The cook had the proper directions, and gave him a boxed lunch as well. It was a market day, so the streets were full of eager merchants and artisans, hawking their goods. Joshua was more accustomed to the sleep storefronts on the other side of the city. Would be buyers were cheerfully haggling over every [...]

The promised celebration was duly carried out, and friends came and went through the kitchen, grabbing little bits of candy and other sweets—such as the little cakes called pieta, or “saint’s bread”—whenever they thought Mrs. Terwin was not paying attention. Everyone was full of questions, first for Eric, then after Joshua’s mysterious tale, for him [...]

“So, Joshua,” Cray began, “Do you have anyone in mind to apprentice yourself to?” Joshua frowned slightly. “Well, no. We don’t live near the district where most of the artisans set up shop. I was hoping that I might have a better idea of where to go after talking with the representatives here. I hadn’t [...]

Mr. Terwin simply looked…proud. There were no better words to describe it. He smiled down at his two sons. He had always been evenhanded with the two of them, treating them both as his biological children. Mrs. Terwin returned victorious, with a picnic basket in hand. “My dear boys, so grown up,” she said softly. [...]

Mr. and Mrs. Terwin, his adoptive parents, were busy playing eager hosts to the entire Terwin clan, which miraculously enough fit in the small confines of their kitchen and dining room. Joshua spotted Uncle Cray chatting easily with Eric at the end of the far table. His Aunt Clara and Uncle Jacob were deep in [...]