I promise I had this entire chapter finished for at least two weeks. My overworked dumb ass didn’t upload it and then promptly forgot that I didn’t upload it. I apologize to those of you waiting for this chapter, but it’s here now, don’t be mad at me 🙂
Miranda II
“Let me tell you a story,” Miranda said. She’s just finished preparing dinner and was sitting around the kitchen table with Rimah and Moroc. Their son was fast asleep on a pillow in the corner of the room, exhausted from chasing bugs. “When Liari was still a child she once came to me and asked me about this tree. She was worried that the tree would feel ticklish. Obviously I didn’t get what she meant at first, but then she proceeded to explain to me that we were walking around inside of it, and it must be ticklish. She said that if someone would walk around in her body that would also feel ticklish.”
Rimah smiled. “That’s adorable.”
“I know, right? I had to explain to her that although plants and trees and flowers were alive in their own way, just like us, they didn’t feel things the same way as us. The tree likely didn’t mind that we built a library inside of it, as long as it could still collect the water from the rain and the sunlight that fed it.” Miranda chuckled. “Guess what she said next?”
“What did she say?”
“She said that we should put some tea bags near the base of the tree so it would get some nice tea instead of water for a change.”
Both Moroc and Rimah bursted out in laughter. “That’s so precious, I love it.” Moroc looked over at his son, who was still curled up in a ball. “I hope he turns out half as curious as Liari did.”
“I’m sure he will,” Rimah replied.
Traveling from Larania all the way to the harbor in K’Tapur would take them a couple of weeks. For starters, they needed to reach K’Mirah to talk to Charlotte’s contact. K’Mirah was in the center of the kingdom and although it wasn’t as crowded as K’Tapur, it was almost as big. The royal family even had a second castle there, where they would spend quite a lot of time. Obviously all of that had been taken over by the Zanian soldiers now. After the capital fell, the rest of the country fell with it within a very short time. But before they could reach K’Mirah, several smaller villages dotted the road they were taking. The first of which, Sarivan, is where Liari and Charlotte would reach today. The weather continued to get more and more pleasant and the road was quiet although a few travelers passed them by every so often. Between Larania and Sarivan there wasn’t much and although there were villages to the north-east of Larania, none of those seemed to see a lot of travelers. Beyond them were the Zargahal mountains after all. “Shall we stop for lunch?” Liari suggested. They’d been walking for a few hours and her legs were starting to hurt. They sat down. “I’m not used to walking this much,” Liari admitted.
“I’m not doing much better than you,” Charlotte agreed. “But we’ll stop in Sarivan for a day or two to recover a bit.”
“What is Sarivan like?” Liari asked.
Charlotte thought for a bit. “It’s a rather unassuming village. If I remember correctly, it’s relatively small but it has a few shops and a quaint little tavern that I stayed at on my way here.”
“How were the people?”
“I didn’t really spend any time there besides sleeping and continuing. The innkeeper seemed nice though.”
“How much longer until we get there?”
Charlotte looked at the rolling hills ahead of them. “We should get there today, if all goes well.”
“Great.” Liari looked around at their environment. “You can see so far,” she remarked.
Charlotte smiled. “That’s what happens when there’s not a tree every other step.”
She sat down and pulled out her waterskin. There wasn’t a lot left, so it was good that they were almost at a village. This part of the country didn’t have too many lakes and rivers, so they had to be careful to not run out of water. Luckily they refilled to the brim in Larania and a nice side effect of running out of water was that their packs were getting lighter. That only worked because a village was nearby, otherwise it would be quite a problem.
Liari had wandered off a little bit and was reading a road sign. Charlotte laid down in the grass. It was still a bit wet from the rain but that didn’t bother her all that much. Where Liari had to get used to being outside of a forest, Charlotte felt much more claustrophobic when holed up in the Foxire library and was glad to have some open air around her. Different strokes for different folks. After a while, they each finished their meager lunch and they continued down the road. Rolling hills came and went and by late afternoon, as the sun was slowly going down but still in full view, they saw the first farmsteads that signaled the edge of where Sarivan was. “Another hour and we’ll be having a nice cold drink,” Charlotte said.
