Page 26 (1/1)

"Special price," the wo several items"

She did finally sell the extra clothes for a lower price than she’d first asked That was because Briar had learned to dicker froain Even Daja, as born a Trader, let Tris handle the , when Rosethorn had suggested a trip east, with new plants and new uses for theirls and toirls than even a normal boy because they were all in each other’s et away The idea ofhi on at table over a neay to work s between lost-in-a-book oblivion andCircle in a flash He hadn’t even oodbye to Lark So, not to rowing boy’s mind when a pretty novice s view of girls ere not his housemates, and her own te, ever

It was only after they’d been gone a week that Briar realized he was listening for the girls’ voices, and wondering what they were up to It was harder to find good books without Tris, harder to get a good round of quarterstaff practice without Daja, and pouring his troubles into Rosethorn’s ears wasn’t as soothing as it ith Sandry Sandry would listen solemnly, and sympathize, and tell hiest that Rosethorn treat hiirls adive Rosethorn an excuse to bite it off

The merchant woman took a loincloth and a headcloth behind the curtain Soon afterward she ee tunic and black trousers; a brown and orange headcloth covering her ragged hair "I don’t see why you bother," she gruo He’s always got iving him more He told me just do the sa with the other new clothes at her "You get to carry ‘es under one arm and marched out of the stall before she asked other unco so e who had clothed hi Circle, was true It certainly wasn’t as if he liked this rude, ih overhead they could hear the toll of the Karang Gate clock It was the third hour after noon "Ti," he said as his stohtened at the prospect of a ht steas Stea were next Both of them were pleasantly full when they washed their hands at a fountain and headed back to Briar’s

"How long have you been on the street?" Briar asked

Evvy yawned "I was six e left Yanjing That was the Year of the Crow," she said "And this is the year of the Turtle" She calculated on her fingers "Four years Maybe nearer three They sold ot here, and I escaped two an"

"Who sold you?" Briar asked, before he thought he ht not like the answer

"My parents," Evvy said "It cost plenty to coest I ate food my brothers and parents needed I took up space in the cart, and I couldn’t do anything to bring in money" She rattled off the reasons, as if she could recite them in her sleep "Girls are pretty worthless, even here They only got two silver davs for et sold for twice that"

Briar looked down Despite her ize -- not for the question, perhaps, but because that had been her life Kids came to the street for many reasons, as he knew too well, but at least his mother had kept him, fed him, and loved him until she was killed on a dark street for her cheap jewelry

Evvy suddenly laughed "I’ll find theers!" she told Briar "Even a girl is worth sorinned, too, until the second part of her argues are worth every bit as es," he informed her "Believeyears, and never for a et to be a pahan?" she asked, curious "Did you always know?"

Briar shook his head "I was on the street after ic, we’d have lived better than we did She wouldn’t have been out late the night she got killed, for certain Anyway, the landlord tossed me I was on ht " Evvy nodded "First I learned to pick pockets, because I had the good hands for it Then they taught ht, I was maybe ten You know the law"

Evvy made a face "Third arrest, hard labor for life"