Read To Whatever End (Echoes of Imara Book 1) for Free Online

direction. The dockworkers tended to be gruff, and the best thing for them all to do was to get their cargo off the dock as soon as they could.
    “There you are!” a familiar voice called out above the din. Cecily turned to see the bearded face of her old friend Griff. She hadn’t seen him in months, but he always seemed to look the same, his auburn hair short, his red beard neatly trimmed. He wore a leather vest over a crisp linen shirt, the sleeves rolled up over his thick forearms, with dark pants and sturdy black boots. As with all merchants, his belt gave an indication of his status. Made of supple leather and encrusted with more than a few shining jewels, it showed Griff was doing well.
    Daro walked forward to greet him. They clasped hands and made as if to shake before grasping each other in a sturdy hug. “It’s good to see you, old friend,” Daro said as he stepped away.
    Griff’s smile was warm. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you got bigger since the last time I saw you. Must be that wild Imaran blood,” he said with a chuckle. Daro smiled at him and shook his head at his friend’s jest. “Well, at least we know that wife of yours is feeding you.” He turned to Cecily and held his arms wide. “Cecily, my dear! It seems putting up with that brute of a man hasn’t left you any worse for wear.”
    She smiled and stepped into his embrace, letting him crush her against his barrel chest. “I manage to hold my own.” He squeezed her arms and let her go. “Griff, may I present Edson. He is planning to enter the Lyceum next year. We thought it would be good to give him a taste of the city ahead of time.”
    “Good, good, another set of hands,” bellowed Griff with a laugh. “Will he be joining us tomorrow night?”
    “Of course,” Cecily said.
    “Excellent. Do we have some stories for you, my lad. You want to hear about the rages of war? We can tell you all about it. The battles, the blood, the heroism,” Griff said, and he swung his hand as if brandishing a sword.
    Edson’s eyes were wide and Cecily patted Griff’s arm. “Don’t get him too excited, Griff, you’re going to scare him.”
    As she checked the contents of their wagon, Cecily noticed another familiar face, quietly inspecting the hitch and lashings. She caught Serv’s eye and smiled. Griff and Serv had been friends and business partners as long as she had known them. Daro had worked with them as a merchant guard for years before he’d met Cecily. Serv had short sandy-blond hair and light blue eyes, and he kept his face clean shaven. He wore a vest that came to his waist in front and curved to trail down past his knees in back. Beneath was a long tunic of muted green and loose brown pants tucked into tall boots with brass buckles. He always wore his worn leather sword belt, and his curved northern-style blade hung at his hip. His Wielding ability was small but effective. A quick flick of Serv’s hand and an enemy would find their foot stuck to the floor or their blade stuck in its sheath. He gave her a slight nod and touched his hand to his forehead.
    They made their way up the low incline away from the docks toward the city gates. The huge walls towered above them and the guards at the gate checked all who passed through. Daro and Griff led the horses in front. Cecily could hear their voices but couldn’t quite make out their words. Speaking of business, she assumed. Griff and Serv were well-respected merchants, both in Halthas itself and in the neighboring kingdoms. Most of the goods Daro intended to sell would go through them, although Daro would deal with some of his customers directly. Most of Cecily’s books would be sold through them as well, particularly the ones bound for the Lyceum. It saved her the trouble of dealing with the administration of her former school, as she hadn’t exactly left on good terms. She sighed as she thought about the bridges she’d burned in the city.
    Serv walked alongside the wagon,