The sun did not climb as high into the sky now. Not even at midday. The light felt different, and it stirred both man and beast into preparations for harvesting, storing, and readying for the winter to come.
The thoughts were sharply pleasant to Taite as she made her way between the vendor stalls of the Bree marketplace. With the heat of summer gone, the townsfolk flooded back out in the fresh, crisp air, countered by the sun's gentle, indirect rays. The provincial clamor around her carried words of upcoming suppers and outdoor parties to celebrate the season. She passed basket after basket of apples, gourds, pears, chestnuts. The air was scented with the smoke of nearby farms, clearing away the refuse of summer growth. Children in simple, paper masks ran by in a cluster, giggling and ducking around the shoppers in their attempts to spook each other.
This would not be a lonely winter. Her beloved dwarves were back, and would remain for several months, at least! And there was Tairy. His presence would warm her even in the harshest chill.
She carried a large basket on her left arm, sparing her poorly right leg from the burden of its weight. A little girl with dirt-smudged cheeks and nut-brown eyes stood among the clustered carts, offering bundles of flowers that she must have picked herself. Taite paused to admire their purple-blue petals, and offered the child two coppers instead of the single copper she asked for. These will do well for visiting Pa and Ma, she thought.
As she pored over a mound of golden pears, touching them lightly to test their ripeness, a sound caught her ear. It was a voice, standing out from the cacophony of all the others. Her eyes drifted up from the fruit, and swept over the crowd.
He saw her at the same moment that she saw him.
Emory.
Stillness descended. All the world went silent. Her heart ceased to beat, seizing painfully in her breast.
He did not cry out to her or rush forward in her direction. He stood still, a stone's throw away, and simply stared at her.
When Taite's heart found its rhythm again, she discovered that her fingers had tightened reflexively around the basket. Ready, perhaps, to hurl it if need be. A few, long seconds dragged by, but her brother did not move. His hair was longer, falling down over his forehead. He looked hale and sturdy, not so thin and malnourished as he had when last she saw him. His expression seemed puzzled, bewildered. As if he didn't know how to arrange his features. She imagined that her own face must look much the same.
A boisterous young shopper collided with her legs, making her gasp and reach down in a flurry. "Are you all right?" she panted, hand flying out to steady the youth. The boy barely glanced at her, laughing as he cantered away to rejoin his friends.
And when she looked again to find her brother's face, he had vanished.
