slightly less red, but still swooning.

“Tomorrow,” Augustin said, his back toward them, his tent tucked under one arm. “Meet me outside the dungeon.”

Braiden stood there staring at the wizard’s rippling cape as he marched out of the Noose. That was it? No argument, none of the anger that had caused him to leap from a tower? What was he up to?

He threw his arms out and turned to Elyssandra. “What is he up to?” he barked.

She didn’t reply, her face bright red, fists clenched so tight her knuckles had gone white. At least Braiden could cross inviting her to the dungeon off his checklist.

“So tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yes,” she blurted out, a kettle at full boil. “Yes, yes, yes. Bright and early. Me, and you, and the Wizard of Weathervale. I might just explode.”

Elyssandra pivoted on the heel of her shoe, her body swiveling in the direction of the adventurer encampment far across town.

“Where are you going?” Braiden asked.

“Need to pack,” she breathed. “Need to get ready for tomorrow. See you. Okay. Bye.”

She disappeared around the corner, then soon came running back again. She gave him a sheepish grin as she rushed back into the supply shop, producing a leather flask from the folds of her robes and depositing it quietly onto a display rack.

Braiden’s mouth fell open. Elyssandra dashed out of the store, muttering as she hurried by.

“Goodness, I just don’t know why that keeps happening. Bye. Okay. Bright and early. Bye.”

First his bacon, now this? Braiden had never met a thief with a guilty conscience.

He finished off his own shopping at the Noose, picking up the basics he’d listed in his head. With a coil of rope hanging from his shoulder and a rucksack full of rations, Braiden hurried to the Dragon’s Flagon, prepared to beg on his knees for a favor.

Dudley eyed the rope and the bulging rucksack, his mustache faintly quivering with annoyance.

“And I suppose you’ll want me to watch your shop while you’re gone.”

“Only once or twice a day, to make sure it doesn’t get broken into or something,” Braiden said, his eyes huge and pleading. “I’ll lock everything up nice and tight.”

“It’s you who needs to be locked up nice and tight.” Dudley sighed and shook his head. “Fine. I’ll keep an eye on Beadle’s Needles. Don’t go getting yourself killed in the dungeon.”

The joy brimming in Braiden’s body compelled him to vault over the bar counter and smother Dudley in a grateful hug, but Braiden already knew he wasn’t the hugging type.

“Thank you,” Braiden gasped. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I owe you one, Dudley.”

“You owe me plenty. I hope you know what you’re doing, Braid. It’ll be dangerous down there. You better have some good people in your party to watch your back.”

Braiden thought of an elf with sticky fingers and a wizard who commanded the wind.

“Don’t worry,” Braiden told him, happier than he’d felt in ages. “I think I’m going to be just fine.”