Dwayberry could have stopped by the workshop herself, but she thought it best to make an appointment this way, so that she could be sure if Grazilda still wanted to meet her, and if said meeting would be at the workshop or elsewhere. After all, Dwayberry wasn't a popular presence in Cork. The only ones who seemed to want to be in her presence where the group of street urchins who followed her around at a short distance whenever she sat foot outside. Undoubtedly, they were waiting for something exciting to happen with the outlaw lady who carried a white flag with her at all times. Other people snorted, looked away, or yelled things at her. Occasionally, a peasant who didn't understand the meaning of the white flag, or perhaps just didn't care enough about it, would throw a handful of mud or snow at her.
Grazilda may be the only citizen of Cork who liked Dwayberry, and she didn't want to get her friend in trouble. After all, the woman belonged to Rieron's family, and Rieron could have spies to track Dwayberry's every move in Cork. Who knows, the street urchins may be spies? Dwayberry didn't want anyone spreading a message that she came to Grazilda's workshop for malicious reasons. She may be fearless, but she wasn't entirely stupid. A band of angry Dalakois would be too much for her to handle by herself.
Dwayberry had handed a letter for Grazilda to the street urchin, together with a handful of freznics and a promise of more to come if the girl returned to her with a written response from Grazilda.
"Meet me at the inn when you're done. Just deliver it, don't read it," she said. She fully expected the girl would read it if she was indeed a spy, but then she would know Dwayberry wanted nothing other than spend some time with an old friend.
The girl, however, had looked at Dwayberry as if she grew a second head. "I don't read," she said, almost sounding insulted, before she ran off.
Dwayberry returned to the inn where she was staying and waited there for the street urchin to return.
~
The girl ran as fast as she could to the Breaking Bones workshop. White Flag must have chosen her because she was the tallest and fastest of the group. She was happy. For several days, they had waited for the wealthy looking outlaw to drop a freznic or two, and it finally happened.
Once she arrived at the shop, the girl took a moment to catch her breath, then began to knock loudly on the door. Before anyone could answer the door, she already said, loud and clear: "I got this letter for miss Grazilda from White Flag... er, I mean from miss Dwayberry!"
The letter reads
Dear Grazilda, I promised to stop by for tea and gossip. I'm sorry it took me a while. I hope you're still available, tonight or tomorrow? I will bring klahua cake. Please let me know. Your friend, Dwayberry | ||