Stalls lined the roads, filled with fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. Roche stumbled as a gaggle of children ran in front of her. At her side, Tigris rolled her eyes.

"Can you walk normally for once?" the princess snapped. Roche shrugged, too distracted to let the insult stick. It was hard to concentrate in such a large crowd. They were packed shoulder to shoulder, weaving between people and vendors. Suddenly, Aodh shouted,

"There!" He pointed. Tigris grabbed Finn's wrist as they plowed forward towards one of the larger stalls. As they approached, Roche heard the gentle nickering and whinnying of horses. The crowd parted enough for her to glimpse the large horses. They seemed to be healthy, but horses weren't really her thing.

"How much for four?" Aodh asked the stablehand. The ginger rubbed his beard.

"Ah, that'll cost ya. Fifty gold pieces."

Aodh's eyes bugged out of his head. "FIFTY?"

"Aye," the man tenderly fiddled with the mane of the closest horse. "They're fine beasts. Can't let em' go for less."

"They look healthy." Tigris muttered to Aodh. He spun around towards her.

"Do you know how much we have?" he hissed, "Because if we spend all of our money on a few horses-"

The sounds of the siblings bickering faded as Roche felt an awareness prick the edges of her consciousness. She stiffened, looking around. A sinking kind of dread filled her, blurring out the world until all she could hear was the steady thump of her pulse. She could feel something tickling the inkblood in her veins. It felt familiar.

Too familiar.

Roche glanced at the arguing siblings before she tugged Finn's arm.

"I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to see if I can find us some food." Roche whispered. Finn blindly reached for her, but Roche was already melting into the crowd. She was glad for the hood obscuring her face as she crept forward, stumbling into strangers drunkenly as she blindly followed the tug clouding her mind.

She hadn't realised how dark this part of the market was until she was there. There were no children racing around, and certainly no food. This part of the market was desolate, with almost no shoppers around. Unease crept into her throat. Why would inkblood be here?

That was when she saw it. A single, solitary stall tucked into the shadows. A small crowd had formed around it, exchanging hushed murmurs. They were all dressed in long cloaks, wearing hoods or masks obscuring their faces, like Roche. Against her logic, Roche tiptoed closer, heart pounding.

A wild smell filled the air, familiar and pungent. The vials of inkblood were lined up carefully, dark and sloshing. It swirled in the glass vials, pressing against the cork stoppers holding it at bay.

"How much for one?" one of the shoppers hissed. The hooded vendor kept his face shrouded.

"Two hundred gold pieces."

"Highway robbery!" someone else yelped, "Last week it was seventy five silvers!"

The vendor seemed to grimace. He looked up enough for his obsidian eyes to glare at the offending customer. "My stock's low this week. Most of it was bought out yesterday by a traveler. You're lucky there's anything left! Now, do you want it or not?"

A traveler? Roche bit her lip, drawing closer.

"You know my child needs it." the customer said icily, "That inkblood can't heal him without some more. You didn't give me enough last time."

The vendor lowered his gaze respectfully. "I'm sorry, Loretta. Truly. But this is all I've got."

"Well let's hope it's enough."

Vials and jingling coins exchanged hands. Loretta disappeared into the shadows. Roche pressed closer, watching as the inkblood in the vials seemed to press against the glass towards her. She gulped, lowering her voice to a clipped rasp.

"Who bought out your stock?" she asked. The vendor paused, tilting his head.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Uh..." Come on Roche, think of something! Act like Tigris or something! "I want to know if they're selling too!" she yelped. The vendor sneered at her.

Crap.

"Go take your chances with that creep, then! She's still staying in the lodge and planning on using all of the stock I sold her. I guarantee she won't give them to you, and certainly not for a better price." the vendor snapped, flicking his wrist to dismiss her. Roche made an affronted sound, but noticed that more inkblood was creeping up the side of the glass vials like it wanted to escape and follow her. She was beginning to draw looks from the other customers. So she tutted and turned around, hurrying back to the market. Her chest only loosened when she was back in a crowded section of the market, in front of some dried food stall.

"Roche!"

She spun around, finding Aodh and Tigris storming towards her, dragging Finn by the arm behind them like a lost puppy on a leash. She tried to slow her heart's pounding.

"No horses, then?" she asked. Tigris glared.

"We're going to get them when we leave. Now, back to you! You can't just run off like that without telling us! You could've gotten lost." Tigris snapped.

Roche scowled. "I told Finn where I was going."

"Finn doesn't count, he's as harebrained as you! We found him trying to go after you." Aodh snapped, flicking the youngest royal in the forehead. Finn squawked in protest as Roche smirked.

"Aww, were you two worried about me? That's so touching!" she teased, placing her hand on her chest. To her delight, their faces turned red.

"Shut up!" Aodh and Tigris shouted simultaneously. Roche giggled, letting the tension fall from her shoulders.

"Alright, alright. So, I found some food."

"Yeah about that..." Tigris said, rubbing the back of her neck, "You can only get a few things. We spent the rest on waterskins and the horses. We only have a few gold pieces left over and even fewer silvers."

Concern knotted Roche's stomach. "How few?"

The princess bit her lip apprehensively. "Ten," she admitted. Roche gasped.

"I can't even buy a vegetable with that!"

"Oh cheer up!" Tigris exclaimed, "We know how to forage and hunt. All you have to do is cook."

Roche felt ready to burst into tears. "But... my spices!"

"Sorry, Roche. Hopefully we'll have more next time." Finn said to the back of a rather burly customer, who looked alarmed when he noticed the boy talking to him. Tigris snickered, and Finn scowled. "Roche?"

"I'm over here, Finn." Roche muttered desolately. She turned to the vendor. "We'll take those herbs, please. Dried and powdered." She looked longingly at the spices that they couldn't afford. Oh well. She'd gotten used to Verita's cooking by now, she could survive some bland food for a little while.

"Finn! Where are you going?" Roche turned at Aodh's shout, tucking away her newly acquired herbs. Tigris was chasing after her brother. Roche's heart sank as she realised where the prince was wandering off too. Roche hurried after them.

Finn was following a cloaked figure into the desolate area of the market. "I'm following Roche!" he called over his shoulder.

Tigris caught up to him first, grabbing him by the shoulder. "She's over there, idiot!" Tigris huffed, "I'm starting to think we need to put you on a leash."

"Well, I've got the herbs. Let's get the horses and get out of here." Roche said, trying to keep her nervousness out of her voice. Tigris nodded, looking around.

"Sure, which way is..." the princess' voice trailed off as she glanced down the alley, her eyes catching on the huddle of cloaked figures.

"Tigris?" Finn asked into the ensuing silence. "What's wrong?"

One by one, the cloaked figures turned, their shoulders stiff.

"Tigris?" the shopkeeper asked nervously, "As in... Princess Tigris?"

Tigris narrowed her eyes. "What's in those vials?"

"Nothing! Just some oils." the vendor lied smoothly as his customers began edging away, vials hidden in their sleeves. Tigris' eyes narrowed. She and Aodh stalked forward like one prowling beast. Roche clutched Finn's arm.

"Roche," the prince spoke softly, but his voice still echoed around the silent alley. "What is it?"

Roche saw the moment the princess realised what was in those glass vials. She reared back, her teeth bared with disgust.

"Put on your glasses, Finn." Tigris seethed, tugging her sword out of her scabbard with a metallic screech. "We've found some inkbloods."

A/N: 😯 What do you think Tigris is going to do?