Sarivan was as quiet as Charlotte remembered it to be. There was one street that ran through the village where all the shops and the inn were adjacent to and there were a couple of small backstreets where people lived, but if you had a keen eye you could see the edge of the village from anywhere. Some farmers stared at them as they passed by the fields before continuing their work. The main street was fairly quiet as well, a few children playing with a leather ball and an older lady sitting on a bench watching them. Above the door to the inn was half a sign that read The Grumpy before it cut off. It must have broken off at some point and no one bothered to repair it. Charlotte opened the door and it creaked heavily, scraping along the floor for a bit before properly swinging open. The inn was small. Two round tables were set up with chairs around them and a few stools stood near the bar. In the back was a staircase that was steep and about as wide as a person. Behind the bar stood a young man with a bored look in his face who perked up a little bit at the sight of customers. “Good afternoon, how may I be of service?”
“We’re looking for a place to stay the night.” Charlotte said, putting some coins on the counter.
The man scooped them up and smiled. “May I ask what brings you to Sarivan?”
“We’re just traveling through the area, we’re making our way west.”
“I see, well there’s a room free on the first floor, here’s the key.”
“Thank you,” Charlotte said. She took the key and went up the stairs, Liari following shortly after. “Don’t you want to explore the town a bit?” She asked.
Charlotte shook her head. “I don’t know if it’s smart to show my face. News from the empire doesn’t really reach the library and although I asked elder Grahm if he knew, his knowledge was limited too. It does seem like there’s more soldiers running around and I’m hoping they’re not searching for me. I think the king has told people that my entire family was killed during the invasion, but he himself has to know that I wasn’t among the dead. There’s a good chance that I’m in danger if I’m spotted by the wrong person.”
“I see, you’re right.” Liari was a bit disappointed by this. She really hoped to have a look around town.
“We can take a short walk when it gets a bit darker out, I doubt I’ll be recognized that easily if I just wear my hood, but only a short walk.”
Liari perked up at this offer. “Let’s do that.”
They put their stuff down, Liari putting the chest at the foot of her bed. “Let’s get some food first,” she suggested. “I’ll go see what’s on offer.”
Liari walked downstairs and saw the innkeeper talking to someone at the door. He seemed a bit nervous when he saw Liari walk down the stairs. “Is there any food we can bring upstairs?” She asked.
He smiled nervously. “Of course, I have some stew going with some fresh bread, just wait a moment.” He went behind the counter and into the kitchen, coming back a moment later with two bowls of stew and some fresh bread that still had some steam coming off of it as well. “There you go.”
Liari took them and carefully walked back up the stairs to their room. They creaked ever so slightly as she was careful not to lose her balance with her hands full. This building was also mainly made out of wood, just like the library and Elder Grahm’s house, yet it felt so different to the two. It felt almost alien, not alive. It was hard for Liari to put into words but it made her a little bit sad. Her home and most of the houses in Larania were not so much taken from the forest but instead coexisted with it. They were almost living in a sense. This was just dead planks built into a shelter. Liari knew there was nothing wrong with that, most buildings were like that, but she also felt that it would take some getting used to. The door to their room was still open and she pushed it open further with her food. Charlotte was laying down with her eyes closed but she opened them to look up when Liari entered, before closing them again. She put the food on the small table in their room and closed the door. Charlotte sat back up and the two ate their food.
“I’m not super comfortable here,” Charlotte admitted. “I don’t know if I’m paranoid, but I feel like I’m being watched.”
“I feel the same way, but I think that’s for different reasons.”
Charlotte nodded. “Let’s leave early in the morning, I’d like to get out of the empire and onto a ship as quickly as possible.”
“You and I both.” They finished their meal and after putting the plates back on the counter, which seemed to be unattended at the moment, the duo made their way outside.
For how quiet Sarivan was as a town, Liari was still impressed by it. The stone buildings, the town square with the fountain, the patrolling guards, it was all new to her, and it took a lot out of her to take in all these new sights. Some of the shops were still open and at one of the stands they bought some meat on a stick to eat while they explored the town. The vendor was a friendly older man who gave them a discount for ordering two at once. Charlotte reckoned he did that for everyone though. They walked through the moonlit streets and when they got tired they sat down on a bench looking at the stars. “At least the night sky is the same here. Besides the lack of trees in the way.”
“It’s comforting though, to know that the stars will still be in the sky at the end of the day.”
“Yeah.” They sat in silence for a little while. They heard a commotion after a few moments and walked over. It turns out a few people had gathered in front of the inn. “What’s going on?” Charlotte asked a random elderly man.
“I’m not quite sure but a bunch of guards just went into the inn in a hurry.”
Charlotte’s face went pale and she looked at Liari. “Do you think?” Liari asked.
