Canvas, Day Two, part one.

((That awkward moment when it stops but isn't enough for a whole chapter.))

The howling wind had quieted by morning. Ania rose early, and started off for the market, her boots crunching in the newly-fallen snow.

She passed the place where the man had stopped her the night before, pausing to glance around now that the rosy glow of sunrise better illuminated the buildings around her. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a closed ironworks and a former hotel that was now home to practically anyone who walked in.

Ania frowned slightly. Maybe it had been the next block over, where there was a police station, and the man had been a constable from the night watch. That was more likely, though you'd think he would've had some sort of uniform. Then again, it had been dark...

She put the thought from her mind as she reached the market plaza. Many of the vendors were still setting up their stands, but there were several food carts and a few stores open for business. Ania stepped into a bakery and purchased a large loaf of bread.

The baker nodded. "Would you like some mustard with that, Miss Britta?"

Ania blinked. What an odd thing to ask. "It's Ania, Britta's sister. And, um, no thank you. Just the bread."

The baker frowned, then felt about for his spectacles. He located them dangling from a chain around his neck, and put them on, squinting at her. "Why so you are. I apologize, my eyes are getting old."

He put the bread in a sack and handed it to her, then went upstairs to find change for the gold coin. Ania waited patiently. When the baker returned, she took the coins and went next door to see if the apothecary was open. It wasn't. Nor was it open when she'd bought all the food she would need for the day. She looked away from the closed door, an expression of hopelessness appearing in her eyes as her gaze fell on the face of the nearby clock tower. Karina would be awake soon.

She hurried home, stopping several times to make sure she didn't lose any of her precious purchases. Each time she stopped, so did the man several meters behind her. She didn't see him in the crowd.