The boy could carry no more, and I was similarly burdened. Rivyn’s purse should have been lighter, but it was not, so I decided he had worked some magic upon it. I hoped the coins I paid with did not vanish on the shop owners overnight, or some other nonsense, as we would be chased from the city if so.
As we wound our way back to the mage school, an old woman huddled against a wall held out her hand. I could smell magic on her. She was not what she seemed. “Prithee,” she pleaded, turning whitened eyes upon me. Not as blind as she seemed, either.
“Off with you,” the boy scolded her.
“No,” I stopped him from kicking at her. “No,” I reprimanded him with a scowl. “That’s a terrible way to behave.”
I gave her a coin from Rivyn’s purse and a sausage of preserved meat from the packa
