Chapter 36
"Granny always gives them to me for free."
Alistar looked from the woman to Anice, consideration on his face as he read the woman’s expression. Why was he always like this? Couldn’t he just accept the gift and leave? The sun would be going down soon, so they hadn’t a moment to lose.
"I apologize for my cousin’s carelessness." Alistar bowed deeply to the stall owner.
"Hey!"
"What a polite young lad," the woman laughed.
He turned to Anice. "Now, won’t you pay her?"
She hadn’t brought any money since she had never needed any. "I can’t," she said, feeling the heat rising on her face.
"Don’t mind it," the woman said, waving a hand. "Please enjoy them."
She looked like she wanted to get back to what she had been doing, so they left her to close up shop.
The look on Alistar’s face as he tasted the sweetness of the sugar stick was the same as when he’d gone off to play with a stray dog that one of the house servants had let onto the property. He hadn’t thought anybody was looking, but she had been able to see him from her bedroom window.
Next, she led him down South Street. This area was where many craftsmen set up their businesses, and many others aside. Buildings of all sizes lined either side of the street, and a sign hung from each shop telling of the owner’s trade. There were tanneries, breweries, cobbler shops, pottery stores, apothecaries, even a couple of salons. The majority were kempt properties, most of the simple wooden buildings built upon stone foundations, which was the most common style of architecture within the city. Anice really wanted to show Alistar the guilds on East Street, huge buildings all and wholly made of stone. The many guild banners that covered much of their walls were a grand sight, especially the frontiersmen guild, which towered over the others like the tallest tree in a forest. Unfortunately, they only had enough time to visit one place today, and so she had chosen to bring him along to the aforementioned spot by the river.