33rd Ymiden, 717
Lei'lira hated coming into the city. Being very much a country girl at heart, she hated the noise and confusion of Andaris. She also hated the need to constantly be on the lookout for pickpoctets. It was true that back home in Warrick, bandits were a threat. There was no getting around that. But they were more of a threat to travelers in her experience. Hearing about them robbing someone on the road was a common occurrence. But it was far less common to hear of them attacking someone in their own farm. And the farmers' markets were well guarded, so it was less likely for someone to be robbed there than it was in the city.
To make matters worse, Andaris was Drayas's territory. Even though she knew that he was dead, she half expected him to jump out of the crowd and attack her. Because of that, she didn't feel safe. Perhaps most importantly, she resented having to leave her farm for any length of time. There was always so much to do there that whenever she had to leave for any reason, she felt as though she was neglecting her duties. It made her feel guilty in some ways, and she felt as though the time spent away from her farm could be better spent doing something with her horses. But if this trip resulted in her being able to free Eri, then it would be well worth it. There was very little she wouldn't do if it meant that she could free the young girl that she had come to see as a daughter.
As Lei'lira moved through the crowd, she paused to check the bounty board. It was a long shot, but there was always a chance that she might find news of Eri's older sister posted on the board. If the woman had been enslaved, and managed to escape, it was possible that a bounty would be posted for her return. There was a darker possibility as well. If Eri's sister had been killed, her body might have been found. And if there were any innocent witnesses, the might have reported the death to the Iron Hand. So it was just possible that news of it had been posted on the bounty board. There were several bounties listed, but Lei'lira didn't see anything that might hint at the whereabouts or fate of Eri's older sister. Despite not really expecting to find any news, Lei'lira was still disappointed as she and Eri continued on their way.