Read Chased By Fire (Book 1) for Free Online

“He doesn’t know what he’s done,” she said quietly, frowning.
    “Who?”  
    She looked at him as if realizing that he had been there the entire time, shaking her head again. Hair that had been pulled tight did not move with the motion. She lightly touched the locket at her neck before answering, taking a deep breath as she did. “It’s customary to allow the Aeta to trade within the walls of town.”
    The only other times the Aeta had visited, their wagons had circled the town square and a weeklong festival had accompanied the trading. The Mother had said the visit would be brief and he wondered now how long the Aeta would stop in Nor.
    “They are the wanderers,” his mother continued, “and their history is one marked with much sadness.” She shook her head, staring at the Aeta now departing their wagons. “It’s customary to provide shelter and give them a sense of home, if only briefly.” She sighed, as if thinking of a terrible memory, before turning back to face town. “There is something off here.”
    “How do you know?”
    She sniffed. “Tannen,” she scolded, “I know you sense it. In spite of their past, the Aeta are a happy people. Something has happened that’s made them somber and careful. I worry what that might be.”  
    Tan looked back at the Aeta and saw the beautiful Amia staring unabashedly at him from behind one of the wagons. As he turned, his heart started hammering wildly again. He turned away and hurried to catch up to his mother.
    She looked over, as if knowing his thoughts. “Finish your chores before you chase that girl.”
    “I’m not chasing—” he protested.
    “I saw your eyes. And I know how young men think.” A distant note came to her voice as she hurried back to the manor house.

CHAPTER 5
A Pig and a Rat

    Tan cleaned the stables faster than he had ever managed before. Thoughts of missed opportunities to watch the Aeta hurried his work. But more than just the Aeta, he wanted to see Amia again. Even the thought of her made his palms sweaty.  
    The moon shone brightly in the cloudless night sky. The sound of laughter and hundreds of voices all talking at the same time echoed from the edge of town. Had he finished the chore he’d promised his mother before tracking the prints into the forest, he would have been free to watch the trading. Now he missed some of the early excitement.
    He followed the sounds, passing the small shops at the center of town and the rough stone homes on the edge of town until he reached the low town wall and passed through. As he did, he realized his mother was right. It felt wrong for the Aeta to camp on the other side of the wall. Why should the wall separate them from Nor, if even for a night?  
    The scene was much different than it had been earlier in the day. Lanterns blazed bright, illuminating wagons and traders. The wagons formed a circle, and each had a table folded down and stacked with items for sale or trade. The Aeta stood beside each table and called out to passersby, though truly most were already engaged in conversation. A large throng of people moved through the middle of the wagons, most talking and laughing. Some locals pushed carts through the crowd selling food or crafts. Several fire pits had been erected and their wide flames lit the night.
    In spite of the trading, something seemed off. Tan couldn’t quite place what he felt. Most of the Aeta were quick to make a sale or traded easily for the steel local craftsmen were known for. There was not the joy upon the faces of the Aeta he remembered, nor the frantic energy from them as they pressed each transaction.  
    Tan tripped and bumped into someone as he moved through the circle of wagons. “I’m sorry…” He trailed off as he turned and saw Amia. The thin band of silver at her neck gleamed softly in the lantern light.
    She tilted her head at him, considering for a moment. “You.”
    “I’m sorry.” His mouth suddenly felt dry. He licked his lips, trying