She huffed out a long breath and slightly glared at me. So, In an attempt to finally switch topic to something lighter, I suggested: "Do you want to go eat something now?" She immideantly calmed down, grinned and nodded while muttering something about how she could eat a horse. "How about we get fried cricket skewers at Jaswyn's market stall?" I knew she loved them so it was always the first thing I suggested, even when they tasted like mud to me. There is this shine in her eyes whenever I suggest to get them and like every time she answers "If you want to" because she doesn't want to admit just how much she loves them but the tone in her voice and the look in her eyes immediately show her true emotions, she's always been an open book to me.
About ten minutes later we stood in front of Jaswyn's market stand and Eloria was humming in delight as she took a bit of one of the two cricket skewers she was currently holding. "Tasty?" I asked grinning, already knowing the answer. She just made an acknowledging sound, too busy with her food to answer me. I don't even like the smell of the skewers but to see her happy face I would eat a whole mountain of them even though I hate them as much as I do. And as I looked away from her to let her enjoy her favourite food without getting interrupted my eyes collided with something interesting: A pair of eyes, it would be nothing suspicious if it weren't eyes that were so strangely coloured, one eye blue and the other one a deep...purple. They were clearly looking my way when I spotted them but the moment our eyes met they quickly averted their gaze and disappeared into the crowd. "What the..." "What's going on?", Eloria asked, giving me her attention back because she finished her skewers. "I just thought I saw something...strange, but forget about it, it's fine." I wasn't even sure if I imaged it or if it was just a coincidence our eyes met so I shouldn't tell her, she would just worry over nothing. "Hey kids, everything alright?", Jaswyn asked from behind her side of the counter.
We come here at least once a week, so we formed a friendship with her over the years despite or age difference, she was also the one who taught me most of my sword skills. Until a few years ago she was one of the best royal knights the kingdom has ever seen but due to a heavy injury she received in the battle of talvamari she became unable to fight and had to leave the army. After that she wanted to have a calm, peaceful life in a smaller town but I kept annoying her until she agreed to train me. I was a very stubborn child.
"Yeah, all good, I just thought I saw something but it's nothing, no need to worry." I quickly explained, it's not that I'm uncomfortable with her or anything, no, she's my mentor and role model, but she's still quite intimidating. "Maybe that's why she has practically no costomers", I thought to myself. Jaswyn is very different from other women. She's really huge and muscular. She always told us stories about how she is half bear when we were little and honestly, it's a good comparison, she could probably crush windpipes with just one hand if she needed to. Her greying hair is always in warrior braids, letting her rather dark skin and brown eyes stand out even more.
She always looks ready for a fight even though she doesn't battle anymore and that's part of why I like her so much, if necessary she wouldn't just fight to protect herself, I know she would enjoy crushing the person that dared to challenge her. With us she is more like a mother bear though. "Okay then. Have you both eaten enough? You can't just always eat cricket skewers, Eloria, they are too little to be counted as a real meal and you two are still growing!" Jaswyn said as she looked us up and down with worried eyes. "We are seventeen years old, we are practically adults, I don't think we will grow anymore.", I countered, she really does worry to much about us, we will be just fine.
" You are both still toddlers in comparison to me, at least in size and you can always grow. And even if you don't, your body needs the nutrients for other thing too. Like your sword practice, Khestri. Promise me that you two will eat more when you get home." Jaswyn demanded of us and her look made it clear that she's not going to accept a 'no'. I smiled up at her, "I promise." And after Eloria promised it too we said goodbye and started walking towards our homes. But even though I promised, I don't know if we have anything edible at home.
My mother died in the great battle of talvamari like many other warriors and after her death my father drank himself to his grave too, he just loved her too much and her loss broke him, lovesick fool. I'm never going to become like him.