Outside, the smell of the market lingered in the air and the muted sounds of merchants drifted up the winding roadway. The street in front of me was more silent, with travelers of all types moving up and down the street, shouldering burdens or pretending to look around so that they could catch their breath after climbing the steep grade. Every now and then a child would run by, leaning down the hill and trying to keep his or her balance as they raced down the slope, giggling. One, a girl with a blond pony tail, lost control of her momentum and squealed as her feet tangled and she flipped into the air to land jarringly on the cobbled roadway. She tumbled a short distance and lay, groaning.
"Better luck next time!" Someone called from the shade of an awning, and a few other witnesses chuckled at the girl's misfortune.
Seymuhr was one of those. He stood outside a tavern on the other side of the thoroughfare and wiped the ale he had just spit from his mouth as he barked out a laugh. He pointed and then slapped the man next to him on the back, accidentally knocking him to the ground, as well.
I hissed as I crossed to him. "What's the matter with you?"
He looked confused and glanced over his body. "Nothing," he replied, his voice grating like two broken plates. "Why do you ask?"
I pointed to where the girl still lay moaning. She was trying to push herself up onto her knees without much success. She shook her head, wiped her lip and then pressed her forehead against the stone again. "You find someone else's misfortunes funny?"
He shrugged. "When they look like that, I do." He took another sip of his ale. Meanwhile, the man he had slapped was standing again and looking very displeased.
"You better watch yourself, friend," he growled. He stood a head taller than Seymuhr, as many people did.
"Hold this," Seymuhr said, thrusting his mug toward me. I tried not to let me excitement show. This was just the opportunity I was looking for. I fumbled for the flask I had recently purchased and turned away, mumbling to him to not do anything that would get us into any trouble.
"No trouble at all," he said.
The other man smiled. "Should I get you something to stand on?" He cracked his fists as he taunted Seymuhr, then lashed out with his right hand. It landed solidly on the side of Semuhr's head, but he barely moved. Instead he buried his left fist into the taller man's abdomen and then knocked him still with a single crashing blow from his right. He snatched his mug from me and took a great gulp.
I managed to hide the flask again, but just barely.
Seymuhr grained the glass, then looked into it and smacked his lips together. "Tastes a little funny," he mused.
I put an innocent expression on my face and blinked rapidly. "Is that so? It smelled fine. Come, let us leave this place while there are only two bodies in the street."
I led the way with Seymuhr behind me. Tane, with a bemused look on his face, followed.