Charlotte nodded. “We need to go.”
“But my stuff is still inside.”
“We can’t risk it.”
It suddenly dawned on Liari. “That’s why the innkeeper seemed nervous when I went to pick up our food.”
“Shit,” Charlotte cursed as she grabbed Liari by the hand. “Let’s go.”
Downtrodden and shit out of luck, the duo fled the quiet town of Sarivan. After they made sure they were far away enough, they sat down and cried for a bit. “What did we lose?” Charlotte asked Liari.
“Most of my stuff, and most importantly the chest we got from my father. Luckily I had my other gifts on me, so I didn’t lose everything, but that’s a big loss. Could we go back for it?” She saw the look in Charlotte’s eyes and knew the answer. It wasn’t happening. She was probably right, her entire family was killed by the usurpers, so there’s no way she would walk back into a village that was actively looking for her. Still, Liari wondered if she could go back in alone. After thinking about it for a few moments she knew that wasn’t happening either. It would be far too risky, there would probably be guards waiting there for her.
“Well then, this sucks,” she said.
“It could be worse,” Charlotte said. But not much worse, she thought to herself.
The subsequent days on the road were much more somber. Charlotte cut her hair short and hid it under her hood so that they wouldn’t be recognized again. She should have done so from the very beginning, but they were careless. Liari’s homesickness was really starting to set in and although she was holding it together, deep down she was worried that she had made the biggest mistake of her life in traveling outside of the forest and into the dangerous world of people. Nevertheless, they pushed onward and soon found themselves near K’Mirah, the most dangerous place to be right now.
Charlotte’s contact was likely inside the large city, but with the gates being manned by guards and checking everyone who entered, they were not going to risk being found. Instead they made a small detour to an abandoned grain storage a few miles away from town. There they would have to wait until a messenger approached them. Charlotte was eternally grateful to her sister, for including her in some of her escapades outside the palace. Thanks to her, she had at least some contacts she could use in these dire times. With the grim mood getting worse, luck finally seemed to return to the duo for a bit because not but an hour after they settled in a dark corner of the grain storage did a young boy approach them. The boy looked to be no older than twelve, perhaps even younger than that. He looked like a street urchin but Liari quickly noticed that he had sturdy shoes on and that the daggers hanging from his belt were of high quality. He was no regular street urchin, this must be who they were waiting for.
“What is the password?” The boy asked.
“I don’t have the password, but I need you to deliver a message to Kirat for me.”
“Without the password that’s going to cost you dearly.”
“Tell you what kid, here’s a silver for your effort. Tell Kiran that the baby sparrow is waiting here for him. If you do, he’ll pay you the rest.”
The boy eyed her up and down, not quite trusting of what she was saying. “If it turns out you’re lying to me I’m sending the guards to lock you up.”
“I’m not lying to you, I promise.”
The kid hesitated for another moment, then snatched the coin from her hand and quickly left the building.
Seeing as the building was abandoned a long time ago it had fallen into a state of disrepair. The roof partially collapsed and one of the tall windows was completely broken, letting in the wind. Still, it was not as cold as sitting outside in the wind. Charlotte rubbed her hands together and looked at Liari. “Are you alright?” She asked.
Liari didn’t realize she was trembling. She breathed in and out deeply a few times before nodding. “I just hope we can get to our destination safely, I’m sure everything will be alright then.”
“It’ll at least be fairly safe there, that’s for sure.”
Liari nodded. They waited another hour or two before a different person finally entered the building.
This person was armed with a shiny rapier and dressed much nicer than the boy. “Four of my men are outside this building right now, identify yourself or this will be your grave.”
Charlotte took off her hood, revealing her short but still scarlet red hair. “Kiran, it’s me.”
The man’s eyes went wide and he put his weapon away. “Is it really you, Charlotte?”
Charlotte nodded.
“I was sure you would have been caught by now, we didn’t hear from you for so long.” He looked at Liari. “Is this a friend?”
Charlotte nodded. “This is Liari, she’s kept me safe through the winter.”
Liari smiled. “I didn’t do much at all,” she said.
“Nevertheless, she goes where I go and we’re close enough that you can speak freely around her.”
Kiran nodded. “Understood. Where have you been since we last spoke?”
“I traveled to the Celeran Canopy. I knew there was a mage there, an old friend of my father, and wanted to get his help. When I got to his place, I learned that he died recently. Liari here is his daughter. She found out about this, as well as the mage’s death, the same time as I did.”
