blood puddles

My bare feet splash through muddy puddles on Guloth Street, and I imagine that I'm sloshing through the murderer's blood. It pooled in a similar way between the cobblestones, and the puddle is probably much bigger by now. But this water is warm like blood, and murky like blood. And disgusting, like blood.

"Hey, Terry!"

A grin spreads across my face at the sound of Daren's voice. I pretend I don't hear him and wait until his running footsteps are right behind me, then I whip around and tackle him to the ground. He laughs and tries to throw me off, but I have him pinned in less than five seconds.

"Alright, alright, you got me." Daren groans. "You know, I have more bruises than you do, you win so much."

"It's not my fault you fight like Lady Silman." I smile and help Daren to his feet and he shoves my shoulder. We've been best friends since before I can remember. He lives on the floor below me, and since I only have a sister, he's basically been my brother forever too.

"I do not!" Daren complains. "Sir Terian Dragon is just a genius fighter."

I bow low in mock gratitude. "Sir Terian accepts the compliment and requests that Lord Daren Wolf attempt to sneak up on his prey before striking."

"Oh fine." Daren grumbles. "Next time you'll be begging for mercy."

We continue toward home in silence for a minute. Guloth Street is mostly empty. On a normal day it would be packed with customers for the Selling, but markets are closed for four hours when there are Town Callings. Bergen, an old cranky fruit vendor, makes a face at me as he shuts the door to his shop. Everyone's in a bad mood after executions, but Bergen Crow has always disliked me.

Daren breaks the silence. "I hate going to those fool executions. They're horrible."

"At least it was quiet for this one. The talk is always awful. I don't know which makes me feel worse. That the men are eager for the axe to fall, or that their wives threaten what they'd do if their husbands ever end up under the axe."

Daren's sour expression says that he feels the same. "And no one even thought about Fein or Fyer. Usually there's some looks. My mum is always glancing aroung, like she hopes we'll all go for Fyer, but the whole town agreeing on something is impossible."

"Yeah, and Fein would be stupid while she has you and your sisters."

"Yeah..." Daren kicks at a blood puddle, sending muddy droplets flying through the air. "But I still hate going."

"Just be glad you're not the one on trial."

Daren and I part ways at his front door with promises to meet once the Selling begins, and I continue up a flight of stairs to the two rooms I share with my mother and sister. They aren't home yet so I have the silence to myself.

I push aside the tacked up sheet that divides my room from the space mum shares with Belina. Bel is too little to walk down the cracked streets without tripping, so mother has to carry her home. They won't be here for at least another five minutes, and that's if they don't stop to talk to Grendel Goose. But mum always does. Rhen Tiger is just kind in that way. Fierce, but kind. And the old widow Grendel has lived alone since her husband chose Fein last year.