Chapter 7

The woman smiled, and for the first time in a long while, Aislin felt herself begin to relax.

“Now, let’s get you warm.”

She clapped her hands together and cried out something that sounded like an order, and then turned back to them.

“I’m forgetting myself. I’m Terwen”, she smiled.

Aislin opened her mouth to answer, but the woman was already ushering them closer to the wood burner in the centre of the tent.

“You must be cold. Here, you need to get warm.”

Aislin leaned over to pull the sleeping Eru closer, and Terwen peered at the bundle that was Eru.

“Oh my, you have a little one with you?”

She stepped over to the girl and lifted the cloak she was wrapped in.

“Oh my…”

She turned to Aislin.

“She’s… ill”, Aislin said.

The woman called out something again, then turned back to them.

“Don’t you worry. You won’t be cold here.”

She began to usher them around, making space on the floor for them. Aislin glanced around. The tent was small, but well insulated against the cold. She knew that the traders travelled in their horse-drawn wagons, settling down for a night or two on their way to their next town, where they would trade their goods. Moments later, there was a ruffle outside, and a young man stepped inside, carrying a tray of food and a bundle of what appeared to be clothes. He placed them on the floor and then exchanged a few words with Terwen that Aislin couldn’t hear, and left.

Terwen smiled, she seemed to do that a lot, and said,

“Now, let’s get her out of that wet cloak.”

She leaned over the sleeping Eru and carefully unwrapped her from the cloak. The girl stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

“It’s okay”, Aislin said, stroking her arm.

The girl looked around sleepily, then saw Terwen and scrambled back. Aislin wrapped her in her arms.

“We’re safe, don’t worry.”

The girl stared fiercely at Terwen..

“She won’t hurt you. We’re safe here.”

Terwen gestured for Eru to come closer, but the girl only glared at her.

“That’s a feisty little one”, the woman chuckled.

Aislin signed to Eru,

“They will keep us dry.”

The girl refused to yield, and in the end, Aislin took the bundle and dressed her herself.

“Now, do you feel better?”, Terwen asked once they all had settled down.

Aislin nodded, and the woman sat down beside them, handing them the tray of food. Eru stared at the food with fervent eyes, and Terwen chuckled, handing her a piece of meat. The girl stared at it suspiciously before snatching it out of her hand and began to eat. Aislin took a piece of cheese, ate it and settled down.

“Now, it’s an unusual group you have there”, the woman said, gesturing at them.

Aislin glanced at Sami eating a piece of meat, and then at Eru snacking happily in her lap. She had never thought about how to explain how a Southern high-ranked soldier, a dirty Kareshi girl and herself would have come to travel together. Sami saved her, though, as she said,

“The war brings many unlikely travellers together. We hold no harm.”

The woman nodded, but didn’t press the subject and instead said,

“What’s your name?”

“Sami. This is Aislin”, she said and gestured to her, “and this is Eru,” she continued and pointed at the girl.

“I see. It was lucky you found us.”

They ate, Terwen telling them stories that Aislin soon forgot in her tired state. That night, Aislin slept peacefully with Eru next to her, for the first time in a long while.