Soft steps clicked against the icy cobblestones as Suâyina paused in front of the back door of the tavern. Her nose was red from the wind and the amount of sniffling she had done the moment she left her fatherâs humble spice shop for todayâs last delivery. As much as she dislikes the idea of being out in this harsh chill, there had been no other choice. Her father was tooâŚdelicate for this. At least, in her mind he is. The tsatâs hands, numb from the wind stung with each smack she delivered to the closed door. âSpice delivery! Open âer up!â she shouted. Her voice was half-swallowed by another rip of wind down the alley. The witch sneezed as she smacked the door one more time. âDelivery!â
The door was opened and before the staff could utter a single syllable, the brunette had pushed her way in. âItâs so bloody cold.â She complained. A snort echoed and a second later, she felt the weight from her other arm lift. Watching the boy about her age hold the bag, the witch narrowed her eyes. âAh yeah, thatâs for the kitchâ, ya have the rest of the payment?â she toddled after him, past the storage room and into the kitchen. A man with a nick on his chin waved at them both. ââere.â A small sack of coin was tossed Suâyinaâs way. With a huff, she counted its content before giving the cook a nod. Her face broke into a grin. âAight, see you next week then Erik!â Her finger snagged a slice of bread off a plate passing byâ âAnd thanks for the snack!â With a peel of laughter, the tsat sped out of the kitchen. Now that she was done with work, there was fun to be had! Which meant-
âTime to watch drunk people.â That was always guaranteed entertainment. With her snack in hand, the tsat made her way towards the center of the noise and wondered what kind of amusement would welcome her today. And entertainment she found, in the form of a small crowd around a colorful table. Squirreling her way around the group, the tsat made out a semi-familiar face, one she had seen around the spice shop a few times, at the head of the table. Now, what was she doing here? It had been a bit since she had seen the older girl around.