Page 90 of Forged in Fading

They reached the far end of the market, where Boden gestured to a large stall packed with a colorful array of clothing. “You’ve been tugging on your dress all morning.”

Every piece was stunning. She had always admired the beautiful dresses created from the silks of Valo, though they had little extra money for such luxuries in her youngling years. And working near flames all day hadn’t proved conducive to flowing fabric, no matter how beautiful.

The stall’s owner crossed her arms at the first sight of them, and even though Boden oozed charm with each word, he received only a few muttered phrases in return.

“What was that about?” Alvara stroked a soft red dress embroidered with ivory leaves and flowers. The sleeves cinched in at the elbow, cascading into ethereal translucent fabric that would be a nightmare at the forge or in a fight. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t at least admire it.

“She refuses to sell to elves, though I convinced her for now. It might be best to choose what you’d like before she decides to change her mind.” His tone was light, as if the woman wasn’t acting unimaginably rude, and that’s when a disheartening thought tapped on her skull.

Boden’s outgoing nature, his jokes, was it all a product of spending his life trying to convince humans and elves he was worth their time?

A sour taste leached into Alvara’s mouth, and she grabbed a plain brown tunic, one that was soft enough but also could withstand whatever hard work lay ahead of them and show few scars for it.

She handed it, along with a similarly dull pair of pants, to the vendor who grunted something that elicited a sigh from Boden. “She’s asking twenty elvish coins.”

“That much?”

“The true price is undoubtedly a quarter of what she’s requesting, but we both look like elves.” He ran his fingers over a powder blue tunic, the color an excruciating reminder of Dalvi. “I encountered the same issue in Ela as a demi-elf. I quickly learned I could either pay their ridiculous prices or leave with nothing at all.”

Boden spoke of his mistreatment as if it were as commonplace as the weather. If Alvara had to put up with the disgusted looks and degradation for even a tenth of the time he had, she would have lost her mind. As it was, she wanted to give the woman a stern talking to, but scaring one human was probably enough for her first few days here.

She shoved her stewing anger aside and paid for her items. “And your favorite spot in the town?”

“Let me show you.” Boden stretched out his arm, and she laid her clothes on top. “The humans…they’re not all terrible.”

“I know.” And she did. Noma and Ylva had risked everything to help her and Pyry escape, even though she had done nothing to deserve their kindness. “But doesn’t it make you angry? The constant mistreatment?”

“Of course it does.” He paused for a few long heartbeats, his footsteps slowing. “But if I react the way I’d like to, I only feed into their preconceived notions. People will always be terrified of what they don’t understand. All of this is an opportunity—a chance to show both sides that our differences are nothing to fear.”

“You’re a stronger person than me.”

“I doubt that very much.”

The sea peeked out from behind the trees, people milling about as the docks came into full view. Ships came and went as seagulls circled, their harsh squawks a stark contrast to the gentle lapping of the water that rinsed Alvara’s mind clean of all her worries. Briny mist settled into her skin, and the breeze brought a slight chill to her bones as she gazed out onto the stretch of deep blue ocean, a shimmering sheet blanketing the earth as far as her eye could see.

Alvara felt…calm.

“I started coming here soon after I learned to shift,” Boden said. “I’ve loved it ever since.”

“With your mother?”

He bent down and picked up a handful of sand, letting the coarse grains flow between his fingers. “No. She did her best to teach me what she knew of the human language, but she refused to risk bringing me to their lands. Especially to Gosibik, since it was my father’s town. But I was young and reckless and would travel to the border in my bear form in secret, even exploring the town on my own when I could.”

He closed his eyes and breathed in, slow and deep. “The first time I set foot here, I felt like I had found a part of myself that had been missing. So many of the humans were kind to me despite my pointed ears. And when things became…difficult, I would come to this spot, even for just a few minutes. It made my problems seem a little smaller, knowing there was so much more out there.”

Alvara would have responded had a human woman not approached her, holding some kind of basket. The woman’s hand quivered as she held out the gift, like an offering to a god who might smite her for their own entertainment.

As soon as Alvara’s fingers wrapped around the handle, the human scuttled away, leaving her utterly baffled. The contents of the basket did nothing to provide clarity, though they thankfully consisted of a collection of jars and not something more sinister like snakes or fish, Vitharen help her.

“Some humans hold superstitions against elves. They believe if they leave us gifts, we won’t harm them.” Boden picked up one of the containers and held it up to the sunlight, highlighting little burgundy lumps in what she hoped was a jam. “Your hair likely makes you stand out more than the others. She might be the first of many.”

Alvara opened a ceramic jar and sniffed it. It held a light tang and looked like a thick, creamy cheese. “Maybe I can get one of them to bring me some of those apple cakes.”

“I have no doubt you could. I’m glad you found something you enjoy about the town.”

“I have since we arrived.” She dangled the basket in front of Boden’s face. “And if he holds this for me, I may decide to be nice and let him have some.”

“I’m not certain where Pyry is, but I could find him for you⁠—”