CHAPTER ONE
ARLEN
“Have you heard the rumors?”
“The ones about the barbarian group? Yes, of course. It’s a good thing, isn’t it? To imagine people likethatliving among us. It is better for everyone if they leave.”
I listened to the talk with only half an ear, focused on pinning Mrs. Cartwright’s skirts correctly. A vindictive part of me wanted to tighten them later and mention perhaps she was putting on weight when she complained, but I stopped myself like I always did. It wouldn’t do me any good. Besides, her words didn’t hold the sting they normally did. I planned on leaving when that group arrived. I’d heard the rumors, too. I finally had a chance at true freedom. I wasn’t going to get myself into trouble and possibly delay my departure just because she was a bitch.
“There we are,” I finally said, drawing her and Mrs. Bellworth’s attention back to me. I was used to being invisible, only the focus of attention when they wanted something from me. They gossiped like I wasn’t there, and when I finally spoke, they plastered on those fake smiles again because they knew itwas better to be polite than to get on my bad side. As the only tailor in town, they needed to act right if they wanted their garments done up well. “How does it feel?”
“Just right, as always,” she praised. As I helped her step down from the platform so she could change, she considered me thoughtfully. “You know, my cousin is single. She’s a seamstress a few towns over. If the two of you married, you could create a veritable empire.”
I plastered on a fake smile of my own, giving the same line I always did whenever anyone brought up marriage. It was the one reason I was glad I didn’t have family. No one could cause any legitimate trouble for me if I didn't marry. “Now’s not a great time. Thanks for the offer, though.”
Her eyes narrowed sharply, her expression almost suspicious. “You’ve said that before. You’re over thirty now. What reason could you truly have for waiting?”
Gesturing around me to the projects I still needed to get to, I gave her a significant look. “I’ve got too much to do to give relationships much of my time. Unless you’d prefer I meet your cousin instead of finishing off this outfit you requested?”
That shut her up, and she hurried to change so I could get back to my work. I was grateful that my skill gave me enough leverage to send people running if they started questioning things too deeply. They couldn’t risk me not getting my work done and delaying the outfits they wanted. I was pretty sure there were some rumors around about my… affliction, but no one brought it up, not even the mayor. I was too valuable to them.
After she changed, I led them both out of my shop, pausing in the doorway when I saw a commotion in the town square. Curiosity had me closing up my shop to see what was going on, and my breath turned to ice in my lungs when I saw what was happening.
“Bar the gates! No one leaves!” the mayor bellowed, and I felt all my dreams of freedom and love slip away as I watched the gates close and lock, sealing my fate.
I’d lived my whole life without hope. My parents died when I was just barely an adult from an illness that had swept through the town, leaving me all alone. All of my friendships were superficial, people only spending time with me because they liked my craft. I appreciated what little interaction I had, since being completely isolated would have been depressing, but the lack of anything real had begun to take its toll.
When I heard the rumors of the barbarian clans not being what they were rumored to be and people with my affliction being safe amongst them, I thought I’d finally have the chance to be part of something real. I’d admit even if it was just a rumor, I was tired of living in secret. I figured if it turned out to be false, I’d head to one of the towns where at least I wouldn’t be hanged for falling in love. I planned to pack up my shop, intending to leave when the group of barbarians came to town to fetch us, but I hadn’t expected the mayor to catch wind of it, much less intervene.
The baker’s daughter, Molly, stood nearby, in a deep whispering discussion with her younger sister. Molly was a decent person, but a total gossip, so she was the best person to get information from.
“Molly? What’s happening?”
“Didn’t you hear? There’s a group of barbarians stealing our citizens,” she whispered harshly, her eyes alight with excitement over the situation. “Torslen was devastated after so many left without anyone of skill to take their place. The mayor doesn’t want that to happen here, so he’s closing the gates. No one in or out until the group has passed, and even then, I think only certain people will be allowed to leave.”
My stomach sank. “He’s not letting people leave? What happens if they do?”
