Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 32263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
I smile at Lyris, thankful she has my back. She must be sixteen years old by now. Far younger than my twenty-eight years, but we single maidens have to stick together. It seems like everyone else is always conspiring to get us married. If we want it or not.
“I’m happy as is,” I say, smiling at Isolde. “But if I change my mind, I’ll let you know.”
“Great,” Isolde says. “I’m sure Fen will still be single.”
“Of course he will,” Lyris says, rolling her eyes. “He has sex with goats.”
“Lyris,” Isolde scolds, smacking her arm. “That’s a family secret.”
Oookkkaaayy…
I gather the rest of my gear into a basket and head over to the beekeeper, buying the premium wax he put aside for me.
After that, I’m off to the first butcher—the one who always leaves early for the day. I guess I’m not paying attention, and neither is Matthias, one of the younger kids of the village, and he collides right into me, running full sprint and slamming into my hip like a runaway bull.
“Gods, Matthias!” I shout as I stumble back, spilling my remaining candles on the ground. “Watch where you’re going, boy.”
Damn. Two of my candles broke.
His eyes are wide and his cheeks are red as he watches me collecting my broken inventory.
“I’m sorry, Miss Morwen,” he says, rushing to help me. “I have to get to the sweet pies before they close.”
Most of the adults around here would thrash a boy for that kind of negligence and force him to hand over his money to pay for the broken candles, but I’m not like that. Maybe I’m just soft when it comes to these kids. That’s what happens when you babysit half the village. They all start to feel like your own.
“Well, you’d better get going,” I say, handing him the broken candles. “Before the last one is gone. And give these to your mother.”
He wraps his arms around my legs and gives me a big hug. “Thank you, Miss Morwen,” he says before running off.
A tiny bit of my heart goes along with him as I watch his little legs moving as fast as they can. I can’t help but laugh. He didn’t learn his lesson at all.
That little voice comes into my head, butting into my quiet, peaceful life once again.
When are you going to have your own little Matthias?
I just hum a tune and ignore it as I walk along, trying to convince myself that I have all I need.
I step into the butcher’s shop and Aldren frowns when he sees me lugging a pot of beeswax, a pot of animal fat, and my basket of candles. After a long day of work, he looks like a serial killer in his blood-splattered apron.
“You need a husband to lug all those pots around,” he says, rubbing his thick gray beard.
“I’d rather have a mule.”
He laughs. “You and most wives.”
He hands over the animal fat and I hand him the money.
“I have a great mule guy when you’re ready.”
I glance at all of the dead animals hanging in the shop and wince. “Will he be alive?”
He laughs again, a deep booming sound that makes me smile. “Alive will cost extra. And won’t be as tasty.”
“Thanks, Aldren,” I say as I head out with the supplies.
I meet my traveling group at the edge of town. One of the farmers always lets me place my pots and supplies in his wagon in exchange for babysitting services. His four-year-old daughter is so cute, I feel like I get the better of the deal.
Isolde and Lyris catch up with us as we’re about to leave. Isolde sits in the wagon and I walk with Lyris, chatting about the books we’re reading. There’s not much selection in the village we live in and we’ve read some of the better books at least ten times each.
I feel my heavy purse of coins, hidden in my coat, slapping against my thigh as I walk. I enjoy the feeling. It feels like success. I take pride in being self-sufficient. My parents died when I was still a youth and I had to struggle, scrape, and fight to survive. I’m proud to get where I am.
I don’t have much, but it’s all I need. A tiny house on a small plot of land. A business that keeps me warm and fed. A good book and an indoor fireplace. What more could I ask for?
A family… A child…
I roll my eyes, pushing that irritating inner voice away.
We head over the hills as a group—about forty of us—traveling back to the village. It’s safer to travel in numbers. Bandits mostly, although they’ve been appearing less and less. There are wild animals to watch out for too.
Although these days, the kingdom is safer than ever. The good weather and abundant harvest have kept everyone well-fed.