season avatars 01 - seasons beginnings Read Online Free

it from the closest source. “This is easier,” he said when
    Kron tried to explain the value of physical labor. In return, Kron shared
    his meals with him, taught him how to make a few simple magical in-
    struments, and listened to him chatter. Kron only sold his artifacts in
    2 4 · S a n d r a U l b r i c h A l m a z a n
    the marketplace when Sal-thaath wasn’t with him. Word had spread
    about what his finders could do, so he now sold a couple of artifacts
    each time he visited the marketplace. But instead of moving into the
    inn, Kron stayed in his shelter, not only to save for more supplies and
    passage to Delns, but to keep Sal-thaath away from other people as
    much as he could.
    “You haven’t told your mother you visit me, do you?” he asked Sal-
    thaath once.
    The boy shrugged. “She’s been very busy looking at the stars. That’s
    all we talk about lately, besides magic.”
    Kron didn’t know whether to be relieved that Salth didn’t know
    about their association or sad for Sal-thaath that he didn’t have other
    company.
    One morning Sal-thaath arrived as Kron was gathering some of his
    finders and other magical tools into a sack. “Are you leaving?” he
    asked, his eyes shadowed with worry.
    “Today’s a market day. I’m going to trade these for supplies.” Kron
    hesitated. Was Sal-thaath ready for the marketplace? He’d been very
    good with Kron; perhaps it was time to see how he behaved with ordi-
    nary people. He knelt and looked the boy in the eye. “You can come
    with me…if you promise to be the best you’ve ever been.” He shook a
    finger in the boy’s face. “No leaving my side, not for a heartbeat, no
    getting angry at people, and no using your magic. Do you think you can
    do that?”
    Sal-thaath stuck out his lower lip, so Kron added, “And if you do,
    I’ll buy you a sugared pastry afterwards.”
    “I’ll be good! I’ll be good! Of course,” Sal-thaath said hopefully,
    “I’d be even better if I had the sugared pastry first.”
    Kron laughed. “After the market, not before. Now, help me decide
    which pieces to sell and which ones to keep.”
    The market was less than ten furlongs from Kron’s shelter, in the
    town square. Kron chose a secluded, shaded spot next to a low stone
    wall. Customers would find him once the word spread, and he could
    Sea so n s’ Be gin n in gs · 2 5
    keep a better eye on Sal-thaath in a quiet area. Together, they spread
    their wares on the dusty ground, then Kron boosted Sal-thaath to a seat
    on the wall. He sat next to him.
    “Now what happens?” Sal-thaath asked.
    “Now we wait for people to come talk to us,” Kron replied.
    He had been worried that Sal-thaath would find this part of the mar-
    ket boring, but for all the boy’s spying, he didn’t know much about
    towns. Obediently remaining on the wall while craning his neck in all
    directions, he asked about everything from the types of buildings sur-
    rounding them to the horses and donkeys pulling wagonloads of goods.
    Kron patiently answered each string of questions as best as he could
    before Sal-thaath found something else to distract him.
    A few customers stopped by, more of them browsing than buying.
    Still, Kron managed to sell two finders before he spotted a pair of fa-
    miliar faces: Phebe and Bella. Bella was just as pretty as before, her hair
    escaping from her head covering as if it knew life was too short to spend
    it under restraint. His heart beat faster at the sight, then sped up even
    more when Phebe frowned and turned sharply in his direction. Although
    he’d thought about visiting Bella, he didn’t want to lead Sal-thaath to
    her house to cause more problems.
    “So, magician,” Phebe said as soon as she’d worked her way around
    the crowd, “you never came back to tell me who or what killed my
    chicken. I guess you never found him, did you?”
    Sal-thaath giggled, but the women paid him no attention.
    Instead of answering, Kron glanced at Bella to see if she