truth!”
Scrutinizing her brother’s face, she realized he truly believed that. Was there anything she could do to change his beliefs? She didn’t know. All she could do was try to keep him with her, away from those others.
“I don’t know what you’ve found, Jordan, but I’ve missed you so much. Please don’t go back. Stay with me.”
“Just let me show you,” he said. If she didn’t know him better, she’d have thought he actually begged her, but Jordan didn’t beg for anything.
“I’m not interested,” she said. She turned back toward Fig, who’d been busy chewing up the green buds on a bush, and the sight of the village below surprised her again. With her back to it, all her attention on her brother, she’d forgotten it was down there. Who was down there. It didn’t matter anymore. She had nothing to trade and even if she did, not in this town. As much as she’d wanted to see that other familiar face again, it wasn’t the right thing to do. It would only renew the pain in her heart.
“I saw that,” Jordan said, his voice accusing as though she’d just committed some crime.
“What?” she asked, turning back toward him.
“That look. I saw you watching him earlier. You would have followed him if I hadn’t stopped—” Jordan cut himself off, looked at the village and then back at Cassandra. His eyes narrowed. “So that’s the real reason, isn’t it? Why you won’t come with me? You still want him, don’t you?”
Cassandra jerked back, as if he’d slapped her, just as she’d done the last time he’d accused her. The words still stung just as painfully.
“How dare you. After all this time!” Her hands itched to punch him again, but she wouldn’t let herself. She wouldn’t allow herself to live with that guilt again. She picked up her bags and Fig’s rope and pulled the goat as she stalked off, in the opposite direction of the village. She wasn’t even a quarter of the way down the hill when Jordan called after her.
“I’m sorry,” he said and she stopped in her tracks, disbelieving her own ears. Did Jordan just apologize? The man who never said sorry? “I truly am. Let me make it up to you.”
“How? Offering me money and power I don’t want?”
He stepped in front of her, but she stared at the ground. “I know you don’t want it. You’re right. This is your life. At least let me take you into the agora. If you go with me, they won’t harass you and you can collect the supplies you need.”
She looked up at him and choked back her shock. He looked sincere. He really meant it. She sighed.
“I have nothing to trade.”
Jordan glanced at the goat and back at her.
Cassandra gasped. “I’m not trading Fig!”
“Fig?” Jordan rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t have named her. She’s valuable.”
“She’s very valuable to me . She’s been my only companion since you left.” Of course, that wasn’t exactly true. Niko had stayed for nearly two months longer, but she didn’t have a problem laying the guilt on her brother. It was better than punching him. “Besides, her milk and cheese probably saved me this winter. I need her.”
Jordan grunted. “Fine. I have a few things I can trade for you.”
Cassandra glanced down at the town and pressed her lips together. “Can we go to another village?”
“The next one with a decent market is three days away. If you want me to go with you, we go to this one. Here.” He unwrapped the himation from his shoulders and draped it over her head. “This will disguise you. Just keep your head down.”
As they entered the town’s gates and passed house after house, Cassandra marveled at the structures. She’d never been this close to a real house, made of large stones and tiled roofs, some of them nearly three times as tall as Jordan. Mother had told her about growing up in a real home, with a kitchen, bedrooms and a courtyard. About how the women stayed to the kitchen or the back rooms, while her father and
Scrutinizing her brother’s face, she realized he truly believed that. Was there anything she could do to change his beliefs? She didn’t know. All she could do was try to keep him with her, away from those others.
“I don’t know what you’ve found, Jordan, but I’ve missed you so much. Please don’t go back. Stay with me.”
“Just let me show you,” he said. If she didn’t know him better, she’d have thought he actually begged her, but Jordan didn’t beg for anything.
“I’m not interested,” she said. She turned back toward Fig, who’d been busy chewing up the green buds on a bush, and the sight of the village below surprised her again. With her back to it, all her attention on her brother, she’d forgotten it was down there. Who was down there. It didn’t matter anymore. She had nothing to trade and even if she did, not in this town. As much as she’d wanted to see that other familiar face again, it wasn’t the right thing to do. It would only renew the pain in her heart.
“I saw that,” Jordan said, his voice accusing as though she’d just committed some crime.
“What?” she asked, turning back toward him.
“That look. I saw you watching him earlier. You would have followed him if I hadn’t stopped—” Jordan cut himself off, looked at the village and then back at Cassandra. His eyes narrowed. “So that’s the real reason, isn’t it? Why you won’t come with me? You still want him, don’t you?”
Cassandra jerked back, as if he’d slapped her, just as she’d done the last time he’d accused her. The words still stung just as painfully.
“How dare you. After all this time!” Her hands itched to punch him again, but she wouldn’t let herself. She wouldn’t allow herself to live with that guilt again. She picked up her bags and Fig’s rope and pulled the goat as she stalked off, in the opposite direction of the village. She wasn’t even a quarter of the way down the hill when Jordan called after her.
“I’m sorry,” he said and she stopped in her tracks, disbelieving her own ears. Did Jordan just apologize? The man who never said sorry? “I truly am. Let me make it up to you.”
“How? Offering me money and power I don’t want?”
He stepped in front of her, but she stared at the ground. “I know you don’t want it. You’re right. This is your life. At least let me take you into the agora. If you go with me, they won’t harass you and you can collect the supplies you need.”
She looked up at him and choked back her shock. He looked sincere. He really meant it. She sighed.
“I have nothing to trade.”
Jordan glanced at the goat and back at her.
Cassandra gasped. “I’m not trading Fig!”
“Fig?” Jordan rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t have named her. She’s valuable.”
“She’s very valuable to me . She’s been my only companion since you left.” Of course, that wasn’t exactly true. Niko had stayed for nearly two months longer, but she didn’t have a problem laying the guilt on her brother. It was better than punching him. “Besides, her milk and cheese probably saved me this winter. I need her.”
Jordan grunted. “Fine. I have a few things I can trade for you.”
Cassandra glanced down at the town and pressed her lips together. “Can we go to another village?”
“The next one with a decent market is three days away. If you want me to go with you, we go to this one. Here.” He unwrapped the himation from his shoulders and draped it over her head. “This will disguise you. Just keep your head down.”
As they entered the town’s gates and passed house after house, Cassandra marveled at the structures. She’d never been this close to a real house, made of large stones and tiled roofs, some of them nearly three times as tall as Jordan. Mother had told her about growing up in a real home, with a kitchen, bedrooms and a courtyard. About how the women stayed to the kitchen or the back rooms, while her father and
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