38 Familiar blacksmith

Even though Martell was perplexed by the girl who was walking in the front, he continued to follow them, only this time he was not invisible. His eyes did not leave the girl who had intrigued him, while his thoughts were somewhere else. 'Is she the one who is destined to save us?' He wondered, but without in vain. He did not know anything about the girl, nor did he know what she was. 'I should talk to the Lord about this.'

Martell averted his gaze when he smelt ash around him and saw a small blacksmith's workshop, just outside the carriage parking area. He had already written the message he wanted to convey to Lord. Now, all that remained was to send it to him. "Kind Sir," He approached the old man who was busy hammering his tools, strengthening them.

The old man, whose cheeks were tainted with soot, stared at him waiting for him to continue. "Do you mind telling me where I can find the library?" Martell queried, trying to remember where he had seen the familiar man. However, he could not recall who he was and where he had seen him.

"Go straight," The man spoke up, his gruff voice seeking Martell's complete attention. "Take the second left, and at the intersection, take the right path. You will find the library on the way." The man remained seated in his place, and Martell cried inwardly at his failed plan.

"Could you please tell me once again? I forgot." Martell requested, and even before the man could speak again, he turned back facing the road. "I should take the second right from here. And then, where do I go?" Martell pointed, and the blacksmith sighed lightly, getting up from his seat.

"Go straight and take the second left." He repeated his words, and Martell smiled at his success. When the man was busy guiding him, he threw the letter he had kept ready, seeing it burn completely and disappear as though it was never there in the first place.

"Kind Sir," Once his task was done, Martell interrupted the man who was still busy directing him. "I got it. Thank you very much for your help." With a polite nod, he escaped from the place, following the group, who were busy taking a look at the shop that sold good quality clothes at cheap rates.

The old blacksmith smiled seeing the man hurry away from him, and he looked at the fire behind him. "Did you think I did not notice what you did, Martell?" With a shake of his head, he got back to work, his smile lingering on his lips.

Meanwhile, the oblivious Martell stood at the opposite shop, keeping an eye on the girl and old woman, while reminiscing his good days at the capital before the unforeseen incident had happened. The moment he remembered the incident that had destroyed his life, Martell's eyes lost their mischief, and agony and sorrow filled it. However, the expression vanished as fast as it had appeared, and he reverted to his old self.

Lily was entertaining the girls' small requests one by one as it was their first visit to the capital, even though she wanted to visit the library as soon as possible. The sooner she visited the place, the sooner she would find out Samantha's identity. 

The shopman showed another set of clothes, and Itri's face brightened the light blue dress. She had never seen anything so mesmerizing, and she wanted to dress to herself. 'This is so beautiful.' She breathed and felt the soft material slip between her fingers. However, she could only admire the dress from afar. Even though the shop sold the clothes at cheaper rates, she could still not afford them.

Samantha too wanted to feel the material, and she removed one of her gloves. However, the moment she did so, Lily smacked her hand and slipped the glove back, covering her palms. "What did I tell you, Samantha?" She reprimanded softly, her voice barely audible. "Do not remove gloves at any cost. Bear this in mind."

"But, Madam Lily..." Samantha frowned, Lily's strange words bewildering her.

"Samantha, dear. Please do as I say. I'll explain everything to you later. Please." Lily pleaded, and unable to see the old woman's beseeching gaze, Samantha gave up on defying her. 

"Okay, Madam Lily. I'll do as you say."

"Thank you, dear. Thank you."

"So, dear lady, do you want to buy the dress?" The shopman queried, eying the girl who was dressed in simple clothes. Although he was disgusted to see the group who did not seem to belong to any aristocratic families, he still decided to humor them. 

Itri gazed at the dress in yearning before she dropped it. "No. Madam Lily, Samantha, let's go." The girl walked away from the shop. Itri was sure that if she stayed another moment, she would not be able to leave the bewitching dress she could never buy in her lifetime.

Martell, who had been observing the two women, did not miss this small interaction, and he titled his head, staring at the girl's hands. 'Why is the lady trying to cover the girl's hands? Is something wrong with them?' Martell had the sudden urge to burn the gloves, and he could do it if he wanted, given his powers. But he knew that doing so would cause a huge commotion, and that was the last thing he had in mind. 'I do not want curious glances at the girl. If she is who I assume her to be, then she must be well and safe.'

"Mother, shall we take a break and have something? The girls must be hungry and thirsty." Nigel suggested, taking a glimpse at Samantha, whose forehead was coated with a thin line of sweat. Itri looked at Lily hopefully, waiting for the woman to agree. Although she was excited to explore the capital, she was starving, and her throat was begging for some water. The long journey from Soren had rendered her exhausted.

Lily too was famished, and she agreed with her son right away. In a hurry to find out about Samantha after the incident at the dining hall, Lily had forgotten to have her breakfast, and now, her stomach was begging for food. The group settled for a small inn just a lane away from the marketplace and ordered their food. 

Meanwhile, Martell watched them enter the inn, and he narrowed his eyes in annoyance. 'Why didn't anyone invite me? I am hungry too, and this old man here needs a lot more food than anybody does.' He grumbled, patting his stomach lightly. An idea struck his mind, and he smiled in mischief. He too entered the inn in his invisible form, and fortunately, Samantha was facing away from him to notice him.

Martell looked around the inn, searching for a seat from where he could put his plans into action. Although the place was small, he could smell delicious food being prepared in the kitchen, and that was enough for his complaints to vanish. 'This would do.' He then chose a seat closest to the kitchen and sat on the chair. 'I can still see the group from here, and the kitchen is accessible quite easily. Perfect.' He clapped, imagining how stupefied the owner would be once he put his tricks into action.