Free Pathfinder's Way by T.A. White Page A

these men’s garments showcased. Shea had attended
these meetings for the past ten days, and every day each man had
worn something different and equally fine.
    She counted herself lucky when she had one
nice outfit in her wardrobe. Mostly, her clothes were made of
serviceable leather or tali root. None of it had embroidery or
fancy cuts and weaves.
    Shea was willing to bet these men had seen
very little hardship in their lives.
    Dane pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’ve
been saying that for days now. We’ve offered several alternatives,
and you still can’t make up your minds. The terms are fair and
benefit both of us.”
    “We disagree.” The hawk nose man slapped his
hands on the table.
    “I don’t care if you disagree. Perhaps one of
the other villages will be more appreciative of the trade you
scorn.”
    Shea perked up at that news. Perhaps the end
to this whole tedious visit was in sight.
    “Gentlemen, please,” the white haired elder
interrupted. “Let’s not make hasty decisions. Perhaps we should
call it quits for the day and meet again tomorrow when we’ve had a
chance to rest and consider what has been said.”
    No, not again. Tomorrow would lead to the
next day and then the day after that. She couldn’t take much more
of this.
    They were stalling. She knew it. They knew
it.
    All she wanted was for this to be over so she
could gather her team and head home. That or for Dane to release
her from the tedious boredom of having to listen to these men drone
on and on about nothing important.
    Dane’s arms relaxed from across his chest,
and he nodded once. Shea drooped. Looked like they were going to be
here at least another day.
    The men murmured polite goodbyes as they
stood. Dane and the rest of the group from Birdon Leaf filed out of
the room.
    Shea trailed behind absently listening as the
other three discussed how to spend the rest of the day now that
discussions had been derailed. Again.
    The door closed firmly. Shea glanced back at
it. None of the elders had joined them, which meant they had all
remained behind. Perhaps to discuss how they should handle
negotiations tomorrow?
    Shea would have thought it would be more
beneficial to do that with all parties concerned, but what did she
know. She was a simple guide.
    Lost in thought, she trailed further and
further behind her group, losing sight of the rest before she knew
it. Oh well. She doubted they’d notice she was missing.
    Time to herself had become a luxury since
reaching Goodwin, as Dane thought it would be useful to have her
sit in on the discussions. She hadn’t minded at first. Ten days
later, she did.
    Shea wandered in the opposite direction of
her lodging, enjoying the feel of the sun warming her face and the
slight bite of a stray breeze. It brought with it the fresh smell
of damp and earth.
    It would likely rain during the night. She
could smell it in the air. It didn’t feel like it would be a heavy
rain, just enough to soak the ground.
    Her feet whispered across the cobblestone
streets as she found her way to the market. Stopping at a stall,
she bought a piece of fruit and carried it with her as she headed
to the well maintained decorative wall framing the square.
    Hopping up onto the waist high barrier, she
settled onto the cool stone and turned her attention to
people-watching before biting into the peach. She wiped her chin as
a little bit of juice escaped and then licked the small trickle of
liquid off her wrist, savoring the rare treat.
    She hoped Dane was able to include fruit as
one of the goods to be traded. She’d come to enjoy the many
varieties the Lowlands offered. It was one of the things she’d miss
when they finally headed home.
    This town was three times the size of Birdon
Leaf in both population and the number of buildings. Like Birdon
Leaf, it had a large outer wall that encased the main town, though
many farms fell in the outlying territory. It was primarily a
farming village, but it also performed a robust