Page 121 of To Fight and To Fold

It was hot, and sweat beaded on her forehead, making her hands damp as she yanked the healer’s unattended bag closer and began to rummage.

She knew the shape of the capsules she needed, little white ovals. She just had to find them.

She had to.

But the first bag did not hold what she needed, and her breath raced, sweat dripping from her forehead to splatter to the dusty ground.

Her hands, just as dusty, left a smear on the canvas bag as she traded it for another, searching—searching.

Her gasp was small as she found what she searched for: a tiny jar with a collection of the exact white ovals she needed.

Quickly, she poured some into her hand and stuffed them into her pockets. But just when she was replacing the jar, something grabbed her foot and she was yanked from beneath the table, her hands scrabbling at the ground to no avail.

"You little brat! What are you doing?" the healer shouted, drawing the attention of the surrounding stalls.

The color left Thea's face when presented with such anger, and she felt tears well in her eyes.

"I was—I was—" She couldn't get the words out, couldn't even come up with a lie on the spot. She just wanted her mom to feel better, but if she said that, the healer would know she'd stolen something and⁠—

"There you are! Found you!" a small voice called, and Thea felt a tap against her shoulder. "Tag! Now it's my turn to hide and you have to find me!"

Thea turned her big eyes over to a familiar face, smile wide and hair wild. Runa.

Thea knew her. Her parents had a fish stall, just like Thea's. Except Runa's parents were better at fishing. Her parents weren't sick. Her dad hadn't⁠—

The healer released her with a harsh shove. "Get out of here, and quit playing around my stall! Great Dragon help me," the healer grumbled.

Runa took her hand, dragging her in the opposite direction, and Thea glanced over her shoulder in disbelief. The chicken watched her escape with beady, knowing eyes.

Thea was crying by the time Runa pulled her to a stop far away, beneath the shade of a tree.

"What were you under there for? You know that healer is really mean!"

"I know," Thea whispered.

Runa, no older than Thea, seemed so wise then. "Is it for your mom?"

Thea nodded, and Runa beamed, pushing her gently in the direction of their tiny home. "Then go make her feel better. Be more careful next time, okay?"

Thea wiped her face and nodded. "Thank you."

Runa hugged her tightly. "If my dad was sick, I'd want him to feel better too. Good luck. Maybe we can play soon, like we used to."

"Okay," Thea agreed, and ran off.

Those medicines hadn't been the ones her mother had needed. They'd eased her pain for a bit, but eventually she'd succumbed to the illness.

Thea had been left alone.

And she'd never managed to play with Runa again.

Thea had never forgotten the little girl's kindness. She'd also never seen her again, because their stall had been robbed clean with no one to man it, and someone else took their place.

Thea got better at stealing after that, stale bread or cheese or whatever else she could snag from the market vendors, when she was still small enough to blend into the crowd.

As she'd grown, it had become more difficult, and it was when she was most desperate that Vaelen had found her.

Now it was Thea finding Vaelen, knocking on the door twice before pushing in.