Disclaimer: The world and characters of Emelan belong to Tamora Pierce, not to me. Written for 100W Week at Goldenlake.

Mutual Pasts

Evvy was born in Yanjing; Briar doesn't know where his father came from. But they are both from Sotat, and they both remember what it was to be a street rat. And they both were in Gyongxe.

When Briar stares too long at men with gray-green eyes, Evvy looks them over too. When she gobbles down food like it might disappear, he understands. When he flinches at her novice uniform, she brings him back to Winding Circle.

And when Evvy's father finds her in Summersea, Briar tells him Evvy's not for sale: not for two silver davs, or two thousand.