“I hope they treat you better than they did me, but that was at least thirty years ago. Maybe things have changed.”
They arrived in Marrel, and Atti drove his wagon to a large warehouse. Yori gladly helped the old man unload his wares, most of which were already sold to the local merchants. Atti had done business in Marrel for so many years that he had standing orders to fill. He spent very little time having to find new business or convince others to buy from him. His reputation as honest and fair had provided him with a loyal customer base.
Once they had finished unloading, Atti said, “You sure you want to keep traveling? I could use a strong young man to help move these goods back and forth. I can pay a decent wage.”
Yori considered the idea briefly. “Thank you, Atti, but I’ll have to pass for now. I appreciate the offer.”
“Alright,” Atti said. “You take care out there, and if you pass by my way again, feel free to say hello.”
“I will,” Yori replied. He shook the old man’s hand before leaving to explore the town. It was easily three times the size of Enald, with merchant stalls spread as far as he could see. It was so similar to the palace district’s market that he couldn’t help but remember the events that had occurred there to change his life forever. He scanned the nearby stalls for any signs of elves or elven goods. Seeing nothing, he decided to grab something to eat and perhaps inquire of some of the local merchants.
He found a tavern that was nearly bursting at the seams with customers. Squeezing his way through the crowd, he managed to find the bar and a serving girl. She was young and buxom with dark eyes and a broad smile.
“What can I get for you, handsome?” she asked.
Yori felt himself blush, and his mouth went dry. “An ale, please,” he managed to say. “And can I get some meat and bread as well?”
“Sure thing,” she said. “Five coppers, please.” She held out a hand for the money.
Reaching into the small purse given to him by the prince, he pulled out a silver coin and handed it to the girl.
“This is Na’zoran money,” she said with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to have you in Al’marr.”
Yori had expected some change in return, but the girl simply put the coin into her apron pocket and batted her eyelashes at him. Too stunned to speak, he did not say a word. She was certainly pretty enough to earn a large tip, and Yori had never been very good with money. His experience with it was only slightly more than his experience with women.
The girl trotted off into the kitchen to retrieve Yori’s food. When she returned, she brought the items he had requested as well as a large slice of berry pie. After she placed the items on the bar, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. Yori stared at her, dumbstruck, until he was startled back to his senses by the sound of coins jingling onto the bar. She had given him change for his silver after all. Flashing him a final smile, the girl headed off into the crowd to see to her other customers.
Once he finished eating, he slipped back through the crowd and walked along a row of merchant stalls. Just ahead, he caught sight of wooden longbows hanging on pegs inside of a shop. Surely a fletcher would know where to find Wild Elves. He made his way to the stall and stepped inside. To his surprise, an elf sat within affixing feathers to an arrow shaft.
The elf looked up and said, “Good day, sir. How may I serve you?”
“Actually,” Yori began, “I’m looking for an elf.”
“Which one?” the elf asked.
“Someone from the Sycamore Clan,” Yori said.
The elf smiled and stood. “I’m from the Sycamore Clan,” he said. He approached Yori and reached out a hand. “My name’s Hydon.”
“I’m Yori,” he replied, shaking the elf’s hand. Yori suddenly found himself feeling a bit nervous. He wasn’t sure exactly what to say, so he remained silent. Removing his cap, he brushed back his sandy hair to reveal his pointed ears. Startled, the elf jerked his head back as if he had just been swatted on the nose.
“How did you get so tall?” the elf asked, stunned.
“My mother was a human,” Yori replied. “My father was called Yon. He was rune carver for the Sycamore Clan before he was killed.”
Hydon continued to stare at Yori for a moment. “I’m sorry, he said. I never met a half-elf before.”
“I’m trying to locate my father’s family,” Yori said. “Did you know him?”
“I think I did,” he replied. “I was just a kid then, though. His father Darin is still the rune carver for our clan.”
“Can you take me to him?” Yori asked eagerly.