Owin #46 — Finding new clothes

Gwen kept pace with Owin as he led her through the busy streets. His hurried pace kept her from asking questions as they progressed through what she assumed was his mental itinerary for the day. The focus he projected worried her, but she did her best to hide her own concern under a mask of ignorance to his anxiety. However, she knew the effort was futile when the iron taste of blood appeared on her lower lip.

They had already stopped at three tailors, the first just as the heavy-set man opened his shop for the day.  She knew the hope of finding something ready to wear, or even close to being ready, would be difficult.  Her skinny frame meant most men’s clothing would hang like a bag from her shoulders and would look at best pieced together.

However, they managed to order a heavy fabric vest from that first shop. The second tailor gave them nothing, as the older lady would not expedite an order for pants even with the offer of extra money. The third one, a younger man, had agreed to make her a new pair of pants that day, but only after they agreed to buy a cap.

She had to work to hide her smile as Owin had played at being exasperated by the tailor’s request. However, she had known with a glance that Owin had planned to buy the cap to cover her rough cut hair before the man had demanded it.

“You look good in the cap,” Owin finally said, drawing her attention back to him as they passed through another city square. “It will fit the role nicely.”

Gwen adjusted the baggy headpiece once again.  She knew it did make her look more masculine.  The dark brown material had gathers and a bit of tan trim, but the cap lacked any hint of feminine ornamentation. “Will they have the clothes made in time?” She asked in as husky a voice as she could.

Owin shrugged. “We can only hope. To be honest, if things fall apart, I will not offer myself up as a sacrifice. We’ll just have to disappear and then find a way to get to your mother and free her.”

Gwen nodded her head. The tone of his voice told her he had already spent a fair amount of time thinking on that possibility.

“But,” Owin continued, “they should have the vest and pants first thing in the morning. We agreed your current shirt should work under the vest.  The sleeves are in good enough condition.”

“Where next?” She ventured to ask as Owin’s eyes kept darting to the shingles hanging above the shops they were quickly passing. “A cobbler?”

“No. What you have will have to do. Something like that we don’t have time to have made.” He paused at an intersection and then turned onto a side street. “I am heading for a tanner I remember is somewhere in this section of town. At least the shop is, even if the skins are prepared elsewhere. I need some parchment and ink,” he added after she raised her eyebrows.

“So you can write the message I am to deliver,” she stated.

“Yes,” Owin said and then grabbed her hand to pull her through a group of people gathered around a bakery.  When they made it through the crowd he released her hand. “I hate sending you in on your own, but you should be safe enough.”

Gwen smiled up at him when he turned back to look at her. “One of these days you’ll need to teach me to really use a sword.”

“If we survive, I don’t care what Elsin says, I’ll teach you everything I can.”

Gwen heard the confidence in his voice and exhaled sharply as a small amount of relief filled her. She knew he did not conceive of the possibility they would die and that warmed her heart and put a little more energy into her step. “In that case, can we grab something to eat if we pass another food stall? I’m starved.”

Continue to next episode.