The Butcher Shop

Vayr drove the small cart through the city streets, Shin Chen beside him on the seat. The innkeeper, their current employer and hostess, had asked them to pick up her order at the butcher's. She had offered them a map, but Vayr politely declined. He had been to the butcher's shop only once before, but he had no trouble finding it again.

Vayr reined the cart ponies to a halt in front of the butcher shop. He and Shin Chen jumped down from the cart and headed inside. Vayr pulled out the list their hostess had given him.

Inside, they were greeted by Theron, a large, bearded man wearing a bloodstained apron, and by a young woman with long brown braids and a friendly smile. She was the Moss woman’s friend, Vayr realised, the one who had kept the baby while Mrs Moss had brought Vayr, Shin Chen, and the others to her family farm and asked them to rescue her family from the goblins who had kidnapped them. Was the young woman married to the butcher?

The moment Shin Chen recognised her was obvious, as the Human all but tripped over his own feet.

“Good morning, gentlemen!” Theron said. He scanned Shin Chen quickly, then smiled in recognition at Vayr. “Vayr, isn’t it? Madame must pay well, for you to keep running errands for her.”

“Well enough,” Vayr acknowledged. He approached the counter with the list. “This is what she needs today.”

Elbow-deep in making sausage, Theron tilted his head toward the young woman. “Tana will take care of that for you.”

Tana stepped forward and took the list with another smile, mostly aimed at Shin Chen. “Thank you so much for helping Millie and her family. They still talk about you. All of you,” she added quickly, her cheeks turning pink.

Shin Chen had come up beside Vayr. He was blushing now too. “It was our– I mean, we were happy to help.”

Vayr glanced back and forth between the two of them. He thought he finally understood Aramil’s knowing look when he had first seen the way Shin Chen stared at Tana.

But Theron… Vayr glanced at the butcher. The man was watching Tana and Shin Chen, but not jealously. His gaze was soft when on Tana, but more curious or perhaps critical when on Shin Chen. Not her husband, then. Maybe her brother. He looked too young to be her father. But then, Vayr had never been very good at judging Humans’ ages.

Still blushing, Tana turned away and began to collect the items from their list. Shin Chen’s gaze followed her until Theron cleared his throat.

“My name is Theron,” the butcher said. “And you are…?”

Shin Chen all but snapped to attention. For a moment Vayr thought he might salute. “Shin Chen, sir.”

“A friend of his?” Theron tilted his head toward Vayr.

“Yes sir.”

“And I see you’ve already met my daughter.”

Vayr decided to give up trying to guess Humans’ ages.

“Ye– Yes sir,” Shin Chen stammered.

Theron smiled. “Relax, lad. I’m not going to bite your head off. Or chop it off, for that matter. Not as long as your intentions toward Tana are honourable.”

Tana dropped a package of meat. Once she picked it up, she turned around. “Papa!”

“Intentions, sir?”

Theron’s smile widened. “I have eyes, lad.” He glanced at Tana, then back at Shin Chen. “Why don’t you come over for dinner tomorrow night?”

“I– Um– Thank you, sir.”

Tana brought several packages to the counter and set them down, the list beside them. “I think this is everything.”

“Thank you.” Vayr paid for the meat with the money from their employer. He and Shin Chen picked up the packages and carried them out to the cart, though not before Shin Chen had promised that yes, he would be back for dinner the following day.

Back in the cart, Vayr picked up the reins and guided the two solid ponies onto the street that would take them back to the inn. “Intentions, huh?”

Shin Chen blushed as red as Tana had. “That’s not– I just…” He stopped and shrugged, sighing. “She’s beautiful, Vayr.”

Vayr nodded. “She is.” He looked at Shin Chen out of the corner of his eye and grinned. “So, congratulations?”

Shin Chen smacked his arm. “Shut up.”

Vayr laughed.

~End~