? The Path of Fire (Path of Light and Fire Book #1)(Completed) ?

Chapter 2.4: That's Not My Name

"I won't even charge you interest," Shino said. "Having a foothold with Darren is more than enough."

He gathered up a handful of five hundred piece zen in a leather pouch and handed it to Sabin. "Here you go dear. Do come back if you're ever in need."

They were silver instead of the copper zen Sabin was used to seeing and heavy in his hand. Sabin bowed to the man. "Thank you."

"Look at him and his manners, right?" Cara said and chuckled. "See you around Shino."

"Always a pleasure love."

Sabin glared at Pisato, the giant guard, on the way out. The man didn't open his eyes, but he snorted instead, before pushing the door open.

"Not so bad right?" Cara patted him on the back. "Now let's get you a horse."

Sabin followed her to the horse markets. While Sabin was unhappy with some of the liberties she had taken, he was no fool. Cara proved herself more than capable with Shino. Sabin could admit there was no way he could have navigated that ordeal.

He was still a bit uncomfortable trusting Cara, though. Tactics said that to trust a thief to keep his word is to trust a lover to give honest counsel. But he couldn't travel with her if he didn't trust her. Can I?

The horse markets held none of the excitement of Shino's shop. There was a call by the king and most horses were shipped to the capital. Occasionally, Sabin would see a horse and get excited, only to have the owner tell him it was a personal horse or a breeder and they were not selling.

As Sabin was about to give up and head to the Inn for the night, a horse caught his eye. It was a black destrier with a red and black colored saddle, colors similar to his sheath. The vender looked familiar, as he brushed the coat. As he turned, Sabin felt his hopes of a horse wash away. Of course, the man recognized Sabin and Cara also.

"Now I see," the man said, eyeing the both of them. "You two were working together, come to finish me off, eh?"

"Actually, I wanted to buy that horse from you," Sabin started, knowing that there was no way this guy would sell to him. "First, I must make amends. How much did she take from you?"

He looked at Sabin even more skeptically then. "Four hundred zen."

Four hundred zen?! Amazing! And she was struggling to make it? Sabin removed a silver from his pouch and held it out to the man.

"Is this some sort of trick?"

Sabin shook his head. "No trick, an apology."

The man took the silver and bit it with his back teeth. Satisfied, he slipped it into his inner pouch.

"I suppose I can forgive you." The man's were still narrowed. "Silver is silver, but keep sticky fingers away from me. The name's Harper."

"Sabin," Sabin said, extending his hand. Harper took it and shook it. "So about that horse; would you be willing to sell it to me?"

"I would love to. That animal has given me no shortage of bumps and bruises. But I haven't fully broken it yet. The animal would only allow me to put that particular saddle on it, but not do much else. The king's recruiters wanted nothing to do with it."

Sabin looked at the horse. It seemed like it was talking to him, but he couldn't understand what it was saying. But the more he saw it, he knew he was right.

Sabin jumped the fence enclosing the horse. "May I?"

"Sure," Harper said. "Can't say I didn't warn you."