Kiran nodded. “That’s a lot to process.”
“Tell me about it,” Liari said.
“So you stayed there in the Celeran Canopy during winter and then traveled back here. I’m assuming you came to me because you need help?”
He looked at Charlotte expectantly.
“We’re on our way to the Astrianara Academy. It’s a place where I’ll be safe and where Liari can find out more about her heritage.”
“And you need me to?”
“Find someone who can sail us there.”
“I see.” Kiran nodded. “That makes sense, that’s probably not super easy without connections.” He smiled. “I can do that for you, free of charge.”
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed and she looked at him suspiciously.”
“Oh come on, princess, you know what I want by now, don’t you?” He walked in a small circle through the room before spreading his arms wide. “My plan of cozying up to the royal family and becoming a fat noble hasn’t changed a bit since we last spoke.”
“Wouldn’t it be smarter to cozy up to the new king?”
Kiran shook his head. “Perhaps in due time, but in these chaotic changing times, it’s best not to rock the boat too much. Besides, there’s still many people in the kingdom that are loyal to your family. You could very well return and I’ll be there as your loyal supporter.”
“You’re surprisingly open about all of this,” Liari said.
Kiran looked at her. “Honesty is the best road to gaining someone’s favor, is it not? If I help the princess here and pretend I’m doing it from the goodness of my heart, wouldn’t that be super suspicious? She would quickly come to suspect that I’m planning something. She would be correct, of course, so why not save us both the time and hassle and just be open about the plan from the very start.”
“That’s an interesting way to look at things, but it doesn’t sound wrong.”
Kiran smiled. “You seem to get it, excellent.”
He looked back at Charlotte. “I’ll write you a letter of recommendation to an old captain I know. His ship, the Varshen, is in K’tapur fairly regularly. Just stay at an inn near the docks and you should be able to find him within a week or two.”
Charlotte nodded. “You’re a big help, Kiran, really. Ulterior motives or not, I’ll gladly take you all the way to the top if I ever get the opportunity, I will swear this one my life.”
“And that’s all I need.” He took out some paper and ink from a small bag he brought with him, and after a few minutes he produced a nicely sealed and stamped letter. “This should do the trick. The fellow you’re looking for is called Captain Layek. He’s a jolly man with big ambitions. If you show him this letter and tell him I sent you, he’ll take you to the Academy without issue.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do, and I suggest that the two of you don’t hang around the big city for too long. Times are strange, after all.” He waved them goodbye and quickly exited the grain storage, leaving the two women alone. Liari looked outside. It was slowly getting dark but they could probably still travel for an hour or two if they really wanted to.
“Want to get a little bit further away from the city?” She asked Charlotte.
Charlotte nodded. “I would feel safer if we did.”
The remaining journey from near K’Mirah until they reached the harbor town of K’tapur was mostly uneventful. They had a scare when some traveling soldiers passed them and struck up a conversation, but they didn’t seem to suspect that anything was wrong and after they told them a story that they were traveling to visit a family member up north, they were let go again. Tired, hungry and with very little money left, they finally made their way into K’tapur. The city was bustling and although there were guards at the gate checking everyone who entered, they seemed to be mostly focused on the contents of people’s wagons and carts, and the two women were able to slip in with just a quick glance and a nod from one of the guards that then quickly shifted his attention to the people behind them, who brought in a cart full of spices and silks. That was much more interesting to the guard, which was a boon for Liari and Charlotte.
After finding their way through the many different and snaking streets of K’tapur, the two finally made their way to one of the inns near the harbor. It was a rather cheap looking inn, but with the severe lack of money in their pockets it would have to do. The Sawblade Tavern was cheap and efficient, and the room they got had barely enough space for two beds and a little table and chair in the middle. The window looked out over the docks and Liari tried to spot the ship of the captain they were looking for, but to no avail. “Let’s check in the morning, I’m exhausted,” Charlotte suggested.
Liari nodded. “I’m fine with that too, let’s get a quick bite and then call it night.”
Four more days passed while the two spent their time mostly nervously pacing their inn room. It seemed like there were not a lot of guards in this area, and the presence of all the shadier people in town was kind of soothing in a strange sense. Late in the afternoon, on the fifth day that they spent in town, they finally spotted the ship they were looking for. On the dock, right next to the ship that seemed to already be ready to depart, stood two people having a conversation when they noticed Liari and Charlotte approach.
Opal Kaharis 