Winifred, who stood beside her, leaned in to whisper, “I heard they would chase people down and drag them to jail. The betrayers would stay there until they agreed to stay and do their duty. That’s what Susie’s husband told her. Serves them right for leaving when they’re needed here.”
Horrified, I turned to watch a few of the merchants arguing with the gate guards. Trading between towns was their livelihood and being banned from doing so could affect their living. It would affect mine as well, since they brought me new materials when I needed them. I thought about joining the group, arguing against the injustice, but when I glanced in that direction, I noticed Mayor Cartwright looking directly at me. His expression was difficult to read, but it almost looked accusatory. Like he knew I was one of the ones who wanted to leave.
Swallowing hard around the lump forming in my throat, I stepped away from the gaggle of gossiping women and turned back for my shop. I didn’t stop, didn’t turn around or look back until the door to my shop had closed behind me. From my front door, I couldn’t see the main gate, but I could see the town square and the people gathered there. People I’d known my whole life, people who valued me for my expertise. People who would sooner chase me down and lock me up until I behaved than let me leave and thrive somewhere else.
It was clear the only person who cared about what I wanted was me. If I wanted my freedom, I was going to have to do something about it myself.
I pretended for several days to have no interest in the gates or the group of barbarians coming ever closer. I did my job, went to the market for food, and doused the candles in my room at the same time I always did each night. To everyone in town, it looked as if I wasn’t interested in going anywhere. They didn’t realize that each trip to the market was to gather information, both in the form of gossip as well as monitoring the gates for details on who was guarding it and how many were there at different times of day. As a tailor, I had attention to detail not many people could rival. I noted the times of day where security was highest, as well as at night when I stayed late in the pub pretending to get drunk just to study the night guard as I stumbled home.
The day the group of barbarians showed up, my heart was lodged in my throat the entire time they stood outside the gate. No one could hear what they were saying when the mayor turned them away, but the town square was crowded as people watched on in fascination and disgust for the group of barbarians. At one point, I thought the mayor was going to relent, and I was prepared to leave everything behind and run if they opened the gates, but they only opened them wide enough to allow a few guards through to demand the barbarians leave. I heard them go, saw the cloud of dust marking their movements, and had to go back to my shop to cry once the town had gone quiet again.
It was at that point that I decided even if I had to run all the way to the next town, I was going to meet that group and find my freedom. I couldn’t stay here forever. I couldn’t live my life sewing people’s wedding clothes while never getting to wear any myself. I didn’t want to live my life alone surrounded by people. I wanted something real, even if I had to risk my life to get it.
After days of watching and waiting, I’d realized the best time to escape was supper time. Late at night was when the guards were the most alert. During the day when the market was open,too. Supper time was when things were more lax. People were in their homes, eating with their families, and even the guards were less attentive as they sought to fill their bellies after a long day. It was the only time of day there wasn’t a patrol. And since the barbarian group had left earlier that day, they weren’t as vigilant as they had been before. All the guards who weren’t eating were at the gate, which was supposed to be the only way in or out.
Except there might have been another way. There was one spot in the back of the wall that surrounded the town that was rotten with age. I’d noticed it one evening while delivering clothes to the church for the poor. It had been too early, and there were patrols when I’d seen it the first time, to check it out, so I’d been biding my time and waiting as long as I could before checking again. Now was my chance.
As the sun started to set and a storm rolled in, sending people scurrying into their homes, I made my way casually in that direction, another pile of clothes to donate in my hands to give me the excuse I needed to get close. No one noticed as I disappeared behind the church and made my way toward the back wall. I set the clothes down near the church fence, beneath a bush where they wouldn’t be noticed or draw attention to me, and looked around cautiously.
Once I was sure the coast was clear, I pushed hard against the rotted wall. It had been put up in a hurry a long time ago to protect us from the barbarian attacks. No one had thought to maintain it properly once the treaty was put into place. The boards creaked and groaned, and with a few shoves, one cracked and broke, giving way to an opening just large enough for me to slip through alone.