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Book: Destiny's Kingdom: Legend of the Chosen by Daniel Huber, Jennifer Selzer
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Authors: Daniel Huber, Jennifer Selzer
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only just realizing that she'd been walking backwards alongside her friend. "Oh, sorry," she said. "That was just so strange."
"What was?"
"That man." Clea turned back around and gestured toward where the stranger had been standing in the crowd. He had disappeared.
"Which one?" Trina turned and scanned the street, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Clea sighed.
"There was a man standing back there, and he seemed to be watching us."
"What did he look like?"
"I don't know. I couldn't see his face, he was wearing a hooded cloak." She turned forward again and they continued down the street. "Probably nothing. Hey, look." The oddity of what she'd just seen wore off quickly when she saw a vending cart that had something she wanted. "Fortune bell chains. I've been looking for these."
As the girls stood at the cart and Clea sifted through the strands of tiny bells, a rich, savory scent wafted through the air.
"Can you smell that?" Trina said, inhaling deeply and sighing. "Stem of mushroom stew. From the Dorian tavern."
Clea was still busy looking through the chains. "Yes, that's what it smells like."
"Isn't it wonderful?" Trina had suddenly gotten very hungry. "I've got to get some. Come on."
"Mmm," Clea replied, sifting casually through the strands of tiny bell chains, "You go on. I'll catch up."
As Trina walked away, Clea continued to jingle each chain until she found one whose chime suited her, and she lifted it from the purveyor's cart and hooked it around her waist, tilting her hips to examine it. Pleased, she looked up to see the merchant standing next to her.
"Fourteen chid, fair lady," he said.
"Fourteen?" Clea replied. "I think not. Nine, if any at all."
"Rob me blind, why don't you?" he said. "Twelve and I'll forget you insulted me so."
"Twelve? Do I seem a dullard to you? Ten, then. But no more."
The merchant stepped closer to Clea, leaned in a bit. "Twelve," came his deep, throaty voice. Clea shrugged, and unhooked the chain from her waist.
"Ah, well then," she said, "None for me today then, I think. Too bad, of course. I'd surely have been happy to say that the sweet chime that sounds from my waist was one of…" she backed up enough to read the sign above his cart, "Vidian's bell chains." She reached to replace the bells, then turned when he finally said:
"Ten, ten chid. Fine then! Have it your way."
Clea grinned broadly, pulled the payment from a hidden pocket in the waistband of her skirt, and handed it to the merchant. She reached to her strand of bells and re-hooked them about her hips, shimmying slightly to make them chime with the movement.
"Well, there should be no trouble finding you so long as you wear that around your waist." Clea's lips curled into a pleased smile when she heard the familiar voice from behind her.
"Funny, you've never seemed to have any trouble finding me before but if this makes it easier on you, then by all means…" She twirled around, and the bells tinkled lightly with the motion of her hips, "I shall wear it daily." She laughed at her own silliness as she looked up at Avalon, who had, per his usual way, appeared from nowhere. "I was wondering when you were going to show up today."
"Have I become so predictable?"
"No never," Clea replied, "But it is a most unprecedented day, Avalon!"
"Indeed," Avalon cocked his head as he looked down to her. "And what makes today so unprecedented, my Clea?" She turned around and headed in the direction that Trina had gone.
"Let's walk."
Avalon walked beside her, his pace deliberate and regal next to her casual saunter. Heads began to turn as they made their way through the crowded street, many eyes falling on the statuesque man who seemed to capture attention by simply existing. Clea was used to it, and paid the attention no heed. No one would remember seeing him later anyway. As they walked, Avalon glanced about the people in the street, seeming in search of something, but when Clea began to talk, he
"What was?"
"That man." Clea turned back around and gestured toward where the stranger had been standing in the crowd. He had disappeared.
"Which one?" Trina turned and scanned the street, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Clea sighed.
"There was a man standing back there, and he seemed to be watching us."
"What did he look like?"
"I don't know. I couldn't see his face, he was wearing a hooded cloak." She turned forward again and they continued down the street. "Probably nothing. Hey, look." The oddity of what she'd just seen wore off quickly when she saw a vending cart that had something she wanted. "Fortune bell chains. I've been looking for these."
As the girls stood at the cart and Clea sifted through the strands of tiny bells, a rich, savory scent wafted through the air.
"Can you smell that?" Trina said, inhaling deeply and sighing. "Stem of mushroom stew. From the Dorian tavern."
Clea was still busy looking through the chains. "Yes, that's what it smells like."
"Isn't it wonderful?" Trina had suddenly gotten very hungry. "I've got to get some. Come on."
"Mmm," Clea replied, sifting casually through the strands of tiny bell chains, "You go on. I'll catch up."
As Trina walked away, Clea continued to jingle each chain until she found one whose chime suited her, and she lifted it from the purveyor's cart and hooked it around her waist, tilting her hips to examine it. Pleased, she looked up to see the merchant standing next to her.
"Fourteen chid, fair lady," he said.
"Fourteen?" Clea replied. "I think not. Nine, if any at all."
"Rob me blind, why don't you?" he said. "Twelve and I'll forget you insulted me so."
"Twelve? Do I seem a dullard to you? Ten, then. But no more."
The merchant stepped closer to Clea, leaned in a bit. "Twelve," came his deep, throaty voice. Clea shrugged, and unhooked the chain from her waist.
"Ah, well then," she said, "None for me today then, I think. Too bad, of course. I'd surely have been happy to say that the sweet chime that sounds from my waist was one of…" she backed up enough to read the sign above his cart, "Vidian's bell chains." She reached to replace the bells, then turned when he finally said:
"Ten, ten chid. Fine then! Have it your way."
Clea grinned broadly, pulled the payment from a hidden pocket in the waistband of her skirt, and handed it to the merchant. She reached to her strand of bells and re-hooked them about her hips, shimmying slightly to make them chime with the movement.
"Well, there should be no trouble finding you so long as you wear that around your waist." Clea's lips curled into a pleased smile when she heard the familiar voice from behind her.
"Funny, you've never seemed to have any trouble finding me before but if this makes it easier on you, then by all means…" She twirled around, and the bells tinkled lightly with the motion of her hips, "I shall wear it daily." She laughed at her own silliness as she looked up at Avalon, who had, per his usual way, appeared from nowhere. "I was wondering when you were going to show up today."
"Have I become so predictable?"
"No never," Clea replied, "But it is a most unprecedented day, Avalon!"
"Indeed," Avalon cocked his head as he looked down to her. "And what makes today so unprecedented, my Clea?" She turned around and headed in the direction that Trina had gone.
"Let's walk."
Avalon walked beside her, his pace deliberate and regal next to her casual saunter. Heads began to turn as they made their way through the crowded street, many eyes falling on the statuesque man who seemed to capture attention by simply existing. Clea was used to it, and paid the attention no heed. No one would remember seeing him later anyway. As they walked, Avalon glanced about the people in the street, seeming in search of something, but when Clea began to talk, he
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